> To Equestria And Beyond (Rewrite In Progress)
>  by NightFurySpeedey8156
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: The Start Of A New Adventure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Believe me, Night Fury, when you have a reason to run, you’ll run."

"I-I don't know dad, it just seems …kinda impossible."  Night Fury may have had the same black fur and feline features as his dad, but his dad always seemed so much bigger and more capable than him.

"There's no such thing as 'impossible' son, you can be just as fast as me. You just have to stop doubting your ability to do it." 

Night Fury took a moment to think, collecting his thoughts of wanting to be like his father. He thought about what would happen if he got the hang of his speed and the potential power he would hold on his grasp if he did put in the effort to try and do his best.On one paw, he could not run with his dad and be made fun of by the other young ones for chickening out, never getting to hear the end of it. Or, on the other paw, he could go with his dad and achieve his dream of impressing his dad and getting admiration from everyone in the village, earning their respect. He ultimately came to the conclusion that he shouldn't be scared of who he is and agreed to his father's plan to help him move along in his life. 

"O-ok dad, I think I can do it this time."

"Good, because that storm is coming in fast. We wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to get you familiar with your speed. c'mon let's go!" 

And with that the father-son duo took off into the forest, thunder booming over them as they gained speed. Night Fury kept pace with his father very well, matching his steps effortlessly as they took turn after turn down the dirt path, now turning into mud as rain beat down from the canopy above. Night Fury was moving fast for a good while, his father cheering him on as they raced side by side, until Night Fury started to feel the pressure of the constant running on his legs, slowing down as the pain shot through him with every step.

"C'mon son, you can do it!" His father called, urging his son to keep up.

"I… don't think I… can. Too… tired." Night Fury exclaimed, huffing and wheezing as he continued to slow his pace. He really wanted to become the best he could for his family, but his legs felt like giving out.

Thunder boomed distantly above him, and the sky lit up for a moment, fIlling Night Fury’s view as he slowed to a crawl. He had let his father down, his mother down, and most importantly, he’d let himself down. His heart pounded in his chest as his vision began to tunnel and blur from exhaustion, his mind giving him all sorts of terrible outcomes of not mastering his speed. 

There was a bright flash and a deafening boom right next to him, and Night Fury jumped up in fear and started running, really running, like he never had before. He felt a strange force flowing through him, a constant stream of energy flooding his nerves. His body lit up with red lightning bolts as he took off, leaving the scenery and his dad behind. He heard his dad shout something, but he was already out of earshot.

Night Fury was running like he had something chasing him, dodging and leaping over rocks to branches. The lightning kept coming, crackling and booming loudly as the rain soaked him from above and below. He was only focused on getting out of the forest and getting back home until a familiar, tall figure overshadowed him as he ran, speaking over the loud noises and keeping pace with the filly-sized cat. 

"Look at you, you're running! And I don't mean just a light jog, you are absolutely darting." Night Fury took a look around him as he ran, realizing that he was indeed, using his power and was actually running. He made turn after turn in the darkness and in the rain, not knowing whether to feel terrified or excited at that moment. His father was the next thing he focused on, slitted purple eyes looking right back at him and a proud smile stretched across his muzzle. 

"Eyes forward!" His dad shouted. Night Fury turned his head at the perfect time to see a rock closing in fast. He jumped into the air to dodge it in time, but he didn't take into consideration how big the rock was compared to his jump height. Time seemed to slow down as he came closer to the giant boulder, his mind flooding with fear as his vision was filled with the boulder's gray color.

His mind went blank, nothing interrupting his pure instinct to act on the situation in the best way possible. Claws extended, he grabbed onto the side of the rock, scaling it in what felt like slow motion. Getting higher and higher up the boulder, almost to its peak, he heard an inner voice echoing in his head telling him one thing, and one thing only… 

"Jump."

… and that he did. With nothing else driving his motions except his pure instinct, he took to the air as he hit the peak of the rock he was climbing, soaring over the path with his dad watching him in awe. Night Fury wondered why he just jumped from the boulder he was on, but he didn't distract himself from making a safe landing. He flew through the air for what felt like forever until he hit the ground, and hit it hard. Mud went flying from under his paws as they dug into the ground, skidding along the wet terrain for a couple of seconds before coming to a stop, his dad doing much the same as he faced his now mud-plastered son. 

"That was amazing! I've never done anything like that before," Fury called, excited by his new ability. Thunder still cracked above, but he wasn’t so scared anymore.

"I could say much the same, champ. You wanna go show mom?

“Oh my gosh yes!” 

Family… a cherished thing that everyone should be lucky to have. Family is something that will always be remembered and loved… even years later. 
> Chapter 1: The Basket From The Sky
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Along the edge of a forest deep in the Equestrian wilderness, far beyond the reaches of known civilization, a jaguar-like creature was making his early morning rounds.  His name was Night Fury - and for better or for worse, this was his home. He took a few steps along a lone dirt path, taking in the early morning sun through the overhanging canopy when out of the blue, a pink blur dropped right on his jet-black head. 

He yowled, looking around for what hit him, only to find a pink basket containing a pink envelope with the words “Royal Wedding” written on the front. 

He blinked and sat down on the dirt path to help with the dizziness. That was the last thing he had expected to attack him from above.
The basket had some sort of makeshift parachute attached to it. Not big enough to keep the impact of it from hurting his nose, but enough to make sure the letter had stayed securely inside. He looked at the letter to see who the invitation was for, only to see that the invitation was to him specifically.

He took a second to process what had happened as he sat there in confusion. Had someone sent him an invitation? His confusion turned to curiosity, and he quickly used one claw to open the letter and read it.

Esteemed Night Fury,

Greetings from myself and the nation of Equestria! It has come to my personal attention that diplomatic relations between ourselves and your kin, the Speed Shifters, have been lacking of late. As such I have appointed you, the most familiar of your kind to us, as temporary ambassador for your species. Included is an invitation to the REAL wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and a ticket to canterlot via the Friendship express. I do hope you’ll be able to attend!

Cordially, 
Princess Celestia.

Night Fury read the official-looking letter in his paws with a raised eyebrow and feline ears askew. At first he thought he’d received the letter by mistake, but his name was written plain as day on the front of the envelope. A letter that apparently named him ambassador for his species. He took another look and found that Princess Celestia had specified that this invitation was to the real wedding. He was uncertain as to why she would need to specify that, but he didn't question it. The invitation and ticket were indeed included in the envelope, both looking just as real, but there were a couple of problems.
First, he had never so much as looked at a politician before.
Second, He didn’t really know any others of his species. Besides his parents, of course. 
He’d be a fool to ignore the letter, he knew. It seemed to present the opportunity of a lifetime, even if it had been unceremoniously dropped on his head from a pegasus chariot. A free trip to Canterlot, and a chance to talk with the very highest in the Equestrian government, perhaps even countries beyond. 

And so he took his chances and followed the long dirt path through the forest, soon coming to the very edge where the tree line broke away to a train station with the Crystal Zephyr waiting for him. Soon enough he found himself sitting in his own private train car, a hole punched into his ticket, wondering what in the world this ‘Princess Celestia’ could be thinking as he made his way to Canterlot. 

The station came into view, and with it many ponies. Night Fury’s eyes were quickly drawn to two in particular, taller than the rest. An ivory white pony with a flowing multicolor mane, and next to her…The most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She held herself with dignity and grace, a tall pony with a navy blue coat and a shimmering, starry mane. Large wings were folded by her sides, and a magnificent unicorn horn sat atop her head. Night Fury stepped off the train in a daze, unable to take his eyes off the divine figure before him until the white one spoke.

“Ambassador Fury, thank you for coming. I am Princess Celestia, and this is my dear sister, Luna.”

After taking in the gorgeous one’s nod of agreement, Night Fury gave a confused stare to the white one, who he now noticed also had wings and a horn. 

“I… have a few questions,” Night Fury said. Princess Celestia, as she had defined herself, smiled and winked.

“I thought you might. Shall we walk?”

The streets of Canterlot were filled with ponies, but most of them seemed to give Luna and Celestia a wide berth, allowing the three of them some measure of privacy. Luna, the beautiful one, seemed uninterested in talking at the moment, walking a few yards ahead. Instead, Celestia spoke while Night Fury tried to steal looks in Luna’s direction.

“The duties of a princess are… demanding, to say the least. Every tiny use of our time must be justified. I could not spare the time coming to the train station for just anyone, but greeting a foreign ambassador… that’s practically a requirement of being a princess.”

“Hang on… you made me an ambassador so you and your sister could come meet me at the train station?”

Celestia smiled. “Partially… I also thought it would be good to make a new friend, especially with someone as unique as you seem to be.”

“‘Unique?’ I assume you don’t know many Speed Shifters, then?”

“You are the only one that has reached my ears, and the first to meet my sister and I."

Night Fury raised an eyebrow.

“Then what was all that in the letter about me being ‘The most familiar’?”

“Well, being the only one I’ve heard of, that makes you the most familiar by default.”

Celestia leaned down conspiratorially and whispered.  “It also appears that you’d like to become more familiar with a particular sister of mine.”

“A -wha… was I that obvious?” 

Celestia nodded slowly.

“Your secret is safe with me,” she said with a wink before raising her head again.

From the moment they had left the train station, Canterlot Castle had been in view, towering over the rest of the city.Night Fury's eyes widened as he took in the beautiful sight, wondering how big this new landmark would be on the inside. The drawbridge lowered at the command of the princesses' magic, revealing the long stone walkway towards the main hall of the castle, stained glass windows of the princesses lined the halls in all of their glory. 

Soon after being escorted down a second hall to a set of double doors and stealing more looks towards the lunar princess that he was increasingly gaining interest in, the double doors opened to reveal a rather slim mare with a pink coat and a multi-colored mane, colors ranging from pink to yellow to purple. Princess Celestia took no time in getting the two acquainted as she raised a hoof and began to speak. 

“Night Fury, I’d like you to meet Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. She can help you get comfortable.”

Celestia said, gesturing to the pink alicorn. The name was a bit baffling to him but it didn’t stop him from trying it out on his tongue. 

“Hi there, my name is Night Fury. it’s an honor to meet you Princess Miya Moore Cadenzi… sorry if I completely butchered your name heh,” He said with a chuckle. The two sisters ducked their heads with their sides aching trying not to laugh while Cadence discreetly put a hoof over her mouth.

“Heh, I’ll put the name butchering aside until later. You can call me Cadence.”

“Ok, Thanks” Night Fury said sheepishly as they left Luna and Celestia behind.

“I’ve heard from a few guards that you’re pretty fast...”

“I guess you could say that. Between you and me, I’ve stolen my fair share of pies from window sills. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I need somepony to grab deliveries from several stores in Canterlot, and considering that there hasn’t been anypony willing to take the job yet, I was wondering if you would take the job?”

“Of course, I’ll do anything for the bride. Especially when she’s as sweet as you are"  Night fury added a wink.

Cadence blushed. 

“Oh you, you’re such a charmer. But as you can probably tell, somepony already put a ring on it.”

Cadence checked the clock.

“Oh dear, it’s nearly 4:30! The wedding cake will be ready for pickup in 5 minutes… do you think you could go get it?”

“Sure, It’ll be on its way in no-time!”

Fury started to glow red, electric bolts pulsing from him as his powers started to make a whining noise, powering up. Cadence took a step back as she had never seen magic of this kind before, feeling nervous as to what Night Fury was about to do.

"You wanna see how fast I am, well here… you… GO!!" 

He dashed off with a powerful blast and headed for the ballroom doors. The two sisters were outside of the doors for only what felt like a few seconds before a powered up Night Fury burst through the doors. Night Fury came out running, leaving a red trail of light as they gave pursuit, though they didn't take into consideration how fast he could move as they struggled to fly with him. Cadence was left stunned after hearing a sonic boom in close quarters, her ears ringing from the sudden loud noise.

“Night Fury, where are you going?” 

Celestia called, struggling to keep up with the speeding feline. When Night Fury heard this, There was an audible sound of tires screeching as he stopped on a dime. The two princesses flew past him, their hooves just barely missing his head as they turned around and landed in front of him. 

“To go get the wedding cake. It’ll be ready for pickup in 5 minutes!” 

The princesses looked at each other. Silently, they agreed this had to be handled with extreme speed.

“Of course. Luna, can you make sure he knows where he’s going?”

“Yes my sister. Night Fury, follow me!”

Luna called with a commanding tone

Night fury almost tripped when he realized who would be escorting him personally to the bakery. Had Celestia done that on purpose?

“Err, right behind you, your highness,” Night Fury called, taking off after her.

“Night Fury!” Celestia called once again. He stopped in his tracks

“Yes?”

“Try not to trip over yourself too much.” She said with a wink. Fury’s face turned redder than the carpet below him. He took off without a word.
> Chapter 2: Settling In
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Fury was racing through Canterlot, keeping pace with Luna. All the while he zigzagged through crowds of shocked ponies, his voice getting louder and softer as he got closer and farther away.

"Ugh, if there weren't so many ponies walking around, I could be making better time. But, I'm glued to the ground… you're so lucky you can fly." 

Luna returned a soft smile and a blush, knowing that he was complimenting her.

"Well, Thank you. But… Why should you be jealous, can’t you change your form? I know I read that in an old book somewhere…" 

"Maybe…? My species can turn into whatever we want, I never learned how..."

Night Fury’s voice was more coherent, the crowds having thinned out the further away they got from the castle. 

"Well, that's a shame. Hopefully your parents can teach you soon."

As soon as the words hit Night Fury's ears, all of his excess thoughts were washed away and were replaced with sorrow and sadness. He knew that he would have to say something about his parents sooner or later, but now was not the time. 

"Yeah, hopefully they will... If I can find them that is. “


"What was that?"

"Oh, err nothing, just thinking out loud.” 

“BAKERY!"

Night Fury snapped out of his thoughts as Luna spoke, finally seeing the bakery in front of them. He hadn’t realized how close they were to hitting it, having been going so fast and everything passing by being a blur. He gasped at the sudden realization and tried to stop, but his paws kept slipping on the smooth stone roads until finally… 


*WHAM*

… the sound was quick and loud, And Night Fury could feel the building shake from the impact.. Luna landed quickly next to the feline who had now fallen out of the crevasse in the wall and was seeing stars, laying on his back looking up at her. 

"Fury?… Fuurrrry, you ok?"

Night Fury didn't answer right away; His head was still spinning and his thoughts were more scrambled than eggs in a blender. He tried to focus up on who was talking to him, but he was seeing double and could barely form words. His embarrassment and her apparent beauty wasn’t helping either. 

"Owww, that hurt… really bad." 

“At least it wasn’t a window.” 

"You're right. Better banged up than cut up."

Though, at that point Fury was feeling a little cut up about his chances with a certain princess. After letting his head soothe and dusting himself off, they entered the bakery. An orange pony with straw-yellow hair, apparently the baker, greeted them.

"Your highness, the cake is right over there. Vanilla frosting with strawberries and strawberry filling." Fury had to keep his mouth from watering at the sight of it, but Luna seemed unmoved.

“Thank you Applejack, we appreciate your work on this important occasion.”

“My pleasure, your highness.” Applejack turned to Fury. 

“And who’s this?”

"Applejack, this is Night Fury. He has traveled from far away to participate in the wedding." 

“Well, ya don’t say. Spike, Twilight, we got a foreign dignitary here!”

Applejack called out, getting the attention of a green-and-purple dragon and a lavender unicorn.. Night Fury immediately felt uncomfortable being given such a lofty title in introduction.

“I wouldn’t… exactly… call myself that. More of a temporary ambassador for my kind since… I’m the only one anyone knows of.” The unicorn’s eyes seemed to light up at that.

“A new species?”

"You could say that, yes." 

"OhmygoshIhavesomanyquestion-" Luna interrupted Twilight’s string of words with a hoof over her mouth.

“Oh, look at the time! Excuse me, but this cake has to get to the castle right away.” 

They rolled the Cake-cart out of the bakery before the purple unicorn could keep talking, Night Fury following the lunar princess' lead, confused as to why she stopped Twilight from asking her questions. 

"Why did you interrupt her? She was going to ask me something." 

“She was going to ask you many things, and we simply don’t have the time right now.”

"Oooohh, I get it. She's one of those cooped up in a library studying and doesn't have many friends types, isn't she?" 

Luna gave him an odd look.

“You are both very right and very wrong.”

By the time Fury thought to ask what she meant, he had to concentrate on making sure the cake didn’t hit any pedestrians, although he had something else on his mind. 

After returning to the castle, They rolled the cake into the ballroom and found Cadence and Celestia. 

“Perfect, you got the cake here just in time. But I have just one question, did either of you take a bite of the cake on the way here?”

Cadence said, eyeballing the cake and the ones who delivered it.

"No we didn't. Unlike my sister, we can actually control our cravings, though little  Fury did get close.”

Night Fury stood there scratching the back of his neck with his cheeks blushing a bright red. He hadn’t realized how much he wore his heart- or in this case his stomach- on his sleeve. Cadence chuckled as she walked up to the cake and inspected it, then looked at Night Fury.

“It looks like it’s all here, so no harm done.”

Cadence said with a soft smile, Night fury returned the gesture and nodded agreeably.

“Well, I think it is well beyond my time to retire to my bed chambers, all this work has made me tired. Good day everyone."

As she walked away, She levitated a banana from a nearby fruit bowl. Fury wasn’t sure whether it was wax or not. Luna proceeded to peel the banana and, without any prior warning, ate the peel and dropped the actual banana to the floor. 


“Um, did she just…"

"Don't question it, that only happens when she's tired."

Night Fury’s stomach grumbled.

“Oh, uh, is anyone else gonna finish that?” He nodded to the stripped banana still on the tile. 

"I… don't think I would advise you to eat off the floor," Cadence warned.

“Oh, please. I bet you keep the palace floors as clean as a whistle.” Before any further argument could be made, he scooped it up in his paws, tossed it up, and swallowed it whole. 

Cadence and Princess Celestia shared a glance of concern as he swallowed. The palace floors were probably not as clean as he thought they were. 

Night Fury gave the two a small grin, knowing how disgusting that probably looked. Secretly, he was just happy to have shared a meal, technically, with princess Luna.

“Yeah, not my best moment but when you're hungry, you're hungry."

“Sure, do what you need to,” Cadence answered sheepishly. Celestia decided it was time to take charge.

“Well, with that out of the way… maybe we should have a proper meal together and get to know each other."

Night Fury’s face lit up.
“Oh, wow, That’d be even better!”

"Yeah, I could eat," Cadence added.

"Then it's settled, follow me and we will have a proper meal, unlike whatever… that was… no offense."

Celestia replied with a sheepish grin, uncomfortable with what just happened.

"None taken. I'm not proud of it either," Night Fury said smiling with a blush as he followed the royals to the dining hall. The two royals and the ambassador soon reached the dining hall and walked inside. Night Fury felt small compared to everything. The glass windows, the columns holding the roof up, and even the table he was seated at were enormous compared to what felt like his tiny kitty body.

"So, what do you two want?"

Celestia inquired, wanting to know what was required to suit the ambassador's hunger. 

"I… don't know, let me think…. You know what, I really don't know what I want." 

"Don't worry, I have a solution." 

Celestia responded as she grabbed a bell in her magic and shook it once, letting it ring as the servers walked in. Three servers that looked almost as regal as Celestia herself walked in and placed their dishes in front of them. Celestia got the first serving of food, that being a salad and a glass of water, very minimalistic in any sort of calorie count. Cadence on the other hoof was the complete opposite, having gotten two hay burgers, a stack of hay fries and a soda, filling her guilty pleasure of eating greasy food. Night Fury got the last serving; a fried fish with shrimp and a lemonade, hot and ready for him on a silver platter. 

"Wow, this is just what I wanted. How did you know?" Night Fury asked, 

"Let's just say, I have a thing for knowing what somepony wants."

Night Fury raised a paw at this, but his tummy got in the way of his thoughts. Without another word, he grabbed the fork that was placed to his right and poked into the shrimp, lifting it to his nose to take a sniff. He took a whiff of the shrimp, his face instantly lighting up as the smell was amazing. He took a bite and chewed on the shrimp, taking a moment to savor the salty, savory crunch of the skin and the firm but chewy meat on the inside. He gave a moan of satisfaction as he swallowed the first bite and couldn't believe how good it tasted.

"Mmmmmwow, this is better than any fish I've ever tasted! But I have to ask though, how do you have meat in a-"

"-Mostly plant eating society? We get asked that a lot. " 

Cadence said

"Yes, well, having met with griffin ambassadors to decide on how to deal with the differences in diet and how to accommodate for their visits, we unanimously came to the decision of a trade deal. We receive meat and seafood fresh caught by the griffins in Griffin Stone, while they receive supplies and support from the Equestrian military in case of an invasion. Of course, there were some objections from the Canterlot elites, having felt uncomfortable with such 'disgusting foods' being imported from elsewhere, but with no other places to get such accommodations, we settled on the deal."

Celestia added, explaining the past to Night Fury as they continued eating.

"Huh, I never looked at it that way. But whatever works, works."

"Yep, and we don't complain about it," Cadence added, taking a very un-princess-like bite out of the hay burger she was eating and swallowing it before looking at the other two with a ketchup stained muzzle. Night Fury gave a small snicker as he swallowed the piece of fish in his mouth and washed it down with some lemonade before speaking.

"Um… Cadence you've got a little something… there," Night Fury said, gesturing towards Cadence's now red muzzle.

"Oh, I didn't notice that. Thanks," Cadence added, taking notice of how sloppy she looked. She lit up her horn and proceeded to not grab a napkin, but the half eaten hay burger, rub the ketchup onto the burger from off of her muzzle, and eat the entire burger without any sense of using proper table manners. Night Fury shot an amused glance to the solar princess beside him. He got a smile and shrug in return as they finished eating, let the servants carry away their dishes, and started to walk the halls. 

“Wow, I have never felt so small just walking down a hall before," Night Fury said, taking in how big everything was compared to him. 

"You’re not the only one. I've walked these halls for years, and I still can't get used to the fact that everything is so huge," Cadence said, looking around at the stained glass windows that towered over them. Night Fury had never seen such beautiful imagery all in one place. They turned a corner into a hallway that had clear, unstained windows that allowed Night Fury to see the outside world. He slowed down to a stop, turning to the window and waking up to it, taking in the bird's eye view that he got of Canterlot in the setting sun. The two princesses noticed that the feline was no longer following them and stopped walking, looking back to see him looking out the window and taking in the sights of the city below.

"Wow, I have never seen something so beautiful. The city lights, the setting sun, and the transition into night time." Night Fury said, a hint of bliss in his voice as he looked on at the city below. 

"I never knew you were so into the night. Then again, your name is Night Fury, so that probably should have been a dead giveaway," Cadence added. Night Fury chuckled, not taking his eyes off the horizon.

"Yeah, I really do like the darkness. Being able to move around under the cover of night without being seen, letting out my wild side, and just… being able to be myself are some of the things l like about the night. But my favorite thing about it is when there's a storm rolling over." Night Fury answered, smiling at all his childhood memories. Cadence gave him an odd look, not expecting him to like the loud, bright, and potentially dangerous nature of a storm.

"Really, I wouldn't have guessed that you would like having a storm pass over at night. How come you're so excited by them?" Cadence inquired

"Well, when I was little and learning how to control my speed, my dad took me out at night, during a storm to help me gain control of my powers. He always told me that 'If you have a reason to start running, it will all come to you naturally.' I never understood what he meant, until that very night. We started running as the storm blew over, rain pounding on the canopy above us as we ran, not holding anything back. We were at a good pace for a while, until I started getting tired," Night Fury said recounting his memory as he pictured that rainy night. By now, Cadence and Celestia had sat down with him to listen to his past, intrigued as to how he got his power. 

"I wanted to keep going, but I just couldn't keep going. My dad called to me to keep up with him, but I was losing it, and fast. That is until a lightning strike touched down a couple of feet away from me, rattling me to the core with how bright and loud it was. As my mind started to panic and I started to get scared… something happened, something that would change me forever." He continued, Cadence was wide eyed as he went on with his story, the drama reeling her in as the stakes got higher, even Princess Celestia was leaning in some to get a better ear in on the story. 

"I started glowing red, electric bolts rolling over me like a lightning rod, getting brighter and brighter until… BOOM!"

The two princesses jumped back at the sudden outburst, not expecting the loud noise. As soon as they recovered from the shock of the drama, they leaned back in, only for Night Fury to not continue speaking. 

"Well, what happened next?" Cadence asked

"Oh I don't know, maybe I should just leave it there. Seems to be getting late anyway." Night Fury replied, hiding a sly smile behind a paw. Cadence scrunched up her face and pouted, he didn't even get to the good part.

"Oh come on, it was just getting good!" Cadence whined, Night Fury took another look at Cadence's expression and smiled, this time openly. Cadence's eyes widened in surprise as she realized that he was just joking and that he didn't mean anything he said.

"Ohhhh, you were just messing around, weren't you?" She said with a cheeky tone

"Yep, I wouldn't leave you hanging. I've never been a 'to be continued' type cat anyway." Night Fury chuckled, Cadence and Celestia both doing much the same as they settled in for the rest of the story.

"Now as I was saying, My powers just burst out of me. I started flying down the muddy path at breakneck speeds, nothing holding me back as I ran faster and faster. Thunder boomed above me, rain pounding the canopy as I dodged obstacle after obstacle with ease, I had never felt so alive…" Night Fury said in a dramatic tone, both princesses were amazed by his storytelling, feeling as if they were right next to him in that exact moment. Night Fury continued.

"...I soon reached the end of the path, stopping right at the front door to my house. My dad wasn't too far behind as he stepped up next to me, he gave me a smile and told me 'That was amazing son, you're a natural'. I was so excited to have finally gotten the hang of my speed, and after that I continued perfecting it, learning new tricks from my ancestors, and the rest is history." Night Fury finished, Cadence clapped her hooves together, fully enlightened and entertained by the drama of Night Fury's acquisition of his ability. Celestia only smiled at the end of the story, holding up her regal mask for the sake of any prying eyes wishing to sneak a glance at her without it.

"Bravo, Bravo!" Cadence cheered, elated with the feline's performance. 

"Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all night." Night Fury replied jokingly, laughing gleefully along with Cadence at the joke. The laughter soon died down, Night Fury speaking up about the situation.

"You know, when I got my invitation to this wedding, I would have never expected that making friends would be this easy. I was always a loner, only having my parents to talk to since I was an only child. But now that I have gotten the chance to do it myself, I realize what I've been missing out on in life." Fury said, Celestia put a hoof on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes, a motherly look that Fury had never seen before.

"I'm glad that you see it that way. I believe it is time we all retire for the night, shall we?" The solar princess inquired, Night Fury and Cadence both nodded in agreement as they followed Celestia to where they would be sleeping. As they walked, Night Fury thought to himself… 

"Could this be the start of a new life?"

"Could I stay in Equestria and actually prosper?"

"Could I be the first of my kind to make a name for myself in Equestrian history?" 

…As he continued to walk with the two royals to his chambers. All of these questions went unanswered though as the trio soon arrived at his room and he got settled in for the night, letting himself drift off to sleep and all of his thoughts fade away until tomorrow. As tomorrow would be another day, a brand new day in what he could only assume, was his new life in Equestria.
> Chapter 3: Midnight Snack Attack
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Fury awoke to a dark room and his stomach grumbling. He looked around the room in confusion, not knowing what to do with himself now that he was wide awake. He didn't want to go out of his room and just parade around the castle looking for a midnight snack, but another growl from his tummy insisted. Night Fury opened the door to his room and looked around, no idea where the kitchen was in any sense, but he decided to just follow his nose and see if he could find his way.

He began walking down the dark halls aimlessly. The moon gave him plenty of light for his keen eyes to see, even filtered through the windows. He made turn after turn down every hall he came across, passing the occasional night guard and greeting them as he passed by.

But something interrupted his quiet stroll, and he pricked his ears up to focus on the sound of somepony humming nearby. It sounded like a song, ringing with a soothing tone that he had never heard before. Along with his trek to find a midnight snack, he now had a new mission: find this mystery singer. 

He turned left at an intersection and halted. He’d found the source of the humming… it was Luna. She was walking towards him from the other end of the hall, looking out into the night, humming a sweet tune to herself. Night Fury's face flushed red, realizing who he’d been listening in on, not expecting the source of the humming to be her, of all ponies. It would be awkward if she saw him avoiding her, so he hesitantly started walking forward, his padded paws making his steps almost completely silent as he got closer. Night Fury took a silent breath and closed his eyes, collecting his thoughts on what he was going to say. These thoughts were soon interrupted though as he felt something pressing up against his nose. Opening his eyes, he was met with a black peytral with a moon on it. It took a moment for his brain to register that what he was looking at was attached to Luna, and when his gaze met her own the burning of his cheeks intensified. Luna gasped at seeing the now blushing feline in front of her, she would have never expected him to be awake so late into the night. Night Fury wished to speak to Luna and apologize for bumping into her, but before he was able to speak, her eyes began to show confusion as she waved a hoof in front of his face. 

"Hello, are you awake?" Luna spoke, Night Fury's eyes widened as she spoke, his brain going into panic as he realized just how close he was to the princess… He yowled as well as a cat can and fell on his back, his eyes darting all over trying to find an escape. Not seeing any good way out, he turned his attention to the lunar princess standing over him, smiling in embarrassment. Seeing just how much of a fool he made out of himself. 

"H-hi your highness. No, I’m not sleepwalking. Just… distracted."

Night Fury stammered over his words, looking up at the radiant princess that towered above him. “You look beautiful by the way.” Luna smiled, blushing slightly at the expense of his embarrassing situation. She proceeded to cover her cheek with a hoof to hide her blush as she lit her horn and put him back on all fours. 

"Why thank you, I wouldn't have expected you to be awake. But please, no need for formality, call me Luna," she spoke. 

Night Fury rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at the princess in front of him, emotions going all over the place as he tried to find the words to speak what he needed to say. 

"Right, I'll remember that." Fury said softly, still feeling sheepish from the mere presence of the pony before him. 

"May I ask why you are awake as late as The Princess Of The Night?" She asked curiously. 

"Well I didn't really have a clue why I was awake until-" Before Night Fury could finish, his stomach growled, echoing through the hall, making the lunar princess jump a little. Night Fury blushed as the sound hit his ears, embarrassed at the interruption.

"Until that happened." He squeaked, not having anything left in him after embarrassing himself in front of Luna… twice! 

"Ah, I see." The princess said with a straight face, or trying to at least. 

"So you’re the princess of the night, right? Would that also make you the princess of midnight snacks?" 

Night Fury's joke immediately got a response from Luna, proceeding to fall into a full on laughing fit as his words hit her ears. Night Fury's face turned red at the sound of her laugh, his emotions going haywire as the cute sound filled his head with pure bliss. As soon as Luna was able to compose herself, she spoke.

“As it so happens, I usually stash some food away before they lock up the pantries for the night, but today, with all the wedding preparations, I’m afraid I forgot.”

"Well, I didn't think that something as casual as a pantry would be kept under lock and key. But if that is the case, I do have another idea." Night Fury said, motioning for Luna to come closer. 

Curious, Luna took a few steps and craned her neck down until she was eye level with him, confused as to why he wanted her so close. Night Fury moved his head towards Luna's ear and began to whisper his plan to her. 

"I happen to personally know of a cake that isn't being kept under lock and key." Fury whispered with a mischievous grin.

Luna wore a look of confusion for a few seconds before snapping back at attention, now realizing what Night Fury was talking about. Luna pulled her head back up, returning to her full height as she quietly gasped and looked at the now smirking feline in shock. Night Fury read Luna's expression carefully and could see that she wasn't expecting him to want to take from Cadence's wedding cake. She wasn't expecting him to want to go that far just for a midnight snack, but having not really had the chance to get to know him, she couldn’t say she expected anything at all.

"Fury, that is Princess Cadence's wedding cake, we cannot just go and grab a slice of her cake!" Luna scolded, just barely keeping her voice above a whisper. 

"Yeah, you're right. But if I don't grab something soon… *growl* … I'm gonna have to listen to this one all night," Night Fury retorted, gesturing towards his growling stomach. 

Luna looked at him with a scowl, ashamed of his blatant lack of consideration, at least until her own stomach started growling. Luna blushed at the sound of her hunger, turning her face away from the feline in front of her with an embarrassed smile.

"It seems like I am not the only one who is hungry, Luna?" he said smugly. "You sure you would not mind a tasty midnight treat?"

Luna was about to object but as she heard her stomach growl again, she had a change of mind.

"You seem to be right, perhaps we could take a small slice or two from the back…” She reluctantly agreed, Night Fury smiling gleefully at her response. 

"Great. Now c'mon, let's go get ourselves a midnight snack!" he whispered.

Luna smiled and followed his lead while guiding him in the right direction. Sneaking around at night reminded her of her fillyhood. She didn't know why he wanted to take the lead in getting to their goal, but she had a feeling it wasn’t just to get it done quickly. 

After making turns down many hallways, casually walking past many guards, and tiptoeing past Cadence and Celestia's rooms, the two came to the entrance to the royal kitchen where the wedding cake was being kept. They stood in front of the double doors, looking out for any signs of wakeful ponies. 

"The cake is in an industrial sized fridge at the back, but we must proceed with caution. My sister and Cadence's rooms are nearby, so we have to be as quiet as possible," said the lunar pony. Night Fury's eyes stayed locked on the doors to the kitchen and didn't move as he took into consideration how small the margin of error was for this "mission". 

"Luna, please, I am built for sneaking around. Something like this is child's play for me. But enough stalling, let's get in there before either of our stomachs start complaining again." Night Fury joked.

The two slowly walked to the doors and pushed them open, revealing the large kitchen inside. Night Fury's eyes widened in amazement as he and Luna walked in; The doors they came through closed behind them with a low creak. The kitchen was a huge space, stoves and cabinets lining the walls from the door and into the darkness that stretched deep inside. Luna stayed silent for the moment, only focused on staying as quiet as possible. Night Fury started to whisper.

"Wow, this is one big kitchen. I've never seen anything like this in my life." Night Fury said, looking around the room in awe.
Luna smiled at his amazement as they kept walking through the kitchen in the dark, keeping as quiet as possible until they reached the fridge. 

"Alright, Night Fury, this is it. Are you ready? There is no turning back after this." Luna inquired in a soft voice, Night Fury nodded and swallowed nervously. 

"I will admit that I'm a little nervous, but let's do it!" Night Fury responded in a whisper. 

They both seized the refrigerator door and pulled it open, light pouring out into the kitchen and casting the gigantic cake in silhouette. Night Fury began drooling, the cake looking absolutely tantalizing. 

“It’s… even more beautiful than I remember,” Night Fury said in awe, a drop of drool falling from his lip.

"You are not wrong, this does look delicious. But let's not just look at it, let's grab what we came here for."Luna said. 

They grabbed the cart by the handle and pulled, heaving the giant cake out of the fridge and out into the open air. As soon as the cake was out of the fridge, the scent of the giant dessert began to waft towards Fury's nose. The smell of chocolate and nutmeg danced around him and drew him closer to the cake, leaving him in a daze as he started to lean forward. Luna did much the same as she levitated two plates and a knife from the cabinet behind her and drew it in front of them. 

"Alright, there's one slice for me and one slice for you. That should be enough for each of us." As Luna spoke, she cut out two slices of cake from the back and slowly and carefully levitated them onto the plates. 

Night Fury sat down on the tile floor and held up his paws, the slice being placed into his grasp with the utmost care. He smiled wide and licked his lips as his long awaited midnight snack was now in his grasp, ready to be eaten. Luna soon joined him with her own slice in her magic, sitting across from him with the cake just between them.

Night Fury looked at the cake on his plate and licked his lips as he imagined the taste of it, wondering how much he would want after the first slice. He took a moment to look at Luna and back at the slice in front of him, going back and forth between the two before looking at Luna and saying… 

"Don't judge me, I'm hungry."

… Before going head first into the slice and taking a big bite out of it before bringing his head back up. Luna laughed beautifully, but her stomach decided she’d waited long enough to snack. It growled fiercely, filling the kitchen with noise and causing both Fury and herself to freeze. 

“Do you think that woke anyone up?” Fury whispered. Just as he finished his sentence, Princess Celestia and Cadence both burst through the door. The sun princess stared into the darkness as the two froze in place, hoping against hope that they wouldn’t be seen.

"Does that answer your question?" Luna asked sarcastically. 

"Sure does." Night Fury quietly whimpered. 

"Do you think they can see us?" Luna whispered, not wanting to give them away.

"Don't think so, I think our coats are too dark for them to see us." 

“True, but I can still hear you." Celestia responded. Luna and Fury snapped out of their relief as the solar goddess lit up the room with her horn to reveal the two cake thieves in all their frosting covered glory. By the time Celestia's spell had exposed Luna and Fury, Cadence had joined them in this standoff and gasped at the scene of the crime before Celestia spoke up.

"Well, well, well, looks like you two couldn't resist trying to get some for yourselfs, now could you?" Celestia said, smirking at the perpetrators of this daring heist. 

Night Fury began to panic, he was face to face with not only the bride, but one of the rulers of Equestria itself! 

"Uh, oh, busted… what are the chances of us getting away?" Night Fury said, a mix of confidence and fear in his voice. 

"Well, that's easy enough for me to do. I've been in plenty of troubles like this. Although frankly, I'm not so sure about you making it out." Luna stated bluntly.

Night Fury's jaw dropped at Luna's blatant lack of sympathy, did she really not care if he was caught? Fury soon regained his focus as he saw that the two other princesses were closing in on them. 

"Uh, if we are going to try and escape, now would be the time." Night Fury said.

Luna didn't respond to his statement, she just teleported out of the room in a blue flash. Night Fury flinched at the sudden flash as she disappeared in a matter of seconds, surprised that she could even do what she did. All alone, he turned his attention back to the princesses in front of him and jumped slightly at how close they were to him, rushing backwards until he hit the door of the fridge and froze. 

"I don't think you have any way of getting out of here, you might as well give up." Celestia said, eyeing the feline in front of her with a rather evil looking smile.

Night Fury's eyes were going everywhere in the room to find a way out, hopefully landing on some way he could escape… until he realized something. He had an old trick from his childhood that he used to use on his mom whenever he was about to get tickled by her, and it always worked. He wasn't sure if it would work in this case, considering he was going to use it on the most powerful being in Equestria, but he had no other option. 

"Ok, so this is how it's gonna go down then, huh? Well, game on!"

He confidently said as he took a stance low to the ground, preparing for the chaos that was probably about to ensure. He curled up into a ball and started to spin up, red arcane energy flowing around him as he started to spin faster. The two royals stopped in their tracks as they saw what was happening in front of them, raising eyebrows at Night Fury's antics as he gained speed. He spun faster and faster by the second, the red energy around him getting brighter as he powered up until… he let go. 

Like a cannonball shooting out of a cannon, he took off from a standstill at breakneck speeds, blasting past the two princesses with no time wasted. Night Fury flew down the dark hall, lighting up the way with a red glow as all the stored energy was released. He soon came to the end of the hallway and popped out of his balled-up form and skidded to a stop just before the curtains that hung behind him. Celestia and Cadence were slack-jawed at how fast Night Fury took off as they turned to look at the now glowing feline staring back at them. Night Fury took a few deep breaths, the adrenaline rush still flowing through his body as he looked on at where he came from. He stood proudly at the end of the hall and smiled deviously at the two royals, having just outplayed them flawlessly with seemingly no effort.

"I told you it was game on! If you want to get me back, you're gonna have to catch me!" Fury said, laughing deviously as he took off down another hallway with nothing more than a wink, racing through the dark castle with nothing to guide him but his own instinct. The two princesses stood in the doorway to the kitchen, processing what just happened in that moment as they had no idea Night Fury could do what he had just done. This moment didn't last long as Cadence soon gained her focus and spoke up, ready to get back at her cake thieves. 

"Alright, enough stalling, let's get those two cake snatchers! You get Luna, I'll go for Night Fury." 

She said triumphantly as she took to the air and started the chase. Celestia watched as her niece flew after her suspect of choice, nodding as she took no further delay in going after her sister. And so, the chase was on! Night Fury ran like the wind as he blasted past guards, hurling what felt like gail-force winds in his wake; almost knocking said guards off of their hooves as he flew by. Night Fury smiled as he kept running, feeling like the most sly cat in existence. He had to admit, he never would have thought he would have gotten away from Cadence and Celestia with such ease; then again, they probably didn't even know that he could do that little trick in the first place. His enjoyment of the situation was short lived though as he heard a voice from behind him that sent a chill down his spine… 

"Night Fury, come back here!"

…It was Cadence. Night Fury's face went pale, fear filling his mind as he heard the princess of love call from behind him. He took a look behind him to see none other than the bride herself flying after him, a crazy grin strewn across her face as she gained on him. 

"🎶You can't get away from me!🎶" 

Cadence sang, closing the distance between her and Night Fury. The cake-munching feline started to sweat bullets, feeling the pressure of having Cadence on his tail; He was surprised that she would be able to keep up with him, but what could he expect from one of the most powerful beings in Equestria, especially since Cadence was originally a pegasus before she became royalty, giving her that little bit of an edge at fast flight. Luckily for Night Fury, he wasn't going full force. He focused on his speed, concentrating on his power and upping the intensity. He started to glow brighter, an audible whirring noise echoing through the halls as he continued running. Cadence winced at the bright red light coming from Night Fury, squinting slightly as her vision was filled with his blinding aura. 

The whirring soon reached its peak, the glowing light seizing its increase in intensity. Night Fury took a deep breath, letting himself relax as she took one final step; impacting the floor on all fours before taking off with a blast. Night Fury shot away like a bullet, sending a shockwave thundering behind him as he left Cadence behind. Powerful winds erupted from the blast, causing Cadence to lose her balance and start losing control of her flight path. She flailed helplessly as she spun out, eventually colliding with one of the tapis curtains and getting tangled. 

Cadence's eyes spun in her head, seeing stars everywhere as she sat stuck in the curtains upside down; she shook off the dizziness and lit her horn, teleporting out of her predicament and on to her hooves once more. She looked down the now dark hallway and saw that Night Fury had completely disappeared, nowhere to be seen in either direction; in front or behind. The pink princess wore a look of disbelief as she realized how fast Night Fury got away, she couldn't believe that she lost him that quickly. But never with all of these thoughts running around in her head, she only had one thing to say… 

"Okay, this is gonna be harder than I thought."

… Before she took off again to search for the one who got away.

Meanwhile, in another part of the castle… 

Luna casually strolled through the castle halls, having gotten away from the scene of the crime fast enough that her sister hadn't found her yet. She took a moment to think about how her accomplice was doing, wondering where he could be getting out of the royal kitchen, if he got out. 

"Hm, I wonder how Night Fury is faring. I hope he didn't get caught. I probably should not have been so blunt about his chances of getting away, after all he's probably more agile than anypony." 

Luna thought, genuinely concerned for her feline friend and how he was doing. These thoughts didn't last long though as a thundering boom instantly snapped her out of her train of thought, the loud sound spooking her and making her jump slightly. Luna's eyes widened in surprise as the sudden eruption echoed throughout the castle, her head turning in every direction in a state of panic; was the castle being attacked again, surely there was no way that a second attempt at sabotaging the wedding could be happening now. 

That question was quickly answered as a red blur came into view in front of her and started closing the distance, and fast. Thinking it a powerful enemy, Luna assumed a defensive stance, forming a shield spell and lighting her horn with a combat spell at the ready. The red blur was moving fast, getting closer and closer to Luna, then it started to fizzle out. The lunar princess cocked her head at the strange sight, it seemed to be slowing down; it was as if it, whatever it was, knew she was there. Her confusion was soon sated once she could get a good look at the face of what, or in this case, who was coming towards her. It was Night Fury. 

The princess was speechless at what she had just witnessed. Night Fury was moving faster than any creature she had ever seen, even she had to admit that she would probably lose in a race to him with how fast he was going. Maybe even faster than a Wonderbolt. Soon enough, Night Fury's glow fizzled out completely, revealing his sleek form as he slowed to a stop in front of Luna's shield. 

Night Fury was taking deep breaths at all the energy he had expended. He looked up at Luna in her bubble shield and smirked as he had just proved the lunar princess wrong. 

"So what was that about my chances, Your Highness?" Fury said smugly. 

Luna was speechless for a moment. 

"U-u-unbelievable!" Luna said, astonished. "I have never witnessed such speed in all of my millennia of life." Luna admitted, lowering her shield and extinguishing the combat spell she had ready. 

"How are you capable of such feats?"

"Well it's not just me, it's my whole race. I was the fastest one out of all of my tribe back home." Fury explained. 

"Tribe? You mean that there were different communities made of your species?" Luna inquired, intrigued by Night Fury's wording of his home life. 

"Yeah, our species has spread out across multiple lands and have adapted to different lifestyles. I don't remember much from back then, but I think there were about three tribes of my kind in the forest that we resided in." 

"Amazing! I always assumed there were few of you left considering how long it has been since we have made contact with your kind." 

"Well, I would imagine that it has been a while since anyone has made contact with us. We have been very untrusting of other creatures ever since 'The Cragodile Incident' ". Night Fury said with a grimace on his face. Luna's expression saddened slightly as she saw her friend didn't look happy and spoke up about what happened.

"What do you mean by 'The Cragodile Incident?'" Luna asked curiously.

"Well, I guess I could tell you. You see, it all started when-" Before Night Fury could begin his explanation of what happened, a problem struck, or rather two problems struck.

"There you two are!" A voice shouted from a distance. Luna and Night Fury froze at the sound of the familiar voice.

Cadence and Celestia finally caught up to the two thieves.They were exhausted but had evil grins on their faces. They were finally going to enact vengeance on the midnight snackers. Night Fury turned his head to the right to see Cadence and Celestia at one end of the hall, their wings unfurled and ready to take off at a moment's notice. 

"That was an impressive display of speed you did there." Cadence admitted. "But I have a feeling you have used up your special talent."

"Oh you think I'm done," Night Fury challenged, flashing red for a moment to show he still had something in him. "Take your best shot, you pretty pink bride-to-be, Ha!" Night Fury taunted, Cadence scrunched up her muzzle at the taunting as she started to go red in the face in anger.

"Oh, you may be confident now, but just wait until I get my hooves on you." Cadence asserted strongly, taking a more aggressive stance. 

Luna whispered into the feline's ear. "Please tell me you have a trick up your sleeve and not just bluffing. Cadence is friendly but she can be very ferocious when pushed, if what her groom says is true, especially with weddings." Luna warned. 

"Don't worry I have a plan. We just wait for them to charge at us, we jump out of the way, they crash into each other and are left dizzy, then we make our escape. Easy peasy." Night Fury said confidently. 

"Well let us hope it works." said Luna.

Meanwhile Cadence was readying up her pre-flight stance. She was going to use her last bit of speed to take these two down. 

"Now Cadence, let's not go too hard on them. They only took a few slices of cake after all." Celestia said in a calm voice. This calm demeanor would soon vanish as Night Fury decided to take things one step further. 

"Hey Princess Celestia, are you sure you're gonna be able to take us down? I mean, you are thousands of years old, do you even still have it in you?" Night Fury mocked, taking his chances with his plan to new highs. "Especially with all that cake you eat." He added. 

Cadence and Luna both wore shocked expressions as Night Fury's insult hit their ears, the deliverer of said insult smirking in Celestia's direction. Princess Celestia's face soon turned red at the insult as her eye started to twitch. Both Luna and Night Fury swore that they heard a steam whistle go off from Celestia's ears as she realized what the cheeky feline had said. 

"Ohhhh it's really on now! Cadence, get them!" Celestia now just as infuriated as Cadence said.

"With pleasure." Cadence grinned menacingly at Celestia's command. The two princesses took off from where they were standing and began flying towards the two midnight snackers at extreme speed. Night Fury took the time to whisper to Luna what they should do, discreetly keeping the plan between them. 

"Alright, on the count of three, we jump. Got it?" Night Fury asked. 

"Got it." Luna replied as the pair of thieves faced opposite directions, preparing for what they had planned to be set into motion.

"One…"

The two princesses got closer… 

"Two…"

They were now only a few seconds away from Luna and Night Fury… 

"Three!" 

And as they got within a foot of them, the two of them jumped high into the air. Avoiding being pounced on by just milliseconds, Celestia and Cadence missed and were instead lunging into a pile of cakes.

"That actually worked…" Luna said half surprised and half relieved.

"Yep but I think we should shere less time admiring our success and get out of here!"

"Good idea, let's go." Luna replied. 

The two friends took off down the hall, disappearing into the darkness of the castle. Cadence and Celestia both poked their head out of the pile of now splattered cakes and looked on into the darkness, having completely lost the two cake snatchers in the dark of night. 

"That Night Fury is one quick fellow. And I never took Luna to be the mischievous sort." Cadence remarked with both annoyance and amusement.

Celestia lightly laughed.

"Luna is not as icy as you might think. I know she has a mischievous side even if she hides it. Even I have my moments." Celestia chuckled. "Sometimes it takes someone to uncover that side."

"To be completely honest, I thought you were gonna destroy that cat after that insult. You looked like you were a raging bull seeing red, not to mention that your face was a rather bright shade of the same color." Cadence remarked.

"He definitely hit my weakness. Even my love of cake." Celestia grinned. "Quite genius, he manipulated my weak points. That's the sign of a good trickster."

"Well, what can you expect from a black cat? They are bad luck."

Celestia chuckled at this.

"Well that's for sure." Celestia gave an evil smile. "But it can also mean bad luck for him next time. We'll get him next time. It's time for my old prankster self to come back."

"Oh I see. Heh heh heh." Cadence also laughed nefariously.

"So what will we do about this cake we're in?" Cadence asked.

"Well as I always say. Indulge." Celestia proceeded to eat some of the cake around them.

"Of course." Cadence said amused.

Meanwhile, near Night Fury's room… 

Luna and Night Fury slowed down their pace as they reached his room, panting and huffing as they had been running from what felt like forever.

"That… that was… close." Night Fury said breathlessly.

"I cannot believe I just did all of that." Luna said, surprised.

"I'm sorry I put you through all this insanity. I guess I'm just the type who loves to have some fun." 

"Well it was quite insane." Luna admitted. "It felt extremely immature and childish. And yet…"

"I had a lot of fun." Luna said with a genuine smile.

"Well I'm glad you did, I honestly didn't think that you would be this way. I don't think anyone would have expected you to act this way out of the public eye." Night Fury said. 

"Well I usually am a bit… shy." Luna admitted. 

"I could imagine why, I mean, only being awake during the night, not having a lot of ponies to talk to, always having to hold yourself up with a regal mask every time something diplomatic comes up…" Night Fury listed off.

"I can't even begin to fathom how hard it is to do that every single day, or night, in your case." Luna could see that Fury was being genuinely sympathetic towards her and smiled sweetly, she had never had somepony actually compliment her in such a way outside of officials and the Canterlot Elites. 

"Well you get used to it." Luna said. "But I am grateful to have someone give me a chance to relax."

Luna then smirked mischievously.

"And best of all you gave me a chance to get payback for all the times Celestia pranked me." Luna said smugly.

"Well, technically we pranked Cadence by sneaking some slices of cake. But, sure, you could say that." Night Fury said with a smile.

Luna returned the gesture kindly, she was having a good time with him. Although the way they got to know each other was rather unorthodox, she was glad that it all ended up working out.

"Well, tonight's been fun, but I think it's about time I get back to sleep. I'm feeling pretty tired now." Night Fury said before attempting to stifle a yawn with a paw. 

"It's ok, I need to get some shut eye myself anyway." Luna responded, Night Fury smiled at the lunar princess as he opened the door to his room and walked inside, ready to get some sleep.

"Hey, Night Fury?" Luna called

"Yeah?" Luna did not answer Fury's response the way he expected. Instead of verbally answering him, she just walked towards him and hugged him. Night Fury wasn't expecting Luna to just hug him out of the blue, especially since he was still rather new to making friends. His face went red as he felt her embrace him, her soft fur brushing up against his own. Night Fury's mind went all over the place as Luna held him in her hooves, random thoughts popping up here and there without any warning.

"She's so soft, it's like hugging an angel."

"Has this all been a dream, because this doesn't feel real!"

"Could this be the start of a marriage?!?"

"What, no! She's a princess you weirdo!"

"But this could mean something!"

"No , this is wrong! You can't just say that to her, what would she think of you then?!"

"But I want to though!"

"NO!"  

"YES!" 

"Um, Night Fury?" Luna butted in

"Huh, W-what?" Night Fury responded, having been knocked out of his train of thought. 

"You can let go now." Luna said, an amused tone in her voice. Night Fury's mind returned to reality, allowing him to gain control of himself and release the pony he had in his embrace. He looked up at the Princess Of The Night with a blush still on his face, causing a giggle to come from her lips.

"Oh, I-I'm so sorry! I wasn't in my right mind, I didn't mean to-" Before Fury could finish his apology, Luna's hoof stopped him in his tracks.

"Relax, it's ok. No harm done." Luna reassured the panicking feline. Night Fury's emotions soon calmed down as Luna's words gave him some good faith that he didn't make a mistake. He let out a sigh of relief as he looked up at Luna with a calmer expression.

"Ok, that's good. I was worried that I did something bad." Night Fury said, a nervous chuckle following soon after.

"No, you are quite alright." Luna assured him.

"Well, now that that's over, I think it's about time we went our separate ways." Night Fury said

"Yes, I believe so. The wedding is tomorrow after all. Wouldn't want to show up drowsy, now would we? Luna joked, eliciting a chuckle from her friend.

"No, we wouldn't." He said, Luna smiled as she turned to leave, walking out of the door to Night Fury's room and stopping.

"Night Fury?" She called 

"Yes?" He answered

"Thank you for the good time."

"You're welcome, Luna." Fury replied, closing the door as Luna walked off. He turned around and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to his chest as he thought about what happened tonight. He had to admit, he hadn't expected to have done such a thing in his entire life. It was quite the jarring experience, being chased by the bride of a wedding, making jokes with and at Princess Celestia, and having done it all with Luna as an accomplice. The things that happened tonight were things that he was sure were going to stick with him forever, but he didn't let that keep him from getting a good night's sleep as he drifted off to the realm of dreams. As tomorrow was a new day, a new day in Equestria.
> Chapter 4: Revenge Is Best Served Sweet
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the morning sun rose to begin the day, the hustle and bustle began to start all across Canterlot. Nobles and Elites alike started to flood the streets, ready to begin their daily motions. Merchants were ready to sell their wares. Birds sang sweetly as they woke to the warmth of Celestia's sun, gracing the world to another beautiful day in Equestria. But today was not just any day, for today was the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and the Captain of the Royal Guard Shining Armor. Ponies scurried quickly from place to place like ants, preparing for the upcoming special day as they bought suits and dresses to dignify themselves, gifts for the bride and groom, and spread the word around the city. But not for a certain black feline. 

Night Fury rested in his bed soundly, slowly breathing in and out as he snoozed. Light shined brightly through the curtains of his room, washing over his body with warmth as he continued to sleep. He slept deep from all the craziness that happened last night. He felt peaceful waking up for he had a nice deep sleep. As he opened his eyes, he looked out at the nice well designed window admiring all the light coming out of it. So much light. 

"Wait. Mornings don't have this much light coming out. What time is it?" The curious feline questioned, luckily for him there was a clock on the wall above the window. The very elaborate pony craftsmanship giving the clock a beautiful look against the daylight. But unluckily for him, it read 10:00 AM. Night Fury's mind went into overdrive as he realized how late in the morning it was, he didn't know that he had slept in so late. It must have been staying up all night and using up all that energy with his speed.

"It's 10:00 AM!? Oh boy, I must have slept hard last night!" Fury panicked, running through his memory of the crazy happenings of the previous night. He proceeded to jump out of bed and look out the window, directing his vision down towards the streets as he saw that ponies were already wide awake and going about their day. 

Seeing this made him panic even more, scared that he might have missed something important. 

"Come on Fury! What is going on today?! Think! Think! Think!" he said as he tapped his head with his claw. "I'm not used to having to be on time for anything."

"Gasp. The wedding!" He finally remembered. He stopped in his tracks as he looked towards the clock again, the clock only having gone forward by three minutes. Although the time had barely changed from its original position, the fact that he had wasted three minutes worrying about what he had forgotten made Night Fury's anxiety rise to new highs. 

"I have to hurry and get myself prepared! I don't even have a suit yet!" Night Fury was panicking a lot.

"What do I do?! What do I do?!" Fury paced and panicked once again.

"What am I doing?! Just standing here panicking?!" he snapped himself out of his stupor. "My father taught me to go fast even and especially in times of crisis! I'm going to go out there and get what I need!" Night Fury said confidently as he opened the door to his room and rushed straight to the bathroom.

He rushed to get his mouth washed, his teeth brushed and all the other niceties expected of a formal wedding. He also got some exotic cologne from earth ponies on.

"Wait, maybe Luna is still here!"

He knocked on her door but she didn't answer. Everyone except him was already up. But he did notice a note.

"Dear Night Fury

I already know you are probably late and unrefined. But come to the place where the wedding is for I have a friend who is quite skilled in etiquette and fashion despite being of humble origins. Follow this map."

"Luna, you are the best." He said forever grateful for his regal friend. He proceeded to follow the map through the castle, ending up at a set of double doors at the end of his journey. 

Knock knock knock

"Ah you have finally arrived." Celestia said, opening the doors. "We tried to wake you up but you were completely out."

"Ahhhhh!" Night Fury panicked at seeing her.

Celestia laughed lightly. 

"Don't worry, I'm not angry. That cake chase was all in good fun." Celestia said calmly. 

"Oh good, I thought you were trying to get some early morning revenge." Night Fury said, relieved that he was safe.

"Oh no, you are completely safe,"

Night Fury sighed in relief… 

"For now."

And immediately tensed back up as Celestia's words sank in. The solar princess smiled at Fury's worried expression, amused at his alertness of her words hitting him.

"Don't worry though, now is not the time for this. Now, please, come inside." Celestia spoke as she ushered Night Fury inside the door. 

"She scares me sometimes even though she sounds so nice," he said to himself as he walked into the building. Once he walked in, he immediately noticed that the room was filled with clothes on hangers and closets full of even more clothes. He had never seen anything more than a couple scraps of used cloth and gauze for clothes, most of the time meaning that someone had gotten hurt. But among all the clothing options surrounding him, one thing stuck out among all of them. It was another pony, a pony he hadn't met before. She was very clearly a mare, her slender form giving away that answer almost immediately. Her coat was snow white, it almost looked like it was polished with how prestine it was. Her mane and tail were a dark purple, curled over itself in sort of a spring-like shape. 

"Rarity, he has arrived." Celestia spoke up, addressing this new pony by what Night Fury could only assume was her name. The mare turned around to face the pair, giving the curious feline a good look at her face. The pony had crystal blue eyes, glistening in the daylight like water on a lake. She had long eyelashes that almost looked like they stretched off of her face. And most importantly, she had a very distinct layer of eyeshadow on her eyelids, a light blue being the chosen color.

Rarity gasped as she got a good look at Night Fury, she hadn't expected to have seen such a creature here in Canterlot at all. She raised a hoof to her mouth in surprise, clearly shocked at the feline's features coming into full view.

"Gasp. Oh my. When you said that I would be helping somepony special, this is not what I expected." Rarity said, still processing what she was seeing in front of her. 

"I told you he was a sight to see." Celestia said "Rarity, this is Night Fury. He arrived yesterday and is in a little bit of a predicament." 

"Yeah, I could really use your help. I need a suit as soon as possible. I don't wanna be late for the wedding." He said with some desperation.

"I see." Rarity was now eyeing him carefully and walking around him.

"Hey I know I'm probably really handsome but we need to get going-"

"Shush! I'm trying to visualize! Hmmm. What would work for you?" Rarity seemed to be in a mind of her own.

"Celestia…"

"Be patient, Fury, she knows exactly what she is doing. Just trust her."

"Ah ha!" she yelled close to his ear. "I know what to do!"

Fury almost fell out of shock. 

"I have to go get some fabric immediately! Please don't go anywhere, I'll be right back!" Rarity said as she left. 

Then someone else came. Fury saw it was a unicorn but this time purple.  He saw she was followed by four other female ponies. But this time with no horns and some with not even wings. The five mares stopped in the doorway and gasped, they had never seen Night Fury before, let alone anything like him at all. Night Fury decided to introduce himself, but that resulted in a rather unusual response. 

"Hi ladies. I'm Night Fur-"

"Oh my gosh, is that a cat?!" Fluttershy exclaimed gleefully. "You look so adorable!" She proceeded to pet him.

"Umm, what's happening?" Night Fury said, confused. Fluttershy was soon dragged off of him by the purple unicorn and placed next to her.

"Fluttershy, he's not that type of cat!" Twilight aggressively whispered. "He's sapient!" Fluttershy soon realized what she was looking at and felt bad for letting her love of animals get the better of her.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't mean to just jump in like that." Fluttershy said hurriedly, Night Fury chuckled at the yellow pegasus' outburst and smiled.

"Don't worry about it, no harm done." Fury reassured, eliciting a sigh of relief from Fluttershy. "So, back to what I was saying. Hey ladies, I'm Night Fury." 

"Hello, I'm Twilight Sparkle. Well, you probably already knew that from the bakery." Twilight admitted "And these are my friends." She began to introduce them one by one.

"Night Fury, I'd like you to meet Applejack…" 

"Howdy." The cowpony answered, tipping her hat in respect.

"Rainbow Dash…"

"Sup." Added the blue pegasus. She held up her hoof to bump, which Night Fury gladly returned. 

"Fluttershy…" 

"Hello." She said quietly, hiding behind her mane.

"Pinkie Pie…"

"Hi there!" The pink earth pony said, bouncing in place. "This is so amazing seeing a talking cat like you! Where are you from? Do you have a family? Do you have any fri- Mmmph" Twilight shut her mouth with magic. "Don't mind Pinkie, she gets a little enthusiastic with strangers."

"And my #1 assistant, Spike."

"Hey." The young dragon said, holding up a claw and waving. 

"Nice to meet you all." Night Fury said. By the time introductions were over, Rarity had returned with the fabrics she needed to make his suit.

"Ok, I've got all I need to make this work. It should be no problem-, oh, well I see you've met my other friends." Rarity chimed in, walking into the room. "Well, I apologize for not greeting you properly. I am Rarity of course you already knew that and I look forward to giving you the best of my services." Rarity said with a respectful bow.

"It's nice to meet you Rarity, but can we move onto what's important? I still need a suit." Night Fury warned, not wanting to waste any more time.

"Of course darling, let us get you looking more handsome than you've ever been! Ladies, if you would." Rarity said, ushering everyone else out of the room and closing the door behind them so she could get started.

"Right then, let's get started."

A Couple Minutes Later… 

Everyone was waiting outside the wardrobe room for Rarity to complete Night Fury's suit, sitting patiently for it to be revealed. The wait was soon over as Rarity peeked her head out of the door and looked towards the waiting crowd.

"Ok, it took a little work, but I think I've got it done." She announced, opening the door fully to reveal the suit she made for Night Fury. 

"Behold, my first suit for felines!"

Night Fury walked out slowly with a white suit with gold accents. It's bright color contrasting with his jet black fur. 

"Well girls, what do you think? Does it look good or like the end of the world?" Night Fury joked.

"You look awesome!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Eeyup. Not really a fashionista but I can tell what a handsome fellow you are."

"It looks very nice." Fluttershy said bashfully but with a genuine smile.

"Nice? He looks like the coolest awesomest… um it looks very nice?" Pinkie Pie composed herself after Twilight gave her a look.

"It really looks good on you. A perfect fit for the Princess and my brother." 

"Thanks!" Night Fury appreciated the compliments but then a sudden realization popped up. "Wait! Shining Armor is your brother?!"

"Why yes and not only that but I'm well acquainted with Princess Cadence since she used to babysit me."

"Wow! So you must be the Mane Six that Princess Celestia told me about!" Night Fury was excited to see them, although he made a note not to disclose the prank last night. Twilight might not be very amused at him eating his former babysitter's and brother's cake.

"Didn't you guys defeat that bug queen and her minions?" He asked with much curiosity.

"Yeah, we totally kicked their ugly butts!" Rainbow said with pride as she punched the air.

"Well technically we didn't beat the Changelings," Twilight correcting Night Fury's usage, "we merely helped Cadence to do so. She and Shining Armor were the real heroes, using their power of love to launch Queen Chrysalis and her hordes right out of Canterlot." 

"Ohhhh, so that explains the whole 'real wedding' thing in the invitation I got." Night Fury said, an expression of realization stretching across his face. He knew Cadence was powerful but not that much. 

"Well, we still beat up those Changeling goons." Rainbow wanting the Mane Six to get some credit.

"You guys! All of you are amazing! It must have been quite something to have faced all those changelings! You ponies sure are tough." 

"So were the changelings," Twilight said with a somewhat melancholy expression. "Those changelings lied and cheated. They made me doubt what was real and not. I was never so worried or stressed at that moment. I hope I never get put into that situation again." Twilight said rather dismally.

The black feline then realized it wasn't just an epic fight, it was a stressful ordeal for Twilight. And he could imagine how it must have felt for Cadence. He never realized how much they had to struggle that day. Part of him felt bad that he took some of Cadence's cake even if it was in good fun.

"Dang, I could never imagine having to go through something so tough. But at least everything is back the way it should be." He reassured, Twilight smiled at Fury's sympathy for her. She felt better knowing she had somepony to give her some encouraging words after everything that happened. These thoughts didn't last long as a distant series of bells rang, most likely coming from the clock tower in the central square. 

"It looks like the wedding ceremony will begin in a few minutes." Twilight said. "Specifically… ten minutes?!" 

"Wait already?!" Night Fury said shocked.

"Well let's not just sit here ya'll!" Applejack said. "Let's move it!"

"I don't think time will be as much of a problem for me as it is for you guys." Night Fury added.

"What do you mean, how could you make it to the ceremony any faster than any of us?!" Twilight said in a panicked tone. 

"Perhaps actions will speak louder than words, ambassador." Celestia winked.

Night Fury only chuckled at Celestia's words as he took a stance to ready himself. The other ponies looked on at him with confused looks as he got low to the ground.

"I believe you may be right, your highness, watch this." He said confidently as he started to glow under his suit. 

The Mane Six were surprised to see this strange aura emanating from him.

"Is he going to be okay?" Fluttershy asked. "Maybe we need to give medical assistance to hi-" 

Boom

All of a sudden Night Fury was gone. But the Mane Six still heard a sound going through the streets. They went outside and what they saw astounded them.

It was a ball of energy going straight through the streets of Canterlot.

"I-i-is that Night Fury?" Twilight could hardly contain her shock.

"I think you know the answer to that," Celestia stated with a smile. 

"So this is the ability of his race." Twilight said to herself in amazement.

"But I think Fury had the right idea of being hasty. Perhaps you should do the same." Celestia took Twilight out of her awe.

"Oh right! Sorry, princess, we will! Come on girls!" Twilight said.

"If he thinks he is faster than me, then that cat has another thing coming!" Rainbow said, eager to race him as she dashed forward.

The rest of them followed Rainbow who was faster than the rest of the Mane Five.

"Shucks, now we have two speedsters. Wasn't one enough?" Applejack chucked while galloping.

"I just hope that my suit will still be fine from all of that speed!" Rarity said worried about her new creation.

"Don't worry, Rarity, if what he told me is true, if Speed Shifters are well trained they can preserve even very delicate things like suits at high speeds so you have nothing to worry about." Celestia reassured the seamstress. 

"Oh good, that gives me some hope that it will still be in one piece once we get to the castle." Rarity responded, relieved that her masterpiece wouldn't be ruined. 

After much running they finally made it to the Palace. They were excited yet worried when they approached the palace.

"Did we make it in time?!" Twilight asked with some worry.

"It looks like we have two minutes left." Night Fury said looking at the clock. "Well, more you guys than me since I got here early."

"Thank Celestia!" Twilight said in relief. "You sure are quick."

"By the way, who won you or that Fury guy?" Pinkie asked curiously while eating one of the cupcakes at the wedding.

"It was totally me! He might be fast, but nothing can match my speed." Rainbow said with pride.

"Well I'm not so sure, Rainbow Dash, most creatures can't match the speed of a Speed Shifter. Just saying." he said with a playful smirk for unlike Rainbow he took races with a bit more levity.

"You can't prove that I totally beat you!" Rainbow said sternly trying to prove her speed supremacy. 

"Um, yes I can. I was here way before you, and she can back that up." Night Fury said, gesturing behind him with a claw. Rainbow Dash followed his queue and looked behind him, only to find Princess Luna standing right there in silence. She immediately jumped at the sight of the lunar pony as she had no idea she was even there.

"What the!?!" Came the response from the blue pegasus as she flew back a few feet in surprise. "Princess Luna, you were watching us the whole time?!"

"Yes, and I was able to observe that while both of you made a valiant effort at speed, Night Fury at the end was able to muster just enough within himself to make it inside this building first," Luna even showed a camera and a photo. "I have photographic evidence backing my claims up."

"But, but, but…." Rainbow said astounded how someone who couldn't even fly was able to surpass her.

"Sorry Dashie, but I think I won today. Don't worry, it was a good game."

"Yeah you're right you did do well today. You were able to match my speed even without flying. I'm impressed," Rainbow said. But then her face went close to Fury's. "But next time I won't let you off easy! I got a score with you." Rainbow said with a confident smirk and boast.

"Oh you better believe that I'll hold you to that. But enough competition, the wedding is about to start." Night Fury pointed at the fifty seconds left on the clock.

"Oh my gosh! Let's get in position everyone!" Twilight said with haste. "We will see you later Night Fury. Me and the girls are Cadence's bridesmaids. You'll be in the crowd. Got it?"

"You can count on me Twily!" 

"Good. Now go, go, go!"

Everyone quickly assumed their proper position. With Twilight at her brother's side. Fluttershy by the singing birds. The other mares observing. And of course Night Fury was still trying to find a place to be. He wanted it with someone he could talk to.

He found someone familiar. The lady of the night. Princess Luna. 

"Hey Luna, how's it going?"

"Well enough but you were asleep far longer than I expected and so was I." Luna admitted. 

"Wait, you knew I slept in?" Fury questioned, surprised that she found out about his late morning fiasco.

"Why of course I did, why do you think I would leave you that note on my door? I'm not surprised that you slept in, you are a cat after all."

"Well I owe you big time Princess. I would have been late for Cadence and her groom. And I don't want to spoil things between us further," he said with a light chuckle.

Luna could tell something was on Fury's mind.

"Are you troubled?"

"Well I never realized what happened with her wedding involving that bug uh changeling Chrysalis. I didn't realize she went through all that and I kinda feel bad for the cake incident." He rubbed his neck.

Luna put her foreleg on his neck.

"Do not be so concerned. It was hard what happened to not just her but all of us in that invasion,"  Luna then gave a soft smile. "But in many ways you doing that prank was a way of feeling whole again and bringing back life. Cadence is not one to get angry, well not in the long term, over a cake. And when I last saw Cadence I didn't see someone insulted I saw someone filled with joy. You provided that. So do not fear. You helped her forget her troubles." Luna reassured her feline friend.

"Well that's a relief to hear. Thanks Luna." Night Fury smiled. But then he realized her hoof was on him and he blushed a bit.

"Anytime for a good friend," she said as she took her hoof off him.

Then the doors opened, revealing the lovely bride, The Princess of Love, Mi Amore Cadenza. She walked down the aisle with grace and poise, her wedding dress flowing behind her. Night Fury was mesmerized by the large white dress, shimmering in the daylight as the delicate silk came into contact with the sun's rays. 

The enchantingly beautiful princess looked at Shining Armor, a strong, handsome Royal Guard with great love. Night Fury could see the love and contentment in their eyes. They truly did love each other and were fully willing to marry each other in love. 

Cadence soon reached the podium where her groom, Twilight, and Celestia were standing. She had to admit that she was nervous as she looked Shining Armor in the eye, but she knew that she loved him and would do anything for him. She was ready.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor." 

"Though they have been apart and separate from each other. Though evil tried to force them apart. Their love never ceased for each other. And their love led them back together. And that power of love was able to repel the changeling hordes." Celestia said.

"Woohoo! That's what we're talking about!" Rainbow and Pinkie cheered only for Rarity and Twilight to close their mouths. Night Fury rolled his eyes a little at their enthusiasm but couldn't blame them. It was a great scene they were all beholding.

"May that love bind you till death do you part. I now proclaim you mare and colt. You may now kiss the bride." 

And thus Cadence and Shining after looking into their eyes, closed them, and kissed. Uniting them as one.

"Now you can cheer," whispered Twilight to Rainbow and Pinkie.

"Yeah! Woo hoo! Alright!" The whole crowd cheered and applauded in joy for the newlywed couple.

"Great work you two!" Night Fury cried in joy. 

Cadence was filled with such joy not just in her new husband but in the crowds of supportive friends and strangers. Then Cadence walked a few paces facing the crowd. It seemed like she was going to give a speech.

"Thank you everyone, I feel so honored to have so much support on this special day. I will admit that this wedding has been a little hectic,"

The audience chuckled.

"But it all turned around for the better. I want to thank my auntie Celestia for officiating my wedding, Twilight and her friends for helping with not only the wedding preparations, but assisting in the defeat of Queen Chrysalis and her changeling army." 

"And I would like to thank our new friend from a far off land, Night Fury the Speed Shifter, for providing us with warm and welcome company." Cadence announced, pointing out the black feline in the crowd. Night Fury took a stand and waved to the crowd, cheering and praises being given to him as he made himself known. Night Fury was amazed that he was receiving such praise, he never would have expected for everyone around him to be so welcoming and friendly.

"After darkness, comes light and a new beginning. And our meeting with you Night Fury has begun a new era of friendship." Night Fury was blushing at these compliments. He was worried Cadence would use this to get at him somehow. Luckily it seems all that prank stuff has been forgotten. At least that's what he thought was the case. 

"Night Fury, I would be most honored to have you come up and say a few words." Cadence said, motioning for him to come up to the podium. 

He stood up and paced up to the podium. Night Fury was a little nervous at giving a speech in front of a big crowd. But he decided to give the crowd a few words.

"First of all, I want to say thank you for your support. When I was just a kitten, I was scared of what lurked outside the forest that I lived in. I was always having a hard time imagining what the rest of Equestria would look like besides danger and death beyond the bounds of my home. But now that I have seen just how amazing this grand city is, I can see now that I was completely wrong about what this world has to offer. Here, there is beauty, hope, hospitality but most of all love and the bonds from which never breaks." Night Fury said impressed by Canterlot as well as ponykind.

"For such little ponies, you have the biggest hearts of all!" The crowd chuckled and awed at his corny but sincere joke.

"And from this day forward, I will devote my life to exploring this world for all its beauty! I want to live here with all of you and learn your ways, learn how to be better, and learn what true friendship looks like. That is my one true wish, to live amongst you all in Equestria and learn from you all. And I will do whatever it takes to make that come true. LONG LIVE EQUESTRIA!" he cried out while raising his paw.

The crowd all applauded and cheered for him. They seem to have appreciated his speech. Night Fury had a feeling he was going to have a good time in this land of ponies.

"Thank you very much, Night Fury." Cadence said with a smile. But he noticed her smile changed from sincere to mischievous. He could tell she was up to something. 

"Would our guest please have a slice of cake?" Cadence asked. 

"Um no thank you Princess, I'm pretty full." Night Fury said nervously.

"But I insist. Would you not like some delicious chocolate cake with nutmeg and those little sprinkles." Cadence was prematurely

"Well um I…," Luna was motioning silently not to fall for the trap. But he couldn't resist. "Maybe just one slice."

Night Fury walked to the cake with Cadence. Cadence pointed out loudly: "Oh my it looks like someone was a bit prematurely hungry. Or should I say two someones." Cadence eyed Night Fury and Princess Luna. 

"Yeah heh I wonder who…?" Night Fury said, shaking. "Okay it was me everyone I'm sorry! I'm the Cake Thief!"

"Oh do not worry. I forgave you a while ago." The princess of Love said with an overly sweet smile. "In fact I decided to  give you and Princess Luna a gift."

"Wait, why is everyone moving away from me?" Luna asked herself as the crowd was walking in another place. Then she noticed her hooves were stuck! Her hooves have some sticky stuff on her. 

"I can't move!" Luna said but it was the same for Night Fury he was stuck in something.

"Hey, me neither!"  

"Well now you are going to have your gift." Then the two former Cake Thieves saw a cannon come out of some curtains.

"Wait wait wait I'm sorry we can talk about this! Please don't hurt me!" Night Fury said with shock at these colorful cannons.

"Prepare to have the show of a lifetime! On the count of three!"

"One!" Cadence and the rest of the crowd said.

"I promise I will never eat your cakes again!"

"Two!"

"I'll be your servant for the rest of my life, just please don't shoot me!"

"Three!"

Boom

All of a sudden a bunch of cake, pie and candy launched as Night Fury and Luna were now in a messy but delicious pile of treats. 

Luna and Fury both were wondering what just happened.

"Gotcha." Cadence smugly said.

The crowd clapped and laughed. 

"Wait what just happened?!" Night Fury now confused.

"Pinkie Pie generously donated her party cannons for our vengeance. Cadence had the plan to lure you over, Applejack made some sticky traps to keep you in place," Celestia explained her elaborate plan. "And I organized and thought of the whole plan."

"That was the coolest prank yet!" Rainbow said to Pinkie and Applejack.

"Yeah literally!" Pinkie said giggling "Do not underestimate the might of my Party Cannons 2.1!"

"And don't forget my apple sap traps. Good for catching critters, even big ones." she said as she looked at her victims.

"Hey, I may be big, but I'm not a critter!" Night Fury shot back, pouting with his treat covered face. Although he had to admit, the hot fudge chocolate was very delicious. 

"Well, they got us my friend. I cannot believe that this would be our fate." Luna said.

"Oh but wait, my nocturnal friend. The fun has only just begun." Night Fury replied smugly. He turned around to face the crowd and smiled as he took a deep breath and shook his body as hard and as fast as he could. Cake and frosting flew everywhere, covering everypony closest to him. The ponies in the vicinity tried to shield themselves from the flying sweets, but it was too late. They had already been covered in frosting and fudge. 

"How dare you stain my coat and dress! This means war!" Rarity proclaimed throwing another piece of cake at Fury but at that point the sticky traps wore off, he avoided it, and it hit Rainbow.

"Oh it is on!" Rainbow said. And the cycle kept on going. And what proceeded was a full on cake war.

"Um Celestia, I think we just started another war." Cadence said.

"Yes we did." Celestia said with a calm smile.

"Celestia and Cadence I'm so sorry for all this mess! I'll tell them to stop instantly," Twilight told them in panic.

"Twilight, foolish young mare, you have forgotten the first rule of warfare." Celestia then grabbed a slice of cake "Never trust anyone even you own teacher!" She said as she was about to throw it at her student, but somepony else decided to intervene. 

"Hey Celestia, eat this!" Night Fury called, tossing a batch of pie at the solar goddess. The pie made direct contact with her face and splattered beautifully, covering her with apple filling and crust. 

Twilight sighed in relief. She couldn't believe this wedding turned to such mayhem. But she realized there was nothing she could do to stop this warfare. "Oh what the heck." She decided to join the frenzy.

And so everyone participated in the great Cake War of Canterlot. A far stickier but sweeter battle than the previous conflict. 

Night Fury didn't know what would happen in the future. But he had hope for a new beginning in this wonderful fun land.
> Chapter 5: Welcome To Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The wedding was a hit, the marriage was successful, the after party was amazing, and the Great Cake War of Canterlot had come to an end.  Nightfury was enjoying himself as he sat next to his friends as they watched everypony dance to the music from the DJ. He made some new friends, had a ton of fun, and had truly felt that he had been given the full experience of what Equestria truly had in store. But he will admit that he felt like something was missing from his life. He questioned what he could do next for himself and wanted to see what career he could pursue for his foreseeable future, but before he could come to a verdict, Luna walked over with a piece of cake and sat next to him. 

"I must admit, that was quite the bold move throwing that pie at my sister's face," Luna gave a light laugh. "Most are too scared to even want to face Celestia."

"Well I always believe all creatures like to have a bit of fun, even royalty." Night Fury said with a light chuckle.

"You are quite right, us royals really don't get to have the pleasure of having free time to just have fun. Some may argue that the outings and public appearances that my sister and I go out on are enough free time, but just to speak for both of us, that can't be farther from the truth." Luna admitted with an annoyed exhausted look.

"If anything they are more work. At least with paperwork you can do things on your own time and don't have to worry about how you appear. I always hated that. Celestia is better at it than me."

"Well I'm just glad I gave you guys the ability to open up," Night Fury said. "Especially you Luna. Not so serious all the time are you?"

Luna looked away blushing ever so slightly. 

"Indeed it can be nice." 

Luna once she regained her confidence then looked at Night Fury.

"But I do not think it's fair that I'm the only one to open up. How about you, Ambassador?"

pfffft

Night Fury almost spit out the cake he was eating. He was a little surprised that this question was going to him.

"Um w-w-what are you talking about? I'm not thinking any serious moody stuff! What gave you that impression?!"

"I can tell by your worried expression. And the fact that you are sitting by yourself while others are partying and making bad jokes. That's what I would normally do, not you." Luna then gave a bit of a stare "Unless you are thinking of something."

Shoot. She got me figured out.

"Well if that's what you thought, you're right. I was thinking about something." Night Fury admitted.

"Well, I'm here to listen. So tell me, what troubles you?" Luna asked, draping a wing over her friend to give him some comfort. Night Fury could see that she was being genuine in her concerns for his well being and was willing to help him, but he was also worried to find out what the princess would do with this information that he was about to give her. So he took a deep breath, and began to speak his mind. 

"I'm confused about where I'm going now. I have been invited to this great wedding. And it was so awesome! But…" Night Fury looked down. "Now it's going to be over. I don't know what to do now. Do I go back? Back to my lonely life."

"Wait you? Lonely?" Luna was confused. Surely someone with such positivity and joy would have a lot of friends. 

"Well I am away from my kind."

"But I thought you would at least be living with other creatures!"

"Nope. I just entertain myself by walking, trying to catch prey, maybe skip some pebbles on the lake. Yeah really exciting stuff I know," he said sarcastically. "But that was all I had. Until I was invited."

Fury was a little sad at this point.

"I'm just gonna have to go back and try to entertain myself again. I'm glad you guys were welcoming to a crazy guy like me," he chuckled. 

"Are you saying you're just going to… leave?" Luna seemed a bit heartbroken.

"Well yeah. I'm used to the jungle and I have done my job." Fury said matter of factly.

"NO!!!"

Everybody at the party wondered what the commotion was.

"Um sorry I just stubbed my hoof. Proceed guests." 

Everybody continued their routine.

"Listen. It is not over. You are an ambassador after all. You need time to research this area. I think we could give you a home here. In Equestria."

"That's nice. But I don't wanna live in Canterlot. Believe me it was fun. But I want a place to relax. And be myself. This city is nice but as you said, you're expected to be more disciplined. At least with my old home I could be my own self without having to always follow the rules." Night Fury said.

"I understand. I most certainly know a place comfortable for me." Luna agreed.

"Then why don't you come to Ponyville?!?!"

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Both Luna and Fury were surprised at Pinkie's sudden appearance.

"Sweet mother of Equestria, where did you come from!?!" Luna said, a hoof to her chest  in an attempt of slowing her heart rate.

"I came from the dancing room to where you are, duh!" Pinkie said oblivious to their shock.

Wanting to get to the point, Night Fury asked. "Ponyville? What's that place like?"

"Oh it is the super best place in Equestria! Ponies are so friendly. It's a small place but ponies there are not so stuck up like some of these Canterlot fellas! You can have fun there."

Night Fury was curious.

"Well that does sound like a kind of place. Is it close to nature?

"Yep! You can take a walk through the grass or forest."

"BUT!" Pinkie said in a scary voice. "Beware of the Everfree Forest! A place with spooky creatures that can turn you to stone. Multi Headed animals. And even ruined castles!"

"That sounds like a scary intense place." Night Fury was surprised that a part of Equestria could have such an intense feeling to it. "I like it." He said with a smirk. "Maybe I can do some exploring there. Maybe there are ruins to behold. I've already discovered so much in my own home. This is my chance for something new!" he said with excitement. 

"You sure sound like Rainbow! Well if you're so excited. Maybe we can give you shelter!" Pinkie suggested.

"Really, you guys would do that?!" Night Fury said surprised by the hospitality. He never saw this much welcomeness even amongst the creatures he did encounter.  

"I think that would be a great idea. We could always use more research." Another voice said.

It was Twilight. Also with her were her friends, Celestia and Cadence all seemed to have been listening to them talk.

"And I could have someone to race! Remember cat, I still have to beat ya!" Rainbow looked into Fury's eyes.

Fury was amazed at all of this. He had the chance to finally live in a community again something he did not have the chance to do in several years. He almost felt like crying.

"Princess Celestia do you think it would be alright to stay here for a little longer?" Night Fury looked at her with pleading eyes.

Celestia giggled. 

"Very well, young feline. I trust that my Student and her friends will make you welcome."

"Yep, Twilight can be trusted alright." Cadence said with an approving smile.

"But I will do more than merely invite you. You are a valuable source to a brand new culture. And thus I award you with the position of Ambassador of the Speed Shifters." Celestia took out a document stating so, indicating she knew he was going to do this the whole time. "But this time officially!"

Then she prompted Night Fury and her to be on top of the stairs to announce the news. "Citizens of Equestria. This guest has provided a fine time so far. But now he will not just be a guest. But he will not just be a resident either. For he is the link between our races!" Celestia proudly proclaimed. "We must know more about his people and have his kind no more about us. So therefore, I proclaim Night Fury our Ambassador of the Speed Shifters!" The crown erupted into cheers and applause, welcoming Night Fury as not only the new ambassador of his kind, but a new citizen in Equestria.

"Night Fury, do you promise to uphold your position as ambassador, assist in the furthering of knowledge about your kind, and to keep Equestria safe for as long as you live?" Celestia asked, the crowd waiting for his answer with baited breath. 
The black feline was surprised at how well this had turned out. Of course he was ready. 

"You bet Princess! I will do the best job I can, Princess! And to all you guys I promise you can count on me!"

"Then it's settled!" Celestia spoke.

"You hear that everyone, tomorrow I'm going to become an official Equestrian! Watch out world, cause this Shifter is coming to your town!" Night Fury yelled out.

The Mane Six, Cadence, Luna, Celestia, and the rest of the crowd cheered and raised a glass to their new neighbor, officially welcoming him as one of their own. They cried out his name "Night Fury! Night Fury! Night Fury!" several times.

As he walked down the stairs, he saw Luna. Even though she didn't cheer for him. He could see the happiness in her face when seeing how he could stay. But he could also see a little bit of sadness in him leaving. He walked up to her. Luna was the first to speak.

"I am glad you have made your decision here. I hope you find Equestria to your liking. There are so many places to explore after all."

"Well, I can tell you that I will definitely find it to my liking. But from what I'm seeing, there might be something you don't like. What's going on?" 

"It's just… I hope you have a good adventure." Luna said not wanting Fury to know she will miss him. But Fury smiled and addressed her doubts.

"Aw Luna, you don't want me to leave, do you?" Night Fury said, sympathetic towards Luna and her woes. 

"Don't worry about me, I will manage." 

"Now you listen to me, I promise on my father's honor that I will visit you again. And not just once. But a whole lot of times. So don't you worry, Princess Luna."

Luna all of a sudden felt so much life.

"D-do you promise."

"Yep besides, who else will I sneak with to eat cake," Night Fury winked.

Princess Luna rolled her eyes but was glad. She even gave him a hug. It was awkward and after what she had done, they both backed away.

"Thank you Night Fury."

"My pleasure, Luna. My pleasure."

For the first time in a while, I now get to be among others! Night Fury was so excited. What would this village named the ever so creative name of Ponyville be like, he thought in his head. Would they welcome him? And if so, how much fun and enjoyment will be there. Well I guess we'll find out tomorrow. Until then, I need to get some shut eye. I've  got a lot ahead of me. But I have a feeling I am going to have a good time. And Luna I really will see you again.


The next morning… 


"Ya Wwwwwwww Nnnn." 
he gave a loud yawn as he opened his eyes. Wait, is it late?! He looked at the clock and it was only 7 AM.

Nice to be up at a convenient time. He was looking at the scenery. It had some trees in this area, some forest, but not much. Everything felt so much more mild than either the grand city of Canterlot or his hut in the middle of the inhospitable jungle. There was a sense of friendliness and tranquility which he felt was nice.

Just as long as there isn't too much calm. Or it'll get boring. But considering the crazy characters like that pink pony who shot me with desserts, I don't think I'll have to worry about boredom. He chuckled to himself.

After a few hours, the train had finally stopped at the Ponyville Train Station. He was getting bored and he finally got back. But before he said anything.

"WE'RE FINALLY HERE!" announced a loud pink pony. "Come on, new friend! We're gonna give you a Welcome Party!"

"Whoa whoa uh…"

"Pinkie Pie!"

"Yeah Pinkie Pie I just came back from one party! We're already having another? And how is there even a party when you were in this train with me the whole time?" 

"Do not underestimate my ways, young traveler," she said in a sage-like voice which gave Fury a chuckle. "I have many loyal followers who follow the Way. The Way of Festivities. And they have made a party for you."

Night Fury didn't mind a bit more fun. He wasn't as energetic as Pinkie, but he still loved the festivities. 

"Sounds good to me!"

"Then let us begin our journey to the bestest party ever!" Pinkie said, grabbing Night Fury by the paw and dragging him off the train and into town. 

"Hold on Pinkie!" Twilight teleported in front of them. "Maybe we should introduce our new friend to this village to get him acquainted."

"Aw, come on Twi!" Pinkie said, a little annoyed. 

"It'll only be a little time, you two. But I figure if we party too early we might be too tired to check out everything." 

"Well as long as I get to that party eventually then I can wait a bit." Night Fury agreed. 

"Eh fair enough. Just be quick! And be sure to visit my home in Sugarcube Corner! Since we're not partying I might as well help out there. See ya!" Pinkie said and then speeding away like a roadrunner.

"Besides me and Rainbow, she is one of the fastest things I've seen! And certainly faster in speech than me." Fury observed.

"Yep. That's our Pinkie Pie. And believe me you'll find more strange things in this small town." Twilight said as she proceeded to walk. "Let's go."

Their first destination was a large tree in the middle of the village. The size shocked Fury. He never saw a tree that large where he lived, although for certain Shifter tribes, there were even bigger trees than this. But still pretty big.

"This is the Golden Oak Library. It's Ponyville's local library. This town has some unique local books and news. Though it still is limited on more international literature." Before Twilight could go on a rant about literature, Night Fury was in awe at this library.


"Wow, I've seen big trees in my life but I've never seen a tree big enough to hold an entire library, let alone live in."

"It still surprises me too." Twilight said. "This place is also where me and my assistant Spike the Dragon live."

"Wait, you live in this big boy?!" Fury said, a bit surprised.

"Yeah I know," said a small purple dragon. "Cool eh? Who would have thought a lame boring library could look so cool?"

"Yeah who would have thought libraries could actually be interesting," Twilight said a little annoyed that Spike so bluntly dismissed libraries. "Which is why we have to keep it tidy. So here you go Spike. You can dust the books since we've been gone. Now go on." Twilight handed him a duster.

"Ugh, fine, Twi." Spike proceeded to do his job. "Me and my big mouth."

Night Fury could tell Twilight was a very responsible and orderly pony. Maybe a bit too much sometimes. But she seemed well intentioned. 

Note to self, Don't make fun of libraries or reading in front of her.

"Well, with that out of the way, let's get on with the tour." Twilight reminded Night Fury, the black feline following her lead as they walked through town. 

"Alright let me see my to do list today. Okay um no, not that one. That one was from yesterday. Wait, that one is from when I was fourteen. Ah there we are." Twilight said, trying to get the right list out of many. Night Fury rolled his eyes in amusement. 

"So next we need to go to Ponyville Cafe. Let's get moving." 

A few minutes later, the pair arrived at their destination, Ponyville Cafe.

In contrast to grand size of the library this was much smaller but it had a nice relaxed feel.

"This looks like a nice place to chill out," Fury commented.

"Yep, sometimes I just go here to read if I ever get bored in my home." Twilight said. "But ponies also come here to chat and discuss things. Me and the rest of my friends like to hang out here."

*growl*

"Oh boy, I'm a little hungry! Heh. Maybe we could get something tasty here," Fury was excited to see what delicacies this place could offer. He took a seat on one of the rather peculiar mushroom stools, Twilight sitting just across from him as she took a look at her list once more. 

"Alright, if we manage our time well enough, we can make good time in order to make it to the party this afternoon."

"Sheesh Twi, you really need to chill out and forget the schedule. It's all in good fun, isn't it?" Night Fury questioned, rolling his eyes in amusement. 

"Well, I guess you're right. I have been rather uptight about trying to keep to a schedule, it's kinda become my trademark in Ponyville for being the obsessive one." Twilight chuckled a little.

"I suppose we all need a law abiding citizen to control us wild ones." Night Fury chuckled. "But what do they have?"

"Well since you asked, they have some of the best cuisine in this town. Like the legendary…"

I can't wait to hear this! His mouth was watering.

"Daffodil sandwiches! Or maybe hay fries! Or maybe even the delectable oats with a dash of roses with rosemary!" Twilight said also clearly hungry for these food items.

"Wait what? Daffodils? Hay? Oats?"

Twilight noticed that the black cat was not looking too satisfied. 

"What's the matter?"

"Twilight, I don't eat any of those at all! And besides, I wouldn't want to eat any of that anyway," he said, trying to restrain his sheer disgust. "I am a Space Shifter, we like to eat meaty foods such as birds and snakes and rabbits and-"

"Alright I get it!" Twilight said, grossed out. "I mean, I'm sorry, I thought since you liked that cake, you would be fine with these delicacies."

"Cakes at least have flavor! Not these plants! This is hardly food, this is what food eats! What my food eats." Night Fury went on an unusually irate rant. 

Some of the ponies gasped at that statement.

Realizing his mistake he clarified "No no no no I was talking about rabbits eating carrots. Not you guys."

"You eat rabbits?!" One pony panicked.

"Um..."

"He was just playing a prank on you guys. He actually is a pure nature lover and plant eater." Twilight said. "Look at these hay fries, he just loves them." 

Twilight looked at him seriously. "Right?!"

"Uh y y yeah! I totally love the taste of dried grass! Yep!" He said not wanting to cause a panic among the less familiar pony strangers. 

"Okay. If you can prove you can handle the taste of our delicious cuisine." said the naysayer.

"Oh he was just about to." Twilight magically grabbed the fries.

"Um not yet I actually- mmhhh!" 

Twilight put the hay sticks in his mouth and he swallowed.

The naysayer finally conceded. "Okay I apologize for jumping to conclusions. You're okay. For now. I still have my eye on you." 

And everyone kept eating.

"That was close." Twilight said. "I apologize I should have taught you pony customs since others here are sometimes a little less understanding of foreign ways. Fury?"

"Yuck, I am never doing that again!" 

Fury tried to get as much of the hay out after the other ponies left them alone. "How do you ponies stand these things?!"

"I'm sorry I put you through this mess. I made assumptions instead of asking you what you would want. And I almost got you in trouble." Twilight apologized.

Night Fury calmed down and felt bad that Twilight was feeling bad. Why do these ponies have to look so cute when sad, dang it?!

"Don't worry about it. I apologize too. I should have stated my opinions with a bit more professionalism. I was just so hungry." 

"I can understand that. I'm actually a big eater too." Twilight said, embarrassed.

They both laughed.

"Fury, I can help you get some food you would like."

"Ah don't worry let's just go to other places and I'll eat a whole bunch at the Sugarcube Corner. I'll think about where to eat meat later." 

"Okay so the next place is… hmmm… Fluttershy's House!" They proceeded to walk there.

"Wait Fluttershy, was she the one who tried to pet me? She's really obsessed with animals huh?" he said with a chuckle.

"That would be an understatement. But she is actually very ladylike. She has good manners and always tries to serve her guests well. Once you get past her shyness-"

Who would have guessed?

"-she is a great pony to talk with. Especially with me. She might be the only friend I have who actually can discuss science. And she has good tea."

"Well let's see that tea."

They approached Fluttershy's simple but lovely cottage. Fury was charmed by how a house could look so integrated into nature. He saw so many exotic animals, some he only saw as a cub.

"Well here we are." Twilight knocked on the door.

"Coming." A soft voice replied from inside. The door soon opened to reveal Fluttershy and her bunny Angel, soon coming face to face with the two other friends at her doorstep. 

"Oh hello Twilight and um Mr Night Fury was it? It's great to see you two!" Fluttershy said with a quiet but joyful tone.

"Oh come on Fluttershy. Just call me Night Fury or even Fury. I'm just an average black feline after all." he said.

"Okay. Come on in if that's okay with you." Fluttershy went inside.

This pony is probably the most well behaved creature I've ever seen. Ironic considering she lives the most away from civilization.

"Would you like to have tea?" 

"Maybe a little later. I wanna check some stuff out. I wanna check out the animals you have." Night Fury requested.

"HUH! YOU WANT TO LOOK AT ANIMALS!? WHY DIDN'T SAY SO EARLIER! FOLLOW ME!"

Fluttershy did a 180 and dragged the confused black feline to the gardens.

Gee this mare goes from shy and delicate to just as energetic as that crazy party pony!

Outside of her cottage, Night Fury saw an array of different diverse animals. From toucans to lizards to snakes to non sapient jaguars."

"This is pretty neat." Night Fury admitted.

"Just neat?" Fluttershy asked, confused.

"No, it's cool. It's just I've seen these animals before. Where I come from these animals are really all around. None of these are too surprising."

"Awww, I thought showing the most exotic animals would help." Fluttershy sighed.

Twilight then realized something.

"Wait. Exotic to us ponies. How about instead of showing him jungle creatures, we show him our own native beasts." Twilight suggested.

Fluttershy had an epiphany.

"Ohhhhhh! Of course. My bad. Let me show you the wonders of Ponyville!"

She dragged him again to another section of her garden. He wondered how much hidden strength this supposedly fragile mare had in her.

"Here we are with some animals including the bear, this rabbit, this moose, this chicken and most of all this little fellow."

Night Fury was now really impressed. He never saw these creatures in his former lands. But who was she talking about…

"Meet Angel Bunny!" She presented a somewhat grumpy looking rabbit.

He thought it looked cute, especially with its big ears. "This looks nice aw what a cute little thing aren't you?"

He petted Angel Bunny, a big mistake.

"You're a nice little angel of light aren't you sweetie… OUCH!"

The rabbit bit his paw. 

"You little runt that really hurt!" He now knew the truth of Angel Bunny.

"You have to be really careful with him, he can be very feisty." Fluttershy said.

"Yeah feisty is the right word!" He said with a bit of anger.

Angel and Fury stared each other down.

"Okay Fluttershy how about we get down to eating!"

"Oh right Twilight let's do just that!" Fluttershy said to avoid a conflict between the bunny and the space shifter. "Come on Fury, let's get something for you to eat."

"Oh yeah. Good point." Night Fury walked off with Fluttershy.

"Pfffft" Angel looked at Night Fury 

Night Fury simply shows his fangs to Angel who tensed up a little.

My goodness I didn't know he had a temper deep down. I guess when it comes to desires like food he can go crazy for them. Funny because he is usually so calm. Twilight said to herself.

"So what would you like to eat at Night Fury?" Fluttershy asked.

"Um I would like to eat some um well um…" he seemed to not be wanting to admit what he wanted.

"It's okay. Please just ask, I won't judge you." Fluttershy said.

"Well you see…", he worried about admitting his love for meat or fish. If an average pony would be aghast at eating a bunny how much more would this meek pony be shocked and traumatized.

"I well you… I… I…"

"Please, you can tell me anything."

While Fury was forming the words in his mind, Angel Bunny came along and threw a tomato at him and laughed.

"I would like to eat him!!!" He jumped near Angel and roared in Angel's face making him cry.

"You're lucky your Fluttershy's pet or I would have put you in my belly, you little runt! Don't you know our paws are important for us running!" he said ferociously.

"ENOUGH!!!! BOTH OF YOU!" Fluttershy rebuked the two quarrelsome creatures.

For the first time in a while Night Fury was afraid. He never saw such a determined face. From someone so sweet too.

"Night Fury, sir, you will apologize for doing that little stunt. Even if it was pretend I will have none of that in my household." Fluttershy said firmly.

Night Fury was about to refuse but he didn't want to anger Fluttershy any further so he apologized.

"Sorry Angel Bunny. I won't do that again."

Angel Bunny laughed and felt satisfied. Until…

"And you Angel, will apologize to our guest for showing mischief and meanness. This is not how my parents taught me!" 

Angel angrily squeaked in protest at Fluttershy's words, his life had just been threatened! 

"I don't care if he threatened to eat you, you are just as guilty as he is for antagonizing him. Now, you are going to apologize for how you behaved, or there will be consequences." Fluttershy spoke sternly. 

Angel Bunny knew what that meant. No carrots for a whole month! Horrified at that idea he reluctantly gave an apologetic look to the feline.

"I'm glad you two are getting along now." Fluttershy instantly turned from angry to happy. It was such a whiplash. "Now Night Fury, it seems to me you do like meat, do you not?"

"I'm sorry Fluttershy. I am perfectly fine with eating hay sticks and… Ugh, daffodil sandwiches." he lied wanting to make amends for the commotion he caused.

"I know that's a lie. And don't you worry I understand that you are a predator and you would like to consume meat. I have no issue with that." She said with compassion 

"Wait, you don't?!" He asked, shocked. "But what about your love for animals?"

"It's because I love animals that I have come to accept that some creatures work differently from one another. So I am perfectly fine with that." Fluttershy put her hoof on his back. "And besides, Reginald here has been having too much fish lately so…"

She revealed a nice piece of salmon and Night Fury's mind exploded. "Wow! I haven't seen one of those ever since I left for Canterlot! Can I have it?! Can I have it?!"

Fluttershy giggled, put it on a plate and said, "Yes you may, if that's okay with you."

"Yippee!!!" And he chugged down on that fish. It was that good.

"Wow Fluttershy, I'm impressed you dealt with that with such maturity." Twilight said.

"Well, when you have a little brother who is enthusiastic but a bit ill behaved, you start to learn how to manage things." Fluttershy said. "I hope Zephyr is more successful lately. Sometimes I feel like I'm too soft on the ones that rely on me but I'm definitely trying my best." Fluttershy said with a bit of sadness. She sometimes feels like she failed to raise Zephyr well and was too lenient. She is still learning to be more assertive.

Twilight smiled at this. "Well I'm glad you are now."

"Me too." Fury agreed.

"Wait, you heard what I was saying with all that eating noise?!" 

"Yeah I can hear even those sounds, my ears are like radars. You gals oughta speak a little softer." he said while eating the spine of the salmon.

"I'll keep that in mind." Twilight chuckled while writing that in her notebook.

"I really am sorry about all the commotion Fluttershy. I won't do that again." he said.

"I forgive you. Don't worry. I often deal with a lot more creatures than you. You are very nice. You might be a good role model for my little brother." 

"Well if he doesn't try to bite me again, then it can probably work," he jokingly said.

Twilight then came up with her checklist. "Well then! Fluttershy's Cottage: check! Alright I think it's time for us to leave."

"Thanks for the good fish Fluttershy." Fury said. "I'll admit that Angel Bunny is one feisty fellow but I kinda like his tenacity. It reminds me of an old neighbor in my original village." He reminisced.

"But no time for that," he said. "I'm ready to go to Twilight."

"Very well we'll be a bit quicker this time. Thanks Fluttershy. Bye" Twilight said.

"Take care!" Fluttershy waved.

Night Fury and Twilight Sparkle went through all the fun venues of this small town from the melodramatic flower girls to the fun games at the arcade, they both enjoyed themselves. But I tried to be at a quick pace so as not to miss the party.

They finally made it back to Sugarcube Corner. He was once again surprised at the ice cream rooves. The room was filled with ponies from all over town, soon turning their attention to the newcomer.

"And here's the guest of honor. Everypony, this is Night Fury." Pinkie called out, gesturing to the black feline standing next to Twilight. "The great snack thief and instigator of the Great Cake War! Let's give him our welcome!"

Applause and cheering followed.

"So let's start by giving this great feline of the exotic jungle the best time ever! Now Mr. Fury, the last time we had a party in Canterlot I was just warming up, now I go all in… are you ready to have a classic Ponyville party?!"

Night Fury's eagerness was at an all time high. "You bet I am!"

"That's great! To start off, we have a little game for you."

"Sounds good- wait I'm blind! Someone blindfolded me?! What's the big idea?!" Night Fury wondered.

"The big idea is to play this game…without sight," Pinkie explained. "It's called Pin The Tail on the Mule!"

"Pin the tail on the mule? Sounds weird, but ok." Night Fury said, rather confused on the premise of the game he was about to play. "We aren't doing this to an actual mule, are we?"

"Ha ha ha! Good one. Nope. We have a signature poster of a mule here. An old friend of mine has allowed me to use a drawing of him," Pinkie explained. "How about Twily explain the rules?"

"You have in your paw a tail, so you must attach it to where it goes on the mule. You got five tries!" Pinkie said. "If you win, you'll be the first to have the cake." Night Fury's face lit up at the chance to get first dibs on a cake, already wondering what the cake would taste like. 

"But if you lose, you have to be in the dunk tank!" Pinkie said with an ominous voice. "Which we'll be our next game."

"What is this dunk tank?" 

"Oh you'll see pal." Rainbow laughed. "You'll see. And if you win I'll be in the tank!"

Fury was just a little fearful of what they meant by "dunk tank". These ponies can be surprisingly mischievous after all. But he does not back down from a challenge! He is Night Fury, The Ambassador of the Speed Shifters. "Bring it on!" Night Fury declared.

After four attempts of trying to find where the dang rear of the mule is, Rainbow and Fury were both anxious. But Fury, not wanting to be dunked, had an idea. Perhaps a little trickery.

"Pinkie, I'm a little curious about your mule friend. What does he like to do?" 

"Oh he likes to eat a lot of chocolate."

"Oh and I assume he would eat it here?" He pointed at the back "No silly, his head is over to the right!  A little further, a little further, good!"

He has the location of the head.

"Has anyone tried to ride him before?"

"I don't know, I think Spike tried to do it once." Pinkie said. 

"So he tried to climb onto him here?" He pointed to a hind leg.

"Not there, up a little bit, to the left. There you go." He now had the back covered, just a little more to go.

"I see, Pinkie Pie. And where would his cutie mark be?"

"Silly cat! Mules don't have cutie marks."

"That's kinda sad. Isn't it?"

"Yeah but they're still happy."

"But what if he had a cutie mark?"

"Well he liked to play the harmonica." 

"Where would the harmonica cutie mark be?" 

"Ok not there, not there, that's it!" Now Fury has a good idea of the shape of the mule.

"Thanks Pinkie!"

"Can we get on this already!" Rainbow asked impatiently.

"Very well. It shall end. Now!" 

Push

He stuck the tail right in the correct location. Rainbow only reached the thigh.

"What!? Oh come on how did you do that?!" Rainbow was a bit. "Wait a sec, you cheated! You asked those strange boring questions to get an advantage!"

"Why yes, I did get an advantage." he admitted with no guilt on his face.

"C'mon Pinkie, he has to be the one getting dunked. He cheated." Rainbow said, infuriated 

"Cheating?" He asked annoyingly with innocence. "I just asked Pinkie a few questions. That isn't against the rules."

"Uh uh uh…" For once Pinkie was the one in confusion and amazement. "Well there are no rules against that so… You're still the champ!"

"But he had an unfair advantage!" Rainbow pouted.

"Not really. You could have asked Pinkie first."

"But but… grrrrr… you win this time big ol cat! But I'll get ya next time ya hear!" Rainbow fumed.

"Maybe one day you will." He said smugly. "But I do apologize for wasting your time. You should relax on a cozy seat."

"Hmph fine. But good luck hitting the target."

She went on the dunking chair. The others had fun trying to get the target. She finally fell into the water. But as it was Pinkie's party it was fruit flavored so it actually wasn't so bad. Courtesy of Applejack. Rainbow lost her anger and embraced the water.

Everybody had fun at that part bobbing for apples. Musical chairs. And of course having some delicious chocolate pie. Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow and Fury all challenged each other to see who could eat the most. Of course no one could beat Pinkie at that.

"I win! I win!" Pinkie yelled in excitement.

"Gee, you must have an infinite stomach that stores food somewhere else." Night Fury joked.

"Believe me, honey, when it comes to Pinkie Pie, that might just be true. Probably weirder than that though." Applejack remarked, rubbing her full tummy.

"Wait, is it already nighttime?" Twilight asked.

"It's one in the morning!" Rainbow said, looking at the long. "Aw great. I'm gonna have to sleep in now."

Rainbow then rose up. "Is what I would say if this party were not awesome! Give it up for this champ!" She pointed to the dark feline.

"Woo hoo! You rock!"

"Thanks guys, this sure was epic. You didn't have to do this much for me." Night Fury blushed a bit.

"Nope! I would not have been satisfied with a lesser party." Pinkie said. "It is one of the inalienable rights of the United Principality of Equestria's Constitution that all newcomers ought to be blessed with a great party!"

"Uh Pinkie, that's not what our constitution states." Twilight corrected. 

"Well it should!" Pinkie retorted. "Imagine not giving a party and having a neighbor so miserable! The horror. The horror." Pinkie looked almost traumatized from just the thought of a miserable neighbor.

Twilight rolled her eyes at Pinkie's melodrama. Rainbow and Night Fury just laughed.

"I think I'm gonna enjoy it here. You folks seem really cool!" Night Fury said.

"Well I'll just say it won't be this exciting everyday." Twilight said. "Usually this town is pretty relaxing but when we do get intense, we get intense." 

"That's fine by me." Fury laughed. "Even I was getting a bit tired from all the constant parties, I needed some rest and relaxation. I might like to hang out but even I need my own time."

"Well, that's good to hear." Twilight said, relieved. "Night Fury, welcome to your new home." 

"Thanks… wait a second, where am I gonna stay?!" Fury asked, forgetting about that fact.

"Uh oh, looks like Twilight forgot." Pinkie teased.

"Actually, according to my schedule, I do have it. I was going to show it to you as a surprise. Follow please." Twilight asked politely like with her usual professional demeanor.

The two were walking in silence but Fury was wondering what this place would be like. Would it be a tiny hut smaller than even his own? 

Who cares Fury? I could be living in a tiny cave and I would still take it! He was excited about his new home and dang it he was not going to lose sleep over which house he would have. He was ready for anything.

"Here we are, Mr. Fury. Welcome to your new house." Twilight showed off the new house.

"Oh my goodness." Night Fury was in awe. 

It was a villa with a lot of plants and flowers in the gardens. There were even palm trees. And some nicely crafted stained glass windows.

They went inside and saw it had two floors and even inside a courtyard in the middle. This was so epic. He heard certain high class noble Speed Shifters had houses similar to this. The ones who were not nomadic and grew rich, some who sadly made a living shortchanging their underpaid workers. But he never expected someone like him to have this place.

"Wow, this house is nothing like I've ever seen!" Fury said, amazed at the structure that stood before him. It was albeit not the largest house ever. But for someone like him who lived in a small hut for a while, it made him feel like a chieftain or even a king.

"I'm glad you like it, I had the mayor of Ponyville give you the best of the best. Believe it or not, Rarity used to have a brief foray into architecture. While fashion became her thing, she helped out in making a fabulous looking building based on the descriptions of some old documents of Speed Shifters in the town hall's archives." Twilight explained as they took a tour of the house. 

The bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, living room, and even the backyard pool were all making Night Fury reminisce on his time back home. Everything about this house was just like how things were when he was growing up. He had seen all that needed to be seen in this house to solidify his want to stay in Equestria, he was not planning on leaving anytime soon. The two friends soon looped back to the front door and stopped, Night Fury having just been treated to the best day he's ever had.

"Wow, just wow. This day has been amazing. I am definitely going to love it here." Night Fury said, ecstatic at the fact that he was getting along so well.

Twilight giggled.

"I'm glad you like it. Well, I better get going, Spike is probably wondering where I am." She said, opening the door with her magic. "I hope you enjoy your new life in Equestria, bye."

"Seeya Twi" And just like that, she was gone. Night Fury took a moment to breathe in some fresh air, taking in the new house smell as he walked to his bedroom.

Wow, I can't believe that all of this is for me! First, I got invited to a royal wedding, then I got pranked by said royalty, and now I'm an ambassador of my own kind! Everything has been going by so fast! I wonder what's going to happen next? 

He thought to himself as he opened the door to his room and got into bed. He soon slowly drifted off to sleep, satisfied that everything was going smoothly. But little did he know that his first challenge was going to come sooner than he had planned.
> Chapter 6: A Call For Help
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yawn. "Oh wow, I never had such a good sleep." Night Fury said to himself as he woke up in a comfortable bed. He almost felt a little spoiled that he had this nice room that was larger than his old home.

It was only a couple weeks after his "Welcome to Ponyville" party and Ponyville's newest resident was enjoying his new environment. 

It was here he made some new friends including a cross eyed pegasus and a conspiracy nutjob unicorn who believed in mysterious tan bipeds. He settled into his new villa, looked at dragons flying near Ponyville, and heard the Mane Six as others called them tell stories of their quests like defeating some snake of chaos. It was a great time.

And yet while he enjoyed this time he felt as if there was something missing in his life. He questioned what he could do next for himself and wanted to see what career he could pursue for his foreseeable future, but before he could come to a verdict, a frantic knocking came to his ears.

"Huh, I wonder who that could be?" He questioned as he sped downstairs and opened the door to see a rather frazzled Twilight standing at his doorstep. 

"Night Fury!" She called, practically fidgeting in place, taking heavy breaths. She looked like she had a real problem on her hooves.

"Whoa, Twilight, calm down! You look like you've seen the end of the world. Just tell me what happened." Night Fury replied

"It might as well be the end of the world! Princess Celestia wants to see both of us in Canterlot right away and I'm not even ready! It's about some national incident I heard." Twilight said, holding a hoof to her head in worry, Night Fury could see that she was distressed and was willing to help her, but he was also worried to find out what the princess wanted from them. National incident? I hope this isn't about some problems with me. So he took a deep breath, and took the news as calmly as he could.

"Look, Twilight, I'm sure everything will be fine. Celestia's pretty chill after all. We can both handle this. I'll meet you in Canterlot and we'll sort this out together," he said reassuring her.

"Thanks," Twilight smiled.

"No problem," Night Fury said.

Night Fury then raced off to get to Canterlot, until Twilight called to him.

"But how are you gonna get there? You can't fly or teleport, what are you going to do?" She asked, with a worried tone.

Night Fury simply smirked.

"Hello, I have super speed, remember?  This will be a piece of cake!" Fury recalled, Twilight remembered back to the wedding when he used his special powers to rush to Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding.

"Oh right! In that case, I'll see you there!" Twilight said as the both set off for Canterlot.

Luckily Ponyville is quite close to Canterlot. He decided to hurry up by jumping in front of the parked train and then sped up as fast as he could to get to Canterlot. The train conductor wasn't quite sure what he saw with that burst of energy.



A few minutes later… 




After sprinting, Night Fury finally made it to the big double doors leading to the throne room. 

"That was exhausting." Fury said.  Part of him wishes he would have taken the train instead. Using that power can be quite exhausting which was why he was slept in so late.

He then saw Twilight running to the grand building. He decided to play it cool not wanting her to worry.

"Twilight, you made it-  Wait, why do you look like you're packed for a written test?" he said with a chuckle.

"That's because I did, Princess Celestia said that we would be put up to some kind of test! So I packed as much knowledge and writing utensils as I could." Twilight responded with complete seriousness in an exhausted huff.

I was joking about it being a test, sheesh. Night Fury said in his mind.

But deep down despite his outward levity, inside Night Fury was now feeling almost nervous as Twilight. He didn't know he would be testing for something, or else he would have packed something as well! And it also felt strange that only weeks after they first met, Princess Celestia would be testing him on what he knew. He wasn't much good with tests after all, especially when he was a cub.

This thought didn't last long as Twilight had opened the double doors and walked in, Night Fury sped up his pace to catch up with her and slowed down once he was shoulder to shoulder with her. He could see that Luna was standing next to her sister as they were walking in, so he flashed a quick smile and gave her a wink. Although she rolled her eyes, she also smiled at the gesture and gave him a small wave. Once they had stopped walking, Twilight began to speak frantically. 

"We're here! I packed all the books I could carry and some extra paper to show my work!" she said accidentally letting a room size scroll roll to Celestia's hooves.

"Sorry sorry!" She squeaked. "Maybe I needed an even longer scroll." Fury facepalmed at this. Even as an outsider he knew this was probably something different than what Twilight thought it was going to be.

"Oh, do not worry, this is a different kind of test." Celestia said, placing the long scroll back into Twilight's saddlebag with her magic before taking a breath.

"The Crystal Empire has returned." She said standing tall. Twilight was confused seeing she never saw it in the literature she had read. Meanwhile, Night Fury stood there confused, he thought he had heard that name before.

Where have I heard that name before? I think the elders told me of a long lost jewel city that just disappeared. I forgot the details though. His curiosity was now burning.

"I'm sorry, was I supposed to know what this was? I never read it." Twilight said worried.

"I thought I heard it but I kind of forgot this story." Fury said.

"Well don't feel bad," Celestia reassured them. "No one in your generation would have known. It was a very long time ago. It would have been destroyed before even your grandparents' time." 

Celestia took out a purple crystal from a pedestal and placed it on the floor. She shot a beam of magic at it, displaying a hologram of this weird land called the Crystal Empire. Night Fury was amazed at how alicorn magic could achieve such outstanding feats.

"Wow, now that is amazing. I've heard songs about this place from when I was a cub, but I've never seen it before. Our ancestors used to trade with them." He said in awe, the princesses gave a smile at how Night Fury was taking in the new culture of Equestria. Celestia began speaking.

"But what I do know is that it contained a powerful magic. 1,000 years ago, King Sombra, a unicorn who's heart was black as night, took over the Crystal Empire. He was ultimately overthrown, turned to shadow, and banished to the ice of the arctic north, but not before he was able to put a curse on the empire, a curse that caused it to vanish into thin air. If the empire is filled with hope and love, those things are reflected across all of Equestria," She spoke, hitting the crystal with a beam of light magic. It projected a rainbow of light across the room. Night Fury and Twilight were amazed by the lights, but the princesses were not done. 


"But, if hatred and fear were to take hold..." Luna added, charging her own spell. Lighting her horn a harsh black, she shot it at the crystal, causing it to emit a dark shadow from it, forming giant black crystals around Night Fury and Twilight. Celestia then reverted the spell with her own magic, blasting a blinding golden light into the crystals, making them disintegrate before floating to the ground and speaking again. 

"Which is why we need your help finding a way to protect it." She said with a desperate tone, Night Fury and Twilight looked at each other in surprise and worry, now that they knew what they had to do. 

"You want our help to protect an entire empire?" Twilight said, her mentor giving a nod.

"Um actually, Princess, with all due respect, I don't think I'm cut out for this," he explained unusually with no optimism. "You see I might be able to go high speed but it definitely costs my body a lot. There's a reason I only used my running as a last resort to escape with your niece's cake. And it probably explains why I slept in so much. I don't think I would be useful in real combat if this dark force you are talking about is really that powerful."

Luna and Twilight were both a bit surprised. Fury always seemed to have a certain calm to him. But for the first time they saw fear in his eyes. It was almost as if he had fought before. And from how nervous he looked, he probably lost.

Princess Celestia walked over to the pedestal and returned the crystal, speaking to the pair in the process. And gave words of wisdom.

"It is, as I said, a different kind of test. One for Twilight, to see how far she has come as my pupil. And one for you too, Night Fury, to see if you can prove that you can hold yourself to your oath and protect Equestria from danger. And I am certain this is a test I know you both will pass." 

"What but I just said that I would probably lose!" Fury was about to say.

Celestia specified, "I know you are not experienced in the ways of battle. Yet. But you have wit, and are able to pull through even when others would have given up. Use your mind, young feline. And remember that you now have friends to help you."

Celestia said with pride, Twilight gave a glance to Night Fury's expression and while he looked a little less panicky, she could also see that he was bearing a look that said...

"This may be the most jarring thing that I've ever faced. I'll try but I'm still not sure if I can do this."

Before Celestia could say anything, Luna came near Night Fury.

Luna saw his worried look and draped one of her wings over him. Looking up, Night Fury saw that she was trying to reassure him of his chances of victory. 

"Come now? Is that the face of someone who defied two princesses just for a midnight snack?" Luna's dark blue eyes looked into his own. "You are Night Fury! A great Speed Shifter! You will have obstacles, but I know you will overcome them."

Night Fury immediately understood her demeanor and gave her a more confident smile in response, making her smile a little. 

"Yeah, what was I thinking? You're right Luna. This sneaky predator is not going to be bested by that ball of gas! I swear it in my honor as a Speed Shifter!" Fury said with confidence.

"I've been through worse anyway," Fury chuckled. "But if you think I can do it, then it's at least worth trying. And besides," he went back to his cheeky smile. "Who wouldn't wanna see a gemstone encrusted kingdom?!"

"That would be quite amazing to see." Twilight said with a bit more optimism.

Celestia smiled at their resolve although they still looked a little nervous but that's natural.

"So where do we begin?" They both said with pride.

"By joining Princess Cadence and Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire." Celestia replied, Twilight's face lit up with joy upon hearing that her brother was at the Crystal Empire as she, Night Fury, and Luna joined her mentor in walking out of the throne 

"My brother is there?"

"Cadence is at that place? I just can't escape her, can I?" he joked.

"They are, and your Ponyville friends will meet you there as well. I have every confidence you two will succeed, and when you do, I'll know that you are ready to move on to the next level of your studies and training."


Twilight then started to question what if everything didn't go as planned, thinking about what would happen if she failed to pass this "test" that Celestia had given her.

"But what if I fail?" She asked, looking distressed as she continued to think about her chances of failing.

"You won't"

"But what if-"

Twilight stammered, stopping as her mentor placed a hoof on her side, giving a reassuring look to her.

"You won't, and neither will Night Fury."

Celestia said with a more prideful voice, Twilight gave a look to Night Fury, him flashing a wink at her to somewhat help her regain her confidence.

"But Twilight, in the end, it must be you, and you alone, who ultimately assists Princess Cadence and Shining Armor in doing what needs to be done to protect the empire, do you understand?" Celestia asked, Twilight's face was blank for a second, before gaining a confident smile along with Night Fury as they both understood what they had to do.

"Then go, there is no time to lose." 
Celestia said, Twilight then gave a look to Night Fury and spoke to him. 

"Head straight for the Crystal Empire, me and the others will meet with you there!" Twilight said, Night Fury giving her a nod. Twilight ran off to the train station with Night Fury turning to do the same, but he stopped for a moment and gave the two sisters a wink.

"Don't worry, I won't let you two down."
He said as he powered up and sped off for the Crystal Empire. 



Half an hour later… 



Night Fury was racing through the snowstorm as fast as he could to get to the Crystal Empire, but he had never expected the weather to be this bad.

"Wow, the weather is worse than I thought, better turn up the speed if I want to make it!"

He thought to himself as he sped up and pushed through more snow. After a while, He could see silhouettes of ponies in the distance that he knew all too well.

"Those must be the girls! Twilight, I'm over here!" He shouted, attempting to get his friends' attention, he was fortunately successful as Twilight saw two red eyes coming towards her, eventually seeing the entirety of Night Fury as he appeared out of the pounding snow storm.

"Night Fury, I'm so glad you're ok!"

"Of course I'm ok, I wouldn't be who I am if I couldn't handle a little snow!"

Fury replied, Suddenly there was a sound that he didn't recognize, it sounded like a mix between a wolf howling and a screeching bat. Then, a black cloud formed behind them, it grew red reptile eyes as it peered down towards them, maniacally laughing as it grew bigger and closer. Shining Armor lit his horn, ready to fight.

"Everypony run, head towards the giant dome!" Shining armor yelled commandingly, everypony started running to get to safety, their legs pounding under them as they willed themselves to go faster. Night Fury started to run faster than everypony, as his powers started to kick in to save him from kicking the bucket. He then saw a glowing dome ahead of him, getting brighter and brighter as he got closer, he could also notice that he couldn't see his friends anymore, their images being lost in the blizzard.

"Ok, I'll go inside and wait for them, wouldn't want to leave them confused on where I am or if I even made it."

Fury said to himself, running through the dome's barrier and digging his paws into the now grassy terrain that surrounded the empire. He took the time he had to take in his surroundings before looking at the crown jewel of the Crystal Empire, The Crystal Castle, he was amazed at how beautiful the castle glistened before him. 

"Wow, this Empire is amazing, I can't imagine how devastating it must have been for such a majestic place to disappear into thin air."

He said, calling back to when Princess Celestia told him and Twilight about when King Sombra made it disappear 1000 years ago. Before he could say anything else, his friends and Shining Armor ran through the dome, panting trying to catch their breath after running for so long. Fury noticed that Shining Armor's horn was covered in black crystal, he tried to cast a spell, but it failed as the crystals blocked his magic from being casted. 

"Is everypony ok?"

"Yeah, fine." Shining Armor said.

Twilight said, her friends nodding in agreement.

"Was that King Sombra?"

"Yes, he's here to take back the crystal heart and rule over Equestria with an iron hoof." Shining Armor said sternly, the others looked at each other worried, knowing that they had to do whatever it took to protect the empire.

"Well, we better get moving, wouldn't want to waste the only chance we have." Night Fury said, starting to walk with his friends towards the Crystal Castle.


A few minutes later… 



They entered the throne room to which they saw Cadence sitting atop her crystal throne, her horn glowing a bright teal. Twilight grew a wide smile as she trotted towards the alicorn, feeling as happy as can be.

"Cadence!" 

She called, proceeding to get closer to the throne, Cadence looked up and smiled as she saw her sister-in-law and trotted down from her throne to see her, Night Fury was smiling all the while as the two grinned from ear to ear seeing how happy they were to see each other, his smile quickly turned to concern as they began dancing in the most odd way.

"Sunshine Sunshine, Ladybugs awake, Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

They sang as they giggled like they had never had before, Night Fury was perplexed by the strange sight and leaned over to Rarity to hopefully find an answer. 

"Uh Rarity, what in Equestria just happened?" he whispered.

"It's their secret greeting, darling. Ever since Cadence was young Twilight's foalsitter and they still do it," Rarity replied with a giggle.

Fury was a little surprised at seeing Twilight, normally so professional and businesslike, was willing to act like a filly again. He realized there was more to this young mare than he once thought. It was cheesy but kind of cute. He stepped out to greet his friend. 

"Cadence, good to see you again!" He said, hugging the mare. 

"It's good to see you too, Night Fury. I trust you had a pleasant time with your new friends?" Cadence asked, returning the gesture.

"I would not trade it for all the fish in the world."

Then concluding the embrace after a few seconds, that's when Night Fury could see that Cadence looked awful.

"Are you okay Cadence, you look a bit worse for wear." Fury said with concern, before Cadence could reply, her husband decided to speak up.

"Cadence has been able to use her magic to spread love and light, that seems to be what is protecting the empire. But she hasn't slept, and barely eats. I want to help her, but my protection spell has been countered by King Sombra."

Everypony in the room fell silent, the thought that Cadence was doing all this to protect the empire scared them beyond belief, even more so for Twilight.

"It's ok Shining Armor, I'm fine."

"She's not fine, she can't go on like this forever. And if her magic were to fade, well, you saw what's out there waiting for that to happen."

Shining Armor said sternly, Twilight could understand the dire situation of it all, giving the couple a caring smile.

"That's why we're here." Twilight said.

"Why we're all here." Night Fury added, stepping forward with his friends by his side.

"Well, with Cadence putting all her strength into keeping her spell going, and me trying to look out for signs of trouble in the arctic, we haven't been able to gather much information from the crystal ponies. But we have to believe one of them knows how we can protect the empire, without using Cadence's magic."

Shining Armor said, Twilight took a moment to think before coming up with an Idea.

"A research paper!" She said with pride, everypony looked at Twilight, confused on what she meant.

"This must be part of our test, to gather information from the crystal ponies and deliver it to you! This is going to be great, I love research papers!" She said.

"Yeah... Who doesn't." Rainbow Dash said jokingly, giving Night Fury a nudge, Night Fury chuckled at the joke as the thought of how many ponies would hate research papers, including him.

"Don't worry big brother, I am REALLY good at this sort of thing." She said with a grin. 

"C'mon everypony, Let's go save the empire!" She added, running out the main door, Night Fury held back for a second to give Cadence some encouraging words.

"Don't worry Cadence, just hold in there a little bit, we'll make sure that the Crystal Empire lives to see another day." He said, giving her a wink as he raced off after his friends, Cadence smiled at how confident Night Fury was in helping them save the empire and turned to her husband.

"Do you think he's gonna accomplish big things, honey?" she said.

"I wouldn't doubt it for a second," Shining Armor replied, hugging his wife to show his support.
> Chapter 7: Research
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Fury and his friends were grouped up at the base of the Crystal Castle after trying to ask around about anything that could help with restoring and protecting the empire, but none of the crystal ponies had any sort of idea what was needed of them. Some of them flat out refused out of some sort of "PTSD" from what happened all those years ago. They were all discussing their thoughts about what they each got from the crystal ponies (which was mostly nothing), until Applejack changed the subject.

"Sorry Twilight, but these crystal ponies seem to have some sort of collective amnesia or somethin." Applejack said.

"Yeah, some of the ponies I asked seemed scared to tell me anything. Even if they did know anything to solve our problem, It's like they have PTSD from what happened all those years ago." Night Fury added

"It's King Sombra's spell, their coats aren't as 'crystally' as they once were. They seemed to be drained of what hope and love they had left." Twilight said with a look of concern crossing her face. 

Her friends could see that she was distressed and wanted to help, but there was nothing else they could think of, until Applejack spoke up.

"Well, I don't know if this helps, but the only thing I could get out of them was something about a library."

Twilight's face lit up at Applejack's words and Immediately turned her frown into a smile. 

"A library, well why didn't you say so?!" Twilight said with glee

"Uh, thought I just did." Applejack said as she and her friends went to the library to see if they could find anything.

Minutes later… 

The group eventually reached the library and opened the doors. The shelves glistened in the sunlight through the windows, all of the books neatly organized and orderly placed, most of the group didn't find the aesthetics of it that beautiful, besides Rarity of course. 

Twilight was also amazed, but not with the aesthetics.

"I-I just... I don't even know what to... There are no words." Twilight said with amazement at the pure beauty of all the books in the library (And yes, she did find the aesthetics beautiful, but mostly the books). 

Meanwhile, Night Fury also looked at this place in wonder. He started to remember the old legend that the village elders used to sing about this place. A land of crystals. 

And yet why do I feel something chilling in this area?

Then, a calm, shrill voice broke the brief, but existing silence.

"Ahem. May I help you?" An elderly mare said with a calm demeanor

"Yes, we're looking for a book." Twilight said, gesturing to the hundreds upon thousands of books. 

"We have plenty of those."

"You do, you really do." Twilight replied while spinning around to see every single book she could lay her eyes on. Knowing that she would probably get distracted, Applejack decided to speak up.

"We're looking for a history book, somethin' that might tell us how the empire protected itself from danger back in the day."

"And while you're at it, can we look for a book about ancient diplomatic relations of the Crystal Empire?" Fury asked curiously. "And about some black felines called Speed Shifters?"

Night Fury wanted more information. And he knew despite sleeping through history, he knew that the Crystal Ponies and the Speed Shifters had some sort of bond.

"Yes, of course... History... Ah yes!" The Librarian said coming to a seeming to come to a realization. But instead the librarian just stood there with a smile, not saying anything, the group became confused as to why she wasn't saying anything and decided to pipe up about it.

"Which is where, exactly?" Twilight said with a now more nervous smile

"I... I can't seem to remember, I'm not sure if I actually work here." The librarian said, her smile disappearing

"But you crystal ponies have to know something! Don't you remember we used to trade with each other?!" Night Fury asked. "And we used to fight together?!"

"Wait, cats can talk?!"

Night Fury facepalmed. He wanted answers. 

"Night Fury, calm down, she doesn't seem to know anything." Twilight said disappointed.

"Sorry, you're right. I just really want this info. It's really important not just to me. But to my culture," he said with some sadness.

"Don't worry," Fluttershy comforted him. "There's still more to uncover after all."

"We'll just take a look around, I'm sure we can find it on our own. Come on guys, let's go," Twilight said as she went to other places.

"Let me know if you find anything." The librarian replied, walking away to elsewhere in the library. 

"I like her!" Pinkie said before hopping away to help her friends

Personally I found her a little annoying. Fury said to himself.

An Hour Later… 

Twilight and her friends found nothing so far, searching high and low for what they needed. The crystalline scenery that used to be so appealing was now an eyesore as they were trying to find anything for evidence.

"Anypony starting to think this is a lost cause?" Applejack said with a dour face.

"No, we have to keep looking, Shining Armor and Cadence are counting on us!" Twilight encouraged, continuing the search. 

"Um, where's Night Fury?" Fluttershy asked. "I haven't seen him for a while."

"He split up from the rest of us, it looks like," Rarity said. 

"Ugh, the last thing we need is for one of us to be lost!" Rainbow said, annoyed. "That cat always likes to go places you don't expect."

Twilight sighed at the added obstacle
"Well, we're going to have to find hi-"

"Oh no you don't!" said a voice coming right at them.

"Ahhh!" Rainbow was shocked by his sudden appearance. 

"Oh calm down, I'm not that scary. And besides, I think I found it!" He said cheerfully, racing over to his friends and placing the book on the floor in front of them.

"History Of The Crystal Empire, this is it!" Fury said smiling.

"What? Where did you find this?"

"Thanks to my nose, I realized that as a cub one of our ancient gifts was from the Crystal Empire. It was a crystal statue of us that they gave as a gift. I recognized that smell and it led me to this secret compartment that looked worn down. But the book is decorated with those crystals, so that's how I found it."

"It's nice to know your nose isn't just a tool for mischief." Rarity said jokingly.

"Yeah, that's only 70% of the time!" Fury laughed.

"Well I just hope it has the answers we need." Twilight was still a little nervous. Night Fury then got serious.

"Yeah. Both for the Crystal Empire, and my species' history with it."

Twilight proceeded to read through it with Fury listening in closely.

An hour later… 

Twilight and her friends returned to the crystal castle to reveal a possible solution to their problem.

"A crystal fair, according to this book, was established by their first queen and became their most important tradition. The fair was held every year to 'Renew the spirit of love and unity in the empire to protect it from harm'. My friends and I could put it together, everything we need to know is in the book."  Twilight said confidently

"That sounds pretty promising."
Shining armor said smiling, his grin quickly fading as he saw his exhausted wife, hanging on by a thread trying to keep the empire safe for as long as she could. Twilight could understand the gravity of the situation and was willing to do anything to save the empire.

"And you, uh Night Fury was it? You have a job to do. Help my sister and protect her." Shining said almost as if giving orders to one of his guards.

Night Fury nodded. It reminded him of when his father gave him a duty to do.

"Mark my words, I will be the best I can be for this assignment." Night Fury said with reverence.

Twilight was amazed. She never thought this normally relaxed, sometimes silly partner could be so serious about something. Her respect for him was increasing day by day. 

"We'll get started right away! C'mon, we've got a crystal fair to put together!" 

Twilight said, ushering her friends to follow as they went to prepare the crystal fair to be started.

"Yeah what are we waiting for, let's get this place alive again!" Night Fury said excitedly.

"Yeah!" Everyone cheered.

Hours later… 

"One last check to make sure everything is in place, and the festivities can begin!" Twilight said while admiring the work she and her friends had done to prepare for the crystal fair. They had done so much to make it perfect, from the balloons Pinkie made, to the games that Night Fury set up for the fillies and colts, just the sight of it all made Twilight smile.

Night Fury was very popular with the foals who thought of him like a giant housecat except one could talk and tell funny stories and show them fun tricks.

"Why was I so worried?" he asked himself. "This is an awesome experience!"

"What's this thing for?" Applejack asked, poking at a strange looking pedestal that looked pretty rough but decent.

"The last page of the book mentioned a crystal heart as the fair's centerpiece, so I used my magic to cut one out of a crystal block." 

"Nice work Twi, I think we're ready to get this fair up and running." 

Applejack said with a smile, Twilight felt confident that all of her hard work was going well and that she would definitely pass her test along with Night Fury completing his. Just then, Night Fury raced up.

"The last of the games are ready to go Twilight, this fair is gonna be awesome!" He said confidently

"Well, let's just hope that we pulled it off well enough to pass both our tests."

"Don't worry Twi, we'll pass the test no problem! Now, let's get this fair started!"

He said, racing off to announce the fair was about to begin, Twilight following suit to do the same. Her spirits were high now, knowing that everything was going to plan. But little did she know that things were going to take a turn for the worst.

A few hours later… 

The Crystal Fair was in full swing. Fillies and colts were playing games and getting facepaint, the food was amazing, and most importantly, the crystal ponies were starting to get their crystal coats back. There were ponies all around talking about the entertainment, the food, and everything in between. 

But there was one conversation that caught Rainbow Dash's and Night Fury's attention that was nothing to pass up.

"Seeing all of this, I feel like I'm starting to remember. Remember things from before King Sombra." One mare said. 

"Me too." Another replied, The two ponies took a second to collect their thoughts until their coats turned crystal as they sprung up and said in unison...

"The Crystal Heart!" They both said excitedly. 

"Do you think they really have it?"

One of the mares asked as Rainbow Dash wrapped a hoof around her 

"Of course we have it, you can't have a crystal fair without the crystal heart, right?" 

"Of course you can't." 

A shrill but familiar voice spoke, causing Rainbow Dash to turn around and see the librarian from before the fair started.

"The whole purpose of the crystal fair is to lift the spirits of the crystal ponies, so the light within them can power the Crystal Heart, so the empire can be protected!"

The librarian said as her coat turned crystal and she gave a gasp of realization

"I do work at the library!"

She said in a perky voice, Rainbow Dash put on a confused look as the words "Power the crystal heart?" ran through her mind.

"Um, what was that about powering the heart?" Rainbow asked as Applejack joined in on the conversation. 

"I just can't believe you found it, King Sombra said that he had hidden it away where we would never see it again! I only hope that it will be as powerful after all these years." 

The librarian continued, Rainbow Dash gave a worried look to Applejack, knowing that the "Crystal Heart" that Twilight had cut out of a crystal block would definitely NOT be enough to count as the real thing. With this newfound information, Rainbow Dash took to the sky, grabbed a flag from off of a flag pole, and flew over to the fake crystal heart where Twilight was, covering it with haste. Twilight soon felt the cloth on her back and turned around to see what was going on, but before she could speak, Rainbow Dash let out a sentence that changed the entire mood of the situation.

"I think we may have a problem!"

Later on, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Night Fury met with Cadence and Shining Armor on the castle balcony to discuss the issue at hoof.

"I didn't know it was an actual relic, the book didn't mention anything about the crystal ponies powering the heart."

Twilight said while frantically flipping through the book they borrowed, she went to the last page of the book to see if there was anything that could solve the problem, but what they soon found out would put them all in a state of shock.

"There was a page missing, how did I not notice?!" 

She said facehoofing, Cadence was wobbling on her hooves, barely being able to stand up on her own. It wasn't long before she fully collapsed into Shining armor's hooves and her magic briefly faded that Night Fury started to really panic.

"Twily."

Shining called, soon the shield protecting the empire faded and an eerie black smoke started to roll in from the outskirts of the empire that was covered in snow and ice. They soon learned that the smoke was not just a cloud, but a magical cloud that was summoned by King Sombra himself, he soon revealed himself as a black figure with red eyes and oozing black hair that flowed in the icy wind, he looked on at the crystal empire, wanting his full power back from the crystal heart and turning the crystal ponies into his personal slaves.

He saw where Twilight, her brother, Cadence, and Rainbow Dash were standing and smiled menacingly, but when he saw Night Fury, he paused, wondering what such a strange but familiar creature was doing in Equestria. He started to move toward the empire, bringing a hectic snowstorm with him as his non physical form glided on the wind, Cadence soon gained a little strength to stand and used her magic to reform the barrier that protected the empire. 

The barrier rose in front of Sombra's eyes as he rushed to the edge, but being the power hungry tyrant he was, he wasn't careful with his movements and got the tip of his horn cut off, he growled in pain as part of the appendage was cut off and landed inside the barrier, sinking into the ground and settling below the dirt. Cadence soon fell to her knees as reactivating her spell did a number on her, and it was no better that she was already tired in the first place.

"I have to find the crystal heart!" 
Shining armor said with a stern look on his face

"No, you stay here with Cadence. She needs you Shining Armor."

Twilight replied with a sincere but serious tone, Shining Armor looked at Cadence, holding a hoof to her chin and pondering at his sister's words before agreeing to them.

"I'll retrieve the heart."

She continued as she took off through the castle, Rainbow Dash and Night Fury following close behind. 

"Let's do this!" They both said, following Twilight

"I've been trying to figure out how Night Fury and I are supposed to pass Celestia's test, retrieving the crystal heart must be it."

"Well, If that is how we're supposed to pass the test, then we have to get searching." Night Fury replied as they went down a flight of stairs. 

"Well, what can I do?" Rainbow asked

"You and the rest of our friends have to keep the fair going while we search for the crystal heart." Twilight replied.

"What, with that thing moving into the empire?!" 

"The whole purpose of the crystal fair is to lift the spirits of the crystal ponies, so they can activate the crystal heart."

"Yeah, and?"

"If the crystal ponies found out that King Sombra is trying to take over the empire again, their spirits are going to be anything but lifted." Twilight said, stopping at the base of the Crystal Castle. "It won't matter if we don't find the crystal heart, they won't be able to make it work, you have to keep them happy here at the fair!"

"Keep the fair going and keep the crystal ponies spirits high, done and done!" Rainbow said, flying away to make sure the fair was still going. 

Part of Night Fury would rather be partying instead of going to do this test. But he got ahold of himself. He knew he had a job to do. And he wasn't going to shirk his duties. He may like to goof off. But when it came to serious matters, you would not want to get in his way. Night Fury and Twilight were about to go searching for the crystal heart, when a voice caught their attention from above.

"Twilight, Night Fury! Be careful." Shining Armor said, looking down at them. 

"We will."

"Don't you worry Cadence, your kingdom is safe in our care, just hang in there for me ok?" Night Fury said, smiling when he saw Cadence do the same from the balcony. 

"Twilight!" Another voice called, soon revealing itself to be Spike running up.

"I heard what happened, and I'm coming with you." He said, out of breath from running. Twilight shot a frown in Spike's direction, uncomfortable with him wanting to put himself in danger.

"Spike, I don't think that's a good idea. You'd be putting yourself on the line for no good reason." Twilight warned, not wanting her assistant and friend to get hurt. Spike wanted to interject, but Night Fury decided to give his two cents.

"Twilight, I know that he's young and you don't want him to get hurt, but having him looking for the Crystal Heart with us would help us speed up the process. Better to have more help than be on your own." He suggested, wanting to change his friend's mind. Twilight considered what he said and agreed with it, although reluctant with Spike being in danger.

"I guess you're right, it would be better. Spike, you can come, but don't touch anything." Twilight warned, Spike nodding and crossing his arms to follow her instructions. 

"Alright then, let's go stop that big ball of gas!" Night Fury said with excitement. Twilight and Spike nodded as they went off to search for the crystal heart, knowing that time was of the essence.

"Now where in Equestria are we supposed to find this Crystal Heart?" Twilight asked while they were sprinting. "Do you have any ideas, Fury?"

"Well as a cub, when I tried to find the exotic sugar, my parents hid it from me, it was always in the highest vase possible."

"This is no time for games!" Twilight was annoyed.

"And just like that sugar, the Crystal Heart is probably in the highest part of the highest building!"

"Gasp! You might have a point. Let's go there!" Twilight said as they made a turn to that grand tower.

Don't you worry, Twilight. I promise I will help you. And father, mother, I will do my best to help in these troubles.

As they were running, a black pile of smoke was building up and if one were close enough an evil laugh from an older time could be heard. He was ready to have his vengeance.
> Chapter 8: The Fight Of Our Lives Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight Sparkle, Spike and Night Fury finally made it to the massive skyscraper.

While Fury was in awe of such a structure, especially how it was older than his grandparents, he told his mind to focus.

"Night Fury! I was wondering… Could you climb up that skyscraper?" Spike asked with some hope. "Didn't you say you climbed up a mountain at one point?"

"Yeah!" But Night Fury reconsidered quickly. He was able to do that feat as a cub but there were some caveats.

"On second thought that might be a bad idea. The power I used might destroy that skyscraper. And anyways, I don't have the stamina to climb that much. And even if I did, I would probably pass out for a few hours doing so," he said with some fear. "In fact, the Crystal Empire probably knew Speed Shifters' abilities so they probably made it as hard to climb with that crystal as possible."

"Aw really? Are you really sure?" The young dragon asked, somewhat disappointed. Part of him wanted to see his legendary climbing abilities.

"Sorry, kid. From experience there are some things even someone like me can't climb, I'm not some cosmic entity ya know?" Night Fury said. Then he quickly turned to Twilight.

"Can't you teleport in there?" Fury asked. 

"Not these buildings! I tried that while you two were talking and it seems to resist any teleportation magic. Whoever built this skyscraper and to a lesser extent the other buildings really made it impenetrable." Twilight said with frustration. 

"I guess we're just going to have to take the long way." Twilight said, getting her bearings. "Come on boys, let's get inside the building!" She said running.

"Sigh, and I didn't think we would have to do this much walking with some shortcuts." Spike said annoyed running.

"I used to think the same thing when my dad would make me do all this stuff when I was your age. But you'll get used to it. And anyways, it'll build up your body. Make you stronger and more attractive to the ladies." Night Fury gave him a friendly punch knowing exactly what would make Spike eager.

"Huh, well, when you put it that way, maybe this running is… Well I can put up with it." He said thinking about his crush Rarity.

The three were now inside the colossal tower. 

The interior of the building looked beautiful. It was just like the legends he was told as a cub. 

"Come on. Let's focus, Night Fury!" Twilight said. 

"Sorry, this place got me distracted," he said, going further in the building. "It just seems so grand. It reminds me of the tales the elders and my dad used to tell me."

Twilight was actually now curious. 

"I would like to ask. Was there anything you were told about the Crystal Empire? It could be useful to know if there is anything we could use.

"Well, I did hear from the stories that there were secret passages hidden throughout the castle. Sealed away thousands of years ago before anyone could know about them." Night Fury stated, thinking back to the stories he had heard when he was a kid. 

"I see, maybe we can find this secret passage to get there." Twilight said. "Alright everyone get searching!"

Fury was at first excited trying to find the switch. It reminded his father's tales of exploring temples. But as several minutes elapsed he now realized he forgot the part in the dad's tales about the sheer monotony of finding clues.

Twilight, Fury and Spike were trying to find anything to get to the top of the tower. From looking behind paintings to looking inside vases, nothing.

"This is not as fun as my father made this exploration out to be." Fury said a bit exhausted.

"Night Fury, are you sure there was not something else you heard as a kid?" Twilight inquired. "Like maybe some tale or artifact or whatever?"

The black feline put his paw up trying to remember. It was awhile ago after and it wasn't necessarily his favorite legend, just one he was mildly interested in.

"Well let's see, I do remember my dad showing me an ancient staff he kept in his collection. He said it might have belonged to the former rulers there. And I remember having some sort of writing on it. Let me see."

Night Fury racked his brain a bit.

"Ah ha! It said something like 'A crystal's light spreads far and wide, but only through the dark will it be your guide.' "

"Yeah, that was really helpful!" Spike said snarily. "That totally gives up what we need."

"It's the best we've got Spike. We might as well go with this." Twilight said. "Just let me think about this."

Twilight walked around, pondering. "A crystal's light spreads far and wide.' That seems obvious enough. "But only through the dark will it be your guide, Hmmm..." 

"Well did you get anything, miss detective?" Night Fury asked.

"Maybe. This crystal tower is so bright. Maybe the amount of darkness could be the key. Maybe a very dark part of this building. Hmmm, Wait!"

Twilight then ran into the throne room and saw the unusually dark throne room of purple crystal like amethyst.

"Okay. So through the dark. Look at this crystal! It seems so dark unlike the rest of this area."

"Almost like it needs a light!" Twilight tried hitting with a ray of light. With all her power. 

"Um Twilight, nothing's happening." Spike said matter of factly.

"Curses!" Twilight said in frustration I thought we finally had something.

"Wait," Night Fury said. "I was thinking what if we got it the other way around. The crystal doesn't need light. It already has that. But it won't be of any use unless it's in the dark."

"So do we have to wait until nighttime and maybe a gate will show up?" Spike asked.

"Hold on a second. Celestia showed us with one of the crystals some dark magic and it revealed a hologram. What if that would apply here. Let me try this." Twilight said using some shadowy dark magic. 

And just like with Celestia's demonstration. The shadow magic caused a passage to open up in the middle of the floor. The three were quite surprised at this. But definitely with much relief.

"Oh my gosh, It's open!" Spike said.

"So what were you saying about what I said being pointless knowledge? Hmmm?" Fury asked with a smug grin.

"Okay okay, I was wrong. You win." Spike said, rolling his eyes. "I still am an expert on other stuff."

"Wow, I can't believe that work. Thank goodness for Celestia teaching me that spell," Twilight said. Moving on to reality she rallied the two.

"Okay, Night Fury. It's time for us to fulfill our test."

"Maybe this will be an easier test than we thought. Definitely funner than most tests," he said confidently.

"I disagree with what those things you said," she said unamused with his dismissal of tests. "But let's get down there. Spike, you stay here and keep watch."

"You sure the kid can't come with us?" Fury asked.

"It's our test, remember? It's our duty." 

"It's fine, Fury." Spike said. "You two go on. Spike the Dragon will protect this place! It's a bigger challenge than going down those dark horrifying nightmarish stairs. Yep."  Spike said, hiding his fear of the abyss.

"Good point. It's almost like one could be possessed by the evil king's spirit." Night Fury said. "Wait a second. I think I feel his presence! Oh no he got my paw! I'm transforming!!! Ahhhh!!!!"

Spike screamed. 

"Gotcha" Night Fury teased.

Spike was a little annoyed at his little prank.

Twilight slapped Fury.

"Night Fury, this is no time for jokes. Stay focused."

"Ow. Okay, okay. I'm going." Night Fury rubbed his cheek. "But seriously Spike, we'll be alright."

"Okay good luck guys." Spike waved at them as they went. "I'll get you for that sometime, Night Fury, hmmph."

As the two went downstairs, it felt more and more like there was some evil living down there. Normally Fury would not be afraid of these dark places as he wandered many dark caves when he was a kid, contrary to the wishes of his mother. But even he had to admit this was quite unsettling.

They had finally reached the floor below. It was surprisingly empty save for one door.


"Hey Twi, look at this." Night Fury said, gesturing to an old looking door made of rotten wood and rusted bolts. "I think this may be our way up!" 

"Let's hope so." Twilight said, approaching the door… which then moved. 

"What the?" Twilight said.

"Ahhh!" Fury lunged at the door which also moved.

This door kept on moving and moving. The two were very unamused at playing this game.

"Alright that does it!" she used the shadow magic to keep it in place. 

"Never had an inanimate play pranks on us." Fury joked. 

Then the door opened revealing great light.

"Spike! I think we found the entrance!" Twilight said. "Okay Night Fury, ready to go inside?"

"Yep, just keep your eyes peeled for any traps."

As Fury entered the mysterious door, the light blinded him for some time. He kept on walking for a little bit and then the light finally wore off. 

"What the…. Where in the world am I?"

He said as he looked at the vast expanse of a dense jungle filled with an assortment of ferns, moss, tall trees and vines. All complete with the sound of birds singing.


"I'm… back home? But how? Maybe that door was a portal of some sort." he was definitely confused. "What do you think Twi? Got any ideas? …Twi?"

He noticed she was not there. He was by himself. 

"Twilight!" He cried out.

"Dang it. I'm going to have to find her now." 

He walked through the vegetation of the jungle. Luckily it seemed to be sunny enough for him to see. He wants to get to a higher elevation on a rock overhang to get a better view of where he was.

As he was approaching, he heard something. A low chuckle filling the usual peaceful air. 

Night Fury extended his claws, ready for a possible fight. 

"Who's there?!" He called out, no answer coming in return.

"Spike, if you're trying to get me back for scaring you, now is not the time." He called out, hoping to hear the voice of the small dragon say, "okay, you got me" and call off this weird prank. But only when the forest around him got covered in thick black smoke and everything went silent as if his ears had been plugged, he began to think that this was more than just a prank. 

"Whoever this is, you'd better come out and I promise I won't bite your leg off!" He cried out getting ready for whoever this was.

Then from the smoke approached someone, him coming out of the smoke.

"Hello there, Night Fury."

Night Fury gasped. He recognized who this was. It was…

"Mom?" He was completely surprised. "You're alive!?"

He was so surprised that he had tears of joy coming out. He could finally see his mother. Her black fur blended in with the darkness, but her white paws, muzzle and tail tip were very noticeable amongst the black fog. Her blue eyes shining bright as they lovingly peered into his own, she was clearly happy to see him alive and well. 

While Fury's father taught him how to fight and how to wander around, his mother taught him kindness, morals and love. Whenever he and his dad got back from a long day of hunting or trekking, he could always come back to see her delightful smile preparing some nice fish tacos and fried salmon.


"Of course I am, sweetie. And your father's here too." Just then, his father, looking more so like him than his mother, appeared out of the smoke.

"Hello son." He said softly, wrapping a paw around his wife.

"I-I can't believe it! I thought you two had been killed off or something, you completely disappeared out of nowhere."

"Well it was tough, but me and your mother are a tougher bunch." He said with a calm but proud look. "We hid in the caves for days with nothing but bats to keep us satisfied."

"It was so cold and hard, but we made it out in one piece. And we finally made it back to our village!" his beautiful and kind mother said.

"Do not worry, we will deal with those raider scum later on. But until then…" He gave a friendly punch to his son's shoulder. "My boy, now that we are reunited this calls for a feast! We will have the greatest festival in all the generations of our Tribe!"

"I would love that but can we talk first about everything that has happened. So much has been going on-"

"Now honey, there is a time and place for recollecting our past but now is not the time. It is time to have a great party. I just hope you won't have another fight with one of the warriors this time." She looked annoyed knowing her husband liked to have some rough brawls.

"Oh come on. It's all in good fun. Ha ha ha ha!" He gave a loud cheerful laugh.

Night Fury didn't care what happened. He just wants to spend time with his parents again. Tell them about the years he lost not seeing their faces. 

Part of him did wonder why they seemed so eager to party at this point. It almost felt like they were too happy not in a tearful way but just to have fun which he liked but he always thought his mother and even his tough father would be bawling tears of joy. This almost felt too good to be true…

Aw come on I'm thinking too far into it. I should be thankful I even am seeing them now.

"Alright you guys! Be warned though. I might just eat all your food when you aren't looking!" He laughed.

"We'll see about that boy!" His father laughed.

After a few minutes of walking they finally made it to the village. And there he saw all the Speed Shifters he once met.

"Everybody Night Fury is back!" His father called out to everyone. It was so nice seeing all his old friends and neighbors from the old blacksmith, to the shaman. "We will have a great feast!"

"Huzzah!"

Strangely enough, everyone seemed to already have had everything prepared. They had piñatas, dances and delicious food.

Night Fury partook in the delicious food. He literally ate like an animal. Everyone sang folk songs telling of their village's great deeds. It was so fun.

And then Night Fury's father called everyone to silence. 

"May I have everyone's attention? Thank you. This party has been so much fun. And it is all dedicated to our boy, Night Fury."

Night Fury almost felt like blushing at this.

"We are glad he is back after all this time! …Even if he did fail that one time." He said with a bitter laugh.

Everyone laughed at that.

Night Fury felt embarrassed about that.

"Aw come on dad." He said lightheartedly.

"Now everyone, I am not finished yet. It is nice for him that he survived even after failing to save everyone he could have. Even if he managed to overcome his weakness, we would still end up having him fail us all." He said maliciously.

"Wait what?" This did not go as he thought it would. "Dad I'm-I'm sorry I tried my hardest you know that… If I could just take it and do better I would have…"

"Well you didn't son!" His father stomped on the table. "After everything I tried to teach you, trying to cure you of all your crying and your cowardice, you still managed to fail!"

He realized this party was not supposed to celebrate him. It was meant to humiliate him. He looked at his mother for some comfort but she gave a cold stare.

"Your father's right son," she said with no remorse. "I was hoping I would raise a true Speed Shifter, and all I gave birth to was a disgrace like you! I am ashamed to call you my son!" She screamed at him. "We survived despite your efforts boy! If you had been strong you could have saved us!"

"But I saw your corpses! I didn't know…."

"Perhaps it's because you ran away like the baby you always were. Even though I always told you to fight."

At this point Night Fury was in tears. And then his father changed his expression from rage to happiness. But a very strange form of happiness. 

"I apologize for talking so much. Because we are delaying the whole point of this festival. Your banishment!"

"Wait what!? No! Please! I'll do better next time!" 

"Everybody let's give this baby a warm farewell!" His father yelled out.

Then everyone lunged at him. Tying him up and putting him on a pole. Then they proceeded to put honey on him followed by some bird feathers.

"Ha ha ha ha! Now you look more like your true form! A complete joke!" said one of the villagers and they proceeded to march out of the village. While they were marching they threw rotten fruits at him.

"This can't be. I'm sorry for being weak. I'm sorry!" he said as he was paraded in humiliation. "I'm sorry! I'm-"

"Night Fury! Snap out of it!"

"Wait, who's saying that?" He wondered amidst the crowd of mockery.

"Night Fury!"

All of a sudden everything changed around him. He saw everyone and the village turn to smoke. He wasn't tied up anymore. He found himself lying on the ground. And his eyes finally focused he realized Twilight was also with him and he was facing Spike.


"Wha… What happened?"

"You were going crazy! Your eyes were all green and weird, you were calling out to your mom and dad, and you were squirming on the floor like you were having a seizure." Spike listed off. 

Night Fury looked around and saw the door again with Twilight standing next to it, it was closed again. Night Fury was confused as to how he went through the door, yet never moved from that spot. Before he could ask any other questions, the lavender unicorn spoke up.

"It was King Sombra's dark magic, he feeds off of other ponies' fears and hate. You never moved from that spot, you were just tricked into thinking you went through the door. It's a gateway that leads to your greatest fear." 

"It-it was?" Night Fury said with more vulnerability than he ever showed before.

"I went in there and I uncovered my worst fear. My fear of disappointing Celestia." Twilight said.

"And my fear. Failing Twilight Sparkle." he said with some tears.

"But it's all lies. Nothing but our fears. That's all it was." Twilight said determined even if part of her was still traumatized by that vision.

"Is it okay if you tell us what you saw?" Spike asked. 

"I don't want to talk about it." Night Fury replied in a cold voice. Night Fury, while being very happy most of the time, was also a person who kept things to himself. He never liked to talk about his true fears and only occasionally spilled out his secrets.

"C'mon Night Fury, you can tell us." 

"I SAID I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT IT!!!" Night Fury thundered, his voice echoing around the dark well. Twilight and Spike covered their ears, his loud outburst shocking them to the core. Night Fury stood up and stared at the floor, the shadows blocking out his eyes as he spoke firmly.

"What you two may have seen is nothing compared to what I saw. You may have seen something that you can control, but what I saw, I can't control." He said, his voice cold as ice. "This so-called 'King Sombra' has no idea what he has done. He just bought himself a one way ticket to Tartarus, and that price is DEATH."

Twilight and Spike's eyes widened in shock at Night Fury's declaration, they would have never have imagined that him, Night Fury, the one that made jokes and messed around as if he was no older than a colt, the one who had gotten along with everyone he had met up to this point, the one who managed to get esteemed royalty to start pulling pranks and be overall silly, was making a death threat. 

Spike was pretty angry how Night Fury implied he was in more pain than Spike. How could he have known whether it was so or not? He was just trying to help him! He was going to give Fury a piece of his mind.

Twilight stopped him. "Spike let me handle this."

"But he was being rude…"

"Shhhh, take a deep breath like Cadence said." 

They did so. And Spike still felt annoyed but calmer.

"I'll take care of this. Our goal is to solve problems, not get into fights after all." Twilight stated. Spike reluctantly agreed.

Twilight came up to the traumatized feline and put a hoof over his shoulder.

"Night Fury, you don't have to tell us what happened. But I want you to know, no matter what happens, we'll be there by your side." Twilight comforted him. "We can get through this together.

Night Fury said nothing for a little while and then he finally said something. "Thanks," he said softly.

"But I need you to stay focused, Fury. It will do us no good if you go on a rampage and fall into one of Sombra's traps." Twilight said firmly. "Use that anger in productive ways like planning and being cunning. Sombra will use any advantage to defeat us."

"I promise I won't let him defeat me. I promise I will defeat that horrible entity-"

"And you'll make sure you won't do anything crazy, do you understand?" Twilight said firmly.

"I… Yes I will be careful." he conceded. Even though deep down he feels like he wants to go all out. He doesn't want to think it through. He simply wants to get it over with and show Sombra never to mess with him. But he will try to abide by her instructions as much as he can.

"Good." Twilight said. "And I think you owe a certain dragon an apology."

Spike looked at him with crossed arms.

"I'm sorry, Spike. I know you were just trying to help me. This is just a tricky topic for me. Maybe I'll see you one day but right now is not the time." He said. "And thanks, for getting me out of that memory. I don't know what my mind would have been like if I had been there any longer."

"It's alright. I know this must be tough." Spike said. "But on the bright side we can kick that big old unicorn jerk's butt for this! We won't let him get into the Crystal Empire without a fight!"

Then Night Fury smiled with confidence. 

"You're right, kid. I might have failed once but I'll show that shadowy monster that you do not mess with me or my friends and use my memories against me and expect to get away with it! Sombra you better be ready!" He screamed out this time not with helplessness but with confidence.

"Oh yeah! Let's get him!" Spike said loudly.

Sigh, boys. She rolled her eyes at their yells but with a smile. She knew Sombra had not succeeded in sending them to despair and she was not going to let it happen again.

After the two yelled their warcries (well Spike tried to make a warcry), Twilight brought them back to reality.

"Alright guys, we still need to find a way to the top of the tower. Let's see." Twilight charged up her horn and blasted the crystal above the door, rainbow light shooting around the dark pit before the door opened to reveal the stairwell to the top of the tower. The three friends walked through the door and we're finally out of the dark dungeon. 

"That's better." Twilight said. 

"Oh wow. Finally it's bright again! Finally out of the dark!" Spike said with confidence.

"Yeah but, I think you should look up." Fury pointed up to where there was now a tower and a bunch of stairs to climb.

"Huh, this mission just doesn't get any easier…"

"Yeah." Night Fury agreed, downtrodden.

"Well we won't get anywhere down here! Come on boys, let's get up there!" Twilight said, climbing up.

Night Fury and Spike both went up too.

"Uh, Night Fury?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering would it be okay to uh ride you?" he asked awkwardly.

"Do I look like a mule to you?" he raised his eyebrow.

"Uh well. No? I well… Um."

"Come on Spike! I'm just messing with you! Get on up!" He said with a laugh.

"Oh yeah! Now I look like a knight!" Spike said triumphantly. "Onwards! To victory!" 

The two both ran up the stairs.

And then walked quickly.

And then walked.

And then crawled as it was so tiring to get up.

"This was not as fun as I thought it was going to be." Spike said snarky. "I thought you were supposed to be filled with stamina.

"Hey even Speed Shifters have their limits Spike." He said matter of factly.

"Hey, are you two still down there!" Twilight cried out.

"Yeah we are!" The two yelled out.

"Good. Don't worry just keep on going we're um uh getting close…er?" Twilight said, trying to keep some level of confidence going.


"Oh, who are we kidding, this is gonna take forever! Who knows how long this'll take." Night Fury complained, struggling to keep pace. Twilight put a hoof to her chin to come up with a plan. 

"Hmmm, Fury, can you still use your speed?" Twilight asked. 

"Yeah, but I've never used it in such a tight space!" He cried out.

"That's fine we can just walk normally and try to keep… walking…"

ROARRRRR!!!

They heard the voice of Sombra; they knew they had to get up quickly or else the Crystal Empire would be destroyed.

Then Night Fury all of a sudden felt an urge. He couldn't let a bunch of stairs stop him. He knows he can try to go up quickly even if it wasn't that hard.

Night Fury and Spike ran to Twilight a few steps. "Twilight you need to hang onto me!" 

"Wait what? I thought you said this would be too dangerous."

"It could be, but I know I have been through some rough turns and I have experience and we have no time to stay down here. I need Spike to go on Twilight and for you Twilight to go on me?"

"Are you sure about this?" Twilight inquired 

"Would you rather walk the endless stairs?" 

" *Sigh* no."

"Then get on me. And prepare for the ride of your lives." He said with confidence.

As Twilight went on. She was surprised how strong he was. But she did wonder if the speed would hurt them. 

"This won't do anything to damage us right?" Spike asked.

"Don't worry guys, you will be completely normal. Well, except you will probably vomit from all this speed."

"That's fine… Wait whaaaa…"

Boom

Twilight used a barrier to keep Fury on the stairs and not accidentally slip off. And for Fury he ran like all Tartarus was loose. He ran and ran and ran.

Twilight and Spike were not so much amused but Fury was having the time of his life 

"Thanks for suggesting this Twilight! I feel so alive!"

"You're… welcome…" Twilight felt like she wasn't even a physical being anymore.

The trio finally made it up the stairs. Fury went so fast up the stairs he launched himself a bit into the sky. And then he finally went down.

"We finally made it guys!" Fury proclaimed. "Uh guys?"

Twilight and Spike didn't respond; they were just trying to find a place to let it all out. They did.

"Wasn't that fun, guys?!" He said with excitement.

"Yeah, really fun. Maybe you could have given us more time to prepare so we could have a little less fun." Spike said sarcastically. "I just had a gem enchilada today!"

"Wow you guys are lightweights, but you'll get used to it someday." Fury said.

Twilight and Spike both groaned.

"By the way didn't you say you had a limit on magic?" Twilight asked.

"Well if it's just running on stairs then it's easier. Especially on those crystal steps. It gets harder if there are obstacles in my way. Or if I have to make unpredictable moves. And overall this was a fairly short amount of time compared to what is expected in battle where you spend a lot more energy. I only used 20 percent for that one." Fury clarified. "Oh yeah and your magic really helped me to conserve my speed and stay focused and not have to stress myself worrying about accidentally slipping. Honestly with unicorn magic I can reach the full potential of a Speed Shifter."

But everyone cut the banter when they finally saw it. The Crystal Heart. It glistened as it floated in mid air, the priceless artifact looking like nothing any of them had ever seen. 


"Wow, it looks beautiful." It's like Celestia said." Twilight uttered in awe.

"Yeah, no wonder why the Crystal Empire was the stuff of legends in my village."

Twilight walked to get it. They were almost there. But then Fury noticed something felt strange about this. He even noticed the floor was an unusual color. "Wait Twilight!" It was too late. For they heard an alarm.

They were shocked and crystals came all around Twilight. She fell right into a trap. 

She heard an evil laugh from a distance.

"Sombra…" Night Fury's eyes focused ready to fight.

"Oh no. The sky is already dark. Is it too late?!" Twilight asked.

Meanwhile King Sombra was finally ready to put into motion his evil dreams once and for all. The three heroes must now face King Sombra.
> Chapter 9: The Fight Of Our Lives Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The clouds had started to darken. Lightning could also be heard. What was once clear reflective crystals became black as smoke. The once dormant evil spirit of King Sombra was active and ready to begin his conquest.

"Twilight!" Spike cried out as he saw her surrounded by multiple dark crystals.

"Twilight, are you ok?!" Night Fury called out, hoping she didn't get hurt.

"I'm fine, where's the Crystal Heart?" She questioned.

"It's over here, it rolled over to us when you dropped it." Spike informed her, slowly stepping backwards with Night Fury as smaller dark crystals started to sprout from the floor. 

"Maybe I can jump in there." Night Fury was about to leap. 

"Wait no!" Twilight said.

He jumped anyway and as he was about to leap in, a crystal stalagmite from the ground was about to expand and pierce his stomach. Twilight teleported him out of the way.

"You see?! If you two go near me, you probably won't survive and neither will I!" Twilight warned them.

Night Fury and Spike at this point realized how hopeless of a situation they were in. One of the individuals chosen to complete Celestia's test was now locked in a crystalline prison. This just leaves Night Fury to use the crystal heart. Spike was very worried now.

"Alright, Night Fury it's up to you with the help of Spike to use the Crystal Heart to defeat Sombra!"

"But you need to fulfill the test! What about that?!" Spike asked worriedly.

"I know this is tough not just for you, but me Spike, but this has to be done even if it means I have to lose my position as Celestia's Student!" 

Spike was clearly conflicted for he didn't want his own mentor Twilight to fail this test. Just then a paw was put on his shoulder.

"Look kid, sometimes in life you have to cheat in order to do what you have to do! Just like I had to cut class to get that special limited time meat, this is now that moment! Twilight will be fine!" He reassured him.

"While I disagree with cutting tests for something as insignificant as meat, Fury is still right! I'll be fine, Spike! Trust me." Twilight looked at him.

Roarrrrrrrr! 

Sombra was still up and active and ready for his reinvasion.

"Let's go stop that big gassy blob!" Spike said now with determination.

"That's the spirit, ride on my back," the quick feline said.

Now the two were jumping on different crystals being ready to place the Crystal Heart where it was meant to be. But the shadowy king was not going to let that happen.

Night Fury had to maneuver through a bunch of hostile crystals lunging at them while the black feline was jumping and maneuvering through crystal platforms.

"Ah watch out for that one! And that one too! Ahhh, look out!" Spike said. 

"Okay calm down. I'm well aware! Thank you very much." Fury said sarcastically although admittedly he was glad to have someone spot those traps and hazards.

"Ok, just a few more jumps and we'll be at the base of the castle." Night Fury said, continuing to jump from platform to platform.

"Look, there's a ramp down to the main strip that leads to the holding place of the Crystal Heart. We can make better time if you race down it!" Spike said.

"Thank goodness, let's slide down." Night Fury said with satisfaction. "This should be easier than catching fish in a pond!"

As they were sliding the crystal however the bottom of the crystal shattered causing them to fall.

"Ahhh!!!" The two yelled.

They would both fall to their deaths, but Fury was not going to let him or Spike die from a measly fall. He saw a somewhat thin crystal disc and looked to Spike

"Grab on to that crystal, I have an idea!" Fury cried out.

Spike used his feet to hold tight onto Fury's back while Fury's claw kept Spike from accidentally falling. Spike reached for the crystal. It was kind of far away so he kept on leaning and forward and Spike had to risk a bit by asking Fury not to restrict his movement.

"Are you sure you want to go that far?!" Fury was willing to risk himself but not Spike.

"Not really, but it's our best shot at making it out alive! Better than having our bones and innards gushing out!" Spike pointed out.

"You make a valid argument. I don't want to be that." He admitted and let go of Spike's feet and Spike finally grabbed the disc. 

"Whoa whoa whoa…" He said, trying to get a grip. Fury pushed him down to sit on him again. 

"Good work Spike, now hang on for dear life!"

"Wait, why?"

Fury put the disc under his feet and used his power to launch himself using the disc as recoil and jump to the next platform. 

"Ahhhhhhh!" Spike cried out at this insane scheme. "You're insane!"

"Well, you have to be a little to be a Speed Shifter warrior." he replied

But they finally got onto a much more stable platform. Which was a relief but they now were a long way from getting to Cadence and Shining Armor.

"We gotta hurry." Spike said. Night Fury jumped down some of the platforms and finally made it on the ground. Now Fury could just run on the road to Cadence. But things don't turn out as planned.

More crystals emerged and blocked them from running and one crystal showed a sharp toothed unicorn who was now a physical being.

"Oh no…" Spike said. "It's-"

"Sombra. King Sombra.' He growled to assert he was not afraid of Sombra. But deep down part of him felt like surrendering.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" The evil tyrant stared into Spike and Fury. "It seems you two have something that belongs to me. May I kindly ask that you hand it over to me? I won't make your corpses into my trophies otherwise." He said with a wide grin, exposing his sharp teeth.

"I'd bite my own skin off my body before I do that, you oversized fart cloud!" Night Fury said with determination.

"Yeah what Fury said! Besides, you're not that awesome! I've seen way scarier!" Spike cried out.

Sombra simply responded with laughter. 

"Such confidence! Oh I almost admire it! If it were not so misplaced!" His grin turned to an enraged expression. "I could destroy you both in a few minutes!"

Though they were standing up to the monster, they were also quite frightened. Spike felt like he wanted to go home and Fury did too. But they knew they had to fight still. And besides Fury will make sure Sombra's crimes don't go unpunished.

For Fury and Spike, while they were standing up to him, were finding a way to escape and get to Cadence. Then, Night Fury had an idea.

"Hey Spike, I've got an idea." He whispered, not wanting to give away the secret.

"Ok, what have you got?"

"You get off my back with the Crystal Heart while I start to back away as I tell him that we give up," He said, Spike nodding along with his plan. "Then, when you get close to giving it to him, I speed past him, pick you up, and we bolt it towards Cadence and save the Empire."

"That sounds good, let's do it!" Spike said confidently, the two turning their attention back to Sombra.

Night Fury looked determined at Sombra then his expression changed to one of defeat.

"Oh, who are we kidding Spike? He's just too powerful even for us. You can have this stupid Crystal Heart! We just want to leave and spend our lives in luxury!"

"What?! But Night Fury! We can't just give up! We must defeat the evil unicorn!" he said in a somewhat awkward overly dramatic way as he wasn't as experienced at faking emotion as Night Fury. Fury always used trickery even when sneaking Speed Shifter sweets from his mother. But it was still good enough.

"For my lady Rarity's honor! I must smite thee and make sure you know what true horror and misery and…"

"Just give the heart to Sombra and I'll give you a bunch of gems." Fury said, cringing at Spike's corny acting. Spike was a little unamused at Fury's disapproval of his acting. 

Spike got the satchel the Crystal Heart was in off Night Fury's back and walked over to Sombra, who was looking forward to it. He was considering letting them go but he decided he would not kill them for he was still a unicorn of some honor, but he would train Fury to be a warrior. Spike would just let go because Sombra saw him as weak.

"Yes, the Crystal Heart… It will be all mine." The dreadful monarch said while licking his lips. "You have chosen wisely, child. You must realize that there is no hope for weaklings like yourselves."

"That's where you're wrong!" Fury said dashing quickly towards Sombra at full speed, as he grabbed Spike with the Crystal Heart while throwing some crystal dust in Sombra's eyes, and they made a mad dash away from him.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Sombra cried in agony. After he recovered he was now beyond rage. He swore to murder those two.

"INSOLENT KNAVES! YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR DECEPTION! I WILL CRUSH YOUR VERY SOULS!" He said, sinking down into the ground as a shadow and dashed towards Night Fury hoping to impale them, leading to a slow and painful death.

"See ya later, smokey! HAHAH!!" Fury said as he was running as quickly as possible. He ran quickly but there was still a lot of distance to cover to get to Cadence plus he lost a lot of stamina from the stress and trauma of the vision Sombra gave him. This was way harder than climbing those stairs.

"Keep it up Fury, we'll get to Cadence and Shining in no time! Yahoo! This is fun!" Spike cried out.

ROARRRRRRRR

"Spike, what was that?" Fury asked, hoping it wasn't Sombra.

Spike simply saw a whole bunch of crystals rapidly growing behind them. "Well it looks like we got company. Our favorite tyrant supreme. With a whole bunch of black crystals." Spike said sardonically.

"Yeah that's what I figured." Fury said, sweating. "Hang on tight Spike. I'm gonna zig zag to keep him off our trail."

The crystals were approaching them rapidly. But before they could touch him, Fury zigzagged back and forth, being sure to avoid Sombra's crystals.

"Sorry you gloomy cloud, But this ain't over yet!" Fury proclaimed. "I will make and you will leave these people, and you will pay for the suffering you have caused!" He gave such an epic speech. He was starting to feel a bit more confident now.

"Ha ha ha ha. We will see about that, you little shrimp!" Sombra said although even the dark lord himself had to admit he was going faster than he would have liked. 

I have to find another way to stop those two. Hmmm, let's see. Ah there we go.

Sombra saw a congregation of Crystal Ponies running in panic, they were close to Sombra's route. He had an awful idea. Let's see how much your pathetic virtue and compassion for these weaklings are.

He formed crystals in front of the panicking ponies and in back of them. He was about to impale them.

"We're gonna die!" one crystal pony stallion.

"Mommy I'm scared." said a crystal colt.

"Prepare yourself for your doom, my former slaves." Sombra said as he was about to destroy them. When all of a sudden…

BOOM

A burst of red light burst through one of the crystals forming a gateway for everyone.

"Everybody get out now!" Fury cried out at the panicking ponies, even roaring at them.

All the crystal ponies fled through the hole. 

"This fight is between us, Sombra! Civilians have no place in this conflict! I thought even you would have some code of honor!" Fury said with rage.

"Oh please, I knew you were going to save them. I need them for my slave labor!" Sombra shrugged at him.

"Excuses. If I didn't come here, you would have happily skewered them."

"Enough of this." he said annoyed. "What matters young one, is you fell right into my trap and now I will retrieve that Crystal Heart of yours!"

Sombra used his magic to get the satchel that he saw Spike put the Crystal Heart in, Fury tried to resist, but at that close range he was too strong. Retrieving the bag he laughed.

"And now the power is mine!!!! Wait what? It's not here!!!!" Sombra cried out. "Wait a second, that scaly runt isn't with you!"

"Yeah, you aren't too smart or handsome apparently. His name is Spike by the way and he is going to send the Crystal Heart to defeat you!" He smirked. "You mad, your highness? How about we settle this unicorn to feline!?"

"Curse you!" Sombra had now realized he didn't think this through. Sombra was about to make Fury pay but he realized he had to hurry and retrieve the Crystal Heart. And without saying anything he sped up as fast as he could to Spike.

"This is it," Fury said. It's time for a battle and race with Sombra. "Just like my father used to teach me! It's also where I failed… No, this will be different!" He said with determination as he charged his power and was rammed into the king, throwing him against a tower briefly. 

"How adorable." Sombra said. "Let me show you how a real warrior does it!" Sombra shoved Fury hard into another tower but more successfully than Fury.

"Ow, that's gonna leave a mark." He said as he lunged back at Sombra racing by. What can I do to delay him? Ah ha! He saw a giant crystal skyscraper in front of them and he lunged at the skyscraper.

BOOM

The skyscraper tipped over and hit Sombra right on the head.

"Owwww!"

"That was even more adorable. Does your mommy need to give you a band aid and candy with that?" Fury trash talked the lord of shadows as he stood his ground, taking advantage of this delay to catch his breath and recover a bit.

And then the crystal exploded, letting out a whole bunch of shards of crystal going towards Fury. 

"Oh no!" 

Fury proceeded to dodge the flying crystals. They were going so fast that some of them pierced his legs and stomach, causing blood to start to show. 

"Ahhhhh!" Fury cried out. "That's really gonna leave me a mark. I hope Luna won't find that too ugly." He said trying to bring some levity for him to forget the pain.

Fury had no time to dwell on the pain he was feeling, because Sombra was lunging right at him.

Fury made a leap away from Sombra but his injury just made him barely dodge Sombra's attack and Sombra even managed to make a dent on one of the feline's claws.

"Ow!" Fury said, trying to hide his pain this time. Sombra was now still speeding up going toward Spike. At that point Sombra used that time to catch up to Spike. Fury was too far away now. Fury wondered if a building couldn't damage him that much. What could? 

If only I had some magic to stop him. Unless…

He looked at one of the large shards of crystal. He remembered a technique with these crystals from his father's tales. His father told him how going quickly enough would allow the crystals to be used as a sort of magic missile.

Even a partly incorporeal being like Sombra would probably be affected by the magic. And so Night Fury ran once again with the shards toward Sombra but before he got to him he went around in a circle and another and another and the crystal seemed to charge up and then he threw it at the king causing great pain from the tyrant.

"Ahhhhhh!" He fell down with a burning pain delaying him once again. But this time for longer. It had an effect on Sombra because Fury could see he bled.

Fury finally caught up to him. "You thought you were so tough? Huh?" He said with deep breaths as he was exhausted. 

However despite his attempt at a confident smile, he appeared nervous. He could now see that Spike was halfway to Cadence, he still had a ways to go. And Fury tried to hide this but ramming into all those buildings was taking a toll on his abilities. Which is why he was not able to dodge Sombra after Fury rammed into the skyscraper.

Fury was focused right at Sombra. Sombra almost felt defeated at first seeing how Spike was far away and how Sombra was damaged. 

No. I cannot let them make a mockery of me. Not again!

"What is your name, young one?"

"That would be Night Fury, your Highness. Just an average fun loving Speed Shifter. And of course a clever warrior as you can see from your bruises." He smirked at him.

"You have a lot of confidence. I like that." Sombra admitted. "Or so it seems."

Fury tried to not give an expression of fear. "Nah I'm very confident my friends and I could beat you up."

Sombra was getting back up.   

"Then why do you look so nervous? That smile seems to be hiding something. Let me guess it is the fact you are heavily injured. Or is it the fact that you probably have used up most of that speed of yours? Heh heh heh heh." Sombra laughed slowly.

"Well even if I was. It wouldn't matter. You're too far away from Spike to get the Crystal Heart because I would just do another thing to delay you. How about you just lay down and accept your fate, you fool. And ask for forgiveness so when you die after all you did, you can at least have some comfort acknowledging your evil deeds." Fury said with a mix of righteous fury from his father and compassion that he got from his mother.

"Nonsense. I don't apologize for what I don't feel sorry about. My kingdom was taken away and I want it back." Sombra now looked no longer passive but went back to his aggressive state.

"You assume that I don't have any tricks up my sleeve. But I can see in your eyes fear and memory. It's almost as if this scenario was familiar to you. Am I right?" Sombra smiled knowingly.

"You don't know anything about me!" Fury stated.

"Oh I know enough. I know that you once tried to protect someone you loved but failed entirely. And they probably died because of your failure! But it would be alright if there was nothing you could do. But you could have tried harder to save them and you know it! And you beat yourself over it!" Sombra said. "Was it your… parents?"

"Shut up!!!!" Fury said crying. 

"Well maybe I can help you relive your memories!" Sombra shot a dark cloud at Fury.

Night Fury remembered that dreadful night. When he just became an adult. It was supposed to be a lovely vacation away from the hard work of the village. They were having a picnic and it was delightful.

"Son, you'd better stop eating so much steak! You'll get fat from this!" his mother scolded him.

"Oh let him eat, a growing boy has to get some muscle. And you are growing up quite a lot, son!" 

"Aw dad, I'm still not the best. I can run. But I still am subpar when it comes to fighting. Everybody can fight better than me, all I can do is run." the younger Fury said with disappointment.

"For now boy, but in time you will be a great warrior when the time comes and you must be. I am sure of it."

"Your father is right. Don't worry about it. You'll be a great warrior one day." His mother comforted.

"Aw thanks."

"That was Night Fury," Sombra finally spoke. "You would be great when the time was right. But you were not for that one moment, were you? That one moment that changed everything."

Sombra then gave Night Fury another vision. It was now night. And instead of a jovial atmosphere, it was filled with the feeling of terror. It turned out Fury's tribe was betrayed by another tribe who was raiding and was out to get Fury's father. So far they have been successful in getting away. But Fury was separated from his parents.

Fury tried to find them. He was desperate to see them. He was so scared for their safety. He finally heard some sounds. And it turned out the rival tribe tied the two up. He overheard them.

"You two think you are so great huh? Well great ones, you will now know our great wrath!" This Speed Shifter said as he got out his claws. He seemed like he was ready to slit their throats. 

Night Fury had to run in and save them! But the others seemed so strong. He knew he could be annihilated if a rookie like himself did battle with them. He scrambled in his head thinking for ways to save them. But as he was thinking he stepped on a branch and alerted the guards.

"Ah ha there is your cowardly son! Hiding instead of acting like a real warrior!" 

"Son, get out of here!" The father said. "We'll be fine! Get help from the village!"

"No I'm not gonna leave you guys. As for the rest of you, you'd b-better leave this instant or I'll make you r-regret it." He said trying to look brave.

The enemies just laughed at this timid young feline.

"Actually what if I killed you in front of your parents!" The giant scarred Speed Shifter lunged at him.

The two were engaged in a tussle with each other. Each one going far away then ramming each other up close with their claws. 

"Come on this can't be all your brave father managed to make what is?"

Fury was about to fail but then a rock was thrown at the scarred feline. It was his mother who used her foot to throw one at him. This gave Fury time to cut his parents free. 

But then when he was about to get to them, he noticed a bunch of tough guards in front. And part of him thought "I can't beat these guys!" So he was going slower than usual and almost froze up. And then it happened.

The guards slit his father's stomach and his mother's!

"Nooooooo!!!!!"

Fury wanted to fight back. But at that point the scarred guard lunged at him and brought him to the ground. Fury wanted to fight back but he felt too scared. 

Luckily at the last moment the guards from Fury's tribe finally caught up and the raiders had to retreat leaving Fury alive and his parents with their last breaths.

"So as you can see this failure of yours is quite obvious." Sombra told him "And you still are afraid deep down that you will fail your parents again. It is inevitable that you will fail again. Look at you, you are damaged. You have no energy left. If you were stronger and braver you would have saved your parents. And now you will see your friends die!!!"

Fury felt like he was in a hopeless situation. Sombra after all was still well enough to go by quickly and Fury was completely injured. Would this be the end?

"Night Fury!" A voice called out, the king and the black feline turned towards the sound to see Cadence, Spike, Twilight and a crowd of crystal ponies gathering around them. 

"G-g-guys?" Fury said as he heard some voices from the shadows. 

"Snap out of it! You can still beat this guy!" Spike called out to him. 

"You have the power of love to propel you to win!"

"What if I don't have that power?!" Fury asked with despair.

"That's okay! Even if you fail, even if you make a mistake, we can die knowing you fought so hard for us! But you should not give up! I didn't give up when we were in that dark pit from Chrysalis or when I felt like I couldn't beat Discord. But I kept on going. Please if you can go on a little further." Twilight pleaded.

Then Night Fury had a new memory. It was his father speaking. It was as if his father was speaking to him. It was the memory Sombra didn't show Fury.

"But what if I fail at the end. What if I don't give my hardest when it counts?" 

"Then you'll try again and again and again! Trying your hardest is a skill too and the fact you are struggling with those things instead of you just accepting is commendable." His father told him. "I am currently very proud of you, my boy. You will make mistakes and you have made mistakes, some very annoying but you always get back up from every time. And that is something to be proud of."

The feline smiled at him. "Don't give up no matter what. No matter what regrets or mistakes you made. Don't think about what could have happened. Just focus on what you can do now."

And then Fury got out of his haze. And finally saw the Crystal Empire again. He was back in the real world! 

But he saw Sombra was dashing closer and closer to Cadence and the others.

It seems so far away. I'll never catch up to him. It seems hopeless. 

"Never give up!" His father's voice rang through his ears.

No! I have to try. Even if I don't make it I have to give everything I have!

And he gave another sprint. It felt painful trying to catch up to Sombra. But he was starting to do so. 

"Haven't you given in already?!" Sombra yelled.

"No way you big ball of gas! I still have some stuff within me! You made me think I could never make up for my weaknesses." He turned from a dark black to a bright red. 

"What's going on? He changed color!'' Spike said.

"You made me think I was a weakling and always will be!" Fury then ran faster than ever. Sombra was sweating now.

"You made me doubt my own worth and made me think my parents hated me! BUT YOU ARE WRONG!!!!!"

Fury now looked like a ball of fire now, electric pulses firing off of him. 

"What have you become, you knave?! Don't you know it's futile?!" Sombra said now desperate.

"My friends reminded me no matter what regrets you have you can get back up from them." He said as rammed into Sombra. "You could have done so too. But you didn't. And now you will pay for that."

"You weakling! Stop with your sentimental platitudes!"

"Very well. The time has come for me to do what I've been meant to do…"

"And what is that?" Night Fury's face turned into a crooked smile, his eyes turning into reptile-like slits as he spoke once more in a demonic voice… 

"KILL YOU!!"

Before grabbing Sombra by his front legs and plunging his fangs into the side of his face, Sombra growling in pain. 

"Ahhhhh! You can't do this to me!!! I am King Sombraaaa!"

"Well king, prepare for your funeral!!!" He said as he pierced further into his skull, blood poured from his face like a fountain Fury's sharp teeth dug into the bone and flesh.

At this point Sombra was glowing bright white. 

"This can't be the end! I have spent centuries waiting for my return! How dare you…..!

BOOM

A shockwave went throughout the whole empire. All the dark crystals have disappeared. All the dark clouds and the brown sky was replaced by glimmering clear crystals. The Crystal Empire was at last free for the first time in millennia.

It seems Sombra had now disappeared into the aether. At that point Fury was still in his new state. He had finally slain the dreadful tyrant. 

"What… just… happened?" Spike asked.

"I… have… no idea!" Twilight said.

"I think I have an idea," Cadence said. "It seems like his heart was filled with doubt at first. I could tell by his eyes which turned green. Sombra was getting to him. But when we encouraged him. He started to be brave again. The love he had for his friends made him grow back his confidence and that combined with his righteous Fury made him finally destroy the dreadful King Sombra."

Cadence smiled.

"I can tell that the young feline has grown from this encounter. I don't know what troubled him. But he seems to have overcome it." 

"I think we have an idea." Twilight said, smiling. 

Her smile soon turned to a concerned look as Night Fury pulled his blood covered face up from where he had Sombra. His teeth were covered in the rechid king's life force as he smiled, satisfied with his victory. The ponies around him began to mutter in shock as they saw the glowing, blood soaked Night Fury lick his teeth clean of blood and actually swallow it, almost as if it tasted good to him. 

"Although I didn't quite expect him to be in this state after it was all over." Cadence admitted.

"What do we do now?" Fluttershy asked. "I hope we can bring him back to normal now."

"Someone needs to talk to him." Cadence said, looking at Twilight and Spike.

Spike and Twilight gulped and slowly walked to the animalistic, bloody feline.

"Night Fury, are you feeling alright?" Twilight asked. Night Fury's head snapped to her voice, making both her and Spike jump back slightly.

"You kidding me, I'm great! I've never felt so alive, feeling his blood soak my teeth, his cries for mercy filling my ears, biting down on his face and hearing his skull crack… I've never… felt… better." He said in a creepy way, stepping closer to his friends as he listed off the 'delightful' sensations of putting Sombra down. 

"Night Fury, this has gone on long enough, you have already slain Sombra. You have done your job. Now we want you back to normal!" Twilight demanded of him. "Your behavior is unbecoming. It is one thing to feel satisfied about justice but reveling in blood is another thing!"

"Oh hush up, egghead, this is what my kind is like! We always revel in our enemies blood, I was gonna change back anyway. And besides, I've had my fun tearing the flesh from that unicorn's face. He deserves to feel what true pain feels like." Fury said, returning to his black coat color and smiling at her. 

The others were quite tense at his appearance but they felt some relief when they saw Night Fury change back to normal.

"Night Fury? You're back to normal, r-right?" Spike asked, a bit scared.

"Don't worry guys, I'm back. Sorry about that. I got a little carried away there. We Speed Shifters have some very predatory instincts. And it can be useful in combat but we do have to control them every so often. I guess this is the first time I really felt predatory. I always felt like there was something holding me from unleashing my true potential. And I finally unleashed it." He said with some relief.

"Well that's great news!" Twilight said. "I don't know what was in your head but you managed to break through. We're all proud of you. Just try to keep that instinct of yours a little more in line."

"Don't worry. I'll try not to… at least not too much." He gave a mild chuckle. Which made Rainbow laugh and Fluttershy giggle nervously. And Cadence simply smiled calmly.

"Well, what do you want to do now?! How about we party!" Spike said.

Twilight looked down with some worry.

"What?" Spike wondered why they looked so disappointed.

"We failed the test." Twilight said somberly

"Woah woah woah, who said we?" Night Fury said. "I mean, my test was to see if I could hold myself to my oath as ambassador. I passed my test, who said anything about the Crystal Heart being my problem?"

"Fury!!" Everypony called out. Night Fury blushed as he realized what he said.

"Oops, sorry Twi. Heh, my bad." He said with a nervous chuckle. He was getting a little cocky because of his victory. But he turned empathetic and put a paw on Twilight's shoulder.

"Listen Twilight I know you're worried about the test. But you did a great job leading us. If it weren't for your leadership, the city would have been covered in shadow! But you helped me and Spike to get to the place where we needed to be. I doubt Celestia would mind that."

Twilight was still nervous but she appreciated the compliments.

"Thanks Fury, I guess we'll have to see when we get back now."

"Wait, we gotta leave now?" Fury and Spike both asked. "Can't we enjoy the festivities?!"

"Later! Come on guys, we have to report to the princess right now!" Twilight said, magically pulling them.

"Nooooo!!!" Spike cried at not having a crystal ice cream supreme 

"Wait a minute!" Fury called out, everypony turned their attention to him. "If we're going through with this, who said we can't have a little fun?"

"And how exactly are we going to do that?" Twilight questioned him.

"Like this…" He trailed off as he raced in front of Twilight and used his power to burn out in front of everypony, covering them in smoke. 

"See you at the train station, slowpokes!" He said, taking off towards the train station while leaving a cloud of smoke and skid marks behind him as he laughed loudly. 

"Is that a speed challenge I hear?" Rainbow asked, getting ready to fly. "Bring   it on!" 

"Wow, those two are sure obsessed with speed, I tell ya what." Applejack chucked.

Twilight simply rolled her eyes with a smile. 

"Well what are we waiting for?" Twilight asked, feeling strangely competitive. "We can't be late to Celestia especially before them. Let's go!" 

They then also proceeded to run to the train.

"Thanks for everything!" Cadence cried out. "Take care of that big feline goof, Twilight!" 

"I sure will!" Twilight cried out.

And while they were racing, Fury even gave Spike his exotic crystal ice cream supreme. It was a fun race. And when they finally made it to the train they were all worn out with Rainbow and Fury arguing who got there first.

Twilight felt great. Even if Celestia did fail Twilight, she still would feel great from them times with Night Fury, her friends and Spike. She would be brave just like Fury was in the face of his fears.

Later… 

"It is quite beautiful, is it not?" Celestia asked as she looked out at the beauty out there.

"Yes Princess, it is." Twilight said softly worried about what she would say.

"Princess before you say anything, I just want you to know Twilight did so much to help us. She risked her own reputation to save the Crystal Empire. And she even brought me out of some hard times that I went through in that journey without her and Spike would never have defeated King Sombra."

"I understand-"

"And if you kick her out then I want to be kicked out too. She deserves complete respect."

"Yes-"

"She is a hero so please I beg you keep her-"

"WILL YOU LET ME TALK ALREADY?!?!"

"Sorry sorry." Night Fury said, frightened by her voice.

"Thank you. As I was saying, everything Night Fury said, is my opinion too. Twilight you went with the greater principle of my commander instead of the letter of the law. If you would have kept the heart for yourself, I would have instantly failed you. But you were more responsible and selfless than that. I am so proud of you, my pupil."

She gave Twilight an embrace.

"Thank you princess." 

"Okay, so uh what about me? I did a lot too!" Fury pouted, feeling a little jealous.

"Oh you shall be rewarded." Luna said walking in. "You shall be rewarded with a feast of fish and steak! We have multitudes of crystal artifacts for you. You shall be granted these." Luna proclaimed in the Royal Voice.

"Sweet mother of all things holy, that sounds amazing, Let the feast be bountiful and delicious!" He said in a mock Royal Voice. He used his hyper speed to run out the door to taste that food.

"Uh, where will we eat that food?" Fury asked, blushing at his impulsive decision.

"It will be by the river," Celestia said. "And after the party is over, you and Luna will talk to each other, privately."

"What?!" Luna and Fury asked.

"Sister, you didn't tell me that!"

"Why would I get rid of all the fun?" Celestia winked.

Luna and Fury both felt annoyed at the princess's invasiveness and messing with their minds, but they both felt happy deep down especially to both relax after everything that had happened.

"Very well Princess," he said, composing himself. "I shall see you at the party. Well, until then, have a great time!"

As he was walking to the door, he saw a mirror. And in it he realized he looked a lot like his father and to a lesser extent his mother. He still has no idea what happened to them. He always beat himself up over those events. But now he knows his parents would still be proud of him.

"Mom, Dad, if you're still out there I will find you I promise. And thank you guys for never giving up on me. I wouldn't have made it without your guidance. I'll live every day trying to get better and better." He said softly. 

And now he has to get to the river quickly for some delicious meat and fish. He just hopes there won't be any pranks that anyone has for him before he pranks them.
> Chapter 10: A Party For Two
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rumble

 Night Fury's stomach growled as he was ready for this delicious feast. He couldn't wait to celebrate the victory he and his new friends inflicted on the evil tyrant Sombra and how they were now heroes.

It brings back good times. When me, my father and the other warriors went on these great expeditions together exploring exotic locales and fighting bad guys. Yep. But it also brings back the feeling of a good reward. So here I come! The young feline warrior said to himself as his mouth watered.

He walked out of the grand walls of Canterlot where there was a river that flowed from a large outcropping. It was here the feline could see Ponyville all the way up from there. It was a lovely view. 

But then all of a sudden, he saw only black. Uh oh. Someone was behind him. 

"Guess who?"

Night Fury humored this pony, his hearing already detected Pinkie.

"Um, is it Fluttershy?" Fury asked.

"No! It's me silly, Pinkie Pie!" She said as she let go and shot a party cannon in the air. "It's nice here, but we can't delay! We have the Ultra Liberation of the Crystal Ponies celebration, only the most important event ever! Come on, let's go!"

Pinkie bounced further into the river. And there Fury saw all his friends, Cadence, Shining Armor, Celestia and of course Luna all waiting for him.

"There's our guest of honor!" Applejack said.

"All right, I made it just in time! So, what do you guys have for me?" Fury inquired excitedly, wondering what they had in store for him. 

"Well, part of this is we have something very special to show you." Shining Armor said showing a crystal lamp. 

"What is this?" Fury asked curiously.

"Do you remember when you talked about giving you artifacts?" Celestia reminded him. "Well here is one impressive artifact from the ancient Crystal Empire."

"What does it do?" 

"Turn it on and you'll see what happens." Cadence smiles.

As he flicked the lamp on, and then he saw some creatures of light. Holograms produced from technology. It showed crystal ponies congregating with Speed Shifters long ago. It seems like there was a specific Speed Shifter who sparred with Crystal Guards, the Crystal Empires sworn ally.

And he noticed there was a symbol similar to himself and his father. Could this have been his ancestor showing better time with the crystal ponies.

"It's awesome! Thank you, this is a valuable part of my family's history!" Fury said feeling feelings of warmth.

"No problem. Perhaps this will begin a new era not just for you Speed Shifters and most ponies, but also to make us the best we can be." Cadence said.

Night Fury smiled at this. He felt like he was making a difference in this strange new world of equines. And he had so many friends here too. But he had one pony he wanted to talk to for the longest time. "Luna…"

"Alright, Night Fury, let's go have some fun!" Pinkie yelled, almost surprising him.

Dang it, I never thought I would say this but I kind of want to delay parties for some privacy with the Princess! But I guess I can wait especially if it has to do with some delicious food!

And so Fury partook in some fun new games including exotic ones imported from the Crystal Empire. There were many new games to play.

Including jousting with Rainbow Dash, Applejack and surprisingly Rarity who said she did it for regal reasons and for the costumes. Fury suspected she might have done it to vent her frustrations at work.

Next was climbing all the stairs of a homemade tower like the one in the Crystal Palace. With one catch, no magic or other powers. That one was the worst race of Night Fury's young life.

And there was even an amateur music competition to see who could play the greatest tune, or in reality the least horrible tune. It involved Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rainbow playing the bugle horn. They all had very different reasons for why they sounded awful. The crowd could not decide which one was the best of the worst. But Night Fury finally decided it was Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy barely even tried. But Pinkie failed so strangely giving a strange musical composition, he thought it failed the most interestingly and was not boring. 

"If you aren't good at something then play it in the funniest way possible is what I always say!" Night Fury proclaimed. 

"Whoa whoa boring?! Me?!" Rainbow looked into his eyes. "You know who you're talking to?!"

"Someone who unironically thinks saying "20% cooler" is actually cool?" he gave a smirk.

That was it. That was going too far. Rainbow needed to teach this punk a lesson. But how? Hmmmmm…

Ah ha! Rainbow's face turned from anger to a creepy smile. Fury knew she was up to something now.

"You know I apologize. I was being immature," she said, definitely not looking sorry. "I should prove my awesomeness through my actions not my words." 

"Okay, what do you have in mind?" Fury said with a smirk.

Rainbow simply flew up and up and up and pointed right at the center of Canterlot. Whoever gets to the palace in Canterlot wins! I've been training and I'll show you the true power of pegasus flight!" Rainbow boastfully stated

"Well if it's that kind of challenge you're on! But you better not underestimate because I-"

Whistle sound

"Everybody, the time is up for parties," Twilight spoke up. "Everybody look at the time!" 

It turned out it was 9 PM! 

Not again! Why am I always late with stuff!

"Come on Twi! I was just about to show this guy what my potential is!" Rainbow faced Twilight with anger.

"Sorry Rainbow but we need to get a good night's sleep. I've already let you guys go crazy this much!" Twilight said. "So come on everyone, go! The party's over."

"Aw man."

"I wanted to see them race."

Everybody left a little disappointed although they did have fun. Night Fury was just about to leave when Twilight stopped him.

"Oh no you don't, Fury, you have an appointment, remember?" Twilight tried to remind him.

"Uh, with Princess Celestia?" Fury asked, confused!

"Ugh no!" Twilight said.

"Um with Shining Armor? He seemed cool. I wish I did swordplay with him. Do you think I would have had a chance?"

"Princess Luna! You are supposed to talk with Princess Luna!" she said exasperated.

"Gasp! I forgot! I can't believe I kept her waiting so long!" Fury said frustrated.

"Actually, Night Fury, for once your tardiness is not unwelcome." Twilight calmed him down. "This is a perfect night that the Princess appreciates. Do you see that crescent moon? She loves that." Twilight explained her schedule.

"Wow, you thought of everything. Thanks Twilight." said Night Fury gratefully.

"You're welcome. Now have a good time." said Twilight.

Night Fury then went a little further up the river. It was pristine and beautiful. It sparkled in the moonlight. He kept on walking up the creek till finally he saw… her. Luna who was lying on the ground observing the constellations and moon.

His mouth was agape. 

He knew Luna was beautiful but in her domain, that of the night, she looked downright divine. 

Fury was hoping he wasn't too late. He approached Luna.

"Um hi Princess, nice seeing you here. Um, so it must be nice weather huh?" Fury nervously asked.

…

"Okay um I know I might have been a little too late. So I understand if you are a little mad and want some time to-"

"Shhh." Luna shushed. "Look at this!"

He looked at the sky. He looked stunned.

"Wow, that's a lot of stars!" Night Fury said with amazement. "And that is a bright moon! I can see why you like looking at them."

"They are very nice, indeed. But it's just them. Tonight is a special night. For as you can see there it is about to arrive." Luna said now with a mild smile. 

She looks so adorable.

And in the night sky there seemed to arise raining stars. It was a shower of all the stars out there in the cosmos.

"It's amazing!" Fury said. "This is better than a play!"

"I agree." Luna said. "Now that it is bright enough, let us now have our feast of the Star Shower!" Luna clapped.

And there appeared some dark looking servants preparing a meal for the two. On one side for Night Fury a bunch of fish.

"Oh my gosh! This is amazing! Now this party just got even cooler!" Fury said with joy. 

"I'm glad you think so. I was hoping you would be pleased by this, especially for our hero."

"Well I guess good deeds do pay off in the end!" he said as he slurped down a fish. Luna simply smiled at this.

"Mmm, now that is some good fish! What is this, salmon?" He said, taking another fish in his grasp and biting into it. 

"Why yes, it is. It's freshly caught freshwater salmon from a nearby lake. I had the chef's hoof catch this batch for you." 

"Aw, you didn't have too! But thanks anyways." Fury said humbly.

"My pleasure." she said as she drank tea.

Luna then opened her lunchbox and revealed a few cucumber sandwiches. Fury figured this was typical for a regal and formal being like her to eat. But it was a little boring- Wait. There's something yellow and orange in there.

"Wait, is that an orange peel and banana peel you're eating in that sandwich?"

Luna blushed a bit in nervousness. 

"Um, well, maybe…?"

"Ah don't worry about it! If anything, seeing me slurp down other animals must be a bit weird to you." He said with a little chuckle.

Luna chucked back.

"I suppose we all have our weaknesses and quirks." Luna admitted. "But even if they are a bit odd, they do not detract from those who complete great challenges." She stopped eating for a bit.

"I wanted to relieve you after all you have been through. I know what it's like to go through such nervousness. But you proved how heroic you were back there despite all the difficulties you had." Luna said both congratulatory and empathetically

"Yeah, it was tough alright. I didn't think I could have done it. That Sombra took advantage of my vulnerabilities. I wasn't ready for that."

"It is hard to often confront what we feel uncomfortable with." She looked away. "One time I was banished to the moon for um a long time and when I came back. Everything had changed and I became a celebrity. A monster of the night."

Night Fury realized she was often not very talkative to other ponies. So for her to tell him this must mean she really trusts him.

"But they weren't wrong about me being a monster."

"You're not a monster though!"

"I was for that one time." She replied. 

"That one night. When I became Nightmare Moon." she said with a great deal of regret. "I gave into temptation and jealousy and I put everypony in danger and I betrayed my own sister."

Luna was now looking down at the floor, almost crying.

Is this what Celestia was telling me about? When she said Luna had some regrets?

He put a paw on her shoulder. 

"Well you aren't the only one who regretted their actions and wish they could take it back." Fury said, a somber tone filling his words.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Remember that incident I wanted to tell you about? Well, you're about to find out what happened." Luna leaned in as she began to listen in on his story. 

"So, it all started with my parents telling me we were going on vacation…"

In the past… 

Night Fury was walking around his village, taking in the fresh air of the forest without a care in the world. His kind roamed around the dirt paths with nothing to worry about, kids ran around giggling as they played. The adults, minding their own as they went about their business around town. But soon, the tranquility of the small encampment would be tarnished by something big. 

"Finally, it's so hard doing that training." a young Fury said to himself. "I can't wait to just relax, play some ball and eat mom's special treats for me."

He finally came back to his house and his mom and dad looked like they were packing some things in some bags.

"Oh hey, guys. What's up with the bags?" He asked with curiosity. 

"Oh Fury, you're here! Nothing much, except we're going on a three day trip to the Temple of the Guardians!" His father, Obsidian, showed him a poster of that place.

"Wait, really?!" He said excitedly. It was almost too good to be true for him. No warrior training for three days just exploring. "Is this some prank you two are pulling on me?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Oh no, son, this is absolutely serious. If we wanted to prank you, it wouldn't be your favorite hobby of exploring." His sincere and too-sweet-for-this-world mother, Black Ice, told him. "Me and your father will camp there for three days just like old times when your father would take me there."

"That's right honey, even though you used to be so scared of it." He said with a chuckle. His wife pouted.

"I was not scared! I was just worried we were skipping our education!" 

"Anyways son, pack your bags. We'll be leaving in two hours." Obsidian said getting back on track.

"You got it, dad!" Fury then quickly and excitedly got to pack all his stuff.

2 hours later… 

After packing his stuff quickly Fury spent some time playing some traditional jungle ball with his friends. He told his best friend Jade Moon about his new expedition. 

"That sounds neat, Fury. Just watch out for anything suspicious. Like you know, curses and all that stuff. You never know, maybe a cursed king might want your head on a pole."

"Very funny Jade, I know you're just trying to scare me!" He said with a laugh. "I'm not a little cub anymore. Besides, even if I do stumble on some ghost or whatever I'll be ready this time. Me, my mom and my dad won't let them get us!"

"Aww, I was hoping to scare you a little," Jade said with a chuckle. "But seriously, watch yourself okay?" Jade Moon would often protect Fury from bullies who thought of him as weak. Even though he teased Fury, he always wanted him to be safe. He also kept Fury out of danger being he was more responsible and a rule stickler.

"You got it Jade! See you in three days! Don't cry like a little cub that I'm gone!" 

"Yeah yeah whatever!" Jade waved back.

6 Hours Later… 

The family had finally made camp by a creek. It was definitely a nice place. There were even a few columns nearby. And even a statue of a famous hero fighting a strange creature known as Ahuizotl that must have lived long before even Night Fury's grandparents.

"Wow, this place is beautiful." Black Ice said, taking in the surroundings.

"You said it, Mom. I mean, I'm not really the type to call things beautiful," Fury admitted. "Heck, I'm not one to really take in my surroundings that much at all. But this, this is something else." He said as looked at the flower bed of purple, white and yellow, the pristine blue river, and the sun shining onto the cliffside of where they were.

"My boy! Only a real feline can appreciate true beauty. And knows that it is worth fighting and protecting."

"Yeah, good point." Fury said as he was about to cook some fish. "I just hope I will be able to do that one day."

"You will, my boy, you will." His father said to him. "Anyways, tomorrow we'll do some travel! We'll head for the Temple of Warriors that day!"

"I can't wait!" Fury said excitedly. Everybody was finished and now we're getting to bed. But little did they know, another Speed Shifter with a scar was watching them. 

-

"It was quite a fun vacation, Luna. We swung on vines. Snuck up on deer. I collected some emeralds in the river. And even went into the temple." Fury smiled recounting things. "I sure loved that Temple of Warriors, seeing all the cool hieroglyphs that no one understands yet and frescoes of warriors of the past. It was great."

Luna smiled. She told Fury that it reminded her a bit of when she and Celestia used to have fun together before things got busy with running Equestria.

"It must have been a wonderful time being together." Luna said softly.

"...Yeah it was." He looked at the fire with a bit of sadness. "Especially since that was the last day I saw them." He said with both anger and sadness.

"You don't have to tell me what happened if you feel uncomfortable." Luna said softly.

"No, I think you deserve to know. Especially how I royally screwed up that day…" He said bracing himself. "It was the last night before we came back to the village. I wandered in the temple without my parents wanting to take it in for the last time in a while…"

-

Night Fury was looking at a fresco of a king, while his parents were still asleep. This king was known as the Great Uniter. For he had united all of the disparate warring Speed Shifter tribes together. The elders told him it was a time of great peace and learning.

"Wow, we sure messed up huh? But one day king, we're gonna get back what we lost. One day we'll be one again and in harmony. And I'll try to help out with that." Fury talked to the wall. 

After looking at it for sometime, Night Fury decided it was high time for him to get back to sleep. He walked out of the temple of which he and his parents disabled the booby traps there. It was fun discovering the ancient art but he was ready to go.

As he left, he did feel a little uneasy at one art prophesying saying there would one day be an ambitious evil enemy among their peoples who would try to unite the tribes only in tyranny. He was not normally superstitious but he did feel almost like the mural was directly addressing himself.

"Ah, I'm getting too worried. I'm being more like Jade and my mom. I just gotta chill and get some rest." He said to himself, continuing to walk towards the campsite. But little did he know, a dangerous foe was waiting to strike. Night Fury reached the campsite and slowly crept back into the tent that he and his parents were sleeping in, slowly tucking himself into his sleeping bag and slowly drifting off to sleep. Or so he thought. 

A deep growl filled the air, waking Fury and his parents right up. They looked around in a panic as the sound rang out again before the trio looked at each other, Black Ice speaking first. 

"What was that? Is someone with us?"

"Shh, more like something. And it may not be too friendly. Don't make any noise. Let me look through the hole of our tent." Obsidian whispered. 

He peeked his head out of the hole and almost gasped at what he saw. By the fire, sniffling through their fish stash, was a giant Cragodile. Its stone-like scales and dark green skin stuck out like a rose in a barren wasteland, its sharp teeth and jagged claws ready to maul and mangle anything that dared stand against it. There was no mistaking this dangerous beast for anything else. 

"What is it? Is it a manticore?" Fury asked.

"No, worse, it's something I never thought I would see again." Obsidian said worryingly which was unusual for him.

"Well, what is it?!" Black Ice whispered, just soft enough that the roaming swamp dweller didn't hear. 

"It's a Cragodile! This fierce beast is nearly unstoppable and it could take a whole army of us to stop this creature. This fierce creature will destroy villages to satisfy its hunger."

"Wait, I've heard of these beasts!" Ice said. "I thought they went extinct in the area around our village! What are they doing here now?"

Fury saw his father was sweating a bit in nervousness. 

"I don't know. Maybe someone brought it here or something. But we don't have time to theorize. We have to escape and warn the village of grave danger." Obsidian said.

"Right! Night Fury, sweetie, you're the best one to sneak past that thing. You think you can do it?" Black Ice asked, Night Fury's face went pale at his mother's request, he had never even seen a Cragodile let alone snuck past one. He had to admit that he's done some crazy things in his life, from throwing a mud pie at a Manticore and running for his life when it woke up to sneaking around in the middle of the night to grab a cookie and getting away with it, he's done it all. But never in his life, for as long as he's been alive in this world, has he ever gone up against a Cragodile. 

"This will be tough, can't one of you do this?" Fury asked.

"Unfortunately, as your mother probably assumed, me and her are too large to sneak by. We would be making some unnecessary noises. But you are still young and light enough to walk out. Listen, it won't be so tough. Just watch your step and try not to make any noise. And throw this vase at the tree so as to distract the Cragodile and then your mother and I can sneak out. Does that sound good you sneaky little rascal?"

Night Fury thought about it and unlike fighting in which he was still an amateur, he was still good at sneaking around. He once called himself the Prince of Sneakiness. Night Fury nodded.

"You can count on me, you two!" He said as he proceeded to do his serious task. He slowly opened the door of the tent with a vase in his satchel bag. He walked lightly across the dirt, being careful to step on a branch or any other obstacle in his way.

His heart was pounding but he kept his breaths slow. Knowing not to say any little yelp.

He finally reached a good point to throw the vase.

Here goes nothing… 

He threw it at a tree and a loud noise came attracting the gigantic beast. The beast finally went away. 

"I… I-I can't believe that worked. I can't believe that worked!" He said to himself.

His parents quietly snuck out of the tent and made it to their son.

"Well done, my boy. You showed that dumb lizard what we Speed Shifters are capable of!" Obsidian congratulated him, his mother did the same.

"You were so brave back there! I'm so proud of you." She said, Night Fury was blushing at this compliment. He had never made it this far before. But he just did what he was best at,Trickery.

ROARRRRRRRRR!!!!!

"Get down!" Obsidian said. The creature, despite being distracted, still had not forgotten its hunger. 

"I put some fish in the vase! Is that not enough for it?!" Fury asked.

"Not enough. Only for a little while." Obsidian said. "Eventually it will crave the flesh of intelligent powerful lifeforms." 

"Oh great, now we have to deal with a swamp dweller that didn't get his dinner. We have to get back to the village and bring back reinforcements, maybe if we try to coax it away or reason with it, it'll go away." Night Fury suggested. .

"Well, from my experience son, not much will make that beast go away. But you are right, we must get back to the elders and tell them the news." Obsidian said. "Being that I am on the Supreme Tribal Council, they will at least have to take my word into consideration."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry up!" Black Ice said getting ready to run.

"I promise we'll beat that big old thing, mom." Fury replied.

The family was racing back to the village. Though the rough roads made it somewhat difficult to traverse. It cost them a few valuable hours. But they finally came back by morning.

Night Fury's parents, after sprinting, ran normally into the gates, while Fury, still inexperienced, was catching his breath.

From Obsidian's advice, a council was called to session and the old chief, Thunderclaws, was supervising. 

When the council was talking it seemed apparent there were things going on like guards being missing. Simply put it seems like this Cragodile slipped past their defenses. The village had ignored the signs. They were only lucky Obsidian and his family were able to find out.

"At this point, considering how close the Cragodile is already, it probably has our village's scent!" said another council member. "There's no use fighting back! I suggest we leave immediately!"

"That might be a good point, Golden Eyes." the chief said. "Perhaps we ought to go."

SLAM

"No! Are we to give up our village just because of this giant monster?!" Obsidian roared. "Our ancestors have roamed around escaping oppression and tyranny, and now that we have found our promised land, are we to just give it up?!"

"Well, we'll probably be dead so it's not worth it."

"No, we need to fight at least to some extent! I know how hard it was to wander around before we and our parents finally found home. We won't let that suffering happen to our children." Fury said, giving deep breaths.

"Alright everyone, let's calm down." the Chief calmed them. "Very well, Obsidian, we will give one defense. But be ready to plan what to do. Be wise. And if we fail, we will retreat."

"That's fine with me." Obsidian said. "All warriors will be ready to defend their homeland. If we lose you have my word we will find a new place. But only when we give it our all because I have a plan."

The Chief sighed, thinking this might be a suicide mission, but agreed. Most of the other council members were either moved by his words or didn't want to seem like cowards.

"Alright Obsidian. It shall be done." The Chief proclaimed.

"That stupid Obsidian, he always believes too big." Golden Eyes said to himself. "He even believes his cowardly son can still be a great warrior. Fool."

ROARRRRR

"Ahhh, I was joking, Obsidian!" Golden Eyes said, frightened.

"Well joke or not, if I hear you say that about my son again, you won't be seeing anything your treasure again, got that?" He said with calm controlled ferocity. And then he smiled.

The wealthy merchant simply nodded in fear.

"Besides, I just wanted to correct you since my son was the one who distracted that giant beast." He said with a confident smile.

"You bet your tail I did! Trailing that thing right out of my sight was so easy, I could sneeze at the thing and scare it off!" Night Fury said confidently. 

"Hey, kid, get outta here, this is a meeting." said another member. 

"That's my boy!" Obsidian said. "That's why you'll be great at protecting the mothers and children from harm."

"But dad, I wanna join you guys fighting." Fury said.

"Well… Son, this is a large task. You will be ready one day but now is not that day." 

"No I will do it! I am old enough to fight. And I swear by our ancestors honor that the Cragodile will not go into our village!"

"Well son, if you think you are ready, then we will go! But… you must show courage and cunning. Both are needed. I expect you to have both and also since you are young, stay with the adults. We will help you." Obsidian said.

Fury didn't like the idea of working in a group. He preferred doing things alone. But as long as he kept away from the snobs like Golden Eyes then he could tolerate it. He just hopes his mother and friend Jade would not be too worried. After all this would be his big chance to prove his worth and be a great hero. He was ready.

-

During the next few hours, everyone was getting ready for the fight of their lives. Spears were being sharpened. Everyone was training for a long time. And the engineers put up barricades to stop it by building but it was a bit more boring.

Fury was on one of the barricades helping to build one of the walls. Fury was both excited and fearful for the big event. 

-

"You seemed to have been brave and eager there." Luna said.

"Oh I was. I was." Fury said. "But not at the last minute."

-

Fury was a bit bored putting mud and straw to build up defenses. But he figured it was worth the effort.

"Heh, didn't know they let the little wimp fight." 

Night Fury sighed. He knew that voice. It was his sworn rival, Rock Crusher. He always liked to brag about how he was the best. And always liked to pick on Fury as a spoiled brat who was not as brave as him.

"Hey there Crusher, I see you're in a pleasant mood today." 

"Why yes I am. Because I know that this will be a day of great glory! It will be to prove our martial might." Then he smirked. "Well at least some of us will have that, heh."

"Laugh all you want, but today you're gonna realize how much you underestimate me." Fury said confidently. "If I can lure that Croc away, then that has to be a sign I'm ready to beat this thing. Perhaps before you."

"Hmph. We'll see about that. Actions speak loud then your measly words. We'll see for ourselves how well you do. Oh and by the way it's Cragodile. I know you like to sleep in class but maybe you should be a bit more aware. Good luck, fool, you'll need a lot of it. Ha ha ha ha!" Crusher said walking away.

"Hmph." Fury said frustrated. "I'll show him and everyone here. Just you wait. Just you wai-"

"Everybody! The Cragodile is a mile away from the village! Hurry up and meet in the village to see the Chief!" one of the messengers proclaimed.

"What?!" the black feline was surprised. "How could it have already gotten so close?! Dang it, either this thing is smart enough to sneak around or we're just too silly to find out."

"Come on, Fury! Move it! We have to see the chief!" Jade Moon reminded his friend while running.

"Yeah, coming!"

Everyone finally made it to the village.  Everyone was in a panic.

"How did that monster breach those walls?!" one warrior said.

"I know, I thought we had our defenses guarded." another one said, frightened.

Everyone was in a panic.

"SILENCE!" Chief Thunderclaws roared. "We can find that out later. Right now all we need to know is that the Cragodile is now heading towards the village probably in three hours at this rate. We need to think what we can do stop this foul creature."

"We can't stop something like that! It'll destroy this whole community!" Golden Eyes said. "Even a Space Shifter's speed is not enough to defeat that hideous beast. What could we do to possibly stop it?!"

Meanwhile, Obsidian stood in the council quietly, stroking his chin, deep in thought.

"And what about you, Obsidian, do you have any plans?" the Chief asked. "You are one of our finest warriors. What say you?"

Surprisingly, the normally confident veteran warrior looked concerned.

"This will be tough. But I do think we have a chance." he said in a serious tone. "Some of us will have to distract the beast. And as the beast comes, we will have to use these."

He pointed to some rope. 

"We will have to tie all four limbs of the Cragodile, and tie its snout. Then, one has to go at such a high speed that they become as fast as sound. And finally you have chewed its weak point: the front of its snout. This is the technique that seems to work the best to destroy them." Obsidian explained in a calm yet authoritative manner. 

"You must know this experience, right?" said a young council member.

"Yeah, but this Cragodile will be twice the size of the one that I faced in my thirties, that one almost managed to kill me…"

This complicated plan with only three hours to prepare, leaving no room for elaborate walls and contraptions. 

"And you expect us to fight this thing?!"

"Let me finish! That other Cragodile almost killed me.  And before that was another Cragodile that was half the size of that one.'' he said. "We can surely find a way to defeat this large one. All we have to do is use trickery bait and a whole lot of speed."

Obsidian seemed to have regained some courage now. Whether it was because he saw how distressed the others were or if it was just part of his speech, it didn't matter. Obsidian always seemed to have a plan. And the others whether they liked it or not knew he was the one with the plan.

"And even for the ones who never fought a Cragodile, you went through hardships and we will overcome this one. For our ancestors and our children!" He yelled while raising his arm.

"Yeahhhhhh!" Everybody cheered.

"Noe let's get ready!" obsidian cried out to all of them.

After that epic speech everyone got to work making rope, practicing running. Everyone was doing their part. They felt like they had great confidence.

"See guys, my dad said he would have a plan even after this limited time!" Fury boasted.

"Well, we'll have to hope for the best." Jade said.

"Everything will turn out peachy, that's a fact!" Fury said.

Meanwhile Obsidian and the guards were preparing for the inevitable. They had to be ready for anything. 

"Get ready, fellows. You never know what will happen."

As they looked out at a swiftly constructed short wooden palisade, they saw a tail in the distance. It was approaching rapidly. More and more. 

"Alright everyone get ready to be bait." Obsidian said. "You are now the fish who must swim from the predators.

They went to the ground and lured the beast. They taunted the Cragodile saying it looks ugly. The Cragodile had enough and turned towards them to slaughter them but away from the major settlement. The more nervous guards and Night Fury who was with them gulped knowing this could be their last.

ROARRRRRRR!!!!

"Hey, Cragodile, you want a feast!? Here we are, come right at us! We're all quite ready!"

The Cragodile despite its large size, swiftly swam through the water to finally make it to the village. 

Night Fury was shocked at the large scaly creature as high as a small hut. It was probably the most horrifying thing he had ever seen. 

"Fury, remember your job!" Obsidian called out to Fury.

Of course he had to distract him. He decided to do that classic trick he and his friends used to get candy from his mom: distraction.

"Hey you big numbskull Over here! Fresh meat! Right over here!" He called out.

ROARRRRR

Night Fury jumped on huts, boxes, temples all in an effort to get away from that big giant beast. At this point the Speed Shifters wanted to save their energy so they ran and jumped normally.

"I'm actually doing quite good!" Fury said with some surprise. He thought this ugly monster would have him for lunch. His father would be so proud of him.

"Night Fury, what the heck are you doing you're going the opposite way!" Jade called out to Fury.

Oh no. I made a mistake, didn't I? 

Now Night Fury had to go back. He was trapped in Golden Eye's fancy house. And the Cragodile was about to enter. 

I have no choice, I have to use my power now!

He used it to dig a hole out of the mansion. He was about to run a few feet and then he got exhausted.

"Dang it."

"Well it looks like the wise Night Fury finally made it or was this part of your plan." Stone Crusher smugly asked.

"Oh shut up, I made it and that's what matters."

"We had better be very careful everyone." said Amethyst Eyes, a young female Speed Shifter who was experienced and good at capturing animals. "We need to lure the beast in on this road. Then we can bind him."

"You got it!" Night Fury said.

"And Fury…" he looked at her hoping to get a compliment "Please go the right way next time." 

Dang it. Also the others giggled at his mix up.

"I just have to do this right, do your classic luring trick. Yep! That'll work!" He said somewhat francically and nervously.

As the Cragodile continued to search for more felines to feed on, he noticed an annoying young feline.

"Take this!" he said, throwing stone spears at the beast. Although it did no damage it did make him a noticeable pest. "I am your challenge, come at me monster!!!"

Fury tried to bite the creature which did nothing since its scales were so tough. But now the Cragodile was ready to fight Fury. 

It marched down the road and this time Fury could see his allies ready for the beast.

"Goooooooo!!!!"

Everyone threw near the Cragodile's four legs. Each leg was worked by a team of two, the speedy one to tie the rope and the other to keep the rope's tension.

The Cragodile was still distracted by Fury's seemingly futile attacks but it didn't realize it was being bound by the others.

"F-f-fight me!" Night Fury said bravely but with a worried stutter. "Y-you will not defeat us!" 

The Cragodile with its legs tried to get Fury off of him. This type of Cragodile unlike others, developed longer and stronger limbs to walk on the ground. So Fury had to be careful. It did manage to scratch his tail.

Owww, come on Fury just keep this beast distracted. He said to himself.

And then finally the limbs got tied and the creature became immobile. It was now stuck in one place. And then the snout also became tied up. Fury felt some pride at that moment. He was about to say "In your face you giant lizard!" But before he said that…

"We need to hurry and have someone perform the attack! It's too strong for these ropes! Who here is available!?" Amethyst said. 

It seemed as if the only ones there were busy binding the Cragodile. The other speed shifters were not available. Except for…

"Night Fury." she said.

"Wait uh me? You want me to do the attack?! You know I'm as good as chicken trying to fly! Can't we wait for reinforcements?"

"Look, kid, we have no choice! And before you say anything, all of our energy has been sapped earlier. From what I can tell you seem to be the only one who can do this." Amythest said. "Sometimes we're called to do things out of our comfort zone and this is your time! You can do this!"

Night Fury really didn't want to do this but he realized he had no choice. And anyways, Amethyst would have his hide if he didn't do his job. She was always a bit of a taskmaster even if she was kind when not ordering others around.

Night Fury revved up. Summoning the energy within, he jumped and ran over and past many buildings, building up enough speed to get himself ready for the signature Space Shifter technique.

Now he was glowing red. He realized it was time.

He ran forwards with great speed. He was careful not to trip on anything which could interrupt his Ruby Wind, as the technique was called. 

"Hey this isn't so bad what's the worst that could happen- Oh no!"

He saw the snout, and the left leg's ropes were snapped. And he could be running into the belly of the beast.

Curses! Why couldn't you guys have kept the ropes going!

"Fury, ignore the snout being untied!" Amythest called out as he was dashing. "Just hit the snout! We'll try to keep it place!"

"Try" is the right word here. What if they don't keep it in?

Come on Fury I have to be brave and just go for it…

It's a suicide mission! We are probably not only gonna but fail! It's already too late. 

While Fury was debating himself, he was slowing down. And he went slower and slower and slower. Until, he stopped. He was frozen in fear. He wasn't a great fighter. He couldn't do it. Maybe Bonecrusher could do this move.

Yeah that could work I'll ask…

ROARRRRR!!!!

Snap, snap, snap!

The other ropes were unleashed. The beast was now free.

"Nooooooooo!" Amythest cried out. "Evertbody retr-" she wasn't able to complete her command because the Cragodile's tail hit her several yards away.

Night Fury witnessed the other Speed Shifters get swatted like flies by the Cragodile. He realized his mistake and tried to save the others before getting slapped by the Cragodile.

No! Curse me. Curse me. How could I have let this happen… 

And then he passed out.

…

"Huh, where am I?" Fury now saw he was in a medical hut.

"Hold still, boy!" said the doctor as pinned a needle in his arm.

"Owww! What the… Gasp. The Cragodile I have to stop it!" 

"You don't have to worry, it's been defeated. Obsidian and the others managed to tie it up and defeated the foul beast. It was rough but we were victorious."

"Well that's great news!" Fury said with excitement. "We need to have a festival…"

"Festival?! After all the damage and casualties?! Absolutely not!" the doctor replied almost at the notion.

Fury was confused. 

"But I don't understand. Didn't my father and the others beat the Cragodile?" Fury asked him.

The doctor simply looked down with sadness. "Sadly, only after much destruction and casualties. Several died trying to stop it."

Fury couldn't believe it. No. It was all his fault. All of it because he decided to not go for it. Maybe what others said about him was true. Maybe he really was a weakling and worst of all a coward.

"You're free to go now." the doctor said.

When Fury walked out, he saw all the wrecked houses and buildings. It looked as if a meteor had struck the village.

-

"I felt guilty about that my whole life. I failed to be brave the one moment I needed to." Fury told Luna.

"I see. That must have been quite a burden. Were you exiled?"

"No. Only me and my parents and some others knew about my act. They agreed because of my parents to keep this a secret. I was so disappointed in myself. Amethyst, who has survived, yelled at me. Which I felt like I deserved."

Fury looked down.

"I was going to leave the village knowing that I was not worthy. If I got eaten. Good riddance. They didn't need a loser like me." Fury said.

Luna finally realized she was not the only one with burdens. She never knew someone so fun loving could have this burden.

Luna was about to tell him he redeemed himself. But Fury said it first.

"Now before you cry, princess, and get my coat wet, this has a happyish ending."

-

Night Fury was ready to leave. He had no supplies. He figured he would wander alone and probably some manticore would eat him. 

Hopefully it will be painful. Jade, Amethyst, and even Stonecrusher take care of guys. You deserve better than me.

As he was about to walk out. He heard someone behind him.

"Taking a little walk, boy?"

He looked behind and saw it was his father, Obsidian. 

Dang it. he said to himself. I don't want to talk about this especially with him.

"Uh yeah… I just wanted to go camping."

"With no supplies?"

"Uh, I'm going minimalist."

His father laughed at this.

"You're normally a better liar than this, son."

Fury just looked down. 

"Look, can I just go now?"

Obsidian turned serious.

"Son, listen to me now! You have made one of the worst mistakes in your life. You have brought disgrace upon yourself. And have caused that monster to wreak havoc. This is all true."

"Yeah, that's the reason I want to never be here again." Fury said.

"BUT!" Obsidian loudly. "You have also done great things. You have helped so many around you. You have been kind to others. Your stealth and sneaking helped to delay that thing. You have so much potential, boy."

"That's no excuse for what I did though."

"Absolutely not. But we all make terrible mistakes. I did it. Your mother did it. We all do." Obsidian said. "But what matters is what we do after. We can choose the cowardly way of giving up and leaving all your friends and family in despair. Or…"

Obsidian put his paw on his son's shoulder.

"Or you can spend every day making yourself a better person. Training hard and being ready for the next sign of trouble. Fury, you know why I haven't given up on you?"

"Because I'm your son?" Fury asked with derision.

"No. I could have had you as a farmer if that were the case. It's because even if you have fear and sometimes are awkward. Inside all of that is someone who has a true heart of obsidian. Hard and sharper than any rock."

Night Fury looked down.

"What if I fail again?"

"Then you get back up and do it again," Obsidian said. "Believe me, I have made even worse mistakes and showed the worst times in his life. It cost our people so much. But now look at me I am the most admired warrior in this tribe. And so can you boy."

Fury started to tear up now.

"Do you really think I can make up for this?" 

"I know so son, I know so."

Fury then hugged his father and cried into his shoulder.

"I shouldn't be crying, I'm sorry."

"Ah don't worry. I saw Stone Crusher cry over spilled milk of all things. You're alright." Obsidian said.

After a while, they distanced themselves.

"I'll make sure I keep on trying and trying dad!"

"That's good, kid!" he heard another voice behind Obsidian. It was Amethyst. And she looked angry but not angry as in she was hateful but angry like a drill instructor.

"Amethyst I am so sorry and I will…"

"Silence! You are to climb that mountain south of us again for 7 hours straight!" she said fiercely.

"Wait right now? It's nighttime…"

slap! 

"Ow!"

"You heard what I said kid. You messed up and you're going to make up for it! When we get through with you, you'll be wanting to go into the belly of the beast and burst a hole in it!"

That sounded absolutely disgusting to Fury. He looked at his father for a way to get out of this situation.

"Sorry son, but my cousin will tear me to pieces if you don't do this." He said laughing, not sorry at all. "And anyways the road to redemption is not easy!"

"You got that right Obsidian!" she replied to her older cousin.

"Aw man!" Night Fury whined. 

"Save me the drama for later, NOW GET MOVING!" 

And thus, Night Fury got ready for his nighttime penance.

-

"And that's how it went. Needless to say, I was more sweaty and sore than one of your guard recruits after a full training session." Night Fury said with a chuckle. 

"In that case I feel truly sorry for you!" She said with a full on laugh instead of her usual chuckle.

"But from that moment on, I realized no matter what mistakes you make, it's never too late for you to make up for your flaws. Except if you're the one telling yourself that."

Luna now understood everything. Especially about what Sombra was trying to do.

"Is that why you were so angry at Sombra?" 

"Yeah… He made me feel like what I was back then. Hopeless."

But then he looked into Luna's eyes.

"But my friends helped me get out of that state. And made me realize that my father and mother don't care about my past. They care about my present and what I do with it."

Luna was amazed at how a cake thief of all things could seem so philosophical.

"I bet you never expected me to be this deep huh?" Fury chucked.

"That would be correct. And you still act too much like a little child." Luna teased him. "But I like that. You reminded me of when my sister and I were younger and how she used to play pranks on me. The energetic popular sister teasing the young shy sister. And now I have my own weapon." Luna looked at him.

They both laughed.

"Night Fury, you are a hero. I just want you to know that." Luna said to him.

"Thank you." Night Fury said. "And you're a great princess. And if you have any personal demons I'm sure you can deal with them too."

"I'll try." Luna replied.

Night Fury wondered what was in her head but decided he would talk about it later.

And then the two saw some more falling stars. 

"It's beautiful." Fury said. "I see why you love the night. And it's not just because of me." He teased.

Luna rolled her eyes but for some reason, she didn't know he blushed.

And so they enjoyed a great night together. Seeing constellations and several phenomena.

While they were watching. Celestia was watching with satisfaction and smiling. She knew they both had rough times in their lives. And they could use their friendship to help each other out. And it was working.
> Chapter 11: To Be Young And Proper
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Fury was having a nice time bowling in the Bowling Center. He was doing okay for a creature whose culture did not have bowling as a sport.

Almost! Almost! He said to himself as he was about to shoot all the pins. 

He threw it and… he missed. He lost the game. 

"Dang it!"

"Sorry, uh Mr. Night Fury, it looks like I am the winner today!" said some other contestant. 

Night Fury was angry he lost. But after a few minutes, he felt happy again. It was a nice game even if he failed the fifth time. 

It wasn't like having the party four weeks ago where he talked with Luna but he needed time for smaller activities.

He decided he would play another game when suddenly…

Bump

He saw a gray cross eyed mare with some mail.

"Whoops, sorry sir. But I have a package for um, Mr. Night Fury?"

"Yeah, that's me." Night Fury confirmed, taking the letter from the mail mare and waving a goodbye as she flew off. Night Fury took a seat on one of the benches on his lane and looked at his letter, his eyes widening as he saw it was from the princesses.

"A letter from the princesses, I wonder what this is about?" He inquired, extending one claw and opening the letter to read it. 

Dear Night Fury, 
You have proven your interest, care and love for us Ponies. Despite a few cultural misunderstandings like with your intake of meat, overall you have proven quite a curious and interested guest. For this reason, we ask you to go beyond just a warrior but also my original description of you: Ambassador. Far from being a mere formality, it is an important job to advance one another's cultures. With some training you may help to usher a golden age not just for ponies but for your people as well. Please visit me and my fellow princesses in the palace tomorrow. We will discuss what you must do.

May this letter find you well,
Princess Celestia

Night Fury wasn't sure what to think. He never really thought about what exactly the role of ambassador meant. He always thought of himself as a warrior. Would he have to go to boring council meetings? 

Or maybe I'll meet some cool new people! Yeah, this is my chance!

He was not so sure what this would entail but he decided he would just go through with it and get ready for this new job. It might be tough but it couldn't be tougher than having to train to be a warrior.

It's settled, I'm going to meet my new destiny tomorrow!

"Yeah!" he roared.

"Ahhh, don't hurt me please! The horror! The horror!" said Roseluck, one of the drama queen flower ponies as she collapses to the ground.

"Let's hope I won't scare anyone as ambassador." Fury thought as he took his leave to prepare to meet with the princesses tomorrow. 

The next day… 

Night Fury arrived in Canterlot the next morning, stepping off the train and revving up as he took off towards the castle. He began to wonder what his new role would be like as he got close to the main gate, anticipation filling his mind as he was simultaneously excited and nervous as he raced through the streets. 

Come on Fury! You've faced Cragodiles, Manticores and an evil dark unicorn lord! This will be easy. I just have to remember what Twilight said to me about being professional and not making silly jokes when doing ambassadorship. He said to himself. Well, I won't make too many. He chuckled to himself as he couldn't resist.

Twilight along with Rarity when they found out what he was doing, they proceeded to train him in professional etiquette. Fury regretted casually telling Twilight about stuff like this as she made him spend over 10 hours doing boring rehearsals. Next time, he'll try to keep it to himself even though he knows it will probably come in handy in the end.

He finally made it to the gates. 

"Halt, who goes there?"  One of the guards asked.

"It's me, Night Fury, remember me? We had a great party here?"

"It was a good party, but I need identification!"

"Sigh, fine." Fury gave the guards his papers to which they then opened the gates.

Back in my village, if someone knew you, they would just let you in. But here you need identification. I'm not used to this.

Fury walked to the throne room where he saw not just Celestia but also Luna and Cadence. They seemed pleased that he had come.

"Ah, hello there Night Fury." Celestia went up from her seat to greet him. "It's good to see you again."

"I agree." Cadence said. "Also you look quite professional! Even your fur is brushed!" 

"Yeah, let's just say Rarity threatened terrible acts against me if I refused to get my hair looking professional." Fury laughed and cringed at the memories.

"Ah, that figures." Cadence chucked. "It's interesting to see someone match my husband Shining Armor's obsession with dress code." Fury also chuckled, thankful he wasn't part of the Canterlot Royal Guard.

"Let's not delay any longer." Luna interrupted. "It's time for us to talk about your new occupation." She said professionally.

Luna was always the most serious of the princesses. Even though she and Fury were friends, Fury noticed how in this professional setting she seems as formal as if Fury just met her and he was one of her new guards.

"Very well." Celestia agreed, now ready to get down to business. "Night Fury, today you prove to be a worthy ambassador."

"Sounds good to me! You already like me after all!"

"Yes, but others have not yet met you," Celestia said. "Many of the politicians of Equestria are curious about who you are. And some are even suspicious of you. Though your heroic stand against Sombra has eased many into giving you a chance."

Fury was relieved at this. Then he thought of something.

"Wait, is this why you had me go to the Crystal Empire? To prove my worth to other ponies?"

"Well, that is one of many reasons. I definitely would not want others to meet you too soon before you made a reputation with them." Celestia said.

"Especially since you have a bit… how should I say…" Cadence was trying to gather the words.

"Unprofessional?" Fury predicted with a somewhat unamused look.

"Yeah that one." she admitted. "But now with your positive reputation, we can now make you officially an ambassador."

"Well, if that's the case, then bring it on. Let's see what's in store." Night Fury said confidently as he followed behind the three royals to the conference room to meet with the rest of the elites. 

"Halt!" Luna said. "You can't just walk in there and talk to them."

"How bad can it be?" Fury asked. "I'm a hero."

"True, young one." Celestia said. "But that can go sour instantly. Even if it might be a bit boring, we need to talk to you about what your new occupation requires of you."

"I see… Well what am I to do?" Fury asked.

"As ambassador you will explain to the others a bit of your people's cultures and customs. You will explain what your political situation is. And how your people can benefit Equestria." Celestia explained.

"Ah, that makes sense." Fury said.

"For this reason," Cadence said, "it's absolutely important to give them a good impression of your people and culture. They might not be inclined to be so pleasant with your kind otherwise."

"Great no pressure…" Fury whispered to himself.

"And that means NO STEALING FOOD or any other shenanigans!" Cadence said, reminding him of that infamous adventure of his. "Back then we were just being casual, but this one is very important."

"Don't worry Cadence-"

"Princess Cadence, you need to get used to referring to us formally at least while we're in this palace." Cadence corrected him. 

"Don't worry Princess Cadence," he said, slightly annoyed that he has to refer to a friend that way. "I'll be on my best behavior. I won't do any of those shenanigans. I am capable of showing maturity."

"Well that's good, ambassador." Celestia said with a smile. "Just remember this job won't last forever. Just follow this Guide to Royal Courtesy Volume III that Twilight made you read and you'll be good to go."

"Ugh, reading the book was the most tedious thing of my entire life."

"Well, guess what? It gets worse." Celestia said bluntly. "But the results will be worthwhile in the end. And after you get done talking, you can go to your room and be back to your normal self. And to make it easier I gave you a list of tips on etiquette, summarized from Twilight's book." Celestia handed him a scroll of tips which Fury found much more manageable.

"This is way easier to look at than that book, thanks. I'll try my best." He said sincerely. "So when will I begin and who will I meet?"

"You will meet different important Equestrian politicians, military officers and so on. From Canterlot's mayor, to the Head of our Armed Forces, to Senators." Celestia said. "You'll be meeting them in one hour. So enjoy yourself until then. And be aware some can be a bit… annoying." Celestia said thinking of some certain ponies. 

Especially a certain nephew of mine. She said to herself.

Fury wondered what ponies made her cringe so hard but it seems he'll find out once he gets going. After all, Twilight gave him answers to probable questions the others would ask him. So he was confident.

"Alright I'll be ready to handle these fellows!" Night Fury said with confidence. "If I can handle King Sombra, I can handle some high and mighty politicians!"

One hour later… 

Night Fury had just finished reading off the tips and rehearsing them when he heard a knock at the door. He jumped slightly as he was a little distracted making sure he was covering all his bases. He opened the door to reveal a familiar white stallion, clad in golden armor with a stone solid look.

"Shining Armor, what can I do for you?" Night Fury said in a strong tone, refraining from speaking casually as he had rehearsed earlier.

"Ambassador Fury, the princesses are waiting for you in the conference room. Please, follow me."

"Alright. Lead me there." 

As Fury was walking he felt a bit more nervous just like he was when he first fought that Cragodile. 

He finally made it, with Shining opening the doors. And it revealed a variety of different well dressed ponies in the conference room. Far from the fun nature of the parties he was at, he could tell there was a certain formality here.

He walked inside. When he did so, he heard the announcement from Shining Armor. 

"Attention guests, we thank you for coming today to greet our New Ambassador from the exotic Jungles of the East! This young creature has helped save the Crystal Empire and possibly even Canterlot from potential devastation. Citizens of Canterlot and beyond, meet Night Fury, the first Speed Shifter in Equestria!"

Trumpets sounded. And then Night Fury went to the podium to deliver his speech.

"Hello everyone, how are you all doing? My name is Night Fury, but you probably already knew that, heh." They just stared at him blankly. Realizing he told an awkward joke at the wrong time, he had to recover.

"Well this place is a great land, and a great spectacle for someone like me. As someone who was in the jungle for a while away from large cities, I was astounded by this great city! And I thank you all for welcoming me to this great city and land!" Fury said. "And I hope to get to know you all better!"

There was applauding in the crowd now which was probably a good sign. But he was not sure if he won them over as it could just be forced clapping. 

What can I do… Maybe I have them ask me questions! Yeah that would be a good idea!

"Well, how about you ladies and gentlecats- I mean, uh gentlecolts ask me some questions. Since I am a lost confused cat as you can tell from my mistake." 

He actually got a small chuckle out of the crowd with that. He remembered a tip from Celestia to let your mistakes turn into wit to win them over.

"Mr. Day Fury…"

"It's Night Fury," he said, a little annoyed.

"My apologies, I'm curious about your name Night Fury, where does it come from?" asked a unicorn mustachioed stallion with a monocle. Night Fury almost laughed at his look but he had to keep it in.

"Well in our culture, we are given names from birth that are only used for identification. But once we become of age, we come up with a new Warrior Name based on the characteristics of the cub. Maybe they fight efficiently and mostly use obsidian-forged weapons and they would be given the name Obsidian. Or maybe it's based on the color of their aura they get when they run. My father's cousin, Amethyst, emitted purple flames from her aura. Or sometimes they are named after a certain love for something or a substantial event in their lives. Like my mother, Black Ice was given her name because she loved ice and she slipped on some too. In our culture, even embarrassing events can be used in our names. So we have to be careful." He spoke with a chuckle. It seems the crowd is enjoying him so far.

"Overall in spite of it being a so-called 'Warrior Name' it's used for every event or special aspect even if not related to fighting and even for non-warriors nowadays. Not everyone is a warrior in our village."

"Um, that is nice. But what about you Mr. Night Fury. What does your name refer to?"

"Ah let's see, it's been awhile since I thought of that," he was trying to get back his memories. Oh now I remember, Dang it! 

"I'm assuming it's probably because he was a stealthy fighter at night! And he took out his foes with stealth!" said a pegasus general with a scar. "We could probably use a fellow like you to bring back that warrior spirit of our pegasus soldiers from long ago with stealth!" 

"Um, actually, General…"

"Call me General Torrent!

"Well, actually it was simply that I was sneaking into my friend's mother's candy supply. And it was at night in the shadows. And the Fury part? It was not from defeating my foes, but was however from how many cookies I was able to eat in one sitting."

The general laughed at this but then he looked at Fury's face and realized it was not a joke.

"Wait, you're serious?! Your name is that way because of sneaking some sweets?!" he said with great disappointment and a hint of anger at the stupidity of it.

"Well for me as a kid, my greatest battle was the battle of hunger and sweets! And I won and snuck out of there! And even though my mother scolded me greatly, my father told me my sneaking skills could be very useful. So that's my story, sir!" He looked back at Fancy Pants.

Unlike the disgusted look of General Torrent, Fancy Pants was laughing at this ridiculous story.

"Oh Night Fury, you are something else! I think we are going to like you very much!"

"And so will I!" Night Fury said now starting to warm up to everyone.

"Excuse me sir! May I ask you one last question?" Someone deep in the crowd cried out. 

"Um, who is it?"

"Give your Prince room for me to see him!" said a posh voice as the crowd moved revealing a white unicorn with a suit. 

Oh no. This is the one Celestia told me about. B-b-

"My name is Prince Blueblood! It is nice to meet you, savior of the Crystal Empire!" Blueblood proclaimed.

Even though Blueblood was complimenting him, he could tell there was something a little condescending in his eyes. Like he was planning to take Fury down from his reputation.

"Well thank you very much, Prince Blueblood!"

"You're welcome. I would just like to ask you. Do you believe you are a great hero who saved the Crystal Empire?"

"Um, in a way," Night Fury said. "But I did have help from Spike and Twilight Sparkle. They were also heroes. Though I was the one who defeated Sombra." he said with a bit of pride.

"Hmmm, I see." Blueblood said. "would you say they were assistants to you saving them?"

Night Fury was confused why Blueblood was asking these things. But he decided to keep on going.

"Yes, but they were very helpful."

"I understand. But I must say… it seems unfortunate you would only list Twilight Sparkle, one of the greatest heroes of Equestria as a mere assistant. Maybe I misunderstood."

Now Night Fury saw what Blueblood was trying to do. Make Fury look like he was taking credit for saving the Crystal Empire solely.

"Listen here you! I did not imply that whatsoever! Twilight did a lot. She helped discover the clues that I would have not been able to do!" He said with a bit of offense to his honor.

Blueblood would not relent.

"Yes but Twilight Sparkle has worked as a Student of Celestia for years! She has proven her credibility to Canterlot! Not just her but the Sparkle family has always been helpful! Twilight even had to spend time with some ruffian friends just to be able to save all of us from world ending threats!"

Night Fury was angry. He was supposedly trying to speak for Twilight. Even though he was pushing beliefs Twilight would never agree with. And most certainly Twilight would not agree that her friends were "ruffians".

"But you, Night Fury! You have taken advantage of Twilight's humbleness! Maybe you forced her to give you the Crystal Heart! It would make sense since you are warriors who get everything by force!" Blueblood ranted about him.

And then Blueblood spoke in front of the audience.

"My good friends, I am tired of seeing good ponies' reputations be forgotten because of some prankster feline who has no respect for anyone!"

Some of the other ponies were debating if what Blueblood was saying had a point.

Night Fury was raging at this point. One of the worst things one could do with a Speed Shifter was to falsely accuse them and to ruin their honorable reputation. It was a tradition to cut the liar's arm. He knew many times where this happened in his village.

Maybe I ought to do the same to you, you pampered prince!

"And besides maybe he wants to win our trust so that he could rise up in our government and take over us like Sombra did!" 

Get ready you little brat for I am…

Wait what did Twilight say?

He remembered how Twilight told him that there would be those out to get him at court. And that one should respond not with violence but by addressing their arguments. It reminded him of what his own mother told him. 

Especially not with ponies, for Speed Shifters tolerate a little bit of threats. But not the more peaceable ponies.

Okay, I'm going to shut down what Blueblood is saying right now!

"You know Prince, you sure seem to know a lot about Twilight Sparkle."

"Well I don't know her too well personally but I know she and her family have made many contributions, of which we only know you to have one. And that itself is questionable."

"But do you really know Twilight? Do you think when you call her friends ruffians, do you think she agrees with that?"

"Well I'm not sure but-"

"Well I have been with her all this time! I have talked with her. She herself scolded me for being ill disciplined. That is true, but she also said how she appreciates not just her own accomplishments but the accomplishments of others." Fury said.

Fury's anger was transformed into confidence.

"It might be hard for someone like you to realize this, but not everyone does things for their own sake. Sometimes they do it for the sake of friendship! And that is more important than looking good in front of others!"

At this point the audience was now surprised that this exotic creature spoke more about friendship than a pony.

Meanwhile Blueblood felt embarrassed at this point.

"Well I… I-I care!" Blueblood said pathetically. "You just do not understand me!"

"I don't. But in my village I have seen a lot of my own kind try to do things for their own glory with no care for others and from personal experience you seem not to care that much. In fact I don't even know if you care about Twilight or if you just want to make yourself look like a hero."

Blueblood was not able to argue back at this point.

"Grrrrrr…"

"My advice, Prince, is perhaps instead of trying to pretend to help others in public, you just help them out. And maybe actually go see Twilight and learn about friendship from her."

At this point Blueblood was about to object but realized everyone was not on Blueblood's side. He failed to win them over. So instead…

"I am so sorry, Night Fury. I was just a little frustrated. I had a bit too much wine. I will go and have a rest. You are a fine creature, Night Fury." Blueblood said trying to reverse the bad reputation he got. "So let us support Night Fury everyone!"

It was obvious to Night Fury that Blueblood was not really apologizing. But Fury decided he had enough of Blueblood and just wanted to get to the snacks. He had done his job and he will watch out for that pampered prince next time.

"Very well, Blueblood. If your apology is genuine, then everything is fine. Otherwise, you might want to rethink your life and maybe start to be a little less whiny."

The audience laughed at Blueblood with that. 

"I am just going to leave now. I just remembered I have to organize my Faberge egg collection. Farewell!" he said ungracefully leaving the room.

The room was a bit silent after that.

"Well everyone I am sorry for all the trouble. But I know this everyone. I don't think I'm better than anyone or should I say anypony else. I just want to help the ponies here. And I just want to say, I also thank Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Princess Cadence, Shining Armor and all the others who have helped save the Crystal Empire. I'm just one part. And I hope we all can cooperate for a brighter future amongst our two races! Thank you everypony!"

And the other ponies gave an applause for this Night Fury. 

Fury realized he won another battlefield. The war of politics. The part that his father talked about less but was no less important.

After a few minutes. Everypony came to eat delicacies. Night Fury was not too interested in most of the high class Canterlot cuisine. Except for the sweets which were world renowned. Though not as great as his own mother's spicy and sweet coco drink.

"I see you are enjoying yourself now." Princess Celestia said to him.

"That's for sure, princess. I felt exhausted after that whole ordeal! Sheesh! What is up with that Blueblood?"

"He is a bit insufferable, I will admit." Celestia laughed. "You just have to watch out for him. But he does have his uses. He does have intelligence, he just uses it to prop himself up."

"I can tell," he said, annoyed.

"Don't let him get to you though. And I know he has a heart… somewhere. He seems to love his family. He just does not show that love to anyone else."

"Yeah that's for sure." he chucked. "He seems to also like Twilight! Ha ha!"

"Probably more accurate to say he likes her reputation and her family's good name but not her as a pony," Cadence said walking by. "But enough with Blueblood, let's talk about you!"

"My apologies, Night Fury," Clestia said. "I forgot to tell you about your performance. It was excellent! You have proven quite a diplomat. You did tell a few more jokes then Twilight probably would have wanted."

"Yeah sorry, I couldn't resist." 

"Do not apologize. This is what makes you charming. Twilight has her own way but she is not quite as how we should put it… fun. Which is something great to see from you." 

"Thanks princesses! I'm quite glad we did that. And quite frankly… I didn't want others to be put to sleep like Twilight did." 

Celestia and Cadence laughed at this.

"Well, do you still want to be an ambassador?" Celestia asked.

"Well, I think I'm starting to get good at talking and introducing myself. I guess my years of trickery have paid off here. So maybe I will! At least as long as I don't have to do these jobs all the time." Night Fury said.

The other two laughed and Night Fury proceeded to eat and he noticed something. Luna was not present.

Where is she? Wait, I see her at the corner. Maybe I'll talk to her. 

He walked over to Luna.

"Hey, what did you think of my little talk?" Fury said.

"Quite a lot better than how I would have gone about that. I probably would have silenced him into submission. Then again, I am a princess of Equestria and you probably could not do the same." Luna remarked. And then she smiled. "You have quite a talent. And I look forward to being able to converse with you more now that you will spend more time at the palace."

Night Fury smiled. They did write letters to each other. But it would be nice to talk directly.

"My sentiments exactly." Fury said. "Look out Equestria! Here comes Night Fury, your new ambassador!"

"Even if he is a little childish." Luna playfully said.

"Yeah!... Hey!"

They had a nice talk for the rest of the night.

Meanwhile… 

"You might have won today Night Fury. You may have succeeded in humiliating me. But I shall have my revenge some day. For my name is Prince Blueblood!" 

He said out of his tower mansion at night, looking at the palace. 

"Just you wait, Night Fury, just you wait."
> Chapter 12: A Trip Down Memory Lane
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Fury sat in his bed with his head turned to the ceiling, he had something in particular on his mind. He was wondering what his past was like for his ancestors, what they did that was different from how his kind did things in the present day. He hummed to himself as he tried to imagine what his ancestors were like, what they looked like and how they acted. His thoughts seem to bounce around the walls of his villa as he couldn't seem to come to a conclusion.

All of this was brought upon by a question from Fancy Pants. He along with some of his friends (or maybe a better way to say would be ponies trying to get the Prince's favor) were curious about Night Fury's people. Their history, their lifestyle, their traditions. When he talked to Twilight about this, she could hardly contain her excitement and said both she and Fancy Pants would love to educate ponies about the Speed Shifter's culture and they gave the idea to make a Museum. Although Night Fury was not the most scholarly of Speed Shifters in his people's history, he started to be interested.

And while this might be a great way to have ponies learn about the culture of these mysterious felines, the question was where to start.

"Night Fury, what did you get yourself into?" he said to himself. Sure he had some private Speed Shifter possessions like his ring or earrings, but that what he had was few and anyways it was personal and he would rather keep it for himself.

"It would be nice to go back to my village, and get some materials and info from there. But it would take a long time for me to get there and I don't want them to know about what I've been doing just yet. Not till preparations have been made."

knock knock

He sped downstairs and opened the door where he saw a gray haired politician who seemed older than she really was. It was Mayor Mare.

"Uh hello, ma'am, what may I do for you?"

"Twilight told me about this museum problem and I do have some records of some ruins that might be curious for you. One of them was in the Everfree Forest and there appeared to be a stone settlement with statues of Felines fighting.

Night Fury gasped at this. Could this really be an ancient settlement of Speed Shifters deep in this uncharted lands that even his Chief and the other elders didn't know about?

"Are you serious? That sounds awesome! Oh boy, I can't wait to go there! Heh back into the forest like the good old days!"

However, Mayor Mare looked quite nervous, unlike Night Fury. She seemed worried.

"What's the big deal? If you're worried about creatures, I am a perfect match!"

"Well, you should be aware two archaeological parties went and disappeared looking for this lost city." The middle aged mare said nervously while wiping her glasses. "This is something you will need extreme caution with. If you go into those woods of the Everfree Forest then you will need some powerful friends."

"How powerful are we talking, mayor?"

The Mayor paused as she contemplated his question before leaning in and whispering into his ear.

"Alicorn powerful." She whispered. "There are reports of abnormally strong creatures there."

Night Fury was a little surprised. He never expected somewhere like Ponyville to have so close by an inhospitable forest like that.

"Well, that would be nice to fight alongside alicorns. But wouldn't they be a bit too busy to help me here? Maybe Twilight can help instead?" he asked.

"Twilight I'm afraid isn't available. She is on a quest with her friends to assist an old couple get to the desert beyond Appleloosa. They need all the beyond they can get."

Night Fury put a paw to his chin in thought, who could come along with him to take care of this problem? Since his Ponyville friends were busy, where could he get some help to come with him? 

"Wait, I've got it! Mayor Mare, I think I have a plan." He said confidently. "I know a princess who doesn't have a busy schedule. Princess Luna!"

"Oh, really? Well, you know the princesses better than some small town mare like me! If you think that can work then by all means go for it!" the mayor encouraged. 

This was quite exciting for the black feline. Having a quest with Luna? That would be the best, he knows she likes secret places. And what's the secret behind this lost outpost?

"Are you sure you won't need anymore help? I could pay for some bodyguards for you." she said worried for him.

"Ma'am, for people like me and Luna, bodyguards would probably be more of a hiderance since we probably would protect them instead. We can handle ourselves." he said with a cocky smile.

"Hmmm, you have the spirit of the original pioneers of Ponyville like Granny Smith. Very well then." She gave Night a small bag of documents and a manual. "These are some maps and reports of what little we do know of the lost outpost. And this manual will tell you the dangers you might encounter in the Everfree Forest."

"Okay then! Sounds good. By the way, if I find this place, can I call it Night Fury City? I think others would like it." he said with a chuckle.

Mayor Mare rolled her eyes. "We'll find out after you report back to us. Anyways that's all I have. Good luck, newcomer! And stay safe!" Mayor Mare then went back to her office for her other tasks.

Afterwards Night Fury asked Spike to take a letter to Princess Luna. She agreed to do so. She wrote that she was "Happy to benefit your people and also to explore these mysterious areas". She said she would meet him soon.

After night went by, Night Fury was ready to get some shut eye waiting for the big day ahead. When suddenly…

Boom

He jumped out of his bed and saw clouds were spiraling around. Was there some sort of tornado going to form? But then he saw a carriage guided by two guards with bat wings descending onto his front lawn. He saw the mysterious hooded figure walk out and when after this figure removed the hood he realized it was his friend.

"Luna?" he said while running out of his villa and to her. "Wow, you sure know how to make an entrance!" he said with excitement. "I didn't expect you to come this soon and at night!" 

"Why this is simply part of how the princess of the night makes her announcements. And I think you know as well as me, I prefer going out at night instead of blinding daylight!!!" she said with some anger. "How does my sister tolerate it?!... Oh, uh sorry." 

"Nah it's okay, I understand. The night is soothing and you can sneak around with no one watching you. It makes it mysterious, that's for sure." Fury said in an almost predatory way. 

"You speak my language, Night Fury."

"So, are we gonna go to sleep now?" 

"No. We are going out right now."

"Wow really? I would love to but would you-"

"I am The Princess Of The Night. I have seen my fair share of nocturnal beasts, some small, some great. I am perfectly ready to do it at this time. Unless you would rather not do so…" she teased him.

Night Fury could never resist one of these late night adventures his mother would always scold him for.

"No way madam, I say if you're game, I'm game. I have everything set for us! Rations! Documents! Two nice tents for us! We're all set." he said confidently.

"Then let us not waste time and get moving."

They both proceeded to walk to the Everfree Forest in the light of a crescent moon. To a normal pony, this would be the worst time to adventure. But to these two, it was simply a walk in the park.

Later… 

As they were walking in the Everfree Forest, the two noticed the sense of strangeness to the place. It felt so chaotic. Even Night Fury who had traversed many a jungle felt like there was some energy to this forest.

"Well, what do you think of this place so far, Fury?"

"It's a lot more dense than I thought," he said, climbing a tree by a swamp, walking off a bough and then leaping to the tree across the swamp. "And the size of these trees! They could give the jungle I lived in a run for its money." 

"That is true." Luna simply flew across the swamp. "So, where are we on the map?"

"Well, the map says we are approaching Cockatrice cave. And according to the journal of earth pony Tomato Seeds, the first explorer to try to investigate said we have to go past the cave to get to our path. But… he also mentions how he saw a slab with paw symbols that he wasn't able to retrieve. That sounds like my people's writing system! Perhaps I can understand it and it will give clues! We should go in!" he said with eagerness.

"Um, Night Fury, do you even know what a cockatrice is?" 

"Nope! But if they're chickens like their name implies, then I can just scare them off!"

"Well, for your information, these cockatrices are able to turn you into stone from their very sight." Luna said.

"I've seen crazy creatures in my life but that sounds a little far… Ow! What was… that?"

He saw two old fashioned explorer statues.

"Huh, these are nice statues. They look just like explor- Wait. These look like explorers!"

Night Fury realized that these pony explorers looked like the ones from a photo of Tomato Seed's expedition party. These were the ones he mentioned went missing! Now Night Fury realized the situation at hand.

"Oh my gosh…! Are you serious?! That is horrifying!" Night Fury said with genuine fear. "We need to watch out for these creatures. And no way am I reading that slab in the lair with all the cockatrices!" 

Luna nodded and they proceeded to walk past the cave until…

"Wait," Luna said. "This journal by another explorer named Star Storm says that there is an ancient story in the records that states that certain creatures like cats or snakes are able to resist their gaze. And some with enough command over nature, can stop their stone penetration. Such as Fluttershy, who can tame animals."

"Oh yeah! Since my kind has the power to turn into any creature they choose, including cockatrices, we are immune to their petrifying stare." Night Fury said, recalling what his elders have told him about his powers. "And better yet, we don't even have to be in the same form as said creature to gain immunity. Which is good for me, because I still don't have control over that ability yet."

"Impressive! Your ability reminds me of changelings!"

"In a way, but unlike them, we retain our color. So even if I were a manticore I would appear black. So it's mostly for fighting although we might blend in with less perceptible animals."

"Very interest- Wait, I hear something in the bush!

They watched from the bush to see a cockatrice. It looked kind of silly to Night Fury. But he knew of the danger they posed.

"Stand back Luna, and cover your eyes. Let me handle this." Fury said sternly as he walked closer to the cockatrice. Luna covered her eyes with her wings, but opened them slightly to see the scene that was about to unfold so as to not miss the impending action. 

"Alright, you weird little chicken snake, bring it on." He said in a cold voice, slowly extending his claws to both show that he was ready for a fight and that he was serious. 

It ran and tried to peck Night Fury but he dodged it while trying to slap the creature. But the Cockatrice was fast and also dodged. They kept it up trading blows when finally they looked into each other's eyes.

They both stared quite a bit. This was now or never. They gazed intensely until finally the cockatrice gave up. It was utterly exhausted and decided to retreat into the woods. But Night Fury wasn't gonna let it go so easily.

"Come back here, you tasty little vermin! Let me have a slice of you!"

"Fury stop! It's retreating. We have to keep on going now to the cave!"

"Yeah yeah, but what's the fun in letting your enemies get away? And besides, that little thing could be my dinner!" Fury said, drooling slightly. 

That stare must have unleashed a carnal instinct. This is not like Fluttershy's stare. I have to stop him before he goes on a rampage. Unless…

"Halt Night Fury, if you want a cockatrice then may I recommend the cave? There are a whole bunch of them! Use your animal nature for something productive! What do you say?!" Luna asked him.

"You know what, you're right! Why waste time with one of them when there's a bunch held up in the cave. And as a bonus, we can get to that slab of ancient text once I clear the place out! Hohohooo, one free feast coming right up!" Fury said, completely focused on the cockatrices inside the cave as he raced in and went for it. 

ROARRRRR!!! 

Luna heard a cacophony of noises. It sounded like a warzone there.

The lone cockatrice that was still outside the cave with her looked towards the lunar princess with a terrified look.

"I wouldn't count your blessings that he's in there and not out here, you're probably going to be the dessert." She said bluntly, the scared chicken snake whimpering as the loud noises continued. 

"RAWKKKKK!!!!" The cockatrice ran as quickly as possible from the terrifying creature.

"Alright I think this has gone on long enough," Luna said. "Now it's time to snap him back to normal."

She went in and saw him still eating a cockatrice. She was pretty disgusted but she has seen worse in her dreams.

"Alright Night Fury, you have had your cravings now turn back to normal so we can continue."

"Urp, ahhhh! Ok Luna, but let me tell you, I haven't eaten like that in years!" He said, burping loudly as he had been satisfied with his rather large meal. 

"I am not surprised" Luna rolled her eyes.

"Oh, that felt awesome! I really had a great feast. Maybe I can have one more cockatrice…"

STOMP

"SILENCE NIGHT FURY! YOU ARE TO RESTORE YOURSELF AND GET BACK TO THE MISSION IMMEDIATELY! THAT IS AN ORDER!"

"Ahhhh!" Night Fury yelled in fear. He never witnessed anything like her. And then all of a sudden he felt… calm again.

"Oh wow… I went all out, didn't I?" He looked at all the cockatrices he had eaten, mere skeletons being the only remnants of their existence.

"Yes indeed, you did. I thought you were going to tear up the whole cave."

"Heh, sorry about that. It was quite a meal at least, heh."

Luna still looked at him seriously.

"But… yeah I think that stare is something I'll have to be more careful with. When I was battling that cockatrice, I could tell how fierce it was. And I think its ferocity  passed over to me."

"I'm just glad you're back to normal."

"I would like it if you didn't tell anypony this part about Speed Shifters, at least not yet. We wouldn't want ponies like Blueblood causing a fuss over this. I'll try to be more in control of my instincts. I guess my father hasn't taught me about controlling instincts yet since I was so young."

"Agreed. But let's get back to the slab."

They both looked at the slab and while Luna was confused, Night Fury instantly read the inscription. 

"Wow, it's an ancient tablet. It seems to entail the source of my ability to change my form. This must be at least a couple hundred, if not a couple thousand years old. My people haven't used this writing method for what feels like forever." Fury said, looking over the slab of ancient text. 

He was amazed at this information in this slab. This is information that the sages would have died to retrieve. He proceeded to take a picture with a camera and Luna used her spell to quickly copy the slab's text to the journal.

"We could use this for the museum." Luna said.

"Absolutely!" Night Fury said, trying to pick up the tablet. It was a bit heavy so Luna levitated it on her back which was barely an issue for her.

"Wow, you ponies are really strong. For many Speed Shifters that would be uncomfortable."

"Well, ponies are designed to carry heavy loads, especially Earth Ponies. As an alicorn, I combine the powers of all three pony races, in this case the strength of Earth Ponies." Luna explained.

"Fascinating. I remember tales from our elders of some all powerful Speed Shifters that are too awesome for words. Some say that they may have even had the combined power that could rival an alicorn like you! I wonder if we'll find that information later in that settlement or this tablet under further research."

"Would you like to go back now? We already have this tablet which will already give ponies an idea of your culture." Luna said.

Night Fury shook his head.

"Nuh uh. One tablet does not make a museum. We gotta go deeper, we need to find that settlement. And besides, I'm having too much fun exploring." Night Fury said. "In fact, let me see that tablet again! Maybe it will give us more info!"

Luna said to herself that she should have known Night Fury would want to keep going. He is a creature of the night and the wild after all. She levitated the tablet to the eager feline.

"Let's see… let's see… Hey, what's this?" He saw something that caught his eye. 

"What is it?"

"It's a poem. It seems dedicated to the greatness of a city called the Silverblue City named so for being built around turquoise and silver."

"Turquoise is not native to the area around Ponyville. It must have been imported but this area used to have a mine of silver." Luna recalled.

"I see." Night Fury said, still reading it. "It seems like they talk about how this city used to be a land of demigods and how it used to have one hundred years of peace and prosperity. In a city with exotic flowers, for a Speed Shifter, a huge fountain and a just dynasty who ruled fairly except for a few bad apples. And how the moonlight and stars reflected on the silver giving a beautiful aura"

"That sounds absolutely beautiful. I wish I had gone there. It might have been even before my time. If only Tomato Seed had seen this tablet." Luna wondered aloud. But then she realized something. "Wait, 'used to be'? So when that dedicatory poem was written, it was already gone?"

"Yeah, it seems to be." Fury said. "I guess this is some nostalgic throwback to the good  days. I wonder what happened to the Silverblue?"

"Perhaps we can get more answers, when we find the lost city. Let us get back on course," Luna said. "Is there any information there that might be a clue?"

"Well, it says a river of dreadful beasts used to trouble the city until they were cleared out. They were part feline, part scorpion, and part bat."

"So, manticores." Luna said.

"So maybe we have to follow a river!" Fury said.

"That seems fairly obvious." she said with a bit of snark. "The problem is that the manticores were apparently cleared out. And there are many rivers."

"I see. Hmmm. Is there any description of this river?"

"It seems not. Hmmm let me… ow." Luna bumped into some skeletons but it was not of cockatrices, they were of manticores.

"Wow, that's a lot of bones. It's like a manticore graveyard." Then Fury noticed a claw point. "There seemed to be a raid from Speed Shifters here, the claw marks at unmistakable. Let's check around the cave!"

Night Fury and Luna proceeded to scan the area. But they found no rivers. But when they were about to give up they noticed a depression in the ground that formed a sort of mini valley. They realized this was the dried river.

"We found her!" Night Fury said eagerly. "Come on Luna let's get going!" he said as he ran over the river bed.

Luna did not expect Night Fury to have good detective skills but here he was. She was fairly impressed.

So they proceeded up the river bed realizing they were not going to see just some minor little colony but a lost city that could rival the Crystal Empire.

–

After an hour of walking on the dried river bed, the two had still not seen any in this city. But they did notice a few silver stones in the river bed. 

"Just be patient we're getting there." Fury said even though he was more impatient than Luna to see this great monument.

Luna didn't say anything as she was lost in thought. She was wondering what this city would be like and what its fate was. 

"Dang it." Night Fury said. "We still haven't found any clues except for some silver shards.

Luna decided to look in the thesis of the second explorer Star Storm. Now he had not written anything about the city but it seems he had another artifact, an ancient scroll preserved in an airtight jar, that they didn't have at the moment. Since he did not read the Claw Script, he could only guess from the pictures. 

"It says it is 'concealed from those who are evil, that is in a place where white flowers from the sky pour onto the sides of a bowl'."

"What's that supposed to mean? That sounds like one of my aunt's terrible recipes."

Luna thought about it. So far she had not seen any white flowers in the Everfree Forest. They wouldn't grow well.

"Wait, what if it's a metaphor?!"

"A what?"

"A metaphor for something that stands in for something else." Luna said. "Quick, what could white flowers from the sky be?"

"Well maybe…um…snow?"

"Yes, snow! And it is on the sides of the mountain. Well there is only one mountain with snow which is over there! And it forms a bowl protecting the city with a round rock wall!" Luna said.

"In that case we should go over there! To that mountain!" 

"Agreed!"

A few minutes later they made it and found a cave. Using some flares and sketching a map so they could return easily, they started to notice something bright in the distance.

Night Fury quickly went in and what he and Luna saw was something they never could imagine.

There they saw a metropolis double the size of The Crystal Empire. And they witnessed literal buildings made of silver and some gold. And they noticed turquoise carvings in the area.

"It is simply divine." Luna said, impressed.

"Yeah you're telling me." Night Fury said.

As they walked around the paved stone walkway they noticed it was guarded by statues of chiefs, some serpents, and even a few half serpent half feline creatures.

"My goodness. How did we not know of this place?" Luna said.

"I guess that's what happens if the place is abandoned and it seems like the top is covered by a roof." Night Fury said wondering if the speed shifters wanted it to be hidden. Perhaps from manticores?

"Well either way I suppose we should just collect some artifacts here and go put them in the museum. We need to find some figurines." Luna said.

"Sounds good to me. There are several buildings here to go. So let's go do some collecting!" Fury said eagerly.

The two proceeded to look through some of the buildings. They looked at places like a granary, a speed shifter ball game, the barracks and other buildings.

They found some nice things like some rollers and old grains stored in pots, some spears and arrows, and even a ball used for play.

Luna seemed quite satisfied. She felt like she was ready to report these things. But not Night Fury.

"That's all we collected?! I was hoping for something cooler! Something kind of like that slab we found. We need more. And I think I know just where to go…" He said looking at the huge pyramid made of silver but with gold animals over the silver background. And it had many precious stones, not just turquoise but others like jade. 

He realized this pyramid had to have something extraordinary in there. Maybe some more lost lore of the Speed Shifter past. Maybe some jewelry. Maybe even a prophecy. 

"Night Fury, we already have enough. We should just go back. Temples if reading those Daring Do books is any indication, these temples tend to be very dangerous. I know from personal experience that they can be deadly."

"You think I don't know that? And I still went in anyways!" He said already walking up the stairs. "Let's go. And we'll keep the okay artifacts outside the pyramid in case the worst happens."

Luna sighed. Night Fury always wanted to go for the big prize even if it was a bit more dangerous. 

This will be a long night

-

As they went into the entrance they noticed it felt more ominous. The floors had some red in them and the walls instead of displaying inspiring tales of heroes, showed skeletons and some death.

"This seems like an ominous place." Luna said.

"I prefer the words fun and exciting." he said with confidence but with a tinge of worry.

As they went into a hallway they saw an inscription. 

THOSE WHO WISH TO LEARN OUR PEOPLE'S SECRETS MUST VENTURE FORTH. ARE YOU WORTHY OR NOT? IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE, GO ON INTO THE TOMB AND WE SHALL SEE IF YOU ARE WORTHY.

They noticed an arrow on the floor pointing to the door which said the word tomb. 

"It's nice they're so inviting." Night Fury said sarcastically. "Whatever they got in store for us, we'll be ready."

Luna was a bit nervous. But she knew she was powerful and she was ready for anything.

Before Nightfury opened the door he made sure he and Luna were a little too right just in case…

Woosh

The darts shot straight through. The classic temple trick.

He walked in the door and noticed it was a fine looking jar. He decided to open it, waiting for any booby traps and he saw… 

"Nothing?"

But soon he heard some levers and gears turning and he noticed the door was locked! 

"What is going on?!" Luna asked with some shock.

"I guess we're gonna find out!"

And notice they did. They saw a bunch of wooden statues of Speed Shifters with darts in their mouths. Night Fury was ready for this. He used his powers to go through these. He was powerful and quick enough to dodge them and destroy them. Meanwhile Luna was shooting these statues.

While all the darts they shot out were much, they finally destroyed all of them.

"Oh boy, I need a break."

"I could use some relaxation too." Luna said.

"Let's keep on walking, maybe we'll find stairs to the lower level."

As they walked, they noticed a lot of moss, and then even a few plants like flowers. It was quite an aroma in these hallways.

"I am surprised that vegetation is able to grow in these areas." Luna said.

"Well, I heard my grandparents say when they were hiding from a rival tribe for a few months, they used some special crystals to create light for the plants to grow and used an underground lake for water. Maybe this is why the Speed Shifters traded with the Crystal Empire for these special abilities."

"Ah, very interesting." Luna said. "Your people knew quite a bit about how to make things work. It might even be useful for us ponies."

"Yeah… Wait, what's that?"

They hid behind a bush and they saw a manticore for whatever reason a giant Cragodile  taking a nap.

"I think we should go another way." Luna said.

"Yeah, maybe."

The two proceeded to go through the caves putting flares for the sake of navigation and they start to notice even more greenery, especially vines.

They had better things to do then to look at vines because they found some stairs finally on the other side of the hallway. The two kept on walking through the vines, soon noticing a subtle tickling sensation. 

"Heh, I wonder what that was?" Luna asked.

"Heh heh I don't heh heh know, but we're ha ha almost there ha ha ha ha!!!" 

As they laughed more they noticed vines were blocking the way. 

"Let me try and cut some of them!" As Fury was about to chop one of them, it wrapped around his arm. And he could feel the little hairs and then he laughed like he never had in his life.

"HA HA HA HA HA!!! IT TICKLES SO MUCH!!!"

As they were being tickled and wrapped up slightly they heard another sound. One that sounded like the dreadful Cragodile  Fury heard as a youngster.

"The vines ha!" Luna said. "They seem ha ha ha to have minds of their own! Their scent combined with those small hairs makes it easy to laugh out loud!" she said, reluctantly laughing.

"If we keep this up, that creature is gonna find us instantly! We have to get out of here!" Fury said while laughing.

Fury used some of his speed shifter energy to get himself and Luna out of the vines. But more were being regenerated.

As they flew and ran for their lives and silence the vines started to try to chase after them through the hallways. But it was probably a trap since they went into a hallway with so many vines they partially brushed their flesh. They tried their hardest not to laugh but could not resist.

ROARRRRRRRR

The two noticed not one but three Cragodile's  drawn to the excessive laughter.

"I think this is it for us, Night Fury!" Luna said. "We should have just been satisfied with the artifacts we had!"

"Look, everything will be fine! There's never been a situation ha ha I couldn't myself out of! Just truhahast me!"

Night Fury had to think of what to do. Cragodile's  were running surprisingly quickly to them and the vines were tickling them and slowing them down.

"Wait… I got it! Stay still Luna!"

The giant reptiles were about to munch on the two. 

"Luna, you have to jump on the Cragodile 's neck!"

"Are you insane?!" Luna asked.

"Yeah, I sure am but that will save our behinds. Get ready!"

As the Cragodile's were about to feast on them, Night Fury and Luna jumped on them, making the other Cragodile's  try to also jump on it.

While that was going on the three Cragodile's  touched the vines. And then the vines started to wrap around them causing the most horrifying sound ever.

RA KA KA KA KA!!!

The Cragodile's were laughing. They were now distracted by these vines.

"What just happened?" Luna said no longer laughing.

"I made the Cragodile's  hit the vines so they would be focused on them instead of us. I especially made sure their sensitive neck was the part that got tickled." Night Fury said.

Luna saw that the Cragodile's  were being tickled to such an extent they sounded like hyenas. It seems like the vines might actually suffocate them eventually. It was a bewildering experience but now they could finally make it to the stairs.

"Well, we better leave before the Ticklorus Vienna or tickle vines get back to us!" the princess said.

"Yeah, let's get outta here!" 

Night Fury and Luna both finally went downstairs.

Hoping not to see another dart trap or raving Cragodile, they expected the worst. 

Once they walked down the stairs, they noticed how much darker it seemed. 

"Wow, it's pretty dark down here. It's a good thing us felines have natural night vision." Night Fury said, relieved that his genetics were coming in handy. 

"You're lucky you felines can do that. I have to use this glow spell to light up the place. My eyes as well as my Night Guards are better than the average pony at seeing the dark but even we need some light from another source."

"Yep, it's great to be a Speed Shifter!" Night Fury bragged.

The two adventurers finally made it to the bottom floor. It was unlike the other floors being that it felt damp and soft. 

"I think we might have reached the bottom of the building and made it to the ground." Luna said, a bit grossed out by the moist dirty environment. Night Fury seemed to not worry since his people were used to this.

They wandered the floor for a few minutes. They were a bit frustrated that there was not any obvious door they could see.

"Hmmm, maybe it's a secret passage that we have to look for. Something not that obvious but might give us a clue." Fury chimed in "Let's try and look for something that's out of place, maybe we could find our way to this ancient treasure." 

They began to look around the passage, searching for something that stuck out from the darkness. They soon came to the end of the dark hall where three torches were hanging on the wall. 

"Hmm, maybe we made a wrong turn. These torches don't seem out of place down here." Luna said, now having doubts that this treasure even existed.

"Luna, wait! I see something." Night Fury called out, pointing at the torches. "Look at the middle torch, it's a fake made out of hardened glass! My mom liked to show me her hardened glass figurines she would sell and showed me how to recognize the little details."

Luna took a few steps closer to the three torches, lo and behold, the central torch was made out of hardened glass.

"Your right, the torch is a fake. The glow of the other two must have kept any suspicion from leaking out. Good eyes." She said, giving a wink. Fury blushed at the compliments, he felt like the luckiest cat in the world to have gotten to go on an adventure with her.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. Now, let's see what this holds." Fury said excitedly, pulling the now revealed secret lever down. They started to hear creaking and clicking noises, clearly the sound of old, rusted gears turning. The sounds continued to ring out for a few seconds and stopped. The two looked around them and they couldn't see anything that had changed, maybe the lever was a dud.

"Huh, maybe the lever was a fake. Whoever made this must have known that a trick like this was too simple for anyone to figure out." Fury said, a little disappointed.

"You may be right, I don't see anything differ-" Before Luna could finish her sentence, the floor under them gave way and dropped them onto a hidden slide. 

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!" Luna and Night Fury cried out. They were going fast to someplace they did not know where. Even for Night Fury this was a bit too much. He had his claws at the ready in case he had to use them to hang on if there was a cliff or if an enemy was waiting for them.

Finally they reached the end. And to their relief it was not spikes or fearsome creatures. It was a room. 

"Well that was… interesting." Fury said, breathing heavily from the sudden adrenaline rush. "You wanna do it again?"

Wack! 

"Ow! I was just joking, just trying to lighten things up!" 

"Well, it wasn't funny." Luna said sternly. "I do not like being out of control like that. I'm just thankful we didn't get lured to some horrible fate."

"Yeah, you definitely made that apparent, sheesh." He said, rubbing his neck from Luna's strong earth pony-like hit.

Night Fury then saw something unlike the wet and damp room of nothingness. It sparkled which while not out of the ordinary up above, it was down under the pyramid.

"Uh Luna, you see what I'm seeing?" He questioned. 

"I think I do. It looks like a statue of… one of your kind but larger and with long front fangs like a sabertooth tiger." She said, looking at the large regal figure.

Luna took to her hooves, helping Night Fury up with her as she kept her eyes on the peculiar sight. They walked towards the statue and observed it, it was indeed a sabertooth tiger that was on display before them.

"Hey, it's got some engraving on the bottom." Fury said, turning his attention to a bronze plaque that was at the statue's base.


Emperor SnowDrift 


The First Speed Shifter 


"Luna, this isn't just a statue… This is a memorial for the birther of my kind!" Fury said as he looked up at the statue. 

"Do you recognize this creature?" 

"Recognize him? Luna, this guy is a living legend among my people! Legend has it that he took on the Windagos head to head and defeated them with ease. Our kind have believed that he was the reason the Windagos are nothing more than ethereal spirits now instead of having physical forms!"

Luna was amazed at this. She never thought that those dreadful beasts used to be of the physical realm. She shuddered to think what kind of creatures they were before becoming ethereal. 

"If that is true, that happened even before me, even before the unification of Equestria, even before the six Pillars of Harmony formed the Elements!"

"But that's just a minor feat compared to his sheer importance. He was the first to unite our disparate feline tribes into one glorious empire! Whether Speed Shifter, Cougar or even Abyssinian, we all revere him. He was basically the equivalent to Celestia in our culture." 

Luna was amazed. There were few creatures as powerful as the alicorns. But this one could have been more powerful than even Celestia.

"That is astounding, we have to find something for the records!" She said

"And I know exactly what. Look, there's a scroll in his mouth." Fury pointed out. He climbed the statue and pulled the scroll out of the statue's mouth, hopping down and opening it to read it.

"Huh, it seemed to be in an older version of my kind's writing techniques. No problem, it's nothing I can't decipher." Fury said as he began to read the scroll.

"For one to bring the light, you must take on the darkest fights. For only one will stand with victory, their name forever embedded in history. From the ancient treasures that line this room, to the shrouded remains that will be my tomb." He read, reciting the poem with fluid speech.

"These must be his final words before he died." Luna pointed out.

"Yeah, and he seemed to have wanted someone to find it on purpose." Fury answered. He continued reading.

"With these final words, I bid you farewell. To the brave travelers who might find my cell. With these spoken words, I am happy to meet you. You have proven your strength and cunning. With this spell completed, it is time that I finally greet you." As Night Fury finished the poem, the parchment began to glow brightly. He became startled and dropped it, not knowing what spell he had supposedly enchanted. 

"What was that?" Luna said.

"I don't know!" he said as saw some parchment glowing a bright blue. A ball of energy was being formed and expanding. 

"Let's leave now!!!" Luna cried out while running away.

"Yeah! I… wait." Instead of running. He faced the aura of energy. He couldn't explain it but he felt like this was his destiny. His brain was telling him to hightail it out of there, but his heart was telling him to stay put. 

"It would be impolite to not greet… the Emperor," Night Fury said while being engulfed by the light.

"Night Fury!!!!" Luna screamed, but her voice seemed to fade away from Fury's ears.

-

Night Fury seemed to be in some different world. He was in some snowy rocky landscape. It was cold. He wasn't used to cold temperatures.

"Where… where am I?" He said while shivering.

"Emperor! You said you would greet us! Please show your face, so I might know what you want me to do."

All he got in response was more shivering winds. He wrapped himself with pine needles. But he swore he could hear the wind speak as if it were directing him.

"H-hello, who's t-there?" 

Go up the mountain…

"Go up the mountain, but where would that be?"

It blew even harder. Night Fury turned around and then he saw what appeared to be steps.

"Is this where you want me to go?" 

The wind didn't answer this time. So Night Fury decided to walk up the stairs all the way up the mountain.

"Great more stairs. I can't even run because I'm so cold…"

But he kept on going up the mountain knowing that there had to be something to look forward to.

When he finally made it up the top, to his surprise instead of being hidden he saw a huge feline's back looking over the mountain perhaps in deep thought.

He was right behind this legendary feline.

"Emperor Snowdrift?" He called out to the mysterious figure. 

…

"It is I," Night Fury said while bowing. "Night Fury from the Moonlight Tribe of Thunder Hollow. I have come seeking answers about my people. If I have wronged you, then I am truly sorry and will make amends-"

"You talk too much, young Speed Shifter." A low powerful voice emanated from the Emperor. 

The Emperor turned around and looked him in the eyes. Night Fury felt terror like he never had before. 

"I was simply observing these snow capped lands. Beautiful, are they not?"

"Um…"

"Well, speak up, I can't hear you!" 

"Yes, Your Highness, they are very lovely and I would live here for the rest of my life!" Night Fury said hoping this would please him.

"Ha ha ha ha ha. Don't be so afraid. I am just making as the younglings say 'small talk'."

Night Fury then started to realize he was making a fool of himself. And that the emperor perhaps would appreciate strength instead.

He got up. 

"Alright then, Emperor, I'm not going to waste any of our time anymore. I would like to ask where I am? And where is Luna? And why did you summon me here?"

"Slow down boy! I will answer all of them." he said with a bit of a deep but powerful laugh.

"First off, about the friend of yours called Luna. She is fine, in fact, she is right behind you in a bit of a confused fit. Don't worry about her, she'll recover out of her panic… eventually."

Fury was surprised that this emperor had a sense of humor. It was kind of like Celestia or himself. But with a somewhat darker and more ominous feel to his sense of humor.

"Heh heh… well, alright…. So in that case, where am I?"

"Why this place, my dear young friend, is the top of the Silverblue Mountain! You might have heard of a poem describing the snow falling into the basin."

"Hold on a second, sir. The whole area is covered in snow!"

"Why yes, this was during the reign of the Windagos. When the world was covered in frost. A world that I was born into. And this mountain is a reminder of that fact." 

"You see, long ago the felines were once one people just making ends meet and having to deal with the cruel Windagos who tried to torment us and make us suffer by feasting on us." The Emperor said with a grim expression.

"Oh I got it!" Fury said. "You went here because it reminded you of some snowy mountains because of the snow on the mountain!"

"Nope, you have it in reverse. This was our original homeland before we migrated to the jungles."

"Wait, what?! So you're saying you guys lived here the whole time originally? Gee, I thought this was a land of ponies."

"The equines came later than us. So for sometime they were not aware of our presence in this area."

Night Fury was quite excited to get this new info. This is stuff not even the old sages or his parents had no knowledge of.

"So does that mean that instead of us selling turquoise we sold the silver and went into the jungles for turquoise?"

"That is correct, boy! I don't know how succeeding generations failed to understand these facts. But it shows the great failure of educating the next generations. But you seem to be quite knowledgeable."

"Well my teacher always told me how smart I was and how attentive I was." Night Fury lied, trying to impress him.

"That facial expression means you did not do well at school, did you?" He inquired. 

"No I didn't." Fury admitted.

"Boy, I am the origin of your blood. You can't lie to me." He said, deadpanning. Fury sighed. "I was only asking you to see how you would respond. Well I guess that shows your Speed Shifter society needs better education."

"Okay okay, I wasn't as attentive as I said I was. But I do have one question though,"

"Then speak it, I am your friend here." The Emperor spoke calmly.

"As a child, I always wondered how my kind gained the ability to change our form and how we controlled it. I was hoping that my parents would have the answer, but something… bad happened to them before I could get one." Fury said sadly, recalling that fateful moment in his early adulthood. 

"I see… I am sorry to hear about your parents… But to answer your question, we always tried but no matter what, us felines were always weak against the Windagos. At best we could delay them so that we could hide out. For a few years it got so bad that we decided we had had enough. As the young recently elected chief of the felines, I began to research about the traits of Windagos and to understand their mystical properties. As I, along with a group of other noble warriors, began research on a rare corpse of a Windigo, a rookie named Curious Paws touched it, and he started to glow."

Night Fury was paying a lot of attention now.

"But I realized the Windago's power was something that could be used to fight the Windagos. However it seemed only me, Curious Paws and three other felines were affected. But that was fine enough, the question was could they be used in battle."

"It gave us certain abilities like having quicker reflexes, and being more resistant to wounds. Nothing really impressive by modern Speed Shifter standards but we did better."

"Now our fights started to be more even, instead of rare pyrrhic victories, we started to actually regain territory. We were winning for a while but then we had to deal with the Windago's Queen." 

Night Fury was hearing this as if he were a kid hearing his father tell stories.

"In the Battle of the Mountain, the queen was impossible to defeat. No matter how many times we slashed her, she simply shrugged it off. Most of us decided to retreat but then the aforementioned Curious Paws kept on fighting. And the Queen Windigo destroyed him not even giving him an honorable death but instead humiliated him. For my part I was both furious and ashamed. I wanted to quit the battle but this young clumsy naive warrior did not give up."

"So in my rage and sorrow, I decided to give one last stand to fight this dreadful queen. But somehow I felt different. The loss of a martyr made something come out of me. I felt there was a blue energy coming out of me. I didn't understand what it was but I realized I needed to use it before it was too late. So I ran and when I ran… I went fast like no other. I could see everything more slowly. My hits affected the queen and she roared in pain. And I did it so much that she literally disappeared and the snow melted along with her!"

Night Fury was in sheer awe. He never realized that it was because of the Windagos and an emotionally disruptive event that the Speed Shifters were created. 

"From that point on, I felt strange. I felt like I was too light and I was not completely physical. Don't you see Fury, we are like the Windagos, partly energy. And our emotions are a massive part of how we now function."

"And so the group that got the Windago's magic became the Speed Shifters and we were rewarded and remembered in songs and poems for our legendary feats."

"After a generation, we became revered as we trained in these powers. But the other felines sometimes became jealous of us, and some of us Speed Shifters were power hungry and wanted to use their power to subjugate."

"And so in the City State of Silverblue, a Speed Shifter simply named the Night Tyrant killed his normal feline brother king and ruled with cruelty. With excessive taxes and overworking our people." 

"The normal felines had enough and revolted. The tyrant had become so powerful, he became cocky. He justified giving the meat away from the commoners to his elite warriors and a mob of angry felines came in. They used trickery to lure the brute and… quartered him."

"What does quartered mean?" Fury naively asked.

"You do not want to know."

"But when he was defeated, all Speed Shifters were seen as tyrants and so some of us were massacred at night, even the ones who rebelled alongside them. So us survivors under my direction after I retired as chief led the Speed Shifters to migrate far away into the jungles. And that is why I led the Speed Shifters not only away from our homeland… But everyone refuses to remember our dark history. It's why our great Feline Empire lasted not 500 years as it seems to be retold but only 40 years"

Night Fury felt a chill up his spine. This was a dark past. No wonder why everyone chose to forget it. 

"I can't believe that Tyrant dude ruined everything. He ruined all the dreams of hope and unity we once had. Thank goodness the ponies didn't have to go through this."

"Well before the Tyrant used to be another great hero. But he got corrupted by his power and some say him with his powers turned him into a monster. Instead of practicing moderation he practiced greed and cruelty."

Night Fury was horrified. What if that happens to himself? As much as he would like to ask about culture, he realizes he needs to know how to control his powers so he doesn't turn maniacal.

"Well if that's the case, then I have another question. How do I control my power? I don't want to become like these villains of the past, but I also don't want to be left powerless when my time comes to defend my honor. Please tell me, how would I go about learning this part of me." Fury asked the Emperor. 

"Calm down. You're too quick for an old cat like me. Listen, the key is this. It took time but we realized we had to go through some exercises. Have you ever been told by your father to take a nap after every time you use too much energy?"

"Yeah, he literally threatened me with sleeping in the rain for a day if I didn't do it. He told me it was good for my health but was never specific." 

"Well, my young feline, he said that for a reason. The reason why you should do this is because it is a form of meditation." 

"Meditation? I mean, I know taking naps is relaxing and good for keeping a healthy lifestyle, but meditation? I would never have guessed." Night Fury said somewhat unenthusiastic about meditating.

"You'll get used to not being hyperactive for a few seconds. My daughter finally got to doing it." he said, teasing him somewhat.

Night Fury was not amused at this old emperor. He was like a snarky version of his rule abiding and cultured mother more than himself and his father Obsidian.

"I'm not hyperactive! I just don't like doing that boring stuff." Fury said, attempting to defend himself.  "But I'll do it if it means I won't endanger those around me."

"Good. That is good. There is a manuscript under the statue that details different meditation techniques. But it will only go so far. You will probably have to make your own as you grow more powerful."

"Okay, that's good. But, I'm here with you, how would I get out of here if I'm here with you?" Fury inquired, Emperor Snowdrift facepawed and sighed at his blatant lack of attention span.

"Didn't you hear me boy, all of this isn't real! The poem you read was also a spell to enter the spirit world! By the gods, you younglings don't have any retention of information." He roared angrily. 

"I'm sorry, I'll do better with my mind!" Fury apologized whimpering in the snow.

"Alright, alright. Stand up. At this point, I think I have said everything I needed to say."

"Well that's great…"

"Except for one thing."

"Oh great…"

"This spell, once it seizes, will partially link us together." Emperor Snowdrift spoke. "I will help you with certain times. You can contact me if you need help."

"Nice! So if I need to sneak some cake, I can get you to help me?" He joked.

The Emperor simply shook his head.

"Don't make me change my mind about helping you. Kids these days." He said blankly.

"Oh yeah, sorry." Fury said, smiling awkwardly. "But in all seriousness there's nothing else?"

"Well, I will have more to tell you later. But I will save it for another time. Right now, train yourself. And once you're ready, we will meet again and I will tell you." 

"I will do my best to make you proud, Emperor." Night Fury said.

"Then go and make me proud, young one. And say hello to your friend for me." The Emperor said, waving to Night Fury with a proud smile. Night Fury grinned and waved in return, watching the snowy wind take the Emperor away in a sheet of white as he disappeared into the snow.

-

Night Fury's vision returned to reality as he awoke on the floor of the temple room with Luna next to him, a wing draped over him as she watched him silently. 

"Night Fury! Y-you're awake!" She said with happiness. 

"Awww, have you been worried about me?" Night Fury teased her.

"Don't joke about that!"

Slap

"Ow! Really, again?"

"What was the meaning of you going into that light instead of running away?! Were you insane?! What kind of fool does that?!"

… 

"Me." Fury answered.

Luna was now about to use some hostile magic..

"Okay, I'm sorry. Listen, everything is okay. I'm fine. I had to go in there because of the Emperor, he called out to me." Fury explained. Luna didn't see his explanation as sufficient and went to slap him again, only to have her swing caught in his paw.

"Alright Luna, you listen here and you listen good," Fury said, now irritated. "I get it, what I did was stupid. But if you don't let me explain, there will be problems. YOU UNDERSTAND?!?" 

Luna almost jumped at his voice. He normally was not a very angry person. But when he meant business, he meant business. And she realizes she owes him an explanation and the benefit of the doubt. He's not a child after all.

"My apologies. I let my emotions get the better of me. Please go on."

Night Fury then smiled. 

"Thank you. Now, when I went into the light, I was transported to an icy tundra, nothing else in sight. It was just me and the snow." Fury began. "All I could hear was the wind, but when I actually listened, the wind seemed to be speaking to me…"

Night Fury explained everything to Luna. Including their lost dark history, their meditation techniques, and how he had more stuff to do for Fury. Luna started to understand what he was saying now. 

"I see now." Luna said. "It must be amazing to see such a powerful entity of your history."

"Yeah. Oh and by the way, the Emperor says Hi." Fury said, chuckling slightly. 

"Ah, well that's nice of him. If you see him, tell him the Princess of the Night says hello too." Luna smiled.

"I definitely will, but there was something he told me about before I woke up," 

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"He told me that under the statue, there was a manuscript on the ancient meditation techniques of my kind. I need to get them." Fury explained. 

"Well, we should dig it up." Luna said.

"That's the idea!"

They both dug with their hooves and claws and quickly saw a codex of different techniques for concentration, relaxation and so on.

"Man, the cool pictures in this book make you forget you're doing meditation."

"You might learn that one day meditation can be very enjoyable for your mind." Luna said.

"If you and the Emperor say so." Night Fury said with some skepticism. "Anyways, do you have the bag of artifacts for the museum?"

"Yes I do." she said as she picked them up. Fury put the codex into the bag and put it on his back.

"Well, I think that's all of the artifacts in this place. We did well."

"I would agree, this was a rather fun escapade." Luna said.

"And now we can safely walk out with nothing to get in our way." But little did he know, he had jinxed both of them. 

"Wait, the scroll is glowing again." Luna said. "What does it say?"

He read it this time not saying anything while the scroll was open and simply read. "You have done your job. Now I shall help you leave. All I will say is… good luck, you will need it."

He closed the scroll and wore a worried expression on his face. 

And then they heard some rumbling in the pyramid.

"Um, Fury, what's going on?" Luna asked worriedly 

"I think by removing the codex, we triggered the temple to start collapsing!" 

"What are we going to do?!" Luna asked. 

"Let me think!"

Just as Fury was about to come to a solution, another door opened beside them. It revealed a slide that could possibly be an exit.

"I think the temple answered your question for you." Fury said, running over to the opening and stopping at the edge.

"What do we do now?" Luna inquired.

"I think there's only one thing we can do…" Fury said, gaining a cheeky smile as he pushed Luna out of the way and jumped into the slide.

"See you at the bottom, slowpoke!" He said, laughing deviously as he slid down the slide. 

"Wait, I'm not readyyyyy-!"

It was too late they slid down the slides.

"Yahoo! Now this is my form of meditation!"

"Ahhhhhhh!!!" Luna replied in terror. She hated these types of slides ever since she was a filly. She always hated when Celestia had her do them when they were fillies.

"Oh calm down, sissy pony, it's not that bad." Fury said cheekily. Luna's head snapped to him as his words hit her ears, she was not going to be known as a sissy pony. 

"Oh, I'll show you sissy pony, fish breath!" She replied, challenging Fury.

"Are you saying it's a race?"

"It's on, kitty cat!" Luna said, now showing a goofy smile. 

"Alright, but you won't beat an expert slider since childhood!" He said leaping over her and getting in front.

"Sorry Luna, you'll have to do better than- Ahhh!"

Luna literally shoved him to the other side to get past him. Now she was in front. 

"You were saying?!" She chuckled. Fury went red in the face, he was not losing to a princess.

"Oh no you don't, come here you!" He said, grabbing onto Luna and sending the both of them into a spin. Luna and Fury laughed and cheered as they slid and spun down the slide, they were completely blinded by pure joy and fun that they didn't see that the end of the slide, leading to a jump into a pool of water, was coming up fast. 

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I never had this much fun!" Luna yelled out.

"Yeah this is pretty awes-Ahhhhhhh!"

Night Fury and Luna both cried out as they took to the air, flying far away from the crumbling temple before making a loud splash into the pool of water. The two friends surfaced after a few seconds and laughed as their dizzy heads swirled and swayed.

"Woah, I am really dizzy hehehe." Fury chuckled, holding a paw to his head as he saw stars everywhere. 

"Hehehe, yeah me too." Luna replied, shaking her head to get rid of the dizziness. Once she regained her composure, she realized that Night Fury was still holding onto her. 

"Um, you can stop hugging me now." Luna said awkwardly.

"Huh… oh yeah, whoops!"  

They both sat there, in the water, awkwardly for a moment. Not just at the unexpected intimacy but also the sheer adventure they had exploring what was a minor Speed Shifter colony. But instead, it was one of those unforgettable journeys.

"What a crazy night huh, Luna?"

"Indeed. I'm going to have to take a huge break after this."

"Me too. Then I have to learn how to control my instincts." he said, a bit worried. "By the way, I think it might be best if we don't tell everypony about Speed Shifters, how one bad apple became a tyrant making all of us look bad, or about our instincts."

"Agreed, " Luna said. "If there's one thing me and Celestia both know. It's not to reveal everything too soon. Which is why our subjects know very little of a lot of things."

"Yeah, we'll just focus on the Speed Shifters beating the Windigos translucent behinds. Everybody would love that about Speed Shifters."

"Agreed." Luna said, giggling. 

"I see you've had a lot of fun Luna. See, isn't this better than boring government duties?"

"Well it definitely is more exciting, so yes."

"Nice." Night Fury said smiling. "Well let's get going. I can see the sunlight from here. It looks like it's dawn already.

They both got out of the pool and walked up out of the cave. And as they did they had some familiar visitors.

"Oh darling, are you alright?! You two look like you came out of a natural disaster."

"Yeah that's for sure," Rainbow Dash agreed.

"Hey guys, what are you doing here?" Fury said relaxed.

"We came to check to make sure you guys were okay. It's already nine in the morning and I sent a rescue party and we saw your tracks and it looks like you two had quite an adventure." Twilight said.

"What did you guys find?! Did you find an ancient civilization?!" Pinkie asked excitedly.

"Let's just say we discovered a lot and leave it at that, for now at least. But right now, I want to have some breakfast fish sticks." Night Fury said as he proceeded to walk back to Ponyville.

The Mane Six then looked at Luna.

"I agree with the Speed Shifter. But rest assured it was quite… nice." She said with a mild smile as she also walked back to Ponyville.

"Well that was a little anticlimactic." Rainbow Dash said. "Now what do we do?!"

The Mane Six just stood there for a bit.

"Could we just go back to sleep?" Fluttershy suggested.

"Yeah, it sounds good."

"I need my beauty sleep."

"I have a party to go to."

So all the Mane Six, seeing as there was nothing eventful having to do with them, just went back home to get some shuteye.

And so everyone went to sleep, awaiting what big events will happen in the future. For Night Fury, all he knows is that he has to do some training. 

But I'll be ready, just you wait, Emperor.

But as he fell asleep, the thing he remembered most was all the adventures with Luna. That was the best.
> Chapter 13: Going To The Next Level
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ugh, this is hard! Thanks Emperor for making these instructions the most enigmatic thing ever!

Night Fury was lying in the patio of his house in the shade of an apple tree. It had nice flowers, the best from Ponyville, and some nice birds that Fluttershy donated on the condition he doesn't eat those birds. And even a look alike of some temple ruins that Twilight supervised and Applejack and her family built. But he wasn't enjoying them because he was trying to understand what the heck he was supposed to do with the instructions!

"Alright, let me try again." He said as he looked at the scroll. "In order to stare into something with no side effects, I must clear my mind. Be one with what I am staring at." 

Be one with whoever I'm facing? What is that supposed to mean! Gah!

He threw the scroll at the wall. It wasn't just the staring technique but all the other ones too.

"I'm never gonna master this. Hmmm, I'm going to need some help. Maybe Twilight can give me some pointers. Yeah she's good at interpreting this egghead stuff. Alright Twilight here I come!"

-

Knock knock knock

The door of the Golden Treehouse opened. Twilight appeared. 

"Oh hello, Night Fury! How are you doing? She greeted him warmly. "Some work crews are still building that museum. It will probably be two weeks before it's ready for the public."

"That's great news." Then Night Fury's expression turned sour. "Too bad it's not going as smoothly for me these past two days."

"Why, is there something wrong?"

"You see, Twilight, I'm trying to interpret this scroll. It has some meditations and calming techniques to prevent me from going feral."

"Well it's good for you to be interested in reading ancient literature! Finally someone to talk with about this subject!" She said, missing the point.

"I'm not here for some egghead spiel! I'm here because I need to know how to calm myself so I won't let what happened with the Crystal Empire happen again!" he said with some annoyance.

"Oh sorry." Twilight said now with a more serious tone. "Come on in! I'll look at this document. And rest assured whatever happens to you, I'm going to give you a solution."

However it turns out that Twilight, while she understood the literary techniques of this scroll, was not adept at applying these meditations to Night Fury.

"I'm sorry Night Fury, these are methods unfamiliar to ponies. It's very hard for me to be able to understand these things. Maybe if I were on the same level as Starswirl I could instantly give you an answer but even I am not there yet."

Night Fury felt more hopeless now.

"Well, I'm glad you're trying. I guess we'll both have to spend a few weeks or months or whatever to understand this scroll."

Twilight looked at the scroll again. And then she realized something.

"Wait! I might have someone who can help you with these things. Someone who is more proficient at these emotions and its relationship with magic."

"Who would that be?" Night Fury asked.

"Zecora!"

"Yeah!… Uh, who is that?"

"She's what is known as a zebra. She came from some far away land and lives in the Everfree Forest."

"Wow, she must be hardcore if she lives there."

"She has special knowledge of magic and spells that most ponies are not familiar with. She seems more experienced than me. Maybe she can help you."

"Alright, is she some grumpy old witch though? I wouldn't want to train with another rough person. I already had enough childhood trauma… ugh." He remembered Amethyst briefly.

"She is the exact opposite of grumpy. She is very calm. And very nice. She's also not that old, probably my parents' age."

"Well if you say I can trust her, then I'm gonna go find her! But the Everfree Forest? I don't know. I've already been through a lot last time I went in…." Night Fury said.

"I'll take you to her and show you the path. We'll get you two acquainted. SPIKE!!! Me and Night Fury are going to Zecora's! Keep watch over the library!" Twilight instructed Spike. "Come on Fury. Let's go."

-

Twilight and the black feline were walking down the trail. Normally the Everfree Forest was dangerous but Zecora lived on the outskirts and formed a path and made sure creatures stayed away. 

Twilight and Night Fury finally made it to their destination.

"Well here we are, Night Fury. This is where Zecore stays." 

"Wow…"

Even for Night Fury, a feline who lived in the jungle, the look seemed alien to him. Those strange masks for instance. He wondered what this Zecora looked like.

Knock knock knock

"Ah hello, it is nice to meet you Twilight. I hope you are doing alright." Zecora greeted Twilight.

"I am doing very well, Zecora. But I came for an important reason. Not for me but for a new friend." 

"Ah I will be happy to assist, so they may be blissed." She said opening the door when she saw the large dark feline.

"Ahhhh, what is this?!" Zecora asked with intimidation as she got a spear out. "Get back, foul beast! You shall not have me for a feast!"

"Back off you, evil witch! You won't get me!" Fury said.

"Zecora, you've got it all wrong. He's an intelligent creature like you or me. His name is Night Fury and he came to ask for help."

Zecora at this point called a bit embarrassed at her inhospitality.

"A thousand apologies for my rudeness. I had never seen your kind in life. Except for some predators in my homeland or those manticores."

Night Fury was put off at first but he could see from her expression that she was not a fierce monster like he was expecting. She seemed like a nice mare.

"I can't blame you. This forest can be hard to make due."

After shaking hands Zecora got back to the point. "So what is that you require, if I may inquire?"

"It's… a long story." Twilight said.

"Very well, you may enter so that I may inquire." Zecora said going inside.

"Does she always speak in rhymes?" Night Fury asked Twilight.

"As far as I know, yes."

"Huh, I guess I'm not the only exotic one around Ponyville." He said as he went inside.

-

Twilight and Night Fury spent awhile sitting down by a table while explaining to Zecora, all the relevant details, including who the Speed Shifters are, some of Night Fury's life and how he got to Ponyville and so on. Zecora was quite amazed at this new stranger.

"This is quite impressive, something I've never heard of." Zecora said, astounded now realizing she was no longer the most exotic intelligent creature in Ponyville.

“Well, that’s what I've been getting from a lot of ponies. I can’t say that I’m surprised considering that I’m a foreign creature, but at least I have somepony to relate to.” Fury said, happy that he wasn’t the only one that was not from Equestria.

Zecora smiled at this. 

"That is indeed true young feline, I hope our hearts will align." 

“That’s all nice and dandy, but can we get back to what we were doing?” Twilight said with urgency. “We still have a job to get to.” 

“Yeah, Twilight’s right. I still need to learn how to control my powers and urges. It’s starting to get embarrassing when I start drooling in public when I see a loose chicken and I start getting the stink eye from other ponies.”

Zecora simply nodded as if taking it all in. And then she responded.

"This conversation was part of the test, to find out the solution that is best." Zecora said.

"Wait, really-"

"From what I can tell you seem to have a very energetic and optimistic aura about you… which can also devolve into lack of discipline, lack of patience, lack of attention…"

Oh great, she’s starting to sound like my old teacher. 

"And lack of concentration."

"Anything else you would like to add?" he asked, annoyed.

"Yes I do, but I will be through." Zecora quipped but then her face turned serious.

"In all seriousness, you should not be too embarrassed. Even though I am not a predator, I sometimes struggle with random unfairness.” Zecora admitted. "You seem to have a great level of integrity and willingness to learn. But it will take practice to gain the power that you wish to earn.”

“Well, I didn’t come here to just talk about my powers. Let’s get to it!” Night Fury proclaimed triumphantly.

"Alright, follow me to my private pond." Zecora motioned him to follow.

-

"Before we get into complex techniques like staring, we should start with something simple". Zecora took out a piece of ham. Twilight looked a little disgusted while for Fury it was like seeing a pretty lady.

"Oh yeah! That is what I call juicy!" Fury said, drooling slightly. 

"Well, for your first assignment, you are to not rush forward to me and grab the ham. You will have to show some restraint."

Night Fury was a little grumpy at this.

"I've played tricks before, but this is just evil! Can't I have a little?"

"No."

Twilight looked at Night Fury worried. It reminded her a bit of how Spike was unusually greedy that one time.

"Zecora," Twilight whispered. "I think he's about to grab the meat! How are you going to get through to him?"

"Just trust me, my young friend. I have a method for this."

Night Fury despite trying to stand still just couldn't resist and took the meat and ate it.

"Awww yeah mmmm! That was good." He said to himself with a mild predatory voice. "So how about we start the test now… Oh. Dang it!" Fury said.

"So it seems you are too fixated on your carnal fixation. You must distract yourself from that sensation."

Normally Night Fury was not a well focused fellow. He often ignored things that bored him. But gets obsessed with things he loves.

"Alright try this, Night Fury. Let us try again with another piece of meat. Only this time, this one is even more juicy. Resist if you can."

Night Fury tried to resist but he went for it again and gobbled it up but it was different. It was…

"Ewww! What the heck is this meat! Blech! What did you give me!" The carnivore asked with indignance.

"You see this meat is actually something I put a bit of my secret "sauce" in. You must associate your brain with a feeling of disgust. When you see a piece of meat you are not supposed to eat, imagine it was a horrible piece of trash." Zecora instructed.

"Do we have to do it this way?!" Night Fury whined. "Seriously, I'm starting to think you're trying to poison me!"

Zecora simply giggled.

"Well, the best medicines are poison if you think about it. A small disease in your body will protect you from a larger disease later on. But enough metaphors. You asked for my help, and now you will have it."

Zecora once again showed Night Fury a piece of meat. Zecora used a potion on this meat that makes it impossible to tell if it is delicious or horrible.

"Oh, I really want it… No it could be absolutely disgusting! You remember how it happened! But it could be the best thing ever! No you are mistaken! 

"I want that meat!" Night Fury gave in. Zecora simply bonked him on the head with her staff.

"Ow. Well that didn't work…"

"On the contrary, you spent twenty seconds longer contemplating. This is a good thing! We will keep doing this until your instincts have enough willpower to resist. We will keep doing this exercise for a few hours. So let us begin again!"

"Fine…."

The training went on for several hours. Night Fury would still give into the meat, but the time he spent refusing the temptation became longer and longer. Twilight had to admit she was impressed, she would have never expected him to show such great progress. Maybe she should bring Spike next time and have him trained.

"Okay, let us do this one more time." Zecora said, pulling out a full bone-in ham and presenting it to the feline in front of her. "Go on Night Fury, now is your time to shine." 

It was the most glorious piece of meat he had ever seen. At first he was tempted but somehow he didn't have the urge. It was beaten into subconscious how disgusting this piece of meat could be. He just felt like not eating it. He did salivate in his head but he looked perfectly normal and even focused on Zecora instead.

Clap clap clap

"Well done young cat. You have done much and that is a fact. You have done much to train yourself. Here you can have this piece of meat now. Let yourself eat."

"Yahoo!" He ate the meat with joy now. Voraciously, but this time with no guilt.

"I'm so happy for you, Fury. You're making a lot of progress."

Night Fury smiled. "It wasn't easy, but now I can tell that Emperor I have it all figured out! And the best part about it is that I did it all on an empty stomach!"

"Um, excuse me. "Figured out?" We have only started." Zecore reprimanded him. "This was just the first step to having basic discipline. But from what I read in those meditations, this will still not be enough for high stress situations when angered and with powerful techniques. You can now go into Ponyville and see meat without causing a fuss, but this will not apply in battle."

Night Fury's smile disappeared instantly.

"Oh I see. Dang it. Alright, well I might as well keep going if I made it this far already." He said with a bit of exhaustion. "What's next?"

"Our next lesson is about staring. When you were staring at the cockatrice, you became extremely feral. For actual combat like this we will need extra techniques like meditation, hypnosis and even a few potions to perform correctly." Zecora stated.

"Okay well, whatever those mean, I'm all in." Night Fury said getting ready.

"Alright then, in order for you to stare correctly you will need something to focus on." Zecora said. She took out a wooden statue of a cockatrice and placed it in front of Night Fury.

"Is this the creature you had problems with?" Zecora asked.

"Yeah those creatures… they made me feel so uneasy inside. When I was facing them I felt like I was facing Sombra himself. Metaphorically speaking. I'm amazed how a small creature like that can have that effect on me." Night Fury commented.

"It looks right into your soul. That is why. When it turns ponies into stone, there is almost a horror looking into its eyes that our body gives up."

"Well Zecora, that's where the problem lies. Because when I looked into that thing's eyes, I didn't get turned into stone, but I did go into what felt like a more vicious state of mind. Seriously, I went so ballistic that I ate a whole flock of them!" 

"I see…" Zecora said rather calmly at such news simply drinking her herbal tea. "Your mind instead of surrendering since your species is not able to be made stone, your mind went into a combative state. In many ways, the cockatrice won just like it would with a pony even if the results were different."

"What are we gonna do about it then?"

"Patience. Young one… Alright here is what you will do. You will look into this pendulum, watch it sway side to side. For your hidden problems shall finally arise."

Night Fury remained doubtful how looking at something like a little kitten would look at a piece of string.

"How is this little clock going to- Ah never mind let's just see what happens." Though Fury was skeptical, he knew Zecora was an expert.

"Look into the pendulum. Look into it. Your mind will be threatened by this cockatrice statue thinking it is a real one. I will count to three and shall be so. One… Two… Three!"

All that time Night Fury felt a little funny but he didn't notice anything.

"Huh, I wonder what happened." Night Fury said a bit confused.

Zecora then looked at Twilight. "Bring me one of the Cockatrice statues. And be careful this might get a bit messy until we finish our job."

Twilight nodded and brought along the statue. Night Fury saw it and instantly covered his eyes.

"What is that doing here?!"

"What will you do, Night Fury? How will you defeat it without losing your mind?"

"Well I-"

"You must stare into it. But this time you must recite the meditation in that scroll while you are doing it." 

"Will this really work?!"

"Trust me, young one," Zecora reassured him.

Trusting Zecora's judgment, he looked into the fierce monster's eyes. He gazed at it once again feeling both fear, anger and carnivorous pleasure.

"Okay here I go… Nashi rashi ura. Kuza jari yasha. Izoron umara uja…"

He kept on chanting this ancient language older than him. He started to feel a little more in control now..

Hey maybe this is working.

"Jazara ush jero garu. Shara jenti kumru. Ezu jazu… Ahhhhh!!!"

Twilight noticed Night Fury was getting overwhelmed by the energy going through his body. 

"Zecora he's reached his limit! Let's destroy the statue now!" Twilight said panicking

"Very well." She said throwing a pot of potion infused water that melted the statue. To Night Fury it looked like the creature turned into goo at first but then he noticed it was simply sand.

"Oh my… Gee, hypnosis is kind of scary in what it makes you think… But what happened there? I was doing well at first." Night Fury wondered aloud.

"It seems the Cockatrice also felt scared and tried to attack you mentally and you were shocked by it. You have to expect the unexpected." Zecora stated.

"Let me take a little break. Gee, this will be even tougher." Night Fury said with deep breaths.

"Do not be afraid. We will get there. Take a little nap. And when you are ready and relieved we will continue. I have a room in case a traveler comes along to the lodge."

Night Fury went in and laid down, to finally get relaxation.

Meanwhile Twilight was still worried.

"Do you really think this will work, Zecora? A cockatrice is a fierce animal to resist." 

"Well we can at least try. I do have a good feeling though. Even though he is not the most disciplined, he will do anything for the sake of his friends. And that is a good start."

Twilight smiled at this. She was ready for this.

"In the meantime, we should look through more of this scroll and other books on meditations." Zecora said.

Twilight agreed.

-

After a nap. Night Fury felt hyped and ready. Whatever Zecora had in mind. He was ready!

"Look out cockatrice. Here I come! Or in this here I don't come!"

He went to Zecora and Twilight who were reading books when they noticed him.

"Are you ready?" Zecora asked.

"You bet I am." Fury said confidently.

The three went back to the training grounds with Zecora wielding a pendulum.

"Alright, all I have to do is say that ancient stuff right?" 

"Agreed."

He drew the cockatrice again and repeated the meditation this time being a bit more aware but the cockatrice stared back and Fury couldn't take it again.

"Dang it!"

"Again."

Every time it seemed to be a few seconds longer. But after 15 seconds, he seemed like he just could not get past this.

"I don't get it, why can't I do it?!" Night Fury said in frustration. After ten tries he couldn't get past the fifteen second marker. Meanwhile Zecora seemed to just nod off. He got a little angry at how little Zecora was saying right now.

"Why isn't this working Zecora! I've been trying my hardest and I still haven't been able to do it? How am I supposed to win this?"

Zecora finally broke her silence.

"Do not fear this was not all in vain. For I was able to notice some things. Even when meditating you are afraid, and you feel like you need to fight back. So how about when you stare instead you try to not just feel like a victim but as if you are trying to transform the cockatrice's mind. Think about it as if you wanted to turn it into stone."

"Really? I don't know if that'll work." Fury said nervously

"You won't turn it into stone. But you will gain dominance over the cockatrice. Remember you are not powerless."

Zecora looked straight into his eyes.

"Think of it like you are trying to overwhelm the beast with your meditations, something it cannot stand." 

"Well, these meditation techniques are supposed to be the source of my ability to change my form. I guess I'll just have to give it a try."

"Good, and do not be too afraid. Just remember it is not invincible." Zecora said. As she got her pendulum.

After hypnotizing Night Fury again, she showed him the cockatrice statue.

At around fifteen seconds it seemed the same at first but Night Fury then meditated forcefully trying to get the thoughts in the cockatrice's head.

For thirty seconds they were struggling and struggling until finally the cockatrice could not stand it and ran away in complete horror. 

The living creature turned into sand and afterwards Night Fury could not believe it. He actually conquered that stupid chicken thing.

"Heck yeah, take that you foul fowl! Ha ha! Get it?"

Twilight rolled her eyes for the bad pun but still congratulated him.

"This is wonderful news. I am so proud of you so far." Twilight said, giving him a hug.

"Aw thanks. I wouldn't have been able to do it without your brainpower and Zecora's mentorship. As much as I respect my own trainers, they were not often as patient as you guys." Night Fury admitted. "Even my father Obsidian was a little hasty."

"Patience is something that has to be trained just like your war against your animalistic side." Zecora stated.

Night Fury truly felt proud of his accomplishments. It was already nighttime and he couldn't wait to tell the emperor his accomplishments. Maybe the stoic emperor will finally admit Night Fury was indeed worthy.

"You know Zecora, I thought at first you were a little creepy but you're very cool!"

"Night Fury!" Twilight scolded.

"Ah, I appreciate it. Everyone thinks I am a little odd. I'm sure you were the same to a lesser extent." Zecora said.

"You know because you came to Ponyville first, I think Ponyville folk are open to other creatures. I can't imagine what they would have thought if I had been the first to come before you." He said with a chuckle.

Zecora chuckled back.

"We are quite similar. Please come again soon."

"I will, my dear zebra friend. Maybe not just for training but just for fun, especially with your potions.  See you later!"

Twilight and Fury both walked back. Both satisfied with the training experience. But they were not the only ones satisfied. Someone was watching.

"Interesting. Night Fury is an interesting fellow with his personality. I think Prince Blueblood will want to know…"

-

Night Fury had finally awaited his prize. Not fish, not meat, not even cake but a long sleep. He was going to wind down and fall asleep.

He was wondering what he would dream about. Maybe about himself being Chief of his own tribe. With a certain alicorn as his wife. "What am I even talking about?"

"I do not know what are you talking about, young one." said low masculine voice 

He turned around and saw it was none other than Emperor Snowdrift.

At first Night Fury was a bit annoyed Snowdrift showed up just as he was about to wind down. But then he realized he had something to show off.

"Um, what I was really talking about was how I did it! I really accomplished my assignments."

"Fury I cannot read your mind. Be more specific"

"I no longer look like an idiot in front of meat. Even the best. And cockatrice stares don't make me turn crazy anymore. I used your meditations! You made it hard to understand but I was able to figure it out!"

"Ah you did so. I am impressed with your scholarly improvement."

"Okay it was with the help of some friends who read it for me and summarized it."

"I should have known," he said a little disappointed how he is not as scholarly as he would have liked, but he put that aside. "But you have reached a milestone, young one. I'm pleased that you have made some progress." He complimented albeit with a somewhat distant tone.

A little progress? He did not see what I had to go through! This emperor is a tough nut to crack.

"So does that mean you can tell me that secret of yours you were going to tell me?" Night Fury asked curiously.

"Ha ha ha ha ha." The emperor laughed. "No. You have not even scratched the surface of Speed Shifter techniques. There is so much more for you to master before I fully trust you with my assignments."

"Awww. I was hoping to finally get to that point." Hr said annoyed.

The emperor, realizing he was being a bit dismissive, put a paw on his shoulder and assured him.

"Listen, I am glad you are making great progress, but learning these things takes time. I can't just snap my claws and give you all the secrets of our kind. That information is for you to discover on your own. It may be a long while before you get to fully understand who and what you are. It may be weeks, months, even years before you come to a solid conclusion."

Night Fury began to frown as he heard the emperor's words, he wasn't expecting him to say that it may take years to gain full control of his powers.

"But, I sense that you will be able to gain this information much faster than any other Speed Shifter. I have a feeling that you, Night Fury, are the next generation of the all powerfuls. For someone who lacks training and book knowledge, you make up for it in sheer potential. And that is far more important."

Night Fury smiled at this. 

"Thank you, sir. I'll keep on doing my best." 

"I know you will." The emperor replied.

"By the way I'm curious emperor, have you ever seen any zebras in your lifetime? You know, black and white equines."

"Hmmm, I might have seen a few merchants selling exotic goods to Silverblue City. But I cannot remember too much about it. But if you could find out more, I would be happy to hear."

"Okay. Well, that's all I have to say for now. I will be your emperor." 

"Stay alert and be willing to learn more."

"That I shall!" Night Fury replied.

And now finally Night Fury got to truly wind down and have his own dreams.
> Chapter 14: An Unexpected New Friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a nice summer day in Ponyville. Everyone was busy chatting and frolicking. But unusually for one feline fellow, he was not having fun at the bowling alley or exploring some nearby caves. He was busy meditating in his mansion's courtyard. 

"Aru shemu zania! In the night I am like a breeze. Silent but there." He had been chanting these ancient Speed Shifter poems for thirty minutes. Though the only meditation he would normally want to do would be a nap, he knew he had to take this seriously… Even if it was still boring.

"I am one with lightning, I am one with the air. For I am a Speed Shifter."

Night Fury decided thirty minutes was enough for now. This was a beautiful day! He wasn't going to waste it. So what if the Emperor said one hour in the morning? He can get that later.

"Besides, he doesn't have to know."

So he walked outside on the path. It was a nice day so far. He waved at the other ponies. But as he was walking, he noticed none of the Mane Six were in their houses when he knocked.

"Huh, that's strange. Maybe they're already up and out enjoying the day." Fury said, deciding to walk into town to see if they were there. He strode through Ponyville looking for any signs of his friends, but came up with nothing. He was just about to give up when he looked to the outskirts of town to see Twilight and the others at the top of a grassy hill. He revved up and took off towards the hill, jumping up once he reached the peak and landed on top of the hill with a skid.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" He asked, wondering why his friends were just standing around on the hill. 

"Oh, we're simply waiting for Princess Celestia to arrive." Rarity replied, looking at herself in a mirror. 

"Yeah, but it's taking forever!" Rainbow said. 

"Now Rainbow, be patient. This guest is said to be very important." Twilight said. "We just have to wait until she gets here."

"Really, Celestia's coming? I would like to talk to her about all my wacky escapades with meditation." Night Fury said.

All the while Spike looked completely nervous. Seemingly expecting the worst.

"What's up with you, champ?" Fury asked Spike.

"It's just… she's been four hours late. Usually she arrives fairly soon. But maybe she got in some trouble! Maybe some villain kidnapped her and took her place!" 

"You gotta relax." Night Fury reassured him. "This isn't a comic book. You're starting to sound like that crazy teal unicorn's rants on the streets. I'm sure she probably is just busy with some negotiations."

"Or maybe it really could be that snake like dude with those strange chaos powers!" Spike said.

"Okay, now you're just trying to mess with me. You have to be a bit more clever for me to fall for-"

"No, I mean it! Look!" Spike pointed.

Night Fury then saw something quite peculiar. He saw not only Celestia but also a statue of a snake-like creature with an assortment of body parts descending to their level.

"Wow, this land of ponies gets weirder every day." Night Fury said.

Celestia walked out and the others bowed to her. 

"Greetings everypony. Oh and you as well, Ambassador." 

"What's going on here?" Night Fury asked.

"You see, this is the Lord of Chaos himself, Discord. Do you recognize him?"

"Oh, I don't think-"

"Night Fury, get behind us!" Twilight said, her and her friends getting in front of him "We know exactly what this is."

"You do not have to participate in this if you don't want to," Celestia said. "I understand you had a lot of things going on before, after all."

Part of Night Fury agreed with Celestia but he felt bored throughout the day and was curious what this Discord fellow would be like. This could be interesting. And besides he could help if it seems opportune.

"Nah, I'll stay and observe. I'm kind of curious."

"You don't know what you're doing, Night Fury. This is best left to those familiar with Discord." Twilight said.

"Don't worry Twilight, Discord's power should still be restrained. Night Fury will be just as safe or in danger as the rest of you. In fact… perhaps Fury might have something to offer considering his characteristics" Before Fury could ask what she meant Celestia simply went back into her chariot to fly back to Canterlot.

The Mane Six used the spell, the stature was affected and out came the Lord of Chaos himself.

"Hello there everyone! It is nice to see such familiar faces! And um whoever you happen to be. A um kitty cat?"

Fury felt like slicing him at first. "Okay one, you do not call me kitty cat. And two, at least I'm not a big ugly noodle or snake or whatever you are." Fury said with a smirk satisfied he came with a come back line.

"Ah nice comeback. But I will have the last laugh when I rule the world!" Discord said that he used his magic. "Wait, it's not working!

"Yeah, that's because we disabled it. You oversized lizard!" Rainbow Dash said, getting in Discord's face. 

"Awww, I should have thought of that one-"

"Shhh!" Twilight shushed Fury.

"Alright Discord, I don't know why Celestia asked us to reform you, but rest assured we will do our best to do so or have you turned into stone again. So no more funny business!" Twilight said firmly.

Discord simply laughed at this.

"Um excuse me, Discord, sir."

Night Fury could recognize that voice..

"Fluttershy?" Night Fury asked confused. She of all ponies is going to tame him? Did Celestia lose her brain?

"Oh ho ho ho ho! You adorable little thing. Go ahead and tell me please behave. Ha ha ha ha!"

"Um how about we go have tea, if that's alright." Fluttershy politely requested. 

"Very well that we shall do. We shall have a lot of fun there." Discord said.

The rest of the Mane Six looked quite worried. Although Night Fury was cautious, he was also quite curious. He was not like the fearsome Sombra, he seemed more like a weird relative except with cosmic powers. He wondered if the emperor ever met Discord.

Everyone went into Flutterdhy's cottage. And there Discord was already causing mayhem. With cups sprouting legs and the house being upside down, it seems like Discord was taking advantage of Fluttershy's trust.

Night Fury was annoyed at how Fluttershy seemed to treat Discord. Was this punk really going to get away with harassing others and the world?

"Oh Night Fury, you seem to be a little angry, kitty cat." Discord said as he transformed into a kitten. "Are you mad?"

"Shut up. I don't have time to deal with you, so get out of my way." Fury said, swiftly kicking Discord against the wall, cracking it with a decent amount of force. 

As he kicked the mischievous draconequus, his kick bounced and lunged Fury into the wall adjacent to him.

"Well, I technically am out of your way now!" Discord cheekily said.

"Ow, sweet mother of Equestria! That's one way to snap someone's spine! And that's saying something considering my kind is more resistant to pain." He said, rubbing his back.

Night Fury liked mischief and pranks but this was a whole nother level. "That is admittedly a clever joke. I'm kind of impress- wait what am I saying?! I could probably mess with that old troublemaker more than him!

"Now now Discord, Night Fury is sorry for trying to kick you."

"Yeah, not really." Night Fury replied.

"Shush!" Fluttershy said. "He is trying his hardest to change. He just… needs you to put up with less savory traits for just a little longer."

"Oh suck it up, Flutters. When are you gonna realize that this just isn't going to happen?!" Rainbow said, rather agitated. "Some ponies are just the way they are and nothing is going to change that."

Fluttershy looked upset at what she said there. It looked like it hit a nerve.

"Well I disagree with that entirely, Rainbow. Remember when everyone thought I could never win at anything? That I would always be a cowardly loser who would never get things done?! But I am changing! And while I can't be certain yet, as friends I think we should give the opportunity to change."

Fury could relate to Fluttershy since he used to doubt his own fighting abilities. He still wasn't sure whether he agreed with her but at least he saw her point of view.

"F-friends? Did you say friends?" Discord said in confusion. "Are you just saying that because you're overly friendly?"

Fluttershy warmly smiled.

"I mean it, Discord."

Night Fury noticed the brief change in attitude from this mischievous fellow. Was Fluttershy actually getting through to him?

Discord coughed. 

"It's about time we get on with this tea party, yes?" Discord tried to refuce this awkward feeling he had.

"And I think you should apologize to a certain dark haired cat?" Fluttershy said.

"Ugh, fine! I'm sorry Mr. Night Fury for having fun," Fluttershy did not approve of that. "Fine, sorry for alienating you and insulting you."

Night Fury was about to say 'whatever' but he did feel like he was a bit unnecessarily hostile by trying to slap Discord.

"Well that's alright, I guess. I suppose I shouldn't have tried to hit you." Night Fury said. "And honestly you actually… uh never mind."

"Come on, what were you going to say?" Fluttershy asked.

"Grrrr, you have a somewhat funny sense of humor. I liked when I hit you I was flung back actually. JUST A LITTLE! I'm still a little mad about that." Night Fury reluctantly admitted. 

"Oh ho ho ho, finally a creature with a sense of humor!" Discord said. "Well, allow me to toast someone with good taste."

His arm detached and Fury toasted his arm as weird as it seemed.

"Time for me to drink!" Discord drank the glass of the bottle. And then… "Blech! What in the world is this?! I can handle paper, glass, houses, but this just seems awful!"

"Ah yes, Mr Discord sir, just a coWeatrice egg in the drink. I swapped the drinks before we had this dinner. I actually forgot about the prank in anger." Night Fury said smugly.

"Why you…!" Discord said angrily "How dare you give me cockatrice, I am the Lord of Chaos! You must pay for your level of disrespect!" 

Night Fury looked a bit intimidated by this appearance of Discord, so he moved back and splash.

He landed in some water.

"Ah ha ha ha! Now we're even!"

The rest of the Mane Six were quite confused. Were things going well or was this just hostility?

Night Fury was a little shocked at first but he actually was impressed by this agent of chaos.

"Alright, not bad Discord. You might actually be kind of cool." Fury said. "If I did that with Twilight she'd give me a lecture on how I shouldn't be so naughty."

"Hey!" Twilight said annoyed.

Night Fury and Discord on the other seemed to be getting along strangely. Everything seemed to be calming down. But not for long. Because Angel Bunny came in.

Angel Bunny was giving a whole bunch of signs. The Mane Six struggled to comprehend at first. But they finally made out some bad news. That Sweet Apple Acres was flooding.

"What?!? How did that happen?!" Apple Jack said in shock. 

"Well, there's no point in waiting here for things to blow over. C'mon girls, let's go!" Twilight said, the rest of the mane 6 and Fury following her lead.

-

The mane 6 arrived at the orchard and were in complete shock to see that Sweet Apple Acres was now practically a frozen lake of flooded trees and floating apples.

"This… is not good." Fury said.

"YOU THINK?!? MY TREES ARE PRACTICALLY SITTING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND!" Apple Jack said, clearly distressed. 

"See Fluttershy, I knew he was up to no good!" Rainbow said.

Meanwhile Discord was having the time of his life sliding on ice. After doing a few a self congratulatory stunts, he finally met up with Fluttershy and the gang 

"How did you like my tricks? Pretty snazzy, eh?"

Night Fury even though he knew Discord for less time, already felt a little betrayed. He thought he had made up! And now he was back to not just but environmental damage!?

"Dang it Discord, you played us like a bunch of fools!!!" He said, about to go on a long rant.

"THAT IS NOT VERY NICE!!!" Fluttershy yelled while running towards him. Night Fury had never heard someone so timid yell in anger so much. He was looking forward to seeing Fluttershy of all ponies give this skinny punk a lesson to humble him.

"Oh, I'm just having fun with my new friends." He pointed to a bunch of panicking rabbits running from corrupted beavers. "I think you will learn to like this."

"This is unacceptable, Discord." Fluttershy reprimanded him. "You need to change them back right now."

"Oh why don't you just turn me into stone then?! That would solve all your problems!" Discord smugly retorted

"I want you to do it out of your own free will, not mine." Fluttershy said. "What is it going to take for you to listen to me?"

"Hmmm… how about you agree to never use your elements of harmony again and I will turn things back to normal? Don't you trust me Shy? Hmmm…"  He looked at her with puppy eyes.

"Dream on, noodle breath!" Night Fury said. "There's no way Fluttershy would fall for that!"

"It's a deal." Fluttershy replied.

"You tell him Fluttershy, wait what?!" Fury said, a bit shocked. 

"I will not use my elements if you agree to turn everything back to normal."

Night Fury couldn't handle this anymore. He ran over to Fluttershy to ask her what the heck she was doing.

"Are you crazy! He's going to do whatever he wants now! Have you gone crazy?!" 

Fluttershy looked at him with an unusually serious expression.

"I know what I'm doing. Trust me."

Night Fury had no idea what she was going on about. And yet he saw in her eyes a certainty he had not seen in awhile. His mind was telling him to say she went bananas but his heart was telling him Fluttershy knew Discord. And saw through his soul. So he said nothing.

Fluttershy proceeded to throw her Element to the side. And did Discord stop. No. He instead was surfing on the cold waves now. He was happier than ever.

"See Fluttershy, my friend, this is the life. You can't stop me from my awesome time because I'm your friend! You can't encase me in stone because I am your friend! No wonder your friends like you! Ha ha ha ha!"

Back where Night Fury came from, you would be forced to climb a volcano for twelve hours at night for being such a spoiled brat. He was surprised that Fluttershy seemed angry but it seemed like she knew this would happen. She looked still resolute. Was this part of Fluttershy's plan? Fury was now not angry but curious what she would do.

"I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND!" Fluttershy said with unusual harshness, to Fury's shock.

"Who cares?" Discord said bluntly. "I am able to do whatever I please. Just as I should have done before!"

Rainbow Dash was about to fly and give Discord a good hit on the jaw but Fury stopped her.

"Lemme go! I want a go at this punk!"

"Fluttershy knows what she's doing. She knows Discord's weakness!"

"Yeah right! Fluttershy is nice but she can be so naive and a little foolish. There's a reason why we always have to protect her!"

Night Fury looked into Rainbow's eyes intensely.

"Listen to me carefully Rainbow, I haven't gone to school Fluttershy like you. I don't know what her family is like. But I know she is far more capable than you think she is. She is not as helpless as you might imagine her to be."

Rainbow looked conflicted now. "Well it's just… she's not how should I say…."

"I know what you mean. You're right, she isn't perfect. But right now she might have a weapon you and I don't have. Persuasion and psychology. You just need to trust that she knows what she's doing. I can see it with my own eyes."

Rainbow started to see his point of view.

"Fine… I'll let her keep going. But if this turns out bad. I'll find a way to make Fluttershy use that element!"

"Fine by me."

Meanwhile Fluttershy was simply walking away at a boastful yet seemingly angry Discord.

"Did you really think you could actually make me change?! Did you think the Lord of Chaos would bow to you just because of friendship?! And that now we're not friends that means… you've … won?" Discord stopped.

Discord feels empty now. It was like he had everything planned out and this shy pony somehow got through to him in a way the others didn't.

"Well played Fluttershy, well played." He then turned everything back to normal.

Much to Rainbow and the other Mane Six's surprise that Fluttershy actually succeeded. Night Fury too.

Night Fury wondered how Fluttershy was able to do that.

Before he answered his question, Princess Celestia came by to see the progress. 

She walked and Discord, Night Fury and the Mane Six walked by to see her.

Celestia could tell everything was successful. She didn't even seem surprised.

"Well Discord?"

Fluttershy urged him on.

"...fine. I learned that… that…" Discord said.

"I got it!" Night Fury said "Fluttershy showed him kindness others never showed him before and now he realizes he can't do without that friendship. Fluttershy has her own talents. Her kindness is also its own type of warfare. The war of hearts and minds."

"Hah! Check out Fury, he's already started to understand friendship!" Rainbow Dash said, giving Night Fury a nudge. 

"Yep, same for you Rainbow! Since you seemed to doubt her and the rest of you too." 

The other six looked a little embarrassed.

"Yeah I'm sorry Fluttershy," Rainbow said. "Sometimes I forget you aren't that little wimp from Flight School I had to protect. You've become someone way better. Sometimes, just sometimes, you do it better than me."

Fluttershy simply hugged Rainbow.

"Don't worry, I doubt myself too. But it all worked out." Fluttershy said.

"I just meant that as a joke." Night Fury said. "But this is fine too."

But he also heard Celestia say to keep an eye on Discord. Night Fury had a fun idea.

"How about I help keep track of it sometimes." He said, smirking. 

Discord rolled his eyes at this youngster's potential attempts to prank him. "You haven't seen anything, Night Fury!" Discord said.

"Nah, I've seen enough to know you're like an old magician. Full of himself and out of the times."

"Oh really," Discord asked. "Am I the one full of himself or are you?" 

He said as he inflated Night Fury like a balloon.

"Hey, help me out here!" Night Fury said in a squeaky helium voice. 

"Don't worry, I've got you." Celestia said, using her magic to deflate him and return him to normal.

"Am I in trouble for this?" Discord asked, realizing he got a little carried away.

"Mmmm, Night Fury can be an exception. He can be a bit mischievous sometimes." Celestia giggled.

"Hey!" he said, a little annoyed.

"Sorry, but it's true!" Discord boasted.

"No I was insulted, you didn't realize that you're also inflating!" Fury said.

"Wait a second. How is this happening?!" Discord asked.

"A magician never reveals his tricks." Night Fury smugly said. It was his stare. He had mastered it so well that he used Discord's pranking mindset right back at Discord. It was kind of exhausting and something like that could only be done once a month. But it was worth it.

Discord seemed unamused at how he was now the butt monkey. But then he laughed it off. 

"Ha ha ha ha! You might not be so bad, kitty cat!" Discord noogied him.

"Ah same for you, old noodle snake!" He replied.

The mane six were perplexed at how these two bizarre creatures were getting along so well. Except for Fluttershy who simply giggled. And Celestia who seemed to give a satisfied smirk.

As for Fury who wanted to see Discord later on, he realized that this was part of his training, getting into the mind of someone else, and using diplomacy rather than wrath. This he realized makes the marks of a good ambassador.

And besides, who would not want to party with a strange weirdo with a funny voice? Certainly me! Ha ha ha ha! I wonder what the emperor will think of him? He thought to himself as he wondered what would become of him in the future. But little did he know that someone was plotting against him and his rapidly growing success.

"Hmmm, how interesting. I think it's the perfect time for his majesty to put his plan into motion."
> Chapter 15: The Start Of An Uphill Battle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was an unusually noisy day for the mostly quiet village of Ponyville. Everyone was in anticipation of the new museum's opening. The mayor intended it to be a lavish ceremony with a marching band and some of Rarity's designs to make this museum Equestria renowned.

There were ten more minutes before Night Fury would give a speech and the museum would open for the public.

Twilight was pacing around. She was getting nervous. Their roles are not just important locals like Spoiled Rich but even ponies from the highest echelons of society, including all three princesses.

"Gee Twilight, you look like you've seen me in a meat eating food competition." Night Fury joked. 

"Sorry, I'm just a little nervous. This is one of the biggest events that I've ever had to plan." Twilight said, sweating bullets.

"But I'm gonna be the one giving the speech, you shouldn't be nervous at all. If there's anypony that should be nervous right now, it's me." 

"Really, you seem pretty calm." Twilight raised her eyebrow confused.

"It may seem that way on the outside, Twi, but I'm really just panicking on the inside. This is my best chance to get other ponies to see that my kind isn't just a vicious bunch of savage beasts!" Twilight now saw Fury was just as worried. No, actually more so even though he tried to hide that.

"And I'm just wondering what might happen if I mess up. What if I get banned, what if Equestria decides to invade the Speed Shifters? What if Equestria decided to take us as slaves!?" Night Fury said pacing around the way Twilight once did.

"Night Fury! Calm down!" Twilight said in a reversal of roles. "Listen, you are a well spoken creature. I know I might seem annoyed at some of your, um… quirks." Twilight tried not to say childish "But you really have shown a willingness to mature and improve. People seem to be drawn to your personality. Don't ever underestimate yourself." Twilight said, putting her hoof on his shoulder.

Night Fury started to feel more calm in turn.

"Who are you and what have you done with Miss I Don't Want to be Tardy!? Night Fury teased her.

Twilight rolled her eyes but was still grinning.

"Well, I guess we all are complicated. Anyways just do your best, okay?" Twilight asked.

"That I will."

Spike then came in. 

"It's time! The marching band is almost done!" Spike announced.

"Okay, I guess that's my cue. Wish me luck."

"Oh trust me, you won't need it!" Twilight encouraged. Night Fury walked to the edge of where the curtain hung up on stage, watching Mayor Mare walk out to begin the ceremony.

"Ladies and Gentlecolts, I'd like to welcome you to the grand opening of the new Museum Of Speed Shifters!" She announced, the crowd cheering as she spoke. "I'd like to thank you all for coming to see this beautiful project come to life. I can only imagine what grand artifacts will fill these halls as we seek to learn and celebrate this new species and their official reveal to the world of ponies. And to begin a new era of friendship and understanding."

Night Fury had to admit that he didn't expect to have gotten this far without any hiccups. His life has been going rather well. From just a humble creature attending a wedding to making history as the first of his kind to make themselves known, he was surprised that he hadn't had anything major go wrong. But that happiness would soon be demolished as somepony was preparing to make all that he worked for null and void.

"Well, without further ado, it is my pleasure to welcome to the stage the one who started it all. Ladies and Gentlecolts, I'd like you to give a big round of applause for Night Fury!" 

The crowds excitedly clapped and cheered for Night Fury as he slowly walked out on stage. 

So far so good. Fury said to himself.

Night Fury cleared his throat. He was ready to present the newest sensation of Ponyville 

"Hello everyone, I'm sure you had a fun time! This summer you must find comfort but where I come from this is basically freezing weather." He said, pretending to shiver.

This made the crowd laugh.

"But it turns out my ancestors were tough folks like you when it comes to the cold! In fact they came from around this area! And sadly these more cold felines have either passed away or moved to the jungles, not that I'm complaining, the jungles are a fun area."

Another laugh. It seems his casual relatable speech strikes a chord with the down to earth people of Ponyville. As nice as Canterlot is, the people can be so stuffy. It's like seeing a whole bunch of people who act like the Emperor but without the wisdom and with more shallowness.

"But anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself. Today you and your kids will learn about our people. We are a confusing bunch of folks, but we also have built great monuments in the past. And we have big dreams of friendship and unity. And maybe one day with your help our great Feline Empire can be restored!" He proclaimed.

"Yay!!!!" Everybody around cheered. 

"You go, you big strong cat!" Lyra cheered

"Isn't he handsome?" Roseluck yelled, swooning slightly.

"Ladies, ladies please, there's enough of this piece to go around~"

Twilight rolled her eyes a bit about how casually flirting he was, although Rarity seemed to blush.

"Alright, enough chit chat! Ladies and gentlecolts! I present to you, the great, the grand and the old fashioned Museum of Speed Shifter History!" Night Fury announced, letting the curtain behind him reveal the exhibit. 

Cheers and applause roared out of the crowd as the curtains pulled back, but those praises were soon silenced as a static noise filled the room as what looked like a recording crystal projected a screen into the air and a shadowy figure revealed themselves to the crowd.

"Greetings, ponies and speed shifter ambassador. Before I get to our true program, allow me to introduce myself." A deep voice spoke. "You may call me, The Truther." 

"Lame!" Vinyl cried out.

"Hey, I think it sounds cool! Someone who finally gets me! For the truth!" Lyra said while Bon Bon facepalmed.

"Enough!" the mysterious figure stomped on the ground. Clears throat. "My apologies. I simply wanted to state my shared passion for Mr. Night Fury's history. I wish to also participate."

Night Fury thought he looked and acted a bit unnatural, but he seemed weirder like Pinkie Pie and a cockatrice. And besides he welcomes any volunteers giving any secrets about the ancient Speed Shifter history.

"Well, I will just say welcome, sir. I didn't know that you were a part of the program." Fury said, still on edge with this new appearance.

"Oh, let me assure you. I'm not." The mysterious figure said, making Fury become more nervous and the crowd start up with soft murmurs of concern. "I'm here to expose the truth about you and your kind." 

"Um, Twilight, I don't see any 'Truther' in this list of volunteers." Spike said, looking at the list.

"I don't recall him either. Someone, probably a conspiracy theorist, seems to want to disrupt the ceremony. Get the museum security to find who placed it. I'll turn it off and calm everypony down." Twilight said to Spike. Spike ran off to go get security while Twilight watched the projection with growing concern as she moved to try to deactivate it.

"Alright Mr. Truther, I have no idea what your agenda is," Twilight said, "but this is supposed to be a pleasant ceremony of educating the people. You can reveal your supposed 'truth' later." Twilight said as she tried to grab the crystal with her magic. But nothing happened.

"What the- It won't move!" Twilight said, struggling to move it.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! A commendable effort but no. The people of Ponyville deserve to know the realities of Night Fury!"

Twilight tried to grab it with her hooves and it was stuck like glue. She even shot it with a laser beam and it still did not work. This must be some magic resistant crystal meant to stay in place. Unicorns her age were still not strong enough to disenchant these things easily.

"Are you quite finished, Miss Sparkle? Because it seems I simply want to participate in the historical conversation and you are stopping me from doing so. How rude."

Twilight was not amused at this smug mysterious troublemaker.

"But enough build up. Ladies and gentlecolts and our dearest Night Fury, prepare for a fun history lesson!"

"Twilight, where is this going?" Fury said, now completely scared.

"I have no idea!"

"Well, figure something out! All of Ponyville, delegates from Canterlot, And the princesses to top it all off are watching this!" Night Fury said with panic.

"Ahhh, so their royal highnesses are present? That makes this even better." 

"Listen Fury I'll get the princesses and research about how to deactivate the crystal, maybe even see Zecora. Just stay calm." Twilight said as she ran to find the princesses.

"Now that she is out of the way, let me show you what I've truly seen from this so-called 'Trustworthy feline'."  The figure said as he showed a recording of Fury training with Zecora. 

Oh no. Not this. Anything but this. Night Fury felt panic in his heart; this was not something ponies were supposed to know until everything was under control. 

Dang it! I should have kept a better track of my surroundings for spies!

The flashbacks showed Night Fury chewing threw statues. Everypony heard details about how Speed Shifters had a predatory side. How they can turn vicious. And even that they overthrew the normal felines in the wilderness. 

"Now you see, my fellow ponies. These Speed Shifters are nothing but trouble! They're dangerous creatures that could tear us apart with just a stare!" The crowd gasped and murmured more, now in a more scrutinizing manner. Fury's heart was racing as he saw all the images of him being predatory; he was completely stunned by what he was seeing.

Wait, he still hasn't shown me tearing through meat. As long as he doesn't have anything like that to put against me, I'm fine! Fury said to himself, but he was completely wrong. 

"Are you frightened, my fellow ponies? Well it gets far worse!!!" He then showed Fury tearing some carcasses apart.

"Those are just for training!" Night Fury said. 

"Training, yes… for what though? So that you may feast on our pony flesh! Our delicious, succulent flesh?"

The crowd was now in an uproar. Mare, stallions and even foals were angered by the images they had just seen.

"He lied to us. We had a killer in our midst the whole time!"

"Yeah, I don't want to be neighbors with somepony who can sneak up on me and take me out! "

"Don't be naive, he will eat my own foals!"

"I don't know what to think!!!"

Night Fury was now in tears as he saw what was unfolding before him, and he was completely stunned by what he had just been exposed for. He looked out to the crowd and saw the princesses looking at him with different expressions. Cadence was in pure shock, she was slack jawed at what she was seeing. Celestia had a look of disappointment on her face while shaking her head, she couldn't believe he would be so out of control. And finally was Luna, she had a more relaxed but still concerned expression. Night Fury could tell that she at least was feeling sympathetic for him, but the other two were out the door when it came to his supposed actions.

Before anypony could do anything else, Night Fury's instincts kicked in and told him to run. He didn't want to hurt anyone. He jumped clear over the crowd and ignited his powers as he burst through the museum doors and ran towards his villa while sobbing. Luna felt bad for her friend and tried calling out to him, but it only fell on deaf ears.

"Fury, wait!" 

-

Night Fury was both sad and angry that this happy event became a massive tragedy. 

"How did this happen?" He said to himself while running. "How could everything turn out so wrong?!"

Night Fury finally stopped, realizing he was in the Everfree Forest and nowhere near his villa. Now knowing where he was, Fury just sat down and sobbed quietly against the whistling wind and the other creatures that roamed the forest. He couldn't believe that after all that he's done, he's basically been made public enemy number one! He started getting flashbacks of when his parents were kidnapped and he was crying. He felt like he was completely powerless and that he failed who he was as a whole. 

"I failed. Oh how I failed!" Night Fury wasn't sure what to do now. Maybe he'll just stay in these woods away from ponies and from the Speed Shifters since he disgraced the good name that he was working towards. 

But while he was thinking of all that, a familiar voice cried out.

"Night Fury!!!!" 

He knew that voice. The regal voice of the Princess of the Night. What was she doing here? 

It doesn't matter. Night Fury said, about to try and sleep this nightmare off. 

"Night Fury!? Night Fury, there you are!" Luna said. "Night Fury, how dare you run off like that?! You should confront this injustice to your name!!!"

"Princess Luna, I'm not in the mood to talk. Just leave me be." He spoke into a pile of branches and leaves he used as a pillow. "This whole ordeal is just too much." 

"But still, you ran away like a coward. You can't just avoid what you don't-"

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT, I WILL RIP THAT HORN OFF YOUR FACE IF YOU DO IT AGAIN!" 

Luna took a step back at his words, that was the most aggressive she's seen anyone get, let alone him. 

Night Fury realized what he just said. 

"I'm sorry. I'm just… having a bad day. You know why I ran? It was because I don't want to cause anyone else harm. Look at me, I'm still not in full control of my emotions yet."

"If that is the case, once you feel better you must go back and prove yourself!"

Night Fury looked away from the Princess of the Night.

"Look, this stuff is crazy. I wanted that to be a secret that I still have some things to iron out with no suspicion but now everyone knows! I feel like I'm walking with no fur in a crowd. I feel like I'll just make things worse!" Fury said.

"Sigh, you see Luna? Unlike a lot of other Speed Shifters, I don't have discipline or emotional control. I made a mistake just by being me. If only I never stared at that stupid cockatrice or had these powers. I'm not worthy of them, I wish I was a normal feline-"

"Hey, don't say that." She said I'm a caring voice as she sat next to him and wrapped a wing around his side.  He stopped his speech from that.

"Listen to me, I used to be hesitant too. When I was at the Nightmare Night ceremony, everyone thought I was like a demon." Luna's voice then softened in reflection. "I had given up the idea that I could be accepted by others, I thought my mistakes would not be able to change my fate…."

Then Luna turned from sad to determined.

"But I was wrong. Twilight Sparkle showed me that even if I gave a bad impression I could turn it around and make things right again. And now I am a beloved figure in Nightmare Night! And I now visit a bunch of children looking for candy. But that would not have happened if Twilight had not been there to still support me." Luna said, looking sincerely into Fury's eyes.

"Wow I sometimes forget you used to be a horrible tyrant, uh, no offense. I meant your other part." 

"None taken. But I think you should do the same. It is not too late. You can work through this. So find a way, Night Fury. Find a way to stump that coward behind the cloak." Luna said to him.

The dark feline stayed silent and thought about this for a moment. He was still embarrassed and traumatized by this exposure. He was always a private feline despite his fun loving spirit. He felt like the world crashed down and that his former Ponyville friends would never accept him again. But if Luna, the dreaded Princess of the Night, the former Mare in the Moon, could gain back the trust of ponies, who was to say he could not? 

"But, Luna, what if I fail to convince them?" He asked.

"Then you proved a mightier warrior not because you would win, but because you fought in the first place. And you can even try again later on and again and again. Be a warrior and stand for what you believe." Luna said in a speech that sounded like she would give to her guards.

Night Fury knew Luna was a great well spoken princess. But never did he feel so inspired ever since his own father.

"Well Princess, if you believe in me then I believe in myself. I'm going to show this stupid coward and the people of Ponyville I am not a monster! I am their friendly neighbor!" Night Fury said with determination getting up from the ground and cleaning himself up.

"But what am I going to do exactly?" Night Fury asked. "How am I going to win the ponies back?" He pondered a bit.

Luna thought about it too.

"Well first of all, perhaps we should see Twilight Sparkle. She might be able to clear your name!" Luna suggested.

"Yeah, and I think we should go see Celestia and Cadence too. After what happened, I think it's only fair to apologize to them for having to see me like that. Especially your sister, she looked pretty disappointed." 

"I am sure my sister will understand. So yes we should go find them now. Let us make haste!" Luna said.

"Right. Look out Truther! You don't mess with us!" 

-

Twilight was exhausted. She was trying to calm the crowds down, but they seemed to be in a panic about Night Fury. She wasn't sure what to do.

Then she felt a pebble being flung at her.

"Ouch! Who threw that… oh." She noticed Luna in the bushes motioning Twilight to talk to her. Twilight asked the guards to keep the crowd from rioting.

She went in and found Luna and the target of derision, Night Fury.

"Luna, Night Fury, are you alright?! Did they hurt you?!" Twilight said with worry.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Physically that is. But that's not important. Listen, we need your help clearing my name."

"What do you want me to do?" Twilight asked. "Wait, I know! You want me to tell them about that training you did, right?"

"Yep. I don't know if it'll work, but it's my best shot." Fury said.

"Okay of course, I only watched the training with very little actual training. Hmmm. Wait! We can get Zecora to help! Ponies trust her now and she knows more than I do about these states of mind." Twilight said.

"It's sooner than I would have expected to see her, but yeah let's go!" Night Fury raced to the Everfree Forest.

"Hey, wait for us!" Twilight cried out.

Once they got to Zecora's residence, they explained all the strange and disastrous events of the day.

"Hmmm, it is quite unfortunate that they see this training as a sign of regress instead of a sign of progress. I know from personal experience how some creatures are quick to misjudge." Zecora said.

"Yeah, that's for sure." Twilight said, rubbing her neck awkwardly at that comment.

"But I have a method for this commotion."

"Well, I hope it works. Because not only do I have to convince an entire crowd of my innocence, but two princesses as well!" Fury said, clearly distressed.

"Wait a moment, I do not understand. Did the ceremony not meet Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence's demands?" 

"Let me tell you, Zecora. To say that this situation screwed up my friendship with them would be an understatement. I did not exactly tell them about my… predatory instincts." Night Fury said.

"Hmmm, I suppose I understand wanting to keep this a secret. But it seems this Princess Celestia probably wanted to know to help you. And felt betrayed that you did not reveal that." Zecora said.

"Yeah, I can see that…" Night Fury admitted. 

"So what is this method of yours, warlock?" Luna asked, getting to the point.

"We must prove you have improved more than before. It seems the recordings did not mention so much the parts of your improvement, only giving the most incriminating parts." Zecora said while sipping her tea.

"You must face… the cockatrice again."  Zecora said.

Night Fury was not sure if she was joking or not. 

"Good one, Zecora! But seriously we need a real solution." 

"That is the real solution, you dolt." Zecora said bluntly.

Night Fury realized the zebra shaman was serious.

"Really?! Listen, I know I trained well against fake cockatrices but… I don't know if I'm ready to actually show off these abilities!" Night Fury said worried. "What if this one is strong enough to overwhelm me?"

"One, we have no choice. We have a small amount of time. And we need to prove they can trust and you are ready. They might have been fake cockatrices but they showed the amount of discipline you are capable of, young feline." Zecora said proudly. "I know you can do it. Just remember what I said about the meditations."

"O-okay." Night Fury said.

"Good. It just so happens I have a King Cockatrice in my basement. I will go get it."

"You have a Cokatrice in your basement?!" Twilight and Fury asked surprised.

I shouldn't be surprised. He said as he saw a dark box with fierce sounds inside.

"This one was badly hurt and I attended to its needs. In three months he will be ready to leave. But until then, make him useful to you. Preferably with no eating him if you would please."

"I promise I won't eat him." Fury said, cutting the passive drool escaping this muzzle. "But enough talk, we have a job to do. First, we get the town back on my side. Next, we get Celestia and Cadence back on my side as well. And finally, we group up and find out who this Truther is. Agreed?"

"Agreed!" Everyone said

Night Fury knew what he had to do. Everyone agreed to go to the town square to announce the Challenge.

-

"Where's that predator?! He had better be out of our town!" said one pony.

"If he's planning on attacking us, then we'll fight back!"

The guards were keeping the ponies from trying to hunt down Night Fury or at least drive him out. Everyone seemed manipulated by the Truther telling them to be ready for the threat. Of course there were others who liked Night Fury who were arguing with those against. It was chaotic. But suddenly there came something to shake things up.

"Everybody, I'm back! It's your friendly neighbor Night Fury reporting." he said with Luna, Twilight and Zecora by his side 

"Ah I see Night Fury… have you come to get revenge on me for uncovering your plot? Perhaps eat me like a manticore?!" One pony said, almost like he was trying to bait him. 

"No." Night Fury replied. "I only ask this, that I be given a chance to prove that I am not as you say 'like a manticore'. I'm just a humble creature coming from humble beginnings."

The ponies around him didn't budge.

"Very funny. Like any creature that's born with issues like yours can do any better." One mare snootily said, triggering Night Fury a bit.

"Hey, don't you dare bring my parents into this!" He snarled.

"Fury, relax! That'll only make things worse for you!" Twilight said, not wanting to jeopardize their only chance at winning the town over. "Just calm down and let me talk to them." Night Fury was still rather heated with that comment on his birth, but decided to let his friend address the crowd as he stepped back to where Luna and Zecora were standing. 

"Everyone listen to me! You seem to doubt Night Fury because of how dangerous he is, isn't that right?!"

"Yeah, I don't want him to go bananas and have my hide for a snack!" said one pony.

"Well, what if I told you all that as someone in that recording who was there, that I saw Night Fury? And this Night Fury did struggle with these psychological states, but the point was for him to improve and to become a better part of society. This Truther had conveniently left out the parts of how he conquered his instincts!" 

The crowd started to wonder. Twilight was a trusted member of the community after all and they knew she had been an eyewitness to training. And it was obvious to a colt that the crystal left some parts out.

"Yeah right, like anything that looks like him is going to be friends with me! He's just a jungle dwelling freak!"

"Hey!" Fury growled, Showing his fangs as he heard the emphasis on him being just a thing. 

"He's smart enough to manipulate and gaslight three innocent creatures! How do we know he did not threaten them to give this information! Or perhaps… Princess Luna has betrayed us again and cooperated with Zecora and the Speed Shifter to threaten our dear Twilight!"

The crowd murmured once again.

"Now you're just resorting to lies, sir!" Twilight said. "And you should be ashamed for suggesting our Princess of the Night to be lying! And this friendly zebra too!"

Everybody was now more confused.

"But as I was saying, here's the challenge!" Twilight said. "In this box is a cockatrice."

The crowd gasped as they looked away. 

"It's alright, nothing will happen to you, it's covered." Twilight said. "All of you will be behind glass that the cockatrice cannot see and affect you. You will witness Night Firu and the cockatrice in a staring competition. If Night Fury does it without going feral then you would just have to admit he is safe and is a neighbor." Twilight said, laying out this challenge.

One pony opposed it.

"Ridiculous, we already know the real answer! Come on everypony, let us just ban this beast from our presence

"Are you sure? How will you ponies truly prove whether Fury is guilty? This test will put an end to the divisive attitudes."

The crowd then decided this was a competition they wanted to see.

"Alright,'' said a particular guest. "We'll see what you do with this cockatrice. If you win, you might consider yourself safe. But if you lose-"

"You'll have my head or I'll have to leave Equestria forever, got it. Let's get this over with." Night Fury said, eager to clear his name. He nodded towards Zecora who opened the cage to reveal the King Cockatrice, ponies gasping as the horrific creature was revealed.

"Here is how this will work," Twilight said, explaining the rules. "Night Fury has to intimidate the cockatrice off this colored circle," She said, using her magic to draw a circle in the sand and illuminate it. "If he can get the cockatrice out three times without trying to eat it like those recordings showed, you will have to give him back the respect he deserves."

"It's a deal," said one of the ponies. "We'll see what you are made of."

Night Fury entered the arena with cockatrice.

"LET THE GAMES BEGIN!" Luna declared.

Night Fury circled the chicken snake, observing it. He knew that this one was bigger and stronger than the ones he had faced before, but he wasn't afraid.

"Alright, let's do this." He said, readying his first attack. "Alright everyone, you wanna see me take this thing on? Well, get ready for a show!"

Fury jumped at the Cockatrice, claws extended as he intended to nab the thing by the neck. 

"Rawwwwwwkkkk!!!" The cockatrice dodged the Speed Shifter as it was about to bite Night Fury's neck.

Oh no you don't! Night Fury used one of his paws to force the aggravated monster away.

Again they both circled each other. Night Fury realized he had to trick cockatrice. Night Fury looked like he was lunging at the cockatrice, the birdlike creature dodged but Night Fury showed his real attack and grabbed the creature's neck.

"Hah! I gotcha! Now, to send you flying!" Fury said enthusiastically, using his tail and spinning the creature rapidly in circles above his head. "One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to make this chicken snake go!"

Fury then launched the cockatrice far out of the ring and high in the air. The crowd was amazed at his efforts and actually started cheering for him. Fury felt happy that he was starting to win the town over, but it wasn't over yet. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Celestia and Cadence joined the group and were watching the show, but they weren't making any moves. So Night Fury decided that he was gonna turn up the heat. 

"Oh, you guys think that was good? That was only one out of three!" He said to the crowd. "Hey Princess Luna, bring that thing back in here and set up round two!"

Luna used her magic to grab the wrathful cockatrice. Meanwhile The Truther was looking quietly overhead with intent. 

He seems very confident going toe to toe with this cockatrice. This is not good. I thought he was going to be defeated by it already. Curses! But luckily, I have something that can tip the balance in the boss's favor. Or someone who can do so. You Speed Shifters aren't the only ones who sneak around. I have the Manipulator. 

As Night Fury was hyping himself up for the next match, some mare bumped into the princess. "Oops my apologies, your highness. I was in a rush."

Luna simply ignored this average mare simply because she was more worried about Fury. But little did she know, this was all part of the plan.

Heh heh, oh I was in a rush but only to see the Cockatrice overwhelm our poor kitty cat. The Manipulator said to herself.

When Luna put the Cockatrice back in with Night Fury, very confident he could defeat it, showed the crowd his self control and careful techniques instead of barbaric displays of violence. 

"Bring it on, chicken! Bakaw!" He mocking the cockatrice while pretending to be a chicken. But what he didn't realize was this cockatrice was getting enraged. Its anger was unnatural.

As the crowd cheered for Night Fury, the cockatrice lunged almost as fast as a Speed Shifter and Night Fury dodged it from biting the neck but it did bite his paw.

"Rahhhhhh!" Night Fury cried out in pain as he tried to get it off of him. He tried shaking it off and finally he successfully got it off and Fury went to the edge of the circle.

What the heck was that? He asked himself. It was way too fast. I couldn't dodge it! It's like I was fighting another speed shifter! Dang it, I have to be more careful now.

Fury has little time to think as the fowl lunges itself at him again.

"Oh no you don't!" He decided to lunge at the cockatrice again, ramming it down on the ground. It was hard to keep it down. Fury started to feel the tension and was quite nervous now. 

Focus, Night Fury, focus, it can't do anything too bad. He told himself. Poor choice of words for the cockatrice then dished out its signature move, its stare.

Oh great! Not now! Fury said to himself.

Fury knew if he didn't want to turn into stone, he would have to stare back. But was he really ready?

Only one way to find out.

The two were looking into each other's eyes and into their very minds. Fury felt overwhelmed. He felt his fight or flight instincts kicking in. Would he turn into a monster again?

No! Nice try, chicken! Night Fury said to himself. He remembered the meditations he said to himself back at Zecora's. Though he is afraid he feels is getting back control. That's when it happened.

Now's my chance! The Manipulator said, readying the bamboo tube that she had stored in her saddlebag with her magic. She aimed for Night Fury's back, took a deep breath, and… 

Foomp! 

Fury felt something prick him and start digging into his back, he ignored it but his mind did not. He now felt all of a sudden fear and doubt again even after his incantations and meditations. He just couldn't resist. Would he become a beast again?

No no no! This is impossible! I can't fight back now or I'll become feral! Curses! Am I going to turn into stone?!

Night Fury rather than winning started to become part rock starting from his hind legs. His heart began to race and his mind went blank, he was completely stunned by the fact that he may become feral that he couldn't finish the battle. Luna on the sidelines took notice and became concerned, her friend seemed to freeze up. Whatever was happening to him was putting her on edge.

Fury began to petrify, he started to hyperventilate as his vision began to tunnel.

"Night Fury!" Luna cried out. "Call off the competition!" Luna, Zecora and Twilight all came in to try to get the creature off.

"Ah I see. As you can see even the so-called great warriors can be bested by a cockatrice! So much for his instincts!" The Manipulator said, sheathing her dart shooter and walking away into the crowd. 

The challenge was canceled as Luna and Twilight put the cockatrice back in the cage.

"Night Fury!" Luna said with dread. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah totally! I'm only petrifying, nothing else!" He said sarcastically.

"Okay, do not panic! We must stay on track! But might I ask, what's that in your back?" Zecora asked, noticing what looked like a dart in his back. 

"Is there something? I don't really care since I'm about to be a rock!" Fury said.

"It's a dart! Maybe it's what caused you to be weakened!" Twilight said. 

"And that might explain why I felt a wave of fear all of a sudden while I was doing my stare! But can we get to saving me, I'm… starting to… go out." Fury muttered, starting to lose consciousness. "If I don't make it… everyone… thank you…"

"No no no no!" Luna said, everyone bearing witness to the worst possible outcome that he got overwhelmed by the cockatrice.

Luna was saddened. One of the few creatures who showed her any interest and had her open up was now a stone. She was devastated. 

"Well as you can see, Night Fury lost. Just as I predicted he gave in to his instincts! He was not able to overcome the cockatrice-"

"SILENCE, FOOL!"

Luna roared in rage and the whole village felt a shock wave.

"Night Fury was not a beast here! He could have chosen to be a predator to survive! He could have chosen to feast on the cockatrice and to feast on you all! And yet in spite of all of the abuse and criticism you laid onto him, he surrendered rather than being a monster!" Luna declared loudly. After she calmed down, she walked near the hologram. "And today I realized it was not him that was the monster, it was you! One of these days, he will be avenged, Truther. And I will see to that."

Even the Truther with his sharp tongue was silent after hearing Luna's condemnation. 

It was at that time the crowds looked and wondered about her speech. They realized he was the real hero. 

One of the ponies decided to give the statue some flowers to dedicate to this statue. Most of the ponies seemed to understand that Night Fury really was their neighbor. 

But this was not the end.

-

…
…
…

"Huh? Where am I?"

Night Fury noticed he was in some snowy blizzard.

"It's so cold. Wait? Where is everyone? Where is the cockatrice?! Why am I here?!" Night Fury asked himself.

He heard walking from behind him.

He looked behind him quickly, for he was not sure if it was someone who wanted to hunt him down.

"You worry too much, young Night Fury." It was the calm but strong voice of none other than the Emperor Snowdrift behind him.

At that point, Night Fury was confused. "Well now I'm not worried I'm just confused? Did I lose the fight with Cockatrice? Oh no, am I dead?! Am I in heaven with you?! It's too early. I need to come back! This can't be-"

Wack! 

"Oh, will you calm down, boy?! Sheesh, you're more wound up than a rubber band! You're not dead, you're just in a dream state because of the petrification!"

Night Fury started to figure everything out. "Oh. Uh. Yeah. That makes more sense." He said with an embarrassed smile. "But that's still not good for me. I'm now a hunk of rock! I can't believe after all the training I lost to that stupid cockatrice."

Snowdrift placed his paw on Night Fury's back.

"Or maybe you actually won."

"What? Are you the crazy one now? I lost!"

"But you also could have become overwhelmed by your carnal instincts and endangered all of those ponies. But you didn't. You chose to sacrifice yourself in your moment of weakness. That is a true hero. I have seen too many so-called heroes who would falter and make the easy choice. But not you, lad, not you." Snowdrift said in an unusually proud manner.

"Well when you put it that way, that makes it a little better."

"No, it makes it much better. Whoever your family is, I'm sure they are proud." Snowdrift reassured him even if the emperor didn't know about his parents being missing. Fury had to admit he was right, his parents would be proud of him for being so determined to clear his name. 

"I guess you're right…" 

But then, Fury realized something.

"Wait a minute! When I started to petrify, I felt something prick me in my back. And I felt this overwhelming wave of fear flash over me! My friends said it was a dart. Someone must have drugged me!" 

"Ah, that is a classic move by the dishonest cheaters of society. I wouldn't be surprised if you used it one time."

"Ha ha. Very funny. What's your point, sir?" Fury said annoyed at that joke.

"In all seriousness, that is unfortunate. And yet it seems the poison must not have been completely potent. For you are still able to talk to me. It is a good thing you have trained well or I probably would not be able to talk with you."

"Yeah, my dad always told me to keep fit." Night Fury said remembering how many times he would race even if it were by himself. "The poison must have flooded my mind and clouded it with emotions, but didn't completely paralyze it." 

"Which is why I came to talk with you. I didn't come here just to congratulate you. I came to tell you, there might be a way to escape this petrification. When speed Shifters first established tribes in the Everfree Forest, the elders used a special technique for the strongly trained to escape the petrification. Through much practice, we developed a technique to escape."

Night Fury was pleasantly shocked. 

"Wait, you mean there's a way I can get out of this weird dream state?"

"That is correct and I will teach you how to get yourself out of your stone tomb." Snowdrift said. 

"That's amazing! What do I have to do?!" Fury asked eagerly.

"Alright, it is both simple yet difficult. You must summon all of your willpower to fight the spread of the petrification. Perhaps from someone who wants you at the moment." 

Night Fury thought about it. The first thing that came to his mind was Princess Luna. Before he went away, he saw her tears streaming down her face. She must have been very affected by him.

"I have to go back. She needs to see me. I will go back!" Night Fury said to himself.

"Luna, thank you for encouraging me to fight against this Truther loser, even if they decided to be a big baby and cheat. Thanks for giving me the will to try again. I promise Luna, I will return. I WILL RETURN!"

As he said this, his body glowed a bright red, the electric pulses melting part of the snow. 

"I WILL LEAVE THIS PLACE, AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT I FIGHT FOR MY FAMILY AND MY FRIENDS!" 

As he continued to speak his mind, he felt different. He felt like he was king of the world. He felt like he was not going to stay in the snow.

"It seems you have done well. Farewell Night Fury." Snowdrift said to him.

"I'll see you in the next one, Emperor!"

Night Fury then saw only black.

…

"Night Fury?! Are you alright?!" Said a voice, echoing in his head. 

Night Fury opened his eyes. He had to look away from the sun's bright rays.

"Sun… Too bright… Need shade." He said weakly.

"Somepony get an umbrella or some clouds!" Night Fury saw a purple unicorn say.

He started to recover from his state of paralysis and began to see more clearly. He saw that he was lying on the ground, still sitting in the arena. He could hear a mirage of voices echoing in his ears as he continued to awaken. But most of all he noticed…

"I'm not stone?!" Night Fury said feeling his fur. "Hey, I'm not stone! Woohoo!"

Night Fury was quite relieved. 

"So what happened, you guys?" Fury asked, curious to know what was going on. "It must have looked cool, huh?" He smirked.

"W-we saw you turn into a stone statue. I ran to the Library to find a cure for you. Nothing seemed to be happening. But ten minutes later, I saw that stone around you explode and you were just back to normal!" Twilight said with surprise.

"Cool. I guess the Emperor really was right."

"Night Fury!!!"

All of a sudden, he felt like he was being constricted. It was Luna giving him a big bear hug.

"Don't do that again! I thought you were gone forever! You turned to stone and and and…"

"It's okay, I'm back. But if that didn't kill me, I think my lack of oxygen might do the trick." Fury wheezed, his face now showing a slight shade of blue. 

Luna instantly let him go. It was nice for her to hear his signature humor even in dark situations.

"My apologies. I was just so worried."

"Me too. But I learned a lot. And I think I've become stronger now." Night Fury stood back up. "Which is why, I have something to say. We haven't finished the game yet!" Fury said. "I want to face the cockatrice one more time!"

Twilight was shocked he would go through with this again after being part of such a traumatic event.

"Night Fury you don't have to do this. Everypony thinks you're a hero again. How about we just let things be done. You've been through too much." Twilight said.

Night Fury shook his head.

"Sorry Twilight, but I have to prove once and for all fairly that I have controlled my feral side and that without cheating I am to be trusted. If I let this go, maybe another stupid accusation will come up later." Night Fury explained. "And besides, I still have two princesses to square off my reputation with."

Twilight realized Night Fury had a very good point. She would probably do the same thing if she had his issues.

"Very well. But I am worried about any cheaters…"

"Well then how about we make sure that doesn't happen. Maybe put some guards up!" Night Fury directed. "That way they can't get out of this!" And then he whispered, "And if someone is suspicious, we'll know who to arrest."

Twilight was amazed. She knew he was becoming more and more mature, but she sees he has wisdom now. And solutions for tricky problems. She was kind of proud of him. He was starting to be like her a bit.

"Good idea, Fury. We'll make this a fair fight." Twilight turned to the others. "Alright everyone let's get this set up!"

The Truther looked in shock and dismay. Meanwhile the Manipulator was cursing 
herself that her plan got foiled.

-

Finally everyone was in place with more guards and supervision. Everything was ready.

Night Fury had a score to settle with this cockatrice and he was ready to go all in. But he knew this time to be ready for anything. He was not going to be caught off guard even by a dart.

The cockatrice was ready to fight back.

"Ladies and gentlecolts, the final match between Night Fury and the Cockatrice! Will Night Fury overcome the battle of instincts? Let us find out!" The Mayor declared as she rang the bell.

Night Fury was in his battle stance ready to pounce on the cockatrice. But this time he decided to wait a little and to be "well mannered" and allow the opponent to make the first move.

The cockatrice moved in to scratch him with its claw and Night Fury moved to the side and once again grabbed the cockatrice. 

Despite the initial surprise the cockatrice and him were struggling hard. But finally after some time the cockatrice decided to pull its signature stare.

Alright, this is it! 

This stare was even more intense than before. Night Fury felt some nervousness even wondering if there would be another dart. But like before until he got that dart, he had his meditations in his head. And despite the intimidating situation, he stared harder than ever at the fowl.

Everyone around him was in awe. 

Meanwhile the Truther and the Manipulator were looking in terror at Night Fury's level head.

And finally after much staring, the cockatrice cried and ran away out of the circle. It could not take it anymore.

"Yeah!!! Go Night Fury!" The crowd cheered him on. Everyone was ecstatic now. 

"Oh, I'm not done with you yet!" Fury said, chasing the cockatrice down and grabbing it by the tail. Twilight and Luna became nervous as they saw him grab the creature. Was he going feral again?

The crowd watched with bated breath as he moved to the middle of the ring.

"Hey everyone, you wanna see a supersonic chicken snake?" He called out, the crowd giving a resounding 'yes!'.

"Okay then, say it with me now! One for the money…"

He held the cockatrice up high.

"Two for the show…" The crowd came, waiting for what was about to happen with excitement.

"Three to get ready…"

He tossed the creature into the air and crouched down into a jumping position. 

"Aaand…"

"Four to go!" 

As the crowd finished his sentence, he jumped up into the air and became eye to eye with his victim. He spun around quickly in the air and extended a leg, the crowd roaring below. He soon reached full power and looked the cockatrice in the face, grinning widely as he said… 

"Nothin' personal, mate!"

BOOM!

And kicked the cockatrice with enough force that it actually went supersonic! 

The whole crowd looked in astonishment and cheered like they had never before. Meanwhile the two conspirators looked with absolute misery at how not only was Night Fury in control of his mind, he was having fun!

"Hopefully Fluttershy didn't see that." Twilight remarked.

"Do not worry," Celestia replied, flying there. "A cockatrice like that is more than strong enough to handle that. They are surprisingly sturdy creatures."

Twilight gasped. 

"Princess Celestia!" she said, bowing to her.

But Celestia did not come to see her, she came to talk with Night Fury.

"Night Fury!" 

Night Fury was nervous. He was worried about Celestia and Cadence being less than pleased with all of the things going on.

"Oh um, hi princesses, heh." He said awkwardly. "I'm … I'm sorry about all the chaos that happened and that you witnessed. I should have done better-"

"You have done well, Night Fury. I was not aware of all of these feral instincts until Twilight told me about them. But even before I knew you were not evil, you simply needed to learn. I was going to help but then it seemed you had everything under control." Celestia congratulated him.

Cadence also walked forward.

"For me, I was unfortunately worried that you had a dark part to you. Maybe it was from seeing Chrysalis try to infiltrate that I became afraid of your dark side. I'm sorry. And now I see you are one of the finest young warriors I have ever seen."

Night Fury appreciated these compliments. "Don't worry about it, Cadence. It was crazy for all of us. And I probably should have told you guys earlier for help. How about we finish our museum tour?"

"I think that would be a very good idea. Some relaxation from all the rough goings of today." Celestia said as they walked to the museum.

"Impossible! He probably cheated!" The Truther declared. "Rematch! Rematch!" 

Twilight was about to say something, but the crowd of ponies did it first. 

"Get out of here, you liar!!"

"Get lost!"

"Truther is a silly name anyway!"

Twilight then came over. "That reminds me. With the help of Cadence and Celestia I found a spell to make this stone's power disappear. Farewell Truther."

"This is not over, Night Fury, the world shall see through your lies-"

Sizzle

And with that the stone was gone. While this was going on the Manipulator decided she would leave before she would be discovered.

"Finally, now the noise is gone!" Night Fury said. "Alright everyone, are you ready to check out the Speed Shifter museum!?"

"Yeah!"

And so everyone decided to finally after many hours of tension, step foot into this new museum.

Everyone now wanted to take pictures of all of the statues, the paintings and even amusement parks Pinkie and Fury suggested, even if Twilight was reluctant to pay for those amusements at first.

It was fun for Night Fury to explain all the bits of Speed Shifter history from their first settlements into the Jungles or the wonders of the Silverblue. It was a delight.

It was almost time for the museum to close but before it ended, Twilight spoke up. 

"Wait everypony, there is one more attraction I wanted to show you all!" 

Even Night Fury was wondering what that was.

They saw it was a photo of Night Fury staring into the Cockatrice. 

"But that isn't even from the coast!" Fury said. 

"Not yet. But ponies will remember this as a time when Speed Shifters showed that they were more than capable of being ponies' friends."

Night Fury smiled at this. Even if today was rough it was definitely funner than what he would expect a museum tour to be. What a day. He couldn't wait to go to the arcade to take his mind off this stuff. But he felt quite happy.

-

"Curses, you two have failed me!" a mysterious voice said. 

"We are sorry sir, we did not mean to-"

"Enough! I made a mistake going in such a direct way. I should instead do as I did before. Not win the hearts of the rabble, but of those in charge." The mysterious figure walked to his suit.

"I will have to find another way. One less… confrontational. I think it is time that I get a bit more… political."
> Chapter 16: The Pain Of Politics
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a long day not just fighting the cockatrice and dispelling rumors, but simply leading a museum tour. It was fun at first to be with children like the siblings of the Mane Six, but those three Cutie Mark Crusaders sapped all of his energy. For Night Fury he was ready to have a vacation after everything. 

"Still I wonder who that Truther was. What was his goal and why did he hate me?" He said with his usual curiosity at the hooded stallion. "Well it doesn't really matter. For me, I'm just going to get some shut eye and take a long vacation." He said fading slowly into sleep.

For Night Fury, he pleasantly had a good sleep. He was floating through his visions. Everything seemed nice with a jungle and ancient ruins. It was a break from the hustle and bustle.

But then, he saw something peculiar. He was unsure what it was. He started to float towards it, trying to make out the shape of what he was looking at, but it seemed to be getting no closer to him as he moved in its direction. 

And then all of a sudden he saw this object move to him. It moved rapidly. Night Fury tried to fly away but it was too fast.

Beware…

"Huh?! Beware of what?!"

"Beware!" the object was closing in on Fury. And it caught his tail. But instead of being hostile, it seemed to have something to say.

"Night Fury! I have come to warn you of the future. You shall be part of a great struggle of enemies as time goes on. Enemies jealous of your success. And villains seeking to tarnish your honor." 

"Really? I mean I already dealt with one baddie. There can't be that many ponies out to get me… right?" Fury asked.

"I'm afraid there is, young one. Many ponies, young and old, have voiced their opinions on you being permitted such luxury in a short time. Some may only have a vocal response to this point, but others may want to take matters into their own hooves." 

Fury sat there processing what this figure had said. He didn't want to think that there might be somepony out there that wanted his life to be demolished, but he couldn't deny that ponies' opinions about him basically existing were very noticeable and diverse. There were some that were thrilled to have a new friend to talk and socialize with, but there were others who didn't see it that way.

Some saw him as a threat, a burden, a disgrace to nature itself! But he couldn't deny them their opinions just because he didn't like them. And from what he has seen in the newspapers, he wasn't surprised that there were some that might want to do something about him. Even if it meant getting rid of him in the most extreme way possible. 

But then he realized he had already done so much. He was able to fight and control his instincts. He had grown so much since the last time he met his herbivorous friends.

"Well whatever! You know what, bring it on! I'll be all ready for them! Whether it's pony or Cragodile, they won't stand a chance!" He said confidently.

"Even if you someday have to face other Speed Shifters? Some stronger than you?"

Night Fury looked at the light with confidence.

"Like I said, whatever it is, I'll lick em!" He said confidently. He then was confused. "Wait, other Speed Shifters?"

"In the far future. You do not have to worry for now though. Focus on the task at hand! And beware of any foes, any tricker and deception." The voice said.

"Okay okay I get it, I'll be ready! Now can I get back to dreaming about eating a tower of steak?"

And with that the voice disappeared. And to Fury's dismay he immediately woke up afterwards. It was a bit late at 11 am. The dart and the stare had an effect on him. He would have to visit the doctor soon.

But as per usual, he decided to go out and read the newspaper and mail. Since he was late, the Mailmare Derpy had already given the mail indicated by the dent in the mailbox. Night Fury chuckled to himself at the funny scene in his head.

Nothing but junk mail so far. Just some more events around Ponyville he already knew. He went to amuse himself with some stories around Equestria.

"Huh? What's this?" He noticed a letter dropped out of the newspaper.

He saw that it said: For Night Fury The Speed Shifter's Eyes Only. Do NOT Show To Others.

Night Fury decided to go back inside to his office away from prying eyes to read this confidential message.

He opened the letter.

To Night Fury
Do not be alarmed. This is Princess Celestia. This must be said in top secrecy to avoid spies. 

Let's get on with it. It seems that while in Ponyville you have regained your popularity, the rest of the world is more divisive. There has been an increasing movement that is suspicious or hostile against you being here ever since that Truther incident, especially in Manehattan. A place that never met you and has no positive feeling unlike Canterlot or Ponyville. In other news, there seemed to be a couple of extreme opinions spreading that are rumored to have come from you yourself. Me and my fellow princesses have decided to take it upon ourselves to have a talk with you about these opinions. I advise you to stick to formalities when you meet with us and are in public view with us as many ponies in Manehattan are very particular on respect and authority. And do not do anything suspicious or insensitive. Twilight has already set up transportation for you.

We will meet you at Manehattan tomorrow at 3 PM. You will be in a Grand Hotel. Please follow the directions of this map provided. We will finally decide what to say to these naysayers. 

Do not worry. I have full confidence that you will succeed in persuading most ponies of your good intentions. You have grown much. Your father would be proud.

With good tidings, Celestia.

Night Fury wasn't expecting his dream to come true this early after only a few days afterward. It was sort of exhausting. But on the bright side he'll get to see Manehattan. He heard it was a land of giant stone and glass towers. A land of great business. A sort of modern version of the Silverblue. He was delighted to go now.

"Well, I guess I'm headed to Manehattan. Let's see where this takes me." Fury said, going to pack his bags to get ready for the trip.

-

It wasn't long before Night Fury was on a train to Manehattan. Twilight was nice enough to get him a private car on The Crystal Zephyr, Princess Cadence's private engine. He was grateful that Twilight has good connections with the princesses, she was a good friend to keep around. Within minutes, Manehattan came into view through the windows of the car. Fury was amazed at the cityscape, he had never seen such tall and big buildings before in his life. Even Canterlot thought it was magnificent, felt like an old city stuck in ancient Equestrian tradition whereas this felt like a city of the future. Perhaps this was what the Speed Shifters needed to become, creatures who also looked to the future.

When Night Fury finally disembarked from the train, he followed the map to get to the Hotel. 

He was wearing a trench coat and a hat and hid his tail and paws. Twilight told him now was not a good time for other ponies to know that he was in Manehattan especially since some are already afraid of him. Fury wished that he had his transformations under control, then he could blend in without a problem. But he still hadn't gotten the hang of them, so this was the best he had for now. 

While walking, he was overhearing what other ponies were saying as it was a usual hobby. It seems like everyone was excited for a certain event. For a speech by some great pony who would solve the Speed Shifter problem. 

Great, they are already getting hyped up. I better hurry and talk to Celestia.

He finally made it to the Grand Hotel. A huge awesome place for only the wealthiest and most illustrious. Rarity said she dreamed of one day living in the Suites. Fury walked inside and was met with a smile from the receptionist. 

"Hello sir, welcome to the Grand Hotel. How can I help you?" The unicorn receptionist greeted him.

"Hi, I'm here to meet with the princesses. Ambassador Fury, I'm on official business. Here's my card."

The receptionist looked at it making sure it was not a forgery. 

"Ah, good to see you've made it, ambassador. Just take the elevator. They are waiting for you in the Master Suite, room 6B."

Night Fury went up on the elevator and since it was seen through glass, he was able to see how high he was going up. It was truly an entertaining wonder.

He finally made it to the floor. 

"Let's see no, nope, nuh uh. Yes, here it is. room 6B!" Night Fury knocked on the door.

Celestia opened the door.

"Um, may I help you sir?" Celestia asked

"Princess, it's me! Night Fury!" He said, taking off his fedora to fully reveal his face. 

"Ha, ha, my apologies, I guess Rarity did a good job of hiding you. Anyways, please come inside." Celestia said, inviting him inside. 

"No problem. Twilight advised me to keep my more 'prominent feline features' undercover. Don't want anypony to start panicking about me being around." He said, walking inside the door into the master suite. Fury was amazed at the size and beauty of the room. The marble floors, the finely sewn tapestry, the crystal clear windows, and even the serene paintings of nature. The two soon reached a table next to a big window where Princess Cadence and Princess Luna were waiting for them. 

"Hello ladies, how are you doing?" Night Fury asked, lying down on the cozy sofas.

Cadence replied.

"We've been doing quite well! I haven't been to Manehattan for awhile but at least in this successful district it has been a very fine place. 

Luna simply nodded her head. She was smiling slightly seeing Night Fury.

Now Night Fury was ready to talk.

"So Princesses, I assume you didn't take me here just to go sightseeing as much as I'd like that. So, what is this Speaker up to?"

Celestia nodded and explained.

"Even before the events of Ponyville, there were some in Manehattan who had fears of you being here. But it has only been since the incident with cloaked figures that the anti-Shifter movement has really started to gain popularity. There are a lot that want you exiled from Equestria," the princess of the sun explained.

"Okay, but why is it important to specifically address this place? Maybe we can just let it fizzle out." Fury reasoned since he was exhausted from all of the craziness of that Truther incident.

"Unfortunately no. Manehattan, while not as influential as Canterlot, is still very influential in Equestria, both politically and culturally. Ponies listen to what is going on there. And this city could try to use this to try to become more influential than Canterlot, by saying how they are protecting ponies better than the ponies in Canterlot. Especially since many earth ponies are suspicious of the unicorns of Canterlot and Manehattan is the most powerful Earth Pony city." Celestia explained the political situation.

"Oh great. So not only do I have to deal with ponies spreading rumors about me, but I have to deal with an Anti-Shifter movement that basically puts a bounty on my head. And I wouldn't be surprised if I have an actual bounty on me soon!" Night Fury said, slamming his face on the couch cushion.

Celestia placed a hoof on the distressed feline's shoulders. 

"I know this is rough for you, but if you succeed here, then probably ponies will mostly accept you being here. This is not easy, I understand. But now you are more prepared than before. And I have confidence, you will succeed." Celestia reassured Night Fury.

"Exactly! You have a way with words, you know?" Cadence agreed.

"That is indeed true, Night Fury, and even if you do fail once, you can try again to regain their trust. You have that talent." Luna reassured him which was the most encouraging to the black feline.

"I-I guess you're right. But how do we even get started?"

Celestia rolled out a scroll with plans.

"So here is what we ought to do. We need to display you in a positive light to the people of Manehattan. We are not sure yet but we have a few ideas: maybe you could save ponies from trouble disguised and then showing yourself at the last minute." Celestia said.

Sounds like one of Spike's power pony comics. That sounds fun.

"Another idea is that you would also make speeches on your behalf, defending yourself and proving your position. Perhaps challenge this Speaker to a debate."

"That sounds good, but I don't know the first thing about debates. Maybe we should stick to the first option for now. This speaker isn't supposed to, well, speak for a few hours." He reasoned. "And besides, I'm so tired of these speeches! I want to do some action and adventure!"

Celestia thought about it for a little while. She chuckled a bit. "Well if you wish to save the other ponies, then you might need an alternate identity. Since ponies might still not be open to you yet."

"Heck yeah, a secret identity! Maybe stopping this speaker won't be so boring after all. But I have to think of names, hmmmm." Night Fury thought. 

Night Fury got up and walked around the room wondering which name he could go for.

"How about Tigerpony! It sounds pretty cool!" Night Fury said what was first in his head. Luna facepalmed at the lack of awareness.

"Oh right, felines are not cool in Manehattan yet. Never mind. Hmmmm."

Cadence raised an idea. 

"How about the Suave Swords Pony! He saves others with his handsome features, flirts with mares, and-"

"THAT WILL NOT WORK, CADENCE!" Luna objected loudly for some reason.

"Okay okay, you didn't have to get loud. Sheesh." Cadence said, pouting as Fury kept going. 

"Yeah sorry, Cadence, I'm not exactly the suave type. I'm not that smooth. I just have fun running around and sneaking around old caves, not flirting with any random mare. The only thing ponies know for sure about me is that I can run so fast that I basically create gale force winds like a raging storm just passed by." Night Fury said.

Then a light bulb lit up in Luna's mind. 

"I have it now! Night fury, you shall be called Storm Chaser! One who chases after crime and who races for justice for those who have none. Storm Chaser!" Luna said dramatically.

"Sister, this is supposed to be Night Fury's choice, you cannot just order him-"

"I'll take it, Your Highness!" Night Fury said with excitement. "That name perfectly represents who I am. My dark looks, my high speed, and my fierce attitude. I love it!" He said with pride. He then looked to Luna. "Thanks Luna!"

Luna blushed at this. Cadence smirked knowing what was on Luna's mind.

"Very well, Night Fury or my apologies, Storm Chaser. Tomorrow you shall be doing some hero work around Manehattan. I wish you well. We will have a costume designed for you by then." Celestia said. "Until then feel free to relax in this suite. And I would advise you not to leave until you have the new suit."

"Sounds like a plan. But for now, how about we get some snacks up here? I'm starving." Fury suggested. The other princesses chuckled at his laid back demeanor and agreed. Celestia had room service come to the room with snacks and for the rest of the day, all four of them had a good time making jokes and having fun until the sun set. Fury was excited to have a secret identity, he honestly felt like a superhero! But that ordeal was to be saved until tomorrow.

-

"Fury, Furyyyy. C'mon buddy, wake up."

Night Fury had slept like a baby last night, the beds in the suite were amazing. He opened his eyes to see a familiar pink alicorn standing at his side. Fury wanted to get up for the day, but his comfort was a little more important at that moment. 

"Ugh, five more minutes mom." He whined, his half awake brain speaking for him. Cadence giggled at his lazy shenanigans, he was acting just like Shining Armor when he woke up in the morning.

"C'mon Fury, you have to get up." She encouraged, but her voice only fell on deaf ears as the black cat had already begun snoozing again. The pink princess rolled her eyes at him and scoffed. Just as Cadence was about to get him up by force, Celestia and Luna walked in. 

"Good morning, dear niece. Is Night Fury awake yet?" Luna asked.

"Well, I'm trying to get him up but he just won't budge." Cadence replied, poking at the slumbering feline to no effect.

"Maybe more… physical help is in order." Celestia suggested with a cheeky smile, pulling a feather from her wing. Cadence and Luna both nodded and pulled one of their own as they sneakily got closer to Fury and pulled the covers back.

"On three. One… Two… Three!" As Cadence counted down, the three princesses began tickling Fury's belly. Fury's eyes shot open as he felt the tickling sensation and began laughing. He was going to try and get back at them, but he was too busy giggling to do anything.

"Hahahahahaha! Okay okay, I'm up! Quit it!" The black feline had finally submitted, and crawled out of bed. Even a predator like him had hid weaknesses. He was particularly sensitive to tickling.

"Fine you guys win, okay? I'm up!" He said while still laughing. He calmed down a little. "Maybe it's time I had some breakfast- Take this!" Night Fury pounced on Celestia tickling her nose with his tail. 

"Ah stop it, please!" Celestia screamed for help. 

"Did you really think I would not have a retaliatory plan for you, Celestia?! I knew you were gonna tickle me!" 

"W-w-well done- Ha choo!" Celestia sneezed loudly. Night Fury felt satisfied and now it was Cadence and Luna who were laughing at Celestia.

"Well I can see you are a resourceful feline. I guess this will prepare you for your time as Storm Chaser." Celestia said after she recovered from her sneeze fest.

Night Fury took pride in this.

Knock knock

Celestia looked through the peephole. It turned out it was a delivery pony who had a big case. After getting the case, Night Fury was curious what was in it.

"Is this what I think it is?" Night Fury asked.

"Yes it is. Your very own… suit, Storm Chaser!" Celestia said as she opened the suit revealing a trench coat suit but that was dark blue and black with gray clouds and lightning. It looked quite nice.

Night Fury couldn't wait to try it on.

"Stand still." Cadence said as she put the somewhat tight suit on the feline. "Hold still, don't move around so much!" 

"I'm trying!" Night Fury said.

After a little while, it was put on. 

"Well, what do you think?" Cadence asked.

He looked at himself and he was not impressed.

"I don't know, I still look like a feline here-"

"Oh, we have to add this crystal to the suit! Fury, hold out your wrist." Cadence pointed.

After she put a crystal on the wrist of Fury, all of a sudden the suit expanded and made him look more like a pony instead of a feline. 

Now he started to like the new look on him. He saw his new muscular yet still sleek looking build, how he looked dark blue instead of black, how his paws looked more like hooves, how his eyes looked less catlike and more ponyish. He looked a little like a masked version of that fast Power Pony from Spike's comics. His face was covered except for the eyes.

"Woah, this suit… it makes me feel… like a total stud!" He boasted, flexing in the mirror. 

Celestia grabbed the letter with the note and read it out. 

Dear Night Fury, I hope that I have made a proper suit for you. I have tried my hardest to use fabrics that accommodate your Speed Shifter powers. Keep in mind however, a few things. One, you must keep that crystal in the suit or else the pony's appearance will disappear. Two, your speed abilities will have to be limited more, it's advised for you to run normally and only when you get close enough to use that speed. Anyways, darling, I hope you use it well. And if possible please do not get it too dirty! It is just so glorious! Anyways I hope you use it for heroic purposes, go forth and do your duty! Signed, Rarity of Ponyville.

"Okay, while I am bummed that I won't be able to give this thing a proper test run, I am amazed at how good this suit looks on me!" Fury said, doing a couple of poses. "Ha! Hoo! Haha, what's anypony got on me with this magnificent body!?"

Cadence, Luna and Celestia rolled their eyes at his bragging but they did seem glad for him. Luna seemed to blush just a tiny bit.

"It seems you are ready to save others. And bring yourself honor again."

"You bet I am! And even after this whole ordeal, maybe some of the rather good looking mares might look my way."

Luna grumbled to herself at that with Cadence chuckling a bit.

Celestia also chuckled and told Night Fury, "Just make sure you don't get distracted. And be aware of any criminals in your way. Manehattan has more than Canterlot, and they are usually more dangerous."

Night Fury was still not worried.

"Oh don't worry I'll be careful. I watched those old black and white gangster and detective films that Rarity made me watch and had to hear her yell and cry over. So I think I'm ready to take them on." He said confidence. "Now where do I start?"

Celestia went over to more documents in her briefcase. 

Gee, Celestia sure is prepared. 

"Alright, I have some target areas for you on this map," on the table she rolled out a large map of Manehattan's different districts. "Some like the one we're in now are quite peaceful already. But some areas like Tartarus's Kitchen are filled with thieves, juvenile delinquents, foalnappers, salesponies of dangerous magical items, and a few gangs."

Night Fury was surprised that Equestria had such a rough place full of messed up people. Even if there were some rough speed shifters in his village, it wasn't as bad as Tartarus's Kitchen.

"Gee, sounds like a friendly place. Well I guess I'll have to go have fun with these friendly folks." Fury said with eagerness to teach some punks a lesson. "I'll be all set. When do I start kicking criminal butt?!" He said with a power pony-like pose. Before any of the princesses could answer, an audible scream from a mare down below rang through the window.

"Well, I guess that answers that question." Fury said, quickly opening the door and readying himself. "Alright crime, you wanna cause a storm? Well, get ready for me to chase you down!"

And with that fancy quip, he was off. 

"Already?" Luna said. 

"Well trouble happens when and where you least expect it. Let's just watch from up here." Celestia said. "If there is trouble that he can't handle, we'll fly out the window to help."

The other princesses agreed.

-

Night Fury was running toward the screams of a terrified mare. As he scoured the streets for where it came from, he eventually found that the source of the panic was what looked like a business mare being held against her will by some scraggy looking criminal. 

"An attempted pony napping? Well that just won't do, it's time that I step in." Fury said, getting closer to the ongoing scene.

"Hey, slugger!" He called out, getting the criminal's attention. The shady pony chuckled a bit at what he was seeing, some random masked pony making a scene. Was this a joke?

"Ha! And what are you supposed to be, costume boy? A magician turned too old?" He mocked in a raspy voice. Before he could make another move, Fury had already broken the hold that he had on the mare and pinned him to the concrete. By now, there was a crowd around the block that were watching the action. They were astounded by this new hero's speed and agility.

"No, I'm somepony you shouldn't have messed with today!" 

"What, how did ya do that?" the criminal asked, astonished. "No pony could do that!!!"

"But this one can." Wack. He said as he knocked the mugger out into sleep.

The business mare was surprised at first but then grateful to this mysterious character. 

"Sir! I am in your debt! Thank you! I don't know how I can repay you for such heroism!" She cried out while looking in her purse for money to give him. 

The masked hero stopped her from reaching into her purse.

"No need to repay me, madam!" He said with a deep heroic voice. "All I want you to know is my name! And for all who are present know this: I call myself Storm Chaser! For with the ferocity of a storm, I chase down evil!" Night Fury normally would make fun of these cheesy power pony lines but he found it too fun to resist saying.

"If you have trouble, you know who to call!" He cried out. And then he turned and whispered, "Especially you, miss." He winked at her, causing her to blush. 

"Oh my…" She said breathlessly, fanning herself as to not overheat from her increasing body temperature.

"Well loyal citizens, I must be off! Crime stops for nopony!" Fury called to the crowd. The ponies cheered as he ran off to find more crime, they were amazed at how he was so brave yet charming. The three princesses above were also impressed, he had handled that situation so well. But one out of the trio was much more interested in his new role and attitude than the others. 

"He is quite impressive. Did you two see how he just went in and defeated that treacherous villain!?" Luna said excitedly. "Crime will fear the name of Storm Chaser, I can tell you that much!" 

Cadence and Celestia were a little shocked at first to see how excited Luna was. She was never usually this peppy. But they knew what it was and smirked to each other.

"As well as handsome now too, did you see how he saved that lovely lady? She seemed to have a moment of bliss when he winked at him." Celestia asked innocently.

"Wait no! Not in that way! I do not think that he is… Wait, was that lady looking at him with lustful eyes?!" Luna quickly switched from embarrassment to rage in a flash. She then turned to the window. "You listen here, wench! You had better not have any plans for the great hero known as Storm Chaser- Mmmhhh!". Celestia and Cadence covered the enraged lunar princess's snout as the two both laughed harder than ever. "Alright auntie, I think you need to take a little breather." Cadence said as they closed the window with Luna still ranting.

-

Meanwhile, our speedy hero Storm Chaser was running through the streets of the city, searching for more dastardly deeds being done in his presence.

"Hmmm, let's see where I am first." Dang I probably should have gone to Celestia to ask where to go. Oh well. 

He pulled a map out of his suit and looked around for any specific landmarks that would tell him where he was. He took a look around and saw a giant building with screens on the front of it.

Hmmm, building with big screens, V shaped intersection… I must be in time square!

He saw a busy area. With many carts carrying supplies to and fro. It would probably be a place teeming with some trouble. It would be a good warm up before going to the rougher corners of Manehattan. 

"Well in the meantime, I might as well get a better view from up above." He said as he climbed and sped upward on an apartment's fire escape. He did not see much for twenty minutes. He was about to leave until he saw something and heard a crash. He didn't know what it was but he knew he had to go.

And when he went to the scene of trouble he saw on a bridge, two carriages that crashed together and the bridge was about to collapse with everyone inside! 

Oh great I wasn't expecting this, I have to hurry!

"Someone help us!" said one of the passengers. 

You don't have to tell me twice! "Hang on, citizens, I will save you!" He said as he ran to the bridge.

"Not to worry, for I, Storm Chaser shall save you from your terrified state!" He probably announced, grabbing onto the two carriages and pulling with all his might. The carriages scraped the ground as they moved slowly with each pull of Storm Chaser's force. Ponies scurried to the scene as he showed his strength and might, muttering softly as the bridge continued to crack and sway out of balance. Fury had to admit, the suit was pretty durable. If it could handle stress like this, who knows what it could do?

Slowly but surely, the two wrecked carriages were pulled to safety. Storm Chaser pulled the doors open by force and helped everyone out as the bridge made one final creak and collapsed into the water channel below. 

"Oh thank you, Storm Chaser! You're a true hero among us all!" One mare said, warranting cheers and applause from the gathering ponies.

"Thank you all! I appreciate your support and admiration, but I must be off! There is more to be done by The Mighty Storm Chaser! Farewell!" He said, running off to other parts of the city as cheering and praises filled the air at his departure. 

For the next few hours, Storm Chaser worked his magic and thwarted all types of crime. From attempting foal nappings to illegal selling, he stopped them all. And throughout his heroic day, he was given praise that nopony would ever forget. Under this mask however, was an excited and happy Night Fury as he thought of how his luck was significantly turning around.

Wow, look at what I've done. I'm a hero! And to think that I thought I wouldn't be able to do any of this just because I look different. This is sure to win the ponies of Equestria over and get them back on my side! 

It was now evening, and Night Fury spent some time relaxing on top of an apartment complex. 

"Storm Chaser! Storm Chaser! I need your help!"

"Okay, okay. I'm coming down. I wish I had a little more time to relax." Night Fury sped down the building to see… just a normal earth pony teenager probably five years younger than him with a suit who seemed perfectly fine.

"Storm Chaser, sir, I'm so happy to see you!"

Night Fury noticed he had a piece of paper on him.

"Ah I see. You want my autograph, don't you? Very well, just give me your pen and you can show it off to your friends and foes." Night Fury said.

"No no no no you misunderstand. This is a petition." the gentlecolt clarified.

"A petition? Of what kind do you speak of, citizen? Is it to clean up the sewage system? Reduce bribery? Have better police?" He said hoping it was something constructive and not a waste of time.

"Even more important! To stop that nefarious Speed Shifter from causing havoc!" The young stallion said rather enthusiastically. "We could use a hero's stamp of approval for our cause to drive this dreadful feline from Equestria and potentially Manehattan!"

Night Fury was now a little peeved at this stallion's eagerness. But he tried to remember not to be too angry with him. He's probably just a naive victim of propaganda. Instead he would try to persuade him.

"Listen to me, Young Citizen! I am afraid you have it all wrong! This feline, who has a name, Night Fury, is a good hearted individual! He has helped save Equestria from King Sombra! Does that sound like a villain to you?!" 

"I mean that is good. But they told me it was Twilight who saved us! And Fury simply wanted to do it to take over Equestria!" He said with clear fear.

"Have you ever thought there could be more than one hero? Perhaps there can be many?" the hero asked. "And maybe he's just a decent fellow you misjudged."

This young gentlecolt was clearly confused where to go. Night Fury almost felt sorry for him.

"Well I guess we all have our opinions. Just don't tell anyone that you have these opinions, okay? They might do something to you? Or maybe to me!" the stallion said, looking behind him.

Storm Chaser was glad he at least had conflict going through his head. But he realizes whoever was leading this movement probably was quite forward. And dealt harshly with those who disagreed.

"Well, just… think about what I said, young stallion. Even if others say wrong is right or vice versa, it is your duty to stand up for what you believe in! Not be led by others." Storm Chaser instructed.

"Well… I suppose I'll think over what you said," The gentlecolt said. "I mean if you claim he is innocent then perhaps there is a point… or not."

Storm Chaser nodded in approval. "That's all I ask for, kid. Now go on!"

"Thanks!"

Night Fury started to feel proud that he influenced someone to think for themselves. But then he remembered the speech that was happening this evening.

Oh boy, I almost forgot! I've got to get to the princesses and regroup so we can stop those fools! To think these poor kids are being influenced like this. Grrr. I won't let it happen any longer if I have something to say!

Before he could get moving, the princesses all flew in and landed in front of him. Fury was still nervous about the speaker and what they would have to say but he was glad he didn't have to go about it alone.

"Oh good, you guys got to me before I could do the same thing. So, please tell me you have a plan for this speaker and hold on. Do you even know who this speaker is?" Night Fury asked rapidly.

"Slow down hero! We will explain it all." Celestia said, collecting her thoughts. "The reason why we didn't tell you is that this speaker is secret. He speaks in unknown places, so we still are unsure of who he is." Celestoa explained with some disappointment.

"Dang it, so we know nothing?"

"Well, my spies have revealed this Speaker will be making himself public five hours from now. He is said to have the approval of Manehattan's mayor. And he is going to say some ultimate plan to solve the issue with you." Luna explained since she was good with spies and stealth.

"Oh great, now I've got politics to deal with. I know this whole ambassador thing is supposed to help Equestria into a new age of friendship and trust, but it seems to be turning into more and more of a thorn in my flank as time goes on."

"Welcome to my world." Celestia bluntly said. "You'll get used to it."

"But on the bright side, we have you Mr. Storm Chaser, the champion of the ponies of Manehattan!" Cadence said. "All you have to do is reveal who your real identity is."

"Yeah that is a good point!" Night Fury remembered. "I bet they'll start to wonder if a monster or an enemy of ponies would help others so much!"

"Go then. Ni- I mean Storm Chaser. And make those ponies see the truth!" Luna said. "I know you can do it."

"Thanks Luna. That I will!"

"Here, look at this map. The speaker will probably be at this location. In the meantime, you might as well do a little reconnaissance to map out the location and see what everyone is saying." Celestia said.

"You got it! Look out speaker and prepare to eat your words!" He said right before dashing to the location.

-

Night Fury soon arrived at the location that Celestia marked for him. From his high vantage point atop a nearby building, he could see that this location was a custom built stage in the middle of an intersection. Cones blocked off the streets as ponies from all over flooded in en masse. Fury was simultaneously amazed at the pure extent of the effort that this anonymous speaker was going through, but was also upset that this many ponies believed that he was a menace. He wanted to take the stage down by force so badly, but he knew he had to do this with finesse.

"Okay, remember the plan. Get in, find out what this speaker is about from what ponies have to say, relay that info to the princesses, and then let the show play on until I get the signal and I jump in and reveal my true identity. Easy peasy, now let's get in there." He said, equipping his mask and jumping down the side of the building until he reached street level. 

He decided that he would stay in the darkness and listen in on what ponies were saying instead of confronting them directly, better to keep quiet and listen in than to confront and accuse.

He finally saw two stallions talking. He decided to listen in.

"Dang it. Couldn't the Chosen One have chosen a better time to make his Grand Speech than one in the morning?! He always likes to do things at night!"

"Hey, leave him alone. He is having a rough time, with all the operations he has to do. And trying to evade the press. Heh, lucky me though, he gave me a sneak peak of what his speech is going to be."

Operations? This guy must have been in the running before dealing with me! And he's evading the press too, their highnesses are gonna have a great time with this. What else is he doing? 

Storm Chaser continued listening in.

"Oh you're lucky! I wish I had as much money to spend so I could get the scoop! Come on, what did he say?!"

"Well since you're my pal, the Chosen One said he had something planned in Canterlot. He has some connections with one or some of the royalty, he didn't say who. But he has said this royalty is going to give some money to the Great Cause of Manehattan."

Royalty? He can't mean one of the princesses is in on this! Although, he might just be referring to one of the Elites or whatever. They are basically considered royalty. And I've got to remember that name, The Great Cause Of Manehattan. 

Storm Chaser felt accomplishment in knowing about these secret dealings but he still was disappointed he did not know who this Chosen One was. He was considering asking them, but he figured this is probably all they know. And anyways, he would rather not look suspicious asking questions unless he was certain he could get some new stuff.

He decided to move on. He was good at sneaking through the dirty streets of Tartarus's Kitchen. Although it did smell a little icky.

He then finally reached the group of ponies themselves. He went through a sewer grate to be able to stay undercover while still hearing everyone.  

Note to self, take a shower after this is all over.

He overheard many things, most of them unimportant.

"Oh my Celestia, this Chosen One is so cute!"

"He'll save us all!"

"I can't wait for what he has planned!"

"I could have been playing darts."

But on the occasion he did hear some potentially useful things.

"Let me tell you Rose! I saw his face! I love his blue eyes. They make him look so elegant and so is his golden hair."

"Shut your mouth! Do you want to get us in trouble for your blabbermouth?!"

Finally someone who knows his appearance.

"Pffft, as if we need some unicorn to tell us Earth Ponies how to defeat a threat, especially a hoity toity Canterlot fellow!

"He's one of the good ones though! He is on our side and he did say how he has some earth pony ancestry! But don't tell anyone yet about that!"

Well this is interesting. A unicorn? Well that narrows it down a bit. Perhaps some blackmail for later on. I think this might do for a solid bit of info, time to head back. 

And then kept crawling feeling satisfied until he heard one last juicy piece of info.

"I heard this Chosen One in a worse case scenario might free us from the tyranny of this new Shifter and he basically said how this Speed Shifter is manipulating Celestia's personal apprentice, Twilight Sparkle! And we might have to rebel to free us from tyranny!"

"Well I hope it doesn't come down to that, but Manehattan is ready for anything!"

Now we're dealing with rebellion?! Oh great! But at least I know this Chosen One is planning something illegal. Treason.

As Storm Chaser worked his way through the back alleys and the shadows of the city, he thought about what this "Chosen One" was all about. He's a unicorn with golden hair, blue eyes, and apparently has the clearance to set up a private event. He knew that this was going to be the biggest thing he's ever done so far, but if his reputation and respect was on the line, this was a risk worth taking.

-

The princesses were waiting in the hotel when the masked hero jumped in through the window and walked up to them. 

"Hello Princesses, are you in need of my assistance?"

Cadence chuckled at the corny lines. "I suppose we are, Storm Chaser, pursuer of justice. Please come in!"

Storm Chaser came in. And he removed his mask revealing himself as Night Fury. "It's nice to be myself again. It was fun but I can only do so much campiness for so long." Then he switched to a serious mode. "But listen I have found some important info!"

The black feline explained everything to the princesses from the appearance to the plans to the attempt at treason. It was a lot to unpack.

Cadence and Luna both looked surprised. They couldn't believe such a conspiracy was brewing beneath their hooves.

"Why, this is an outrage that must be punished!!! This fool will pay for trying to incite such treachery!" Luna said.

Meanwhile Celestia was silent and trying to add up this new intelligence that had been gathered.

"I see," Celestia calmly said. "This character seems to be the most treacherous. And possibly insane. Whoever is thinking this is either insane or is very clever."

"Do you think you know who this Chosen One could be?" Night Fury asked.

"There are a lot of royals that fit the description of white unicorn with blond hair. It's not exactly uncommon. We'll keep this in mind for later, but for now what is most important is that we know that this speaker has to be dealt with. We have the Equestrian law and tradition on our side and also the knowledge that you are for justice will surely help." 

"What will I do?"

"You need to explain how they should instead of choosing the path of chaos that they should choose the side of justice. Some ponies might not be aware of this mutiny against Canterlot. You must keep these things in mind when you show up. And make the final dent to this Chosen One's reputation." Celestia advised.

"That'll be easy. Now we just have to get to the place and wait to make our move." As Fury said this, a stallion with a bullhorn came trotting down the street below, announcing the beginning of the event.

"Come one, come all to the speaking of The Chosen One! Let him enlighten you with his words on the growing problem of this feline menace in Tarterus's Kitchen! Be there or be square!"

Fury sighed.

"As much as I hate to hear that, that's our cue. You three get down there and wait in the crowd, trying to blend in until I get there. I'll be on top of a building nearby. You give me the signal, and I'll drop in. Agreed?" 

"Agreed."

Night Fury donned his suit again and sped to said building. He wondered what this speaker would be like. And wondered what he would say to counteract him. 

But whatever it is, I'm ready.

-

Storm Chaser looked at the crowds expanding even more than previously, after this he looked at the clock. Although it was dark to most, he could see it clearly. The clock was ticking. Everyone was getting excited to see this person.

"Oh my gosh, we're finally gonna see him!" He heard everyone say.

Night Fury had the same level of excitement though for different reasons. Come on clock, hurry up! I want to see this pesky pony!

And the clock was about to turn in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

Ding dong!

"Ladies and gentlecolts! Our great leader to lead us away from the scourge of the Speed Shifters! I present to you, our Chosen One!"

Storm Chaser had to cover his ears as he heard everyone applaud and yell in excitement. It was quite irritating for him.

And then he saw a cloaked figure walking out of a curtain with trumpeters accompanying him.

He knew how to make a grand entrance that's for sure.

The so-called Chosen One walked to the podium. Everyone wondered what he would say.

"My dear friends, you have surely seen for yourselves, the threat that this Speed Shifter has upon Equestria! He thinks he is unstoppable! He thinks he can get away manipulating our fair princesses and heroes! But I say no! We must not let this pest get in our way! Do you agree my friends!?"

"Yes we do!" The audience cried.

"Excellent. So I shall tell you what I must do! I have special connections with the Royalty in Canterlot, sadly I cannot say in case some might try to be rid of me. But I will say this, I will represent you and I think you ought to sign a petition to Canterlot that the ponies of Manehattan shall not tolerate this menace and want him out of Equestria! Does that sound good to you?!"

The audience all cheered.

So he wants these ponies to sign this petition? We'll see about that!

"So everypony you know what you must do! Sign it now!" Just as everyone was about to make a move, a glowing light shone throughout the crowd, followed by a familiar voice. 

"I THINK NOT, CITIZENRY!"

"Huh, who's that?"

"He sounds like the stallion who saved me from that mugger!"

"Is it…?"

The spotlights turned from the Chosen One, who looked annoyed the spotlight was not him, to none other than the other hero of Manehattan, Storm Chaser.

"Hello there, folks. I see you're happy to see me!" 

Mares swooned, and stallions stomped and the foals cheered.

"Thank you, thank you. You're too kind."

The Chosen One looked to one of his workers. "Who let this caped fool in? This was supposed to be my time to shine!"

"It seems he just snuck up sir!"

"Fine, I will have to deal with him."

The Chosen One came to the speaker, addressing the new power pony.

"Sir with all due respect, we are in the middle of an important assignment that will affect Equestria's safety. Please be silent!"

"Ah Chosen One, that is precisely why I am here. And no, it is not to sign that petition. In fact…" As Storm Chaser trailed off, he grabbed his mask, pulled at it and revealed his true identity. The crowd gasped at who had been behind the mask all along. For it was the face of a humble feline.

"I am here to tell all of you that I'm not the creature you think I am!"

The crowd was in pure shock. The pony who had saved them all this time was… the feline menace the whole time?

"Is this a joke, because I don't like it!"

"Wha… What is going on?!" Said a stallion 

"How can I marry a cat?!" The business mare said, which got a rise out of a certain blue alicorn. 

"I KNEW YOU HAD FEELINGS FOR HIM, YOU WITCH!" She bellowed, before being quickly silenced by Celestia and warranting giggles from Cadence. 

After hearing everyone in confusion, Night Fury spoke up.

"Everyone let me tell you. Unlike what some say, I am not out to get you or eat you or rule over you! I just want to be your friend and save you all. Especially from saving you from the worst mistake of your lives! Are you really going to commit treason for the sake of this bozo?!"

The Chosen One finally spoke up.

"Well, this bozo knows as well as you do good sir that you love the taste of meat and that you are an aggressive group of killers! I am simply trying to save everypony from your kind. I do this to keep Celestia safe by the way from your trickery!" 

"Oh shut up! The only thing that you keep safe is your face from terrorizing the kids in the crowd. Yikes!" Fury teased, getting laughing and audible "Oh snap!"s in return. 

"And let me ask you, the pony who hides beneath a mask. Are you implying Celestia, the most powerful princess in Equestria, could feel threatened by me? Honestly, the only thing anypony should be worried about is my humor." He joked, getting more laughs from the crowd and a small chuckle out of Celestia.

"Everyone saw me. They saw how even I had struggles saving ponies. I'm definitely not as strong as the princesses, that's for sure! Though I am probably stronger than the guy behind the mask. And besides,how can we trust your word if we can't even see who you are?" 

The Chosen One could not believe this. He hired professional script writers for his speech to this rabble. And yet this overly casual cat was getting the better of him? He felt like pulling his mane out.

Much of the crowd definitely started to warm up to him. He was nothing like how the Chosen One had spoken of him. He was easy going, liked a good laugh, didn't make them show up at 1 in the morning and most of all saved their lives. Was this really what a savage beast would do?

"How dare you?! How dare you come here and ruin my I mean our grand moment?! I swear you will pay! You shall pay! Princess Celestia will make sure you pay for your crimes! If she were here she would defend my position! I can be sure of that!" The Chosen One sputtered.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Fury said, smirking.

"And why is that?!?" The Chosen One demanded. Before he could say another word, Fury whistled a signal out into the crowd and within seconds, all three princesses flew out of the crowd and glided onto the stage. 

The audience looked in awe.

"I am Celestia, Princess of the Sun."

"I am Luna, Princess of the Night."

"And I am Cadence, Princess of Love."

"And we declare Night Fury to be a friend and hero of Equestria!" the three princesses said together.

The crowd bowed to the princesses.

"Princesses, you cannot be serious?! You believe this fiend!? I am trying to protect you all!!! And you cannot believe me?!" the so called eloquent speaker said almost saddened.

"We do. More than someone who wishes to divide Equestria and cause mutiny. Someone who has stood up for Equestria's love for friendship and harmony! Someone who has saved countless numbers of my subjects when you couldn't save even one in your life."

"And on that bombshell, I leave you all with this…" The crowd muttered as the suspense grew.

"That this black cat isn't bad luck! Hooya!"

The audience cheered and clapped for this Night Fury. They found him overall to be much more fun and charismatic then the drab, overly emotional self proclaimed Chosen One.

"Can you accept our sincerest apologies?" A young teenager that he advises asked.

"I already have, good citizen!" He said, mimicking his alter ego. "Now, who wants an autograph?!"

A lot of ponies came in to get one. But Celestia came and whispered.

"Let's not get carried away, we still have to deal with the Chosen One who seems to be running away." Celestia pointed to the escaping pony.

"Oh he isn't going anywhere, check out this old family trick." He responded. Night Fury stepped to the front of the stage and focused on The Chosen One, took a deep breath, reared up on his hind legs and slammed into the ground. The Chosen One was only able to get a few more steps in before a field of red electric waves stopped him in his tracks, almost as if he was being magnetized to the ground. 

"Gah let me go!" The Chosen One said, struggling to get out. "This creature is about to eat me! Someone save me!!!" 

"No thank you, you probably would taste horrible with how whiny you are." Fury dryly replied, glowing a sharp red hue.

"Oh snap, he went there!" Cadence called out, warranting shocked looks from the ponies of Manehattan. They had never seen a princess act so casually, but to be fair, Cadence was quite young compared to the millenia old sisters of Canterlot. 

"Now just like one of my friend's Spike's comics, shall I reveal the identity of the traitor, Your Highnesses?!" Night Fury asked the princesses. 

"Oh no you don't!" The Chosen One cried, firing a blast of magic at Night Fury's face. The shot connected and ricochet off of him thanks to the aura around him.

"Was I supposed to feel something?" Fury asked with fake curiosity.

"I wasn't aiming for you." The masked stallion replied, flicking his head upward. Everypony followed his cue and saw that the shot had hit the support of a nearby sign… A sign that was right above Luna.

"Luna, watch out!"

The sign let out a loud creak and was about to drop on Luna, so Night Fury let the villainous scum go to save the Princess of the Night. 

"Are you okay, Princess Luna?!" Night Fury panicked.

"Y-yes I am alright, thank you." Luna said blushing.

"Shhhhh, it's ok. No need to speak." Fury said in a soft voice. "I must be off, do not fret for me lovely lady. I must stop the evil crook." He said with his Storm Chaser voice with a wink. And then he sped off to catch the villain.

Luna blushed at this. She knew he was just being quippy for the sake of it though, right? 

"Maybe I could marry felines. They are more charming than the my coworkers-"

"Do you not have somewhere to go, miss?" Luna asked pointedly. 

"My apologies! I'm leaving!" The business mare left. 

For Luna, it was a charming moment to be flirted with. She hasn't had someone that close to her say that since before she became Nightmare Moon. Part of her wondered if she had a chance with this strapping young feline.

"Wait a second, this is no time for these thoughts! What is going on with the chosen one?!" She looked up to see what was going on. It appeared Night Fury went through the curtains.

For Night Fury he had to find this miscreant. It seems like he had a tunnel system under here. 

"Hey Shifter, get outta here, you aren't gonna get the boss if we have something to say about it." said some scruffy looking guards with machetes.

"Oh is that so? Well let's test that out, colts!" He put himself in a fighting stance.

Ten guards charged at him, and Night Fury simply hit the wall dropping some lights on the approaching guards.

"Curses!"

Night Fury walked up to one of them.

"Please don't eat me! I'm just doing this to get paid!"

"Maybe I'll just lick you to see if you taste any good, unless you want to tell me where your boss is!"

"Alright alright, he went under the carpet! Please don't eat me." The guard pointed to a fancy carpet.

"Thanks, but you responded a little too slowly. I'm afraid I'm going to have to eat you." 

"No!!!!... Huh?"

Night Fury simply booped the guard pony and laughed.

"You actually fell for that! Ha ha ha! Well I'll be off, have a nice night, squirt!" Fury said speeding looking under the carpet to find a door and he went inside.

"Eh, this job didn't pay that well anyways." The guard admitted

-

Night Fury went down and saw a long passageway. 

Gee, how prepared was this creep? He asked himself.

Well I better chase him down!

He sped forward eager to chase down the fiend.

As he sped forward he heard some trotting.

"Ah ha! I gotcha you troublemaker!" Night Fury said as he finally saw the cloaked figure running.

"You'll never catch me!" He said as he stopped and two large doors closed and blocked Night Fury.

"Dang! It looks like he had this all well planned." He said, looking at the doors. 

"What do you think, Speed Shifter? You have admired this meticulous craftsmanship designed to keep usurpers far away!" The Chosen One laughed hard.

"You're one to talk about being a usurper! I'll find a way to get you, I'm sure!" He looked at the doors. "And I know just what to do!"

Night Fury went back, getting a bit of a gradual speed then shifting to overdrive right into the gates.

"Ow!" Night Fury cried as the gates would not budge.

"Ah ha ha ha! See, I told you, even you have limits! Well, I have to get going now! Toodaloo!" He said as he kept running.

"Come on!" He said using his speed and trying to ram them open. It was still not working. "Dang it, I was so close to solving this and he just had to get away! Hmph!" he said, slamming the door.

By this point the doors loosened up. It seemed to be running on crystal power and it ran out of juice. He sped up only to see that the tunnel had collapsed, perhaps from an explosion.

Night Fury finally accepted he would have to wait to uncover this mysterious figure. 

He decided to go back out with a crowd cheering for him. 

"Night Fury! Night Fury!"

He was simply exhausted at this point and just waved. He felt a little disappointed that he failed to stop this masked figure. But he was looking forward to having a nice nap after today. 

"Thanks everyone! Sadly this perpetrator has still not been caught." 

The crowd seemed disappointed.

"Justice is slow. But it will happen! And also unfortunately, Storm Chaser will sadly be retiring after today."

"Nooooo!" 

"I found him so charming!"

"But you already have a hero. You have noble ponies like your firefighters who will be heroes and most of you guys! You guys are the ultimate heroes! I will still be around but I want you guys to be ready to fight crime and injustice. Fix the problems that really matter, not on distractions like hunting poor kittens like me! And anyways I'm tired of the corny power pony lingo. I don't know how Spike handles that."

The crowd laughed at that, but were also inspired by his words.

"Well, I might be leaving my superhero life behind, but I'm not leaving behind my goofy humor." He said, holding his super suit up in the air.

"Hey ladies, up for grabs!" He called as he tossed the suit into the crowd. 

"Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!" All the mares fought like animals to have a piece of it while Night Fury decided to make his dash back to the hotel.

"See ya ladies. Gee, mares sure like guys in a suit."

-

Meanwhile back at the hotel, the princesses were watching the chaos from afar. They were practically dying laughing at how the mares down below were going crazy. 

"Now that is the power of lust!" Cadence laughed. "He really has made an impression among the mares of Manehattan. It reminds me of a novel I wrote-"

"I'm sure it does, Cadence." Celestia said, not wanting to hear about Cadence's deep romance novels.

Meanwhile Luna was silent for awhile. She seemed to be deep in thought. She felt strange. But unlike those fanfillies, it was something deeper.

"Let me finish, Auntie Celestia." Cadence smiled at Luna. "In my novels, there are lustful fangirls but there is one true love. One who refuses to admit her love for this hero. The question is, when will she realize?" Cadence asked rhetorically.

Luna felt a blush as she heard that story. 

"It is a nice tale, my niece. But I must be off to bed to watch over dreams, I shall see you later you two."

"Good night!" Celestia and Cadence smiled with smirks as they seemed to giggle slightly to each other.

Luna rolled her eyes at their immaturity.

And yet she wondered… What was this feeling she had? Was this feeling she had for this new hero persona, the one behind the mask, or maybe both? She was still confused.

"Am I falling for…"

She shook her head.

"Don't be silly Luna. He is a nice, handsome, noble creature. But I'm sure he has more exciting mares he could be with. He probably finds me boring. Ugh I need to sleep this off."

And yet he always hangs around me. He always has a fun time with me. I wonder, oh I wonder.

-

"That little Speed Shifter!" said the mysterious figure once thought of as The Chosen One. "More tea!"

The butler gave the irate stallion more tea.

The mysterious figure drank it in one sip. But he seemed as grumpy as ever.

"Oh just you wait Night Fury. Just you wait! I will have my revenge! You will not be ready for what I have in store for you next! Ha ha ha ha!"

The shadowy figure laughed.

"Butler, give me two pieces of parchment. I would like to summon my friends, the ones called the Truther and the Manipulator, for one final push. One final battle."

The butler agreed.

"Get ready, cat. This time, your nine lives won't save you."
> Chapter 17: It's The Final Countdown
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was late in the afternoon when Night Fury was looking outside at the setting sun over Canterlot as the train was approaching the capital of Equestria. It was pleasant looking enough for Rarity to base a design off of, and yet the young feline seemed more tired than excited. 

He honestly just wanted to relax and kick back as he had dealt with a lot in the span of a few weeks. From telling off two naysayers trying to defame him to having to deal with his new role as ambassador, he has been backed up to the brim. He thought back to what Celestia said about having to deal with such a high role in society… 

While it may be a pain to deal with and might make you feel like you just want to quit, it will be all worth it once you get it over with.

"Well, I guess we'll get it over then, finally." Night Fury said. "Once I give a speech on how Equestrians and Speed Shifters are friends, yada, yada, yada," he moaned, "I can finally go back to Ponyville and eat one of Pinkie's experimental dishes or eat fish filet!" Night Fury started to brighten up now.

"Yeah I just have to give a good speech for those uppity types, this shouldn't be too long." Night Fury said confidently.

-

"Hold still, darling, I'm giving you the latest trend!" Rarity said as she gave Night Fury a cape adorned with storm clouds. 

"Okay, okay! But is this really necessary? I only did that corny Power Pony gig for that one day!" Fury asked.

"Hey, they are not that cheesy. Their eloquent prose has its appeal." Rarity defended. "And besides I'm not in charge of history! I go with the spirit of the moment! And for today and hopefully the next few months, that will be power pony attire!" Rarity said as she finished fitting the cape around him. "Tada! Are you displeased now?" 

Night Fury looked at himself and honestly, he kind of liked it. He could see why Spike liked these costumed folks.

"I knew you would like it! I mean I should know since I used to dress up as the heroines as a filly. So it is nice to revisit my fillyhood nostalgia," Rarity reminisced.

"Alright I gotta get going!" He said while rushing. "Thanks Rarity!"

Okay, you know what Celestia said. Just remember your victories over that Truther guy and that Chosen One punk. (Even if he is still out there. No, stay focused!)

Anyways, I'll say what is on this piece of paper Celestia gave me and be done. Simple as that.

Night Fury had arrived at the curtain when he heard the trumpets play and Princess Celestia speak. Luna was sleeping, taking care of her dream duties and Cadence was off writing some reports for the Crystal Empire.

"Ladies and Gentlecolts, our savior of Equestria from separation and disunity, I give to you our Speed Shifter hero, Storm Chaser who now goes by Night Fury!"

Everyone applauded as they saw Night Fury walk over waving to them while going over to the speaking booth.

"Hello there ladies and gentlecolts, I hope you folks are doing quite well! Certainly better than having to deal with some whiny nutcase in the middle of the night!"

Everyone laughed at that.

"It's just amazing to me that some ponies are so worried trying to make themselves great then they are and blaming every problem on one silly guy like me," more laughter in response, "they forget the real things that solve life's problems. Like working together toward one goal."

"And that's the whole point. Together we can unite together, as friends Speed Shifters and Ponies, to go up against any problem possible. So I saw that as long as we don't believe silly lunatics like home and keep our heads up high we can do great things! Long Live Equestria! Long Live the Speed Shifters! And most of all long live-"

Suddenly all the lights turned off. 

"I can't see anything!"

"Someone please give me some light I say!"

"This had better not be a practical joke."

Night Fury was just as surprised to see that the lights had gone out. Great, some technical errors with the lighting. Just what I needed today. Night Fury just expected this to be some typical speech for Equestria's elite and now people are nowhere near as satisfied.

But there was no way he was going to let this speech go to waste. "Don't worry everyone! I'll take care of this! Probably just some little mishap." He reassured the crowd. 

But before he walked back behind the covers, a loud voice spoke up.

"On the contrary Night Fury, I will take care of not just this little predicament but everything." An ominous voice echoed.

"Who's there! Show yourself!" said one of the guards.

"Oh but where would the fun in that be? Ha ha ha ha!" The ominous voice said.

Celestia was not sure who this was, he spoke in a deep bellowing voice, probably not natural and using a voice change spell. But either way Celestia was not going to let this troublemaker go any further.

"Spare us your poor ideas of comedy! Who are you and what do you want?" Celestia said although she has a feeling who this was. 

"Why Your Highness, I am what the ponies of Manehattan used to call the Chosen One! Because I was chosen by the ponykind to save Equestria from the scourge of this ravenous carnivore. Until they all turned against me, deceived by his trickery!" The voice said in an outraged manner.

"Oh puh-lease you totally had it coming!" Night Fury said. "I had a right to defend my reputation and I think I did so pretty well considering everyone thinks you're an annoying whiner." Fury said smugly.

The voice was not amused. He was done playing games.

"You might have won the battle Night Fury, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve for you. I will defend the royal family and the Mane Six from you with this method!" He said with confidence.

"Oh really? And what may that be, squirt?" Night Fury smugly asked. 

Don't bait him, Fury. Celestia thought annoyed.

"You'll see soon enough." The voice said before going silent and the lights turned back on. Everyone in the room was rather confused as to what this threat could be, but they couldn't figure it out.

"Not to worry, everyone. I'm certain that whoever messed with the lights and gave those threats was just pulling a prank." Fury said with a bit of confidence. Everyone had calmed down slightly, except for Celestia, although she tried to keep a calm façade. She was on high alert after what this mysterious voice was talking about when it said that it had "A few tricks up their sleeve." 

"Do not worry, this is all just unpredictable amusement. Anyways, for now, please enjoy the treats we have in store."

The guests were delighted to eat some tasty morsels.

Celestia whispered to one of her royal guards, "Find out who was making that voice. Keep an eye out for anyone suspicious." The guard saluted silently.

"Well, that's the end of that! To be completely honest, I really don't get what this random dude was talking about. Saying he has some 'Tricks up their sleeve.' Pfft, yeah, big whoop."

Gee, how did this pony get through all the guards? Celestia has this place surrounded with a whole army of them! 

Then he realized, he once said he had connections with royalty. Of course, perhaps there is someone here in this very palace that is a crook. 

While he was thinking, he had not realized Celestia was walking over to him.

"Night Fury, keep an eye out for anyone who stands out. Be very careful." Celestia looked at him dead in the eyes. And then replaced with a calm smile. "And have a fun time, especially not to worry the guests." She winked.

"Ha ha. Yeah you're right about that!" Night Fury said as he ate some cake. At least the cake hadn't failed him. "You know Celestia, I would have never expected the goddess of the sun, the most powerful being in Equestria, would be so laid back and cheeky."

"It's a good way to keep yourself calm. After all the problems I had to solve, you learn that keeping your cool is essential to survival." Celestia said as she drank some sugary tea.

Night Fury chuckled at this. "I'll keep that in mind, princess." They both kept up their relaxations.

For the next thirty minutes there was no calamity, no unexpected events, everything just seemed normal. Night Fury and Celestia were relieved but also felt some tension. The royal guards still had not found any clues. So Night Fury felt more worry than relief.

What are you planning, you smug little coward? What are you planning? 

At this point, the couples were now dancing together; it was a ballroom after all. 

Night Fury could see with his strong peripheral vision usual for his race, that there were guards looking at the crowd waiting for some peculiarity to show up. He was too. He was getting so tired of waiting. So tired.  

I just want some clue… anything. He thought to himself frustrated.

Zzzzzzz… they do not suspect a thing master. They still are confused. 

Excellent. That Night Fury won't know what hit him.

"Wait, what was that?" Night Fury asked himself. He thought he had heard some suspicious noise. It just seemed off. 

Night Fury noticed no one else was paying attention. Only his ears were sensitive enough to hear it. But it did surprise Fury, a few months ago he wouldn't have detected something this small. It showed how much he was developing.

But this is no time to waste! It sounds like it's coming from my room! 

He wanted to get Celestia, but she wasn't around anymore. It seems she was doing her own thing. Perhaps he should go find her.

"No!" He said to himself. "This is my chance to finally catch this crook! If I delay now, it'll be the same as before with him escaping! Sorry Celestia, I'm gonna have to go against orders… again. But it's for a good cause."

Night Fury then calmly but quickly walked out of the room so as to not draw attention. And then when he was alone, he ran as fast as possible to the room where he heard the noise. He stopped just before the door and listened in, on the inside, he could hear voices going back and forth.

"You think this will be enough to get back at that fish-eating freak?"

"Definitely, once we get this out into the world, there's no going back for him."

Fury sat there in deep thought, wondering what to do.

Okay, on one paw, I want to get Celestia and a few guards to handle this. But on the other paw, I want to do this on my own and prove to myself and others that my previous trauma doesn't define me. Argh! What does this have to be so difficult!? 

"This will be the greatest calamity in all of Equestria. That Fury fellow will see everything he loves turn to dust! Yes it shall!"

Night Fury finally started to be less conflicted.

Oh is that so, buddy? You think you can take me and my friends down!? Well too bad for you! Sorry Celestia, but I'm not gonna let him ruin everything.

Night Fury unleashed his red energy. He was ready to fight whatever was behind that door and bring them to justice.

"Justice is about to be served!" He proudly yelled as he ran into the room. But as he entered, he saw that no one was in there. He observed the room and found a little crystal above the window in the center of the room playing a clip of two ponies talking. Fury didn't want to believe that he had been tricked, but he just was. The crystal flickered, revealing a timer for 30 seconds and another cloaked pony that turned out to be The Chosen One.

"Hello, CAT! As you can clearly see, there is a timer going down in front of you,"

28… 

"This entire situation was merely fabricated by my own genius, amazing am I right, and for one reason only…"

20… 

"To get rid of you! You see, from the first day I laid eyes on you, I was immediately disgusted by you and didn't want anything to do with you. But like those country bumpkins Miss Twilight Sparkle decided to ruin herself and her family with, I tolerated you. Until you stepped out of your place. Until you thought you could be the center of a pony's attention. So I decided that I would get rid of you by running you out of your new home town, but that clearly didn't work."

15… 

"Then, I tried to get politics involved by trying to expose some rather extreme opinions that I made for you. But with you revealing yourself at the end of your little 'Hero escapade', you ruined that part of my plan. Not to mention that you almost caught me."

11… 

"And so, that brings us to now. The countdown your seeing, is for a set of remote bombs that I had my associates set for me. This is my final attempt at finally ridding Equestria of your wretched existence. And I believe it will be my final attempt." 

9… 

"So take a good look at what you've done, freak. You've made a name for yourself, got the position of ambassador of your kind and even managed to court with the princesses. But that will be no more."

6… 

"As a final note, I want to say thank you for the exhilarating battle. You really tested my patience, but now is the end of your new life." 

3… 

2… 

1… 

"Goodbye, you wretched beast." 

BOOM

All of a sudden, sparks, explosions, rubble falling. It all happened so suddenly. Night Fury felt all the rubble, the wood, the tiles, the lights, the glass. It was all on him. He prided himself with a durable body but even this was too much for him.

"Night Fury!"

He heard a distant voice. It sounded like… Cadence. He didn't really… care though. Because everything was fading… away.

"Guards… up, and get the medics!" He managed to hear

"Cadence…"

And then… nothing. It was all black.

-

"Ugh…"

"He's up! Get the doctor!" Night Fury heard a female voice.

It was a bit hard for him to get his bearings but he finally woke up and after adjusting to the light he woke up to see some nurse ponies by his side. 

"Wha… What in the name of mother nature happened? Argh!" 

The nurse kept him from standing up. "You need to stay here for now. And to answer your question, you were knocked out to put it mildly." The nurse said with some fear.

"Uh could you be a bit more descriptive? I'm not a baby, I can handle it." Night Fury said wanting to get answers.

"Well Ambassador Fury, you were found under a whole bunch of rubble, detonated by a bomb." A tough old doctor unicorn stallion with a scar near his eye answered.

Night Fury then remembered clearly. He remembered what the Chosen One said. He remembered the ticking bomb. He remembered… the explosion.

"Wait, how am I doing?! Am I paralized? Did a limb come off of me?!"

The nurses steadied him as the old doctor looked at him and gave a light chuckle.

"Woah woah, easy! No limbs have come off you and you're not paralyzed. But I will say that a sizable amount of bomb shrapnel and sharp glass was pulled out of you in surgery. You're very lucky to be resistant to major damage. Any other creature would have instantly died from the blast alone!" The doctor said with both reassurance and genuine surprise. "You Speed Shifter folk are certainly hardy."

"Hoo!" Fury breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah that's for sure. But if that was three months ago before I really was in shape, I probably have least lost one of my limbs. But for us Speed Shifters we have that energy that gives us some protection, more the stronger one is. An untrained cub would have been as vulnerable as a normal pony. A good reason for us to train. No wonder why Amethyst was so hard on me." He said truly appreciating how important his grueling training was for his survival.

Slam! Night Fury heard the door open.

Night Fury then heard some heavy hoofsteps approach rapidly. He knew exactly who they were and it was nice to see some familiar faces as they entered his room.

"By the grace of the gods, Night Fury's okay!" Cadence said as she came in.

"Well, I wouldn't say that I'm fully okay. I can still feel some shrapnel somewhere in me, but I think I can… get… it… OW!" He growled in pain as he pulled an extra large piece of shrapnel the size of a wooden ladle out of his back. 

"You young rascal! Let the nurses do that job!" The doctor scolded him. "Do you want to accidentally sever your spine?!"

"Um no, that wouldn't be good." Night Fury sheepishly said.

"Just relax! There is no rush for anything." The doctor instructed.

Night Fury then looked at Cadence. 

"What happened?"

Cadence turned from relief to bitter remembrance.

"Well I heard a loud explosion while I was filing paperwork for some tax plans in the conference room."

"That… was probably the bomb." 

Cadence's face went pale as ice and her eyes shrunk to pinpricks, she knew she heard an explosion but she wasn't expecting it to have been a bomb.

"A B… B-bomb?"

"Yeah. The Chosen One decided to try and take me out completely by having one of his associates plant a bomb trap in one of the guest rooms… Urg! And he used a recording crystal to lure me in, like the one at the museum." Fury explained, grunting as the nurses felt him over. 

Cadence was shooketh, she wasn't ready to hear what she had heard. Out of all the challenges she had faced from the changeling invasion at her wedding to King Sombra's return, she wasn't ready for something as extreme as an attempted assassination. Just before she could speak any further on the matter, Celestia and Luna ran in with panicked looks on their faces. 

"Oh my gosh, Fury, are you okay?!" Luna asked frantically.

"Yeah, fine. Just banged up a little."

"What were you thinking?!" Celestia came, making all the doctors and nurses freeze and move out of her way as she walked in. "You could have been killed from that explosion, why didn't you come and get me?!"

"Well I…"

"You know what, I don't want to hear it! You have gone against my word once more and look where that's gotten you. I would have thought that you would have been taught better by your parents, but clearly there's been a mix up. And another thing…" Before Celestia could keep going with her rant, Fury exploded into a rage.

"What was I supposed to do?! Just let whatever happened go on?!" Night Fury ranted. "And it's your own fault you were not there princess! I was alone and I expected the worst! How was I supposed to know it was a trap?" Fury asked furiously.

Celestia did not agree with him.

"I'm sorry but some of us have responsibilities outside of what you have! I was trying to protect the citizens of this city by making sure everything was accounted for!" Celestia said.

"Yeah and leave me alone with no assistance or ways to solve things?! Can't you just admit you're wrong?!" Fury said, closing in on her face.

"Perhaps if you had shown more restraint then you would still be active but you always go by yourself and do whatever you so please! You should think better than to do what you did! Perhaps your parents did not teach you enough restraint!

Night Fury grabbed her neck and roared into her and spoke in a voice akin to the Royal Canterlot Voice.

"DO NOT TALK ABOUT MY FAMILY LIKE THAT, YOU ROYAL PAIN! WE HAVE A WAY TO DEAL WITH CREATURES WHO SAY SUCH THINGS-"

Then out came a cry from another source.

"Enough! Cease your arguing now! Both of you!" Luna said in her Royal Canterlot Voice as she used she pushed both back with a thud.

"Ow!" Both felt pain from the Princess of the Night's force. 

"Is this anyway for civilized creatures to act? In times of duress for us to lose all sense of reason and become like manticores?" Luna stopped and took a deep breath. She saw Night Fury was looking away still angry while Celestia seemed a bit regretful.

"Sister, I think you should apologize to him." Luna said.

Celestia nodded.

"I apologize, Night Fury, I was too harsh considering you had good intentions. It was also wrong for me to insult your parents like that." Celestia said.

Night Fury was still looking away but everyone else could see his expression softened. 

"Pfft, I'd rather die before I let that slide." Night Fury said grumbling.

Before Celestia responded. Luna spoke up.

"I know this has not been easy for you, Night Fury, this has been a hard time for you. Do you wish to talk about how you feel?" Luna asked with condolences.

Night Fury looked away again. 

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry."

"Night Fury…"

"I said I'm fine! Can't you princesses take a hint!?"

Luna held a hoof on his shoulder. "Night Fury I wish to help you. You know how I helped you in that temple. You helped me open up. So please open up to me."

Night Fury slowly looked at Luna. After a brief period of silence, his mouth opened.

"The only thing I want is to know that I'm not useless and a coward!" Fury said, finally letting the tears flow. "Ever since that incident back home, I never felt the same! I've been called many things. Useless, coward, disgrace, disappointment… I've even been told that my parents should have never had me!" He wept in a way Celestia had not seen before. Cadence almost burst into tears herself as she heard what Fury had been called in his past but held strong, although she was weeping on the inside for him. 

"I wish I was stronger like my parents. I wish I could deal with all of these stupid things in my life like them! But I was wrong. It seems I'm cursed to have bad luck come my way and for me to respond in the worst way possible. To fail so hard." Night Fury said.

Luna put a hoof over his shoulder. She looked at him with sympathy. "It will be alright, Night Fury. Remember when that museum incident happened? You thought it was the end of the world. You thought you were never going to get out of this situation. But you did! And you have repeatedly shown yourself campable. And we will keep on going forward in that respect! Do you understand Fury?"

Night Fury was quiet and simply gave a light nod. Then he spoke. "Thanks Luna. But I think I need some time alone. But still thanks for making me feel a little better about all that is happening."

Luna gave a light smile and nodded.

The other princesses looked at each other thinking of what to say. Luna then motioned for her fellow royals to step out with her.







"While I am rather disappointed with him for attacking me, I can't say that it was entirely his fault. He must have been bottling up his emotions for who knows how long. I can't imagine what he must be going through right now." Celestia said with some grief.

"I could say the same, auntie. And I think I know why." Cadence said, recalling the events over the past few months. "When he saw that everypony was going against him and shaming him for who he was, he must have been reminded of when he was shamed for not being able to step up when he needed to."

"I must concur, he told me that he felt like he should be dead for being so cowardly when his kind needed him the most. He honestly felt that since he failed to save his parents that he shouldn't deserve one more second of his existence." Luna explained. "And perhaps he is feeling that same level of disappointment. Which is why he tried to overcompensate that feeling with blind rage. Honestly, even if you had not said anything, he probably would have snapped eventually and better one of us than a normal pony." Luna said as a matter of fact.

Celestia noticed Luna looking at him with sad eyes. She knew how Luna felt being taken by feelings of inadequacy. 

Celestia put a hoof over Luna's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Luna, I'm sure Night Fury will be fine. He'll be back to his usual youthful self." Luna seemed a little more relieved. "And we will bring this Chosen One to justice."

Luna nodded her head. Soon one of the nurses came out to give the princesses a sitrep on Fury's condition.

"Well, your highnesses, he'll be okay. We'll have to keep him here for a few more hours and put him under anesthesia. We found some more shrapnel lodged in his back and sides that we need to extract. He should be very thankful that nothing vital was damaged." The nurse explained. 

"I don't know what he'll be like once he wakes up, but I do have a feeling that he will need some comforting." Luna said. 

Celestia giggled lightly and faced Luna. "It seems you have more knowledge of him than either me or Cadence. I leave him to you. I hope you'll be able to make him feel better."

"I will try my best." Luna said.

And so Celestia and Luna waited. 

-

5 hours later… 

Celestia and Cadence had left to find more leads on the Chosen One. Out in Canterlot, there was a sense of fear as the newspapers caught wind of this explosion in the palace. And the two had to calm everyone down while finding the culprit.

Meanwhile Luna had a more calm but no less worrying task of soothing Night Fury. She herself was worried for him.

And then she saw him moving around slightly. Was he waking up? Luna was on full alert for whatever he would do.

"Ughhhh." She heard the black feline groaning and waking. "Ohhhhhhh, w-where am I?" He wondered allowed, not noticing Luna beside him. 

Luna sighed a breath of relief seeing that Night Fury was not in a hurricane of a mood like before.

"Night Fury, it's me Luna. Are you alright?" she asked softly. The black feline looked up and squinted, his vision still not being at its best yet. 

"Um y-yeah I guess. I feel strange though. And I can't see quite well, that anesthesia stuff really packs a punch." He said with some pain.

The doctor finally came in with his clipboard and gave it as straight as it can get. 

"Well, ambassador, you're good to go. While I'm rather surprised that you managed to survive that explosion, I can't say that I could predict what would happen to you since your biological makeup is still mostly unknown to Equestria. We may even have to run some tests on you." The doctor joked. 

"But I can't stress this enough, you need to take it easy. You may have been resistant to the shrapnel dealing any major damage, but you still took some big hits. Not to mention that you're still recovering from the anesthesia. I suggest that you stick to Princess Luna's side for the day." He warned.

"I'll take that in full value, Doc. Did we catch that creep yet?" Night Fury asked. "I would like it if we did."

Luna shook her head. "I'm afraid not, we still have to find him."

Night Fury even in his dazed state was still pondering who he could be.

"Maybe we should go back to the explosion site to search for clues." Night Fury suggested.

Luna thought about this. She was reluctant in letting him move at all, but he was well enough to do so. 

"While I do find it hard to even let you move right now, I cannot deny that you may have some helpful insights about this."

"Okay then, let's get to the crime scene." Fury said, standing up on shaky legs. Luna braced herself against him to give him a stable walk as they left the underground hospital and went to the bombing site.

Luna realized though Night Fury was still not in a fully capable state, definitely not suited to fight or run for today, that he could still pull his weight. So she will be sure to protect him. Just like he had with her sister.

-

Luna and Fury had now arrived at the scene of the crime. Guards flooded the corridor and some of the elites were conversing with each other on the matter at hand. Fury turned his head up to see a familiar face amongst the crowd. 

"Fancy Pants?" Fury called out, getting his attention. 

"Oh dear, ambassador, I hope you are doing well! Whoever this villain is, I hope he gets brought to justice!" 

"Don't worry, he will. He will." Night Fury said looking around with a bit of paranoia. "I'm not gonna let him get me again."

He then walked past the gentlecolt and looked at the wreckage.

He saw some Royal Guards guarding over the crime scene. He saw the somepony with a suit and hat on. It was one of the detectives. He looked like he was in one of Rarity's old timey film noirs. It seems he was talking with some ponies.

"Excuse me, sir?" Night Fury asked the detective. "Is it alright if I talk with you?"

"Absolutely," the hardboiled detective replied, "as a matter of fact I was hoping to talk with you earlier, ambassador." 

"Well, you're talking to me now. So, what information have you gathered so far?" Fury asked.

"Well, so far I've found out that whoever planted this bomb was good at motion detection magic. When you stepped in, the passive spell was activated and triggered the crystal to start projecting this random message and for the bombs to arm." The detective explained.

"Also, whoever could have done this was able to get clearance to be at this level in the castle. Only royals, friends of royals, elites, and other associates that the sisters approve of are allowed on the guest room and throne room floor."

"Hmmm I see. And there was supposed to be some recording. Did any of that stay intact?" Luna asked

"Well not much is left, but we did manage to find some shards of this recording crystal." The detective showed the two some fragments.

"Huh, interesting." Fury said.

"Sadly we can't get this to work anymore. It seems broken." 

Night Fury and Luna were still curious however. 

"Maybe we could find something to make use of this." Night Fury said. 

The detective gave the crystals to him and told him to be careful with them. They, after all, were quite delicate.
While Night Fury liked how shiny and blue they looked he wasn't sure what to make of them. But Luna seemed a bit more familiar with them.

"Hmmm, it seems that this recording crystal is specialized for bait and switch type spells. This type of crystal is mostly used in the castle archives to throw off any intruders by making illusions of what the room actually looks like. Whoever got these crystals must have gone far out to get them because these are only manufactured in the Crystal Empire."

Night Fury realized the crystals looked a lot like the big ones from the Crystal Empire, just smaller.

"So, you're saying that whoever set this up went all the way out there to go get them? Man, these guys are persistent and determined. Which gives me an idea…" Night Fury pondered.

"Oh? How so?" The detective asked.

"If these ponies are getting these crystals from the Crystal Empire, they must have an undercover supplier."

"True, but shipments of those crystals usually take days, if not weeks." Luna said.

"Then they must have either had a lot of time on their hooves, or they meet in the middle with their supplier for faster export. Back home, my kind has a few bad apples that smuggled toxic cider and crystal dust across borders. And as a precaution to keep their time out in the open to a minimum, they would meet in the middle of their secret supply routes to maximize product."

The detective and Luna took his words to heart and were wondering if they could track these illegal suppliers and in so doing find who they sold it to, i.e. the assassin.

"Perhaps we ought to request Princess Cadence for assistance." Luna observed. "She might have had to deal with a few of these troublemakers, and maybe even has some top secret information on the topic."

"That's a good idea Luna, but I suggest we keep this low key." Fury advised "We can't let them know that we're going out to look for them, or else their routes will shut down and we'll never find out what's going on. But first, I think it's time that I put my role as ambassador to good use." Night Fury now had confidence in what to do.

"Luna, get with the other princesses and round up the elites in the conference room. I think it's time we officially declare this as a diplomatic emergency." Night Fury instructed. 

Princess Luna agreed and walked to get the others.

"Gee, you sure know your stuff about these criminals, Ambassador. Was your father a sheriff?" The detective asked with curiosity.

"Well kind of. He was like part of our military. He often hunted down those illegal operations. The Chief always said that those toxic cider sellers disgraced our people and must be brought to justice. And my father through some cunning and speed put a lot in their place. So many were scared to carry out crime because of my father Obsidian." He said with pride as he remembered his father told him tales of those adventures. "If I ever see him again, maybe I'll go on more of those quests."

The detective nodded. "Well I hope you find him again, lad. But right now you should hurry and get the scoop on the self proclaimed Chosen One."

"Yep. Thanks for the help, buddy. See ya." He said walking with some other guards as he still had not fully recovered yet.

Night Fury felt less hopeless now, but still was wondering how much the Chosen One knew. He now genuinely feared him in a way he didn't back in Manehattan. He just hoped that the Chosen One wasn't going to be one step ahead of him. I'll be ten steps ahead of you. Bring it on.

-

A Few Minutes Later… 

Fury walked into the conference room with his guard still by his side. The princesses invited him to sit down and he began speaking to the others.

"So, I assume you all know why you're here?" 

Cadence, the other princesses and the elites nodded.

Cadence and Shining Armor walked up to Night Fury while levitating a document.

Shining Armor rolled it out revealing a multitude of secret trade routes of many illegal goods and services. From foal slavery, to so-called Alicorn Amulets, poisons, spike booby traps, and of course detonator crystals. 

"Gee, this royal member instead of using his knowledge to expose these punks, actually uses these services for his own plans." Night Fury was even more disgusted but not surprised. He then saw the trails with detonator crystals on them. He looked at Shining Armor.

"Okay, the detonator crystals are coming through on this train line. Does this shipment make any stops before reaching Canterlot?" Fury asked

"Well, the train leaves the Crystal Empire around noon. And then goes through the snowy mountains and the desert. But, the train does make a stop at Dodge City to refuel. It usually takes around twenty minutes to get the train going again." Shining Armor replied. "My sister's friend Applejack once went there to win in the rodeo. The town does have some ruffians so it would make sense if someone there bought something illegal there."

"That's a perfect amount of time to snatch up a load of crystals. And look, there's a trail that leads away though the desert and heads through The Whitetail Wood near Ponyville. It has the perfect amount of cover, it's out of the way and has a short travel time to Canterlot."

"Hmmm. You're quite observant, kid." Shining Armor complimented. "Yeah it seems they would want to go through this area for the reasons you mentioned."

"But if we have these paths, then why are these illegal operations still going?" Night Fury asked.

"Well we do our best, but our military is pretty spread out, what with having to defend the borders from invaders like dragons or internal security like in Canterlot. We have been making progress stopping these illegal operations. Just a week ago, we cracked down on an illegal poison manufacturer operated by kidnapped foals. But there is still a lot to do." Shining Armor said with a bit of regret. "Equestria might seem peaceful, but it's often because we like to keep our problems secret from those who would take advantage of us."

"Darn, that sucks. If me and my friends from home were on this scent, we would have stopped this in no time." Fury said sympathetically. But then, he had an idea.

"Wait a minute, that's it! I could lead this operation and use my knowledge of the forest from the way I lived as a kid and speed up the process!" Night Fury said excitedly. He would finally know what it would be like

"But Fury, you're still not in a fully healed state. Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Cadence asked.

"This is a problem that I have on my back. Just because I'm a little weaker because of it, doesn't mean that I can't at least try and help fix it in some way. Besides, I still am able to sneak and leap around. The doctor said I was in a good enough state for that. I just can't use my powers or it would tear my body up at this point." Night Fury said. "But my dad always told me not to rely solely on my powers but also on my cleverness. And if I have a few strong pony troops to help me, I think I can lead them just fine." Night Fury said confidently.

Shining Armor thought of this for a little while.

"Okay, Fury, you have a deal. I'll assign some of my elite soldiers to help you find this seller. You should make sure this operation is kept secret though."

"That's good, but that's not the only thing that needs to happen." Fury said confidently. "Alright, here's the plan. Fancy Pants, you and the other elites get the word out on the issue. Make sure they're prepared for what might happen."

Fancy Pants nodded and led the other elites out of the room to warn the city.

"Cadence, Shining Armor, make sure those troops are ready and prepared. They need to be in top shape for this." Fury instructed.

The royal couple nodded and headed for the barracks to ready the troops.

"Celestia, Luna, you both know as well as I that this could be more than just an attack on me. So, I think we can all agree that we should put the city on lockdown and make sure that any entrance or exit out of here is finely documented and logged. I suggest that any suspicion towards anyone should be met with reasonable force. Anybody who refuses or fails to meet demands should be detained and questioned within parameters." 

Celestia nodded. "Agreed, we will do our best to find this cold blooded killer."

Luna then added. "But please Night Fury, promise you will be careful. And not go into another bait or trap or anything, please."

Night Fury chuckled. "Don't worry Luna, I learned my lesson last time. I'm not gonna let them get the better of me again. And besides, I'll have some new friends by my side." Night Fury said smirking. "But enough talk, it's time for action." 

And with that, the preparations were in full swing. Shining Armor and Cadence were preparing the troops for battle, doing drills and exercises to ready them in case of a brawl. Fancy Pants and the rest of the elites had already warned a fair amount of Canterlot of the situation at hoof. Ponies were grabbing their belongings, precious items and family members around them and went into full protection mode. And on top of it all, Celestia and Luna were sending orders out to guards across the city. Guards cladded in armor and armed with spears flooded the streets in droves, taking up posts at every major entrance to the city.

Fury was still worried that all of this was happening, but he didn't let himself get distracted with what he thought of the matter and focused on the task at large. 

By tomorrow, he would be riding off to seek out the truth and to seek out justice.

-

Night Fury woke up. He did not get as much sleep as he would like from both excitement and worry. But either way he was ready to go retrieve some info. But first thing's first.

"I gotta get the right companions for this job. But can these ponies really match a Speed Shifter in these missions?" He wondered as it was the first time in a while he would be actually fighting alongside others. "Well I guess we'll find out."

He left his quarters that the Princesses made sure was checked for boobie traps and guarded for the whole night. He walked to the barracks.

There he saw the different military ponies doing jumping jacks, pushups and other activities to get themselves in shape. Then he saw others who were armored fighting with weapons like spears. He was impressed with what he saw. And yet…

"Can they do it while sneaking around? That's the real question."

He finally entered the main building and he saw Shining Armor working on what looked like some battle plans.

"Hey there Shining. So, do you have any companions to aid me now?" He asked.

Shining looked at him with a tired but determined look as someone who probably slept even less then Fury. 

"Yep. I have some candidates that will fit the mission in Dodge City. I've been talking a lot with Princess Celestia, Luna and of course my wife. We were talking a lot about what types of troops would be needed for this." Shining Armor said. "For an operation like this, we can't just use brute force, after all they might escape. We need to go in with stealth and quickness."

Night Fury smiled at how Shining Armor was talking his language. 

"So we brought in some not ordinary troops, but some special forces for this assignment. Each of them is quite experienced but from different backgrounds. From Luna's Night Guards to Cadence's Crystal Warriors, I give to your new companions."

But nopony came.

"Um Shining, I don't see anyone. Where is- gasp!"

He noticed at the last moment that somepony had snuck up a few feet behind him with a plastic knife. Normally he could easily detect ponies from several feet away. But they managed to sneak up on him like his father would sometimes.

"I heard you said you thought we weren't good at sneakin' 'round." said an earth pony stallion with a scar on his eyelids. "Well what do ya think now?"

Night Fury was impressed. But then he noticed some other ponies were behind some desks and in the shadows while he and Shining were talking. 

"What do I think, you asked me? I think this is awesome! Finally creatures who can sneak as well as me! Shining, you're a genius!" Night Fury exclaimed.

"Don't just thank me. Thank Princess Luna as well. She always was good with night operations especially before she was banished to the moon. But she used some of that expertise to gather these spies and soldiers. Some of the best mares and stallions in stealth. They're how me and Cadence found out so much about these trails." 

Night Fury knew Luna was cool. But never this much. This was amazing. He felt like with these he could really fight back.

"I'll let her know! But enough of the chit chat. I'm ready to get some action in." Night Fury said excitedly.

Shining Armor walked up to him.

"Sadly the princesses have important assignments now. They can't help you at this point. The same for the Mane Six who are also helping find clues about the Chosen One. However," Shining Armor gave a smirk. "I'm available. And I've been looking forward to one of these operations again. It reminds me of when I was a young recruit. What do you say, Fury?"

Night Fury was amazed. Now he was going to fight with the Captain of the Royal Guard itself? He always wanted to talk with him and now he will finally get his wish.

"Alright, let's do this! We ride in ten minutes everyone, so be ready!" 

All the ponies beat their hoof to their chest. And proclaimed "For Equestria!" and then left to get their supplies. Night Fury was now feeling the excitement in his blood.

-

In order to throw off any possible spies, Night Fury made sure to take the train back to Ponyville for a "vacation from all the stress". But then with an outfit to conceal his identity and disguise himself as a sleazy salespony he took another train to a town near Dodge City. And then he would walk to a certain point in the middle of nowhere where Shining Armor and his troops were set up. It was in the desert in a cave in a large mesa. 

"You would not believe what I did to make sure no one tracked us down. But I bet the Chosen One doesn't suspect a thing." Fury said with a confident smile.

But Shining was less sure. "Don't be certain of anything. You never know what that guy has in store. But anyways, let's get on with the plan." Shining Armor said wanting to quickly get to the point and rolling out a map on the cave floor.

"Okay, so the cars that usually hold the crystals are at the back of the train. Easy to get away with when nopony is that far back. Now, we're going to be looking for anything that shouts out 'Inconspicuous seller'. If anypony shows up at these cars, we'll know who we're looking for." Shining explained.

"And that's where my part of the plan comes in." Fury added. "Once we know who has the crystals, we'll send a signal to the pegasi up in the air to follow them from up above while I follow behind with a wagon hooked up to me with more ground troops in disguise on the inside. Once we reach The Whitetail Wood, one of the unicorn guards that will be with me will send off a flare to signal to Princess Luna's thestral guards to follow me into the forest."

"We'll follow the suspect into the forest until we find the meeting point in-between. Once we get to that point, we grab whoever we can, confiscate the crystal and pull in the smugglers for interrogation."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Shining Armor stated. "We'll have to do this as quickly and silently as possible before they escape." 

Shining Armor and Night Fury were both ready for the mission ahead. "Everyone, you heard the plan, let's get these scumbags. For Equestria!" Shining Armor cried out.

"For Equestria!" The other guards yelled.

-

Part 1. Reconnaissance

honk honk

Night Fury was lying by a bunch of boulders looking through some binoculars at the incoming train. It seemed like a typical train. 

"There is going to be a lot of supplies coming in since the rodeo is going to happen. There will be so many supplies which will give the chance for them to smuggle certain illegal items." said Cirrus, a female pegasus scout.

"Yeah, well we'll just have to see what they have in store for us." Night Fury said with excitement.

Afterwards the train stopped. And the ponies on the train proceeded to deliver the supplies to the various merchants. They were a rough bunch of ponies both the train ponies and the various buyers. But Night Fury could only see so much from a distance. They had to get closer to see the details of the transactions.

"Let's get in closer!" Night Fury said. He and the scouts were able to hide behind some rocks and since it was still only the very early part of dawn, they were able to sneak by easily. As they closed, they had some amulets that made them blend in more with the natural landscape. 

They went up to a building that was the depot. And looked for any suspicious activity. 

At first, it was simply normal items and normal business. Pies, cakes, party streamers, nothing out of the ordinary. Night Fury was getting a little impatient. But his father and mother taught him patience. And so he waited. And then he saw something unusual.

"Hey look, guys." Night Fury pointed at some sleazy, nervous looking cowboy ponies, apparently not part of the train staff, talking to the people on the train. "Are they making a deal? I wanna get in closer to hear what they're saying."

The other scouts nodded and they snuck from box to box closer to the train car where the conversation was taking place.

"-listen don't argue with me! Do you gentlecolts know how risky it was for us to get these crystals over here?!"

"Look, I don't care how hard it was. I'm saying you should give those detonator traps cheaper!"

"Green Bits will have my head and yours if he realized how little bits you were giving our supplies!"

Green Bits. Maybe that's the stallion in charge of these operations. I'll have to find out more about him.

"The guy might have a point boss." said the other sleazy cowboy. "We don't wanna be on his bad side."

"Fine, have your bits but we won't be so accepting next time!" 

The two cowboys decided to leave. Leaving a lone salespony looking at the bits he had earned.

"What do we do, Night Fury?" One of the scouts whispered.

"Send the signal, I'll go grab the wagon, and we'll get moving."

Night Fury used the shadows and his limited camouflage to sneak past the guards. On the train, he saw a multitude of booby traps and amulets. He also saw these criminals looked strong and mean and meant business. Even at his strength he would have a hard time in his weakened state with all of them. But he stayed focused on the sniveling, smiling, skinny salespony. It seemed like I was ready to go somewhere. Probably the Whitetail Woods. 

If there is one thing I'm good at it's sneaking and hunting down prey.

The salespony stopped packing and 
was finally ready to leave for Whitetail Woods. He went with a few bodyguards and walked to his destination.

Night Fury hooked the wagon up to him and loaded his squad into it while he kept trailing him as he was now outside. Hopefully we get under the woods before the sun comes up to expose me!

-

As he kept on trailing the crooks, he noticed the desert turn slowly from desert to more of a forest atmosphere. Night Fury had more foliage to hide in now. He saw the guards and salespony stop for a break.

"Alright, we're nearing the edge of the Whitetail Wood. Get ready to alert the thestrals." He whispered to one of the pegasus scouts. 

The pegasus scout walked a certain way into the forest clearing then when she was certain no one was watching she made some flapping noises producing a gust of unusual wind. To normal ponies this would just be the wind but a thestral is was part of the signal.

"Alright Thestral Guardians! You know what we must do!" The thestral commander said. "Let's go inside and be ready to ambush our little friend.

The mighty batlike ponies swooped down in positions ready for their move.

"Everyone is in position, Night Fury." the scout whispered. 

"Good." Night Fury said grinning. "We'll wait for our little buddy to come out of that little cabin.

They were seeing a wooden cabin. It seems the merchant was too busy thinking of money to focus on his surroundings.

There were a few bodyguards. Three of them. With primitive armor from hundreds of years ago and trashy looking faces. Night Fury was not scared though. He saw it as amusement to pick off some foes and not have to feel guilty this time.

Night Fury threw a rock near one of the guards. He was lured into a bush and Fury defeated the guard. At the same time, some of the scouts went also luring the guards with grunts, the remaining bodyguards came over only to be beaten by those scouts. Night Fury was impressed.

Now the salespony was alone. Night Fury snuck up behind him. And gave him a kind greeting.

"Hello, illegal salespony." Fury said as he covered the salespony's mouth.

"Mmmmmmmmmmm!"

"Yeah, I can't understand what you're saying but if you yell for help, well let's just you dont wanna know I deal with enemies."

The scared dealer nodded silently. Night Fury let his paw off and asked away.

"So buddy, lemme ask ya. What's your name?"

"S-Steel, Molten Steel." The salespony sweated nervously.

"Interesting name. Well Steel, I have a few questions to ask." Night Fury said looking into the frightened criminal's eyes. "Have you come across a guy known as the Chosen One?"

"Um no? I-I never heard of that guy. What a crazy fellow calling themselves that!" The salesman insisted.

Gee, he is a really bad liar.

"Hmmm, are you sure about that? Because if you're lying I could have you see a nice view from a canyon. Would you like that?" Night Fury said, dragging Steel to a nearby cliff.

"Wait wait wait I don't wanna see it, thank you. I just wanna have a good time." Night Fury grabbed him by the neck over the cliff. 

"Yeah this is a pretty fun view. I wonder what jumping down here would be-"

The salespony had enough.

"Okay fine, you win! Yes I do know about a certain pony called the Chosen One. I was in charge of selling stuff to him like bombs!"

Night Fury nodded. 

"That's nice. Now can you give us a description of this rascal?"

"N n-no." Night Fury lifted him up over the cliff again. "Wait! I don't know who he is exactly. He never showed himself or talked to me. I just got my info from the boss."

Night Fury inquired more.

"So would that include a certain Green Bits?" Fury asked about the aforementioned boss of him

"Yes." The salespony started to calm down a bit. "He's a clever but ruthless boss. He sometimes goes by different identities. He has knowledge of the Boss. He knows my dirty secrets. He is the pony to find."

"What does he look like?" Fury asked. "And how do we find him?"

"He's a normal green unicorn who lives in the Crystal Empire. He sends us scrolls whenever a new shipment comes into Dodge City. He is a powerful crime boss that could rearrange my insides if I made one mistake!" Steel frantically said. Fury looked on at the shivering salespony and sighed, he wanted to drop him off the cliff anyway but he knew that the princesses wouldn't let him live it down without some choice words. He whistled to the thestral guards to come to him and arrest the pony in his paws, and they did so with no delay.

"Molten Steel, you are hereby being placed under arrest by the Equestrian Royal Guard. You have the right to remain silent, anything you do or say will be held against you in a court of law. You will be given 24 Hours to assign a lawyer to your case, if not then a lawyer will be provided by the state. Do you understand these rights?"

"Y-y-yes." Steel said with tears flowing. 

As he was being walked away, Night Fury heard the rustling of the other criminals surrounding them getting arrested too. So far this was too easy. 

But now comes part two. Night Fury said to himself, because he knew that this was far from over. 

-

Back in the Crystal Empire… 

Fury saw Shining Armor walking to him. 

"Not bad, Fury. This went quite smoothly. So what info did you get?" Shining asked.

The young feline told the commander about this crime boss known as Green Bits and his location around the Crystal Empire area.

"Oh Celestia… that guy."

"You recognize him?"

"Yeah, he is a dangerous guy. He makes sure the job gets done no matter what tEmpiret. He is guarded by some tough enemies."

"Well, we can just stop him with your troops!"

Shining Armor shook his head.

"Listen, this guy is tricky. He is always able to be a few steps ahead of us. We were planning on getting him someday, but not at this point with all the dragon raids and other stuff." Shining Armor said. "This won't be like facing that wimp Steel. This guy is tough."

"Well I faced harder guys than him at the Crystal Empire. So I think I'm ready." Fury said confidently. 

"Yeah I know. I'm still going to help you but we will approach with caution. Let's go to the train and we'll discuss our new plans later." 

Fury agreed. After some more disguises they took a train, but this time to the Crystal Empire. The other princesses decided to meet in secret with them to get in.

-

It was a nice day at the Crystal Empire. It was beautiful as ever with the light reflecting off the crystals, especially the largest of all of them, The Crystal Tower.

In its throne room, Cadence, Shining Armor, Night Fury and others were gathered around newly placed tables and maps ready to discuss the whereabouts of Green Bits.

"I'm glad you two handsome fellows got the info on our next suspect." Cadence said with Shining blushing. "But you're not the only ones who made progress, my Crystal Scouts have been able to retrieve more routes and meeting times for this Green Bits guy."

"So what do we do?" Night Fury said anxious to finally get the info about the Chosen One. "From what I've heard from that seller we captured, this guy has his own personal guard and is so feared that he said he would rearrange somepony's insides with one screw up." 

"Heh, what a charming stallion." Cadence said sarcastically. "Well that might be true but we have the element of surprise on our side and it seems he wants to have a special deal in three days with some Nightmare Moon revivalists. Crazy ponies. And unfortunately for him, he will have to be in a forested area, where you, my feline friend and my strong husband will be able to ambush him." Cadence said with confidence in both of them.

Cadence, then stood up from her throne and went to a map of the area Green Bits would be. It was once again forested but this time it had more swamp. It would be difficult for normal ponies

"Hmmm, it seems like this place is more swamped than the Whitetail Wood. How do you think we should approach this?" Fury asked. 

"Well luckily in situations like this," Cadence said. "We have some special exotic guards who specialize in watery areas like swamps. They are not quite as experienced as thestral guards since they are newer but they will probably be our best assistance for the moment. Our Maritime Unicorn Units will be looking forward to one of their first operations."

"That's a good thing, but what about me? I'm not good at getting through swamps and never was. Maybe if I had my full power, then I might be able to have somewhat of a chance."

"Well perhaps in those three days, I can give you some amulets to help resist the swamp, but more importantly I will also train you to be good at fighting in water." Shining Armor said. "I was involved in the founding of this unit so I will be able to help train you. What do you say?" Shining Armor said.

"Well, I guess that could work. But I'm just gonna be honest, it just doesn't feel the same when you need help to do something that should be easy for you." Fury said, a little disappointment in his voice. 

"And if you feel like you need a break, Fury." Cadence said. "You can rest here for today." Shining nodded his head.

"Yeah, I feel like I need a break. And besides, there's someone else that I've gotta talk to." Fury said. 

"And what would that be?" Cadence asked. 

"Let's just say that this someone is very beneficial to my pursuit of gaining control of my full potential." He said as he walked off. 

"What do you think he was talking about?" Shining asked Cadence.

"Well knowing Night Fury, it's probably something beyond our understanding. He's a guy you wouldn't expect to have secrets, but he does." Cadence said.

-

Night Fury was given a comfortable room. Much nicer than he expected. He thought ponies in the Crystal Empire simply slept on the crystal beds. 

"To do what I have to do, I'll just have to relax." He said laying on the couch while eating some grapes and listening to old timey music on the record. As he did so his eyes drifted and he fell asleep.

…

Night Fury then seemingly woke up in a mountainous area. But it was less snowy. By no means was it warm but he could see the grass though it was still a little too windy for his comfort.

He then went back on track to find the person he could get advice from. He checked around the usual mountain but it seems he wasn't there. 

"Grrr. Dang it, this emperor calls me annoying but at least I'm not missing when someone else wants to talk to them!" Fury said, a bit annoyed. But then he heard a sound. It seemed to be the sound of singing. It sounded like one of those ancient songs the village elders used to sing.

He came to the sound to discover that Emperor Snowdrift was by the river reciting ancient poetry. 

"Hey Emperor!" 

"Ahhh!" The emperor for the first time seemed surprised. "My concentration! I was in the middle of writing an epic poem of Speed Shifter history! You younglings have no respect for the fine arts!" Snowdrift said angrily.

"Look, I'm sorry I interrupted your poetry sessions," Night Fury said even if he didn't really care about the poetry "but I really need your help. I'm in a desperate state. And I could use your help."

The emperor seemed more understanding now. "I see. Come and sit down. Tell me your issues."

Night Fury sat down and explained what he was worried about. The emperor listened closely at the details and was shocked to hear what happened to Fury. In that moment he realized that it was time to reveal to him his true potential.

"By the gods might, I can't imagine how much pain you felt. Emotionally and physically. I'm so sorry, young one." Snowdrift said with genuine sympathy. 

"It's fine. I'm just getting used to all this newfound responsibility and burdens."

"I see you now know what it is like to be me, filled with all such responsibilities but it is important at these moments to keep your head strong. You said you need some help? Very well I will give you the first step to your True Potential."

"True Potential? No offense, but I need more than just advice-"

"No! I mean as in your actual potential to reach the next level in abilities!" The Emperor corrected him. "Now pay attention. This potential will require your utmost concentration. I am going to help you attain this ability. It is something only certain Speed Shifters are allowed to be taught."

"Wait… are you talking about what I think you're talking about?" Night Fury asked anxiously.

"Yes I am." The Emperor nodded. "You have proven yourself worthy enough. Not perfect, but so far quite good. But this next step will require the most out of you. Are you ready, Night Fury?" The emperor asked pointedly.

"Understood, where do we begin?"

The Emperor closed his eyes for a moment in thought as he had not helped others train in awhile.

"Your first assignment is to channel nature's energy. Use it within you."

"Okay, how do I do that?" Night Fury asked, still confused.

"And this is how you will do that, youngling! You must focus your thoughts. Make them into something fun." 

"Wow, I thought fun was a word you hated, Emperor." Fury said, a bit surprised.

"Well I have my own hobbies in case you remember. So go on. Use your creativity." 

"Okay, let me try something." Fury said. He sat down in the snow, focusing on what he wanted to see himself as. He thought of what he could do with his new power and traced it out in his mind. His fur began to glow red as he began to draw a holographic representation of himself. The emperor watches on in silence as he watched the hologram take shape. Soon enough, a black falcon the size of Celestia arose from the snow and presented itself to the emperor. 

"Well done, Night Fury, I am very impressed." The emperor said as gazed upon Fury's creation. "A hologram like this could be used for deceiving foes for short periods of time."

"Thank you, Emperor. I guess seeing alicorns made me think of larger versions of creatures then usual." 

"Well, keep that creativity in mind as you will use that for your transformation. Now then," The emperor turned to the wind, "I want you to imagine yourself as something greater, as in a greater warrior of yourself."

"Okay, watch me work." Fury said, closing his eyes and focusing once more. The hologram warped and shifted with his thoughts, changing back to a more feline shape. But instead of just a feline shape, it was cladded in armor, armed with a spear and had battle paint on his face.

"And viola, a warrior to surpass any thieving snake or bad mouthed menace."

The Emperor could now see that his mind produced a more practical warrior version.

"I see that you were influenced by the warriors of my generation." He said as the emperor was reminded of the many battles he fought with warriors similar to the hologram. "The next step is not to just imagine one, but to become one but this, my boy, will be the hardest step of all."

"I'm ready for anything!"

"Do you remember how I gave you that scroll on meditation incantations?" The emperor asked rhetorically. "Well now is the time to make your own incantations. You must look to your surroundings, to nature, and to imagine yourself as a warrior that is part of nature itself."

Night Fury was a little confused but he figured he would learn as he went along.

"Okay, a little strange but I'll do it."

Fury closed his eyes once more, imagining that he was in a forest much like his home. The emperor watched as the snow disappeared into grassy paths and a thick treeline, the wind practically disappearing in seconds. Fury opened his eyes and was amazed at what he had done, he had completely changed the environment at just a thought.

"Holy mother nature, I did it!" He said excitedly. 

"That you did, young one. I believe you are ready to use this knowledge to your advantage." The emperor said smiling. He stepped to the side to reveal a white gateway. 

"So this is it, huh? My first steps into who I truly am as a Speed Shifter?" 

"Yes. This is. But like you said, this is only the first step. This is probably what your father had to do even if he did not talk to me. There will be other challenges but for now this is your first step and your first true controlled transformation." The emperor stated. "Now walk through the gate and become who you are meant to be."

Fury took a deep breath and ran for it, running into the light. He woke up back on the couch and took a few breaths, looking around he saw that he was back in the Crystal Empire. He smiled at his accomplishments as he stood up and walked out of the room. He was ready to take back what was rightfully his. His dignity, his honor and most importantly, his pride.

-

Cadence and Shining Armor were in the throne room speaking with each other when the black feline took a step in. 

"Cadence! Shining Armor! I have an announcement to make!" Night Fury said with confidence he lacked a few hours ago as he walked by the throne seat. "Or perhaps I should just show you." Night Fury smirked as looked at the end of the room about to sprint. He took a deep breath and ran for it, gaining speed as he got closer to the throne. The royal couple watched in silence as he approached.

He focused on his body and jumped in the air, glowing red as he let out a confident roar and transformed. The black feline grew wings, tail feathers and talons as he took to the air and glided down in front of the now amazed couple in his new falcon form. 

"I don't believe it…" Shining Armor said surprised.

Cadence was also surprised for a few seconds but then she smiled.

"I see that your sleep must have been very productive, Night Fury. "It looks like you've transformed." 

Cadence walked up to Fury and investigated his falcon-like features. 

"This is truly astonishing. You look just like a falcon, only bigger." Cadence said in amazement. Cadence was reminded of when she transformed from a pegasus to an alicorn. 

"Aww, thanks. It took a lot of wo-" Before Fury could finish, Celestia and Luna burst through the doors with their horns lit as they focused on the giant bird.

"That must be what made that roar. We must protect the Empire's rulers!" Celestia said with a mix of rage and confidence.

"Then let us vanquish it!" Luna added. Fury covered his face with his new wings as the sisters charged their horns, but a voice echoed out instead of a blast of magic.

"WAIT! Are you really going to attack your old friend Night Fury?" 

Celestia and Luna were both confused at first, but then they saw despite seeming to be a different being, this creature had the same overall appearance as Night Fury. 

"A-are you Night Fury?" Luna asked in shock.

"Yes, you two!" Fury said, changing back to his original form to solidify his statement. 

Celestia and Luna were stunned to see this new transformation, especially when he was almost blown up a few days ago.

"Our apologies, Night Fury." Celestia said, bowing along with Luna. "I did not expect this new change from you, especially in your state."

"It's fine. Neither did I expect this. But for me, I had a good and very informative dream." He said looking at Luna.

Luna wondered at first what he meant. Then she remembered. She remembered the temple. She remembered his talk of the ancient Speed Shifter, Emperor Snowdrift.

"So it seems you have passed that test." Luna said.

"Yep! Pretty impressive, huh?" He said, showing off his wings and claws.

"Indeed it is." Celestia said. "Sometimes it is when we are at our lowest that we can really find ourselves. And it seems you have done so." Celestia said. "Now I have only one more creature to have truly passed the test." Celestia said to herself thinking of her own normal.

"You bet it, but this isn't the form that I need for what's happening. Since we're going to be going through the swamp…" He trailed off as he transformed from a falcon to a Cragodile. "I'm gonna need a wider strut to my stride." The now scaly reptile said. 

Shining Armor jumped back a little at seeing him transform. Luna and Celestia stood there impressed.

"What are you scared of? Little old me?" He teased Shining Armor.

Shining Armor felt awkward and recomposed himself while Cadence smirked and rolled her eyes. 

"Um… No! No! Uh, the point is that this will be useful to us." Shining Armor was now thinking of the advantages of this. "This ability to swim underwater and attack could be invaluable. And they don't know you have this ability. They might think of you as just a normal Cragodile to avoid, as long as they don't see your black color too up close. This could help make this mission go from hard to a breeze." Shining was now bursting with ideas for this new form. 

"Yeah, you're right. But there is one more thing that this new power can do." Fury said cheekily as he slipped into the shadows.

"What's that?"

"The pranking potential!"

ROAR!

Shining Armor let out the girliest scream a stallion could as he ran out of the room. Fury rolled onto his back and laughed.

"Bahahahaha! Now that is how you scare a stallion out of his fur, hahahahaha!"

Celestia and Cadence laughed out loud at his frightened state. Even Luna laughed a bit.

"Night Fury, you are truly a beast." Cadence said after her laughter.

"More like a whole bunch of beasts at this point." Night Fury said with pride. 

Shining Armor came back in after a little while.

"That was not funny, Night Fury!"  Shining said with indignation. "You know how alert I am!"

"Come on, honey, it was a little humorous."

"Yeah, listen to your wife, lover boy. Ha!" Fury said.

"Ugh… Twilight was right about you being mischievous." Shining grumbled. Then he recovered. "But in any case I'm sure our enemies will have the same reaction that I did. We'll definitely capture Green Bits with you on our team."

Night Fury was now in his normal form and now was back in a serious but confident mood. He was ready to go into the swamp he so feared.

"Dang straight, Shiny. We'll get him for sure! So with my new forms, what's the new plan?"

"Okay first of all, only she calls me that." Shining said, pointing to his wife. "Second, we already have one."

"Your form will allow us to scout ahead and gather info and also take out certain boats we might have problems with." Shining said. "Of course me and my Maritime Forces will still have to give you more horsepower. You'll locate where Green Bits is hiding and then you, me and all of us will capture that scumbag as quickly and efficiently as possible." The commander explained. "Does that sound good, Speed Shifter?"

Fury's eyes flashed red with predatory intent. "Oh, that sounds way more than just good." He said with a large smile. "That sounds excellent! We'll show this Chosen One to think twice before trying to blow me up!" 

"Then it's settled. Before we thought we would need three days but we can do it tomorrow. Get some sleep and be ready by then." Shining Armor commanded

"Yes sir!" 

He matured. He finally learned some respect for his elders-

"Hm, lover boy." Fury chuckled.

"I am not a lover boy!" 

"Do something about it, we'll see who'll have Cadence all to themselves when I whoop your sorry flank!"

"Wait what?" Cadence asked, a bit surprised.

"That's right! Once I show your husband what for, you'll be all mine!" Fury joked as he laughed and disappeared into the castle to get some sleep.

"That little-" Shining Armor said, about to show him some military discipline.

"Calm down, honey, you're the only one for me. And besides Fury is just joking around. He likes to mess with us." Cadence said with a chuckle. 

Luna and Celestia nodded while chuckling.

Although I do hope Fury doesn't let this power get to his head too much. Luna thought to herself. But knowing Fury, I know he will find the right answers.
> Chapter 18: Sounding The Alarms
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning… 

Fury woke up refreshed and ready to take on the day. The Crystal Empire's beds were even more comfortable than his villa. He got out of bed and walked out into the hall, heading towards the kitchen to grab breakfast. He was excited to get this operation on the road and wanted to start as early as possible, but he knew he needed to fuel up before he did anything important. 

He soon reached the kitchen and opened the doors to see that no one else was around. 

Huh, I guess I'm the first one up.

He strode over to where a refrigerator stood and opened it, revealing all of the food he could ever want. He looked around inside and frowned, it was all carrots and hay.

Blech! Definitely not!

He pulled his head up and closed the fridge with disappointment, there was nothing he could eat that he would want. That was until he saw a cake under a glass dome. It was a pound cake with a light glaze over it, ripe for eating. Fury knew that he shouldn't be thinking what he was thinking, but his hungry tummy guided his movements for him as he removed the glass dome and licked his lips. He slowly leaned in on the cake, his stomach calling out to him as he got closer and closer. But his fun was soon stopped by a cheeky voice in his ear… 

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Fury froze up. He didn't hear whoever was next to him come into the room, but they were here now. He looked over to his left and saw a pink princess smiling at him.

"W-well, I was… I was just." Fury stuttered as he tried to come up with an excuse, but his tummy ended up speaking for him. Cadence giggled and lowered her head to his stomach to get a better idea of what it was "saying", playing along with her shenanigans.

"Oh, what was that?" She asked, Fury's stomach gurgled in response.

Oh great, she's going all goofy on me now? Fury said to himself. 

"You want a piece of cake, is that it?" Another low groan sounded as an answer. Fury blushed as Cadence joked around with him, he felt so embarrassed at the scene that was unfolding. 

"I- I- I was just observing the artistic qualities of this cake. Yeah." Night Fury gave his best excuse. "The scroll I read said I had to be an appreciator of beauty."

"Mmmhmm." Cadence nodded. "And would that beauty be with your eyes or your tongue?" She asked with a playful smirk.

Night Fury could endure cragodiles but not Princess Cadence who felt like an old babysitter of his. 

"Okay fine, you got me! It's the tongue!" He admitted while salivating. "I want that delicious fluffy cake. I want it in my belly, at least part of it!"

Cadence chuckled at this. "Slow down, Fury. I was just playing around." She gave Night Fury a couple slices of cake. "Here, it's on me."

"Thank you!" Night Fury ate away like a wild animal. He was eating even quicker than usual.

Cadence chuckled at this.

"You're an even bigger eater than Twilight is with hay burgers!" 

"Hey I gotta fill myself up with tasty treats today! After all," Fury gulped. "I'm gonna need all the food I can get for this mission. It's gonna be very tough. I am still a rookie to these new techniques." Fury admitted to Cadence.

Cadence looked at him understanding.

"I understand. This is a big day for you. I know how hard it was when Celestia made me into the Princess of Love. I had to learn how to use and control my powers responsibly. And I had to learn a lot of hard lessons like when I got swapped by Chrysalis. But in the end I made it out through effort and my friends and I'm sure it will be likewise for you." Cadence reassured him. 

Night Fury smiled at this.

"You're right about that! And also, that comment about my appetite was not wrong. Heh, honestly, I could probably make an entire full-sized cake disappear like a magic trick!"

"I would be more surprised if you weren't able to do that!" Cadence laughed along with Night Fury.

Night Fury always liked Princess Cadence. Despite being a princess, she was probably the most laid back and easy going of any of the princesses. She also felt like the older sister he never had. She was definitely more laid back then Shining Professional Armor who could be a bit strict. Fury respected and admired him, but he was a bit stuck up sometimes.

"Well hello, I didn't know we had a cake thief in the castle." Another voice said. 

It was a familiar masculine voice. It was none other than Shining Armor.

"Oh um hi Shining Armor, I was just-"

"I'll let your cake hunting have a pass since stealth is important to our mission." Shining said. "And I'm sorry I overreacted to your prank. I'm a bit strict sometimes. But I want you to be creative on the battlefield. That will give us the edge."

Night Fury appreciated his statement.

"Well that's nice to hear, thanks." Then Fury went straight to the point. "But let's get down to business. When are we moving out? I wanna put my new power through its paces." Fury asked.

"It's a good thing you asked, because Celestia, Luna and the other guards are waiting at the edge of the swamp for you."

"Wow, they're out and gone already? Maybe all this food is starting to get to me, hehe." Fury joked, poking at his pudge. 

"Hm, don't worry, I think it makes you look cute." Cadence giggled, poking at him herself. Fury chuckled at the sensation.

"What the- Hey!" Night Fury now realized Cadence was about to use her royal weapon: her rather tickly hooves. 

"Ah ha ha ah ha! Cut it out, it tickles!" Night Fury yelled out loud, trying to get away. But Cadence swiftly put him in a squeeze hold.

"Nope!" Cadence continued. Shining Armor looked a bit satisfied that Fury was getting the revenge he deserved. It felt all too good to see him helplessly trying to get away from what was inevitable. Even he had his limits.

And so the ponies decided to get ready, do some training and head out to the edge of the swamp. Fury was both excited and nervous about the operation, he couldn't explain how he was feeling at that moment. He wanted to get this over with as fast as possible, but he also was scared of what might happen to him or anyone else who would be there. He was confident in his ability to change form at his will and was ready to proceed with the plan, but knew that he couldn't go too overboard with it as to not cause any problems.

-

Croak. Croak.

The sounds of bullfrogs and swamp sludge bubbling filled the air as the group trudged through the marsh. It was evening in the massive swamp. It was far from anything like the Crystal Empire. Rather than sleek and elegant, it was moist, grimy and filthy. 

Most ponies would refuse to step one hoof in the swamp. Which is why it was a perfect hideout for ponies like Green Bits.

"Sheesh, I'm glad Rarity isn't here, she would be having a heart attack if she had to make her way through this!" Fury said as he swam through the murky waters in his Cragodile form. "But, it's just us and all of this muddy swamp. I kinda feel bad for you guys. You can hop on my back if you want, I'm pretty sure I can handle the weight."

"We're fine, mate!" said one of the maritime troops in armor that completely covered them up with masks to go underwater. "We've trained for situations like this. Honestly I feel like I'm one with the mildew of this area!"

I knew some ponies liked nature, but I think these guys take it to a whole 'nother level! Fury thought, still swimming along. 

Luckily everyone was getting along nicely although they did have to avoid some logs and navigate through some difficult plants.

But suddenly…

"Wait, I hear something." Shining Armor said, also with that maritime armor. "Get behind this tree! Fury, go under so they don't see you!"

"Will do!" The giant reptile replied, going under the water to hide himself. 

They did so. And they heard a group of ponies talking. Night Fury peeked out to see about ten guards on solid ground, some eating around a fire while others were keeping watch over the water. Fury sighed. 

"Looks like we have some company. They're guarding our only way to the rest of the swamp." Fury said 

"How about we just swim under? You can do that, can't you?" One of the younger troops asked.

"It's too shallow, and I'm too big!"  Fury said, looking underwater. "I haven't been able to turn into smaller aquatic creatures yet since I don't have as much familiarity with them or training with my powers." 

"Well, looks like we're going to have to get them out of the way ourselves." Shining Armor said. "Guards, ready yourselves for a sneak attack behind those trees! Fury, try to camouflage with the swamp and when I give the signal, pop up and do your thing." 

"You got it!" Fury said, swimming to a batch of logs and sinking into the water as low as he could to get out of sight. Shining Armor and the maritime guards hid amongst the trees, ready to attack. Then, they heard one of the bodyguards say something rather interesting… 

"You hear what the boss said about the shipment gone wrong?" One burley unicorn said.

"Yeah, he sounded pretty ticked off. Molten Steel is gonna get the whooping of his life, if he survived." An earth pony commented.

"The boss said that he's gonna be moving out of the swamp and to the snowy mountains out north. He's gonna be going out of the east trail and through the everglades."

"Yeah, but he better be careful though, I heard the water is infested with Cragodiles." The earth pony said with some fear.

"True, but he'll be able to avoid them for the majority of the trip out of here. The water is pretty shallow here, so what chance does he have of running into one?" The unicorn said with a chuckle.

Before the conversation went any further, a battle cry sounded from the trees… 

"Attack!" A loud voice came.

Roar!!! 

Within seconds, four guards, Shining Armor and a giant, black Cragodile raided the campsite. Though outnumbered, the shock of seeing a giant possibly mutant Cragodile, and the surprise made it easy to overwhelm the bodyguards who were crying out loud.

Having overwhelmed the throng of bodyguards, Night Fury and the others were able to proceed without the guards notifying the others. Fury felt quite a bit of pride. He was also thankful ponies did not yet know that a black Cragodile meant it was a Speed Shifter and would be able to exploit these weaknesses.

"Nice work, everypony." Shining Armor said as they kept swimming forward. "You ambushed them and gave them quite a fright!"

"Especially Night Fury!" One of the guards said. "Maybe you should join us!"

"Thanks but I already have a busy life," Night Fury as a Cragodile said. "Especially after all this Chosen One stuff is over with, I'm just gonna chill out and relax after this."

"Let's get back on topic though." Shining Armor said. "It seems like Green Bits is planning on making a break for the northern mountains. We need to get a warning out to the princesses. Fury, you're the fastest out of all of us. You think you can swim back and give them the heads up?" 

"No problem, I'm on my way!" Fury exclaimed, returning to the water and swimming back the way he had come. 

"Okay, with that being taken care of, we need to keep moving. Let's go." Shining ordered. The other guards saluted to the Captain and followed his lead. As for Night Fury, he swam as fast as his big body would let him get back to the princesses. While he was rather disappointed that he would have to miss out on the full trip to the hideout, he knew what was more important. 

-

"I wonder how they're getting along?" Luna asked as she sat in a lawn chair under a tree.

"I hope they're okay, this is a rather dangerous foe we're dealing with." Cadence added.

"Do not worry, dear niece, sure they are getting along just fine." Celestia soothed, placing a wing over the worried princess of love. Cadence smiled at the reassurance, she was glad that her aunt had faith in their allies. Just as she was looking out into the dark swamp, a pair of red eyes poked up from the water, followed by a reptile-like snarl. 

ROARRRRRR!!!!

"Ahhhh!!!" Cadence jumped back not expecting a Cragodile to be in the part of the swamp. She, being a princess, was more than ready to fight. Until she noticed this Cragodile was black not green. She recovered from her shocked state.

"Okay, very funny, Night Fury. Now get out of that gross water." Cadence said, rolling her eyes.

"Ugh, fine. Party pooper." He said snootily, walking out of the water and revealing his full, scaly form.

"While that was pretty amusing, I'm actually here to deliver a message." Night Fury said, turning serious. "I have some news of where our favorite criminal is going." 

Night Fury explained where Green Bits was intending to go and how he was going to leave the swamp. 

"The Northern Mountains are notoriously hard to navigate. It would be even harder if he escaped there." Cadence said.

"Indeed Cadence." Luna agreed. "But it might be a good chance for a good old fashioned ambush." Luna said with some excitement. "This Green Bits should not be so cocky as to think this will all go according to plan."

Night Fury smiled at Luna's excitement for stealth and ambushes.

"Well, it's a deal then, Luna. We heard that he was going to be taking a trail out of the east side of the swamp. And I'm coming with you guys on this one. I mean I may be tough, but I think those murkweed fumes are starting to make me lightheaded." Fury chuckled. 

"It is a deal." Celestia said. "We will be involved in this if it means we get information on this troublemaker. I am ready to fight like I did in olden times."

Night Fury then looked to the swamp water.

"Look out, Green Bits! Here we come! And I have some princesses along this time!" He proclaimed excitedly.

-

Meanwhile Shining Armor and the maritime guards were now trudging on the ground going through the ferns and vines. It was now nighttime. While for the Maritime troops it was a little disappointing to be out of the water for so long, Shining was certainly relieved.

Shining Armor told everyone to stop marching, since he heard more commotion. But this time it was a whole base, a wooden fortress that looked like a bit of a castle. He could see many guards. And also a lot more carriages than usual. It was apparent Green Bits and his goons were planning to leave.

"No wonder why he is so feared. He has a small army in there!" One of his soldiers whispered as he looked through the bush.

"Because he is a relentless leader! He's like King Sombra if he got control of the Crystal Empire but more secluded."

"Oooh, yeah. That is definitely a problem."

"Alright, focus up, guys and gals!" Shining Armor brought his young troops back to focus. "We need a way to sneak in and snag the guy without getting caught."

"Well it's a good thing I got the message out on time." A voice said. Shining Armor and the guards looked to their left to see the princesses riding on top of Night Fury's back. 

"Yeesh, you guys don't have to sneak up like that all the time!" Shining complained. Everyone but him had a mild chuckle from that. "It's not funny."

"Okay, great jokes aside," Fury smugly said. "how are we gonna capture him with all those guards?"

"I thought of an idea." Luna chimed in. "What if we do a stealth wipe of the entire compound? Take out every guard silently until we're left with our villain and we catch him there!" She said with unusual excitement.

Everyone murmured agreements while Fury just stayed silent and blushed.

Good grief, she's even beautiful with her words! I think I've found my match. He said to himself. 

"That's a good plan! Alright everyone, let's get this done." Shining said. "Fury, you take the princesses to the front gate and clear a path inside. Once we get in, we start silently sweeping the compound until we corner our suspect."

"Sounds good. And by the way, how good are you three at holding your breath?" Fury asked.

"Fury, we're goddesses. We basically have iron lungs, we can take some underwater stealth swimming." Cadence said plainly, the other two nodding in agreement. Night Fury found that both weird and cool.

"Well that's good. Breathe in deep, because we're going under." He instructed. The princesses took deep breaths, grabbing onto his scales as he went under the water and began swimming to the front gate, leaving Shining Armor and the Maritime guards to wait for them.

Under the water, they saw a whole bunch of roots. It was a bit difficult to navigate but thankfully Night Fury was able to chew some of them up with his big jaw, opening a path to go in. They soon resurfaced near the muddy path out of the compound. Fury crawled out of the water and hid in some bushes with the princesses beside him as they looked out to the convoy of carriages outside of the gates. 

"If we're going to take them out silently, that means a low profile. Fury, you know what that means…" Celestia said. 

"Sure do." He replied, changing back to his original feline shape. "Ahhh, it feels good to have my paws back." 

Night Fury then quickly analyzed the situation. He had to decide the best route to take out as many enemies without the others knowing. 

"Watch and learn, ladies." Night Fury said as he readied himself.

He went into a bush close to a lone guard. He threw a rock in the shadows and he efficiently took care of the goon

Then he saw six guards warming themselves up next to a fire by the convoy. A harder task to deal with but he had another idea. He saw a pool of water and there seemed to be a Cragodile nest. Night Fury decided to take the egg and put it by the guards so the Cragodile mother would be very angry at the guards. He wanted to save being a Cragodile for later since he wanted to conserve energy for Green Bits. Being a Cragodile with his level of experience was very draining and anyways many real Cragodile were more powerful than a Speed Shifter one.

He stealthily went into the nest, careful not to disturb the mother who was sound asleep. Speed Shifters had the ability of stealth. So he came in and placed the egg near the bodyguards.

"Alright, here goes nothing…" Fury whistled loudly, waking up the giant reptile. The mother soon realized what had happened and went on the attack, sending the remaining guards scurrying around in a frenzy.

ROARRRRRRR!!!!

"Aaaahhh! It's gonna eat us!"

"No, stand your ground, you dolts!"

"Who cares about that?! Rather have my legs still attached to my body than look like a pony-sized carrot dog in the water!"

Fury watched the chaos from above in a tree, trying his best not to laugh out loud. But he was failing miserably.

"This is just too good!" Night Fury said while snickering. "Welp, while they're distracted, I got one more place to disrupt. I'll let the mommy Cragodile do her job."

He went to a heavily guarded bridge in front of the convoy. There were so many ponies keeping guard. "What can I do now? I can't just attack all of them and there don't seem to be any other animals available… Except for me." He smiled deviously looking at the supports for the wooden bridge. He remembered a familiar animal when he was with Discord. It was a small plump beast called a beaver. Transforming into one expands less energy than a Cragodile, but still gets the job done for him.

"Time to give this bridge a more… watery support plan." He said deviously. He whispered to the princesses who were still chuckling at the Cragodile mishap to look in his direction. They did so and saw him transform into a beaver as he splashed down into the water, getting the guards attention as he began chewing away at the jungle wood. 

"Huh, what was that noise?"

"Is it a beaver?"

"Don't be a blockhead! Beavers don't live in this Celestia forsaken slime hole!" The other guard replied.

Night Fury kept on about his business. He started to have an appetite for wood. It was strange. He was almost done. Though he wished he sounded a bit quieter.

"Wait, do you guys hear chewing?"

"Nah, it sounds more like chipping. Like a beaver chomping at a stick."

"Yeah, and I can hear a slight creaking too. Do you guys think there's a beaver eating at the bridge-'' Just as one of the guards finished his sentence, the bridge gave way and splashed down into the river. 

"I TOLD YOU SOMETHING WAS WRONG!!!" said the suspicious guard now being carried by the rapids.

"Have a nice swim, folks." Night Fury said cheekily. 

Night Fury reviewed his progress. The convoy was now defenseless and wouldn't be moving for a while. But he realized he had to hurry because it would only be a matter of time before they realized this was not nature but intentional sabotage. But some applause from behind him filled the black beaver's ears before he made a move.

"Bravo, bravo! What a show!" Cadence called while Celestia did the same and Luna rolled around laughing. 

"Who would have thought a little plump aquatic mammal could be so damaging." Celestia laughed.

"Indeed sister. Shape shifting is not to be taken lightly!" Luna said while trying to resist in vain of her laughter.

Night Fury felt great.

"Thank you very much folks." He bowed as if he were a magician getting applause from a crowd. "I had to think a bit about these guards. I can't believe this guy has so many of them. But they were no problem for a Speed Shifter warrior! And as a bonus, I get free lunch from the wood!" 

Meanwhile, Shining Armor was planning out what to do next. 

"Alright everyone. It's time for the final stage. Capturing our Green Bits figure. He should be close by. Now that this convoy is delayed, we can go get him now!" Shining said with sternness yet seriousness.

Night Fury was now excited to finally capture this Green Bits figure.

"So have you and your guards located him yet?" Night Fury asked.

"We have. He's in a hut at the back of the compound, we'll have to go through more bodyguards though."

"Pfft, no problem. That's the easiest thing to do. C'mon ladies, we're going in!" Fury called, prompting the princesses to reveal themselves and stand next to the rest of the group at the entrance.

"Okay, we'll split up. Fury and the princesses will take the east side and we'll take the west. Is everyone ready? Okay, let's go!" 

Everyone proceeded along their ways into the compound.

Shining Armor and his troops snuck past buildings and into the shadows to avoid the guards seeing them. And then they took out the guards. It was swift and efficient even if not quite as swift as Night Fury's. They finally made it into position behind a wooden house and saw the bigger house that Green Bits was in.

Meanwhile Nightfury climbed up the trees as a monkey to avoid being spotted while getting into the west flank of the house. He gave Shining the signal that he was ready to go into the house.

This was it. They had to get this guy.

"Alright princesses, are you ready to get this guys info?" Fury asked while getting ready.

"Ready." Celestia said.

"Ready!" Cadence said, smirking.

Luna simply nodded.

There were guards around the windows. Night Fury and the princesses were at the front doors and Shining and his maritime troops were at the other. 

On the count of three. 

Three… 

Two… 

One… 

"Equestrian Royal Guard, everypony freeze!" 

Crash

All the windows crashed open and the doors were bursting. All of the bodyguards were surprised. They couldn't hold back the sudden shock of all these powerful creatures coming at them.

Everyone swiftly ran through each room of the compound until they came across one room. 

SLAM

"Surprise losers, guess who here? Oh oh Ah ah, baby!" The black monkey cried as he rushed in. 

Night Fury pushed it out of the way to reveal a well dressed mustached stallion. He looked completely different then his ragged bodyguards. He was clearly rich enough to hire his own operations. Despite this, instead of being afraid the gangster seemed surprisingly civil.

"Well, well, so you're the ponies who have caused all my business to be delayed." He said with an ominously calm voice.

"And the feline you decided to try and kill off!" Fury said, returning to his true form. 

"My goodness, I did not think you would still be this powerful, considering my bomb. You Speed Shifters are quite something." Green Bits paced around. "I have to admit you have made things very hard for us, Night Fury. You couldn't just accept your death."

Night Fury growled at him.

"You got that right, punk. And now you're gonna tell me who you were working for!" Fury demanded "Unless you want to be Cragodile bait!" He said, showing his claws.

"Oh, I'm not telling you anything. You are the one thing that I would never associate with. And even if I told you, you would be dead before you get out of this place." Green Bits said. Fury was quite aggravated with him and was tempted to just eat the muscle off of his bones, but Luna held a hoof in front of him as a sign that it wasn't worth it. 

"Don't let him get to you. He's trying to get under your skin." Luna said. "We must not let him."

Fury listened and simply tossed the criminal to the ground. "You're right. But I will find out this info."

Celestia noticed how calm the crime boss was. Too calm.

"What are you playing at?" She said, "Most captured ponies would not talk so loosely to their captors."

"Why, I'm not playing at anything. This is just a matter of getting rid of who I was told to kill. Nothing more, nothing less. And there's still one way I can do that."

"One way?" Shining Armor said immediately looking around the room.

"I swear if you dare attempt to do anything now…" Luna said.

"Oh don't worry. Ha ha ha." He chuckled. "I already have."

Beep

Then all of a sudden they saw a bunch of gas in the rooms. Green Bits threw a chair at Night Fury which didn't damage him but did delay him as he ran out the house. As he did he used his spell to seal the house's windows.

"Wait… Chorus gas?!?" Fury exclaimed.

"What's chorus gas?" Cadence asked. 

"It's a neurotoxin that's exclusive to my home. The gas, UHG, can seep into the brain and rip the neurons into smithereens by causing uncontrollable adrenaline surges to make the nerves in the body to fire off randomly…" He wheezed. "This gas has a one punch effect on one creature and one creature only…" 

"And who's that?!"

… 

"Me…" Fury said, dropping to the floor. 

"Night Fury?! Night Fury?!?!?!" Luna said with intimidation. 

"We have to get him out of here, now!" Celestia said.

"How?!" Cadence asked.

Shining Armor looked around the room for an opening. At first it seemed hopeless but he managed to see a hole. It must have been a weak spot. Shining used his beam to destroy the wall.

"This way!" Shining exclaimed.

Everypony went out of the gas filled building. Luna was carrying Fury incapacitated body on her back away from the building.

"Something must be done to help him!" Luna said.

Cough Cough! Fury wheezed, still weakened.

"Wait, he's still okay?!"

"I think he's just blacked out. But there's no reason to not give him medical attention." Celestia warned, concern running through her head.

"Medic, get over here! And you two, get after him!" Shining ordered. A medic soon appeared on the scene and two guards went after Green Bits. 

The medic pony began to give the feline chest compression and other first aid to help him.

"Ow! Hey hey, I'm up!" Fury said, jumping up and holding the medic at leg length.

"Fury, are you okay?" Cadence asked, turning his head towards her with a hoof.

"Yeah, I think I just blacked out. Thankfully, Chorus gas is a slow working toxin. So I think I just passed out from the gas itself." Fury said while getting his bearings. But then he suddenly realized. "Green Bits! Where is he?" He said looking around to see if he was among them.

"I sent a few guards to track him down. But for right now, you're the priority." Shining said.

"Well, as long as there's still a chance to get him, I'm fine. I know good and well that this is something I can't object to." Fury admitted. He didn't want to say that he was going to stay down after getting gassed, but he knew that his health was more important. 

"But hang on, if he knew that Chorus gas was one of my weaknesses, then he had knowledge of my biological makeup. Princess Celestia, are there any books or records of my kind and our biology in Equestria?" 

Celestia wondered for a bit.

"I don't think we do… Except maybe for two. Twilight has one of them and the other was in the Canterlot Secret Archives, which is only available to royalty and anypony that I or Luna approved of."

"Well, it can't be Twilight because why would she have anything against me? And besides, she still has her copy of those records and she knows better than to show random ponies that info. So someone had to have gotten the copy from the archives. And it would make sense since when we were in Manehatten, I heard that The Chosen One was apparently royalty." Night Fury wondered aloud.

"Dang it! The Chosen One must have given the document to Green Bits!" Night Fury said. "Luckily I guess the book had limited knowledge since I survived that bomb."

One of the guards came back to Shining and the rest.

"Well, did you find him?!" Shining asked.

"Not yet. But we did find this." The guard replied, holding a book up that had a paw mark on the cover and the title… 


Speed Shifters And You


A Biological Overview 


"By the moon and stars, are those the records?!" Luna asked. 

"They are, and I can tell that this is from the archives because it has my signature engraved on the back cover." Celestia said, taking the book in her magic and flipping it around to reveal the signature. 

Celestia was surprised that this top secret document ended up in the hooves of such a nefarious villain. She even noticed on the margins of the pages some notes Green Bits must have written about weapons against Fury.

Night Fury saw the scribbles. 

"Gee, this guy was really devious. He even wrote his own notes about me and me specifically. I must be one lucky fella if I'm getting all this attention, heh." Fury chuckled.

"You know, I still can't believe that after almost dying twice that you're still making jokes and laughing." Cadence remarked.

"It's good to keep a sense of humor especially in dire times. My dad taught me that." Night Fury said reminiscing.

"Hey, look at this note!" Shining Armor said.

"This book has been quite useful to me. I thank this regal pony for being so helpful. But I will say I also do have someone else to thank. This cloaked guy said he had it for Night Fury's tribe for a while. And he gave me some pointers not even found in this journal. It has been quite useful. Like about how his kind keeps the original color of the Speed Shifter. In Fury's case, black."

"He knew about my color?!" Night Fury said surprised. "Maybe this guy knew for a while I was planning to get to him. And even worse he knew about my tribe!"

Night Fury really wanted to get Green Bits now. He was too dangerous to be free to Fury. 

"I have to stop him!" He said while trying to get up.

"Ambassador please, keep in position. We need to heal you up more." Said the medic. 

"Thanks but I really can't let that psycho escape again!" Fury said with some desperation. He grunted while getting up, still wheezing slightly from the gas. "He can't have gone far with us destroying the bridge. If I hurry up I might just catch him!"

"Fury, my guards will do the trick."

"I don't want to take any chances and besides they could use my help." Fury countered.

Everypony looked to Celestia for an answer except for Luna who was merely looking at Night Fury, amazed at his will.

"Look, I know you all are concerned about my health, but I am not going to sit idly by and watch my one chance at stopping all of this just get away from me. I'd rather die knowing that I made a difference than staying alive and sitting on the sidelines." Fury said with remorse. "Like my elders and parents always told me, 'A thousand deaths to salvage what's right, is more valuable than just one for the bare minimum'. "

Luna admired this and spoke up. 

"I think it is worth it."

Even Shining Armor looked at this with admiration. This philosophy of Night Fury is exactly what Shining would abide by. He now truly understands and respects Fury.

"If you think it can work, then just be as quick as possible. Don't delay once. Be quick so you don't have to move around excessively." Shining implored him.

"You got it, Shining." Night Fury said looking at the wilderness. "I need to be quick, I feel like I could collapse in a few minutes if I don't hurry." He revved himself up with energy. "Green Bits, HERE I COME!"

He zapped forward with his Speed Shifter energy into the forest. He followed the path that the guard had found in the book. He wondered where he could possibly be. If the guards were going in one direction, he figured he might as well go the opposite direction to cover more ground.

So far he had not noticed too much. Just a bunch of trees. But he remembered what that guy looked like with his fancy suit and tie. And then he had an idea. Maybe he would become a monkey to see the distance. He did so and swiftly climbed and swung on the vines. 

It felt weird but somewhat enjoyable to swing on vines.

But he finally found what he was looking for: a piece of a suit. Bullseye. In his speed Shifter form he decided to track down the scent of the cloth.

And there he came across Green Bits trying to inflate a boat to get across the moat. Fury had him right where he wanted him. 

"But I have to hurry. I'm losing energy!"

He came up and decided to pounce on Green Bits. The crime lord barely dodged his attack.

"Not bad kitty! But you should know as someone who was part of the Royal Guards I know a thing or two about fighting. Let's see who wins tonight!" Green Bits said ready for battle.

"Okay then, if you want to be that way about it, then how about I show you my advantage?" Fury said coldly, slipping into the darkness of the shadows while chuckling.

"You see, Green Bits, while you have experience in physical combat… I have experience in another type of combat." Fury echoed, landing a clean hit on Green Bits and disappearing into the shadows once more. "The battle of the mind." 

"Where did that runt go?! I can't see him!"

"That's exactly my point, you're beginning to see that you're outmatched…"

Fury landed another hit… 

"Outwitted…"

And another… 

"Scared…"

And another… 

"Hopeless…"

Green Bits was enraged. 

"Ahhhh, this is not fair! I am the greatest criminal in Equestria! I can't let you best me!!!!" He said in rage.

"Well that's just the thing." Fury said as he was behind him. "You may feel like you can best me, but here in the swamp,"

Wack!

"I have become king. And you have just become a pawn." Night Fury said grandly. By now, the rest of the group had already shown up to the scene of battle and we're watching with intent as they saw Fury do his thing. 

"The darkness is my ally…"

Wack!

"And with the goddess that controls it as my witness, you will be eliminated." Fury coldly declared, referencing Princess Luna herself. 

Thrash! 

He flung the unicorn several feet into a tree. Green Bits was now starting to be more frightened by his foe. But he had one last move to pull off.

"Eat this, predator!" Green Bits said as he drank a potion. "This drink is specially designed to deal with your kind! I will use my beam to take you down! Ahhhhhhhh!" He said as he shot a beam at him.

Night Fury felt quite overwhelmed. Green Bits was giving it his all. 

"But if you think this beam will stop me, you're dead wrong!!!" Night Fury said, using his red energy to protect himself. He focused his mind. He knew he had to act fast as he had only a few seconds before his power would wear off. And after awhile of resisting that beam of energy, Night Fury struck back.

ROARRRR!!!

Like a lightning strike in a storm, Fury let out a shockwave that disrupted Green Bits. The well dressed crime boss flew backward through the trees, leaving a trench in his wake as the surrounding trees were obliterated in Fury's EMP. 

After this Night Fury's energy wore down. He had lost all of his energy at this point. But he also saw that Green Bits was completely helpless, so he did his job. His friends can capture the unicorn now. Though exhausted, he gave a smug grin at Green Bits.

"Well, looks like you've been outmatched. Now, finish what has to be done." Fury proclaimed, walking through the trench until he was face to face with the beaten up crime boss.

"You really think that you've won? The Chosen One will eradicate you, you useless scum." He said coughing.

"Well, you may be right about somepony getting eradicated, but I think we both know who's about to suffer that fate." Fury said, smirking as he raised his paw and extended his razor sharp claws. 

"Get back! Get back!" Green Bits cried out.

"Oh, that's not happening! You have information that I just can't risk getting out. Even if I just do the bare minimum and arrest you, there's still the chance that you or somepony else might break you out of your confinement. And I know only one way to deal with somepony who has information of my kind and plans on using it to erase us…"

"What do you want from me?! I'll do anything you want! There I said it! Just tell me what you want!" Green Bits cried like a little colt.

"That's more like it. Better than telling your victor that I will be defeated. I might not feed you to a manticore or eat you myself if you do one thing for me." He said putting his nail on the unicorn's neck.

"Yes, anything to spare my life! Please, name it and I'll do it!" Green Bits cried on the verge of tears

"Who is this Chosen One guy? He seems like a pretty chill guy. I would like to meet him claw to face."

The unicorn seemed a little hesitant once again. He worried what could happen.

"Um… I uh…"

"Better hurry up and tell me, because I'm starting to feel a little… peckish." Fury deviously whispered. 

"If I tell you he'll have my head for sure!" Green Bits said. "He might make it painful too!"

"Ironic since you seem to like to do the same to your own minions. But let's be honest, if you tell me, at least you'll have some chance of your pathetic life existing. But if you don't tell me in a few seconds, I will know what the taste of a well dressed spoiled business stallion is like…"

He licked his teeth only an inch away from Green Bits. 

"Alright I'll tell you!" Green Bits exclaimed. "I'll tell you the Chosen One!"

"Good boy!" Fury then turned cheerfully sarcastic and patted his head. "Go ahead and tell us."

"Okay. It's… it's…"

"My stomach is getting impatient."

"It's Prince Blueblood okay!"

All of a sudden Fury's expression changed from confident and cocky to shocked.

"Wait, the Blueblood? The nephew to the royal sisters?"

Green Bits nodded his head.

The princesses were shocked at this. Especially Celestoa and Cadence.

"Wait, are you being serious here, Green Bits?" Cadence asked incredulously. "That pampered prince is the one that has been doing all of this mess?" Cadence laughed a little. "He's too busy thinking about how he looks to actually go through all that effort!"

Celestia on the other hoof was still wondering if this was true or not.

"It's all true! The Ponyville museum, the Manehattan speaking, the bombing… it was all him! He started it all right after Fury's speech about peace between us and his kind! He came to me, The Truther and The Manipulator to put him in his place."

"So you three were all contracted killers to take me out?" Fury questioned. 

"No, we were just pawns in his master plan to eradicate you and your kind! He had dirt on all of us and threatened to do the same to us as he did you! He would've killed us if we didn't cooperate!" Green Bits pleaded. 

Celestia in many ways was confused and even distressed by this news to some extent.

"My nephew is many things. He is an annoying nuisance, he is spoiled, but he is not some murderer! How do I know you are not lying!" Celestia said

"It's all true your highness, think about Blueblood. Despite him seeming spoiled, you know he is very clever and he always has something up his sleeve. Remember that speech he gave? That was just a sample of what he was intending. You should not underestimate what some might be." Green Bits bluntly said.

Celestia started to see that Blueblood probably was indeed the Chosen One. It all made sense. Celestia was one of the few ponies who saw that Blueblood was not just a spoiled prince but a genius. Though now she realized he was an evil genius.

"He's not wrong. And besides, remember the description that I got from the ponies in Manehatten? Blue eyes, golden hair? And they also said that he was practically royalty! It may have been slim pickings back then, but now, it's concrete evidence that this was all him." Fury said, recalling his time as the fabled Storm Chaser. 

Now Cadence instead of laughing realized the horrific truth. Prince Blueblood was playing chess behind the scenes the whole time.

Celestia was silent for a moment. This was somewhat hard news.

"I always thought my nephew, for all his flaws, had great potential. He could have been greater but it seems he chose the wrong path. He might have acted unseemly, but I know he was dedicated to the royal family. It seems though his love for me and the princesses did not extend to others." Celestia said. "Perhaps I should have been more stern with him."

"Please, stay strong, sister. We may have known him for all his life, but we haven't known everything in his life." Luna chimed in, placing a wing over her sister. Celestia smiled at the soothing reassurance from Luna, she was grateful that she was back. 

"He has made a choice. Unfortunately he picked the wrong one." Celestia said with anger. "And for that he must be judged."

"So, uh, can you let me go now since I gave the info, Your Highness?" The criminal asked the princess.

She then looked into the eyes of Green Bits. "You have done well in telling us this information. You will now have your reward. To rot in the pits of Tartarus with all the horrible creatures that are just like yourself!" She said with wrath.

"Wait if I gave that info don't I deserve a better treatment then th-"

Then Night Fury turned the criminal's head to face him.

"If you speak one more word, I swear on the gods themselves, I will tear the muscle right off your bones for a snack…" Fury said. 

"And I do not mind permitting him to do so." Celestia added. 

The criminal simply nodded before two guards came over to give him hoof cuffs.

"Take him away!" Shining Armor said.

Green Bits then grumbled.

"Wait!" Night Fury said. "Before you go I need to know one more thing."

"What do you want?" Green Bits asked.

"I saw in your book there was some cloaked figure who wanted to quote, "destroy my tribe". Do you know anything at all about this guy?" Fury asked this time with less threatening since he was more curious than anything.

The hardened criminal saw no point in hiding this info.

"Well, I don't really know. All I know is that he knew about your kind quite well. He mentioned something about finishing off Obsidian and  last legacy. He said how he wished he captured you earlier just like your parents." Green Bits said.

Fury was now immediately interested in this news.

"Captured? Does that mean they're still alive?!"

"From what I recall, I think he said yes. I think he sold them to some slaves from some Ancient Forest area. And he wanted to kill you partly to grieve your parents and also because you were important for some reason. And gave me some information on how your Speed Shifters worked. Although apparently I guess he didn't know everything about your tribe."

"Wait wait, hold on! Fury, you know this 'Obsidian'?" Cadence asked.

"Of course I know him, he's my dad!" 

"Your father?!"  Everyone said, surprised. Except for Luna, having already heard Fury's gripes about his parents.

"Yeah I haven't seen my folks in a long while. They were captured right in front of me. I always regretted not being able to save them." Fury said with regret.

Luna remembered Night Fury mentioning this traumatic incident to her. She felt sorry for him and put a wing around him.

"I am sure they would be proud of you now." Luna said.

"Thanks Luna." Night Fury said. "But that means I still have a chance to save them!" He said with joy. "I will find them and I will bring them back to safety. I swear by the Power within me I will find them."

Although Night Fury knew this meant he also has some other presumably Speed Shifter foe out to get him. He might need to talk to the Emperor for this.

"Ahem, anyways, as much as I hate to admit it, thanks for the info. Now get your pampered butt out of my face and into Tartarus!" Fury said to the criminal. The guards proceeded to take the still grumbling criminal away, Shining Armor holding back to say something to Night Fury.

"We'll meet you back at the castle, I have a feeling that you four will have some things to talk about." He said, walking off with the rest of the guards. 

"He's right, you have to fill us in on what the deal is with your parents." Cadence implored.

"I… don't feel comfortable talking about it right now. But I know somepony else who could." Fury said, looking up to Luna and nodding. Luna took his acknowledgment and proceeded to tell Cadence and Celestia about his situation. 

Cadence and Celestia never realized he had such terrible things happen. Night Fury had been through much even before he first went to Canterlot.

Celestia spoke up. 

"All I can say is this. After all this drama with my nephew is sorted out. We will help to find your parents as soon as possible. You Night Fury can be proud that you have done so much so far." Celestia congratulated him.

"I agree." Cadence said. "You've faced so much. But you still kept going. Don't ever forget that." Cadence said, hugging the now teary eyed feline. 

"Thank you both. It's been hard to keep going with all of this on my back, but at least I don't have to go through it on my own anymore." Fury said, smiling as tears of happiness rolled down his face. He broke the embrace.

"And besides, nothing like having a little fun to keep you going right?" Fury chuckled.

"Hm, and there's that trademark, charming humor." Celestia said, giving her own hug. "Don't ever change, big guy." 

Night Fury after being comforted. Now changed his expression to determination.

"Well now I have to think about Prince Blueblood. He probably is still out to get me. But we're going to stop him!"

Celestia responded.

"We have to be careful. He has access to a lot of Canterlot's secrets. Luckily we have secrets even he doesn't know of."

"I must agree, he can be anywhere he wants without a batted eyelash. We must take extreme caution." Luna added.

"I'm sure we can make that happen. Watch out Blueblood, this ambassador is coming for you!" Fury declared with confidence before switching to a more cheeky smile.

"Oh, and Cadence, you know that little joke you pulled on me this morning?" He said innocently.

"Yes, why?" She replied.

"I almost forgot to get you back for that. So eat this!" Fury said, using his power to kick up as much mud as he could into Cadence's face. 

"See you back at the castle, sweet cheeks! Haha!" Night Fury said as he ran off.

Cadence almost got mad at her mane getting all diery. But she was amused nonetheless.

"That Night Fury he always has something up his sleeve." Cadence said, shaking her head while chuckling. "I guess that's what keeps him alive."
> Chapter 19: A BlueBlooded Backstab
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun rose over Canterlot. It was a bright and sunny day in Equestria as the day was just getting started. Fury snoozed in his bed, dreaming about a certain blue alicorn giving him some snuggles.  

This princess of the night gave a soft  smile that was greater than any he had seen. She looked so lovely in the moonlight.

"Night Fury," Luna said. "You are one of the greatest heroes I have known. Kiss me."

"Aww I'm not that great…" Fury said with a nervous grin.

"You are to me, my fellow creature of the night." Luna said. "Now kiss me. Your princess commands you." She said with a piercing yet soft expression.

"Well, don't mind if I do, beautiful." He replied. They moved in on eachother, lips almost locked as they closed their eyes. But an interruption stopped his greatest moment from going any further. 

"Night Fury! NIGHT FURY! Wake up already!" 

"Ugh!" The formerly sleeping Fury opened his eyes, ending his pleasant fantasy. "Could you not wake me some other time Cadence? I was just about to make my move on… Never mind. What were you saying?" Fury said not wanting to reveal his somewhat embarrassing dream.

"Hmmm." Cadence hummed with a knowing smirk. "I'll leave your fantasies with a lunar entity for later." Night Fury's cheeks blushed at having divulged too much to the Princess of Love. 

"For now I came to get you up for a meeting. Celestia wants to detail what she will do about Prince Blueblood. You'll want to hear this."

Hearing this, his once tired eyes became sharp and focused. The gravity of this situation made him serious.

"I'm all in. Take me to the meeting."

"Okay then, follow me." Cadence instructed, walking out of the room.

"Wait a minute, why does this have to be so boring? Can't we make this a little more fun?" Fury suggested.

"Oh? And what would you suggest?" 

"Racing you there!" Fury smirked, putting his paws to the floor and taking a racing position. 

"Sounds like a fine challenge, Ambassador. I used to be quite a racer as a teen. Let's see if I can still pull it off against you. I bet I can." Cadence said with a cocky face.

"Yeah we'll see but don't worry about winning. After all, I was taught to be courteous to old mares." 

Cadence now turned from amused to angry. 

"Old?! Me?! I'll show you how old I am!" Cadence said preparing herself. "This will be a good payback back when you tried to steal my wedding cake."

"We'll see. We'll see."

They braced for impact and… whoosh! The two casual contestants sped like the speed of sound. 

-

Meanwhile in the conference room… 

"Do you think that Fury is sleeping in again?" Luna asked her sister, sipping on her coffee.

"I'm sure he will awaken soon." Celestia reassured her. It had been a rather quiet morning considering how chaotic things usually were with Celestia and Luna's advisors waking them up with everything in Equestria to do before even breakfast. But, nothing of the sort was going on today. At least not yet… 

"Ha! I made it here first- Augh!" Cadence announced as she burst through the door before getting knocked out of the way by Fury.

"I told you that I would beat you! Ha, suck it, you oversized piece of cotton candy with curls!" Fury said with his tongue sticking out.

"What did I tell you, Luna?" Celestia looked on amused.

The princess cleared her throat.

"Well Night Fury, you seem to be in a very fine mood." Celestia said.

"Better than ever, now that I proved to this ancient lollipop with legs who's better!" Fury said cheekily. 

"I swear, I'm gonna get you for that comment, fish breath!" Cadence shot back.

"Aww, how adorable, grandma is making threats. Do I need to get your walker, miss?" Fury smirked. 

"I'm only a few years older than you!" Cadence said unamused "Although with the way you act you seem like a child in comparison." She smirked once more.

"Well technically, I am still a child. At least in cat years."

"Wait, you are?" Now Cadence was just confused.

"Yeah. If I were to take my age and transfer it to pony years, I'd only be barely breaking teenage."

"Huh, I guess we learn something new everyday." Cadence remarked.

"Of course, we Speed Shifters are expected to have responsibilities early on. Our elders want us to be productive early on." Fury specified.  "It's kind of exhausting. Pony kids have it easy compared to us."

"Wow, just wow. You two went from pure chaos to exchanging information about each other just like that. I swear, you two are basically siblings with the way I've seen you act when you're together." Luna chimed. 

"I concur." Celestia nodded. 

"Yeah. He reminds me of the ponies I used to babysit too and think of as siblings. Like Twilight Sparkle. Although admittedly she was very mature for her age compared to someone else I know." Cadence said with a teasing smile.

"Hey, at least I'm willing to admit that I'm just a random chaotic mess sometimes." Fury chuckled. 

"Well you seem to be getting along quite soundly." Celestia said with a smile. But then she looked more serious. "However, these pleasantries will have to wait. I want to talk to you about what we plan to do with my nephew."

Night Fury then snarled.

"Oh yeah, that charismatic moron." Fury was livid about how this pampered prince made his life a living Tartarus for the past week. But it will finally be over. "How about this, princesses? Arrest him! Throw him with that three headed dog! You're the princesses after all. Then I can finally be done with him!"

"Unfortunately Fury, as much as I wish I could, I can't. Because he is technically a relative of the royal family and an elite, it is virtually impossible for anypony to do anything to him whether he did something worthy of punishment or not. I couldn't even do anything to him." Celestia said.

Night Fury was shocked at this. He assumed that anypony would have to be shown responsibility. 

"What kind of system do you ponies have where someone can get away with whatever they want just because their daddy's so freaking special?!" Fury roared with anger.

"Our government is not as perfect as we make it out to be." Celestia said, looking down. "We had to make deals with certain groups to ensure unity. We hope things change one day but it will be hard." Celestia said.

Fury was about to yell at her. But then he remembered his job as ambassador was to persuade through arguments not banter.

"And there's the problem, pandering to the lowest common denominator. When it comes to this, I will admit, I'm a little confused about the way things work. But if I were in the main governmental front, I would never make an exception for any royal or elite. A crime is a crime, end of discussion."

"Well, it is hard to make it work out…" Celestia said.

"Well then we'll make a change to the system to bring that sucker to justice!"

Luna looked intently at Fury. 

"I agree sister. Just because it is a tradition we have put up with for centuries does not mean we should accept it any longer. I say we fight for what is right!" Luna loudly proclaimed.

"Yeah, auntie Luna's right. While I do see the benefits in making those groups happy, trying to make every group happy is just not good. It's like a relationship, you can try your absolute best to make your partner happy, doing every single thing to keep them up even if they don't return the affection and hard work you put in. But in that effort you make yourself feel worse, constantly pushing yourself to the brink just to be over the top instead of just doing the best you can." Cadence explained. 

Celestia thought of this for a little.

"Alright. I will do what I can. But I will need all your help to get Blueblood convicted. We need to present as much evidence as possible." Celestia said.

"Well, with the bombing, his accociate Green Bits, and his second identity we should be able to just use that to our advantage. But I say we dig deeper. Green Bits said that he had something against not just me, but my whole tribe. And he was the one behind the museum incident with the Truther and the Manipulator being on his payroll." Cadence suggested.

"I agree, with what we have, that's just the bare minimum. We should keep going." Luna said. "But I do have one query, why would he do this in the first place?"

"I think I have an idea why." Fury said. "I think he's doing this because he thinks that I've had my life too easy going."

"Why do you think that?" Celestia asked.

"Think about it. A foreign creature gets invited to the wedding of a princess, immediately hits it off with everypony he meets, and gets granted permanent asylum in Equestria along with being given the title of ambassador, making him an elite member of society all in one day. Not to mention he gets a nice house that is out of the way for him to relax and live his new life in luxury. Who wouldn't start to think that I just got spoon fed an easy start to my new life?"

Celestia nodded.

"It does make sense. Many think of him as just a do nothing snob. But he actually does a lot of diplomacy and works for the Equestrian government. He can be irritating. But he does his duties quite well. And as annoying as he is, he does not do anything outwardly illegal or controversial. It seems to prefer to do that behind the scenes." Celestia wondered aloud.

"That answers my question." Celestia said. "Jealousy can be quite a curse."

"No doubt about that, princess." Fury said, beginning his explanation of the situation. "So now that we have an idea of why he's doing this, we just have to figure out how. From what we know, Blueblood has multiple connections with ponies in and outside of the city. And he has enough influence on me being a good for nothing rabid beast, that he has a personal work force at his disposal. From what I can only assume are partially made up of rogue guards from the past considering what Green Bits said during our little sparring match." Night Fury theorized.

But Night Fury was not afraid.

"But even he can't get away completely. There must be some things that even his fanpony connections can't help him with." Fury said. "He must have asked for Manehattan to separate from Canterlot's influence or keep him being involved with criminal organizations with illegal weapons under the radar. Even they can't accept these things!" Fury proclaimed.

"So he must be persuading other elites and officials to keep him covered." Cadence said.

"I doubt that he's doing this himself, he's too much of a hothead to persuade anyone without it getting difficult. It must be this Truther character that's doing this." Luna added. 

"That Truther guy! Yeah, that makes sense. He probably with his silver tongue convinced ponies to turn against me! In fact, it seems Blueblood has a whole cabal of secret members willing to help him with his job." Night Fury said. "So perhaps we need to take them down. Now that we know Blueblood is connected with them we might be able to find where he is."

Celestia nodded. 

"So let me guess, you wish for one last operation to crack down on the rest of the members of my nephew's minions?" Celestia asked

"Yeah if we have enough info that is." Night Fury said.

"Well with the help of my husband and some assistance from Twilight Sparkle, since we knew about Green Bits connection with The Truther, we were able to track them down to certain catacombs of Canterlot." Cadence said while showing off some confidential documents.

"Just as I thought!" Night Fury said. "I'm gonna finally capture these jokers and prove once and for all Blueblood is manipulating Canterlot itself and tricking these elites into being his puppets. Even they will not like that!" Fury said, brimming with excitement. But before anything else was said, a loud growl filled the room. Fury blushed as he knew what it was.

"Heh, but first, how about we grab some food?" 

The three princesses rolled their eyes at this sudden mood change. But they figured they could use the food.

"Eh, sure why not. We haven't eaten after all." Cadence said. 

"Indeed. Let us fill our stomachs up so we can prepare for the final foray against these dreadful charlatans!"  Luna said dramatically.

"Yeah!" Night Fury said as he ran to the kitchen.

-

After having satisfied their culinary needs, Night Fury was ready to go.

"Okay Celestia, just give me the directions I'll need and I'll be ready!"

Celestia gave him a map. "These tunnels are very dark and not a lot is known about them. They have many ancient secrets. But most importantly they might have some traps and obstacles."

"Well it's a good thing I know a new creature that can handle that." Fury said, transforming into something rather small.

"Huh, where did he go?" Luna asked.

"I'm still right here." A squeaky voice said. Luna looked at her muzzle to see that Fury had landed on her nose as a firefly. 

"So this is your new form?" Luna asked, surprised. "How did you learn this?"

"Well I figured I would try more forms that were a bit less noticeable than a Cragodile. Smashing obstacles is a fun novelty at first but you realize it doesn't suit my stealthy ways. So I was practicing in the train car while heading back to Canterlot. I guess it was worth the training." 

Luna was impressed with his work ethic.

"Well, I don't think that a lightning bug is going to be that useful. You're too small." Cadence acknowledged.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Fury admitted, transforming back. "There's got to be something that I can turn into that can help me out."

Night Fury paced around pondering.

"Could I be…a bat? It can fly and see in the dark! I can either be a normal bat with bad sight but echolocation or a fruit bat with echolocation but great sight! Then again, one hit from one of those traps and I'm done." Fury spread on the floor pretending he was dead.

This gave the princesses a chuckle.

"Well either way Night Fury I am sure you will find a proper form and method to wander the caverns." Celestia said.

"True, but for now, I've got some catacombs to explore. Wish me luck!" Night Fury said.

"You cannot go alone." Celestia said. "I shall go with you personally. Cadence and Luna have other things to do. 

"Wow, such an honor. I am happy to have you accompany me, your royal majesty." Fury joked with a fake posh accent. 

"Heh, my pleasure, almighty ambassador!" She fake bowed. "In all seriousness, I am the only one who knows these catacombs to some extent. I could be very useful." 

"Well the more the merrier. So now can we go?" Night Fury said impatiently.

"Yes we may." The solar princess said.

"Then let's do it!

At this point Canterlot was still in a certain sense of paranoia over the recent conflicts as of late. Citizens were divided on what to do with Fury. So the feline figures he would wear robes to hide himself as he went to one of the hidden entrances in the drainage pipes leading to the sewers.

"Ugh, this is a bit gross. And that's saying something considering I used to roll around in mud wallows for fun." Night Fury said as he removed the nails from the grated lid.

"Well from my experience, it was worse than this when Canterlot was first founded." Celeztia said as she took the grate and put it to the side. 

The two then went into the drainage pipe.

"How bad was it? I know that this city is beautiful, but it can't be without its downsides and flaws." 

"Well, to say the least, Canterlot was a lot… dirtier back then. Both figuratively and literally. Outhouses littered the streets, vendors and salesponies replaced the now more sophisticated stores and shops. It was a time of transformation of course and those are often tough. From primitive to civilization." Celestia said as they were now in the sewers themselves and they made sure they were away from the water. "The First Families of Canterlot made sure to make this city into greatness. Blueblood and many elites probably think they are just like their ancestors but without doing all the hard work they did."

"Wow, I can only imagine how my kind would benefit from a cultural upgrade. But, they don't really trust anypony besides themselves. And that makes me wonder why they're so stubborn about not trusting anypony when it wasn't a sentient creature that sparked the controversy. If anything, I would have thought they would just suggest better security measures. Not completely lose trust in all other creatures in existence."

Celestia sighed with disappointment.

"Unfortunately my nephew is very stubborn. He might even think he will be replaced by you. Or at least more well loved. I would have loved you both. Sadly Blueblood needs to be taught a lesson." Celeztia said with determination.

"Oh he will. He will." Fury said with determination then he looked at his map. "Okay, the map says we should be coming up on a two way split." He looked up and saw that there was in fact a two way split.

"So, which way do we go?" Celestia inquired.

"Hang on, I need to listen." Fury replied. Celestia raised an eyebrow at the feline's request, but let him do his thing. Fury listened in on the minute details of the surrounding area. He listened to the left path… 

Drip… Drip Drop… 

Then he listened to his right…

Swoosh!

"This way." Fury said, pointing to his left.

"What were you listening for?" Celestia asked curiously.

"I was listening to where the tunnels lead. If we go right with all the sloshing and rushing, we would run straight into a whirlpool that led to the more narrow pipes that would crush us. But this way just has dripping noises coming from it, which means there's still a path to follow." 

Celestia now realized Fury must have had a great deal of experience when it came to subterranean exploration.

"Well, let's test your theory." Celestia said as she went into the right tunnel. Fury was confused as to why Celestia would still take the right path, but didn't question it. 

While it was dark and damp, it seemed so far there was no whirlpool. 

"Woah, hit the brakes!" Fury called, pulling Celestia's tail. 

"Ow, what was that fo-"

"Shhhh! Listen." Fury instructed, pointing to the dark pit that she would have dropped into. She listened in on the pit below and indeed heard sloshing and rushing.

"Well, I hear it but I don't see it." Celestia said, confused.

"Light the place up and you'll see what I'm seeing."  

Celestia used her magic spell to light up the area. It was more visible now and to her surprise, a whirlpool as big as an Ursa minor was just below her. Her eyes widened as she realized that her feline companion had just saved her from being injured and himself from getting killed. 

"Oh my word, if I had gone any further, I would have gotten myself in more trouble than I could handle. I couldn't even see the edge!"

"Just one of the benefits of having sharp ears and eyes. My dad taught me about them." Night Fury smirked at this. 

They proceeded along the dark but stable left path. Celestia seemed impressed by his trick.

"I must admit, Night Fury, you know how to wander these sewers quite well. Even in the dark."

"Well you know, when you've wandered through various ancient ruins for hours you start to get used to the confusion, speaking of which…."

In front of them was a whole labyrinth of sewer tunnels. They were at a junction of some six different entrances.

"Do you know what to do when there is more than one choice?" Celestia asked.

The feline stopped in his tracks. "I have no idea. This is something I can't do logically, so I'll have to pull out one of my personal tricks." Fury said, taking a deep breath and using his signature move. 

"Eenie meenie minie mo, catch a Speed Shifter by its toe. If he yowls, let him go. Eenie meenie minie mo." He recited, ending up with the second to the left tunnel. "There we go! Let's go Princess!"

"Is relying on a children's game involving luck really the best option?" Celestia asked.

"With respect, do you have any better ideas?"

"No."

"Exactly. Let's go."

Celestia and Night Fury proceeded  deeper into the old looking tunnel. The walls dripped with water and echoed even the slightest sound, which was a good thing because a distant creaking noise followed by hooves walking along echoed out. 

"Get down!" Night Fury whispered as he moved the Princess's body behind a column.

"Huh, what is that?"  Celestia asked Fury. He took a look down the tunnel and saw both the Truther and The Manipulator walking into view.

"It's the Truther! And I think that other one is the Manipulator. If they're down here, BlueBlood must be here too!" Fury said, looking on at the two ponies.

"I can't believe that kid actually survived that bomb! He just straight up defies death at every turn." The Manipulator said, sounding like a mare.

"Remember, this guy is a completely different creature that nopony has ever truly made sense of. Those biology texts that Green Bits had are only one of two copies of any true science behind his kind, and even those can't tell the full story!" The Truther said, his voice being more stallion-like. 

"Well it's definitely annoying! Our client is getting impatient and he won't stand for any more delays. We have to really do something to get him." The Manipulator said.

"Be patient, my dear, we will get him next time." The Truther reassured her. "Perhaps we need to capture somepony close to him. And force him to give himself up!"

"Hmmmm, that does sound kind of fun. Maybe we should kidnap one of those Mane Six ponies! He seems to be chums with them!" The mare said. 

"No, they're too simple. Maybe we should hit him where it really hurts… His bloodline." 

Night Fury recoiled at this statement. What the heck do they mean?! 

The Truther smiled. "Let me be more specific. Unlike Green Bits, I managed to get more information on that feline's parents. I know who has them."

Night Fury felt like jumping and demanding to know what information they had but decided to listen on.

"Apparently, some rival tribe came in and kidnapped them when he was younger. He's been searching for any leads to find them ever since he came here during Princess Cadence's wedding. They moved them to some camp somewhere in Equestria. If we find them and fake a letter that tells him his parents are looking for him, we can draw him in and take him out." The Truther explained.

"Wow, I actually feel kinda bad for the kid. Having to see his parents dragged away from him must have been brutal." The Manipulator admitted.

"Well, we can't back out now. You heard what the boss said, he has major dirt on both of us. Not to mention that he's more than happy to take us out if we become liabilities to his plan. We back out now and we can kiss our heads goodbye. And besides, we can think of it as a family reunion. One last family moment before he tastes death."

"Yeah that's fair enough. Heh heh heh." The mare agreed. 

By the gods, I can't believe that my own nephew would threaten a death toll just for this! Celestia said to herself. 

Celestia glanced at Fury and she saw in him worry, relief and anger all at once. He was silent and it seems he was thinking about this news.

"Princess. I need to know where my parents are. I say we ambush them now." Night Fury said desperately.

"Wait, not yet. We should wait a little longer to let them lead us to my nephew. Just be patient." Celestia said. "After all, knowing them, they might have a trick up their sleeve."

"Oh trust me, that won't matter once I pull every organ out of their bodies and rip your nephew's head off of his spine." He said coldly, his voice having traceable amounts of venom in it. 

Celestia was not amused at this.

"Night Fury, you do NOT talk about my family like that! What he has done is unforgivable, but he is my nephew and I will not let you say that!" Celestia scolded him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Your spoiled nephew totally deserves my respect. It's not like he hasn't disrespected me and threatened my life and my family!" He whispered as loud as he could. "He will have what's coming to him, whether he's family or not!"

"Calm down, Night Fury!" she said with an angry look on her face.

"No. I'm not going to hold back. I'm going to make them know not to mess around like this any longer! I'm not playing Mr. Nice Guy!" Fury said aggressively, his claws extending and his eyes turning to slits.

Celestia then calmed and realized she had made a big mistake. Curses. This was not the time to scold him. What was I thinking?

"Night Fury please don't do this. We need more time!" Celestia begged.

"Sorry but I've made up my mind, Your Highness." Fury said as he drew his teeth out. "I'm gonna confront those monsters right now! They'll be wishing they were never born!" Fury said viciously, his voice losing all traces of his calm demeanor as he disappeared from Celestia's sight. 

The two assassins then heard something and looked behind to reveal a monstrous red presence facing them.

"It's you! You somehow made it to our hideout!" The Manipulator said shocked. The Truther was more calm.

He walked a little toward Night Fury.

"Well, hello my friend. I assume you're here to find out about our The Chosen One, right? Well maybe we can make a deal with you, if you do as we say." The Truther said with his usual diplomacy.

Night Fury was not in the mood for games though.

"You monsters! No, you will do as I say! You're going to tell me right now where my parents are and where Blueblood is, or I will make you wish you were never born!" He said with a level of ferocity.

The two assassins simply laughed at his threat.

"Young one, you think a rookie like you can beat some of the best trained in all Equestria?" The Truther asked. "Preposterous! You might think of yourself as tough but you are not, right, dear?"

"Agreed. You will never be able to beat- Take this!" The Manipulator threw a toxic potion at Night Fury. It caused gas that would normally choke them to death.

As Night Fury was coughing furiously, the two looked on.

"Well done, Manipulator. You have done great against the monster."

"Eh, it wasn't too hard. To think Green Bits lost to this guy? How pathetic. Let's report this to the so-called Chosen One."

They both walked away but they heard something.

"Is that all you got?"

They both gasped and looked behind, to reveal a still conscious feline now sinisterly smiling at them.

"How are you still alive, you shape shifting freak?! That gas should be a one hit K.O!" The Truther howled with anger. 

"It's just like you said, Truther, my biological makeup is still a mystery. And let me tell you, there's a lot more you don't know about me." Fury said as he slipped out of sight and into the darkness of the tunnel.

"W-w-where did you go?!" The Manipulator asked as she looked around the darkness.

"Heh heh heh. Are you scared, you two? Fearful of your enemy who could do nothing according to you?" A voice cried from the shadows.

The Truther tried a trick.

"Listen Night Fury, we can become friends just tell us where you are and we'll help you!" The Truther said in his silvery tongue. 

"You can stick that silver tongue of yours where the sun doesn't shine for all I care!" He roared out. "We do this on my terms or else!"

"If you expect that we will freely give you info you are clearly delusional!" The Manipulator said as she threw another potion at the darkness.

"I'm afraid that will not…work." said a voice too close for comfort.

They looked behind to see a black speedster launch towards them.

"Ahhhh!" The Manipulator screamed. 

Wack! 

They got knocked to the ground and saw he disappeared again.

"He's going back!" Manipulator said.

"Don't worry, I've got a little gift for him when he tries to come back to strike us again." The pony revealed a knife hidden in his mane. "Let's see how that speed does against a pointy object."

The Manipulator was about to cackle but instead she cried out in fear. "Oh no, here he comes again! We're all doomed!"

"You got that right!" Night Fury said from the shadows. "Get ready for another strike!" They saw once again a black speedster come at them.

"NOW!" 

The Truther stabbed the black presence in front of them. 

"At last, maybe you should have used your brains more, cat!" Truther said.

"You do realize that you only stabbed my tail, right?" Night Fury said right behind them.

"Dang it, I should have known- Huh?! Noooo!!!"

Wack Wack Slam! 

Night Fury beat the two up to the ground.

"What just happened!? I thought I saw you charging us for sure!!!" 

"I knew you guys were not going to fall for the same trick twice. So I used a special trick with the distortion of light to make my tail look like it was coming at you. You were so busy gloating I had time to come around you." Night Fury said confidently. "Maybe you're the ones who need bigger brains."

"Curses!" Manipulator said. 

"Now then," he picked up the two. "You two look exhausted. Would you like a drink of water?" He said pointing to the sewer water.

"You little pest! We won't tell you anything just because of your juvenile threat!" Manipulator said.

"Ahh, you look thirsty. How about a refresher." Fury said, dunking the mare's head into the water. 

Gurgle

"Blech! Disgusting! How dare you do this to my beautiful fa-"

Gurgle

"Stop this instant!" 

"If you tell me I'll stop. And you know it! I'm a cat of my word. So you wanna tell me?"

"Don't tell him anything…

"Alright, fine, I'll tell you!" she said. "But only if you won't do more of your vulgar activities!"

"Deal." He then roughly wiped her head with a towel.

"W-what do you want to know?" The Manipulator asked.

"The Chosen One, where is he?" 

"H-h-h-he-"

"I'm getting impatient…"

"He's in the south end of the sewers. He has a tunnel that leads to a secret base. It has columns and ruins of ancient peoples in that area." She explained quickly.

"Well that's good. And you, Truther, you said you had information about my parents. Care to share?"

The Truther laughed at him. 

"Ha ha ha ha! Unlike her or Green Bits. You can dunk my head all you like in that fetid water! But I will not give you your information." The Truther said cockily.

"Well that's just a shame, I guess I'll just tear the flesh from your bones and make an example of what happens when you mess with me." He said licking his lips.

"Y-yeah whatever you say…" The Truther said.

"Okay!" Night Fury transformed into a Cragodile, roared in his face and placed his teeth into The Truther's leg, breaking it instantly. 

"Ahhhhhh!!! No more! I'll talk!" Truther said. 

"Good. Now use that silver tongue of yours for something useful and say what I want to hear." He let go of Truther.

"Okay, alright! So I have heard that there is this is this rival tribe-"

"I already know that. Where is this tribe?"

"They're in the far east. They are far east of some place called Thunder Hollow. It's a place filled with giant flowers and mushrooms. A beautifully dangerous place they called the Cursed Woods. I don't know what they're planning but they seem interested enough in you to warrant all these assassinations."

Night Fury felt relief at hearing this. But also worry that his parents might be slaves in such a dangerous place.

"I don't know much of what is going on there. But it seems this tribe is planning something big. Something about taking back some Silver place. I don't know anything else."

The Silver Blue. The ruins I went to. Are they planning to go into Equestria someday?

"Alright that's all." He tied both of them up. And he gave The Truther bandages and ointment to stop the bleeding. "Okay now the guards can throw your sorry butts into prison! Now if you don't mind I have an appointment with your employer. I hope you'll have fun defending yourselves!" He said as he walked away.

"You might have gotten us but the Chosen One will make you regret this!" The Manipulator yelled out. "Hmph!"

Night Fury simply shrugged off her petty comments. After all, he couldn't wait to finally get some needed payback.

"Now that they have been dealt with, it's time to make the big score." Fury said. 

"There you are, Night Fury!" He turned around to see a familiar face.

"Oh uh hey there Princess. Um what's up?" he asked awkwardly.

"What is up is that I have been trying to find you after you went in by yourself! Do you realize how dangerous that could have been?"

"Look I'm sorry about that okay? I was in a bit of a mood there. I won't argue like that again. Okay?" Night Fury said diplomatically.

Celestia was surprised at this.

"Oh well I-I I am sorry I was a little too harsh with you there. Is all forgiven?"

"Yeah!" he shook her hoof.

"But enough of that. I managed to capture those two punks!" He showed them off to her. "And they gave some useful info that will really help us all!" 

Celestia was impressed he was able to do all this.

Night Fury told her about the fight and how he had planned out how to defeat them and most importantly about the issue with the parents and where Blueblood is located.

"I see this news about this Speed Shifter tribe coming after you needs to be looked into. We'll do more research on that together." Celestia said to Night Fury's approval. "But the most important thing is we finally have located where Prince Blueblood's base is. So let us make haste and capture him."

"Yep, let's go!" Night Fury smirked.

They both kept on going down the south tunnel. 

As they went down there it seemed normal at first. But they then noticed there was a sealed up door. That is supposedly to keep others out. It said "NO PONIES ALLOWED". But not them.

"Bingo! We found it." Night Fury said. "Ah, a classic, trying to keep us out with this sign?" he said as he took out a lockpick and played with the lock. "Well they're wrong!" He said as he started to crack the lock. 

"I do wonder why you casually have a pile of lockpicks with you?" she asked in a curious way.

"Between you and me, I keep these on me for reasons that are rather embarrassing. Say, a pie was in a locked window?" Night Fury mused. "Or there was a cool abandoned apartment that was locked. I just can't help it, ya know?" He chuckled.

Celestia rolled her eyes while amused. "Just make sure you don't go too far with it like eavesdropping on what my sister is talking about." Celestia smirked. 

"Ha ha. Really funny." Night Fury said embarrassed. "Ah ha finally I opened it!" He said eager to bush. on from the awkwardness.

They opened the door. They walked inside to see what looked like a replica of Canterlot castle, but had a more secure bunker style while still looking stylish.

"Wow, this bunker looks pretty good. As much as I loathe that stuck up snot for brains, he has good taste." He admitted that he was a bit jealous that Blueblood had his own grand opulent lair.

"Well my nephew sure knows how to make anything look stately." Celestia said as they walked onto a bridge over a moat.

"Keep your eyes peeled, Fury. We don't know what might be waiting for us." Celestia warned.

"You don't have to tell me twice," he replied. "I bet this guy has some bodyguards or booby traps waiting to be tripped. And I would rather us be stealthy till we see that punk." Night Fury said, looking around.

Then he heard some steps. "Get in here!" Fury pointed to a bush. They did so and they saw some six ponies walking to the entrance. They appeared to be rough looking fellows with outdated armor. 

"Who are they?" Night Fury whispered.

"Probably some old ex-guards that were some of the rougher and more dangerous types."

"I find it ironic Blueblood of all ponies would have such rough guards with shoddy looking armor."

"He probably doesn't need to pay for too high quality guards and would rather have criminals than obedient guards to the government, so he can give them orders." Celestia remarked. "My nephew can be rather persuasive when he feels he needs to be."

After the guards left, the two moved forward and kept going inside. They were astounded yet somewhat uneasy at the similarity between this castle and the real one. With the exception of some colors. 

"We must be ready for the trip, we must!" A demanding voice called.

"That better be who I think it is." Fury said. Night Fury said as he eavesdropped on them.

"Sir, we will. Just be patient! Everything is going to plan." said one voice.

"Well I think it should go even quicker! We might be in deep trouble after all the failures to assassinate that beast. And the fact that I have not heard from Green Bits means we have to leave as soon as possible!"

Night Fury thought he heard the voice before but in a fake heroic way as the Chosen One. But now he heard it more accurately. More posh and snobbish. None other than Prince Blueblood himself.

"But what do they mean by going somewhere?" Celestia asked.

"They must be trying to skip town. With Green Bits out of the picture, he must have gone into panic mode. We have to get him now!" Fury whispered. 

"Not yet. I need to hear more of what Blueblood is saying." Celestia said.

"Okay but just be ready to pounce on him." Fury replied.

"After what I have done, it's only a matter of time before I'm caught. I'll go to some faraway island and make my own Kingdom there! And one day when my dear aunt has finally understands the truth of that Night Fury monster, I will return with full glory! And perhaps even be her heir!" He said now with awe.

Night Fury and Celestia rolled their eyes at his grand plans.

"But that is why we must hurry!" Blueblood said. "Now let's go already!" 

His butler agreed with reluctance and went away. 

"You won't be Prince of Equestria, Night Fury! I will not allow it!" he yelled at himself. "But maybe I will. Heh heh heh."

"Actually neither will happen, pal."

Blueblood turned to see Night Fury and a rather unamused Princess.

"Auntie! Um this is quite an interesting and unexpected reunion! I see you and um Night Fury have been having a delightful time!" Blueblood said, a bit shocked.

"Yes, it is. Now how about you tell both of us why you tried to kill somepony?!" Celestia said. Blueblood saw that he was in a corner, so he decided to lay it out for them. 

"So you are aware. My dear aunt. You know how I love you. You know how I always said I would protect Equestria from those evildoers!" Blueblood said. "Well here is one right in front of me and by you!" He pointed straight to Night Fury. "He has tricked you into thinking he is a productive member of society when in reality he plans to destroy it!"

"That's real rich- '' Night Fury was interrupted by Celestia.

"Let me handle this for now, Fury. This is personal.'' Night Fury nodded knowing the importance of family.

"Blueblood, you say this and yet you were the one who sowed fear among everypony. You tricked everypony into thinking Manehattan would secede. And now you are accusing him of causing chaos?" Celestia asked.

"It was for the common good! I am simply fighting so that good ponies like me, you or Twilight Sparkle would not be ruined by disasters like him!" Blueblood shot. Now that was something that broke Fury's silence in the matter.

"What did you just say?" 

"That's right, I said you're a disaster! You have infected our ways for the last time! And besides, you can't even control yourself when it comes to whoever messed with you." 

"What common good is there in bringing his kind down using slander and lies?! Celestia reprimanded him. "And those times he could not control himself, were times he was working to improve himself and he was in deep stress because of cruel circumstances!" 

"And is that supposed to matter? The only reason those circumstances happened was because he was too cowardly to do his part and he couldn't live up to what he was supposed to be like the disappointment he is!" 

Night Fury shockingly looked a bit saddened at that as if he agreed with him partially.

"Y-you can't prove that, I could have been stopped by some other obstacle in that effort!" He defended, though stuttering through his growing pains.

"But it does seem ironic that the Ambassador would succumb to such weaknesses. How shameful." he cockily said.

Then Celestia rejected his speech.

"All of us succumb to weaknesses, my nephew. All of us. He is no perfect creature. That is true. But he has done the one thing you have not done Blueblood."

"And what might that be?"

"To improve himself! He has grown so much! He realized his mistakes and worked and trained so hard to get better!"

"By becoming more of a loose cannon? You humor me. The only thing he's improved himself in is being a mistake." Blueblood snarled. Fury hung his head, not in sadness, but in pain as his claws slowly extended and his breathing became sharp. Celestia looked over at the shaking feline and realized what was about to happen as she saw a darker red, not akin to Fury's usual aura, start to flourish. 

"Night Fury are you alright?" Celestia worried for him.

"I-I don't think so." Night Fury said with a certain heaviness.

"Well, it seems that he has begun to realize that he doesn't belong." Blueblood chimed. "Take a good look at yourself. You don't belong here…"

Fury's eyes turned to slits.

"You aren't welcome in this world…"

His body shook more violently.

You.. .should… not… exist." 

ROARRRRR! 

"Blueblood apologize to Night Fury now! Please for your own good!" Celestia begged.

"I am sorry aunt but I am done with being relegated to a mere guest to parties. I have said what I have said! And I will not apologize!" Bluebloid proclaimed. "I bet your parents probably think of you as a failure!" Blueblood yelled though Celestia could tell he had fear in his eyes atNight Furys new form.

"You… you have officially crossed the line!" Fury roared, raising his head to give the now doomed prince a look at his slitted and glowing eyes. 

"W-what are you going to do about it?!" Blueblood said, trying to put on a dignified brave face.

"What I have been wanting to do for a long time, pal. A long… long… time!" he said, exposing all of his claws.

"S-stay back!"

"Oh it's too late for that now. But, I can give you one piece of advice…" Fury said, chuckling. 

"And what's that?!" Blueblood gulped, believing he would not like the answer.

… 

"RUN!" 

"Ahhhhh!" Blueblood ran for his dear life to get help. "Guards! The feline is here! Stop him!"

Many of the guards confronted the raging feline. "Stand back and we won't hurt you!"

"Oh no, it's you that should stay back! But, you've made your decision." Fury growled, racing forward and taking out the guards in a matter of seconds. Celestia gasped at the horrific scene of guards battered and bloodied before her.

"Oh, and just a word of advice, princess… STAY OUT OF MY WAY!" He said as he took off so fast he practically disappeared. 

"Night Fury!" she cried out as she desperately tried to find him.

–

Blueblood was galloping with fear. "Curses, this did not go as planned! I was hoping to distract him until the guards came! I didn't expect him to transform so soon. I should have known better!" Blueblood stopped for a moment and caught his breath.

"Alright calm down, Prince, you've faced him once and you can do it again," he said to himself. "I simply have to get away." Blueblood said to himself. 

"Hmmm let's see," Blueblood said to himself. "The coast seems clear. I'll get out of here this instant!" he said, running toward the gate.

It was a shame Blueblood did not have the patience to hide because his steps were too loud.

"You think you're going somewhere, you waste of space?!" 

He looked behind to see a ferocious Night Fury right behind him.

"Oh Mr. Night Fury! Why is it quite impressive how you managed to track me down!" He said trying to buy himself time.

"Thank you, my other favorite skill is taking spoiled punks like you down a peg." He said, showing his claws.

"Oh yes that is true, um," Blueblood muttered. Wait I have this gas grenade that traitor Green Bits used. Heh heh heh. 

"Any last words, Chosen One, before I pulverize you?" 

Blueblood now showed confidence instead of fear. "I do have some words my dear rival, but they are not my last, not yet!" He said as he chucked a gas grenade right at the raging Speed Shifter. The smoke filled the tunnel and removed the glowing feline from sight, but that was the last thing that Blueblood would try and pull.

"You think I'm that stupid?" A threatening voice whispered behind the prince. 

"Huh? Ahhhh!" Blueblood was slapped with the force of a rampaging stampede of cows. 

"This is your fate! Just accept it, you can't win!" Fury said, dashing towards BlueBlood.

"I won't let you take me out that easily, freak!" He announced, charging his horn and teleporting away. Fury stopped as the bright flash blinded him, allowing Blueblood to make a slick escape. But it wouldn't be that easy to get away from Fury. He proceeded to sniff the spot that BlueBlood was laying in. While the smell of the sewer would overpower anyone else's sense of smell, Fury could easily get the prince's scent and realize that he was making a break for the castle through the streets.

"I've got your scent, you little twerp." Fury growled as he saw a stairwell leading upward and taking it up to street level. Just as he took off, Celestia teleported to the spot where Fury had been. She could detect his magical signature and felt his increasing rage and mana flow.

"Oh dear, the more Fury goes after him, the more powerful and angry he gets. I must warn Luna and Cadence, possibly the elements as well. This may get dangerous." 

It was in this dangerous chase that everyone was in a desperate rush. The elements of harmony were quickly dispatched to Canterlot where the chase was taking place, while the other two princesses were preparing for what could turn out to be a cataclysmic event. Everyone heard the news of the battle and immediately seeked shelter as the two rivals chased each other through the streets.

"Come out wherever you are! Aren't you the Chosen One after all?!" Fury asked, still looking for him.

Meanwhile Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the Mane Six were getting ready to contain all madness.

"Alright girls, you know the situation with Blueblood and Night Fury." Twilight said with authority to her friends. "Our goal is to find and capture Blueblood before Night Fury catches him first. And also if possible to knock Night Fury unconscious. I'm the only one with a spell powerful enough to carry out a feat like that, so you will distract him while I sneak from behind since a spell like that takes over a minute to charge for me." 

The rest of the group have each other worried looks, they didn't want to just up and knock out their friend.

"Twilight, we all know that Fury is I'm a dangerous state, but I didn't think just knocking him out would prove very effective. Both in what he could be able to resist and how he would feel about our plan later. Don't you think he might get mad at us later for thinking that just putting him down like that was the only way we saw fit?" Fluttershy spoke. 

"Well we're going to have to stop him from causing havoc one way or another." Twilight said. "Unless you can think of a better way, then we have no choice."

Fluttershy spoke loudly.

"How about we have someone talk to him first? I know you and Princess Luna are good friends with him." Fluttershy suggested.

"Well… we'll see Fluttershy. I'm sure Luna can help." Twilight reassured her. "Now let's get going girls!" 

"Yeah!" All of them said.

It was dusk in Canterlot. Everypony was ordered to stay indoors for their own safety. Celestia claimed it was just a "strong wind". She didn't want anypony fearful of what was to come.

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion sounded through the city as Fury knocked Blueblood down the main road and into station square.

"You have finally given me a chance to be who I truly am, prince. For all my life, I was scared to show the world what I could really do, most recently because of your meddling. But now, I can finally show the world that I'm no one to antagonize! Starting with making an example out of you!" Fury boomed as he slowly walked up to the bloodied prince. 

Blueblood shot a laser at the raging beast. Night Fury just knocked it to the side.

"You'll have to do better than that! Ha ha ha!"

"I'm not going to rot in prison! I am Blueblood! I am far too worthy to be silenced!" Blueblood said as Night Fury was a few feet away from him.

"Oh trust me, you're not going to prison…"

"Exactly! That's-" Night Fury stepped on his leg. 

"Ahhh!" Blueblood screamed in pain.

"But you are about to get sent back to whatever God created you once I dig my claws into you and pull out what's vital!" 

"NIGHT FURY! YOU GET AWAY FROM HIM THIS INSTANT!" 

Night Fury looked behind to see Twilight and the Mane Six looking at him.

"Ah Twilight, so it's you…" Night Fury said glaring at her.

"What in the name of Celestia are you doing to him?!" Twilight scolded him.

"I'm teaching him a lesson. A permanent lesson." 

"Fury, I know you are a good and just creature. Remember all our training to prevent this from happening?! Are you going to let all of that be in vain?!" Twilight asked.

Night Fury for a moment had a softened expression but then he glared back at Twilight.

"Of course I am, now that I have a reason to do so! You see, it's instantly clear to me that this world is too soft for somepony like me. A violent creature who eats meat and has vicious tendencies, who would agree with you? But this is personal, something that doesn't concern you! This load of wasted flesh tried to kill me and wanted to take my parents as hostages so he could kill all of us, and now that he's in my grasp I can put him down! But of course you have to step in and try to rewrite my morals as if I'm a coloring book!" Fury explained. 

"Night Fury, be reasonable. If you kill him, you will probably be banished from Equestria for the rest of your life, maybe even be sent to Tartarus. I don't want that to happen to you."

"Well, Twilight, it doesn't matter what will happen. I will make him pay and if anypony wants to fight me over that. They can be my guest! Including you!" Fury said.

"Well if that's how you're going to be then we're going to stop you! Now girls!" Twilight called out.

Rainbow Dash blitzed toward him. Kicking and punching Night Fury!

"Sorry Night Fury, but you asked for this!" Rainbow Dash said as Rainbow tried to tie him up with a rope.

ROARRRRRR! 

Before they were able to  tie him up Fury countered their punches with his own strikes.

"Not bad Dashie, but you'll have to do better than that!" the feline gloated.

"Well then allow me, partner." Applejack said as she bucked the side of Night Fury. 

"Gah!!!" Fury felt the pain. "I don't want to have to fight you guys! Just let me get rid of him and we can get this over with." 

"I'm sorry Fury, but we just can't have a dangerous creature doing anything harmful!" Twilight said bluntly. Now that got everyone's attention. Everyone froze, Rainbow Dash, AppleJack and by now, even the princesses who had just arrived in time to hear Twilight's blunt statement were still as statues. "Prepare yourself, Night Fury for the Elements of Harmony!" She said as she was about to use them.

"HALT!" cried out the Princess of the Night. "Stand down Twilight Sparkle."

"But Your Highness-"

"Stand down!" Luna emphasized.

"I think you should do what she says." Fluttershy said.

Twilight reluctantly put the Elements back in the chest.

Then Luna came over to him.

"Luna?" Night Fury asked. "Is that you?" 

"Yes it is, my old friend." Luna said.

"Have you come here to scold me too? Do us Speed Shifters intimidate you? Am I really just a 'dangerous creature' like Twilight said?" Night Fury asked defensively.

Luna shook her head.

"No. I will do no such thing. Twilight might have made a rude remark by mistake, but I shall reason with you. Will you listen?" Luna asked, sitting down.

Night Fury thought about it a little then sat down.

"One second." Fury said, transforming into a giant Star Spider and webbing up Blueblood much to his disgust, causing him to beg to be let down from his sticky prison. "Okay go, but make it quick." 

"Thank you." Luna said. "I take it you have gone through a lot today, is that not true? My sister has told me as much."

"Yes. A lot. I realized how much of a horrible scumbag some creatures of the world are. No honor. And everything felt like it was going downhill." Night Fury grumbled.

Luna nodded her head in understanding.

"I can understand that. Some ponies just don't succumb to change that willingly, but I can't let you kill BlueBlood." Luna said, immediately getting a rise out of Fury, although majorly constricted for her sake.

"Your highness, I will be completely transparent with you. After all that he's done, can you blame me?" Fury said through clenched teeth. Luna could see that he was suppressing his anger, most likely to not want to make a scene that could make things worse. 

Oh my, he called me "Your Highness". If he's not addressing me casually, then he must be on the verge of exploding. I must choose my words carefully. 

"Fury, I understand, but killing him will only make things worse."

"I'm willing to take that risk now that my parents' lives are on the line. I prefer a happy life with my parents than having to succumb to the softies that are these ponies. No wonder you won't let me take Blueblood out, no wonder the first thing that you ponies do is try and talk it out, you weaklings just can't bring yourselves around to actually deal with the threat at hoof because of your quest for friendship."

"You mean like how you are disposing of Blueblood?" Luna asked.

Night Fury was a little tongue tied at this.

"Well um… uh…  listen, it does not matter! What matters is that I finally show this punk that we Speed Shifters should not be messed with!" Night Fury said loudly.

"That is no way to go about it. You say that we ponies can't truly deal with a threat because we're too soft, but we have a reason for doing so, to keep ourselves from going overboard. Look at yourself, you're about to kill BlueBlood for making some threats?"

"I'm sorry sister, but there was not just mere threats being thrown out…" another voice chimed in. 

"Celestia?!" Luna said, surprised. "What have you heard?"

"I heard insults and threats of hurting his own parents who were far away in a dangerous accursed area. This is not just a matter of killing him over some negative propaganda, this is a matter of keeping a dangerous threat to his bloodline and possibly, his entire species from being hunted to extinction because of assumptions and slander. This is very well a defense against the tyranny of racism and the future of his efforts to unite pony and Speed Shifter." Celestia explained. 

Luna seemed to have a little more sympathy with Fury's goal than before. She believes she has the right words now.

"Night Fury, I know you wish to protect those around you. I know you have a good heart. But if you do what you do now, you will be stronger by the side of friends and family." Luna said with reassurance. Fury looked at the still webbed prince and narrowed his eyes. With all of what was said, he couldn't let him go.

"I'm sorry princess, but I can't let him still have a chance at getting to what matters to me and destroying it. Whether he's locked up or not, he still has a chance… And I just can't risk that." Fury said sternly as he got up and started walking towards BlueBlood. 

"Sorry Blueblood. But it's time to say goodbye." He said this time less angrily.

Luna grabbed Night Fury to make sure he did not get to Blueblood. As the two were struggling, Blueblood used the opportunity to blast Night Fury.

"Take this, ruffian!" he said, shooting a beam of energy at him. 

Luna collapsed on the floor. It seems even Blueblood had a trick up his sleeve. She looked behind her and was horrified by seeing Night Fury with light blue cracks of energy surrounding his body.

"Long live the pony master race, you insufferable mistake of a child." Blueblood snarled as he teleported away in a flash, leaving the scene. 

Once Luna recovered from her fall, she looked at Night Fury who was in a bad state.

"Night Fury!" Luna called out to him.

"Somepony get a medic!" Twilight called out, now feeling terrible about what she had said and done. Everyone surrounded the battered and unconscious feline in pure shock and worry, if they had just listened to him about not letting Blueblood off with just some jail time and taking him out completely, this never would have happened. 

The black feline was moved off the street by the medics. As he was being moved, the other ponies were worried about him. He seemed out of it.

But he seemed to be breathing which was a good thing.

"Luna, are you alright?" Celestia asked her sister.

"I am stable, but Night Fury…"

"Will be fine. He's fought through more than we ever have in recent years, he'll make it." Celestia reassured her.

"You're right. But even so, this makes me wonder about what he said. That we ponies only do the bare minimum when it comes to threats against us for the sake of our morals and friendship. I was skeptical at first but now, I can't shake the feeling that he could very much be right about us." Luna inquired. 

Celestia almost was horrified at the thought. The change of tradition of pony pacifism. Ponies were allowed to kill but they were hesitant to do so unless as a last resort which was not often. Except for the military. "It is hard to imagine that would be the case for me…"

"I'm sorry auntie, but I think Fury's right. We've been holding back on doing anything truly permanent to solve our problems, we've only been trying to use reasoning and friendly negotiation. And even when there's a very slim chance of it working, we still try to hold back and make allies because we're so afraid of making enemies." Cadence specified.

"It's just… back in my day, pony society used to be filled with violence and cruelty the likes of which these modern generations have not seen," Celestia reminisced, "I swore to myself I would never let Equestria fall into such a state of degeneracy as then."

Luna was still inconsistent however.

"I know what that was like, sister, but this is only one time. Sometimes it is necessary what we do. Just like soldiers have to train to kill, we princesses sometimes must do the same. But it goes further than that. Sometimes we have to make difficult choices in order to ensure a brighter future. If Blueblood gets away with his evil, he may cause another great divide in Equestria. Would you really want that, sister?" Luna asked.

"Well-" Celestia said.

"Auntie, remember that you told me we must be brave to do the right thing? Well this is that time. Don't worry, we have your back. I promise if we do it right Equestria will not return to warfare." Cadence reassured the Princess of the Sun. Celestia pondered on what she was told.

I do want to keep our society from slipping back into those dark times, but with a life now on the line from that system of pacifism, I can now see why Fury was so determined to kill BlueBlood and whoever had a plan to endanger his kind. He wasn't doing it for the sake of revenge, he was doing it for the sake of his and our future. 

Celestia thought to herself. She didn't want to admit that she agreed with what was said about pony kind and how they won't fight anyone for the sake of their morals and the pursuit of friendship, but with Fury's life now at stake and a clear threat to the future of the bonding of Speed Shifters and ponies, she couldn't say that they were wrong to say so. 

"I suppose… you have a point, you two. And so does Night Fury. I wish I could apologize to him right now. Wait. Blueblood! He's still out there!" Celestia realized in horror. "We have to go stop him!"

"I'm sorry, sister, but I'm afraid it's too late now. He's probably miles away by now. And besides, you need to be here to keep things in order and restore the peace. Not to mention that a certain somepony is going to need all the emotional support he can get." Luna chimed, gesturing to the unconscious feline being treated for his wounds. 

Celestia felt bad for the wounded feline. The last thing he was called was a "dangerous creature". She didn't realize he was not unthinking but he knew what he had to do.

"Night Fury, if you can hear me… I want you to know I am proud of you. You have done so much to fight. Sadly, I misjudged you and your mindset. And instead of helping you I made things more complicated, and for that, I am sorry." Celestia gave a light bow. And then she felt something soft brush her cheek. She looked down to see Fury holding her head in one of his paws while laying on his side. While she and everyone else was surprised to see him awake, he just smiled.

"No worries, princess, I've got you covered." He said weakly. 

Celestia responded with great relief. She gave him a hug.

"Um, thanks, princess…"

"NIGHT FURY, YOU ARE AWAKE!" Luna gave Night Fury an even tighter hug.

"Ow ow ow, thanks for the appreciation but can you two please not break my spine?" Night Fury asked.

"My apologies," the Princess of the Night responded with a blush.

"Night Fury! You're okay!" Cadence came in.

"Somewhat, but yeah." He said as he stood up, somehow without any trouble.

"Wow, considering you almost died again, I'm surprised that you can walk again." Cadence said.

"Oh he's not walking, he's just being levitated." One of the unicorn medics chimed, having ignited her horn to get Fury at eye level.

"Either way, we're glad you're still alive and strong." Celestia said.

"Yeah, me too. Hey, where's the pea-brained prince? Did he get away?" 

Celestia said nothing but simply looked to the ground.

Night Fury realized what this meant.

"I see." Night Fury said. "Well, I guess it's not over yet is it? Am I at least in good enough health to chase him down?"

"I doubt it, you can barely walk, let alone run. I think it's best to keep you under medical support for at least a few days." Another medic chimed.

"I figured as such. Well, at least it was fun while it lasted." Fury said before looking at Luna. "Luna, listen, I'm sorry that I didn't heed your warning. I just wanted to take him out so badly that I almost forgot what I had worked for." He admitted. Luna stepped closer, sat down and held his head in her hooves.

"You don't have to apologize, I realize now that you weren't trying to get revenge. You just wanted to protect what mattered most to you. And that is something you should be proud of." Luna said, looking him in the eyes. She then noticed that his face went red slightly. She was confused for a moment but then realized what was happening.

He's… blushing. Does… does that mean that he likes me? More than just on a friendly level?

She asked herself. She then smiled and knew exactly what to do. 

"You know Fury, you've been the most loyal and kind friend that I've ever had. And I think that can only be rewarded with one thing…" She cooed as she mustered all of her bravery and went in. 

…

It was a shock. To both Night Fury and everyone around.  

Luna kissed me. The freaking Princess of the Night just kissed me! Is this some sort of side effect from that attack or maybe I ate something bad in that cake! Night Fury was panicking in his mind. But on the outside he looked like he had seen a ghost. He was speechless. "Uh, uh, uh, uh…" He kept on jabbering. He wasn't used to romance after all.

As for Luna, she started to be intimidated. She just kissed the Speed Shifter ambassador in public! She thought she probably embarrassed both herself and Night Fury with that display. After all Night Fury was speechless and babbling, that surely must mean he was not pleased. 

"Oh by the gods, what have I done! I don't know what overtook me! I am so sorry Night Fury, it must be stress, perhaps the weather!" Luna tried to apologize to him.

"You… you… You give me smoochies." Fury babbled. 

I ruined his mind! He can't even think straight!

Luna bowed her head in shame. Everypony around was a bit surprised though Cadence clearly was having the time of her life for obvious reasons.

"I will do whatever I can to repay you for this dishon-"

"And I loved it!" Fury continued. "Can… Can you do that again? I like it when you do that." He said, still in a state of pure bliss. 

"Yes I understand I will just leave now- WAIT WHAT?!" Luna was shocked to hear him. "Is my hearing in disrepair or did I just hear that you want to… do… that… again?" Luna asked with a mix of shock and hopefulness. Fury grabbed her face with both paws and pulled her in until they were face to face.

"You and Me. All I want is you. Now, give me lovings, moon babe." Night Fury smirked. At this point, Cadence was just laughing. She had never seen this much blind love ever since she and Shining Armor shared their first kiss. 

Luna was about to ask if he was still thinking straight, but she decided to follow her heart and kiss him. She did so. She was awkward at this art of smooching, Night Fury was clearly better at it. But nonetheless she only thought of one thing. How warm she felt in Fury's embrace.

The kiss went on for a few seconds before separating.

They both loved the feeling and even went a few quick pecks on the cheeks, Fury first then Luna followed suit. But at that point, everyone around was filling the air with aww's and other cute reactions. Even Princess Celestia had her bit. But for the Princess Of Love, this had her wheezing and giggling for what felt like an eternity. 

"I knew it! I knew you would confess your feelings for each other!" Cadence said in an unusually giggly voice. "You didn't even need my help. I thought I was going to have to push Night Fury in the right direction. But never in all my years as the Princess of Love, did I expect the more reserved Luna to make the first move! If you can do that, maybe there's hope for Twilight too!" Cadence said with both laughter and exuberant rest

"Hey!" The purple unicorn called out, getting laughs from the rest of the Mane Six. Luna and Fury soon stopped the love pecks and looked each other in the eyes.

"So… you really had feelings for me?" Fury asked sincerely.

"To be honest, I wasn't quite sure that I did until I heard that Manehattan speech. When I saw you running around being the hero, something bubbled up inside of me. I didn't think that I could possibly be feeling what I thought I was feeling, but now, I truly do know that I had feelings for you." Luna said, her usually blue coat turning a bright shade of red.

"Oooh, so that's why you were getting on that business mare that liked me. You just wanted to save your pick!" Fury said rather loudly. Luna covered herself with her wings in embarrassment, she had just been exposed. 

Cadence was laughing harder than ever.

"I sure saw you, how should we say disapproved of that mare? One true passion gets ponies to act like that." 

Luna was embarrassed but joyful.

"Relax Luna, I wasn't being serious with her. She looked too normal and boring for my tastes. I prefer mares that are a little more… unusual." Nightfury said with a smirk.

"Unusual?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, you're just like me. Unusual. I like running around in mud and in the rain, you like the darkness and the night and we both can relate to feeling like we are the more special and out of place ones in this world. Don't you see, we are both one of a kind. And that's what I like about you." Fury said, booping Luna on the nose. 

Luna would normally be offended if someone so casually touched her nose like that. But it was Night Fury, she could feel comfort around him. And so she booped him back.

"I see you have a playful side." Night Fury complimented smirking.

"I learned it from the best." Luna shot back with a smirk of her own.

For a time the thoughts of Blueblood, the thoughts of that explosion, the thoughts of fear, all vanished and were replaced with joy if only for a moment.

"Well, now that that's all over, how about we get out of here and relax? I need to let myself heal." Fury suggested.

"You make a fair point, everypony, make haste and leave now! We wish to be alone."  Luna said as she started to walk away.

"Uh, Luna, aren't you forgetting something?"

"Huh? What could I be forgetting?" Luna asked. Fury just chuckled.

"I can barely walk." Fury said. Luna went wide eyed as she remembered his condition. 

"Oh! Please, allow me." She said, levitating the injured feline onto her back. Alicorns were after all renowned for their physical prowess.

"Let us take you to a heavily guarded facility in the hospital to calm your muscles." Luna said, carrying Night Fury.

Everypony felt better seeing this. 

"You saw it the whole time, Cadence?" Twilight asked.

"Yep. In fact even before they interacted in depth. I felt a sort of future love waiting to blossom. And so it has. The question will be how long they keep it that way before they have to deal with the inevitable arguments." Cadence shivered at the thought.

Celestia simply lightly laughed.

"Well I can say one thing, perhaps this is the beginning of a brand new era." Celestia said with a small tear. "I am so proud of you sister!" She said to herself.

"That I agree with auntie. That I agree with." Cadence replied as the two looked over Luna walking her now beloved on her back.
> Chapter 20: Of Potions And Partners.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

At Canterlot's renowned hospital, Luna, while happy over her newfound feelings for Night Fury, was still worried about his overall health and mental state. The princess had practically ordered her feline lover to get checked up on his state. Luna was waiting impatiently to hear the doctor's diagnosis.

I hope all his energy has not caused any permanent damage. I can be thankful that the public now condemns Blueblood not Night Fury though. Still I just hope things will be positive.

She said to herself. Soon the doctor overseeing Night Fury walked out of his room. Luna practically jumped up to hear what he had to say.

"Well doctor, how is he?" She asked frantically.

"Good news, your highness, he's going to be fine." The doctor said with confidence. Luna let out a big sigh of relief at the news, she was glad that Fury was going to be okay.

"However, he will need some time to recover. We traced the mana signature of the blue energy back to a nerve piercing spell in one of Princess Celestia's personal spell books. The spell is specialized in dealing disruptive blows to the nerves, mostly used just for stun attacks. But, if performed in a specific manner, it can be deadly. Thankfully, with Blueblood having taken so much of a beating from the ambassador, the spell only caused minimal injury." The doctor explained. 

Luna was not too surprised by this news. She expected much worse if anything. 

I guess I'm thankful Night Fury had that brief storm of berserker fury.

"That's good tidings. When will Night Fury recover fully?" 

"At best it might take a month. Try to make sure he doesn't do too much fighting or that energy dash. And no adventures going through caves right now." The doctor said sternly.

Easier than done. This is Night Fury we are talking about. Luna said to herself.

"I'll have Twilight Sparkle keep an eye on him every so often and keep him from doing too much of that." Luna said. "And if he is in trouble, I have some of my Thestral Guards, ready to fight instead of Night Fury." 

"I say that's a good plan, princess. For now, we need to run some tests to make sure that we are both sure that he is stable and make sure we're prepared if this happens again." The doctor said, causing Luna to raise a brow.

"Tests? Of what kind?"

"Well, besides the usual medical examinations and such, we have been permitted to run tests on Fury's biology once he's stable enough. And before you ask, yes, he was conscious and agreed to let us test his biology to further improve our medical support for him if this ever happens again. Once he recovers enough to remain conscious on his own and doesn't need to be held here, he will be allowed to freely roam Canterlot. Although, he will be advised to take extreme caution with anything other than simple tasks until he is fully healed."

Luna was not expecting this. She never expected Fury to actually agree to something as long and laborious as this. Maybe he has more patience than she thought. It was nice of him to agree to do this science for the common good. Nevertheless she knew someone had to watch over him

"Thank you doctor. I'll make sure to give him company and to ensure he does not do anything too dangerous." Luna said with confidence. "Now when will I be able to talk with him?" she asked, somewhat anxious to talk with him more.

The doctor gave a relaxed laugh.

"I see you really wish to see him. He will be awake in an hour. Then you can have some time with your new friend." He said, giving a knowing smirk. Luna blushed at the doctor's words, she didn't think that word of their little scene would get around so fast.

"That will do. I shall be off now, the duties of a princess are not to be interrupted." She said, returning to her regal demeanor.

"Of course, we shall notify you when he awakens." The doctor said as he watched the princess of the night walk off. 

–

For Luna, she was sitting doing some paperwork. The typical fare. Taxes, requests for special aid in nightmares, thestral guard pay. Normally she looked forward to this as a way to have a break from all the interaction from other ponies and work in the dream world. But she felt quite bored.

She would rather be exploring a cave or sneaking some delicious pastries. With Night Fury of course. Perhaps he had corrupted my mind. she chuckled to herself. But she kept on going with the monotonous paperwork.

But then she saw only black and felt someone cover her eyes.

"Who is there?!" Luna cried out.

"Guess who?" She instantly felt relief at that familiar voice.

She turned around to see it was Night Fury. He had that smile she had grown to love. And his eyes filled with foallike energy. 

"Night Fury, it is good to see you!" She said, about to hug him tightly until she realized he had some bandages on him and did want anything harmful for him. "How are you feeling now, Night Fury? What did the doctor say?"

"Oh he said I'm okay, as long as I-"

"He already told me about them." Luna said. "But I'm glad you are doing well. It has been very tough for you this month."

"Yeah, you're telling me. Anyway, whatcha up to, moonpie?" Fury said, eliciting a confused giggle from Luna. 

"Oh you and your lines. I was doing paperwork like taxes, answering dream requests and-"

"Boring!" Fury said. "I see now my lady, I must save you from this boredom. But luckily for both of us, I have something very fun."

"It cannot involve any exploring, Fury!" Luna warned.

"I know that, Your Highness! This one is totally safe. There are some hidden shooting stars of multiple colors that can only be spotted with Speed Shifter eyes. But if we do this right, you can see it as well. I have a special potion from this scroll that can increase your sight for one hour."

Luna was excited to hear about this.

"I would most certainly be pleased with that. Even more than an opera!" Luna said, trying to restrain her excitement.

"Now the problem is I am not experienced at all with potions. So I was thinking, maybe we can get Twilight's help! I heard she is good at these spells. And maybe for you to relax, you can have a vacation in Ponyville." Fury said, showing he planned this whole date up.

"You really are quite a strategist when it comes to something you really want." Luna chuckled.

"Well all I want is you. And for you to be happy, moonpie." He said in a suave manner as he nuzzled her neck causing her to giggle.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Luna laughed.

"But my duties…" 

"I've already told your sister about it, she'll take over for the day. I talked with her before doing all of this. She said okay to it. You're free to do whatever you want, dear." Fury said.

Luna was now excited and giddy like a school filly.

"Then we shall go to Ponyville! And make our entrance there!" Luna said, running out the door.

"Luna! Not now! We'll be leaving in a few hours." Night Fury said before she went too far.

"Oh." Luna smiled awkwardly.

"Now who's really the impatient one, hmmm?" Fury teased her.

They both had a good laugh. 

"We'll talk more on the train. I actually have some meditations that I haven't done yet. And the emperor will yell at me if he realized how little I was keeping up." Fury said.

"Very well I shall see you then, um uh," she said, trying to give a pet name for him, "Handsome." 

"We'll work on your flirting skills too." Fury chuckled to Luna's slight embarrassment. "Anyways see ya, sweet cheeks." He gave her a peck on the cheek before leaving.

Luna felt like she was truly going to begin something special. A new beginning to a new love she had only known in fairy tales she used to read.

–

Hours later… 

The Friendship Express stopped in Ponyville with a hiss, ponies bustling on and off the train as the steam cleared. Luna and Night Fury stepped out of their carriage and began walking towards Twilight's library. Luna took in a breath of fresh air as she walked along the dirt paths of the small town. She had to admit, she missed having no obligations and duties to attend to when she was younger, so much of the time she was cooped up in the castle that she never really saw the light of day and it's relaxing beauty. Meanwhile Night Fury just smiled as he walked beside her, feeling happy that he was back home and finally on familiar ground. 

The two soon reached the big tree in the town and knocked on the door. Twilight came to the door and was happy to see that Fury was up and moving again.

"Come on in!" Twilight said. "Spike, we have some old friends. Go and make some tea for them."

All of them sat down and had a good meal. Then Twilight finally asked.

"So what brings you two here? Are you here for a book? I've gotten some new ones recently."

Night Fury explained what they were here for. All about the stars and wanting greater vision. 

"Wow, this sounds very exciting! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who loves shooting stars." Twilight said. "I am a bit busy with a certain thing Celestia gave me. This spell by Starswirl. And I'm trying to find out about it. But maybe this spell will help Luna to see the stars too! Perhaps me as well!"

"Maybe we should leave the iffy unknown spells and go for something simple, like a potion." Luna suggested.

"Yeah, same here. Rather use a potion over a couple thousand year old spell." Fury added. Twilight understood their concerns and agreed.

"Very well. Follow me, I can help with that potion in no time!" She said, motioning for her guests to follow her to the basement. 

They came down to see a bunch of potions and books on potion making. 

"So give me the scroll that gives the instructions." Twilight said.

She was then given the scroll. Some parts of it were torn or made undecipherable. 

"Hmmm, I'm going to have to do some guesswork for this potion. But I have made potions like this before. So it will probably work. I'll test it on myself first and you'll have the potion perhaps in a week." Twilight explained.

"Well that won't do, tomorrow was going to be my vacation with my little… fuzz ball here." Luna said, still trying to come up with a nickname for her feline companion.

"Still working on a pet name, huh?" 

"Shhh! I'm working on it." 

Twilight interrupted their romantic dialogue.

"Well I guess I could try to make it by tomorrow." Twilight says. "I'll need extra concentration with it. I'll try to do it as effectively as possible." She said, gathering what she needed. "Okay, let's get to work. Stay focused."

Over the next few hours, Twilight toiled away as best she could with what she had. The ancient scroll she was given was a pure mystery of its contents, but she did her best, with Night Fury translating the parts that were not too ancient for him. Soon enough she had made not just one, but three different potions somehow. The group were rather confused as to how that occurred, but it was the best thing that was available.

"Okay, phew, that should do it." Twilight sighed.

"Well, nothing else to do but test it. Luna, you were the one who wanted this, so go for it." Fury said.

Luna simply nodded with a serious look. She quickly took the potion and ingested it.

…

"Hmmm, it does not seem to be working." Luna said with disappointment.

"Don't worry. It says on the scroll that the effects should kick in by tomorrow, so there should be time for us to just relax and enjoy ourselves." Fury said, looking over the scroll once more. 

"Well that's good. And before I forget, Fury, does the scroll say anything about any side effects or anything when making these potions?" Twilight asked. 

"Hmmm, nothing damaging. But it does have some strange symbols on it. I wonder what it could be talking about?" Night Fury pondered. "At least it says it is not dangerous."

Night Fury looked over the scroll again. And he was able to see certain symbols that he didn't understand. He saw a ball of cheese, a blue circle, and someone yelling. 

"Huh, some of these symbols are out of my league. Not even I know what they mean. Maybe they're some sort of imagery of the side effects, but I don't know." Fury says. "All it says is that there are no permanently harmful side effects and they only last for as long as you have the Speed Shifter vision." He said reading it out. "So that's good enough for me"

"Yes I agree. I cannot wait to see the wonders of the night tomorrow. I must have a good rest and in the morning we shall see something truly marvelous!" Luna said with wonder.

"We'll stay at my villa." Fury said. "I have many rooms for you. And you'll love it! Once tomorrow comes, we'll have quite a view." Fury said.

Luna was excited. She always lived in one castle. And while it is grand, it lost its luster for her since she was in it for so long. So she appreciated being somewhere new.

"Tis a good idea, my romantic interest! I will see you, Twilight and tell you the results of this spell and I wish you luck with Starswirl's spell as well."

Twilight thanked them and said farewell to them.

Fury and Luna both went into his mansion. And they both slept inside.

-

The next morning… 

Yawnnnn. That was a great sleep.

Night Fury walked out of his bedroom to get some fresh air in the open courtyard. He was feeling optimistic and as Twilight said nothing positively could go wrong. Everything would be great. 

He panned to go into the closet where preserved meats were kept and was ready to eat. But before he did so he saw Luna in the kitchen. He decided to talk to her.

"You must have had a really good sleep, huh? You must be excited about today huh, moonpie?" He said, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Pfft, yeah! Totes agree with ya, my hubbie." 

"You got that right!" Night Fury said walking away then turning around after realizing what she might have said. "Uh, what did you just say?

"What ya sayin' babe? I just said that I'm vibin' with whatcha saying, chill out." The Princess of the Night apparently stated. Fury looked surprised, Luna was speaking like a street rapper. 

"Who are you and what have you done with Luna?!" Fury asked.

"Ya foolio, I am the one and only Lu-"

"I was being rhetorical! What has happened to you?!" Then Fury had an epiphany. "Wait a second… Uh sweetie, I'm gonna go do something. See you in a bit?"

"Go hit up whatever ya need to, hotshot. Imma be chillin like a villain until you get back." Luna replied, leaning against the wall and sipping on a soda. 

"Yeah ha ha ha…" Night Fury said walking away. "That was the creepiest thing I have ever heard." Night Fury said. "Oh Twilight, tell me you know what to do."

-

He soon reached the Golden Oak Library and knocked on Twilight's door. Twilight when she greeted him seemed to be in a great deal of distress.

"Whoa. You okay, Twilight?" 

"No, I messed up my friends' cutie marks and- ah!" she dodged a lightning strike from Rarity's cloud. "And now I have to help all my friends get back to normal."

Night Fury sighed. Could this day get any weirder?

"Well, you're not the only one having a problem. That potion that Luna took, it's causing her to talk like a street punk!"

Twilight normally would have thought Fury was joking around. But considering all the weird happenings going on, it would be more illogical to not believe him. So she moved on to find a solution.

"I see. Not the most surprising thing today for me. But can I ask for the scroll? Maybe we can find something out." Twilight requested.

"No problem, I brought it with me!" Fury said as he gave the scroll to the purple unicorn. 

"Okay, let's get inside and see what this has to do with Luna's condition." The two friends entered the library and set the scroll down, opening it to see what could be happening.

"Okay, what could be causing Luna's speech to change?" Twilight inquired.

"I think I have a theory. Look, the symbol of the Speed Shifter yelling. Maybe this is one of the side effects of the potion, a change in personality and speech." Fury explained as he noted the symbols on the parchment. 

Then it clicked with Fury.

"Let me guess… This yelling symbol means she likes to blurt out loudly and obnoxiously? And even try keywords to try to imitate one of those Ponyville rappers me, Spike and Dash like to see sometimes?" Fury asked.

"I guess that would be true." Twilight gulped. "But luckily the good news is I found a way for her to stop talking like this today!" She said, showing another potion. "I've been working on this as a backup."

"Okay, so you have the antidote, great!" He said, taking the bottle. "I'll get this to Luna and get her back to normal."

Night Fury went outside to see Luna try to impress everypony with her new slam poetry sessions. She was wearing a regal dress while wearing a baseball cap and a cape.

"I am the Princess of buisness yo! And I go and I do this for those who witness me!" She attempted to rap.

How in the name of Poseidon's Trident did she get here so fast?! By the gods, she's almost as chaotic as Discord at this point!

Fury thought. He whistled to Luna and held up the potion.

"Yo Luna, check this out!" He called.

"Be gone, ya interloper! I'm in the middle of enlightenin' these peasants in my song, dawg!" Luna said.

"But I have something you'll like! It's a… cool new soda, dawg. You gotta try it!" Fury mimicked.

"Wicked, let me take a swig!" The lunar princess remarked as she flew to him quickly, the confused audience forgotten and sipped on the bottle. In a few seconds, she scrunched up her muzzle and started coughing. The tangy taste was rather potent.

"Ugh, by the heavens, what was I doing?" She said, now speaking normally.

"Well, you were acting like a street punk and started speaking casually like me. Nope, scratch that, more than I did when I was a teen." Fury explained. 

"Oh heavens! No one saw me, right?!" Luna said, terrified and embarrassed.

"Unfortunately yes, sweetheart." Fury pointed behind her to the crowd of ponies gathered around them. Needless to say, Luna's face was shining a bright red at that revelation.

"By the gods! At least it's over now." Luna said embarrassed. "I hope the other two potions will prove more effective." Luna said

"True, but maybe I should give them a test run before you try it." Fury suggested. 

"Are you sure about that?"

"You've already been a crazy rapper. I think it's my turn if something weird happens." Fury pointed out.

"Well alright. I hope it will be for the best." Luna said nervously.

He took one of the other potions he had kept in a saddle bag and ingested it. It tasted horrible. He could not understand how Luna handled but he did so.

"Yuck, it tastes like swamp sludge!" He complained as he heard his stomach start to churn and swirl. "How do you handle this stuff?!"

Eventually the taste went away, leaving him wondering about the results.

"Woah… that's new." He said. "Hmm, I seem to feel normal. Nothing is different. Hmmm. Everything seems alright!"

Luna sighed in relief.

"Hey as a reward for all your hard work, maybe I'll give flowers to my lovely lady," He said, winking at Luna.

Luna blushed at this and agreed wholeheartedly.

They both walked to one of Ponyville's favorite flower sellers, Roseluck.

It was a nice afternoon. Perfect for a romantic stroll across town.

"So, how are you feeling?" Luna asked

"I feel normal, nothing too much." Fury replied before hearing bubbling noises from his tummy.

"Now that's a strange new noise. Are you sure you're okay? Maybe that potion is messing with your tummy." Luna added. 

"Eh it's probably just some weird fish I ate. I got some from the Everfree Forest. And besides, what should I be afraid of? You think that bubbling could be a monster inside of me?" Fury joked. 

"Ewww, that's gross!" Luna laughed. 

"Hey look, it's Roseluck. Time to give you some nice flowers!" 

Night Fury ran over to greet her. He asked for some purple and yellow flowers for Luna.

"Here you go, some of my best lavender and sunflowers." Roseluck said. Fury was about to say thank you when the bubbling started again.

"Oof, you okay? Your stomach sounds like a bubbling cauldron full of sludge." Roseluck said, concerned about the feline's health.

"I'm fine, Rose. It's probably nothing." He defended, but he was soon proven wrong when the bubbling became as loud as ever. His cheeks puffed up like balloons and he began to sweat. Luna and Roseluck both thought he was about to toss his lunch, but were greeted with something else.

Hiccup! 

They saw a bubble coming out of him.

"That was unusual." Luna said.

"Yeah but at least it's over- *hic*, oh no." Night Fury felt another one. 

BLEGHHH! 

Night Fury belched out a slew of bubbles.

"No! My flowers!" Roseluck as she saw her flowers being caught in the bubbles and floating. "THE HORROR! You get out of here until you fix your burping issue!" she yelled out.

"I'll, *hic* try! C'mon Luna, let's go!" Night Fury ran off to Twilight's house. 

I guess this is what the scroll meant by that blue circle…

But his thoughts were interrupted by more hiccups. 

"This *hic* freaking *hic* sucks!"

Everypony was confused seeing him burp bubbles but chalked it as just as Speed Shifters being Speed Shifters.

But for Night Fury, he felt relieved that he was almost at Twilight's house when suddenly… 

HICCUP! 

Night Fury hiccuped a bubble so big that it scooped him up and started to float away with him.

"Uh, Luna, I would appreciate it if you used those beautiful wings of yours and got me down!" He called out to his new regal fillyfriend.

Luna then noticed to her horror how high up he was. She wasted no time in flying up at the speed of an eagle. She quickly burst the bubble. All the while using levitating magic to lift her lover.

"Thank *hic* you *hic* Luna!" Then Fury was about to get another bubble when Luna popped that one.

"Come Fury, Twilight will help us!" Luna and Fury quickly went into Twilight's house. The two soon reached the tree and knocked frantically.

"Woah woah, what's going on now, you two!?" Twilight said as she and Spike appeared at the door.

"We were just at a flower stand buying flowers when Fury's stomach started bubbling and then…" 

URP!

Fury burped loudly, letting out a smaller bubble blast that blew Spike backwards.

"Waaahh!" He screamed as he flew back and into a bookshelf, causing books to fall on him in a pile. "What the heck is that?!"

"Something that needs to be *hic* dealt with. Twilight?"

"Here, drink this." She presented a blue circle shaped bottle to the hiccuping feline. He drank it and waited a few seconds.

"Huh, tastes like blueberry pie." He said.

"Well, I'm glad that's over. It's a good thing that you gave it a test run first before Luna did." Spike chimed. "I wouldn't want to know what an alicorn burping bubbles would be like."

"Yeah, that's something that I would mind seeing actually." Fury replied. "Although I have to admit, that was pretty funny."

"Yeah Pinkie would be jealous. Now me and Twilight are really busy! Have fun you two and please try to keep out of trouble!" Spike said stressed and nervous.

"No promises, little dude!" He said but Spike had already quickly shut the door. For Fury he was just glad it was over.

"Well this day has been something else, that's for sure." Fury said, a little exhausted.

"You're not wrong, that was somewhat amusing. Now, we're down to one more potion. I think I'll take this one. You've been through much already." Luna said, teleporting it into her magical grasp.

"You sure? This one could be even weirder than ever. The last symbol on the scroll was a cheese wheel, who knows what that could mean?!" Twilight warned.

"Tis better than burping bubbles and uttering street slang, so I'll take my chances." Luna unscrewed the cork and chugged the bottle halfway. She licked her lips and waited patiently for any signs of trouble, but nothing came.

"Hm, this potion seems to be alright." She said before her stomach gave a growl. "Although, I do now feel a little peckish."

"Okay, there's a ton of restaurants that we can try. Or is there something in particular you want, I can pick it out for you. Just name it."

"Hmmm, let me think." She looked at a map of venues of Ponyville for its food items. Cakes? Too sweet. Daffodil sandwiches? Too plain. But then she saw true beauty. A whole block of cheese. She said nothing for a minute.

"Um Luna, are you going to make a decision now?"

"Cheese!" 

"Cheese?" Fury asked.

"Yes I would like some cheese, right now! The delicious dairy products I must ingest!" 

"Um alright. But where do we get some?" Fury asked himself. He then snapped his claws as he came to an answer. 

"I've got it! We can go to Cattle Driver's dairy farm! She can make the best milk, cheeses and anything that involves dairy. She's a cheese gold mine! I heard that her aged Gouda is in season." He said as he gave Luna a newspaper that showed Cattle Driver's dairy farm. She zipped through the pages as she was excited to get her hooves on some cheese. A little too excited. 

"Wow, you read that two page article pretty quickly. I guess you really want it."

"NOT QUICKLY ENOUGH! COME MY LOVE, WE MUST PARTAKE IN THIS SACRED MISSION!" Luna said, running while pulling Night Fury away.

"Ahhhhh!!!!" Night Fury cried while being dragged. Oh great, is she having another side effect?! Is this what that yellow circle symbol meant? That she would get a massive cheese craving? 

Night Fury knew things were going to be troublesome. He would need another potion from Twilight immediately.

"Look, I see the Ponyville's 60 year old cheese block!" Fury said.

"Where?!" Luna turned and let go of Fury in her excitement.

Fury went as quickly as possible and knocked on the door. Spike answered again.

"Dang it, Fury, can't you wait a little longer? Twilight is sulking now!" Spike said.

"Spike, Luna has a cheese-"

Then Fury felt magic pull him away.

"I JUST REMEMBERED IN THAT ARTICLE THERE IS NO SUCH THING! LIAR! YOU MUST COME AND REDEEM YOURSELF WITH REAL CHEESE!"

Spike then facepalmed knowing already what Luna now has.

"You know what to do Spike! Get Twilight!" Fury yelled while being dragged away. Fury was now long gone.

"Oh great, she has a cheese addiction. If I were to guess she's probably going to Cattle Driver who makes the best yogurt and in this case cheese in Ponyville. I hope Luna will try to moderate herself a bit."

She did not.

-

"What are you waiting for, knave, I demand that wheel of cheese!"

She said pointing to a large wheel of cheese the size of her body. 

"Your Highness, please that's for some important clients of mine, Filthy Rich!" 

"And are you implying that this pony with a filthy name is more important than the Princess of the Night?!"

"N-no."

"Just let her have it, Cattle Driver, she's under the influence of a potion. It will at least give time to figure out a way to stop her. I promise we'll make it up to those two." Fury whispered. Cattle Driver reluctantly agreed and let the cheese hungry princess roll the giant wheel away for her enjoyment. Fury caught up to his fillyfriend and saw that she was already eating the giant wheel.

"Mmmm! This is an amazing wheel of swiss! Whoever made this must be rewarded one day. Hey Fury, watch this." She said as she used her magic to throw the giant wheel in the air, melt it down to a gooey paste, and let it fall into her mouth. Her stomach distended slightly from the giant load of swiss, almost making her look as chubby as he was.

By the gods, I have to admit, that was impressive. I don't know whether to be attracted to this or scared. He thought to himself. 

Luna seemed satisfied. Night Fury was relieved, maybe she would finally be satisfied. But Luna's tummy made an objection. 

"I still want more. I need more! I demand more!" Luna cried out.

Oh boy, here we go.

"Wait, that gives me an idea! I don't have to get cheese, I'm an alicorn. I can make it appear at my command! Why didn't I think of that sooner!" Luna said as she ignited her horn. A bright flash blinded Fury before she saw that he was surrounded with Gouda, swiss, provolone, brie, mozzarella and everything in-between. 

"Now this is more like it. Cannonball!" Luna proceeded to dive into the cheese and start swimming in it with relative ease. 

"Yes! Yes! I am one with the cheese!" Luna cried out while munching away at her spoils.

"I don't know if this is supposed to be delicious or gross." Night Fury said to Cattle Driver.

"Probably both." Driver admitted.

"Hey you!" said a pink filly with a tiara. "That wheel was gonna be for my family and you practically annihilated it! I demand justice. My mom will make you pay!" She said not realizing who she was talking to.

"Uh, who's that?" Fury asked. 

"Oh no, that's Diamond Tiara! Filthy and Spoiled Rich's daughter. She may be small, but she's got one heck of an influence." Driver said, practically shivering at the sight of her presence.

"You dare address me that way, child?!" Luna boomed as she faced the young filly. 

Diamond was a little scared but stood her ground. "Y-yeah you! You are stealing from the Rich family!"

Cattle Driver whispered.

"Diamond Tiara, please leave. You don't know who you're talking to." 

"I know who I am talking to! I'm talking to a big fat pony who thinks she is worthy of all that cheesy goodness!"

"NO! IT IS I WHO SHALL PUNISH YOU CHILD! YOU WILL NOT STOP ME FROM QUEST IN CHEESE MONGERING!" She yelled while levitating the filly who now realized she made a grave mistake.

"Oh Twilight, where are you?"

"Right here!" A voice said. Fury turned to see Twilight and Spike and the rest of the Mane Six with what looked like the reversal potion.

"Sorry Princess, you ain't yourself!" Applejack said, assuming a ready stance.

"Yeah that's right, we're back in the game!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Oh thank goodness, you made it. We have to get Luna to drink this or else Equestria is probably going to fall into a cheesepocalypse!" Fury exclaimed.

"And how are we gonna do that? I doubt this thing tastes like cheese, so she won't drink it!" Spike objected. Fury took a moment to think before getting an idea.

"But maybe we can make it taste like cheese! Here, give me that!" He said as he took the bottle from the small dragon. He raced over to the pile of cheese, grabbed some cheddar, mixed it with the potion and approached Luna.

"Hey Luna~ Look what I've got." He called. Luna snapped her attention to him to see a yellow potion that looked like cheese. She instantly started to drool and sped over to him.

"Oooh, is that a cheese-flavored soda?! Gimme gimme gimme!" She snatched the bottle out of his grasp and chugged the whole thing. Everyone around waited with baited breath as she sat there.

"Huh, that had a weird taste. It wasn't even that good. Whoever came up with this should be puni-" She stopped. Her eyes began to glow as her horn whirred to life. As quick as it had appeared, the pile of cheese slowly started to get sucked back into her horn, causing a great wind to power through the farm.

"Woah, everypony hang onto something!" Fury called. Everyone around the princess grabbed onto something sturdy, whether that be a fence post, barn door,or even a rock poking out of the ground. The white light became brighter, more cheese being sucked into the vortex. Everyone closed their eyes and braces for what was about to happen next until… it all stopped.

"Did it work?" Spike asked.

"Uuuugh…" a pained moan came from the center of the field. Fury walked towards the sound to see Luna with a hoof on her stuffed belly, trying to rub the pain away. 

"Luna, um, are you okay? Do you have any urges?"

"Urges? The only urge I have right now is laying down on this ground." Luna said painfully. "What happened?"

"Let's just say, you got a little obsessed with cheese."

"Well at least it was a little." Luna said.

"Actually it was quite a lot! You were so big, Luna! Ow!" Spike said before being wacked by Twilight.

"Well, at least it's over. Oooh!" Luna groaned as her stomach did much the same.

"Aww, you want me to rub your belly to help?" Fury offered. Luna slowly nodded and let her feline companion go to work on her pain. "But this has got me thinking. None of those potions did what we wanted them to, what gives?"

"Maybe we missed something. Here's the scroll." Twilight handed the scroll to Night Fury to read. He took a look over the ancient scroll and wore a confused look as he went over it. That is until he looked at the back. Fury dropped to the ground and laughed like he had never before, causing everyone to look at him.

"Fury, this isn't funny!" Luna protested.

"Oh yes it is! All of this random rigamarole has been happening because of this." He said as he showed the back of the parchment to her.

"You see how there's a Speed Shifter with the symbols surrounding him while the others are laughing?"

"Yeah…"

"And all of the potions, they had every effect described on it except the advanced vision. Right?"

"Uh huh…"

"Well that's the thing, we haven't been doing anything wrong! This scroll isn't for a vision altering elixir, this is a scroll filled with prank potions! We've been pranking ourselves this whole time!" Fury laughed. 

"A prank spell?" Luna said, stunned. "This whole time we were using a prank spell?!" She yelled. 

"Yeah I might have picked out the wrong one…" Night Fury sheepishly said.

Spike and all the Mane Six except Fluttershy facepalmed. While Fluttershy was disappointed, she didn't think it was right to just flat out give him the cold shoulder.

Luna stared into Fury's eyes with rage burning within her own. Night Fury was worried for his own health for a moment.

"I went through all of this because you picked out the WRONG SCROLL?!?!" She yelled, producing a shock wave.

"But look on the bright side, sweetie! It was quite an adventure you gotta admit." Fury said. Luna shot a look at him like he had tentacles popping out of his head, but he spoke before she could.

"Before you get mad, yes I am aware today was quite crazy. But I think that's not the worst. Think about it. You acted in ways you never got the opportunity to! And I mean that in a good way! I mean, when was the last time you ate a whole wheel of cheese, hmmmm?" He said with a hopeful smile, but Luna's expression didn't change. Fury sighed.

"Alright, I get it, I screwed up. Maybe this vacation was a bad idea. All I wanted to do was show you that I truly do care about you and wanted to see you have fun, but I guess I flunked out. And you didn't even get to see the stars. You have every right to be upset and I won't object. I'll… I'll leave you alone if that's what you want." He said somberly as he got up and began to walk away, his head hung low in shame. 

Then Luna wasn't quite sure what to think. At first she didn't appreciate all the mishaps. But she realized, Night Fury truly meant well. He might have made mistakes but they were for good.

And now that she thought about it she did feel some excitement. She felt the rush of fun and adrenaline. She felt she could talk freely, see her coltfriend in humorous situations and even indulge in some pleasures. It was… nice. She might even say she had some fun. It reminded her of the times when the two used to hunt for midnight snacks during Cadence's wedding. 

"Fury, wait…" The addressed feline stopped in his tracks. 

"Hmmm, I suppose I may forgive you this time, Night Fury." she said with a light smile. "You might be a bit reckless with your choices. You might be too headstrong. But honestly, I actually like that quality of yours. It makes things more… exciting." Luna said, smirking.

"But, unfortunately, your recklessness has to come at a cost." Luna sat up and faced the black feline who was now fearing for his life.

"A-and what's that?"

"Some feathery revenge!" She said as she pinned him to the ground and tickled him with her wings. 

"Ahahahahaha! Stop it I'm heh heh sorry! Please don't assault me like this!" He said playfully. He squealed and squeaked like he had never before. Luna thought it was rather cute.

"Oh that's not all! Now must be disciplined by me squeezing you!" She laughed as she grabbed him and squashed him against her still rather plump body. 

"Ha ha stop it! I've learned my lesson!" Fury squealed while laughing. "I won't mess up again! I swear on the gods!"

Luna seemed to enjoy his suffering. "Hmmm, let me think about it." She said while sitting on him. "Okay, I believe you, but only on one condition…"

"Okay, I'll do anything! Name it!"

"Let me snuggle you."

"That's a torture?" Fury asked.

"You're right, perhaps I should keep squeezing you." 

"Snuggles now!" Fury cried out.

Luna let go of him and gave him a hug. They felt warm next to each other. Even though it was nighttime, they felt as if the sun were shining on them.

"This feels good." Fury said.

The rest of the Mane Six had different reactions. Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity thought it was cute. Rainbow gagged at the sight. And Twilight and Applejack simply smiled at them.

"Hooey, at least you guys are havin' fun! You remind me of my own folks when they were around." Applejack said. 

"I wish I had a dashing stallion that was that affectionate toward me." Rarity said crying with Spike a little jealous.

Twilight then walked up to them.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to make what you wanted come true, Princess. I really messed up today."

"Come on Twi, it was my fault." Fury said.

"Well I don't disagree with that, you need to be more vigilant," she said bluntly. "But I could've caught you and corrected you before you made that mistake. I bear responsibility too. And because of my failure it's too late to brew up the potion to have Luna see the stars. And don't get me started on what my friends went through today because of my spell from Starswirl." She hung her in embarrassment.

"C'mon Twi, you did great! Take a look at what you managed to do today. You regained your confidence in your ability to make amends in your friendships, stayed cool under pressure when things got hectic, and you didn't give up when everything seemed to be hopeless. You did what was needed in the end and that's what matters!" Fury reassured her. 

"You really think so?" Twilight looked up.

Then Luna held the unicorn's head up to her eyes.

"Night Fury is right. We all make terrible decisions we regret. But what matters is how we recover from them and fix them. My… um… handsome stuff… Night Fury knows that. So as a Princess, let me say this. You are one of the most heroic and inspirational ponies I have ever seen. Be proud of yourself, young one." Luna smiled at her.

Everyone gave Twilight a reassuring smile. Twilight felt elated.

"Thanks everyone. Sometimes I think I worry too much."

"Ya think?" Rainbow said.

"Yeah what she said." Fury chuckled. He then looked at his girlfriend. 

"Oh and handsome stuff? Still can't get one to stick with?" Fury teased Luna.

"Oh, I think I have one now… Lightning bug."

"Lightning bug? Why that?" He did not expect a name like that.

"The first part needs no explanation. For the second, it's because you can transform into a bug and bugs are adorable like you. And compared to me, you are the size of a bug. Which makes you perfect for snuggling!" 

Fury was not sure whether to feel insulted or charmed. Perhaps both. And anyways as long as it's his Moonpie saying then he was okay with it.

"I think that's the perfect name, moonpie." He said, nuzzling his true love now both feeling satisfied.

"You know Lightning Bug, me thinking of that name was worth not seeing the stars. Well for tonight at least. Next time, you should take your job more seriously or else…" She placed her feathers near Fury's neck.

"Yeah I'll keep that in mind, sweetie." He responded with a drop of sweat rolling down his face. "But hang on, this has got me thinking. Now that we both have admitted our love for eachother, what are we gonna do about it going public? I mean, some ponies already know because of what happened a few days ago, but what about the greater masses that are still in the dark about it? Do you think that we should, or even could be public with our love?" Fury asked.

Luna then gave an unusual smirk. And she said, "I am not ashamed to admit this. I am done cowering. I will show you as my one true love." Luna said.

Night Fury was impressed by her newfound confidence and was about to kiss her when suddenly…

Strong winds were brewing. Trumpets were blasting. These sounds could only mean one thing.

The arrival of a princess.

Everypony looked up to see Celestia from a chariot coming forth. She seemed calm however. But they wondered why she was there.

Everypony except Luna and Night Fury bowed to her.

But when she arrived she said nothing until she walked to her student.

"Twilight Sparkle, you have done great things today. And for all these days I must congratulate you. You have grown in wisdom and have understood truly what friendship means." Celestia said.

Twilight felt good but confused. Did Celestia really travel for presumably hours just to congratulate her.

"You're wondering why I'm telling you this, hmmm?" Celestia predicted. "Well Twilight, my student, or I should say former student, it is now time for you to climb the next step of your journey." Celestia's horn glowed.

Everypony was confused. Next step.

"You have earned this right. Come forth, Princess Twilight Sparkle!" She said, her eyes glowing and a beam shooting into Twilight.

"TWILIGHT!" Spike cried out.

All they could see was the young purple mare in a vortex of bright light. It was brighter than anything they had seen.

"FACE YOUR NEW DESTINY!" Celestia cried out. 

The vortex extinguished. Twilight was lying on the ground.

"Twi, you okay?!" Fury said worried.

Twilight stood up.

"I-I'm fine." But instead of relief she saw everyone's shock.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She raised her eyebrows.

"T-twilight, you might want to take a look at your back." Spike piped up. Twilight looked at her back and her eyes went wide, she had been given wings. She was now an alicorn.

"No way!" Fury said. "Twilight, you're an alicorn!"

"Wowee! Talk about an upgrade!" Pinkie added. 

"Oh by Celestia, darling, you look fantastic!" Rarity said in awe.

Twilight was too shocked to say anything.

"What's going on? How did this happen?!" Twilight cried out in surprise.

"You see my student, I always saw in you great potential. Great potential to lead. To unite those who quarrel. And to protect. But only in these past few months have you proven truly worthy of becoming… princess." Celestia said. "For awhile I was looking for a new princess. Someone younger and more with the times than me who is getting old. And that is you."

"But… I don't know anything about being a princess! How could I be placed in such a position of power?!" Twilight asked frantically. 

"Because I see that you are a powerful leader and a great role model for all of pony kind. You are an inspiration to us all, Twilight Sparkle. Even me."

Twilight was stunned and even saw the other Mane Six bowing to her. 

"I-I don't know what to say." Twilight said.

"Don't be worried," Night Fury said. "I don't know a lot about pony politics but I know one thing these months as ambassador has taught me. You are ready to be a leader. And luckily for you, you have your friends and family by your side." Fury said with a hint of sadness. "You'll be great with this, I promise."

Tears started pouring out of Twilight.

"Thanks everyone. I'll try my best." 

"I must concur, but that isn't the only piece of news I have. Night Fury, I have also come to address a great change in your life as well." Celestia looked at Fury and then at Luna. "And for you too, my sister."

"Tomorrow, we shall announce the official romance between Princess Luna and Ambassador Night Fury! And we shall announce Twilight's new role as Princess of Friendship!" Celestia declared loudly using the Royal Canterlot Voice.

Luna, Twilight and Fury were all equally shocked at first. But then soon after they felt confident in this new chapter of life.

"We'll be ready, Princess." Twilight smiled confidently.

"I concur." Luna said.,

"Alright, now my life is getting somewhere!" Fury added. He then looked to the stars above him.

"Mom, Dad, I wish you could see where I am now. I'll find you soon enough, I swear. Just give me some time, I'll make you proud. Wherever you are." 

He looked confidently at everypony.

"I gotta get some shuteye. See you guys tomorrow. Especially you Luna." He said looking softly into her eyes.

"Likewise, my love." Luna replied.

And so everypony anticipating big things, all went to sleep. 

–

Da da da da!

As the horns were blowing, flowers were falling, everyone was cheering. It was a day of positive change.

There in the palace, Twilight Sparkle took her place on the new throne seat.

She called everyone to silence.

"Thank you everypony. I might be the princess of friendship but that is only because of you all. How you all, every single one of you," She said looking at Night Fury, "have inspired me through your example to seek out friendship. And I promise to the best of my ability to repay your kindness by creating a new era of friendship! Thank you so much everypony! And may we all be blessed by a new era of friendship!" Twilight cried out.

Everypony cheered insanely. They cheered Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. It made her blush at this sudden attention.

"But I cannot take all the credit on this day, for another has something to share with you all." She said, stepping aside to let Night Fury take center stage. 

"Ladies and Gentlecolts behold our Ambassador of the Speed Shifters, Night Fury!"

Everypony applauded once more

"Thank you Princess. I hope you guys are doing alright today. Because it's about to get even better." 

Everypony waited with anticipation.

"I have a new a fillyfriend. And she is very beautiful! Mysterious but kind once you get to know her."

Everypony applauded but were anxious to find out who this lucky lady was.

"Ladies and gentlecolts here is my new fillyfriend." 

Princess Luna then flew out of the curtain and stood my Night Fury.

Everypony's jaws dropped. It was unusual to see Princess Luna in public. Much less seeing her so happy. And even more so for her to be romantically engaged.

"Now I understand that this may look impossible and you may be wondering if you're dreaming. But let me tell you, it's no dream. This is real, Princess Luna is my filly friend."

Everypony wondered if this was a prank. Was this Luna some sort of imposter?

"Nice try pal! But we know Princess Luna. And she would never-"

"FOOL! Are you questioning my love for Night Fury?!" everypony heard thunder striking. "I, The Princess of the Night have taken this gentlecreature as my one true love!"

Her voice then calmed down slightly.

"Woah, easy sweetheart! No need to get riled up." Fury calmingly said. Luna took a breath and spoke in a more controlled way. 

"He has given me companionship and I shall forever appreciate the love he has for me. I am truly thankful to have him come into my life. This is not in jest. For I have never been more serious than in my entire life. Do you now doubt my lover's testimony, citizens?" Luna asked the crowd.

All the crowd remained silent.  Then they heard applause. First from the former skeptic. Everypony applauded and cheered for the new couple.

"Congratulations you two!" came one pony.

"You two will make a cute couple!" Said another. 

"I take back what I said Fury! You're the stallion- uh cat!" 

Everypony in the crowd was happy. So Night Fury decided he would give her a big kiss in front of the crowd.

He would if Luna did not have that idea first.

They locked lips and when they pulled apart, they felt joy like never before. They knew this was the beginning of a new era.

"And now to finish this off!" Twilight said. "Hit it Pinkie Pie!"

Pinkie Pie then lit a fuse.

"Here comes your favorite, you lovebirds!" Pinkie cried out.

Out came a gatling gun that shot out pieces of cake at Princess Luna and Night Fury.

"Ah just like old times, huh?" Fury said.

Luna nodded. "Let's not keep them waiting!" She said as she stopped a piece of chocolate cake and flung it back at Pinkie Pie.

Everyone had fun on that day. Night Fury was surprised Twilight of all ponies would do something so silly. But he figured he must have rubbed off on her.

And so everyone had fun on that day. And became a bit fuller as well.
> Chapter 21: A Rundown In Romance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It has been over a week since that big day. The big announcement of Night Fury and Luna's admission of romance. For Fury he loved his new fillyfriend. But he was a little saddened by how little time they had for each other. They did get to write letters from Ponyville to Canterlot and vice versa, but for the Princess of the Night, he was eager to see her.

"Oh man, what I would give to see her more often." Fury said as he sat in the courtyard of his villa. "I mean, I want to spend more time with her, but with her being a princess and having her own duties to take care of, it would be basically impossible."

He rolled over on his back and looked up at the clear blue sky, thinking of how he could make this relationship work as the crisp autumn air brushed against his fur.

Maybe I could have Celestia move me into the castle? Nah, then I would have to deal with all the hustle and bustle. And I am not a city type. Maybe I could sneak in secret visits? No way, that would be creepy and probably start some drama. Darn it, if only there was a way for me to learn how to make this work! 

Too bad he was not an expert in the ways of love. He was never much good at it when he was younger. If only he knew an expert in love.

If only I could find someone who was proficient in the ways of romance, maybe even the leader of love. 
 He thought to himself. He wondered if he knew anyone that could solve his problem for a moment… 
…

Then an idea popped into his head.

"OH YEAH!" Night Fury got up and ran over to Twilight's house. Not for Twilight but for the young dragon's help.

knock knock

"Night Fury, don't you realize it's 5 in the morning?!" Spike answered the door a bit annoyed.

Wow, how long have I been thinking about this? Gah, it doesn't matter! I need to know now!

"Sorry Spike, but can you do me a favor? I have to ask Princess Cadence for help!"

"Ohhhhh, I see. Having love problems are we?" Spike snidely asked.

"Yeah, basically about spending more time with a busy dream princess." Fury said.

"Normally I would tell you later. But just this once because it's for love. In the name of romance, I shall write your letter now!" Spike said dramatically thinking about his love for a certain white unicorn.

"Thanks, kid. I could use the help." Fury said. Spike walked back inside and brought out a quill and scroll, listening to what Fury had to say. The letter was soon sent out and the two separated as they went on with their day. Well, at least one of them.

"Okay, now that I've got that letter sent out, I think I can finally rest easy." Spike said as he let out a yawn. "And maybe catch some extra Z's, all this thinking about love has tired me out."

And with that having been settled, the tired feline walked back to his villa to get some sleep and most likely sleep in. He couldn't break the thought of what he could learn from Cadence, but he knew that it had to be good. 

Ah my dear Luna I will find a way to be with you more…

–

knock knock

Fury got up. He didn't get as much sleep as he wanted with his mind constantly thinking about Luna. But he managed to get up. And opened the door revealing the Princess of Love herself.

"Hi there Fury! Um, did I come at a bad time, you look like you could use some more sleep-" Cadence spoke before being quickly silenced. 

"Nope nope nope! I am totally ready. I'm not tired at all! Do I look tired?" Fury stared into her with his tired eyes.

"Ummm-"

"Never mind! Let's just talk about what to do!" He said practically dragging Cadence in. She realized he was really taking this seriously. Just like how she did with Shining. So she decided to go along with it.

They sat down by a table. Fury made some spicy coco, a Speed Shifter tribal delicacy.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Cadence asked.

"Well I'm wondering how do I make this long distance relationship work?"

"Don't you two write letters?" Cadence asked.

"Yeah and it's nice but I really wish we could interact more. Luna said it might be another week before we can meet each other And that's a big if." Fury said. "Have you ever had this problem with Shining Armor?"

"Not that I can remember. I will admit that it was hard to keep in touch when we were teens, what with me having just become a princess and him working his way through the ranks of the Royal Guard. But we never truly had any sort of long distance relationship in all the years that we've known each other. Even so, I can see how that can feel." Cadence said, putting a hoof over his shoulder.

"I'm glad you understand. Am I gonna have to just be patient? I miss the old days with Luna." Fury said.

Cadence was about to say yes. But then she thought about it. She was the princess of love! Was she going to let Fury have to wait that long? No way! She was going to find a way.

"Um, Cadence? Hello?" He said, waving his arm.

"Fury, I think I might have an idea!" Cadence said to him. "Alright, so here's the deal. Luna does have long duties at nighttime. But if we do this right, we could have her be in town with you. After all, unlike Celestia, she barely interacts with other ponies."

"So just like before with that vacation time?" 

"Here's the twist too: she can still perform her nighttime duties, in Ponyville!" Cadence said. "And as long as she is not interrupted in her sleep, she can perform nightly duties!"

"Wow you're a genius, Cadence!" Fury said. "I'll have more time this way!"

"Now that we have a solution for that, we're gonna have to give you a crash course on how to treat a mare!" Cadence said.

"Wait, didn't we already solve our problem?" Fury said.

"Yes! But now that you will spend more time with her, you must be trained in the art of love!" Cadence said. "Join me, and I shall impart my knowledge unto you in the Gauntlet of Amour!"

"But I'm tired…"

"Hey, you were the one who sent me that message early in the morning! So now we must make haste with love! So come forth!" Cadence lifted Fury to the living room to display her pamphlets. It was as if she was going to give him this lecture even before he explained.

"Lovely Ladies Monthly, Mares And You, Love For The Singles? Cadence, these are all just magazines for girls, not about them. How is this supposed to help me besides giving me something to read for a quick laugh at some drama? Seriously, who would even make this magazine?!" He chuckled.

"Me." Cadence said with a bit of annoyance.

"Oh, uhhhh," Fury realized he just insulted her magazines. 

"Look, these magazines are supposed to show you the feminine perspective. Being for girls will help you see clearly how to woo her." Cadence said, handing him one of the magazines.

"Okay then, let's see what this does for me." Fury replied skeptically. He flipped to a random page where it depicted a mare snuggling a stallion.

"Snuggling Your Special Somepony. How is snuggling going to help me get her more into me? And besides, have you seen how stone cold she can be?" He asked. 

"You have to get used to embracing your partner. She is a shy pony, so it's your job to be the initiator of this. It helps bond you two together. It makes you one with each other. For me and Shining, that's how we bond." Cadence said. "And besides, you'll get warmer eventually. You have to get used to it."

"Well when you put it that way…" Fury said. "I suppose I can do that."

"Good! Next you have to learn how to open doors for her!" Cadence said. "Be a gentlecolt and let her go first and you second."

"But if it's tasty food! I wanna be first!" Fury complained. "We don't have that tradition in my tribe!" Cadence held back a giggle at his blatant lack of chivalry. 

"But for us ponies, it's an ancient tradition. So you might want to do it if you want to be seen as charming."

"Okay, so how would I do that?" Fury asked, even if he had no interest.

"For this, we're gonna need to set the scene." Cadence said. She lit her horn a bright blue and used a spell to set some props. From fake cardboard ponies to plates of food, she had it all set up.

"Oooh, this looks good." Fury said, having skipped breakfast. He was drooling over all the amenities. The cake. The pie. He was about to eat when-

Wack

Cadence slapped the table. "Ah ah ah, aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?" 

"To open the door for the mare, remember? Just pretend I'm Luna."

"Yeah ok." He walked up to the door and opened it for Cadence. "May I invite you in?"

"Indubitably." Cadence said imitating Luna's overly formal way of speaking. Fury couldn't help but snicker at Cadence's impression of his filly friend, it wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. He walked up to the fake door and opened it for her.

"For you, my love." Fury said, leading her to the table.

Fury was finally ready to chow down.

"Really?" Cadence said. "Wow you're helpless without me. Look, you have to give the chair to the mare you're with."

"Really? That can't she do it herself?"

"In theory, yes. But that's not the point. It's the principal."

"You sound like my mother. Fine!" Fury pulled up the chair allowing Cadence to sit down.

"Thank you, my love of eternity." Cadence said. Fury didn't know why, but he blushed at Cadence's words.

By the gods, it's like she had just as much of an influence while just pretending as Luna is being for real! She is somepony that I do not want to tease. She could make me look like a strawberry with how smooth she is. 

They both sat together and Cadence pointed out all the different ways to act like a gentlecolt. From proper spoons and forks to eating with his mouth closed and even how to pour wine properly.

My goodness, this is a lot of stuff. Fury said in his mind.

"You know Cadence, if I didn't know any better, I would say you were Rarity." Fury joked. Cadence chuckled at this.

"Well, for now at least. Rarity despite going a little too far sometimes, she does have a point with her manners when it comes to these events. If you ever want to take Luna to some fine dining, like you told me in that letter, these rules are important to follow." Cadence said.

"Well, that's a relief. Now, there's still the matter of showing affection to her and bonding with her though. How would I even do that?" Fury asked, wondering.

"To do that, you can have a nice couch, perhaps some warm drinks, and a blanket to share. These things can surely help." Cadence said. "And a pet name of course."

"I have a pet name for her! Moonpie!" Fury said.

Cadence chuckled at this.

"Good. Very good. You're a lot easier at this than my husband was, that's for sure."

"Well, I guess I am. But still, I don't know the first thing when it comes to snuggling up next to somepony. Seriously, even my mom never did that to me! And before you ask, she did it as a way to give me my space. She wasn't that distant before she disappeared." He explained with a chuckle. Cadence put a hoof to her chin as she wondered how she could help him over this hump.

"Maybe I could show you how." She suggested.

"Cadence, I appreciate the offer, but I'm not trying to get killed today." Fury defended. This got a genuine laugh out of the pink princess.

"Oh relax, I know that I'm married! And besides, there's a difference between friendly cuddling and romantic snuggling. Trust me." 

Fury found this quite awkward. But he figured it was the best way to find out how to do well with Luna.

"Okay, if you say so. Now, where do we start?" Fury said.

Cadence showed him how to do romantic gestures like putting an arm around Cadence. Or giving her some cocoa. And even watching a cozy movie.

"Can't I watch Zombie Hunter V? Rainbow likes that movie!" Fury said.

"I don't think Luna is that type of pony. She might want something more sophisticated and dramatic." Cadence said.

"Okay okay! I'll find a movie with some fancy shmancy stuff." Fury said finally getting a video case with a masked suited figure.

While they were watching the movie, Fury surprisingly liked the corny old fashioned dialogue. And the scenes with sword fights were quite cool.

"You getting used to this, Fury?" Cadence asked, getting closer to Fury. 

"Yeah, this feels… right. Like it's something that I should have done a long time ago. It just makes me feel… feel so… mmmm."

Fury trailed off as he got comfortable and actually started to purr like a house cat. Cadence was actually not expecting that. She found it quite adorable.

"Awww, you're like a big kitten aren't you?" Cadence teased.

Fury was somewhat tired at this point and said nothing. He just purred and relaxed. He was just enjoying himself. 

"I do enjoy your time, Moonpie." Fury said getting closer than expected to Cadence.

"Moonpie?" Cadence said a little confused. Okay this is getting a little more personal than I was expecting. Perhaps I shouldn't have done this while he was tired and watching a movie.

"Okay Fury, good work, but could you give me some room?" Cadence asked.

"But I love your presence, my Princess Of The Night." Fury kept on getting on getting closer to her.

"Oh shoot." Cadence said to herself.

He thinks I'm Luna! I forgot about Speed Shifters' primal instincts! 

"Okay Fury how about we take a break? I think you're good for now." Cadence said desperately hoping Fury's instincts aren't overtaking him. 

"C'mon dearest, you wouldn't want to leave me alone. Would you?" He said, looking into Cadence's eyes. Cadence then noticed that Fury's eyes weren't their usual red, but a more Magenta color. 

"Fury, I am not Luna, I am Cadence! The Princess of Love, not the Princess of the Night! I've only been practicing with you and nothing more. Do you understand?" Cadence spoke up hoping to convince the lovestruck feline.

"Oh I understand my lady. I understand that I am yours and you are mine." He gave a gentlemanly bow.

Oh brother. Cadence rolled her eyes.

"Alright, I'm just going to go buy some snacks for myself. I'll be back in a few-"

"Don't leave me, my love!" Fury said, hugging her tightly. "I will not lose you again!"

Cadence never thought she would be annoyed by excessive romance. She is now.

"Don't make me use my magic on you!" Cadence replied, her horn glowing.

"You say that, but I know you would never attack me because you and I are lovers- Owww!"

Cadence used a beam of magic to make him let her go and flew out of his villa.

"Oh no. She is running away from me! Perhaps she is being manipulated by some evildoers! Perhaps by Blueblood's cronies! I must rescue her!" Fury said, imitating the chivalrous knights that were in the movies Cadence made him watch. He ran out quickly.

–

For Cadence she realized he was in some sort of phase. She needs to find out how to get him back to normal.

"I'm the Princess of Love so I could use one of my love spells. But I need more energy to perform it! It'll take me hours before I recharge!" Cadence wondered aloud.

"Let's see. Maybe I could get Twilight to help me get Fury back to normal! Yes! That's it!"

"There you are, my Moonpie!" Fury said, running towards her.

Oh great, he's here! I almost forgot that he has super speed!

Cadence said to herself as she took off in an attempt to get away from Fury, but he was just too fast.

"Wait, my love, is there something bothering you? Please, let me be the partner you need and help me help you!" He called.

"Oh! At this rate, I won't make it to Twilight without him being on my tail!" Cadence said in panic. "Think girl! Think!"

She now knew what Fury felt when she chased him. Now it was the reverse.

She looked around for anything to help her. She thought what could slow a Speed Shifter down?

She looked at one of the carts around. She saw somepony selling spinach and cabbage. The things a true Speed Shifter would not even look at.

"Well, you would like some veggies!" Cadence said flying there.

She basically took several veggies from the cart. Before the shop owner could complain, she threw a huge fat sack of bits, which satisfied him.

Fury was closing in on her. 

"Oh my love! There is one thing you must do for me!" She cried out to him.

"What shall I do to serve thee?"

"Eat your vegetables!" Cadence said as she flung a whole bunch of cabbages at Night Fury. One ginger into his mouth. Fury was absolutely disgusted and paused for some time. He hacked and coughed up the veggies in a haste to get the taste out of his mouth.

"Ugh, Cadence, what was that for?! I know I love pranks but I draw the limit at forced eating!" He called. Then he sort of glitched, twitching as a Magenta colored electric charge surged his body.

"Wait, my love, I forgive you! You must have felt threatened by something! Please allow me to be your guide. Wait, where did you go?" Cadence hid behind a nearby bush and thought about what she had just seen.

When I threw those vegetables at him, he seemed to go back to normal for a moment. Then he started glitching with that magenta aura and went back to his original, love bound state. Where have I seen that before? Cadence asked herself.

She did remember when back at the museum, briefly seeing Fury in his rage state and when the Truther showed a hologram of him training his temper. She remembered him having to meditate and do all sorts of incantations to resist his primal urges.

It seems like there is still a sane side to Fury left. Maybe if I just try to help him resist mentally, he can be back to normal! Time for a little hypnosis.

Cadence flew up and got Fury's attention, acting like she needed him. 

"Romeo, oh Romeo. I need you! Please be my comfort and savior in my sour state." She said,

"Of course, my dear nightly love. We shall rectify your issues and make you better in no time!"

"Then please, come with me and me and be my saving grace!" Cadence said as she flew back towards Fury's villa. 

-

Cadence landed in the courtyard of the mansion and waited for her target.  Two seconds later, he came barreling in and came face to face with her 

"C'mon, Moonpie, what's bothering you? Fury asked. "If there is some evil in your life I shall slay it!" 

"My love, I wish to read you a poem. To seal our love for each other in eternity." She said sarcastically as she floated a pocket watch behind her back, ready to start the hypnotic procedure. 

"I am ready to hear it, my flower of the night!"

"First, look into this pendulum. It, uh,  ensures we'll be together forever. Totally." Cadence said, wanting to get this over with.

"Okay!" He started intensely into the pocket watch. 

"Listen to me, Night Fury. I am Cadence, princess of love. I am not the princess of the night. You shall acknowledge this fact forevermore. Do not be confused." Cadence reciting the text on the scroll.

Fury started to feel dizzy, his eyes spinning in his head as he became seduced by the pendulums' swinging motion. 

"You are Cadence? No, you are Luna!"

"I am Cadence."

"L l-luna."

"I am Cadence."

"You are Lu- no. You are Cadence, The Princess of Love."

"Yes, I am Cadence!" With one last chant, Fury fell to the floor in a heap, dizzy and unaware of where he was. He had seemingly passed out, if it weren't for his quiet muttering indicating that he was still somewhat conscious. 

"Fury, Furyyyy. Are you there?" Cadence called as she waved a hoof in front of his face, but got no response from the hypnotized feline. "Come on Fury! Get up!"

Still no response.

"Oh no. What if I made him have a coma? No, this can't be! I need to take him to the doctor immediately!" Cadence panicked as she ran to the door of the villa, but stopped as she realized an easier way to get Fury back.

"Wait, there's a better way to do this… That's it! I know exactly what will wake him up!" She said as she walked back to the dizzy feline and stretched her wings out. 

Cadence summoned all the energy within her and focused it into her wings. She put them on Fury. 

"Prepare to be tickled!" Cadence then aggressively tickled his armpits and his chest not letting up whatsoever, but he didn't budge.

"Maybe I have to hit a different spot." She said, flipping him over and hitting his belly. 

"Coochie coochie coo!" She tickled his underside with her feathers. "How do you like that, huh? You big kitten!" She kept doing it for over thirty seconds when she noticed signs of slight activity. She saw him move slightly. She kept going.

I think it's working!

"HeheheheHAHAHAHA!" And just like that, he was laughing his signature goofy laugh.

"Hahahahahah, Cadence, quit it! It tickles!" Fury said out loud.

"Maybe I'll go a little longer." Cadence teased.

"Cadence!"

"Okay, okay." she let go of him. 

"Oh boy, did I fall asleep or something?" Fury asked.

"In a way you did." 

Cadence explained everything that happened when he turned into a love obsessed maniac. 

"Oh great! Feelings of love can make me feel that way too?!" Fury said. "Ugh, now I know what I'm gonna have to train for next. I wasn't too embarrassing, right?"

Cadence shook her head.

"You were. I love sappy romance movies but even I have my limits that I would never go past and you my friend, went past them."

"Oh boy, there's the nail in the coffin." Fury said, turning a bright shade of red and falling on his back. "Well, safe to say that this was a bust." 

"Not completely," Cadence said. "Now you know how to treat a lady. Although I might have been a little pushy especially when you were tired."

"Aww, it's okay. I guess you're right though. Now I know how to snuggle and watch cheesy melodramas and all that jazz." Fury admitted.

"Good work, my apprentice!" Cadence said. "You have passed gentlecolt boot camp and are ready to woo the princess of the night. So when will you see Luna?"

"Soon enough. But for now, I have something else to attend to." He said slyly.

"And what's that?" Cadence asked, slightly nervous.

"Oh nothing, check this out." The black feline then glowed a harsh red before reforming as an octopus.

"Wow, you've been practicing with your new forms, I see."

"Yep, but I'm not going to use it for swimming…" Cadence began to sweat as she saw the black cephalopod slip a tentacle around her.

"Well, what are you gonna use it for?" Cadence shuddered as the cold appendage wrapped around her.

"Nothing… Besides getting my revenge on you!" He said as he started to pull her in. 

He pulled her in closer. And gave a smile from his cephalopod beak.

"You could use a new color Cadence. Pink is a little old these days."

Cadence was confused.

"What are you talking about?"

Squirt! 

He got some black ink over Cadence's torso. She felt so slimy. 

"Eww, that is just wrong! It'll take me hours to clean this, you dirty little octopus!" Cadence complained.

"Haha! Ink squirt for the win!" Fury laughed. "And besides, you can't touch me because I'm just as slimy!" He said as Cadence tried to slap him but he was too slippery to do so.

"I guess you're not a complete gentlecolt eh?" Cadence said.

"Nope! And besides, being cheeky and devious is part of my charm. That's what Luna likes about me in the first place anyway."

Cadence chuckled.

"Yep. And I would be pretty bored if you were just a white knight and so would Luna. I'll leave that for my lovely Shining Armor. Don't change too much, okay?"

"Oh don't you worry about that," He said as he grabbed Cadence and pulled her in for a slimy, wet octopus hug. "I'm not planning on changing a bit!" 

"Heh heh yeah! You got that right!" She hugged back a little awkwardly at the sliminess but embraced it nonetheless.

He finally let go satisfied and transformed back to his usual self.

Cadence, still sticky, spoke to Fury.

"I wish you luck with your date with the Princess of the Night! I heard there's a fancy restaurant at night with the world renowned musician Octavia playing a classy tune on her violin." 

"I already had that one in mind. Tonight, I'll show how classy a guy like me can be! Look out Luna! I'm gonna sweep you off your hooves!"

And so, Cadence left back for the Crystal Empire and Fury practiced and got ready for the big night.

–

"Hold still, darling! I need you to be still!" Rarity said, preparing his suit.

"Rarity, I know! It's just that my fur isn't exactly as finely maintained as yours. I think I should make that a more primary thing now that I'm becoming more domesticated."

Rarity seemed pleased at this.

"Ah good. The first step to solving a problem is acknowledging after all." She kept on working. "Are you nervous, Fury? I'm sure you'll be fine with Princess Luna."

"Well, I can't say that I'm not. To be honest, this is our first true date ever since that whole prank potion mix up. This is the first time I've ever gone on a date at all, for that matter."

"Well all I can say is just this. Remember what Cadence said about showing good manners and do not fear. I used to be very nervous when I was on my first date. But I trained myself to do so! And you can too!"

"Thanks rare, I needed that." Fury said. Soon after Rarity had finished her work, a knock came from the door of the boutique.

"That must be her. Phew, okay, here we go." 

Rarity wished him luck and Fury opened the door to reveal a lovely sight to behold.

Luna was in a purple silky dress. It had constellations and plants on her. It seemed to fit quite perfectly for who she was being the Princess Of The Night. Fury also noticed that her mane wasn't flowing in its usual invisible wind, but was straight and finely brushed. Her beautiful form made Fury's face go red and his heart race as she craned her neck down to speak to him. 

Fury said nothing at first. He was in awe of her.

"Hello, Night Fury. You seem quiet. Are you feeling well?" Luna asked.

Fury quickly recovered and stood up straight. 

"Why wouldn't I be after seeing how lovely you look, my sweet princess." He said, grabbing her hoof and kissing it.

Now it was Luna's turn to blush at his smoothness.

"Oh you!"

"Shall I take you to our destination, my lady?" 

"Lead the way, my love." She said as she let Fury lead her to their date.

"Good luck, you two!" Rarity called.

"Trust me Rarity, with this beautiful girl by my side, I won't need it!" Fury shot back. 

Night Fury and Luna took a walk outside and saw a bunch of bright stars lighting up the night sky. While it was nothing unusual or beyond sight like Fury could see, Luna still appreciated the peaceful walk with her new coltfriend. She was happy that she could spend more time with Fury now that she will visit Ponyville more often.

They kept on walking and talked about different things like food or the clouds up in the sky.

Alas they had finally reached their destination 

A large beautiful restaurant with classical columns and black marble. It seemed like a temple. Of course for Fury he knew it was a temple of fine dining.

"I did not think Ponyville had a building this grand!" Luna remarked.

"This town is more than meets the eye, my dear. Now, shall we?" He said as he went up to the door and opened it for Luna.

"Astonishingly beautiful ladies first." He chuckled. 

Luna was impressed. She thought this modern era was filled with uncouth stallions who had no standards. But Fury of all the creatures she met sure did.

They went into the restaurant decorated with old paintings, mosaics of Ponyville history, some fish tanks and impressively a mural of a constellation with jewels for stars in the black walls.

"May I help you, ambassador and princess?" asked a waiter with a fancy accent.

"Table for two please!" Fury said.

The couple sat at a nice table where they heard a relaxing piano in the background.

When the waiter served them, it was like heaven for both of them. Luna had her typical cucumber sandwiches. And Fury had his fish which would normally be fed to cats. But they both had a special delicacy that Luna relished even as a filly, mooncakes.

"Wow, these mooncakes are delicious, Luna!" Fury said. 

"I am glad you like them. It's said one the Pillars as we call them, Mistmane, used to make these with astonishing beauty, just like anything associated with her."

"Well I'm sure she wasn't as beautiful as you, moonpie." He said with a wink.

"Oh you're just saying that." Luna blushed.

"Am I?" He said, giving her a kiss. "Because from how I see it, a lady of the night like yourself is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I always love the night and so a princess of night fits right in."

Luna simply nodded.

"I can see why you took an interest in me so long ago. And speaking of which, it feels like just yesterday we were just friends making small talk." Luna said.

"Yeah, who would have thought we would be sitting here on a date in such a short time? Reminds me of how my folks met." Fury said 

"Really? How so?"

"Well, when my mom was just getting into her teen hood, she was in that part of her life where every guy she saw was hot. She looked for weeks on end to find the one she wanted, and then she ran into my dad when he was just a soldier in our defense force. They stayed friends for around the same time we did, only they stretched that out a little while longer before they started dating."

"After a few dates over the course of a couple of months, my dad popped the question under the cover of night. And my mom said yes. They got married a week later, mom decided to take things to the next level, and nine months later on a dark, stormy night, I came into the picture." 

Fury looked at these stories with fondness. He always loved hearing tales of his parents past exploits and in this case, their romantic exploits. Ever since he stopped seeing them he always cherished those memories.

"In a dark stormy night? Well I guess it was a sign of who you would become."

"And who might that be?" He asked with a smirk.

"A bit reckless, a bit impetuous, a bit too intense sometimes…" Luna teased.

"Okay okay, I get it!"

"But also someone passionate about love, someone who runs like lightning to help those in need, and someone who fears not the night but embraces it fully." Luna said.

"Aww, thanks. That's exactly what my mom said when I was born. As a matter of fact, that's how I really got my name. When I said that I got my name from sneaking snacks a few months ago, I was kidding. I like to tell funny fake stories about myself." Fury said in jest. But then he looked down. "And I guess I didn't think I deserved to be taken too seriously back then, especially compared to others in my village."

Luna held his paw.

"Well Fury, you deserve to be taken seriously. You have so many great things. and not just that but you have a good heart. And that is why I admire you.

"Well I guess I have been becoming more of a warrior ever since I started to fight a bit better, like with Sombra and Blueblood's goons."

"No Fury." Luna looked into his eyes. "You were always a hero. Even before you defeated them, you always had that attitude. While flawed, you didn't have to fight to prove yourself. You were always worthy. I might not have seen you back then but I can tell from what I've heard. Amongst us all, you stand the tallest. 

Fury covered his eyes. Was it tears?

"Thanks Luna. I won't forget that. I'm glad I have someone like you in my life."

"And the same for you, my love." Luna said softly.

They both delighted in each other's presence.

"But now that I've gone down that road, let's go the other way. I want to know more about you. What was your childhood like?" 

Luna wasn"t sure what to say at first for she had not shared this with most ponies, save for her sister.

"Well I can say that back when Equestria was united for the first time, me and my sister came from a prominent family. Of course, Celestia was always more athletic and liked to socialize with friends. For me, I simply delighted in things like painting, reading or best of all, looking at the stars in the sky." Luna said.

"Back then, only a few ponies appreciated the night. Even stars they saw as a mere amusement compared to something like cloud formations or plants, things that tend to be seen better in the daytime." Luna said.

Fury was silent in hearing her story. He was truly curious.

"For me," Luna said. "I sometimes felt unappreciated. I felt like I was lesser than those around me. I was thankful to have my sister though. Sometimes though I feel like she didn't fully understand me. Although the same could be said for me. She and I are still trying to understand each other. I hope we can do so fully one day."

Fury nodded along.

"I completely understand. Not everyone of my kind understood me that well either. You see, I was an energetic kid when I was young. The wild card. I would do the most random things that no one for the life of them would ever be able to understand. Whether that be climbing trees and hopping from branch to branch, or playing in the mud wallows and sliding down mud slides when I was bored. Contrary to how I act, most Speed Shifters are not as happy-go-lucky as me. Regardless of that, I didn't let that bother me because I knew that there were two others that still loved me for who I was." 

"And I can say the same for you when I tell you that you have someone in your life that loves you without any doubt. You are just as special to me as you are to your sister and anypony else that looks up to you. So don't forget, you are loved, appreciated, and cared for regardless of how many do so. Whether it's friends, family, or your partner."

Luna smiled at this.

"Thank you. Sometimes I take who loves me for granted. But I am thankful for those who love me. Including you." Luna said with a smile that melted Fury's heart.

Fury was about to kiss her again when the next thing happened.

"Ladies and gentlecolts, we have tonight a special guest. The elegant and beautiful Octavia Melody shall be playing her Tribute to the Night now. If anypony would like to dance with your partner, this is the right time!" said one of the staff.

"So, what do you say to a little slow dance?" Fury asked as he stood up and held his paw out to his date. Luna smiled.

"I would love to." She replied, grabbing hold of his paw and following him onto the dance floor. 

Fury was a little nervous. He was able to fight monsters, but the biggest monster for him now is to dance smoothly in a crowd of others. 

No. Cadence taught me what to do. I'm ready to go all out. 

On the dance floor, Fury calmed himself with the deep breath techniques Cadence taught him and said some incantations to calm himself down. He listened to the smooth sound of the violin. And he went along with it.

He relaxed into the music and he delightfully danced with Luna.

However he saw Luna was more stressed. She was a bit nervous. 

"Don't worry. Just follow how I dance, moonpie." Fury whispered to her.

It took time, but Luna started to finally get more of a grasp. She started to delight in the music whose peaceful tone reminded her of being a filly looking at the starlit sky. She felt a bit more comfortable now.

"I must say that you are a smooth dancer, Night Fury." She complimented.

"Thanks, I learned from the best." He replied, not wanting to give away his secret. The music continued its soft and smooth rhythm for a few more minutes, ponies enjoying the time they had with their partners as they embraced each other. 

–

Later on that night, Luna and Night Fury were walking along a dirt path towards Fury's villa. They both had enjoyed their time with each other and we're happy that they took advantage of it while they had the chance. 

"Well Luna, was I a dapper gentlecat today?' Fury asked a little smugly 

"You have impressed me, Night Fury. I knew you were many things. But I never knew you could be such a gentlecolt. I guess even someone uncouth like you can be made sophisticated."

He gave a pout at that.

"I'm not that unsophisticated!" Luna giggled at his reaction.

"Aww, I'm sorry sweetie pie. You must be devastated." She teased.

"Oh ha ha, very funny." Fury chuckled. He leaned up next to her and nuzzled her neck, purring in the process. Luna looked at him with a surprised look.

"Did… did I just hear you purr?" Luna asked, surprised.

"Um, maybe?" Fury asked.

"That is simply adorable!" She said more loudly than usual before glomping onto him. "I should have known after all you are like a big kitten." She said half teasing half snuggling his fur.

"Heh, I guess Cadence wasn't the only one surprised by that. Wait, not like- doh!" He grunted, having said too much.

Darn it, I spilled the beans! Nice going, skinny tail.

"Oh, so Cadence knows about this too? Would you like to explain how before I find out for myself?" Luna said with an evil smirk. 

"Well… it's a long story, Luna…. You wouldn't be too interested." Fury said, hoping to get rid of suspicion.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, I think I am a little interested in this story of yours and Cadence's." 

Fury sighed.

This is gonna be a long night. I just hope she won't get jealous.

"Well you see, me and Cadence were sort of training for my date with you and…." 

He proceeded to explain about all the stuff that happened earlier today. 

"YOU WERE CUDDLING WITH CADENCE!?" Luna asked with fury.

"That's what I told her! I didn't wanna do it! Cadence can be a little weird when it comes to romance sometimes! But we weren't that close to each other!" Fury defended. Luna looked towards him with a look that could kill. But before she could say anything, another voice chimed in from above.

"Luna, please don't kill him!" The voice said. The couple looked up to see none other than Cadence flying in.

"Cadence? What are you doing back here?" Fury said.

"I was going to check up on you two to see how your date was. But it looks like things got a little rough." Cadence said. "Don't tell me you forgot to open the door for Luna?"

"No, it went well. Until, um, I told Luna about our date training." Fury said.

Cadence then realized. She had to quickly dispel things before Luna became angry at both her and Fury.

"Do you care to explain this situation, Cadence?" Luna said with a calm but dangerous look.

Cadence explained her methods and how this was all simply platonic. And she had no intention of seducing Night Fury. After all, as the Princess of Love, one of the rules was against cheating on others.

"...and that is how I used cabbages to delay Night Fury. And he got back to normal. He was never in love with me. Only with you, Luna." She explained. 

"Yeah, Cadence is a little plain for me. No offense."

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"I said no offense!"

"So much for you being a gentlecolt! And I thought you had a bit more manners especially since I was defending you!" Cadence argued. 

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being a little boring and ordinary. Sometimes you need someone a bit more sane." Fury said, triggering Luna. 

"Bahahahahaha!" 

Cadence and Fury stopped their arguing to look at Princess Luna.

"This amuses me greatly. I should have known Fury, you would not find Cadence to your liking. She is just not your type." 

"Never was, never will be. That's why I squirted her with octopus ink. So I could see if she could look more like me and make it work!" Fury laughed out loud.

Cadence was still unamused whereas Luna was still amused.

"I understand now. Forgive me. Sometimes I overreact. I guess I was in a very romantic mood that led to jealousy."

"Hey I don't blame ya. I overreact all the time too! I guess that's why we're perfect for each other!" Fury laughed.

"Heh, I don't do that as much," Cadence said, now a little more calm. "That's my husband's job." 

"Ha, I don't doubt it!" Luna laughed.

"And Fury, you're gonna get the revenge of your life for that ink squirt!"

"Bring it on, Cady, you don't have the gall!" Fury shot back, showing his fangs. "And you're probably gonna have to do better than just some revenge."

"Oh, and why is that?" Cadence asked, which was a big mistake. Fury jumped into the air, transformed into an octopus again… 

Squirt!

And let loose a storm of ink that turned Cadence from pink to a shiny black.

"Because I'm not scared of a fight!" Fury said as he landed and transformed back to normal.

"Awww, come on! Not again!" Cadence said. But then she smiled evilly. "But you won't laugh forever! You made my coat black. How about we do the opposite for you?" She said levitating a bucket of paint.

"What's that supposed to be? Water? Are you gonna wash the black off of me?" Fury laughed, not taking her seriously.

"Nope, paint!" Cadence threw a bunch of paint at him.

"See, I think you look better just like me." Cadence smugly said.

Fury looked at his paws and saw it was… 

"Pink!!!" Fury cried out. "No no no no! How could this be?!"

"Ha, what do you have to say to that?!" Cadence said smugly. Fury looked horrified at his new color until he realized what else octopus ink was known for.

"Well, the only thing I can say is have a nice slide."

"Have a nice slide? What that supposed to mean- Woah!" Cadence yelled at her hooves slipped on the ink and made her slip and slide around.

"Oof!" 

"Hahahaha!" Luna and Night Fury laughed. 

"That is the most ancient gag I can think of. Except instead of a banana peel, it was octopus ink!" Luna giggled. "You are indeed a humous sort, my love!"

Cadence was annoyed at being foiled by this juvenile prank but she should not have expected any less from Night Fury.

"Thanks sweetie, I've got a knack for playing pranks. And poor Cadence can't do anything because she's too slippery to move, Ha!"

Cadence tried to get up but slipped. At first she was pouting. But she realized how fun things were going to be with Fury around.

"Oh, I don't have to move. It's you that should have gotten away when you had the chance!" Cadence said as she pulled Night Fury with her magic into the slippery ink.

"Oh no you don't! Luna, help me!" Fury called as he grabbed onto his filly friend, but that only made things worse as she began to slide as well. 

Now everyone was all sticky and gross. 

"Now what do we do?" Luna said. "I am now dirty with this black ink!"

"I know." Fury said.

"What?" Luna and Cadence asked. 

"Ink fight!" Fury yelled out. He flicked his tail and splattered ink on Luna's face.

"Oh, it is on!" She summoned a ball of black goo and threw it at Fury, only for it to be dodged and land on Cadence. 

"Oh yeah, two can play at that game!" Cadence threw more ink back.

They kept on fighting but eventually came the end of their war, the aftermath was gooey and icky. Everypony was quite tired but amused by the day.

"We should do this more often!" Fury said.

"I see you all are enjoying yourselves covered in ink." said a fourth voice. 

"Celestia?" Everypony asked. Just above the trio's heads hovered the Princess Of The Day observing them in their ink covered state.

"I didn't realize that you three were so close. Is there a secret club that I've been denied access to?" She joked as she landed in front of them. 

"If you mean the club of sheer mayhem and chaos, then yes, you have missed out." Cadence bluntly said.

"To be honest, I wish you were here too, sister. This was quite the event." Luna said.

"Yeah, she's right. If you had been here, this would be even better! The Great War Of Ink was rather messy and a bit satisfying. " Fury boasted.

"Who is to say your war is over?" Celestia said.

"Huh?" Fury looked at her.

"I am the ruler of this land. A war doesn't end unless I say it does. And for you," Celestia picked up a huge ball of ink, "It has just begun!"

She flung it at them and boom!

"Ugh!"

"Eww!"

Cadence and Luna both were covered in ink, but once they got to look around, they realized Fury had disappeared.

"Do you think that ink blob washed him out?" Cadence asked.

"Nah, I just dodged it." A voice came. The three princesses looked up to see Fury sitting on a nearby tree branch.

"Did you really think I would let you get me so easily, Celestia?" He said as he jumped down onto the path and smiled. "Well I'm not so easy to take down!" 

He took off from a standstill and jumped into the air, coming down in the surrounding puddle and skidding to a stop, flinging a wave of ink at the solar goddess. 

After seeing her formerly white fur turn black she gained a face of determination. 

"It… is… on!" 

And now the war had expanded. Powerful attacks of ink flew from side to side as the battle raged on, but Fury was about to bring it to an end.

"Alright, you three, you wanna see my true power? Then witness me!" Fury yelled. He used his power to launch into the air once more, transform into a giant walrus, and start flying down to launch his splashdown attack.

"Banzai!" The three princesses looked up at the blubbery creature in horror as they all said the same thing.

"Oh Feathers." 

There was a small rumble in the ground and much of that road was covered in gunk. Fury now realized he would probably have to do community service for that. But he didn't care today. For he truly delighted in all this fun. All three princesses were impressed with him. Especially Luna who was surprised one could be both a gentleman and fun loving rogue. It was the best of worlds for Luna.

"Hahaha! Victory is mine! The walrus republic shall rise to power!" Fury called as he made a series of walrus calls to signify his dominance. He opened his eyes to see that the three princesses had disappeared.

"Girls, where did you go?"

"We're still here, sweetie. We're just covered in so much ink that we blend in." Luna spoke as she shook some of the ink off to reveal herself, Cadence and Celestia doing much the same. 

"That was fun! We have to stay in touch and group up like this more!" Cadence said. 

"Indeed." Celestia said. "Although I don't think Rarity will be too pleased to see your suit all covered in ink."

Fury laughed nervously.

"Yeah heh heh. Please don't tell her. Last time I did that she yelled at me for hours!" Fury said. 

"Don't worry, I'll handle this." Luna said as she lit her horn and cleaned the surrounding area in a flash. All four of them were cleaned of the ink and spotless while the street was its usual gavel like color.

"Phew, thanks moonpie, you just saved me from a fashionista fiasco." Fury sighed, glad that he wouldn't have to take the dive.

"Of course. Any for my little Lightning Bug." Luna replied as she nuzzled Fury's cheek who chuckled at this, but Celestia was left rather confused. 

"Wait a second. Moonpie? Lightning Bug? What are those supposed to even mean?" Celestia said, a bit confused.

Luna blushed with a bit of embarrassment. But Fury just wrapped his arm around Luna and chuckled.

"It's our little thing we have going on. Besides, I think it's a cute name for a cute mare." Fury winked at Luna.

Cadence almost squealed with joy at this romantic display. Celestia chuckled at this.

"You two are one of the best couples I've ever seen! It's straight out of one my romance novels I wrote!" Cadence swooned. "Perhaps I could have you two as the basis for my characters."

Fury and Luna chuckled nervously.

"Uh maybe later, Cadence." Fury said not wanting to get involved in whatever Cadence wrote.

He stretched his arms out.

"Well, it's getting late. I think we should call it a night, huh?" 

"I must agree, my love. Tonight was rather fun. The dinner, you telling me about your memories, the slow dancing… It was all a wonderful time." Luna said. 

"I'm glad you liked it. And I have to thank you too Cadence. Without you, I would probably be sitting on my couch watching cheesy movies while eating popcorn." Fury chuckled.

"Heh, well I'm glad that you put your newfound knowledge to good use. It's not everyday that you get the chance to ask your crush out on a date."

"Yeah, that's true. And that's one of the things that I've always wanted to do, feel the love of someone who loves me just as much as I do them." Fury said, kissing Luna before yawning.

"Well, I'm gonna head home. Tonight was great, but tomorrow's another day. I'll catch you on the flip side, ladies!" He said as he took off towards his villa. 

As he took off, Cadence and Celestia walked back to their carriages. But Luna simply looked into the direction of Night Fury. She wondered how lucky she was to have a gentlecolt like Night Fury. Who would have thought someone so different from her could also be so right for her.

"Aunt Luna, are you coming?!" Cadence called out to her.

"Yes Cadence I am!"

Good night, my handsome Lightning Bug. May you have sweet dreams, that I shall make sure of.

As Luna was walking away, Night Fury saw her and felt so satisfied today. He lay down on his bed ready for a good night's sleep.

One day, mom and dad, I hope you can meet Luna and like her as much as I do. I promise you will.
> Chapter 22: The Discovery Of Destiny
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay guys, you know the rules! On your mark, get set, go!" 

Fury ran as fast as he could in his current state. He was racing, but not Rainbow Dash. But a new flier. And a new princess.

"Come on Twilight! You're catching up to that cat!" Rainbow called out.

"Oh no she's not! Catch this tailwind!" Fury said as he shot away, blasting powerful winds in his wake. Twilight had only had her wings for a few weeks now and she was still getting used to them. And while she was determined to get the hang of using them, things weren't going as smoothly as she had hoped.

"Woah… Oof!" She grunted as she lost control under Fury's powerful tailwind and crashed into a tree. Fury turned around and skidded to a stop at the base. 

"Twilight!" Rainbow called out and flew to her friend's help. "Are you okay?"

"Ugh. Yeah, although my wings got a bit ruffled up." Twilight said. "I can't handle those crazy winds."

"Well, you'll have to learn Twi. Every pegasus knows that if you can't fly in strong winds, you won't make it. Just ask Fluttershy." Rainbow whispered that last part.

"Rainbow Dash is right, this isn't gonna be easy to master. I had to go through the same things when I was getting used to my speed as a kid. It wasn't easy, but I still had to get it done. And besides, I'm gonna have to do what you're doing eventually. What, with my different forms being at my command, I'm gonna have to learn how to use these." Fury said as he transformed into his giant falcon form and flapped his wings a bit. 

"Hmmmm," Rainbow Dash hummed. "How well can you fly, Fury? I wonder who would win the most awkward flier award?" Rainbow smirked.

"Hey!" Twilight said unamused.

"Barely at all. I'm gonna have to build up this skill from the ground up. Twilight at least had some knowledge of how to fly thanks to her having books about it, but I'm gonna have to start from scratch like a baby bird." The black falcon exclaimed. 

"Well then," Rainbow said. "You two are gonna have to keep on working out. Remember, you gotta practice every day! Don't shirk it off. I had to go all out with my training when I joined The Wonderbolts, and you're gonna have to do the same! Don't make me have to drag you to do it like I had to with Fluttershy when we were kids."

"Dash, I get that, but how would training like a pegasus work when I've got these." Fury said as he spread his big wings. "I mean, who has a wingspan this big and can train just like a pegasi?"  

Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"You're not completely like a pegasus, but you have to soar and flap just like a pegasus. Even if you have to train yourself, if you follow the basics of pegasus flight, you can adapt it to your own animal form. You got that?" Rainbow asked.

"I guess you're right, but I'm not gonna be happy about it." Fury said. 

Hoo boy, this is gonna be a wild ride! Fury said to himself as he looked up into the air.

"Well, regardless, it's your turn to race. This time, though, you're gonna race a pro, that being me. Normally I don't like to say this, but don't worry about losing, just give it your all. And I mean that. Don't quit even if you feel like it. You have to build up your instincts and muscles. Got it?" Rainbow said almost threateningly.

"Yeah, I guess so." Fury said.

"I can't hear you!" 

"Yes I will do it!" 

"Good now get your butt up here and get ready!"

They both got on the ground and readied themselves. Twilight would keep track this time.

"On your mark, get set…" Twilight said.

Fury was a bit nervous, his mind a little scattered as he thought about what could go wrong.  Just keep your eye on the goal , Fury! You can do it. 

"GO!!!" And they were off! Well, at least Rainbow Dash was as Fury was still trying to get himself together. 

"C'mon Fury, get up in the air!" Rainbow called. Fury snapped out of his stunned state and started running, opening his wings and flapping them.

"C'mon Fury, just a little harder!" Fluttershy spoke. With her encouraging words reaching his ears, he flapped his wings harder and harder until he was in the air. 

Okay, step one is complete. Fury thought. Now step two. Outfly Rainbow!

He started to build up speed to reach Rainbow. Unfortunately for him, there just had to be a few towers and trees in his way since Rainbow loved a good challenge.

He kept on dodging every one of those obstacles with a few close calls. 

"Come on slowpoke is that all you got?" Rainbow called out to him.

"Oh, I'm just getting started, Rainbow Crash!" Fury replied as he gradually accelerated. He finally had a clear way to reach his opponent. He was slowly gaining on her.

"Who's a slowpoke now?" Fury smugly said. 

"Still you!" Rainbow said as she turned to the right, luring Fury into a cloud.

"Ahhhhh! Oof!" He said, bumping into the said cloud.

Rainbow simply kept going. 

Dang it. She's not making this easy for me. I'll show her I can go all out though. 

Fury thought to himself. He dislodged himself from the cloud and started to gain height, getting above some of the shorter towers surrounding him. He soon reached his ideal height and prepared himself.

I may not be as fast as her in a straight line, but what she doesn't know is that falcons are the fastest birds in the world in a dive!

"Alright Dash, you wanna see speed? Well, here you go!" Fury called out as he tucked his wings at his sides and dove down. The wind whipped around him as his streamlined body cut through the air, the whistling air filling his ears. He came closer and closer to the blue pegasus by the second, letting out a loud screech before pulling out of his dive and shooting past her. 

"Huh, I wonder what that was- FURY!" Rainbow cried out as the bird of prey shot right past her going faster than she could even comprehend.

"Ha ha ha now you're a slowpoke! Catch ya later, Lamebow Dash!" Fury cockily said.

Fury was now in the lead. He was going faster than he could imagine. Everything was a blur. He felt the rush of wind as he approached the speed of sound.

Yes, I'm almost to the end! Almost!

Unfortunately, something unexpected turned up. He started to feel sorer, feel tenser, and feel more pain.

"Ow ow ow ow ow! What's going on?!" 

His muscles started to tighten up. In his panic, he tried to move to the sides. But he went a bit too far. For he had an obstacle in his way. A rather large, tall, and beautiful obstacle.

Oh, come on! Of all the things I have on my way, it has to be her!

Fury thought, for ahead of him was none other than his fillyfriend, Luna. She was walking along a path through the gardens unknowing of what was headed for her.

"Hm, there's nothing better than taking a walk through these gardens to catch my breath." She said to herself while humming a tune before her ears perked up to a peculiar noise. 

"Wait, by the stars, is there a bird coming my way?" Luna wondered. 

"GET OUT OF THE WAY, LUNA!" Fury warned her but it was too late.

"Fury?" She asked right before the feline-turned-falcon made contact with her body. Launching the two through all the bushes, flowers, and trees. It would take a while to clean that up.

"Ow. My head." Fury said as he was now in his normal speed shifter form, having lost all his energy.

What made it even worse for him was someone's gloating.

"Heck yeah! Score one for the coolest pegasus in Equestria! Go Dash, it's your birthday." She said as she gave a victory dance in her honor.

I was so close. Wait, speaking of close…

He looked down to see his fillyfriend who had an unamused look on her face. 

"Would you please let me go, my love?" she said a bit unamused while lying on the ground. 

"I don't think my body wants to. I feel so stiff, it's like bones are glued to one position like an action figure. Gahhhh!" He said, trying to move his limbs. It seemed what he felt with his wings transferred to his normal form.

Then, blue energy flowed around Fury as Luna softly levitated him away from herself. Luna showed concern at this point.

"Are you feeling alright, my lightning bug?" Luna asked.

"I wish I could say I was, moonpie, but I'm not. I don't think trying to fly was such a good idea. I can't move without feeling like my muscles are being pulled like rubber bands. Aarrgh!" He said before letting out a growl at the stinging pain. 

By this point Twilight finally caught up to him. She saw how bad of a state he was in.

"Fury!"

Rainbow came by not realizing he was in a bad state. "Sorry Fury, but I guess I was just 20% faster than you today!" She gloated.

Twilight looked to Rainbow.

"This is no time for games, Rainbow. Fury's in pain right now and can't move!"

Rainbow's face instantly turned concerned as she realized what was going on with Fury.

Luna and Fury explained to Twilight and Rainbow what happened. 

Twilight tried to see what condition it was in her flying manual. But Rainbow seemed less worried.

"Oh, I see," Rainbow said. "Yep, it looks like you got some cramps. You tried to go too fast for what your body can handle right now."

"Is there any way you can fix this? My body's on fire!" Fury yelled.

"Alright alright, calm down!" Rainbow said. "Okay, for newbie fliers who get cramps, it's usually best to apply some wing balm and massage it in."

"Wing balm? What is that, like lip balm?" Fury asked.

"I guess as a non-flier, you could say that. It will make the pain lessen." Rainbow said as she got a kit of balm. She carried it close to her in case of pain.

"Okay, now just hold still while I apply this to you." Rainbow instructed. Fury did as she asked and stayed as still as possible as she applied the balm to Fury's limbs. From his knees to his shoulders, she rubbed it all over him.

"Alright, now that it's been applied, it has to be massaged in. Now I usually apply some pressure when I do it to myself so I'll let somepony who is more gentle handle this." She said as she looked at the princess next to her. 

"With pleasure." Luna said. She strongly gripped his tightened muscles. She used her alicorn strength to really get into those sore muscles.

"Gahhhhh!!!" Fury screamed out. Before suddenly relaxing into the feeling. "That hit the spot." Fury said with relief. Then he did something nopony saw coming, he started to purr again. By now the rest of the mane 6 had shown up and were rather amused by Fury's display. 

"Awwww, you purr like a kitten. That's simply adorable!" Fluttershy squealed.

"He is rather cute when he does that." Luna cooed. 

Fury was a little embarrassed at having this soft side exposed to others. "Awww come on, it's not that big of a deal."

"Well to me, you are still as lovely as ever." Luna kissed him, which made the pain go away for him.

But just when he was about to relax…

"Guys! You have to come to Ponyville!" Spike cried out panting while running.

"We're a little busy helping Fury with his muscles." 

"Guys, Ponyville is literally being wrapped up with a bunch of thorny vines!" Spike cried out.

"Wait what?!" Twilight knew she had to check it out.

"You six go on ahead." Luna said. "I'll take care of Fury."

"Yeah, I'll sit this one out for a bit. I'll catch up as soon as I can!"

Twilight nodded and ran for Ponyville. "Let's go girls!" All the Mane Six ran for Ponyville.

–

"How dreadful!" Rarity cried out at the sight of their village.

Ponyville's ground was being invaded by plants sprouting from underground. Everypony was panicking. 

"I've heard many stories from Granny but not something like this. What's causin' all this ruckus?" Applejack asked. 

"I have no idea, but we have to get this under control!" Twilight said "Let's split up, we have to make sure that Ponyville survives another day!" The Mane Six then split up across Ponyville, heading in all different directions to try and hold back the invasion. 

–

At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and the rest of the apple family were trying to stop these vines from taking over.

"C'mon y'all, put your backs into it!" Applejack called. 

Her whole family fought with hoes, rakes and so forth and destroyed many vines. 

And yet they kept on coming.

"Gee, mighty persistent these fellers are." Granny Smith said. "What kinda craziness is causing all this?" She said as she sliced a vine with her cane.

"I don't know but something chaotic… or someone." Applejack now had a good suspicion of who could have done this.

Applejack ran off.

"Where are ya going, lass?" Granny Smith angrily asked.

"I'm gonna take care of this whole vine situation. Keep on fightin'!"

Granny Smith reluctantly agreed and with Big Mac and even Apple Bloom fought on.

For Applejack, she met in the courtyard of the village and it seems her friends were in a hurry to get there too.

"Girls, I figured out who-"

"Yeah we figured, cowgirl!" Rainbow said. "Discord's probably laughing at all these actions."

Twilight nodded as she brought over their box of Elements of Harmony.

"We're going to summon him right now to give us an answer!" Twilight said.

Even Fluttershy agreed to it although she looked a little reluctant. "Just don't be too harsh on him."

Everypony gathered around a circle and they used their elements. Out of it emerged a serpentine entity. The lord of Chaos himself, Discord, who was singing a song as he stood in a shower. 

"Winter wrap up, winter wrap u- Oh my!" He wailed as he realized where he was. "You know, it's rather rude to peep on somepony in their shower." 

"I'd say it's ruder that you turned this town into a chaotic frenzy!" Twilight scolded him. "You listen here Discord! Turn this place back to normal and we'll let you go back!"

Discord simply laughed at this.

"Oh come on, don't you see what's going on in this village is interesting. I mean you Twilight should be intrigued by these new unseen vines!"

"Why you-"

"Now now. No need to fight, everyone. Discord is just messing around." Fluttershy turned to Discord. "Please take this more seriously. You're not helping your case."

"Why would I need help with my case? I could be my own case!" Discord turned into a briefcase.

The Mane Six were losing their patience with him.

"Listen to me you big snake guy! You're gonna fix this whole mess right now or else!" Rainbow yelled at him.

"Oh come on. Aren't I an innocent sweet guy?" He said giving puppy eyes.

Rainbow was about to respond with something vulgar for ponies to say, when someone else came.

"Hang on, everyone! Let me see if I can help!" It was Night Fury. "Listen girls. This guy can be really annoying, I know. But as a prankster myself and someone who was falsely accused, I know sometimes people assume the worst out of you. I think we owe him a chance. Let me talk to him. Please Twilight?" Fury begged.

Twilight thought about it for a little but nodded.

Fluttershy seemed to appreciate this. "Thank you, Fury."

Fury walked up to Discord.

"Hello um Discord was it?"

"The one and only." He said proudly.

"Okay dude, listen. I may not be able to stop them from turning you back to stone, but what I can do is give you a bit of a better chance of it not happening. So, it's your call what you do or say, but just keep in mind, you've got a lot on the line." Fury whispered the last part as he gestures towards Fluttershy. "Do you want to never be able to talk to her again?"

Discord looked a little more serious although it was hard to tell what his true feelings were. He laughed. "Ah the old feelings trick huh."

"Yep." Fury responded knowing Discord liked to hide his feelings.

"Well since you're being annoying about all this feeling stuff, I will do something more interesting. I'll help you rid this town of these vines."

Fury smirked. "I'm glad you see it our way, you big noodle." He chuckled. "Now that we have that settled, we have to find out where this stuff is coming from."

Twilight spoke up. 

"Well, with how… Well, wild these vines look, I'd only have to assume that the origin is coming from…"

–

"The Everfree Forest." The group of friends stood before the entrance to the Everfree Forest, the thorny vines very well emerging from said opening in the thick treeline. 

Rarity gulped at the sight. 

"You sure about this, darlings?" Rarity said with a bit of worry. "Aren't there better places to find the problem?"

"Well Discord suggested to us this is the place." Fury said. "We have no choice but to trust him, unfortunately."

"Ugh!" Rainbow said. "Let's get this over with. And if Discord is lying, then I'll shove his face into his-"

"Rainbow!" Fluttershy scolded. "Please let's just get going."

The Mane Six and Night Fury proceeded into the woods. Luckily having been there before, they were able to navigate their way down the path to the castle.

Of course they had to sneak past the odd manticore or cockatrice along the way and even take on a rather large Cragodile. But with Fury, nothing was too bad.

"Hoowee, are we lucky to have made friends with you, Fury. You can take on whatever comes your way." Applejack said.

"Pfft, c'mon AJ, this is nothing! I've faced worse."

"Are you sure, darling? Because I must say that this is pretty bad."

"Once you take on an Ursa minor face to face and survive, basically everything is a cakewalk for you." Fury boasted. Rarity's eyes widened at Furys calm demeanor when speaking about such an experience, she had never realized how much he probably had to go through before they met. 

"My goodness, darling, you are indeed impressive. I think I have underestimated how much of a capable warrior you are." 

He chuckled. "Thanks, but just so we're clear, I'm taken."

The rest of the Mane Six except Twilight  laughed at this to Rarity's embarrassment.

"I wasn't trying to flirt with you! I swear!" Rarity cried out.

"Don't worry I get it, I'm irresistible." He said, flicking his tail.

"Girls over here! I think we made it!" Twilight called out.

"Woah, check it out. This place has to be where the vines are coming from. Look, they seem to be sprouting out of that cave." Fury pointed out. "Gee it's a pretty cool castle. A shame that no one lives there anymore."

"You'll find out there's probably a reason for that." Twilight said. "And even more so now with these vines. Keep a look out for any vines."

The group walked to the castle and it seemed peaceful.

And yet Fury thought he heard some sound slithering. Was it a snake?

They kept on walking.

"Hee hee that tickles!" Pinkie Pie said. "It must be some snake."

"Wait tickles?" Fury asked. "You sure that was just a snake?"

"Hmmm, maybe a large work? Or a legless lizard or maybe- Ahhhhhhh!" Pinkie was grabbed by a large vine that threw her to a tree. 

Pound! 

"Or maybe it was a spooky ghost pretending to be a snake!" 

"Everyone! Get ready to fight the vines" Twilight called out.

Pinkie had her cannon. Applejack had her rope. Rainbow had her flight. Rarity and Twilight had their magic. And Fluttershy had her running.

But for Night Fury when he fought, he was ready to use his transformations to stop them.

He transformed into a Cragodile and was ready to fight off the vines. He used his powerful jaw to chomp through the tough vines, minding the thorns so he wouldn't get pricked. 

Although these thorns were harder to chew threw then he thought.

"Wow, these things are harder to kill than I thought!" He had to chomp on them hard while also trying to dodge the vines. It was not too hard but not easy either with his large body. Soon enough, all of the vines were cleared out and everyone could finally check if Pinkie was ok. 

"Okay, now that the battle's over… Pinkie, you broken at all?" Fury asked, changing back to his original form. 

"Nope! The only thing broken is my concentration. I forgot what that vine looked like!" Pinkie said.

Fury rolled his eyes but with a smile. 

Never change Pinkie. Never change. 

Soon after all the commotion, a strong wind came from above. The group looked up to see Luna flying in.

"Fury, I heard the noise, are you okay!?" She asked.

"It's okay, Luna, I'm fine." Fury reassured her. Luna let out a sign of relief.

"Oh thank the stars, I'm glad!" She said, hugging him. "Have you found the source of the vines?"

"Yes, they seem to be coming from that cave." Twilight pointed out

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go check out what's down in that cave." Fury said as he extended his claws and slid down the side of the wall that led into the large dip in the ground. 

"Oof!" He landed in a large cave. "Huh? What is this place?" He looked ahead and saw that the vines that he was just fighting off were wrapped around something. From the skinny limbs and the protruding roots, it looked like a tree. But this tree looked different, it looked like it was made out of crystal. 

"Wow! It almost looks like something from that Silverblue place." He admired the crystalline tree, if one can call it that. He felt a certain chill, at seeing this, as if he saw something otherworldly.

"Fury, what do you see down there?" Twilight called from above.

"Uuh, you guys might want to come and see this yourselves." He replied. Twilight, Luna and the mane six levitated down into the cave and gasped, they had never seen such a strange sight before.

"By Celestia, I have never seen something look so… divine!" Rarity looked at it with awe.

"Does anyone know what this thing is?" Applejack asked.

Twilight walked up to it to investigate it. She took a few steps towards it but was immediately repelled when a vine wrapped around her hoof. She pulled back and blasted it in half with her magic, rubbing her hoof to soothe the rope burn from the rough surface. As if the vines could sense danger, they began to wrap the tree tighter in their grasp, almost completely blocking it from sight. She took a moment to think on what to do with the tree and remembered one of the flashbacks she had received when Zecora gave her that strange potion. 

As long as that magic remains, the Tree Of Harmony will continue to control and contain all that grows here. 

She heard in her mind, Celestia's voice echoing within. 

"You okay, Twilight?!" Pinkie Pie asked. "Do you need any cookies?"

Twilight went back to her senses and brushed herself off. "I'm fine guys. But I do wonder…" She turned to Night Fury.

"Say, do you remember what Zecora said? And do you feel some magic within you too?"

Now that Fury thought about it, he did feel something familiar but otherworldly.

"Now that you mention it, yeah. Usually I can't feel my inner mana flow unless I'm using my speed or transforming. But here, it's like there's some sort of alternative force triggering that flow. Like some sort of passive charge." He explained. "It feels a little… strange."

Twilight nodded. She decided to look at the tree more. She saw places that looked like it grew crystal plants. 

"Look this is nice and all, but where are we going with all of this?" Rainbow asked impatiently. "We're not scientists finding a new plant!"

"Hang on Dash, maybe I can figure this out." Fury said. He stepped forward to inspect the tree and saw that there were certain parts of the tree that had indentations, six of them. Almost as if there was something meant to be placed there. Then he got an idea.

"Hang on… If this is the Tree Of Harmony, and there are Elements Of Harmony… Maybe they're linked together somehow?" He explained. "Look, there are six indentations in the tree. One at the ends of each of the five branches and one in the middle, but they look really different from how the elements look."

Twilight nodded at his idea. "Yes. Yes. It all makes sense!" She said with a great big smile. "Did we just discover the origins of the Elements of Harmony?! I have to write this down! Good work Fury!"

While Twilight was working, Rarity proceeded to ask.

"Have you or your people heard of this tree before? You seem like you recognize it." 

"Never, but it does look familiar in aesthetic to somewhere I've been before. When me and Luna went exploring for those artifacts for the museum, we found someplace called the Silver Blue city. It was some sort of ancient utopia that was linked to not only my kind, but the one who gave birth to our species. I can't say that I've heard of this, but it does look like it has something to do with those Elements Of Harmony." Fury said. 

"And I think I know how! We have to give the tree the Elements Of Harmony!" Twilight said rather enthusiastically. The group looked at Twilight with a mix of expressions before they decided to speak up.

"Woah woah woah, how are we supposed to protect Equestria?" Rainbow Dash protested.
"How are we meant to reign Discord in if we can't use the elements to turn him back to stone?" Rarity added. Applejack then stepped up.

"Twilight, The Elements Of Harmony… They're what keep us connected no matter what." She said, hanging her head. "If we put them in the tree, wouldn't we activate some sort of chaotic event?!"

"I guess it's worth a shot." Fury said. "Besides, I am curious what will happen. Maybe there will be a clue revealing some of people's history, maybe even a clue to where my parents could be. I still need to find them, who knows how long I have left until they get served the death toll." Fury hung his head. 

Luna nodded. "I agree with Night Fury, this is mysterious even to me. And perhaps these newfound answers could prove useful."

Twilight nodded to Fury's suggestions. "We'll see what happens. Three, two. One!"

Bzzzzzzz

The crystals glowed and combined forming a bright light before combining with the tree. Which produced a bit of a quake that unsettled everypony. The tree glowed brightly as the elements settled in their spots, shining more and more until it burst with energy, finally ridding the cave of the vines that sat within. Rainbow magic flowed along the vines, completely erasing them as they followed them through the forest and into Ponyville. Soon enough, all of the vines were destroyed and the Tree Of Harmony was fully revealed.

"Woah, check it out. I am definitely sure that this tree looks like the Silver Blue city." Fury said. 

"I wonder why that could be?" Twilight said. 

Fury pondered. 

"Well I remember an ancient legend our elders used to tell us. They mentioned that in ancient times, a powerful living tree had a will of its own. It was rumored to have the power to make one almost godlike in abilities. To give a Speed Shifter powers beyond what one could usually hope for. It was also rumored that this tree had the power to create life. Organic, Magical, or even Spiritual! almost as if it was the embodiment of mother nature itself. And some even say it is the source of Speed Shifter's powers!" 

Twilight was intrigued by this. It showed that this tree was not just of use for ponykind but even some far off race like Speed Shifters. The tree then let out a blast that revealed a bunch of balled up vines, tearing away at them slowly. The group looked on in surprise as there was somepony inside, a very powerful somepony. 

"Who is that?!" Applejack asked.

"Whoever it is, they have huge wings. Almost as big as mine when I turn into a falcon. And it also looks like they have a horn as well…" Fury looked closely. "Is it another alicorn?!"

"That's not just any alicorn, my sweet. It's Celestia! So this was where she disappeared off to?!" Luna exclaimed. 

They saw the princess of the sun walking towards them. "So you have found the Tree of Harmony, I see. Are you intrigued by its power? This tree is a state secret that most ponies only think is in fairy tales." Celestia closed her eyes and looked to Luna. "My apologies, sister. I had to look after this ancient tree. I'm sure you remember when Starswirl the Bearded and the other Pillars entrusted us with these elements of harmony to defeat Discord."

Luna then softened up seeing how her sister was not just sightseeing.

"There is no need to apologize, sister mine. I am well aware of our responsibility to protect this sacred site." Luna said.

"Celestia, you're alright! Oh thank the stars you're alright!" Fury called out, hugging the solar goddess. He then realized what he just did and looked up to her, seeing her amused look. Fury blushed. 

"Um, w-wait, I mean… Uuuuh…" He stuttered. 

"Yes I am alright, Night Fury. Do not worry, we are close after all. Though perhaps do not hug me too tightly in front of my sister." She chuckled.

"Since it is my sister, do not fear. I am not jealous." Luna smiled, but perhaps she was slightly. "But if you do that too often, I might grow suspicious." Luna said, giving a devious chuckle. This did not help Fury's growing shade of red appearing on his cheeks. 

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind heh." Fury cleared his throat. "But anyways, do you know anything about these events going on?"

Celestia nodded.

"As a matter of fact I do." Celestia said. "It seems Discord planted these roots a long time ago. It seems before me and my sister defeated him long ago. And the lack of magic being emitted from the tree allowed them to sprout." Celestia said. That explanation was something that was both needed and not needed as The Mane Six were immediately triggered when they heard it.

"So he is behind all of this?!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "Please tell me we can turn him to stone now, we have a good reason to!"

Fluttershy and Fury had to hold her down before she flew straight to Discord.

"I'm afraid that reason is null and void. These seeds were planted thousands of years ago, so there was no telling when these were going to grow." Celestia spoke. Rainbow Dash landed on the ground and pouted, she was upset that she couldn't get some well needed "Therapy" from pummeling Discord. 

"It was in the past. Discord has still not betrayed or anything like that for these seeds were here before his reformation. And anyways compared to what he could have done, this is nothing." Celestia said.

"That's true, he could have turned the entire town upside down if he wanted to." Fury pointed out. 

"In fact his shenanigans may prove to be quite useful in shedding knowledge of this tree. Not just for us ponies, but even for Speed Shifters." Luna added. 

"That's true too, he could help me find out where my parents are! And to see if the proof is in the pudding, how about we test it? Yo, Discord!" Fury called out. The chaos god popped into existence right next to him.

"You called?" He said, floating in a hammock that wasn't attached to anything. "Huh, look at this glitzy tree. It looks too fake and too perfect."

Ignoring his usual insults, Fury asked.

"So Discord, do you think you could help me with something?"

"Of course, what do you need?" Discord asked, grabbing a pen and paper out of thin air. 

"I… I need you to show me where my parents are." Fury said, almost ashamed to ask. 

"Awww, how cute." Discord said sarcastically. "Looking for mommy and daddy. What makes you think I can help you with them?"

"Because, from what I've heard there are rival Speed Shifters that are seeking dominance. I heard they are living somewhere quite dangerous but also active in energy. Since you know about these thorns and probably also about Speed Shifter civilization, you might be able to give us an idea of where they might be." Fury reasoned. "Please, Discord, this very well could be life or death for parents if I don't find them soon."

Although Discord still seemed reluctant at first, Fluttershy looked sadly into his eyes. "Please Discord, have a heart and help him. He did stand up for you after all"

Now this made Discord change his mind. "Fine, I guess if Fluttershy thinks it's a good idea. And I suppose I do owe you for defending me earlier." He said. He snapped his claws and a sort of portal appeared, it swirled and distorted as it took form.

"Speak in rhyme what you want to see into this viewing portal and it will appear before you." Discord instructed. Fury was rather confused as to why he had to speak in rhymes, but he didn't hesitate.

"Oh portal of viewing, show me what is mine. By revealing to me the location of my bloodline. Of valuable knowledge and rich inheritance, show me where they have taken my parents." He spoke. The portal didn't make any move for several seconds, which worried the desperate feline. But soon enough, the portal shifted in shape and opened up on a dark, scary looking forest.

"Yeesh, this place looks worse than The Everfree Forest." Rainbow Dash said.

"This must be The Cursed Forest that the Truther spoke of." Celestia added. The view shifted around the landscape, revealing more of the dark forest. Until it stopped and zoomed in on two shackled figures sitting next to a tree that made Fury tear up.

"Oh Obsidian, do you think this is the end for us?" One of them spoke. She looked like Fury, but had white coloring around her muzzle, paws, and tail. She looked like what ponies call a "Tuxedo cat".

"I'm sure he'll come for us, Black Ice. He'll come. We just have to trust in him for now." The other spoke. He had purple eyes and looked exactly like Fury, but had more rough fur and claws along with a chipped fang. The Mane Six, Celestia and Luna looked on in surprise as they saw them.

"Fury… are those who I think they are?" Twilight asked. The black feline sniffled before he spoke, clearly in a mixed state of happiness and sadness.

"Y-yeah. Everyone, I'd like you to meet Black Ice and Obsidian. My parents." He weeped as tears fell down his face. "I've missed them so much."

The other Mane Six looked with sympathy.

"Don't worry, at least they're still alive." Fluttershy said.

"ALRIGHT YOU TWO, GET BACK TO WORK!"

Crack! 

"My wife hurt her leg. Please let her have a break." 

"You can have a break when you finish moving the supplies. The chief has no time to waste. Now get your butts in motion! She can technically still move after all even if she feels like crying while doing so." The taskmaster laughed.

"No… NO! STOP, YOU'RE HURTING HER!" Fury called out, even though they couldn't hear him. 

Obsidian seemed angry as it would take another two hours to finish that, if they were lucky. And yet he could do nothing in fear of reprisal.

"Don't let him get to you, I'll be okay. I've dealt with worse than this." She walked off as it hurt.

"Things will be better my dear. I promise." Obsidian said.

"Oh quit the sappy stuff, GET MOVING!" The taskmaster said, cracking his whip once more. This time, it hit Black Ice in the face. 

"NO, STOP! DON'T DO THAT!" Fury cried as he tried to run for the portal, but the portal closed.

"And that does it for today's drama." Discord said. "A little over the top but it's okay. I can't use any more magic, it's all hazy at this point. It must be that forest." 

Everypony was simply silent. But Fury had something to say first.

"Now… I'm going to make this clear to all of you, and only once." He said coldly. "This damage to my bloodline, the disrespect to my kind as a whole… will no longer be tolerated. Anything that is even meant as a joke about what has been seen, will be met with force that will make all of you fear me. This has officially gone over the line that I'm comfortable with. I will be dealing with this the way I see fit, and no way else. And if any of you, and I mean any of you see a problem with the way that I decide to deal with these disgusting, deplorable, wasted bits of flesh and blood and try to stop me… I suggest you make peace with your gods." Night Fury stormed off to the other side of the cave to cool off. Everyone around was in a state of shock and worry, they had never seen Fury talk so coldly. Luna and Celestia especially were worried, both for Fury's mental state and for anyone who would get in his way. 

"Poor Night Fury, I can't imagine how he feels." Fluttershy said.

"Well I know one thing. If I want to keep my wings attached to my body, I'm gonna stay out of his way when this goes down." Rainbow said, shuddering slightly. 

"Will he be alright, Celestia? What will he do now?" Twilight asked her mentor for guidance.

"Well, right now he needs time to cool off, afterwards he will probably want to go free his parents. Which will be dangerous even for him, and with his rage, he might be in great danger. We need some ponies to accompany him when he goes to this Cursed Forest." Celestia said.

"I must agree with you, sister, but only to a degree. Let us look at this from his perspective. I know from what he has seen today, he's probably wanting to do this on his own. He probably won't let any of us come with him, both because he doesn't want to put us in danger and because he wants to make his revenge personal. I can see the benefits of having him protected with a guard detail or by us ourselves just like you, Celestia. But with how he's feeling right now, he'd probably want to make this his problem to deal with, and his alone." Luna spoke. 

Twilight sighed.

"If he does this alone, he's putting himself in serious danger. Even if he is powerful against ponies, I'm not sure how strong he is against other Speed Shifters who are probably far more experienced than him."

Luna replied.

"Perhaps, but he does have one thing they do not."

"What's that?"

"Captured parents." Luna replied. "All they probably want is power but that does not compare the power of love for one's family. Especially when that love is mixed with rage." 

"Hmm, perhaps we should get Cadence into this. She would have some better insight into what Fury might do once he gets his chance." Twilight suggested. The two sisters nodded in agreement. 

"I'll go find Spike and send her a message." Twilight said.

"Hey, um, not to be rude but aren't you forgetting about our giant tree buddy?" Pinkie said pointing to the tree. "It seems to have some big treasure chest nearby. Ooh, I bet it was some pirates!"

"We're inland, Pinkie, pirates can't go- Wait, a chest?" Twilight quickly went up to see a box with six keyholes in it.

"Oooh," Rarity said. "I wonder if there's treasure inside! Maybe Pinkie does have a point."

"But how are we supposed to open it?" Applejack asked.

"I have heard that helping certain creatures find the right way to go about life and handle friendship might give you a key. It seems there is one for each of you Mane Six." Celestia said. 

"Hey, look! There's a paw mark on the top! I wonder who that's for?" Pinkie asked. 

"Gee, I wonder who," Discord asked. "It's so difficult to wonder who that could be!"

"Okay okay, I get it! It's for me!" Fury called out. "But how could I be a part of opening this thing? I mean, you guys are the element bearers. Kindness, Loyalty, Generosity, Honesty, Laughter, and Friendship. How could I be in any sort of relation to this?" He asked. 

Celestia pondered for a bit.

"Perhaps it is this. You, Night Fury, have been an invaluable help for the Mane Six. Not just for assistance but even your power. And from what I can guess, you Speed Shifters use the energy that this tree and the Elements use. So in fact you are in a way if the elements are the wood of a fire, you are the flint that sparks the fire that opens this chest." Celestia explained. Fury pondered on the words of the solar goddess, he couldn't believe that something that he and his kind had nothing to do with, somehow required him to be one of the defining factors in opening this chest.

"I guess that could be true. And another thing, this could have something to do with me being the next generation of the all powerful Speed Shifters. Back in the Silver Blue city when me and Luna were exploring that temple, I got a hold of a scroll that had a spell that joined me with the one who gave birth to our species, Emperor Snowdrift. He told me that with some time and training, I could very well be the next all powerful Speed Shifter. Maybe this paw mark on this chest is a sign that this prophecy is true, that I could be the next true beacon of power for my kind."

Celestia nodded. "It would seem that is quite likely true. You, Night Fury, have been interwoven with us even before I sent you that letter. There was a reason I gave it to you. After all, even if I could not fully understand your purpose here until now."

"Wait, you knew about me and this prophecy even back then?"

"More like certain snippets of it. But I knew you like Twilight and even Discord were an important part of this prophecy. I already knew certain legends of the Speed Shifters but needed to confirm them."

"Whoa!" Fury was astonished at this news.

"But so far that might not happen yet," Rainbow said. "You still have to learn how to fly and master your other forms ya know?"

"Well Dash, that will come in time. But I do have one more question… Did the prophecy entail the great romance that takes place today?" Fury said smugly, leaning up against Luna. 

Luna blushed at this display.

"Maybe," Celestia said. "Although I also did see a sun, a heart and a star in that stone too. So it could mean…"

"YOU'D BETTER NOT TOUCH BY BEAU, SISTER! SAME FOR YOU, TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" Luna said taking this to the extreme.

Celestia laughed at this.

"I was just joking, sister."

"Joke or not, you still said that I might have had a chance with Twilight, Cadence, or even you! And if I'm being honest, you're not my type. Not to mention that you're way too big." Fury said. The others in the cave went silent, besides Luna who was giggling slightly.

"Sorry sister." Luna teased. 

"Ha ha ha, really funny, Woona." Celestia replied.

"Wait wait wait, Woona?! Bahahahaha, what is that?!" Fury laughed.

"That is… my childhood nickname." Luna said embarrassed. "That I told a certain someone never to utter again especially in front of others!" 

"Okay that was funny, but I have to agree with Luna, that was a bit low. And I'm still sticking with my previous statement. You're too big, Celestia. Like seriously, you look like a cloud with stilts for legs!" Fury teased. 

The other mane six besides Twilight giggled though even Twilight looked like she was resisting a chuckle.

"Hmph" Celestia looked up. "Well if I do, at least I do not look like a big black kitten who wants to steal sweets all the time!" She smirked.

"Ohhhhhh!" Rainbow and Pinkie said.

"Big talk for someone who eats cake five times a week!" Fury shot back. Luna was crying on the floor at this point.

"Oh yeah, well at least I'm not considered a bad luck charm!"

"That says a lot, considering that's coming from someone who expels just as much hot gas as the star she controls!" Fury shot. Celestia went red in the face from that comment. 

Twilight whispered. "How long are they going to go at this? I have things to do."

"Probably five more minutes." Rarity said.

"I'll go with ten." Rainbow said.

"What are you trying to say, mortal?" Celestia growled.

"I'm saying that you're big, too hard to look at, and you're just as gassy as the sun itself. From front and back! Ha!" Fury said. Discord then came into the picture and was laughing just as much as the Princess Of The Night.

"Oh my stars! I couldn't have come up with better insults myself! Nice going, kitty!"

"Thank you, my chaotic friend." Celestia let out a snort and lowered herself to the ground slightly, kicking her hooves into the dirt like a bull. Rainbow Dash gave the black cat the heads up.

"Watch out, Fury! She's gonna charge ya!" She called. 

"Bring it on!" Fury said. Celestia charged at him at full force, quickly closing the distance between them. But what she didn't know was that Fury would grab onto her by her front legs and hold her there. 

"You made a big mistake princess! You fell right into my trap! So how about I take you for a spin?" He said as he put all of his strength into the spin. 

"Wahhhhhh!!! Let… me… go!" She yelled dizzily.

"Okay." He did so and flung her all the way to the end of the cave.

Bang!

Celestia now sat at the other end of the cave, completely dizzy. 

"And that, Sunny, is how a kitten can defeat a big star."

Discord and Luna were in an uproar at this fight. They had never seen such fun in awhile. Especially if it meant Celestia was put in her place.

"You should have seen the look on your face, Tia!" Luna said.

"So you have an embarrassing nickname too?" Night Fury smugly asked. Celestia didn't speak, both because she didn't want to admit the truth and because she was too dizzy to focus. 

"I think I can use that for later!" Discord said.

Twilight rolled her eyes at all this.

"This has all been fun but can we please get back down to business? We have to do some serious planning!"

"Ok come on, Twilight, don't be such a buzzkill! We're just having a little fun." Fury laughed. 

"Hey, I'm not a buzzkill!" Twilight argued.

"Twilight, please. When I tried to get you to try your first prank, you tried to schedule it! That is the literal definition of a buzzkill!" Rainbow Dash said. 

"Hmph," Twilight crossed her arms. "I just wanted it done right."

Celestia had a big laugh. 

"Do not worry, Twilight. We will get to planning soon enough. Once we get out of here, we will be all set. Besides,"

Celestia whispered to Twilight.

"Fury needs it. This is a rough time for him, he needs a bit of a laugh. This will probably be his most important quest personally for himself."

Twilight then understood why they spent so much time with these silly games and decided to back down a bit.

"Well, when you guys are ready to plan, just come to my Treehouse, I'll be waiting there." Twilight said, trying to find a way out of the cave.

"This is why I love you, Fury. You're just a silly, snuggly, lovable little kitten." Luna cooed, pulling him in and nuzzling him.

"Aww, thanks! And by the way, Celestia, you want to get me back? Take your best shot, I'll be waiting." Fury smiled deviously. Celestia chuckled.

"Oh I will. And I would suggest you get out of here."

"Why, you gonna do something?" Fury asked. Celestia only smiled as she strangely started to count.

"One…"

"Pfft, you think I'm scared of you counting? Please, I'm not a kid." Fury mocked. Celestia didn't respond though as she kept going, opening her wings.

"Two…" She lowered herself slightly, almost as if she was about to take off. It was only then that Fury realized what was about to happen.

"Uh Oh. Uh, can we talk about this?" He said backing up.

"Three!" Celestia then shot up into the air and began to dive onto Fury. The Mane Six decided to root for him. 

"Run, Fury, Run!" Rainbow Dash called.

"Put your paws to the ground and go!" Applejack added.

"Already on my way, girls! Alright, Celestia, you wanna go? Come and get me!" He said dashing with as much speed as possible.

He sped out of the caves. While he was not using his Shifter powers since he still had not completely recovered since his fight with Blueblood, he was able to run quickly from just his physical energy.

"Na na na boo boo, you can't catch me!" He teased as he ran out of the cave and out of sight. 

"Are you quite sure of that?" Celestia said from high up in the air.

"Uh oh." Fury said.

Celestia descended from the sky and was ready to lunge at the poor feline.

Think fast, Fury. Think fast. Ah hah!

Fury saw a hole in the grass. And then he transformed into a mole. Celestia almost crashed onto the ground.

Not bad Fury. Not bad. But I'm not so helpless.

She said to herself as she lit her horn and pointed it at the ground. She activated an x-ray spell that revealed not only the tunnels, but who was hiding in them.

"I found you." She sang. Fury immediately went into a panic and dug himself out of the ground, continuing his sprint out of the forest. Celestia followed closely.

Gotta think of something else! Bingo!

He thought as he saw a familiar bunch of hanging vines that he had only seen once before in a temple nearby.

"I'm getting closer." Celestia said, flying right above him.

"You may be above me now, but you won't be soon if you don't look up!" Fury replied as he stopped on the dirt path. Celestia looked up not expecting much. 

"Nice try. These are just vines, I've flown enough to maneuver through them without being caught."

Fury simply laughed. 

"Ha ha ha!  They aren't just any vines. Let's just say they have a sort of desire to… tickle."

Then Celestia found herself wrapped up by a bunch of vines. They did nothing at first. But then, they tickled the solar princess at the same time. Even she couldn't resist.

"Pffffff ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Celestia laughed with a rather school filly-like laugh.  Both in fear and anger. She couldn't take these tickles any longer. She felt a little embarrassed that a princess was going to be defeated by a prankster, but she had no choice but to beg for his help.

"Please ha ha Fury Hehehe! I surrender! Just help me hee hee ha ha ha!"

Fury looked with satisfaction at this triumph.

"Sorry Sunbutt. Today, the big kitty is the winner here." He said, smirking.

He cut down Celestia from where she was as she was panting heavily. She was a bit dissatisfied at being foiled by him.

"You have won this day, but mark my words, I shall triumph against you someday!" Celestia said dramatically.

"Princess! Are you alright?" said a familiar purple alicorn. "I heard a bunch of noise from your direction!"

"Oh hey there, Twilight! Don't worry. I defeated Princess Celestia in The Great Prank War!" Fury laughed. 

"Prank battle, the war is not over!" Celestia rebutted.

Twilight, who had not much interest in this war, interrupted.

"Good luck to you on that, princess. But I want you guys to come inside. We have some things to talk to you about. I also found some new information in one of the ancient inscriptions Fury found." Twilight motioned them into her treehouse.

She always gets straight to the point when we're having fun. Fury said to himself, annoyed. Wait, new information. Is it about the Cursed Forest? Fury changed his attitude on a dime and was now dead set on whatever Twilight had to offer.

–

"So do you remember what was in that Cursed Forest?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah a little too well," Fury said. "I think there were some big mushrooms. The grass looked red. It was pretty but also disgusting at the same time."

Twilight showed them a tablet. "Well I was reading through this. And one interesting thing was that it's said that forest is in some way connected to the Tree of Harmony. It's using its energy. But more like a corrupt form that causes things to look unnatural. Maybe from the plants there."

"Look Twi, that's nice and all. But how is this trivia supposed to help me find my parents?" Fury asked.

"Because, since it seems the Tree of Harmony is connected to this forest, with a certain spell, I can detect the energy from the Tree to this forest. Like how a dog can track smells that us ponies can't." Twilight explained.

Fury's eyes opened up. "Oh yeah! I get it! So all we have to do is find a way to "see" this energy. But do you have a spell to do so?" Fury asked.

Twilight shook her head. 

"I don't have a spell like that. In fact most ponies are terrible at detecting this type of energy." Twilight said.

"Shoot." Fury said.

"Keyword: Ponies." Twilight emphasized.

"Wait, if you're saying that ponies couldn't do it, are you saying…"

"You are the one Fury that has to do this. One ability of Speed Shifters it seems is their ability to channel the energy around them which explains your people's powers. You can also detect it. According to this translation of the Emperor's instructions, you need to do some meditation to get into contact with this energy." Twilight explained, showing him Snowdrift's instructions.

Fury understood what she meant but he was still unsure of a few things. He would feel more comfortable with some assistance from the emperor. But also Twilight. Unless… he could get both to be in the same room!

"Okay, this seems reliable. But here's where I need something. Do you happen to have a spell that can bring someone's subconscious thoughts to life?" Fury asked. Twilight gave a confused look. 

"Yes, but why would you need that?"

"Because… I think it's time you all met the one who made me who I am." Fury said, everyone in the treehouse was intrigued by his statement. 

"I see." Twilight said. "Well this is quite a request. I don't know if I can pull off summoning this legendary ruler from your mind."

Celestia put her hoof on Twilight's shoulder.

"You're no longer a novice. You are much more experienced than before in the ways of magic. Just remember what I have taught you and you will succeed." Celestia said.

Twilight had a still nervous but now determined look.

"Alright, Night Fury, grab my hoof." Twilight said.

"Okay." He grabbed her hoof.

"Just don't get jealous, Luna." Fury joked.

Luna rolled her eyes at that.

"Stay focused." Twilight said with her eyes closed. "Fury, you have to be extremely focused for this. In fact Celestia and Luna should not be in here. Only you and me. You have to focus and not be distracted."

"No problem, you just focus on the spell, I'll recite the meditation inscriptions."

"If you fail, you might… go into a coma." Twilight gulped. "It might last a month at worst. We could find other ways…"

"A heavy price to pay, but a necessary evil I have to face." Fury said confidently. The two focused on what they had to do. Twilight lit her horn to begin the spell while Fury recited his people's ancient language.

"Zoloro Katalt Zualu Tua. Kotoro Molano Troan Toros. Ritori Colo Molantu Tiana." 

Both Twilight and Fury were glowing red. They levitated above the floor. They were in sync.

"Ovalo Zalal Tovo Eru Zhuva Zha. Kro Tero Tero Guma. Celu Tevu Kuva Ma!" Fury shouted.

At his shout their eyes opened, revealing red glowing eyes and a beam of red from Twilight to Fury then from Fury to the floor.

There appeared to be some sort of entity slowly appearing, his holographic image coming into view. It was clear like water at first but over time, it became more opaque. It started to become recognizable. 

The two finally collapsed. They had used so much energy, they could barely stand.

"What the? Where in the world am I?" said  a strong but calm voice. Fury was the first to open his eyes and almost gasped, but called to everyone else instead. 

"Uh, guys… You're gonna want to see this!" Fury called. The rest of the Mane Six, Celestia, Luna, and even Spike entered the room and were surprised to see a holographic representation of the emperor himself. Fury stood up and addressed him.

"Good to see you again, emperor." He spoke. 

"Is that what you call it, boy? I was in a state of harmony writing my poetry until you summoned me! This had better be important and not some prank you want me to help you with!" The emperor said a bit irate. This got Fury a little aggravated as he was not in the mood. 

"Okay, I'm gonna make this as straight as I can! Look in front of you!" 

"Fine! I will but I don't see…" The emperor was speechless at what he saw. He saw ponies both smaller and ones even matching his own size. "Wait, who are you?" The emperor said in some shock.

"These are my friends. And before you say anything, I'm gonna make this clear to you!" Fury said, still slightly aggravated. 

"The reason I summoned you was because I'm going to go after my parents and I need your help to learn an ability to help me do that. And before you start with your wise words of how I just wasted your time with this, let me set this straight for you… I… Don't… Care!" Fury said aggressively.

"For years, I've been grieving over the fact that I never stepped up when I needed to. And I don't need you sticking your nose in what I see as necessary! You want to scold me for using this spell to summon you, fine! But what I'm not going to let you do is tell me what I should have used it for! What I need from you is simple guidance, not some old lecture on what's appropriate to summon you for. And if you still want to put that argument up to bat, go ahead! Because I don't mind showing you how far I'll shove my paws where the sun doesn't shine to get you to straighten out, because this… is… PERSONAL!" Fury shouted, putting his paw down with enough force to shake the tree. 

There was some silence for a while.

"I see why you summoned me now. Very well, I will help you." The emperor said calmly. "But you still didn't answer me who your friends are, Fury."

"Oh. Uh right sorry. Heh." Fury said a little awkwardly. 

Fury cleared his throat. "Remember when I told you I was meeting some ponies? Well these are the ponies I was talking about. All of these ponies have helped me through so much."

"Ahem." Spike piped up. 

"Oh and Spike the Dragon as well."

He explained who the Mane Six were, the alicorns, even Cadence, who was not available and of course, Spike.

"Well then it is a pleasure to meet all of you. Especially you Princess… Celestia." The Emperor bowed to Celestia. "I must admit you are taller than I once thought. I have heard legends of you kind though you were too far away for us to make contact back in those days"

"The pleasure is mine, Your Highness. I must say your apprentice Night Fury has done great service to our people."

"I hope he was not in too much trouble." 

"Hey!" Fury called. 

"Heh heh don't worry everything was all in good fun. He is quite responsible." Luna said. 

"Good. I knew that. He is a good fellow. But we can talk a little later. Fury said he wanted to find his parents. Very well! I shall help in that. With the help of your student Twilight and my student Night Fury we shall find this Cursed Forest!" The emperor said. "And I will even tell you my theory of who this unsavory tribe could be."

"Wait, you know who this could be?" Fury said.

"Yes, it could belong to the tribe of what others called the Shadow Tyrant, a Speed Shifter who went from hero against the windigos to a dictator who made the other felines into slaves. After he was executed, the Speed Shifters left the Silver Blue. But Shadow Tyrant's own tribe went even farther than your tribe, Night Fury. Your tribe probably under my influence realized the errors of Shadow Turant's ways. So that tribe went to some far distant lands. And they probably want revenge for the other Speed Shifters turning against their plan to rule as tyrants again."

"Hold on. So the Silver Blue wasn't just some ancient city, but the remnants of our past as a species?" Fury asked. 

"That would be correct." The emperor nodded. "What I would give to see it standing once again, but it has probably worn down and been corroded over the years."

"That is not exactly true, emperor. For this Silver Blue city still stands tall to this day, just through The Everfree Forest and over the mountains close to Ponyville and Canterlot, our settlements." Luna chimed. The emperor looked surprised by that statement.

"Yeah, she's right. It's still there. We even have pictures of it from when we found it! Twilight, if you would." Fury said. Twilight nodded and retrieved the copies of the pictures that he and Luna had taken on their expedition. 

"As you can see, this city along with its great temple, palace and ball court still are surprisingly well preserved. I guess your people's architecture was done quite well." Twilight said, showing the pictures.

The emperor almost looked like he was about to cry but composed himself.

"I see. This is quite a relief, I must admit. Thank you all for doing so much to recover all of this old knowledge." He bowed. 

"It was no problem, emperor. Now, shall we get on with what we're here for?" Celestia reminded him.

"Of course. Fury, this technique is one of the ancients. Only to have been used by the all powerful Speed Shifters of our past. As I have told you before and have probably been reminded of through the artifacts you have found, you are the next generation of the all powerfuls. This is what you are destined to master. Are you ready, young one?"

"Show me my destiny, emperor." 

The emperor took a deep breath and exhaled.

"First you need a piece of the Tree of Harmony to make this work. Do you have it?"

"We have the Elements of Harmony." Twilight said. "They emerged from the tree of harmony."

"Good enough. Alright you must put one of them on. This will allow you to contact the energy." The emperor explained. Fury nodded and retrieved Twilight's element, placing it on his head.

"Now comes the hard part. Since this ability is connected to the ancients that came before us, they must approve of you. They must see that you are worthy of their techniques to be used." 

"But  you're the most ancient of ancients, isn't your approval enough?" Fury asked.

"I'm afraid not. I am a mere speck in a long line of power that stems from my efforts to unite the other felines. You must make contact with the ancients that came after me and connect yourself with this line of power. Only then will they deem you worthy." The emperor stated. Fury seemed nervous at first, but straightened himself out so as to not seem unworthy. 

"I am ready. Wish me luck, everyone." Fury said. Everyone gave him reassurance that he would succeed as he closed his eyes and began to speak his people's language.

"Zomanu Tiloto Carmokana Tio Bria Ka. Ti Apa Co Turus Etu Kronos Esi Tuma. Miro Tis Epa Ros Pelon Retula Eka." Fury recited, his body beginning to glow. Ancient runes began to form on the floor of the treehouse as whispering voices made themselves known.

"What is happening? Who's speaking?" Twilight asked with fear yet amazement.

"Those are the whispers of the ancients, princess. The words he is reciting are awakening their spirits from the afterlife." The emperor said. Fury continued to speak in ancient tongues, the whispers becoming louder as he kept going. 

"AJUAVU HRASI ANASKA! Oh thank you spirits for allowing me to speak with you. I have awakened you to prove my worth. Allow me to use your techniques to honor your legacies!" 

Fury's body glowed brightly. But this time, with a bit of orange. He was using a force he had never seen before.

Fury chanted again but this time quickly!

"AJA KA TA PRAM LIA ZNU ERU AFA KU!"

The roar made everything in the whole village shake. But it was all finished. Fury finished the ritual. His eyes were closed. He was silent.

"Um Fury?" Twilight asked.

His eyes opened. They seemed bursting with life.

"I know where that Cursed Forest is now." Fury said, giving no delay. 

"It's easy of Manehattan, far out of the city limits. But I can see and hear so much more." He said, closing his eyes and focusing on all the new details.

"I… I can sense the life force within you all. My connection with nature has never been stronger. I can sense your heartbeats, feel the vibrations from the smallest mouse to the biggest Ursa Major. It's like mother nature herself blessed me with her power to sense all living things. I… Feel… GODLY!" He said. 

"Just as I expected. You now have a new ability. This will benefit your journey. Use it well!" The emperor said. "But be warned, this is only the beginning. You still have a long way to go before you attain absolute mastery. But this is the first step to your new chapter."

Night Fury felt ready like he never was before. He felt like he was ready to save those he loved most.

"I will do that, emperor. Now, rejoin with me and we shall conclude our exchange." Fury said. 

"I'd be happy to. Good luck to you all, and just know, you're lucky to have him with you. Especially you, Princess Luna. Love him like he is the last thing in this world, because someone like him will never come again. Farewell." The emperor said, bowing his head. Fury's eyes then began to glow, the emperor's image merging with his body in an instant as he disappeared from sight and back into Fury's subconscious. 

"Will you really be ready for this?" Twilight asked him.

He nodded.

"I'm more than ready for this. And besides,with you guys by my side, I'll never need to worry about going it alone." Fury said. "My parents may not be here, but you all are more family to me now than ever."

"We'll be sure to help you where we can," Fluttershy said. 

Twilight then looked a little disappointed.

"We might not be able to accompany you, Night Fury, for a little while," Twilight said. "We have many things to like trying to find out the secret to these Elements of Harmony. We'll try to help you, but we can only do so much." Twilight said.

"Well, you guys did all that you can. And that's all that matters. And besides, I think I have somepony in mind that can get me to where I'm going. But for now, I'm gonna relax this all off. Seriously, I'm pooped!" Fury walked off. "I'll see you guys later. I'll think of who to bring along, if anybody."

"Good luck Fury, may you succeed on your quest." Celestia said.

"Do you think he will be alright, Princess Celestia?" Twilight asked.

"With someone like him, I have a feeling he will." Celestia replied.

"Indeed. I know how resilient he is. How strong he is. I truly do believe in him." Luna said.

Oh Fury, be careful out there. Like the emperor said, I won't be able to find somepony like you again. 
> Chapter 23: Parental Guidance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a few weeks after discovering where his parents had been for all these years and now Night Fury was going into overdrive to get to them before anything happened to them. He paced in his room, pondering on who he could bring with him to this "Cursed Forest", but he was running into constant dead ends with all of his options so far. 

"The Mane Six are still busy with another adventure. Princess Celestia is busy over diplomatic issues. Luna's helping out the Mane Six. Who can I possibly count on?!" Fury said, greatly displeased.

"Sigh, am I really going to have to do this myself?" Fury asked. Then, an idea popped into his head. 

"Wait, that's it! I know exactly who to call on!" He said triumphantly. He grabbed a quill and scroll to write down his letter, scribbling frantically in joy. Then, he held his letter over a dragon fire candle that Spike gave him for sending scrolls and it disappeared into thin air. 

"Hopefully she won't be too busy. Not much happens in the Crystal Empire these days, Luna tells me."

Only five minutes later, he got a message back from the candle. He opened the letter to see it was from the Princess of Love.

Dear Night Fury,
I am truly sorry you have to deal with your parents being away from you for so long. It is not right this should happen. Mark my word, Night Fury, I will help you in your quest. Together we will bring them back safe and sound. I will be arriving there in two days. Get some supplies ready and we will go questing. Besides, it's a little boring in my castle with all this paperwork. I wouldn't mind a bit of adventure. I hope you are doing well and see you then. Signed, Cadence."

Fury smiled. He finally had someone to accompany him. Even better than an alicorn. 

"Great! When she arrives, we'll be there! Hang on mom and dad, help is on the way." Fury said to himself.

–

Two Days Later… 

Night Fury stood on the platform at Ponyville's train station, eager to start planning his trip to save his parents.

This is it, Night Fury, the moment that you've been waiting you're whole life for!

He thought to himself as he looked up at the sky, seeing the clouds shape themselves into his parents. He was soon snapped out of his thoughts when a blaring whistle came from down the track. In the distance, he saw a familiar crystal bullet train shooting down the track, its powerful puffing shaking the rails. The train engaged its brakes with a horrible screeching noise that made Fury wince in discomfort until it came to a stop with a hiss. 

He heard the trumpets sounding. 

"Presenting Her Highness, Mi Amore Cadenza!" said one of the guards.

Out came Cadence. She waved at other ponies but was fixated on finding Night Fury. 

"Princess Cadence!"

Cadence looked to her side to see Fury running towards her.

"Night Fury, so good to see you!" Cadence said, hugging the black feline. "It has been too long, how are you?"

"Well enough as I can be, what with your private engine nearly blowing my ears out with its brakes." 

"It is a little loud. Shining doesn't mind though. He likes how it wakes his guards up from sleep." Cadence laughed.

After a little light hearted conversation while walking to Fury's mansion, they finally were ready to get down to business.

"So let me ask, Night Fury. Do you know where we're going?" Cadence asked.

"Sure do, check this out." He said, pulling out a map with markings around a dark forest. 

"Okay, this is where we're going. Someplace called The Cursed Forest. It's east of Manehattan, a couple miles out from the city limits." 

Cadence looked nervous.

"Most ponies dare not go east of Manehattan. It's a horrible desolate forest out there. It took the founders of Manehattan a lot just to claim it from the dead forest filled with swamps and fire. It makes the Everfree Forest look like a petting zoo." 

"Well that just makes it more exciting for me! And besides, these are my parents' lives that are on the line. I don't care if the place stinks like murkweed or is infested with Cragodiles. This is the closest I've ever been to getting my parents back, and I'm not turning back now. And I'm no chicken, so who's gonna stop me? Bakaw!" Fury responded, clucking like a chicken.

Cadence chuckled.

"You really are brave, Fury. There's a reason Luna took a liking to you." She smiled.

"Yeah, I am a pretty charming stud." Fury boasted.

Cadence rolled her eyes while smiling.

"Yeah, heh, I suppose so." 

Getting back on track, Cadence further inquired.

"Okay so do you have food, medicine and all the other things we need to survive?" Cadence asked.

"Yep. Applejack taught me survival skills she learned at camp and delivering food to dangerous places and Twilight made me read for hours on my vacation to know all the good first aid maneuvers and herbs along the way. Not to mention that Fluttershy helped me pack up on snacks for the trip and told me about certain animals along the way. And I did a lot of training before I saw you. I think I'm ready." Fury said.

"Good." Cadence said. "We'll take a train to Manehattan and we'll party at the festival there. They probably are looking forward to seeing you."

"Parties are fun but I really don't have time…"

"You have to. We don't want others to know that we're going to try to go to the Cursed Forest. We need to be as low profile and stealthy as possible. We don't know how strong these Speed Shifters are. It's best we try to use stealth as best as we can. And besides, it's best to keep high spirits so you can focus on what really matters." Cadence said. Fury really wanted to go straight for the forest and fight for his parents, but he had to admit that Cadence was right. If he wanted to keep focused on the task in front of him, he had to stay high and strong. Both for himself and the others around him.

"Yeah, you're right. I always hated being too serious anyway. So, when should we make our trip out?" He asked. 

"Well I was doing some pre planning, so in a few hours." Cadence said.

"Well then, I'll see you on the train to Manehattan. Get ready to party." Fury said.

"Oh I'll try. Though I doubt anypony could beat you at that." Cadence said.

–

When they went to Manehattan, it was a nice time partying. And talking to others. Fury was seen as a hero. In fact a certain buisnessmare was very insistent in trying to get with him. Luckily he escaped her clutches.

But after all that merrymaking, Fury and Cadence were indeed ready for their perilous trek.

"Okay, I've got my binoculars, my first aid kit, snacks, map, herbs and medicine, and my dashing good looks. Though, I doubt that those will really need to be accounted for." Fury smirked.

"Good. We're all set. We had better get going." Cadence said, looking at the early morning light. "There's a boat that will take us to the forest. I told the ponies that we're in this for tourism."

"Good." Fury said seriously. "Well, there's no turning back now. You sure you're ready Cadence. It's gonna be tough."

"I've been through rougher." Cadence said. "Especially with Chrysalis and dealing with the enemies of the Crystal Empire."

"Then let's get going!"

And so Cadence and Night Fury went on their way. They went into the mysterious Cursed Forest. It felt beautiful but strange. There were giant mushrooms. And glowing blue flowers. But no animals yet.

"Goodness, this place feels so empty." Cadence said. 

"Nothing that I'm not used to. I've been living in places like this for years." Fury said, pushing through some leaves and branches. They soon came into a swamp where mud and sludge filled their path. Later down the trail, Fury saw something that took him back to his juvenile days.

"Woah, watch your step." He said, stepping in front of Cadence. He gestured to a mudslide that led down into the darker part of the forest. Cadence gulped.

"Are you sure we should go this way, maybe we should take a detour?"

"I don't see any other way through here, so we're gonna have to go for it. I've done this before, but you haven't." Fury said, looking down into the darkness.

"You've done this before?" Cadence asked. "Not that I'm surprised."

"Yeah, when I was a kid at least. I used to slide on mudslides like this all the time, and I'm sure you can too. Are you ready?" 

"Okay, I'm ready." Cadence said. Fury grabbed her by the hoof. "I'll have to take a bath after this."

"Okay, here we go. One…"

They leaned down slightly.

"Two…" 

Cadence was now smiling in anticipation.

"Three!" The two jumped into the slide and flew down the slippery slope. 

"Wahooo!" Fury said as they were sliding on the mud. "Now this is the life!" 

They slid a long way. And they had to avoid a few rocks along the way.

"Watch out!" Cadence said.

Fury dodged a large rock on his way.

"See Cadence, I have experience with this! I don't bump into that stuff anymore- Ouch!" He bumped his foot on one.

"Uh you were saying?" Cadence smirked.

"Okay fine, not as much." Fury said.

"I think we're reaching the end!" Cadence said.

"That's a mud pit! Oh, this is gonna be good! Hold on!"

They both splashed and dove into a pool of mud. 

They both surfaced.

"That was amazing! I would love to do that again." Fury said.

"Eh, I would have preferred a real water slide." She said, trying to spit out some mud. Fury started to giggle.

"Hehe, you look really funny with mud on you. You look like a mud monster." He joked. 

"No you!" Cadence said, splashing a bunch of mud at Fury. "That looks better." She smirked.

They both had a good laugh.

"Let's get to some solid ground." Fury and Cadence swam to the shore but they noticed something unusual.

They saw something glowing purple in the distance.

"Huh, that's new. It's the brightest thing out here. I wonder what that is?" Fury wondered.

"Well, we won't know what until we find out. C'mon, let's go see." Cadence added. 

When they walked over they noticed a grove of glowing plants. They saw flowers glow purple. They saw trees glow red. It was nothing like they had ever seen before.

"Whoa." Fury said simply.

"It's beautiful." Cadence remarked.

In particular they saw a glowing red giant flower that looked like a cup. Fury walked towards it.

"Now this is something my dad would tell me as a story. Amazing. I wonder if I could have a piece of that flower." Fury said.

"I don't know about that. Something seems strange about it." Cadence said.

"Oh how dangerous could it be?"

"I'm just saying we shouldn't take chances. It could be dangerous. And Twilight told us not to play with unknown things."

"Oh, would you just relax? We're fine! I'm sure this thing is completely harmless." Fury said, brushing the leaves of the giant plant. Then, a low growling noise filled the air. 

Grrrrr

"What was that?" Fury asked. "I'm not that hungry." The growling became louder.

GRRRR

"Cadence, is that you? I know you alicorns have strange anatomy, but yeesh!"

Cadence shook her head. "Nope. As much as I want to think that was my stomach, that's not coming from me."

Rustle

"Wait, I thought I heard something." She said. She looked ahead of them to see if any creatures lay in front of them. But Fury took one look behind them and saw the real threat as he shivered in fear.

"Uh… C-cadence… Since when do giant red flowers have razor sharp teeth?" He stuttered. Cadence turned around and saw what he was looking at. 

"I d-don't recall." Cadence gulped. "Until now."

ROARRRRRRRR

The giant flower came alive. It was looking right at Cadence and Night Fury. They could feel the malice of the creature.

"Let's get outta here!" Fury attempted to run, but one of the carnivorous plants' vines snatched him up. "Aaah, the thing's got me!" 

Cadence shot a beam at the vine releasing him. He was able to run for a little while but the vine quickly regenerated and attacked Fury again.

This time he narrowly dodged.

"What the heck is this thing?!" Cadence asked. 

"I don't know, but I think I ticked it off!" Fury said as he tried to fight off the vines, but the creature was smart and used multiple vines to tangle him up and hang him over its mouth.

"Cadence, now would be a good time to figure something out before I become plant food!" He called as he started to slowly lower into the creature's mouth. 

Cadence looked around. She saw a gate of opportunity. She levitated a tree trunk and lodged the tree into its throat.

"Grrrrrrr!!!!" The plant beast cried out now furious. Fury used the discomfort of the creature to bite his way out and escape.

"Hooo. That was a close one." Fury said. "Let's get outta here!"

The two ran and flew quickly. But the plant beast was not so willing to give up. It snapped the tree into splinters and regained its strength, unleashing its vines once more. This time, it got a hold of Cadence. 

"Fury, help!" She called. Seeing Cadence in danger made Fury feel something he's never felt before, but he wasn't going to let that distract him.

"Alright, that's it!" He yelled. He lowered himself to the ground, red lightning engulfing him as he charged up what would be his most powerful attack. He opened his eyes, looked at the creature that almost had Cadence fully wrapped up, and let go.

ROAR!

A blast of electrical energy fired out of the Speed Shifters' mouth, completely obliterating the plant that had attacked him. Cadence fell to the ground and looked on in shock as the black feline eviscerated the dangerous plant. 

I'm safe but… what in the world was that?! Did he really do all of that?!

Fury soon ran out of energy and closed his mouth, the surrounding area was pulsing with electric charge from the blast. And most of all, the carnivorous flower was gone.

"Fury, are you okay?" Cadence asked, running over to the panting Speed Shifter. 

He panted heavily. 

"Fury?"

"I need water!" Fury said. "Give it to me!" His body was jittering now.

Cadence gave him some water and made him rest on the floor. He gulped a good amount of water and Cadence had to limit him.

"Are you starting to feel better?" Cadence said softly.

"Yeah, much better." Fury said weakly. "Well that was… Interesting cough cough."

"Yeah, I could say the same thing. Who knew something that looked so beautiful could be so dangerous?"

"I don't think anyone would have been able to predict that. No way in Tartarus." Fury said. The two looked on at the destruction that Fury had unleashed.

"Since when could you do that?" Cadence asked.

"I don't know. I guess when I saw you getting dragged away, something just… Triggered. I've never felt like this before. Perhaps it was a bit of guilt too."

"Well, it's a good thing that you did. I wouldn't be here if you didn't do that." Cadence said with a smile. 

Fury looked down.

"You wouldn't have been in danger if I had not done that. I'm so sorry. I guess I always thought I knew what was dangerous and not living so long in the jungle." Fury said. "That flower looked like a flower back in my jungle, I assumed it was safe. But it seems in this forest, you can't take anything for granted." 

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it. I would have done the same thing you did if I saw it. There's nothing to be ashamed of when you make an honest mistake." Fury smiled at Cadence's words, he felt better knowing that he didn't do too bad. But his thoughts were soon cut off when a rather loud growling noise broke the silence.

"Oh no, is that thing still alive?! Stay back, Fury, I'll take it on!" Cadence said, jumping up to defend her friend. Fury blushed and let out a nervous chuckle, he knew what that sound was, but it wasn't that flower. 

"Uh, that one was just me."

Cadence simply collapsed on the ground. "Ugh! Your stomach is too much sometimes, you know that?"

Fury laughed at this. "Yep. You got that right! I am a hungry cat after all. My mom always told me that when I was hungry, my tummy made sure everyone around me knew. She told me it rumbled like thunder and she even called me Thunder Belly sometimes."

Cadence found this a pleasant story and laughed.

"And then," Fury said, "I would always eat a lot. Sometimes I even eat a bite from my friends. Only a bite."

"Well that explains your cake snatching." Cadence said as she wrapped some bandages around his wounds.

"You bet it does!"

"It must have been good times with you and your mother." Cadence said. "You seem to love her very much."

"Trust me, I do. And once I get her and my dad out of this place, I'll be happier than ever!" He said, but his stomach made some objections. "But maybe a little snack break wouldn't hurt." He said with a blush. 

Cadence unwrapped her bag and gave him some fish. She squirmed a little at their slimy feel, but not Fury. He tossed it up and caught it in his mouth, biting down on it with a satisfying crunch from the bones. 

"Thanks Cadence!"

"Heh, no problem." Cadence said, still not quite used to seeing him eat. But she moved on from that. She had more important things to think about.

"How are you feeling now, Fury? Do you feel normal now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's get going, we've got to get to my parents." He said, getting up and starting to walk down the dirt path. 

–

Cadence and Night Fury strolled smoothly down the path, taking in the sights of the mystical forest as they passed by, from blue grass to red tree trunks. Then, Fury stopped and put a leg in front of Cadence.

"Hey, what's going on-"

"Shhh! Get down!" He whispered, pulling her into a nearby bush. She was rather confused as to why Fury was getting antsy, but soon realized what he was worried about when she saw two Speed Shifters walking along in the opposite direction. 

"I don't know why we have to be out here? Couldn't we have gotten someone else to do it?" One of the said, clearly aggravated.

"Oh stop your whining, we have direct orders from the chief to patrol this part of the forest. He wants to be extra sure no one is intruding." Said the other.

"How could I not complain, I'm not supposed to be out here! Couldn't the chief have those two prisoners do it?"

Prisoners? They must be talking about mom and dad! 

Fury thought as he continued to listen in.

"No, he has plans for those two."

"Plans? What plans?"

"Turns out that those two have a son, and he moved to Equestria a few months ago. The chief is planning to lure him out with a fake distress call from them so he can capture him and get info on the tribe from Thunder Hollow."

So that's why the Chief wants me. In fact he might be expecting me!

"Wait, you mean little Night Light or whatever his name is? What does he have to do with anything?"

"Well duh, he's apart of a bigger picture! Apparently he's apart of some sort of prophecy. Do you remember The Prophecy Of The All Powerfuls?"

"Yeah why?"

"Well you see, it turns out that Night Fire, or whatever, is someone quite special despite how weak he seems, according to our chief. And he didn't explain all the details, but he says that kid is part of the future of the Speed Shifters. Something about restoring the Silver Blue. And bringing back glory to our tribe!"

The Silver Blue city! That's what I was meant to do all along!

"But, I thought the Silver Blue was destroyed years ago?"

"Not exactly. It's been rumored that it still stands somewhere out there and the little squirt the chief is after is the key to restoring it to its full glory! And our tribe will finally secure its rightful place after those filthy non Speed Shifter felines exiled us!"

"Huh, well he better be ready for a fight, because the chief is ready." Cadence was appalled by what the two scouts said, so appalled that she didn't notice that Night Fury had disappeared. She looked around in an attempt to find him, only to see the two scouts unconscious on the ground and Fury standing over them. She stepped out of the bush and confronted him.

"Fury, did you hear that? He's looking for you! He'll probably expect you to show up." Cadence said. 

"He'll expect me to show up once I see the distress call, but he doesn't know that I'm already on my way. If these guards are patrolling around here, then their settlement can't be too far out. Come on, we have to keep moving." Fury said as he hid the bodies.

Cadence and Night Fury trudged slowly being sure to keep track of any guards and also booby traps. 

For Fury, he tried to make sure he was off the main road. And his experience with sneaking around made him extra aware of any potential dangers.

He pointed out to Cadence the occasional bear trap or string traps.

"Nice try guys. But I've seen too much to fall into what is obviously a pit." He said as he slid the leaves off into a large hole.

Cadence was impressed and thankful she had someone like Fury by her side.

"Wow, if I was out here on my own, I wouldn't have seen that coming. You really have a knack for sneaking around traps."

"Yeah, it helps to have a sense of surroundings like mine. It gets you out of sticky situations… and maybe the occasional booby trap your mom sets on the cabinets to keep you from getting into the sugar cookies." He chuckled. 

"Oh you sneaky little thief." Cadence chuckled.

The two kept on going for a few more hours. Then they encountered a guard but not just any guard. One with a silver helmet covered in turquoise. He was someone important apparently. He was sitting by a table seemingly reading a map or documents.

"That guy must be an officer. They wear them to show their authority." Fury remarked.

"And he is way bigger than the last ones." Cadence admitted.

"Yeah, and it looked like he's got a few important things that could be of use to us. Wait here, I'll get high up and see what's going down. Heh, get it?" Fury chuckled as he climbed a nearby tree. 

"Unfortunately, I do. Sometimes I wish he wasn't as cheeky as he is." Cadence whispered. Fury jumped from branch to branch until he was over the guard. He slowly climbed down until he could see what he had in his possession. On his left was a map, it depicted the forest in very fine detail. One important location that was marked on the parchment was a sort of camp site, possibly the base of operations where Fury's parents could very well be. On his right was a document that looked like a letter of orders. Fury read it in full.

Direct Orders:
Patrol the closer reaches of the forest from camp and stop any intruders that make themselves known. If an intruder is compliant and submits, bring them in to be captured and put to work. If non compliant, then lethal force is authorized.

Special Order:
Look out for a Speed Shifter with red eyes and a lightning strike birthmark on his back. His name is Night Fury. If spotted on patrol, immediately capture and bring back to the chief. Target is of utmost importance. Capture alive by any means necessary. Severe punishment will be enacted if he is killed.

"There sure have been a lot of pony intruders lately," said the gravelly voiced officer. "It's nice to see them squealing and begging for mercy! Ha ha ha! They should be thankful I'm giving them meaning by working for us!"

I see. It looks like I'm wanted, though hopefully they're still not expecting me yet. But most importantly that camp site… I wonder what it's supposed to be for? They said they were planning for something that my parents are made to work on…

Night Fury had the info he needed. Now he was ready to go search out that camp. He climbed back down to Cadence and told her what he had found out.

"Okay, so now we have a direct route to this campsite. That'll come in handy." She said.

"Yeah, but there was one more thing that I saw. He had special orders to look out for me and me specifically. They gave a pretty good description of me, besides the lightning strike birthmark on my back. That's ridiculous, I don't have a birthmark. And besides, my parents would have told me if I had one." Fury remarked. Cadence nodded along with what he said. That was, until she decided to take a sneak peek at his back and gasped.

"Uh, Fury, you might not believe me but… you do have a lightning strike birthmark on your back!" 

"What, no way! You must be joking. I've checked my back before! It's not there."

"Well," Cadence used a reflection spell on a nearby tree. "Look at yourself."

And lo and behold a lightning strike birthmark in a lighter shade of black, almost gray, sat on his back.

"What the?! When did that appear? I never had that!"

"Maybe as you've grown, it started to appear." Cadence said. "It's hard to see from a distance but close up, I can see that birthmark."

This had Fury a bit paranoid. How would these strangers know something about him, he himself didn't know? What else did they know about him?

"There's no way I couldn't have known about that. How did they know about that? Unless, someone has been spying on me and getting info on me. If this birthmark is hard to see from afar, then someone close by has been taking glances. Otherwise, my parents knew about this and just didn't tell me. But why wouldn't they?" He exclaimed.

"Well we shouldn't dwell on that now, we have to keep going. I'm sure that once we find your parents, you'll get the answers you need." Fury took a breath and calmed down. While he was still a little on edge about his new birthmark, he knew that he could get answers to it all if he just kept going.

"You're right, I shouldn't stick on it too much. Come on, the campsite is just east of here." 

The two marched on to their destination. It was much nicer to finally have an actual goal to get to instead of wandering around. 

They started to notice more guards than before. And a few more booby traps. But they finally noticed a wooden palisade. It seemed to be heavily guarded.

"Is this our destination, Fury?"

"Seems like it. Look, there's a little rock formation over there, maybe we can use it to see over these walls." Fury suggested. The two climbed the rock formation until they were at the top, and sure enough, there was a clear view of the inside of the camp from there. Fury took out his binoculars and began to scan the camp. 

"Oh my gosh." He said with some horror.

"What is it?" Cadence asked.

"Look." Cadence was given the binoculars and what she saw horrified her.

There were a whole bunch of ponies and a few Speed Shifters who looked malnourished carrying logs and heavy equipment. All under the watchful eyes of task masters. Even children were not spared this fate. They were all chained up. And there were a few pony skeletons decorating the area, perhaps warnings of what would happen should they disobey.

"Dear mother of Equestria, this is horrendous! And look, I can see some Speed Shifters too."

"But two of them stand out from them all. Check out who's near the furnaces." Fury directed. Cadence turned her attention to the wood burning furnaces that looked to practically be burning whoever was working on them to a crisp with how sweaty they were. But just as he had said, two of them stuck out from the rest. One Speed Shifter with white accents and another with purple eyes and a chipped fang.

"Oh my goodness. Fury, at those…"

"You bet it. Cadence, I'd like you to meet Black Ice and Obsidian. My parents."

Cadence could see it. Fury had aspects of both felines. Obsidian's black coat and Ice's eyes. He could tell where he got his heritage from.

But this made her sadder as he saw them struggling to work, just trying for dear life to stay alive.

Cadence saw Fury's eyes. A mix of sadness and righteous anger.

She fully understood why. 

"Fury, I swear to you. I am going to help you rescue your parents. If it's the last thing I do. And if possible I'll free as many of these captives as possible. You have my word."

Fury simply nodded. He knew what he had to do.

"Cadence," Fury said. "This will be my most important mission of all time. If I somehow don't make it, then please rescue my parents or at least make sure others know where they are. This is not going to be easy. I don't know how many I'll be able to sneak by without getting caught so be ready for anything."

Cadence realized Fury wasn't messing around this time, she never heard him sound more serious in his life. 

"And one more thing, if I don't come out of this alive… Tell Luna that I loved her with my last dying breath. Now let's take back what's mine." He said as he disappeared into the shadows. 

"Good luck, Fury. May the gods be with you." Cadence said.

–

For Fury, he had a problem. How was he going to get in the walls? His question was thankfully answered when an oblivious guard opened an exterior door and left it open. Fury wanted to just go straight inside, but he recognized this guard.

It's the guard that whipped mom… I think it's time for some retribution.

He slowly sneaked up on the guard, making no sound as he came closer. The guard had no idea he was being hunted, he would figure that out soon as Fury jumped up and plunged his claws into his neck. Blood poured out of him as he gasped for his final breath, looking over his shoulder to see the assailant.

"Retribution is at my grasp, and you all… will… die." Fury whispered coldly as he ripped his claws out of the guard's neck and watched the life drain from his eyes as he slowly died in a pool of his own blood. For the first time in his life, Fury had made his first kill. And it made him smile. 

"Rest in peace, punk. Or in your case, rest in misery." Fury said. Then he looked into the guard's bag to find some things of value.

He seemed to have a map of the camp itself, a badge and of course his whip. He even found a pamphlet of all the workers he supervised. But most importantly, he found some papers of access.

"Well there was one good thing about you, you incompetent guard. You're gonna help me get into here more easily." He said to the corpse as he hid it in a tree.

"Okay. I got an idea. Time for some disguise work." He said taking the guard's helmet and badge. "This might keep them off my back."

Fury walked on. He went by the second gate.

"Halt!" said the guard. "State your purpose." Fury thought for a moment to come up with a good excuse, he soon came up with one.

"Switching shifts. The chief gave me orders to oversee the furnaces. You know, teach those slaves some good manners." He said. The guard squinted slightly at the statement, making Fury just a little bit nervous. But the guard decided to let him in.

"Go right ahead, the furnaces are on the east side. Open the gate!" He shouted. The gate was lifted off the ground and Fury smoothly slipped inside. 

When he went inside. He finally was close to a bunch of Speed Shifters for the first time in awhile. But they definitely were not the nice looking sort. They looked all rough and ragged. He could see many with scars and bruises. He saw some playing cards and  gambling for a special drink. But he focused on two of them that were on the opposite end of the line stoking the fires. He made his way over to his parents, making sure that he didn't get any attention from the other guards. He saw his poor mother, struggling to handle the heat as she used a metal rod to stir the wood. She looked as if she was going to pass out.

Don't worry mom, I have a plan.

She soon fell to the ground in a heap, getting the attention of one of the task masters.

"What's wrong with you, why aren't you working?" He asked.

"I'm… so hot. I can't… keep… going." Black Ice whimpered.

"Please, don't put her at fault. She's never worked like this before." Obsidian added. The taskmaster was unfazed. 

"I think I will put fault on her! I bet she's just being lazy and wants to slack off! Don't you know how hard it is for us to supervise you traitorous valley Shifters?! I'll teach you some discipline!" He said about to whip her.

Now's my chance!

Fury stepped in and made his move.

"Hold it! I don't think that'll work. Maybe a little fear factor will put her into working order. Where are the prisoner sheds again, I keep forgetting." Fury said in a deeper voice. The taskmaster sighed.

"Ugh, everyone forgets these days. Just go past the wood piles, you can take both of them." He said.

"Good, now get up and move!" Fury yelled. His mom and dad soon got up and moved with Fury to the sheds. He felt terrible for yelling at his own mother, but it was the only way to blend in. They soon reached one of the sheds and walked inside, the walls littered with blood and bones. Fury closed the door behind him and faced his parents.

"Please, not again. I can't do this!" Black Ice pleaded.

"Well for your information, this isn't going to be the same as last time. You remember that little guy, Night Fury? Well he's going to have to deal with the fact that you're here with us and working for us. And you know what happens to those who don't deal with it?" Fury said.

"What? What are you going to do to our son? Kill him!?" Obsidian roared.

"No…" Fury sighed, taking off the guard helmet and revealing himself to his parents. "They come to rescue who they care about." He said softly. 

Black Ice barely reacted at first, suddenly looking straight into Fury's eyes.

"F-fury," she asked softly. "I-i-is that my little baby?"

"I don't know, I have your eyes and dad's fur. What do you think?" He said with a soft chuckle. Black Ice burst into tears at the sight of her son, she was elated to see he had come for them. She jumped up and hugged him tightly.

"Oh Fury, my sweet baby! I can't believe it's you!" She wept, Obsidian adding to the hug with his own.

"Glad to see you're still kicking, boyo." Obsidian hit his son's shoulder playfully. "Ouch. I don't have my strength anymore."

"Or maybe I just got stronger." Fury replied cockily. 

"Ha ha. You do seem bigger, my boy. I'm not surprised to see you. I always knew no matter what others said, you had something in you." He said finally softly, giving tears of joy. "I'm proud of you, my son!"

"Me too! Look at how big you've gotten. You look just like your father. I truly did bring a blessing into this world." 

"Awww gee Mom, not as much of a blessing as you guys!" Fury finally broke down into tears too as he hugged them. "I missed you guys so much!"

After awhile he let go. "I have so much to tell you guys. So many new friends and experiences. I even met those ponies our elders talked about in legends! But that's for later, right now, we need to get you and everyone else out of here."

"Ah it's nice to see you're actually a little more focused, Fury, for once." His mother said tears were now gone and back to her usual scolding self.

"And there it goes. Don't mind her, champ, let's just focus on getting out of this dump. But, how are you gonna get us out of here?"

"I think the better question is how are we gonna get you out of here." Obsidian and Black Ice were both confused at their son's wording. Fury let out a special whistle that neither of them had ever heard before. They were soon surprised by a teal light next to him and we're shocked to see a strange pink pony next to Fury.

"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire. She's going to help me get you out of here. Cadence, I think you've been acquainted with them well enough." Fury said, stepping aside. 

"It is a pleasure to meet you, your highness." Black Ice bowed.

"The pleasure is mine, too. I hope it wasn't too much trouble trying to look for us." Obsidian said.

"Not at all, anything to help a friend of mine's relatives." Cadence said.

"Ah I see. Friend." Obsidian smirked. "You have done quite well in your choice of friends, my boy."

"What? No, no, no, no! She actually is just a friend! And besides, She's married." Fury defended, Cadence nodding and showing Obsidian the wedding ring on her horn. 

"Oh." Obsidian said awkwardly with Ice shaking her head at her husband.

"Forgive my husband. He can be a bit… presumptive." Black Ice said, bumping her partner. Cadence giggled.

"No need to apologize, little old Fury here is just as cheeky." She chuckled.

"Hey!"

"I'm not surprised, he was always a bit of a wild card as a kitten." Black Ice said.

"Mom!" He always hated how she embarrassed him.

Cadence laughed at this. But she became more serious at that point.

"Okay, let's get back to business. We have to escape. It'll be a little suspicious though to try to explain why we would take you two out of the camp."

"I figured as much." Obsidian said.

"So what will need to be done is a sort of distraction." Cadence said.

"That'll be no problem, once I cause a little destruction." Fury smiled deviously. "Hey dad, remember the time we blew up the oven trying to make mom breakfast in bed on mother's day?"

"Ah yes. I remember your mother yelling at me for that." Obsidian said humorously.

"Well how about we scale that up a bit? About… Furnace sized?"

"Ooh, now you've got my attention, son. How do we do it?"

"Well, we all know that Methane is flammable. Right?" Fury asked.

"Yes…"

"And it would only take a good bit to set those furnaces off, right?"

"Yes…" 

"So how about I go and… gas the place up?" Fury said, using his power and turning into a skunk. 

"Ah, I see you've mastered transformation. That's very good." Obsidian complimented. "It seems it's settled. Me and your mother will try to run as quickly as possible away from here."

"Awww, don't you guys want to see the show? I promise it'll be funny."

The three rolled their eyes. Obsidian and Cadence humorously but his mother with a serious look on her face. 

"Night Fury, this is serious! We do not want the guards to notice us and beat us up! Do you understand?!"

"Alright alright! Sheesh, after all these years, I would've thought you would've become less of a buzzkill, mom. I feel sorry for you dad, I finally understand what you meant when you told me that mom has a stick up her-"

"OBSIDIAN! What did you say to our boy?!" She grabbed and pulled her husband's ear.

"Night Fury, that was supposed to be a secret!" Obsidian said.

"You're just lucky I did tell her about your comments on her cooking. Oops!"

"What did you say about my cooking!?"

"Ahhhh! Nothing! Nothing!"

Cadence just laughed at the familial interaction. Cadence started to wonder if Fury's temper came from his mother.

"Heh, okay okay. How about we save this for later and get to work?" She suggested. Black Ice softened her expression and let her husband go.

"Do not think you're going to be off the hook once this is over!" She scolded. Obsidian sighed.

"Yes dearest." He moaned. 

"So, are you ready?" Cadence asked the small skunk.

"More than I have ever been." Fury replied.

"Then go on, little skunk and make a big scene!" Cadence said.

Fury saluted and went out of the prison shed and started making his way to the furnaces.

–

Fury soon made it to the furnaces and hid under a nearby crate. He watched through a peephole as the guards made their rounds, keeping a watchful eye on the enslaved Speed Shifters. He then heard a voice. 

"All taskmasters, to the wood piles! We've got a unicorn putting up a fight." One guard said. All of the remaining guards disappeared to deal with the disturbance, giving Fury a chance to put his plan into action. He snuck out of the crate and scurried his way to the first furnace where one of the Speed Shifters took notice of him.

"Well hello, little fella. I don't suppose you could chomp through these shackles and get me out of here?" She said desperately.

"Don't worry, I'll do more than just that." Fury responded, making her jump.

"Wait, you can talk? Maybe these fumes really are messing with me."

"No, you're not hallucinating. I'm one of you." He said, flashing the two white stripes on his back and tail a red color.

"Wait, I recognize you. You're little Night Fury, Obsidian and Black Ice's son!" She said. 

"Yep, and I'm busting every single one of you out of here. I'm gonna blast these furnaces with some skunk fumes and create a distraction. But I don't think I have anything in the tank." He complained. 

"I have an idea. You see those berries on that table? Those are gooseberries. They may be delicious, but for us Speed Shifters, they can make us pretty gassy." The Speed Shifter explained.

"Huh, I didn't know that happened to us. And I'm even more thankful that I've never had to deal with that. But, it looks like I'm gonna have to take one for the team. I'm too small to knock it over, do you think you can do it?"

The Speed Shifter nodded. "I'll try."

The Speed Shifter got a pawful of berries and placed them in front of the small mammal. 

"Go ahead, little guy. Do your thing." The Speed Shifter said.

Night Fury ate a bunch of gooseberries, they had varying flavors as they had colors from sour to sweet. It was a pleasant mix of flavors for Fury. He found it easy to keep on eating and eating and eating.

Finally he felt funny. He heard a loud gurgle as he felt some pressure build in his belly. He felt like he was going to…

"Oooh boy, I can definitely feel that." Fury said, lifting his tail in anticipation. 

"Here it comes! Get ready everyone!" said the female Speed Shifter.

Then came a sound louder than an elephant emanating from the skunk. There was quite a smell, but that was only the beginning. 

"Oh wow, those gooseberries sure do pack a serious punch! But now for phase two, I'll be back." The little mammal said, taking off up a small tree and waving a signal. Cadence, Black Ice and Obsidian came as quickly as they could to help the prisoners, but were immediately stunned by the horrific smell. 

"Gah! I think you might have done a bit too well, kid." Obsidian said, covering his nose. 

"Well I'll take that as a complement. But now I need something to ignite this gas. Cadence? You know what to do."

"I'll do anything to get rid of this stench!" Cadence said, coughing as her horn glowed. 

"Everyone get away from the fumes unless you want to burn up." Cadence warned. She let a small spark escape from the tip of her horn and fall to the fumes which immediately were set ablaze. The furnaces blasted fire up and out of their exhaust funnels like volcanoes and were so hot that the gates that gave access to the flames started to turn red. 

"Okay everyone, follow us behind these sheds! We'll get those shackles off of you and then the chaos will really start to flourish." Black Ice instructed, leading the other ponies and Speed Shifters out of sight.

"I can still smell the stink, ugh! What did you do, Fury?!" Cadence asked in disgust.

"Sorry, I had to fuel up on gooseberries to get it done. Dad, you can tell her how we react to them." He said with a small blush. 

Obsidian answered Cadence.

"Yes Princess. Gooseberries make skunks' flatulence ten times stronger. It is extremely flammable and is often used as a way to light explosives." He explained. "Although most Speed Shifters don't eat that many gooseberries."

"Hey, you can't blame me. Those berries are the best!" The little skunk said before letting out a squeaky remnant of his actions.

"Oh, uh excuse me." He said with a blush. 

Obsidian and Cadence both laughed although they stopped to avoid smelling more fumes.

"We better get going!" Obsidian said. Cadence and Fury nodded and they both ran to where their Black Ice was.

Meanwhile every guard was now having to put out the fire. "More water!" Some of the Speed Shifters turned pelicans carrying water from the nearby rivers were trying to desperately put out the fire to no avail.

"Curses, how could this happen?! Hurry up! The chief will have our hides if he finds out about this." cried out a well dressed officer. Meanwhile, Night Fury had just released the last of the prisoners from their shackles.

"Okay everyone, here's the plan. We take on the guards to keep them from turning on us so we can get to the chief. Once we get to him, we tie him up, leave him here, and I'll take care of the rest." He said, turning back into a skunk.

"Okay Cadence, fill me up."

Cadence hesitantly gave him more of the gooseberries. She hoped she would not have to sniff more of those fumes. 

"Don't skimp out on me. If my enemies smell it, they'll really not be able to do much!" Fury said with an evil smirk.

After Cadence did so, Fury went over to where the guards were.

"Hey, twerps!" He called, getting all the guards to freeze and look at him.

"You wanna mess with my tribe, then bring it on! Ayiaiaiaiai!" Fury let out a battle cry that signaled all the prisoners to start rushing out. 

The guard may have had weapons and armor but they were no match for a large swarm of angry prisoners.

"Take this!" One prisoner slashed.

"Have some of this!" Another prisoner slammed a guard with a hammer.

"You don't mess with my daughter!" said a mother with her daughter, piercing a guard with his own spear. 

"They may be big cats, but they're now my brothers against you!" a unicorn said blasting other Shifters with a beam of energy.

Fury looked on in amazement at the moment of shared achievement from both ponies and Speed Shifters. This made him even more confident that he could join the two together and bring about peace to the people. He was soon reminded that he had to stay focused when a gurgle came from his belly.

"Oh right, gotta stay focused! Can't hold all of this in forever." He said to himself, scurrying off to where Cadence had taken cover.

"Okay, now that we have all of the guards distracted, we need to find the chief. And we better hurry…" Fury warned, another growl solidifying his statement. "I'm starting to feel a little bloated."

"And I don't think anypony wants to be here when that goes off. Hop on, I'll give you a bird's eye view." Cadence said.

Night Fury flew up with Cadence seeing the whole village. It was a battlefield of epic proportions, for him at least. So far it seems the prisoners were winning the fight. 

"Hey, look over there! Is that the chief?" Cadence pointed towards a Speed Shifter with battle paint on his face and a large headdress with some golden armor. It seems he was taking a nap before and only now just woke up.

"Bingo! Only chiefs wear battle paint and golden armor. Let's give him the drop, mighty Cadence! Heeya!"

Cadence swooped in, lunging straight at the chief. She and Fury were about to knock him out in one blow. 

I'll finally get this piece of trash! Fury said to himself.

It seemed strange the chief was surprisingly calm despite all the fire. In fact he seemed to have a smile on his face. But it didn't matter, Fury was going to wipe that smile off his face.

"Hello there, Night Fury! Long time no see!" The chief looked up and greeted them. Before he leaped out of the way of Cadence causing her to crash.

"Ouch!" Cadence exclaimed, getting herself off the ground.

"You okay Cadence?" Fury asked.

"Watch your back!" Cadence said, looking to see where the chief was. He seemed to be gone.

"How could he react that quickly?!" Cadence said, stunned. "I was going as fast as possible. He should have been knocked out!"

"You may be fast, but us Speed Shifters are faster, Cadence." Fury said, still looking for the chief.

"I must agree, we are rather quick on our paws." Said the chief, revealing himself from the shadows. This Speed Shifter had blue eyes and a scar over his right eye. His sharp claws were scuffed and scratched, but still sharp enough to deal some damage. He was an imposing figure to be sure.

"Night Tyrant…" Fury growled. 

"You have it incorrect. I am not what you of the Valley call Night Tyrant. I am his descendant. I am called Moon Beam. And I have been looking forward to our visit, my boy." the ruler said with a polite bow. Despite his scarred appearance, he seemed to be very eloquent in his speech.

"Spare me your niceties. I know that you're my enemy. All you want is power, power that I have been said to be gifted with."

"Ah, I see you have been educated in The Prophecy Of The All Powerfuls."

"Prophecy Of The All Powerfuls? Fury, what is he talking about?" Cadence asked, Moon Beam jutted in.

"Let me put it in perspective for you, princess. You see, the All Powerfuls were a group of carefully chosen Speed Shifters that were given power beyond the comprehension of anyone. This group we're blessed with this destiny for one reason, to bring together all walks of feline life and to harmonize our bloodlines. But with that power, came trouble for us all. When it was heard that your little skunk friend was the next generation of these beings, and that he was forming friendships with others outside our species, things started to get… ugly." His polite demeanor turned from calm to seething anger.

"If Fury proceeds to keep going with his efforts to bond with you… ponies and give our people a reason to allow them to become our allies, our regime will fall. Ponies will start to take advantage of our power, use it for their 'creature comforts', and abuse it for their own personal gain! But I will not let that happen. When I sapp the power from this weakling's bones, I will become the next all powerful Speed Shifter, and I will do what is right for our kind!" 

"And what exactly is that?" Cadence snarled. Moon Beam only smiled at her aggressive speech. 

"Simple. I shall reestablish the rule of the Speed Shifters! I will bring back the Silver and Blue City like my father and his father before him and so forth once wished! For centuries, we Speed Shifters had to wander for generations. We were hated by the other felines even if we were just trying to help them. You Valley Shifters, if I can even call you Shifters, turned your backs on the destiny of the Speed Shifters! That is why we had to live in these Cursed Woods." He was now fully enraged. "You allied with those that seek to destroy our kind! You accursed wretches!"

"That's not true! If I bond with ponies and get them to befriend us, we could benefit from their guidance. What good comes from making any other creature subservient to us? That's just racist!"

The chief shot back.

"Racist?! Let me tell you what was racist! Our Silverblue City, the pride of all felines, was made desolate because of those ponies. They pretend to be on your side but they actually are a manipulative lot. They conquered our lands and we have been humiliated ever since, living in second class forests!"

"The only reason that our ancestors moved out of the Silver Blue was because of the increasing dangers of the cold climate, dangerous creatures, and the lack of supplies to sustain a stable society. The only thing you have to your name is the fact that your father was a disappointment of a creature and should have killed himself a long time ago!" Fury yelled, now transformed back to his original form.

"You know what I think, I think the only reason you think you're doing this is because you can't accept that you will never be accepted for your thoughts and opinions." He said, slashing Moon Beam in the face as he kept going.

"Gahhhh!!! You idiot, don't you realize we had so much back then! We live in tiny villages while these ponies live in large cities!! You could be a conqueror!"

"That's because we saw no need to do so before we saw them grow in population and technology. And why would I ever want to become a conqueror when I could just present my benefits of being a part of their society and let it evolve from there. And I don't care what they did to us, that was in the past! But now I realize that you can't make everyone agree with you." Fury said, plunging his claws into the chief's chest, making him bleed.

"And don't think I didn't forget what you did to my parents, you pinheaded reject! You care more about your dream than other living beings!" He grabbed Moon Beam by the head and knocked him into the ground, imbedding his golden headdress into his skull. 

"And you know what that gets you… killed. But I guess that you're so thick in the head that you can't figure that out. But here, let me clear your head!" Fury grabbed the headdress and yanked it out of the chief's head, his cranium bleeding over his head. Cadence was slack jawed at the moment, she had never seen Fury be so merciless ever since King Sombra. 

"Say goodbye, sweet prince." Fury snarled as he bit down on his neck. 

"No! You will pay!!!!!" Those were the Chief's last words. After that was only a pool of blood as Fury pulled his head and spine out of his body with his teeth and left a headless corpse in front of him.

Night Fury breathed heavily, Moon Beam's disembodied and lifeless head and spine still in his jaws.

Cadence was speechless for a while. 

"You definitely know how to make a statement." she finally managed to say.

"No time for conversation now, let's get this done." He said with a bone chilling tone as he dropped the prince's head. 

"W-what do we do now?" Cadence asked. "Are we going to assist the other Shifters now?" Fury froze and looked back at the princess, his cold, dead eyes making her blood run cold.

"You get to the others, I have my own place to be." He said, turning back into his skunk form and scurrying off. Cadence sat still for a moment, her entire body feeling as if it had been dunked in ice water as her mind flashed with the mercilessly disembodied head and Fury's cold voice. 

"Oh boy, I need a break from all of this." Cadence flew to help out the other Speed Shifters and ponies.

–

Fury stepped back into the middle of the camp and readied himself for his final attack. He raised his tail once again, looking into the still ongoing battle.

"Hey everyone!" He yelled, making everyone freeze. "The bomb is set! I repeat, the bomb is set!"

All of the prisoners started to bail out, making a break for the gate. 

They were eager to leave. 

"Hey get those prisoners!" There was a large group of guards coming at the prisoners.

"Hey pals!" the skunk replied. "We have a present to give you guards for being such nice people. Get a load of this!"

And then all of a sudden, there was a blast of gas that covered the entire compound. The guards could barely move, they were intoxicated by the fumes. 

"Adios, boys! Enjoy the gooseberry surprise!" He said, running through the gates and watching them close behind him. As the gates closed, all of the prisoners cheered for their freedom and the defeat of the Chief.

"We're free!" said an old mare.

"Mommy, are we really safe?" said a speed shifter cub with a scar on his face.

"I think we are, son. We are! All thanks to that young fellow over there!" she said, pointing to Night Fury.

"Aww, thanks! I did what I had to." He said, stepping through the crowd that was giving him props for his efforts to get to Cadence and his parents.

"You did it, son! You saved us all!" Obsidian said.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetie!" Black Ice added.

"Thanks guys, but it's not over yet. Cadence, send the signal." Fury instructed. Cadence aimed for the sky and shot a magic blast into the air, exploding into an arrow that pointed to their location. It wasn't a few seconds later until Celestia and Luna made their appearance. 

"Ah it seems we have a lot of new friends by our side." Celestia said. 

"Indeed sister. Let us help them out." Luna agreed as they flew close to the free people.

"Hey ladies, so glad you could join us!" Fury said.

"You didn't think I wouldn't take any chance I could to come see you, did you?" Luna said, landing in front of Fury and giving him a kiss.

"Uh, sweetie, you do realize who's on your left, don't you?" He said. Luna followed his cue and saw his parents were looking on at her with very strange faces, Obsidian looking on with a smirk while Black Ice had her jaw wide open. 

"Oh… Um, hello." She squeaked. 

"Well my idea wasn't completely wrong. You have a different princess! I knew it, my boy!" Obsidian said.

"My little boy. He really has grown up!" Black Ice said with some tears. 

"Aww, mom!" He said a little embarrassed.

"It is nice to meet you two." Luna said with a bow.

"Agreed, Princess." 

"That is very good." Black Ice said. But then she closed in on her. "That being said, if you do anything to hurt my Night Fury, physically or mentally, I will turn your skull into a decorative item in my kitchen!" 

"Dad, a little intervention would be nice!"

"I got you covered, champ!" He said, pulling his wife back.

"Don't worry about her, sweetie. She's just being herself. Overprotective and a buzzkill." He chuckled. Black ice narrowed her eyes as she heard her son call her out but then smiled as she remembered an old nickname.

"Oh I'm not the only one who has a bit of a title, Thunder Belly." She said. Fury's eyes turned into pinpricks as he heard his dreaded childhood nickname.

"Oh no…" 

"Thunder Belly?" Luna asked. "That is quite an adorable name. Let me guess, you got it because you hate eating too much?" she chuckled. 

"I would also like to know the origin of this nickname." Celestia added. 

Fury was not amused.

"Actually the nickname really comes from when he didn't eat. His tummy would make sure everyone around knew he was hungry. It was so loud that it sounded like thunder!" Black Ice giggled. 

Luna was laughing like never before.

"I was just kidding about him not eating, I thought it was from him eating too much! I never realized it was his stomach growling! That is supremely adorable!" Luna burst out laughing.

"Why have you forsaken me, mother?!" Fury cried. 

"Oh don't be so mad. I am just telling your girlfriend how adorable you are!" she said, hugging him. "And besides you called me that word, Buzzkill. An eye for eye, dear." 

"And besides, I always loved how you were my hungwy wittle baby!" She said, nuzzling her son. Fury felt like he just wanted to keel over and pass on from this embarrassment, and it wasn't helping that princess Celestia herself, the most regal being in Equestria was now full on laughing. Not a giggle, not a sensible chuckle, but full on laughter. 

"Is it too late for me to be eaten by a Cragodile?" Fury asked, fully embarrassed.

After a little while they finished the teasing.

"But wait? Where are you going to live, you two?" Cadence asked Fury's parents. "Actually now that I think about it, what about all of these ex prisoners too?"

Obsidian spoke up.

"Well for most of these prisoners. They probably want a place to rest. And then they probably will want to go back to their homes. I'm sure their families are looking forward to seeing them. The chief seemed to want a lot of laborers working on his project."

"That may be true, honey, but what about us?" Black Ice inquired.

"Hey guys, how would you like to… come back to Equestria with me?" Fury asked.

"Are you sure? We don't want to intrude on your life too much."

"It's no problem, mom. I'm sure Princess Celestia will be generous enough to give you guys a place to stay."

"Indeed. And not only that, but you will be warmly welcomed to our community!" Celestia said. "You two have earned it. And we will even heal up your wounds and other medical problems you incurred from that camp."

"Oh, that's great! We can improve our lives for the better with this, Ice. And maybe we can-" Before Obsidian could finish his sentence, Fury stepped in.

"I'm sorry dad, but I don't think Chief Thunder Claw will be very welcome to you proposing that the tribe move to Equestria." Fury said somberly, Obsidian nodded in agreement.

"I suppose you're right, he was the one who implemented the 'No other creatures may be trusted' policy. Maybe with time, we can prove that ponies can be trusted." 

"Gee, that order sounded like that Moon Beam guy." Fury remarked. "But we'll show him. Just like I showed ponies I could be trusted just like the other Speed Shifters. Being an ambassador is no easy feat." With that information now being released, Night Fury's parents went into a frenzy. This time both of them.

"YOU'RE AN AMBASSADOR!?" His parents were surprised.

"Yep! I was made the ambassador to ponies! They trust me to represent the Speed Shifters and to be the go to for future diplomacy. You jealous all you have is the council to stand for you, dad?" 

His father laughed. "You're darn right, son. It's always great to see a child go further than their parents. I hope it's not as annoying as some of those council members."

"Thanks, pops! Oh, and mom, I almost forgot. I never told everyone your nickname." Fury said with a smirk. Black Ice scoffed.

"Oh please, what nickname could I have that's embarrassing?"

"Oh I don't know, how about I just explain it to everyone… Jelly Belly." Black Ice froze, she forgot about that nickname. It's been so long.

"No. Don't you dare…"

"So guess what? My mom, when she eats too much, her belly jiggles like jelly. This one time, me and my best friend were eating. We wanted to give her some extra food. And when she ate it…" He waved his arms around to imitate his mother's belly. "It was so hilarious! I'm surprised you forgot, mom!"

"I guess I was trying to suppress that memory… until you brought it back, you little rascal!"

"Oh, and one more thing. When I was just a cub, around the time my mom was still trying to work off her baby fat and battle her post-pregnancy cravings, I walked in on her munching on a literal mountain of food. She looked like she had a balloon attached to her underside. When I walked in, I climbed up on her bed and being the curious kid I was, I wondered what it would be like to lay on her belly. So I bounced up, landed on her belly, and let it wobble me around like a buoy on the lake! And the best part about it, it sounded like she was full of water! Hahah!"

"YOU ARE GROUNDED, MISTER! HOW DARE YOU BRING THAT UP!? I SHOULD STARVE YOU FOR A WHOLE NIGHT FOR THIS!" Black Ice exploded in anger.

"And what are you gonna do about it, gurgle gut? Catch me? I'd like to see you try!" Fury said. "Hey guys, you might wanna stay taking bets because this could get interesting!"

She stopped being angry. And simply gave a smile. But not an easygoing one, but one filled with malice. 

"Sweetheart, you want me to catch you? That's fine. I'll catch you. And make sure you know who you're talking to, mister!" She said using her own energy.

Fury now realized she was serious. 

"Um, mom? You know I was just kidding right?" Fury said knowing he just unleashed pure wrath.

"Oh I know that, Fury. And I'm joining in on the fun!" She roared as she jumped on him and began to tickle him.

"Bahahahaha! Stop Ihihihit!" He squealed.

"How about no? I'm having too much fun!" She giggled, continuing her attack. The battle went on for what felt like an eternity until Obsidian stepped between them.

"Okay you two, break it up." He chuckled as he pulled his wife off of him and watched Fury run to his girlfriend for protection.

"Protect me, my sweet!" He instructed.

"I shall guard you with my life!" She responded, wrapping him with her wings and staring at his mother. "You shall not attack my sweetums again! Try your luck, if you dare!" Black Ice didn't try again and stepped back from her.

"Okay, I'll concede. But I'll get you back, Mister!" She exclaimed to her son. Fury smiled.

"I'd like to see you try! And to be honest, if I had said the same thing to Luna, she would have done the same thing!" 

"I will admit that I would have done that, and you still remember your fate if you dare do that, right?" Luna said, running her feathers down his sides, making him giggle. 

"Y-yes I do, I won't do it!"  Night Fury nervously said. " Unless it is well deserved, that is."

Luna had a satisfied look.

"Do not dare step forward, mother of mine. I have the protection of the moon at my side, and she does not play around. Show her, babe." Fury said, Luna letting out a playful snarl as she embraced him closer.

"My Night Fury… Mine!" She giggled. 

"Also she can move the moon itself, so she's pretty powerful. Just saying." Night Fury smiled at Luna.

Black Ice looked at Luna's body.

"You do have quite a lovely creature on your side, Fury." She walked up to Luna.

"Forgive me, for coming off as a bit harsh before. But now I would like to ask you some things about you." 

"As any good mother would do. So please, ask away." Luna encouraged. 

"What is your favorite hobby? Is it going to parties or doing karaoke?"

Luna laughed at this notion. Her being a party animal? Is that what Fury's mother thought she was?

"Oh heavens no! That would be my worst nightmare. No pun intended. That is something I would have to be forced to go to! I hate the loudness and crowds!" She looked to the sky. "My favorite hobby is looking at the stars and moon. And to hear the crickets sing their songs."

Black Ice was starting to like this. Luna was a calm, quiet pony it seems. Definitely not someone wild and crazy. A perfect balance for Night Fury.

"Okay, how about your current situation with Fury? Are you happy with him and vice versa?"

She gave a soft smile.

"Absolutely. I have never met someone more wonderful than your son. He is, despite his quirks, one of the most friendly and non judgemental creatures I have ever met." She said.

Black Ice now truly knew Luna was the one for her son.

"Also his purring is simply adorable." 

"I know right!" Black Ice said. "He is like a little cub when he purrs!"

Fury was happy but now he realized there were now two ponies who love to talk about how cute his purring was. It was a little embarrassing.

"Oh come on! I don't purr that much!"

"Oh yes you do!" Luna and Black Ice objected. 

"And poor old me!" Black Ice said. "I haven't heard you purring in forever! Now I must make amends!" She said, raising her claws.

"Aw shoot." Fury said.

One second after, Luna grabbed him with magic, made him lie on the ground and his mother had her paws on his neck.

"C'mon you two, we don't have to do this!" Fury argued.

"Unfortunately, I have a second opinion." Another voice came. Fury looked over to see Celestia standing next to her sister.

"Oh no, Celestia, not you too!"

"Sorry but I too am curious about this so-called purring that you do. Twilight would appreciate the research after all. So be prepared!" 

And all three of them stroked his back and neck, causing Fury to relax and give out a soft…

Purrrrrrr

"Awwww," Black Ice. "Now that sound brings me back to when you were a little tiny cub!" she squished Fury's cheeks. "Actually, scratch that, you're still my little cub!" 

Luna was amazed how his mother could display both anger and softness in a matter of a few minutes. She was quite something. It reminded her of Fury's soft side and ferocious side.

"Dang it Mom! The other Shifters are watching!"

Purrrrrr

"Awww don't worry son. This is just how your mother does things." He said while rustling his hair. "Ha ha ha ha!"

"Yeah, it doesn't me I have to like it though!" he pouted.

"Oh hush now, my love. You love this deep down." Luna said.

Fury simply kept his unamused expression but he knew she was kind of right. He did enjoy this.

"Alright ladies, I think he has had enough pampering now." Obsidian said. 

The other three reluctantly let go.

"Thank goodness." Fury said. "Are we ready to go to Ponyville now? Who's going to help these prisoners?"

"Don't worry." Celestia said. I'll take care of them. Shining Armor has agreed to give them a camp until they are ready to go to their lands. Your parents can go on ahead. I'll take care of them." Fury smiled at the thought of having his parents come back with him to Equestria, he could finally feel whole again with them around.

"Okay guys, we're ready to go. How do you guys feel now that you'll be coming home with me for the first time in years?" He asked.

"It feels amazing, baby. The thought of not only being able to have my son back and live a more prosperous life is a wonderful thing."

"I'd have to say the same, son. This is a new chapter for us. Being able to see you grow up and live your life is a gift of its own."

"Thanks dad, but I'm not done. You two have some explaining to do." Fury said. Fury's parents were confused.

"Explain what, sweetie?"

"Oh I don't know, how about the fact that I have a birthmark that you never told me about?" He turned around and showed his back to his parents, revealing the lightning strike birthmark. 

The two were both silent at the sight of this mark.

"So you know." Obsidian said.

"Sigh, we tried our hardest to hide it with paint. But I guess it was meant to be found." Black Ice said.

"Found out when Cadence looked at my back and used a mirror to give me a clear shot. Maybe being thrashed so many times by bad guys revealed it. Now, why hide my birthmark? Was it too dangerous to be seen?" Fury asked.

"Actually yes, Fury. It was because it was too dangerous to be seen." Obsidian said. Fury was surprised by that.

"You see, Fury, we knew about the prophecy about the next generation of the all powerfuls. And it entailed that a Speed Shifter with the mark of The Raging Storm would be the chosen one." Black Ice added. 

"Wait, the chosen one?" Fury asked. 

"Yes Fury and I can tell. You being an ambassador, you rescuing all of these Speed Shifters, your newfound powers. It all demonstrates that you are the chosen one to bring back unity and glory to felines."

"Wow. This is a lot to take in."

"There's a reason that chief wanted you. Maybe he thought you would work with him to unite Speed Shifters. But the problem was he would do it through violent means and oppression. We have taught you differently to unite others in friendship and harmony. It's good you met ponies who also share these ideas."

"Yeah, I found out from the chief himself, who called himself Moon Beam. Apparently he was a descendant of the Night Tyrant who also wanted to restore The Silver Blue. But this one wanted to do more. Because of me, he wanted to conquer Equestria as well, making ponies subservient to us in his grand plan to restore our glory in his own vision."

"He wanted to? Is he not still around?" Black Ice asked.

"Sorry mom, but let me just say that… I put him in his place." Fury said in a more serious tone, wiping some of Moon Beam's excess blood off of his teeth and flicking it away. 

"I-I see." Obsidian said. "Did he pose a challenge?"

"At first." Fury said. "He did manage to dodge Cadence going like a bullet at him. But I was able to get him. It's all over now though! He's gone and that threat is no longer around!"

The two still seemed worried about something.

"Is there something wrong?" Fury asked.

"I don't know." Black Ice said. "It just seems too easy. To think it's all over with the Night Tyrant tribe's schemes. I know for a fact I saw a white unicorn making deals with Moon Beam while we were at camp." Black Ice said. As she said that, all three princesses and Night Fury froze like statues.

"A white unicorn? Are you sure that's what you saw, mom?"

"Positive. He was a little dirty, but he could easily be identified. He had white fur, blue eyes, and a golden mane. He also had what looked like a clip on collar and bowtie around his neck. And boy,.was he ever snooty…" Black Ice stopped as she saw she had all eyes on her.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No mom, but you did just give us an id on someone who almost killed me twice." Fury said. Black Ice went wide eyed in fear and surprise, her blood running sub zero as she heard what had happened.

"W-what, this can't be true!"

"I'm afraid it is. Black Ice, the pony you just described was Ex Prince Blueblood. A wretched tyrant who went blind with blood thirsty rage in an effort to stop your son from what he thought was him ascending to the throne as Canterlot's next prince. And mine and Luna's nephew." Celestia said with regret.

"It can't be… It can't be… That must mean that they knew about you for longer than I expected!" Black Ice said. "I thought he was just some random rich snob, not a prince of all things!"

"I'm afraid I must concur," Luna piped up. "Blueblood has had a personal vendetta against Fury for as long as he has been in Equestria. He has gone from ruining his public image, to trying to ruin his title of ambassador, and finally going to the point of planting bombs to try and wipe him out completely."

"Not to mention being an all out hypocrite by going after me for apparently getting 'Spoon fed' an easy start to my life in Equestria when he's basically done much the same! But just because I'm not a prince or royalty of any kind, I shouldn't deserve to have those luxuries. Or deserve to exist in the first place… His words, not mine." Fury added. 

"I see. What a horrible creature. He and Moon Beam would make friends. But what is Blueblood's status?" Black Ice asked.

"He went somewhere. We haven't been able to track him down. His whereabouts are still unknown. But he is probably not in Equestria." Celestia said.

Black Ice kept pacing around.

"Look, mom," Fury said. "You need to calm down. Everything has been dealt with. It's all over. There's no one out to get me now."

"I don't know about that, Fury." Obsidian finally spoke up. "If that Blueblood is still out there, you already have a potential rival. And also, that Moonbeam, if you were able to beat him so easily, is that the only one? Do you not think there might be more powerful Shifters like him?"

"What are you talking about?" Fury said. "He was the chief right?"

"I've seen a lot of Shifters like him. He is only the beginning. But I know even in being in that camp, there were other officials. Some are far more powerful. They will not rest until they have achieved their goal. They have failed now, but there will be more of the Night Tyrant tribe out to find you. And besides perhaps this Moon Beam was all talk and no substance. I'm willing to bet there is someone more powerful waiting in the background planning their next move." Obsidian continued. Night Fury took a moment to think about what his father had said. He wasn't too worried about there being other Speed Shifters out there who could possibly be looking to take his power from him and claim his destiny as their own, but he had to admit that there was still a genuine risk. He still wanted to look on the bright side of it though as he smiled and looked at his parents.

"I get that I should be careful with who could be out there, waiting to take me out. But look on the bright side, we don't have to worry about it now. If we constantly worried about what was in our future, we wouldn't be able to live our present to the fullest. Imagine if you two were constantly pushing to keep me safe and coddled me my entire life, how do you think I would be now?" 

Fury's parents had to agree with him. If they had held Fury back all of those years they were still around and never let him flourish, he may have never wandered off from their home and gone to Equestria to look for them. He may not be even standing here at this moment if they had constantly worried about his future. 

"Well considering how much you've grown, lad, I don't think we have to worry too much about you. You've done perfectly fine so far." His father patted his shoulder. "Right, honey?" He turned to his wife.

As much as she hated to admit it…

"I suppose you are getting older. And you are able to take care of yourself. I just… I just don't want you to be hurt. I don't want you to face these horrible things. I wish you were able to grow up without these burdens." His mother said with tears

"Hey it's okay, mom. Sure, stuff got rough for me. But I pulled through. And I had a lotta new friends along the way. And now that you two are here. We'll do even more!" Fury said, hugging her.

"You're right son. Sorry for being so worried. I have faith in you, my dear." Black Ice said.

"Thanks mom." Fury said, releasing her from his hug. 

"Alright enough of this sappy stuff! Are you guys ready to go to Ponyville?!" He asked excitedly.

Everyone yelled yes.

"Then let's get outta this place." Fury said. 

"Luckily I managed to make a map of our way out of the Cursed Forest. So let's go." Cadence said.

And so Fury, Luna and Cadence went with Black Ice and Obsidian back to Ponyville. While Celestia with some of her royal guards helped to provide shelter for the Speed Shifters.

Things were looking bright for Night Fury now.

–

"What?! Moon Beam is dead?!" said a shadowy voice.

"Yes, ma'am, he had his head and spine torn out of his body with no mercy."

"I should have known. That cocky idiot was always more tell than show. But that doesn't matter. It doesn't matter that our plans didn't go so well. We still have time and not just that, but we have a new friend, is that not right, Prince?"

A white unicorn bowed. "Why yes, I cannot wait to have my revenge against that… Night Fury. But we must not underestimate him. Now that he has shown that he is not afraid of taking lives, we must show caution." Blueblood said, finally remembering his name since he knew not to insult Speed Shifters in front of him.

"Excellent," the mysterious lady said. "And I also have other news, your highness."

"Oh? How so?"

"The camp that Moon was seeing over, the cat's parents were there. And they have been taken back to Equestria." The lady said. This news got Blueblood's attention. 

"Ah this could be interesting, we will have to keep an eye out for them." Blueblood said. "Sadly I am not much of a fighter. I would not want to fight him head on."

"That's alright. He might be more powerful than we expected but he is still inexperienced. We have warriors that will make him look like a cub."

"He may be inexperienced now, but as he fights, he learns. His powers are ever evolving as the days pass by, so we must be vigilant. But we must not attack too early, for our plans being revealed too soon may jeopardize our lives. Any other news I must be privy to?"

"Yes, your highness. The boy has a part of his power that is linked to an ancient prophecy of his people. It is rumored that he is the next generation of some so-called 'All Powerfuls' that have existed for years, even before ponies colonized this land. If we can use this power, we will be able to rule once more!" Then she remembered her manners. "Ahem, with you of course having your own kingdom, Prince Blueblood."

"Well thank you, my lady." He said with pretended kindness. "I see this Night Fury is even more powerful than I imagined. I will have to use more of my wit and charm to take him down. You have my word!"

"Likewise for me." She replied. "And maybe one day we will invade that Valley and get vengeance on those traitors!" She seethed. "Ha ha ha ha."

Blueblood and this shadow Speed Shifter both laughed with excitement at their future plans to take down the new All Powerful.

Night Fury had better watch his back.
> Chapter 24: Family Reunion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a bit rough getting back to Ponyville. What with avoiding booby traps or wild animals. But for Fury, that didn't matter because he was with his parents and besides, they knew the path to take back.

Fury was eager to show his parents all the places he had gone to. He showed them Manehattan and all the venues there, including the theater, (Fury noted to himself he should take the Mane Six to see it sometime.) and the place where he made his stand against the so called Chosen One.

But of course, he was more than ready to make it back to his parents' future home, Ponyville and to introduce the Mane Six and Spike to them.

After a long but relaxing train ride they finally made it to their destination.

"Here we are, guys! Welcome to Ponyville." Fury said as the train stopped.

With the surreal nature of the Cursed Forest and the energetic nature of Manehattan, it was a nice change of pace to see a quaint small town for Obsidian and Black Ice.

"I can't believe we're actually here. This is where you've been all these years, baby?" Black Ice asked with amazement.

Fury smiled. "Yep, this place has been my home for almost a year now. Came here in the summer and I've been here ever since. But now it's fall and things are changing. Look, you can see the pegasi from Cloudsdale are bringing in the first overcast of clouds for the season."

"Impressive!" Black Ice remarked.

"Yeah, they have quite an organized system it seems." Obsidian agreed.

"You bet it!" Then Cadence and Luna made their way out of the train.

"I must say, this town is rather beautiful in autumn." Luna said, taking in a breath of fresh air. 

"Soon, there will be the annual tradition called the Running of the Leaves, where the denizens of Ponyville will make their way through the dense tree lines of the town in an effort to get the leaves off of the trees. 

"I agree, Auntie, Ponyville really knows how to make things work." Cadence added. 

"Yep, and I'm gonna be on the front lines when it happens! I've always wanted to know what it's like to race against ponies without my powers. And now that I've been working out more, I think I'll take first place!" Fury said, flexing his arms.

"You may have been working out your legs and stamina, but you're still squishy in the middle." Luna giggled, squishing Fury's tummy with a hoof. 

"Luna. This is not the time!" He said annoyed and embarrassed.

His mother chuckled a bit. It reminded her of how she would do that with Fury as a cub sometimes… Good times.

"You are strong, my dear. But you'll always be my chubby wittle Fury-kins!" She said cutely, hugging her son. Fury was practically glowing red at this point.

"Right, right, right. Thank you, mom." He said pulling himself away. "Now as I was saying, we have other places to go see."

He showed them the wonders of Ponyville life. From a bowling rink, which Obsidian liked as it reminded him of some of the games back at their old Valley. The arcade which while marvelous, the parents could not comprehend. And the local music scene with Big Macintosh and Rarity. He even took them to look at the Ponyville Schoolhouse, though they would decide to come in later when they were ready to deal with the children.

"Alright, I showed you all these places but I feel like I'm missing the most important thing." Fury said.

"I may have an idea…" Cadence leaned in and whispered to Fury what she had in mind.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot to show you guys my house! And let me tell you guys now, you're gonna flip when you see where I've been chilling out."

"We've seen a lot, Fury." Obsidian lightheartedly said. "I don't think much can surprise us at this point. Ouch!"

Obsidian saw Black Ice with an unpleasant look.

"I'm sure Fury has some nice things in store for us. Be happy for him!"

"Okay, okay! I was only joking. Of course I want to see his place. I was just being honest."

Fury took no offense though and simply had a smirk.

"Well dad, how about you just see for yourself. Look to your right!" Fury had finally reached their destination.

And Fury was proven right for Obsidian's mouth dropped at seeing such a living area. His mother was amazed too, but she had a different look on her face. A look that Fury knew all too well.

"My my, Fury, you have a beautiful house. This looks like a house from one of our neighboring wealthy tribes! I wonder what it looks like on the inside…"

"Mom, I've seen that look before. You are not moving in with me! You guys can get your own place to stay, this is my spot."

"Awwwww." His mother looked down.

"I knew it was too good to be true." His father added. "But can we at least go inside and see it? I've always wanted to have a house like this when we got the resources for it!"

"Okay, fine. But if I see you two trying to make yourselves at home, there are gonna be problems. Got it?"

"Don't worry about it son. We'll behave." Obsidian said with Black Ice reluctantly nodding.

"Then follow me!" 

Fury and his family walked up to the large house. Fury got out a special key, specially carved for him with different scenes. He opened the door and it was indeed an impressive area. It was high and tall with many fine gems in the columns.

He showed them his room, his kitchen (which his mother particularly loved) and even the rooftop where they could see into the distance. 

"Alright last place guys! We have a pool with this villa! I use it to practice swimming, do aquatic games like polo, and of course practicing my Speed Shifter transformations underwater."

Both parents looked with glee. Especially the father who loved a relaxing swim in the lakes back home. 

"Well, kid, you better show us! I'm getting impatient for some swimming. It would be nice to touch some liquid after so much dryness." He remembered back to that labor camp.

"Your wish is my command!" Fury proclaimed as he led him to the courtyard which had a large pool with fountains.

As they entered they heard some music. Something with trumpets and maybe cymbals. 

"What kind of music is this?! Is this some war music! Has the Shadow Tribe come to ambush us?!" Black Ice said as she assumed a defensive stance of which Obsidian rolled his eyes.

"No mother. This is something far bigger. Far bolder. Far more terrifying. Far more awesome than anything you've seen. It's none other than…"

"SURPRISE!" Pinkie Pie cried as she jumped out along with a whole bunch of other ponies including her friends and some other ponies from town. Obsidian was amazed, he couldn't believe that Pinkie was able to camouflage herself so well without giving herself away. It was as if they were speed shifters themselves.

"I made you guys a party!" Fury called out.

"I don't believe it! You planned all of this for us?" Black Ice asked.

Fury nodded quickly. "Yep, I wanted to show you guys what it's like to truly experience Ponyville like I did for the first time. So I called in a few favors and had my friends plan a party for you!"

His mother looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Fury, you didn't have to do all this!" His mother cried with joy.

"Yes I did, mom. You two deserve it." Fury said softly. "And besides," he spoke more loudly, "I wanna have a fun time with you guys and who better to bring the fun than Ponyville's own Pinkie Pie herself."

Pinkie Pie ran to the two and gave them a big hug.

"Oh my gosh! New visitors! I'm Pinkie. Fury told me about you in his letters. And I feel bad for how those meanies treated you. So I'll give you the best party ever since the time I gave Twilight her own party! Or was Apple Bloom's birthday bigger. I'm not quite sure I'm going to have to check up on that…"

His parents didn't know how to react to this crazy pink mare. His father and mother had no words to say to this pony who has a firm grim on them.

"Pinkie! I think they got the idea! You don't wanna scare 'em off!" Applejack intervened.

"Oops." Pinkie sheepishly said letting them go. "Sorry."

"Pinkie's just a bit eager to see you two. She planned this whole party herself." Twilight said. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, me and my five companions are friends with your son Night Fury."

"Wow, this is amazing! I can't believe that you all did this just for us. But now comes the most important question…" Black Ice leaned it with an eager smile. "What kind of party games do you have?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked, Ms. Black Ice." Pinkie Pie said, racing over to a giant wheel. "This is my party wheel! With one spin, you can choose from a myriad of games to play! And since you two are the guests of honor, how about you give it a spin?" 

"I don't know, miss, I usually like to know what I'm getting into." Black Ice said.

"Ah come on, dear, unpredictability can be the key to fun!" Obsidian said. "Besides I'm sure there won't be any assasination party game or something bad like that."

"Yeah mom, what's the fun in always needing to know how things turn out? A little bit of randomness and luck never hurt anyone." Fury added. Black Ice knew her family was right, what fun came out of being strictly structured and orderly? After all, she had her unpredictable son and he was one of things that gave her the most fun.

"Alright then, I'll give it a whirl!" Black Ice said. "I'm sure I still have it in me!"

"That's the spirit!" Pinkie Pie said. "Here we go!" 

Pinkie spun the wheel of games. Everyone was looking in anticipation. And the choice was…

"Hide and seek!" Pinkie yelled.

His father and even mother were pleasantly surprised. After all Speed Shifters liked to hide and seek each other out. For Black Ice especially the latter to find her mischievous son.

"Nice! Just the kind of game I want to play." Fury said "But we still need to decide who will be the prey and who will be the predator." 

"How about you search the room with your eyes closed and pick somepony out of the crowd?" Luna suggested.

"Nice one, Luna. I'll give it a shot." Fury closed his eyes and began to blindly walk the pool area, ponies holding their breath in anticipation of who would be it. Fury stopped and reached his paw out and touched someone, opening his eyes he saw that he had come in contact with Cadence. 

"Ah the Princess of Love is up. I hope you'll be ready!"

"Oh don't worry." Cadence said. "Me and Shiny had to really think to find Twilight who hid to read her books instead of going outside."

Twilight blushed in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I really did like to stay inside."

Fury was looking forward to this game.

"Okay, everyone, so, we have two minutes to let us hide. Anywhere in this house is fair game. Even outside is fine. But nowhere outside of the fence." Fury said. "That would just be tedious. Cadence has twenty minutes to find us. Will she catch her prey or will she go hungry? Let's find out."

Cadence nodded. "I'm more than ready, especially having to sneak around in the Cursed Forest."

"Good. We will begin in…"

3… 

2… 

1… 

"Go!" 

Cadence closed her eyes. She knew everyone was scrambling to find a good spot. She does have some experience being in this mansion but she isn't completely familiar. Still she felt she was ready.

"Ready or not, here I come!" Cadence called out. 

Where do I go first? Cadence asked herself. Perhaps I'll start in the living room where I was teaching Fury some manners.

Cadence walked into it. She thought where they would be. She saw a closet and tried that place out first. 

She opened it and saw nothing. She was about to leave when she heard some giggling up above.

Nice try.

She grabbed the ponies up there and found it was none other than Pinkie Pie and Rainbow.

"Gotcha!"

"Dang it Pinkie. We could have had that! Couldn't you have kept your laughs to your mind?"

"But it felt so fun. Hee hee." Pinkie said, still giggling.

Okay, that's the first two I caught. Where to next? Maybe the bathroom?

Cadence made her way to the large bathroom and started to look around. She looked behind the shower curtains, but saw nothing. She looked around the towel rack, but nothing came. She was about to give up when a rattling noise came from the mirror cabinet above the sink. She opened the cabinet and she found none other other than Spike. 

"You'll never take me alive!" He declared, attempting to make his escape. 

Cadence giggled. "You know, escaping won't change the fact that you lost right?"

"Oh." Spike said. "Shoot. Well, it's not my fault it was really uncomfortable down there. Dang it Twilight, I might be small but not that small!"

"Well, now that I've found you, would you be so kind as to tell me where anypony else is hiding?" Cadence asked with an evil smirk.

"Never!" Spike piped up. That was a bad choice.

"Oh really? You're looking at a hungry predator, and my tummy has got enough room to stuff you inside!" Cadence said in an evil voice. 

"Um, I-I still can resist you! You can't make me speak!" Spike said. "I'm ready for anything you throw at me!"

Cadence took that as a challenge and pulled Spike into a squeeze hold.

"I guess if you won't talk, I'll just have to squish you down and eat you! Muahahahaha!" She said with her horn glowing."

"Ahhhh," Spike yelled out. "Okay I'll tell you. Twilight and Fluttershy are somewhere in the courtyard. They're hiding somewhere there. I don't know anything else."

"Good choice, my scaly friend. I shall spare you… For now." Cadence spoke as she let him go and made her way to the courtyard.

"Man, I've known her all my life and I never knew she could be that scary." Spike said to himself as he went back to the pool area. "Maybe she's been around Fury too much."

–

As Cadence made her way through the villa, she found many others hiding out. Including Applejack, Rarity, Black Ice, and Obsidian. She soon made it out to the courtyard and began to search for Twilight.

Hmmm, I wonder where she could be hiding?

She looked around the open space until she saw a familiar purple tail sticking out of a bush.

Oh Twilight, I guess you're not as good as when you were younger. 

Before she exposed Twilight, she decided to have some fun with a little tickling.

"Too bad I can't find anypony. Maybe I'll just put my hooves in this bush!" Cadence said tickling whatever was in there.

She heard some light giggling. 

"Ha ha ha! Stop! You win! You win!" Twilight said, coming out of her hiding spot.

"What gave me away?" She asked.

"You had your tail sticking out. It was too easy."

"Oh bother, I guess I've fallen out of my childhood glory." Twilight chuckled. There was then an audible but still quiet sneeze from a nearby tree. Cadence smiled as she looked in its direction. 

"Fluttershy, is that you?" There was a light rustling of the leaves and the yellow pegasus made herself known.

"That was fun. If only I hadn't sneezed." Fluttershy spoke.

"Well you did your best. C'mon, let's head back." Cadence said as she led the two back to the pool. By the time they had arrived, everyone was sitting around waiting for them. 

"That's Twilight and Fluttershy down. Who's left?" Cadence asked.

"Well, there's Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Obsidian, Black Ice and Me!" Pinkie Pie said.

"So that leaves Night Fury and Luna! The two lovers of the night. I'm gonna go find them!" Cadence said, taking off to go find the remaining players. 

But just where could they be? She checked many places already. The courtyard, the kitchen, even the storage room. 

"Wait a second. Fury mentioned they could be anywhere, even outside. Perhaps I need to take my search back outdoors." 

Cadence made her way outside. It was still a nice day but the sun was setting. It would make it a little harder to find them with less light. After all, Fury's outdoors behind his fence still had a bunch of shrubs and trees.

"Great, you just had to make this complicated for me." Cadence groaned. She now had only 8 more minutes left to find the two lovers, but she was determined to catch them. She began her search close to the front door, spreading out with every sweep. She looked in every bush and searched every tree, but neither of them were around. 

Hm, maybe they're somewhere else.

Just as she was about to head back inside, she saw a peculiar sight from Fury's bedroom window. A skinny, black tail wiggling back and forth. 

Ah, interesting. "Well, nothing special!" she cried out loud. "Maybe I'll go back to the courtyard!" She said that as she went back inside.

But she was actually sneaking to Night Fury's bedroom. She knew she had to be as sneaky as possible or else they might change rooms.

–

"Do you think she knows we're here?" Fury asked, sitting on a dresser next to a window.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's close." Luna responded, hiding under the bed.

"Well, I hope we're going to make it. This ferocious predator holds no mercy." Then there was an audible sound of hoofsteps getting closer to the room.

"That must be her! Quick, hide!" Luna said, slipping under the bed. Fury panicked as he jumped off the dresser and hid behind the door. The door to the bedroom swung open, stopping just in front of Fury. Cadence let out a playful snarl as she had fully delved into her role as the predator.

"Hello~ Is anypony here? I'm just a friendly predator looking for a bite to eat. Whoever may be in here, I suggest you get out of here before I gobble you up!" She said in an evil tone.

Shoot. We're so close to winning. We just have to not be seen for like a minute.

Cadence looked around. Her first instinct was the closet. That was a classic hiding place for mischievous foals after all.

"Hmm, let's see. Not in here nor here." Cadence said as she checked the little boxes. She then turned around and looked at the bed and saw a lump under the sheets.

"Well well well, looks like I've found my dinner."

She leaped by the bed and grabbed the sheet and pulled it right out.

"Ah ha! Oh…" She was expecting someone to be under the covers, but all she found were pillows.

"You may be clever, but I'll find you. I don't want to keep my hungry tummy waiting." She chuckled deviously. She continued to look around the bed and saw something strange, a shiny slipper. Cadence didn't think too much of it at first, but after further inspection, she saw that a dark blue hoof was connected to it. Either this was a big plushie of Luna or this was indeed her…

"Hmm, I wonder, what if I pulled on… this!"

She pulled it with all her might. 

"Gah! Unhand me!" Luna said.

"Just a moment." She pulled the real Luna straight out.

"Your hiding could not trick me for long my aunt. I have grown accustomed to seeking out what is hidden." Cadence said to Luna's annoyance. "Speaking of which, I got one more to find. Any idea or at least a hint, hmmm?"

Luna stood tall as she looked Cadence in the eye.

"You shall never find my love, you rabid beast! He is stronger than you will ever be and he will not succumb to your stomach's hunger!" She said dramatically. 

"Hmmm, we shall see." Cadence said. What shall I do with her? Trickery, threat, bribery?

"My goodness, Luna, Fury sure knows how to hide great, huh?"

"Yes, he is quite skilled which is why you will never find him."

"He is so skilled he can hide anywhere? I bet he hid in places before."

"Why yes, Fury is a great sneaker. Right now he is the best one. He can hide anywhere. Even behind a door unexpectedly. It's amazing!" Luna said.

Cadence smirked, getting a clue as to his location.

"Well then, I guess I should check behind that door."

"Wait!" Luna said, realizing she got tricked into revealing his location.

"Too late!" Cadence said. She pulled the door back and to her surprise, he wasn't there. Luna was confused, she saw him hide behind the door when Cadence appeared. It was only when she made a glance at the closet when she saw his red eyes wink to her. 

"Huh, I guess you were just complimenting him. Oh Fury, come out, come out wherever you are~" Cadence sang. "Well, maybe this calls for desperate measures."

Cadence proceeded to walk back to the middle of the room and look at her aunt.

"Okay auntie, what would a cow and a sheep do if they had a fight?" She asked.

"I don't know, what would they do?"

"I don't know either, all I know is that they would be in a baaaad moooood." Cadence said, replicating the sound of a cow and a sheep as she told the punchline. She waited for a few seconds and sure enough, a small snicker came from behind her. She smiled widely as she snuck up on the closet again.

"Well, I guess this predator will be going hungry tonight. Or maybe not!" She called as she pulled the door wide open and heaved the big cat out of the closet.

"Nooo! I won't be your dinner, you monster!" He declared.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice. My tummy is roaring for a snack, and you… are… it!"

She pushed the loser of the game onto the bed. And decided to punish him with some tickling.

"This is what you get for being a blabbermouth and a braggart!" Cadence said.

Night Fury laughed to his frustration and disappointment. Dang it! I can't believe I lost! I'm supposed to be the master of sneaking! Have I lost my edge?!

While Cadence was busy assaulting him, everyone else came over to see Fury humiliatingly defeated.

The worst part was his parents. Who had a little chuckle.

"Just, what got you caught, Fury? Was it some snacks Cadence lured you out with?" Black Ice asked with a smirk.

"No, it was another one of her terrible jokes! That's right, I said it!" Fury said. "It was some cow joke and she said how baaaaad it was."

His father laughed out loud.

"That's what made you laugh out loud?! That's the real joke." Obsidian said, barely containing himself.

Curses, this was supposed to be my triumph and for me to do a victory dance and roast Cadence. Not the other way around! I must find a way to avenge this failure. But how? Hmmm. Ah ha, prepare for some roast candy!

"Oh, and did I forget to mention that you're mane looks like a fuzzy lollipop nobody likes? And that your scrap metal peytral and slippers look like sculpted cheese. And one more thing… Your horn is so shrimpy, I wouldn't be surprised if someone mistook it for a discolored toothpick!"

Some of the ponies laughed out loud, namely Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah, it does look like candy!" Rainbow said. 

"Hmmm, can I taste your mane?" Pinkie asked, perhaps being genuine. "I've never seen candy so good looking.

Even Fury's parents had a little chuckle.

Oh you little tramp! Cadence said to herself. She didn't take her appearance as seriously as Rarity. But she would not take an insult to her mane she proudly groomed every day.

"Oh and I almost forgot… You're so scrawny that I'm pretty sure your skeleton is literally made out of twigs, looking like a walking tree." 

"Oh snap!" Spike said. "Get it, snap? Never mind."

"Oh really? Well speaking of trees, you probably hide behind a lot of them. Because you're so obsessed with seeing random people kiss, even if they were already married to others!" Fury said.

"Well I…"

"Well, to be honest, Cadence," Twilight said. "You do get a little trigger happy with romance."

Not you too, Twilight!

It seems as if the real next game was Cadence and Night Fury dissing each other. Everyone was paying close attention to this epic battle of words.

"By the way, those chapped lips of yours need major attention. I kind of feel bad for Shining Armor, seeing as he has to taste the desert with those wasteland smackers you give him on a daily basis. Your kisses probably get sand in his mouth!" Fury smugly said.

Cadence was silent for a moment.

"Uh Cadence?" Twilight asked.

"Heh, I guess I won this round. Time to eat some ca-"

"You dare insult the Princess of Love's kissing ability?" Cadence asked with an unusual amount of anger. "You can insult my mane. You can insult by bones. But… you… do… not insult my kissing!!!!" Cadence said with yellow glowing eyes.

Uh oh… I showed some red to the bull! 

"Oh relax, Cady, it's just a joke. I bet you give Shining Armor the whole thing-"

"SILENCE!" The furious princess shouted. "Do not deceive me, you little cretin! I will not stand your insulting of my abilities in love. I am a superior being of love! My kisses have put my husband in such a way that you cannot imagine!" 

Oh great Fury really did it now. Twilight said to herself.

"Fury. I am sure that my abilities of love are far superior to anything you could give! Do not mock me!" Cadence warned. Fury let the words sink in and it stung. Bad.

"What do you mean by 'Far superior than anything I could give'? You tryna say that I'm beneath you? That my love is null and void compared to yours?! I was just trying to get you back, but now that you insulted my relationship skills, that just hurt! Not… Cool!" Fury roared out with equal ferocity.

"I just wanted to have a relaxing time." Fluttershy muttered.

"Thanks for the tip, Ms. Love princess! Now I feel like I don't deserve the princess that confessed her love to me! I'm gonna go take a breather."

Fury went out of the room and slammed the door.

Cadence went out the other door, same as Fury.

"Is this why you called your son Night Fury?" Luna asked his parents.

"Well at least partially. Fury has a way of getting really competitive." Obsidian said. "He doesn't take no for an answer," he chuckled.

"Indeed." Black ice replied.

"I wonder where he got that from?" Obsidian smirked.

Black Ice gave a glare at her husband but then calmed down.

"So when are Fury and Cadence going to make up? I still haven't even eaten the cake yet!" Pinkie cried out.

"Trust me when I say this, Ms. Pinkie Pie… Fury isn't going to want to make up. When someone disrespects what he cares about, whether it be me, his father, or anyone else he cares for, just like Princess Luna, he holds a very tight grudge." Black Ice said.

"What can we do?" Fluttershy said. "I don't want to see them grow apart."

Obsidian then raised his paw as if coming up with an epiphany.

"I have an idea. If we want them to resolve their differences. It might be good to have them take out another game!" The father said. "Only with less comebacks."

"Hmm," Twilight thought. "Let's see." She thought of a bunch of games from hockey to checkers, but she needed something less intense. 

"Wait, I got it!" Applejack said. "How bout we go with a friendly game of tag? When I was a lil filly and got mad at my brother, my parents made us play some tag! It's real fun and not too stressful!"

Obsidian nodded.

"This sounds like a good idea. Young lady. Nothing beats the anger more than a quick little run around!"

"Then it's settled!" Twilight said. "We will give them a new game: the Game of Tag!"

–

"Okay everyone, the next game is tag. I'll choose a random name from this hat and they'll be the tagger. You better stretch out, because this is a game of agility and speed." Twilight announced. Everyone prepared themselves for the game, Fury especially, he was more invested in this game than anyone else.

This oughta be fun. I hope I get to be the tagger, so I can beat the brakes off of Cadence!

Of course Cadence was still not one to back down. She was ready to face her opponent head on.

You be prepared, Night Fury. You better not underestimate someone who has flown many races before. Don't get cocky!

"Okay, is everyone ready? Here comes the name pull." Twilight said, digging through the hat to pick out a name. She pulled one out and read it aloud.

"Princess Luna!"

"Oh, how delightful! It's been so long since I've played this game. For I was but a juvenile last I partook in such an event." Luna said with glee.

"Okay everyone, the rules are simple, but they have a twist to them. The tagger must tag all players in order to win, but if there's still other players still untagged by time's end, they win. Now here's the twist… With every player the original tagger eliminates, they join their team and must aid in their pursuit to tag all players. Now that we have the rules set, everyone take your positions!" All of the party goers took their spots out on the front lawn, Luna standing in front of them with a determined look on her face. 

To the surprise of many, Luna was in the mood to compete. She was going to give it her all. Especially to give her love a good time. "I will be as swift as lightning today."

Twilight looked at all the eager, serious or sometimes nervous faces of the contestants. "Alright, is everyone ready?"

Everyone said yes.

"Then let the chase begin in 3, 2, 1, GO!" Twilight shot magic up in the air indicating the game was to begin.

Everyone scattered from Luna. 

Who shall I catch first? Luna asked herself. It seems reasonable to go with the easier ones for now.

The princess of the night saw Fluttershy, who she assumed to be slow. But was surprised when trying to flee. Luna galloped quickly in order to tag the shy pegasus.

"Tag!" Luna said. "Join me, shy one, on our quest for fame and glory! Well at least amongst ourselves."

"Oh okay." Fluttershy said hoping she would be able to get away and not have to chase anyone. 

The two kept on running towards the contestants. 

"Who will we catch next, Princess?" the shy pegasus asked. 

"Look, there's Fury. Let's try our luck. He will be a useful ally." Luna spoke. 

The two went towards the cat who was surprisingly calm as he leaned up against a tree in idle.

"Better start running, Lightning Bug. Here I come!" Fury looked behind him and jumped as he saw Fluttershy with his fillyfriend rapidly closing in.

"You'll have to catch me first, moonpie!" He said as he started running towards them. Fluttershy and Luna both were thinking why he would be running at them and not away, but their thoughts were soon erased when Fury made a daring jump over their heads.

"Na na na boo boo, you can't catch me!" 

Luna urged Fluttershy. "Come, shy one! We must make haste!" Luna said, pushing Fluttershy forward.

They both were running quickly to tag him but Fury, as expected, was faster than they could possibly imagine.

"Princess Luna, we'll never be able to catch him!" Fluttershy said. 

"I suppose you're right. He may not be allowed to use his powers, but his physical prowess is nothing to scoff at. Perhaps we should find a way to stop him?" She wondered aloud. She was then notified of another player running parallel with Fury, a familiar pink earth pony with a fluffy mane.

"Pinkie! You're here too!?" Fury asked.

"Yep, I wanted to get chased! It's just so fun to have so much pressure on you!" Pinkie giggled.

"Well, that is true. Hey, I'll start climbing the house and sneak inside while you distract them, Okay?"

"Okie Dokie Lokie! I have a special knack for people noticing me." She said with a devious grin.

Pinkie all of a sudden stopped and faced the two chasers. 

"What in the world is she doing?" Luna asked.

"Knowing Pinkie, I'm not quite sure."

Pinkie gave them an answer.

"You guys look hungry. Get ready for my pie bonanza." Pinkie pulled two pies from her mane.

"Oh no." Fluttershy said.

The pink party pony lobbed pies at them at the speed of ten pies per second. The two were struggling to avoid them. Fluttershy got hit by one of them and had to remove it quickly.

"It's so tasty. But I know it's also wasting my time!" Fluttershy said in tears.

"Okay Fury, come on!" Pinkie shouted as she got low to the ground. Fury ran at her as fast as he could, jumped on her back… 

"Alley Oop!" And let her launch him through an open window into his villa, giving him a break from the chase.

"Thanks, Pinkie! I owe you one!" He said as he disappeared into the building. 

"You can always count on me!" Pinkie replied. She turned to continue her activities, when she saw a piece coming right into her face.

"Mmmm!" Pinkie Pie ate the incoming piece with ease. "Oooh tasty!"

Luna kept on flinging the pieces of pies back at Pinkie before she could recover. Even Fluttershy was trying albeit nervously. 

Even still Pinkie was still throwing pies although less accurately now with all the pies lobbed back at her.

Luna and Fluttershy decided to flank Pinkie on both sides. They kept running and running, avoiding Pinkie's pie onslaught. And finally they managed to take her down.

"We have caught you, Pinkie Pie!" Luna said.

"S-sorry if we hurt you, Pinkie." Fluttershy apologized.

"Aw, phooey, that was the best pie fight I've had in awhile! You know how to throw a good pie, princess!" Pinkie said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Pinkie Pie. But we must hurry if we are to capture Night Fury!" Luna said.

–

Fury calmly walked down one of the halls in his villa, conserving his energy for when he needed it next. He could hear the other players being chased and taken down one by one, specifically his friends as he heard their distant chuckling and laughter as they were caught. He then heard someone coming from the opposite direction to him and went into a running stance, ready to take off at a moment's notice. The player, or players soon made themselves visible and Fury was relieved that it wasn't any tagger, but rather his parents. 

"Hey son! Pretty competitive, eh?" Obsidian said.

"You bet, dad! But I think I've kept some distance from them. I bet people like Pinkie Pie are keeping Luna occupied with her fun." Fury chuckled.

"Oh, that pink pony." Black Ice said. "She has so much energy! I can't imagine how she can keep going without getting tired."

"Trust me, mom. When it comes to Pinkie Pie, she is a whole 'nother level of energetic!" Fury chuckled.

"Wait, I hear someone coming!" Black Ice said. The three Speed Shifters prepared themselves to run, but were shut down by the sight of a pink princess.

"Relax you two, it's just Cadence." Fury said with a somewhat unamused look.

"Ah hello, Fury." Cadence greeted him with a bit of a glare.

"Hello, Cadence." giving a similar expression.

"Listen to me, you two." Obsidian said. "Before you say anything, we have to work together to make sure we're not caught."

"Don't worry I was already thinking that." Fury admitted with a serious tone. "So, Princess of Love, what shall we do to stop them from coming?"

"Don't look at me, I'm just a scrawny, brittle-boned, dry-lipped princess according to you. So why don't you think of something?" She said with a passive aggressive tone.

"Okay, stop it you two!" Black Ice said. "I know you had a bit of a fight earlier, but now is not the time to get at each other's throats. Your highness, I understand you take pride in your relationship with your husband and don't appreciate the backtalk, but that was no place to disrespect his relationship skills at all." 

"But he-"

"No buts about it, young lady!" Black Ice yelled out. "You will apologize for causing such negative feelings and you will cooperate. Do I make myself clear!?"

Cadence jumped at this, she had never heard such a motherly scolding ever since she was a teenager and her aunt Celestia did it. She was scarier than Night Fury. She reluctantly apologized.

"I'm sorry, Fury. I want to cooperate with you."

Fury looked smug.

"Heh, glad you could see it my way."

But Black Ice was not going to accept her son's back talking.

"Oh don't get so cocky, young man! You're just as guilty!" She said sternly. "Fury, I get that you didn't like being embarrassed in front of the whole party and you wanted to get your revenge, but just because you lost at a game, does not give you the pass to defame and disrespect her life and appearance. Some of it may have been innocent comebacks, but some of it was just uncalled for. How would you like it if someone else made fun of how you looked and your relationship with Princess Luna?" Black Ice said.

"Well I would not feel so good…" Fury admitted.

"Exactly," Black Ice said, pointing at her son. "We are not children anymore! And we must deal with our issues in a civilized manner! So, Fury, I think you know what to do."

"Okay." He whimpered. "I'm sorry Cadence, I was just so caught up in getting you back for finding me and embarrassing me that I got personal with my insults. I don't think I was right to do that." 

Cadence's expression seemed to soften up a bit.

"I understand. I'm sorry too, Fury. Sometimes I take love a little too seriously." Cadence said.

"Yeah you kind of do. But I do the same." Fury said.

They both laughed.

"Friends?" Fury handed his paw out.

Cadence instead hugged him.

"Friends." She replied.

"Awww, that was sweet, you two. But I'm afraid that I have to bring this to an end." A new voice said. The voice sent shivers down Fury's spine as he knew exactly who it was. He, Cadence and his parents looked behind them to see the rest of the party goers, led by Luna, standing right behind them. 

"Well, I-I'm glad you enjoyed it, sweetie. But there's just one thing left that I have to do." He gulped as Luna leaned in.

"And what might that be?" She asked and got her answer immediately.

"RUN!" Luna jumped out at him.

Luckily the Speed Shifters and to a lesser extent, Cadence had enough experience to know how to dodge and run out the other way.

"So Cadence, I would like to ask, do you have any ideas?!" Fury asked.

"I'm working on it! Let's just keep running!" 

The four victims kept on running through the hallway. But at the end of it they got an unpleasant surprise.

"There they are!" At the end of the hall, The Mane Six stood ready to tag them.

"Uh oh. Uhh… Quick, down the stairs! And hurry, we've got an entire crowd on our tails!" Fury said.

They ended up in the basement. It seemed safe but they knew they would be trapped. 

"How are we going to escape now?" Obsidian asked.

"I'm not sure… Wait! If they're going to come downstairs." Fury had a mischievous grin. "Let's let them have some fun with all the equipment down here."

"Ah the classic trap I see." Obsidian said. "Good idea!"

"Okay! Dad, grab those rakes! Mom, the pathway lights! As for you Cadence, how about we use these garden hoses and give them a… 'Monster surprise?' "

"Oh, now you're talking Fury!" She said with a smirk. "Let's give them something to remember!"

The four kept the doors locked. It would take some time for the chasers to be able to open them. But they were certainly trying their best. 

Fury, Obsidian, Black Ice and Cadence all set up several elaborate boobie traps. Instead of trapping animals they were for trapping taggers.

–

"Hey, come on out you guys!" Rainbow said. "Just accept you're our new prey! We got Applejack some new horseshoes, and we're gonna burst in at any moment!"

"Guys, you don't want to come in here! There's something big and bad in here with us! I'm not kidding!" Fury said.

"Likely story, Lightning Bug. Applejack, break the door through!" 

"My pleasure, your Highness!" She gave a running start, turned around and bucked the door down.

The taggers all went inside. But something seemed strange. 

"It… it's so dark." Fluttershy said.

"Oh darling, it's no big deal. We just need to turn on the lights." Rarity said, trying to find the switch. "Ah ha I got something!" She turned the switch but something else happened.

"Ahhhh!" Rarity screamed as it turned out she was hanging upside down.

Luna used her glowing spell and saw Rarity hanging there in a net. 

"Help me, darlings!" Rarity pleaded.

Rainbow went up to help her. They accepted that they would have to rely on Luna's mild glow instead of full light. But for Rainbow when she went up something else happened.

"Hey I feel something strange. Like strings?" Rainbow was wondering what it was. 

Shoot

Rainbow was suddenly flung to the edge of the upper part of the wall. She was struck by some sticky web. She couldn't escape. 

"Rainbow!" Fluttershy cried out.

"Don't worry about us! Get those guys!" Rainbow said.

Luna led the others to the parts of the room. They could see some flickering lights on the floor, wrapped up in garden hoses. Luna made an attempt to push the tangled mess out of the way, but to her surprise, it pushed back. 

"What?! W-what was that?!" Luna asked.

She heard something resembling laughter.

"Who's there?!"

"Oh Princess Luna. You may be powerful, but you have never faced me!" said a horrifying deep voice.

"I am the Princess of the Night! Whatever you are cannot possibly scare me compared to what I have faced!" Luna said, trying to show defiance.

"That is rather cute, but I must say that I am much more." The voice said, now sounding like two speaking in unison. The tangled mess began to rise, the pathway lights giving a clear view of the features of the being. It had four arms, two sets of ears, a horn, sharp fangs, and most intimidating of all, two smudged and distorted heads that looked like they had been melting in the sun. 

Luna and the others behind her looked in terror. Everything was silent for a moment… then… 

ROARRRRRR

All of a sudden, several explosions of gas happen around the creature. Meanwhile the creature itself had red glowing eyes and seemingly red magic.

"Ahhhhhh!" Everypony decided to get out immediately. Even Luna. They were not ready to face this great beast yet. Rainbow and Rarity were for some reason out of their traps but decided it was best not to face this beast lurking in the basement. They all ran for their lives out of the basement and to safety, panting heavily as they caught their breath. There was a pause in any speaking before a familiar yellow flag of magic and a concerned princess of the sun came to inspect the chaos.

"Is everyone alright?! I heard a loud roar and screaming!" Celestia spoke. 

"Yeah, but just barely!" Applejack said. "We saw somethin' scarier than anything I've ever seen before!"

Everypony described to Celestia what the image they had just seen.

"It was so horrifying!" Fluttershy said. "I don't know what that was supposed to be!"

Celestia thought about it. "Are we certain it was a monster though?" 

"It was a monster! A horrifying one at that!!" Rarity said.

"Luna, does it not seem a little too convenient that those four came down there and there were some traps and some strange unexplainable gas explosions." Celestia said logically.

"Now that you mention it, yes, it does seem quite strange. And another thing, why wouldn't they come running to us when they heard we were coming?" She thought. 

"Unless…. They were trying to stall for time. And be able to escape from the basement, while we were away!" Luna had finally realized what was going on. "Curses, we were so close! They probably escaped by now!"

Celestia calmed her sister down.

"Now, now. They might think they've won. But there is still time. And if they want to ambush us, we will return the favor." Celestia said smiling. "While you were in that basement I was keeping track in case they did escape and I know which direction they are going."

"You are right, sister. Come every bone, let us take what is rightfully ours!" The crowd cheered as they heard their princess lead the charge to victory.

–

Out in the courtyard, the four survivors were laughing at the show they put on in their brilliance.

"That was amazing! I can't believe we pulled that off!" Fury laughed. "Did you see the looks on their faces?"

"Yeah, I never saw them that scared ever since they faced Sombra!" Cadence said.

Obsidian and Black Ice were also laughing.

"I have to agree, that was an amazing plan! I didn't know how you pulled it off." Black Ice said legitimately impressed.

"Well mom, you know that made up monster you made me believe in? That's how I did it!"

"Made up monster? You've got to tell me about this." Cadence encouraged. Fury blushed as he went on.

"Well, when I was a kid, my mom made up this vision of the infamous 'Tickle Monster' for me when I was sad or upset. She told me it was a pink, fuzzy, octopus creature that used its not eight, but twelve arms to tickle grumpy kids like me. Of course, the twelve arms and the fuzzy pink parts should have been a dead giveaway that it was made up, but with my wild imagination, I was set straight quick!" 

Black Ice nodded with a certain pride.

"It was one of the few ways I got you to actually go to sleep on time." She said, "I will admit it's nice to know that that inspired you to make a successful escape." She smiled.

"Ah yes. I also like what you did with the fireworks and the traps for catching prey." Obsidian said. 

"Yeah, you're right. And mom, you were so wrong for making me believe that a twelve armed, pink, fuzzy octopus was an actual thing!"

"Keep talking and I'll make it a real thing. You'll never be able to escape!" Black Ice said with a frightening grin. 

Fury wondered if that could actually be possible.

A pink fuzzy octopus… I would be more surprised if it didn't exist with the amount of weird creatures I've seen around here!

Everyone else had a good laugh at the laid back feeling.

Then there was a change in the atmosphere, a distinct change. The ground started to rumble and shake, all four of them feeling the jostling force. 

"Is this some sort of prank, Fury?" Cadence asked.

"If it is, it's not from me!" Fury said.

"What could it be then?" Obsidian asked.

The sound got louder over time. It felt like some great beast was coming. They looked over and saw that the rest of the party had caught up with them, but there was a new arrival that had the four survivors nervous, Cadence and Night Fury especially. 

"Well, it looks like we got some new friends." Obsidian said sarcastically.

"How did you find us?!" Fury asked. "I thought we threw you off track."

Celestia lightly laughed. "Well if you need to blame someone, blame me. I had a feeling you would pull off some escape plan. So I did a little…spy work." Celestia said.

"Dang it!" Fury said. "Well it doesn't matter. You still aren't gonna catch us.  We can still dodge you guys!"

"Is that so? Well, let us see how you do." The crowd stares down the four survivors, the group of friends doing the same. The air was crisp with competition, the wire down to a thin strip. Quiet was the surrounding area as they stood their ground. But now was the time for action.

"Alright, let's do this! CHARGE!" 

Fury and the others charged forward. But before they got into contact Obsidian used some baking powder to conceal their movements.

"Where are they?! I can't see!" Rainbow said.

Celestia simply chuckled. 

"Nice try. But it won't be that easy. Fluttershy, Luna, Rainbow Dash, flap with me!" Celestia commanded. The chosen few flapped their wings and blew the cloud of powder away. They expected to catch the escape in progress, but all they got was Fury standing still.

"Do you not realize we have you cornered? It's a bajillion against one, whiskers!" Rainbow said. Fury only laughed.

"You think I care about what you guys do? I'm a rising god amongst my people. I am The Raging Storm, I am The Next All Powerful, I… Am… Night Fury!" He called as he raced forward and rebounded off of a tree that landed him on his roof.

"You want to test your luck? Then come on! Face the god I am and fight me!" He took off without another word.

"He's getting away!" Pinkie cried out.

"A god among your people?" Celestia asked. "Very well. But… if that is so, then you are facing another, one with far more experience!" She braced herself, ready to chase down the all powerful feline. Night Fury soon rejoined his parents and Cadence in his front yard. 

"Not bad huh?" Fury said.

"Eh, I guess it was pretty good for getting yourself out of a mess." Obsidian teased.

"Aww, just let me have this." Fury said.

Cadence looked behind to see a large princess coming towards them. Fast. 

"No time for talk, Cadence to get moving!"  

"Right, let's split up! Cadence, with me. Mom, Dad, you two go with each other! Good Luck!" Fury called as he took off with the princess of love.

"C'mon honey, let's go!" Obsidian said as he directed his wife in another direction. Celestia ignored them though, she was after the real prize.

"I'm on your tails, you two!" The Princess of the Sun yelled out.

To Fury and Cadence's displeasure she was gaining on them.

"Any ideas?" Cadence asked.

Fury looked to the side and saw the pile of pies from earlier.

"Ah ha! Let's give your aunt a sweet slaughter of pie slices! Shall we?"

Cadence smiled. "With pleasure."

Although the two were nowhere near as fast as Pinkie Pie in throwing pies, they were able to throw some good ones at Celestia. 

"Ah! Curses! I'd prefer them to be cakes, thank you very much! Even if they are cherry filled!" Celestia said.

"How do you like them pies, Princess of Cakes?!" Fury called out. Celestia decided to assert her dominance by skidding to a stop, and eating one of the pies in one gulp.

"As much as I like cake, pies are good too." She said as she continued her charge.

"Ah crabapples, that was the last one! We have to keep going!" Fury said, Cadence nodding in agreement as they took off once again. They made a run for the side gate that led to the pool when they saw the lunar princess chasing Fury's parents.

"Mom, Dad! Slide and smash!" Fury called. His parents nodded as they increased their speed.

"Slide and smash? What's that?" Cadence asked. 

"An old trick from my childhood. We slide under Luna while they do the same to Celestia, they crash into each other, and we make a break for the pool gate!" 

"This could be risky." Black Ice said.

"Yeah, but it'll be riskier if we don't do something!" Obsidian replied.

Black Ice knew it was their only choice and decided to wait for the right moment to slide.

Patience, I just have to wait.

When Luna and Celestia were in opposite directions and closing in, Obsidian and Black Ice both did a slide. Cadence and Night Fury did the same and watched as the shock on the sisters' faces grew. Time seemed to slow down, Celestia and Luna both wishing they had thought this through, but it was too late.

"Oof!"

"Aah!"

A thunderous boom sounded off as the two speeding sisters collided in mid air, falling to the ground in a dizzy heap. Both pairs winced at the sight but didn't dwell on it as Cadence and Fury went through the pool gate and Obsidian went with Black Ice to the front yard. 

"We're doing pretty good huh? They might control the sun and moon. But the bigger they are, the harder they crash!" Fury laughed.

"I have to admit, you Speed Shifters sure know how to make a grand escape." Cadence said.

Then they heard a voice.

"1 minute remaining!" Twilight called out.

"This is it, Cadence, one more minute to victory and bragging rights!"

"I can practically smell the saltiness of my aunt's as they watch us so our victory dances!" She said. There was a sense of honor and glory emitting from the two as they thought about their victory, it felt like the heavens were about to open up and bless them. Then there was a scream from the front yard that got their attention. The two ran over to an open window nearby and saw that Black Ice had been caught by Luna.

"Mom… Nooooo!" Fury called.

"Don't worry, baby, I'll be fine." She replied. Soon after, Obsidian dropped to the ground from the sky above as Celestia hovered in. 

"That takes care of you. Ah, Night Fury, how are you?" Celestia said with an eerie grin.

"What?! You were supposed to be down for the count!!!"

"You are sorely mistaken, my love. We may have taken a hard hit from that fancy trick you pulled, but we are just as tough as we are graceful. We have gone through far worse than that. Now, Come to mama!" Luna called as she took off towards the window, her sister following suit. The two remaining players let out a synchronized scream as they took off in a fit of blind panic. 

"Run!!!" Fury said. They tried to make for another window. They made the jump outside and ran like they never had before. The two sisters followed close, chasing them with crazy smiles as they rounded a corner and saw the crowd waiting for them. Once they were within sight, they made their move. They dove into the two players and sent all four of them into a crazy, out of control spin. 

"Uh oh." Fury said, seconds before making contact.

"Woahhhhhhh!" they cried as they were spun around like a tornado. And then they split.

"Ayeeeeeeee!" They split apart and were flung several feet. They felt very dizzy.

"Oh boy, I can only see stars now. Whoa!" Fury and Cadence felt very dizzy.

Eventually they recovered after a little while.

"Now that was a twirl." Fury admitted with a chuckle. 

"Yeah you can say that again!" Cadence said still trying to recover.

"Wait a second, does that mean you guys won?!" Fury asked. "Please tell me we went over the ten minute mark!"

Celestia shook her head. Fury hung his head.

"I can't believe I lost to a cake stuffed marshmallow with toothpick legs!" He called. Everyone gasped at the sharp jab. 

"Fury! Have some courtesy!" Black Ice said.

"Well she does like eating cake, and she is the same color as a marshmallow and her legs are kinda skinny. No offense." Fury said playfully. Celestia's eye twitched.

"Okay then, bring it on!"

"Gladly!" Fury said as he went for Celestia and they started to go at each other in a cloud of dust.

"You should just accept your defeat, young one!" Celestia said, having him in an armlock. "I have triumphed over you today!"

"You may have won that battle." Fury said. "But I'm still the king of tickles!" He said using his tail to tickle Celestia's nose.

"Ahh ahhh… achoo!" She sneezed loudly and launched into the air, crashing down with a thump.

"Well done, lightning bug, you've done well." Luna said.

"Oh you think you're safe? I think not, C'mere!" He grabbed Luna by the tail and dragged her to her sister. He tied them up with his tail and stood them up straight.

"You really think I'll show you mercy just because you're my girlfriend? Not! So how about you go talk it out while going for a spin!" He said deviously, unwrapping his tail and spinning the two sisters like a dreidel. 

"Ahhhhhh!!!" The two screamed. "So this is what it feels like to spin!" Celestia said. "Not quite as pleasant as I thought."

"I concur, sister!" 

They both spun and spun. Twice as long as what they did with Fury. And to add a little fun, Fury also grabbed them and rolled them like a bowling ball.

"Have fun!" Fury said.

Celestia and Luna rolled and rolled until they hit some barrels like bowling pins.

They also felt incredibly dizzy. They may have powerful entities but even they felt a bit hazy and dizzy.

"Your lover sure knows how to throw." Celestia said.

"I have to agree, he does have a fair bit of strength." Luna said, her head still spinning. Meanwhile, Fury was laughing so hard that he was crying.

"Hahahahahaha! Oh wow, I haven't laughed so hard in ages. Ohh… Oh I think I'm gonna have a tummy ache!"

Celestia and Luna seemed unamused at first, but then Luna smiled.

"Ah, too much like my sister I see." Luna teased. 

"Wh… what are you talking about?" Fury wheezed. 

"Oh just that you two have a bit too much of a sweet tooth." She chuckled. "You two need to calm down with the sweets. I'm just saying."

"Well, at least I try to slow down. But I have no doubt that your sister would give herself a wicked tummy ache without any remorse." Fury chuckled. "Oh wait, she does that anyway. And besides, didn't you show me her photo album after Twilight's coronation? I vividly remember you showing me a picture of her getting a tummy ache from some vanilla ice cream."

"Come on Night Fury, show some pity on your foes!" Celestia said, blushing. 

"Says the princess who didn't show me and Cadence any pity. Sorry, but you reap what you sow! And I had to throw you like I did that Cockatrice in that Truther incident." Fury said. Celestia had no idea that her own sister had leaked their childhood so willingly, she never could accept the fact that as a child, she did give herself many stomach aches. 

"How could you tell him this, my sister!?" Celestia asked.

"Sorry, but it's not like you didn't reveal any secrets about my life. Like how I still have a stuffed animal or my teenage poetry. It's a suitable punishment."

"Awww, poor Celestia. Such a well known ruler falling victim to a bit of a tummy ache! Oh, the humanity!" Fury laughed as he fell backwards onto Celestia's chest. 

Everyone after a while had a good laugh though. They talked about how their tactics and strategy went. 

"I'm sure your parents probably enjoyed this party." Cadence said.

Fury nodded.

"Yeah, it must have been a blast. Literally Heh."

"You bet we did." Obsidian and Black Ice said.

"This was an amazing party. You truly made us feel at home here." Black Ice spoke with a smile. 

"Yeah, this was wicked! I've never felt so young at my age." Obsidian added.

Fury blushed at his parents' compliments. "Awww, thank you guys. I just wanted to make you feel at home in Equestria, like how everyone else made me feel when I first got here. And I think it worked out great." He hugged his parents with a smile.

"You are such a sweetheart!" Black Ice said, hugging back.

"Thanks mom, but I can't say the same for you. And you know why? Well, how about  you explain why I found one of your bags tucked away in one of my guest rooms?" Black Ice immediately went wide eyed and as she saw the offending item. Obsidian turned to her with narrowed eyes.

"Oh…" Black Ice blushed.

"Ice…" 

"Well, I was just curious what my son's house looked like. And especially that furniture. I-I guess I left that by accident…"

"Accident, huh? So you left your bag, tucked away under the bed, unzipped and half empty with your stuff set across the room to check out the furniture?" Fury said accusingly. "And did I forget to mention the finely laid out toiletries on the sink in the walk-in bathroom? It's almost as if someone was planning on moving in…" He said with a fake surprised tone. 

She giggled nervously but inside, her mind was in panic.

Obsidian smirked.

"So honey, who's the liar this time?" Obsidian asked. "Who's the sneaky little trespasser? Hmm?

She stuttered. "Well, I… um I-I…"

"Remember what you told me, Mom? Liar liar, tail's on fire."

"Well-"

"Well? Is that all you have to say, Mother? Hmmm?" Fury asked inquisitively.

Black Ice finally sighed and gave up the act.

"Alright, you got me. I wanted to have that great expanse of a house to live in!" She cried out. "I have been living in too small of houses almost my whole life. It's so beautiful, so grand, so touching, so exotic."

Fury and Obsidian rolled their eyes at her melodrama that could rival Rarity.

"I used to live in one of those houses! But then my father lost his money foolishly and I got stuck in a small house! I think I've earned my right to live in the guest room! It's not even like I will take up space!"

"So stuffed animals, new pillows, custom curtains, personal toiletries, books, a collapsible night stand, and a new set of sheets and blankets isn't taking up space?" Fury said with a raised eyebrow and an unamused look. Obsidian shook his head.

"Oh sweet mother nature…" He muttered. 

"Well back in my day, mister," she said to Fury. "Children lived with their parents even into adulthood! Perhaps you would do well to understand that! After all I did feed and raise you, boy."

"Oh no you don't! You're not starting that nonsense 'I carried you for nine months, you owe me!' type argument with me! I'm completely fine being independent and don't need you that close by. And I know exactly what you would do if I did let you move in," Fury said as he started to list the things his mother would do with the fingers on his paws. 

"You would start cooking my meals for me, tell me when I should sleep, how to make my own house, coming to all of my formal functions as my forceful plus one, and I don't doubt that you would start to plan my dates with Luna! Heck, I think you'd even be crazy enough to start bathing me!" Fury yelled out. By now, the party had turned their attention to the feuding family. 

"Well, um, I wouldn't do all that." Black Ice tried to defend herself. "I would just give you advice. And help around when you are going on adventures. Doesn't that sound good?"

Fury knew this was a trap.

"Nice try, mom. I know how loud your advice is and as for your help, I'm not quite sure if I would trust you with my room and its belongings. I'm sure you would help out with my comics to leave room for your own boring magazines." Fury argued.

"Oh come on, Ice, this isn't okay!"

"You're right, it isn't! Having such an ungrateful son that doesn't love his parents! Youth these days!" Black Ice said crying dramatically. This was the thorn that broke Fury's back. 

"If I didn't love you, I probably wouldn't have come for you two! And judging by how forceful and judging you're being right now mom, maybe I should have taken dad and left you!" He said loudly. Everyone gasped, the chatter falling to an immediate silence. 

There was silence in the air.

Obsidian immediately intervened. 

"That is enough, both of you!" He roared out fiercely.

First he looked at his wife.

"Dear, this is absolutely ridiculous. Your son does love you! But that does not mean he will do everything you want from him! He can still love you even if you do not live with each other!" Obsidian said.

Black Ice looked away for a moment.  

"I-I just wanted to be close to him. And make sure he is protected. I haven't seen him in awhile after all." Black Ice said softly. .

"Well you didn't exactly put it softly as is. Just because you carried him for nine months and took care of him, doesn't give you the right to demand things from him. In all seriousness, we both owe him for saving us." Obsidian added. 

Black Ice's face softened up a bit.

"I-I see." Black Ice said reluctantly, accepting the truth. "But I don't want to ever be without him again."

"Mom, I'll still visit you. And you'll still visit me." Fury said to his mother. "That's never gonna change and we'll have plenty of fun days like today. But I have my own destiny and my own life."

Black Ice softly nodded. "You're right, my son. I apologize for my immature behavior. I taught you to be mature and yet today I was acting like a cub." 

She looked down on the ground. "Can you forgive me?" Fury smiled and hugged her.

"I already have." Fury said, giving her a big hug.

"Hey, you three! You almost forgot about the cake, we've still got some for ya!" Pinkie Pie cried out. "Come and get some."

Fury looked with greedy eyes. "I can't wait to have the first bite. Or maybe me and Luna."

"Who says you two will get the first bite?" Obsidian said with his wife, giving him an unusually cocky smile.

Fury knew what they were planning.

"Oh I see. Back to the old days. Well no offense but you guys are a little old. I think I will definitely get that cake first." Fury said.

"Excuse you?!" Black Ice giggled. "Do you think we are that out of date?"

"Definitely, especially you, mom. Oh my back, it's such a pain to deal with! And my poor, poor paws! So many aches and pains, oh why must I be this old?! Nyah!" Fury mocked in a grandmother-like voice.

His father laughed at this but was silenced by her look of disapproval. Then she looked at her son.

"First of all I do not have that many back pains!" she said. "And second of all I AM NOT OLD!"

"Well you may not have that many back pains, but you sure eat like you're old. Constantly stuffing your face like it's your last, Jelly Belly." Fury said as he recalled his mothers nickname. 

She was about to respond ferociously, but strangely closed her mouth, stayed quiet and smiled.

"You have quite a sense of humor my boy." She said with a strange level of happiness. "You seem quite confident."

She's never this relaxed, especially when the nickname comes up. Obsidian remarked in his head. 

"So let's see if you can say all of that as I leave you right in the dust!" Black Ice said loudly. "Let's see how you can match your elder with experience!"

Obsidian nodded. "Yeah kid, you have a long way ahead of you. We've been at this longer than you have."

"Maybe, but I don't think I'm that far off." Fury said as he took off so fast that he quite literally disappeared in the blink of an eye. 

"What the- Where did he go?" Obsidian asked.

"I'm on mom's head." Black Ice and Obsidian looked up and saw a black chickadee perched on top of Black Ice's head. 

Black Ice was surprised then impressed. "I didn't expect you to be able to transform so quickly and into something so small this young!"

"I've been practicing for a while now. Not to mention that I've had a little help from the emperor himself." Fury bragged.

"You mean Emperor Snowdrift himself?" Obsidian asked.

"Yep, but that's a long story. I'll explain it to you guys later. Because…" He flew off his mother's head and transformed back to a feline.

"Me and Luna have a race to win!" He said, preparing himself.

"We'll see about that, sport. Let's show him, Black Ice." Obsidian said confidently.

"Agreed!" She responded.

"Three, two, one… GO!" Fury called out.

Everyone burst into high levels of speed waiting to have the first slice of cake. 

Fury and Luna were already ahead. 

"So far so good! See ya old timers!" Fury said. "They can't beat us!"

But Luna noticed a speeding black aura coming towards them.

"Um, Night Fury, I think they're catching up."

"Not for long…" Fury started charging up, his energy flowing more aggressively than ever. He let his parents get a little closer to them as he readied his next move.

"What was that about us not catching up, Fury? Because I'm pretty sure we're on your tail!" Obsidian said.

"Yeah, for now! Later, chumps!" Fury called as he took off and disappeared with a flash, leaving a trail of electrical energy behind him. But he didn't just disappear like he took off in a straight line, he disappeared like he had teleported. 

"This boy, when did he learn to do that?!" Black Ice said aloud. 

"I guess he must have gotten a lot of experience. He is quite powerful but he hasn't won just yet. I've got an idea for us to win." Obsidian said.

Black Ice gave a nod.

–

"Did the emperor teach you this?" Luna asked as she tried to catch up with the speeding bullet.

"Only the basics, but I've been doing a bit of practice lately." Fury said. "It's an old escape maneuver that he taught me, it was mainly used to distract our enemies with the flash and change direction quickly. For some, they can only use the flash to their advantage and run. But those who are specially trained in using it can actually teleport! You unicorns and alicorns aren't the only ones who can do it!" 

Luna could just imagine how powerful he could be against creatures like dragons. She realized Equestria had a strong ally with them.

"Hmmm, I thought I heard something. It sounds like something is running with us." Fury looked back and he saw a small squirrel blasting through the air. It went past him.

"That was weird. Wait, that color! That's… Mom?!" 

The squirrel landed and transformed into a Speed Shifter. 

"What the heck?!" Fury cursed aloud. 

"Raw power is only one part of being a Speed Shifter. Clever plans are the other. Your father flung me into the air while he himself was going quickly." She said looking behind.

"You're right, Mom. That's why I can do this!" Fury increased his speed and caught up to his mother. He dug his left paw into the ground and spun around, and out of the blue, his tail glowed red and turned into a lightning rod, extending towards Black Ice. His tail wrapped around hers and pulled her backwards as he made the full 360. She was immediately flung backwards and was left in the dust as Fury's tail detached from her and returned to normal. 

"Nice try, mom. But I have my own special tricks!" Fury looked on ahead and saw he had a quarter of the way to go.

"Yes! Almost there! That cake is gonna be mine!" Fury yelled out. 

Everypony around him was astonished by the speed of this black and red blur. 

"Holy Toledo, did you guys see that?!" Rainbow asked. "His tail turned into some sort of electric lasso!"

"Sure did, that was mighty impressive! He might just be a better roper than me!" Applejack added.

"My sister is keeping up with him quite well, but he is starting to pull away from her." Celestia said.

"You said it, auntie." Cadence chuckled. Then she saw something. "Wait a second, do you guys see that purple light? I know that isn't Fury's aura because he has a red aura." 

"Wait, I think I can see who it is!" Pinkie chirped as she pulled a pair of binoculars from her mane. "It's Fury's dad, He's catching up to them!"

Meanwhile for Fury he looked back, and knew that aura.

"Oh no. I know that color!"

The purple aura finally caught up.

"Hey son, you doing alright back there? Your mother did some good stalling to give me time to catch up" Obsidian said with a cocky smirk.

"What?! I thought you forgot about how to do that from being in camp."

"Son, do you really think that I would not do some sort of training? Even back at camp, I was finding ways to train! I'm not going to just be some old geezer who can't catch up with his son!" Obsidian boasted. Fury's eyes narrowed as he saw his father start to pull away, but he had one last trick.

"Okay then, you want to see the power of generations? Well you've got it!" Fury took off towards his father, leaving his girlfriend behind. His father moved left and right to block the pass from his son, but he was expecting that. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and went for it. 

"Let's go!" With a smile from ear to ear and determination in his heart, he jumped and backflipped over his dad. Obsidian looked up and his jaw dropped with everyone else's as they saw the action movie stunt take place. Everyone was shocked to see Fury do this, it was the first time anyone in Equestria did a backflip while at ground level and at speed.

"Woohoo! Yeah!" 

Fury landed right back and now he was only a few seconds away from his destination.

"I won't let you win that easily!" Obsidian said, speeding up. 

Both Speed Shifters were trying to avoid rocks and getting the other to get off track. Everyone was wondering which one would make it. Now, Fury had enough. He was tired of his parents trying to upstage him and was about to put them in their place.

"Okay, that's it! You wanna play, dad? Let's play!" Fury yelled as he dug his paws into the ground and started to slow down rapidly. Obsidian didn't expect him to do that and out of reflex, started to look for an escape route. Fury saw his father looking for a way out and stopped him, dragging his rear right paw in the dirt to kick up some dust. Obsidian started coughing, his vision being obscured by the dust. Fury took this opportunity and used it to his full advantage as he began to charge up. 

I'm about to do it. I'm about to do the move that our ancestors boasted about. 

He closed his eyes. He chanted the old tribal language of those before him. He felt like he was in a river of energy and he was absorbing it all. 

I feel a little sick from this… No! I have to keep going. Almost there.

From the outside it looked as if he was stuck in a red electric fire. They even saw him briefly levitate a few inches. But then it was followed by him stopping on the ground. His eyes glowed an eerie color. 

"BEHOLD, THE POWER OF MY ANCESTORS!" He cried out. Then what happened was first silence.

Everyone blinked and he seemed to be gone. But one second later they heard the loudest sound in a while.

CLAP! 

A red lightning strike came down from the sky and hit the ground. Then, they saw Fury's aura burning through the night as he thundered down the path. They saw Fury going faster than what anyone could possibly have imagined. He was already closer and closer than ever before.

His father couldn't believe his eyes. In all his life he had never before witnessed such a feat he had thought it was only possible in legends of old. 

"Yeah! I made it! Woohoo! I'm the champ alright." Fury said as he did a victory dance.

Black Ice finally caught up with her husband.

"Honey, are you alright, I thought I heard some loud noise!" His wife said.

"Y-yeah I'm alright." Obsidian said not looking at her and instead at their son. His body was glowing a fierce red hue, electric pulses firing off in waves around him as he held a powerful stance. His body looked the strongest it's ever been. To everyone around, he truly looked like a god amongst them. 

"W-what is going on with Night Fury?" Black Ice asked. "Wait, Is that what that sound was? Was that you?" 

Obsidian nodded.

"Black Ice, I think our son is something else. Something beyond normalcy. Almost like a god. Like those Speed Shifters of ancient times!"

They both were quiet.

"Hey you two! What are you waiting for? Let's go chow down! You might have lost but I'll let you have the third and fourth slices." Fury said to them.

"Third and fourth? Who's getting the second?" Black Ice asked.

"I think you know who…" as if on cue, Luna landed next to the still glowing feline and wrapped a wing around him. 

"Fury, I know not what happened. But I can tell by your smile that you won." Luna said.

"Dang straight, Moonpie! We showed those old fogies a thing or two!" Fury said, putting his arm around Luna.

"He didn't just do that, auntie Luna, he pulled off a sonic boom! The first one on ground level! That's a first in Equestrian history!" Cadence piped up. 

"Yeah now that was the most awesome thing I have ever seen!" Rainbow exclaimed. "You should have seen it! It was like he was burning then he went woosh! It was like a land rainboom!"

Celestia chuckled.

"The more I'm around you Speed Shifters, the more you impress me." Celestia said. "Did you know you were going to do a sonic boom?"

"I didn't know it was going to happen at all! It was just… instant! I wouldn't be surprised if that broke a world record or something." Night Fury said. 

His stomach growled.

"But you know what, enough talk about that. Let's chow down on some cake!" Fury said. He was about to walk in but first.

"Before you go young speedster," Celestia said. "It seems Twilight has something to say."

Twilight quickly rushed to him with several papers. "Fury, with my careful calculations and my knowledge of the book of Equestrian World Records, you have surpassed the record for fastest land creature with your sonic boom on land!"

Everyone cheered for Fury.

"Wow I was just kidding about the world record, but dang. I guess I just did! Woohoo, Ha ha ha!" He said, joyful at this victory.

Celestia stood in the middle of everyone.

"Citizens of Ponyville! Today you bore witness to a feat that has not been surpassed in centuries. Ambassador Night Fury the Speed Shifter has gone quicker than has been thought possible on land. Just as Rainbow Dash mastered speed in the air. He did so on land."

"Woo hoo!" said the crowd.

"You go, Night Fury!" cried out Rainbow.

"And for that reason," Celestia brought a certificate and signed his name. "I declare you, Night Fury, the World Record Fastest Land Creature."

She even gave him a medal for speed.

Everypony cheered even harder for Night Fury.

"Night Fury!"

"Night Fury!" 

"Night Fury!"

Fury almost felt like he wanted to cry tears of joy.

"Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it! I love you all! Well, I can't really say that when you know who is present." He pointed to Luna, who blushed.

The crowd chuckled at this.

"But… you guys really have been so encouraging. You've given me a real home and helped me to find my family. I feel like I would have been so incomplete without you guys. Even if I'm the fastest guy on land, you guys hold the record for the coolest new people I've ever met!"

The crowd cheered for him.

"Congratulations, Lightning Bug, you've truly made your place amongst us all." Luna said.

"Thanks Luna, and you know what? I've been neglecting something else for a while…"

"What's that?" Luna asked. Fury walked up to her and tripped her by her back legs, holding her around her back and looking into her eyes like he was salsa dancing with her.

"I've been neglecting how I've truly loved you all these months, and I'm gonna fix that… with this." Fury said, leaning in and kissing her on the lips. 

"Awwww!" said the ponies around them.

Luna relaxed into the kiss and enjoyed it. She finally separated and gave him a soft smile.

"So wanna reap the spoils of victory in the form of cake, my Moonpie?" Fury said, nuzzling her.

"I agree with that. Let us make haste!" Luna said as the lovers moved into the house.

Night Fury was truly happy.

His parents looked at him with great happiness.

"Honey, I think he is starting to reach his full potential." Black Ice said.

"Yep." But Obsidian looked a little worried.

"Is there something wrong?" His wife asked.

"No, it's just that… There's something special about him. And others beside us might find that out too someday." Obsian said.

Black Ice nodded.

"You're right. We need to make sure he's safe and prepared for what this new power and burden will give him." She said.

He didn't want her to worry too much, so he lightened the mood.

"Heh, yeah, romantically and regularly. Seriously, he's got a good looking girl. I can only imagine how his powers would react if her highness decided to… give him a little tease."

"Oh boy," Black Ice chuckled. "I would pay to see that. As long as Luna doesn't go too far, of course."

Obsidian laughed. His wife still had a protective instinct.

"Come on Icey," he said, holding her paw and nuzzling her neck. "Let's go enjoy a good feast."

She smiled and they both went inside Fury's mansion.

There were still future things to adress, but for now, it was a time of joy, love and feasting. A successful family reunion.
> Chapter 25: Problematic Powers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Night Fury, he had no time to waste. He had to get onto the train to Canterlot. 

"Ponyville is nice, but I'm looking forward to a change of scenery. And I bet Luna will be happy with a surprise visit." Fury said to himself as he was packing his belongings.

"And last but not least, this mooncake for my Moonpie, thanks to Pinkie. She'll love it. And I'm outta here!" 

Night Fury walked out of his front door only to be confronted with a familiar face.

"Ah son, you're ready to go somewhere?" His mom asked. "Is this one of your ambassador trips?"

"Well I am going somewhere, but it's not for politics. I'm gonna head off to Canterlot and pay my sweetheart a surprise visit." Fury said with a bit of bliss in his voice. 

"Ah, good. A boyfriend should always be close whenever possible. Speaking of which…"

"Do you have cologne, do you have flowers for her, do you know what manners to do for her, do you know which restaurants…" His mother spouted.

"Mom! I know what I'm doing! We've been going out for over a few months now." Fury said. "I'll be fine."

His mother chuckled. "Sorry, I just want you to be ready." She said a little embarrassed.

"It's no problem, I know you're just looking out for me." Fury reassured her. "I'm kind of a love expert already."

"By the way, how are you and dad doing living here?" Fury asked about their new home in Ponyville. He was able to find a good enough house for his parents that was not Fury's own house.

"Oh it is absolutely beautiful! The views are amazing and our neighbors are a delight to be around." His mother said delightfully. "It's a comfortable and nice looking place. So much so your father is still sleeping there now."

"Well, that's probably my influence, they've seen me already so you guys are no surprise. And besides, you're my parents. They know who you two created and respect you."

There was then a distant whistle that sounded that got Fury's attention.

"Oh, that must be my train! Gotta go mom, see ya!" He waved as he ran to the train.

"Good luck!" His mother called out.

–

"Ah, it's been awhile, Canterlot." Fury said as he took in the grand site of Equestria's capital. He got off the train and walked the familiar sites.

He avoided the more high class snooty streets like usual to avoid traffic and went to pick up a donut from the renowned Donut Joes.

"Mmmm, that was good." He said while eating one by the table. But he had to think how he was going to surprise Luna and show her a good time.

"Hmmm, I wonder what I could do? I can't just show up and say hi, that's just too plain. I don't think I should make an entrance either, they're may be something going on in the castle that's important." He held his head in his paws as he thought about how he could approach his girlfriend. Then he looked up and saw her tower, it stood tall over the rest of the city with its dark blue and black paint that made it stick out from the other parts of the castle.

He then saw a dark tower stick out from the rest of the castle. This got him excited.

"There's Luna's tower! But how do I surprise her?" He looked over to the flower stand and saw that they had lavender on sale, Luna's favorite flower.

"Bingo! I'll buy her a batch of flowers, put them in front of her, and get her to guess who dropped them off with a note. Haha, Fury, you're a genius!" 

He went in and bought the lavender. He admitted it was a bit expensive considering how valuable they are, but he didn't mind.

"Okay, now it's time to go to my love." 

Fury thought of the best way to get the flowers to her. Should it be through the front door, should he climb the wall or maybe transform into a bird to fly up there? 

"Wait a minute, who needs wings when you've got sharp claws that can dig into rock without any problems! And besides, I'm not gonna risk getting wing cramps again until I learn to properly fly. Not going through that again, yeesh."

Fury walked to the tower. After giving the guards a brief greeting, he took a deep breath and braced himself. He hadn't done it in awhile but he was ready.

"Here I go!" Fury dug into the wall. 

Dang, this stone is a little sturdy.  Fury found it a little hard to dig into this sturdier rock. But after a bit of effort, he finally reached the top.

Uh oh, I heard something. I gotta hide before she sees me! 

Fury hid on the roof of the tower and watched his beloved walk back out onto the balcony from above. She spread her wings and took a deep breath, taking in the air.

Now's my chance. Fury dropped the flowers with the note onto the balcony and made a quick but quiet whistle to get Luna's attention. 

"Huh? What was that?" She walked to one side of the balcony. "Hmmm I thought I heard some bird. Wait, what's this?"

Luna looked down to see a bouquet of lavender flowers, her favorite. These were not cheap. They were very high quality. Someone must have put effort into getting those.

"Who could they be from?" Luna looked annoyed at first. "It had better not be one of those Nightmare Moon fanatics again. I told them I don't approve."

Luna wondered who else it could be. She then noticed a note attached to the bouquet of flowers. 

"So let's see who…" She started to read the note. 

From the moonlit sky, and the stars above… 

There is only one that I consider my true love. 

With a single thought, you are brought to mind… 

And any conflicting emotions are left behind.

Do not be alarmed, I am no threat… 

For you will soon find out who I am just yet.

I am quiet, I am sneaky. My fur is dark as night… 

But my bright attitude will always shine bright.

You are my love, you are one of a kind… 

And to be in love with you, makes me feel like the luckiest feline. 

Luna's heart swelled at the sight of the poem. She never realized he had such a way with words. Her heart was warmed by this.

"Wait, if this was by Fury, then does that mean he's…"

"You bet it does. Surprise!" Fury pounced from above and landed on her, giving her a big hug.

"How's it going, Moonpie! You missed me? I bet you were quite lonely without this stud." He said close to her ear.

Luna giggled. "I must admit, Fury, you are quite something. You could have told me you were coming, you could have knocked on my door. But you kept me waiting for a few more hours so you could give me and pounce on me." Luna said.

"Yep! You bet it! You mad about it?" He said cheekily.

"A little." She said flipping him and being on top of him. "Now I'm satisfied."

"Hey, I was supposed to be on top of you. Not the other way around!" Fury pouted.

"Well, that's just too bad. But if you want, I can make it more interesting…" She said in a sultry voice as she grazed her wings along his sides. 

"Heh heh heh," Fury said in a daze at Luna's new seductive persona. He never thought Luna could be so… enticing. Everything seemed perfect. He was ready for a big kiss from her. 

"Huh, that's strange I feel… itchy." Luna said as she stopped her kiss.

"Come on! Get back to kissing me." Fury said not amused the big moment was being delayed.

"It feels like something feels off. Is it you? Have you taken a shower?" Luna asked while getting off him.

"Of course I have. It must be you because I don't feel any different." Fury said. Luna ran a hoof over his back and gasped.

"Fury… your fur is standing on end." Fury raised an eyebrow at Luna's concern but followed her lead. He grazed his paw over his body and sure enough, his fur was spiked and standing up.

"Huh, never had that happen to me before." Fury said. "What's going on? Do I have something wrong with me?"

Luna pondered this. Did he have a cold? Was he ill? She tried to recollect what was different.

"I only felt this fur spike up when I was about to kiss you." Luna said.

"If that's the case, maybe I was reacting in anticipation. I was excited to have you near me, so my fur started to stand on end." Fury said.

Luna was a little surprised by this. But then again Speed Shifters had done stranger things. Luna now seemed amused.

"So, I see the reason why was because you were excited by me, hmmm?" Luna said.

"Well I can't deny that!" Fury laughed. "But come on, my fur wasn't that bad was it?" He pouted.

Luna laughed a little.

"Night Fury, do not worry, I was simply a little shocked. But now that I know better." She gave him seductive eyes and nuzzled Fury's neck. "I think I might get used to this. It has a somewhat rough but soothing texture."

Fury liked the sound of that.

"See Luna, I told you things were all cool!" Fury said. "I wonder if my parents ever went through the same thing. But that's something else, now back to the lovings!" 

This time Fury was the one to kiss Luna. 

Now this is more like it! Fury thought to himself. He remembered what his father said about showing his girl a good time. He gave him some advice on how to get through the hardships of relationships and how to confront them if they couldn't be extinguished easily, but now, he was riding as smooth as ever. At least he thought he was. 

–

A few minutes later… 

Fury decided to hang out in the halls of the castle to catch some fresh air. The sun peered in through the stained glass windows, projecting a slew of colors onto Fury's body as he walked by. 

"Wow, this place is nice. I've never seen stained glass windows like this before." He said as he continued to walk along. He stopped by an intersection and just let himself breathe. He noticed two guardmares nearby taking in the view, and by taking in the view, they were actually checking Fury out. 

Typical guards. Fury thought. Always watching strangers. Although I guess with all the turmoil with Canterlot, I can't blame them too much. 

"Are you seeing this? He is one hefty piece of cake, and I'd like to take a bite out of that. Rrraur~'' One guard purred. 

"Wow, have they taken interest in me? I guess I don't blame 'em." Fury said to himself.

"You're not the only one, he is a diamond in the rough. And between you and me, I would mind getting a little rough with him."

Fury chuckled at this but he also felt awkward with these guards' remarks towards him. He decided he would go into one of these rooms.

"Wow, I guess my dad was right, all the working out makes everyone go after you." Fury chuckled. Soon after the fact, Luna made a pass by the guards. They immediately snapped to attention at the sight of their princess and seized the romance talk as she passed by. She stopped at the intersection to speak with her lover.

"Well, hello lightning bug, enjoying the sights?" 

"Yes, and all of the attention too." Fury said. Luna raised an eyebrow. 

"Attention?"

"Yeah, the attention." Fury pulled her in and whispered in her ear. "Between you and me, I think your guards like my recently acquired muscular physique." He gestured to the two guards still standing at attention. "And they like to make some… comments about it."

There was silence for a moment. But Fury could see Luna turning from blue to red over time.

"THEY… SAID… WHAT?!?!" Luna cried out. Fury panicked and pulled her back in, making an excuse to protect the guards lives. 

"I know, I can't believe Blueblood said that either!" He said loudly, throwing off the scent of impending doom.

"Easy, girl, easy…"

"Are you trying to tame me?" Luna asked, still aggravated. 

"Is it working?"

"It's just that… you belong to me. And only me! No one should even think of claiming you! It's unacceptable!" Luna whispered, stomping her hoof down.

"I understand that you think that I should be only yours, but you're gonna have to expect this now that we're a couple. This is what Cadence calls 'The Chick Magnet Effect'."

"The Chick Magnet Effect?" Luna asked, wondering what alien love phrase she came up with this time.

"Yeah, it's what she calls the strange phenomenon of when you're single, nopony notices you. But as soon as you're taken, every girl that you were eyeing before comes running to try and snatch you for themselves." Fury said.

Luna snorted while crossing her arms.

"What a stupid phenomenon! That is the opposite of what should happen! They should know to move to other stallions." Luna said.

"Well, too bad, it's gonna happen. Every guy has to go through this, and it has no exclusivity. And if we're gonna be a thing, you have to understand that now that I'm taken, girls are gonna start coming for me. And you cannot violently go after them like you did back in Manehattan." He told Luna.

Then Fury smiled and put his claw on Luna.

"Just remember, Moonpie. No matter what they say or think, I only have one lady I'm interested in." He said with a smile. Luna wasn't one to let things go, but she decided that for the sake of her beloved, she would let this go.

Luna sighed. "Okay, I believe you. But what shall we do about those two?" She pointed to the guards. Fury smiled and looked at her.

"Don't worry, leave them to me." Fury said with a cocky smile. He proceeded to walk over to the two guards and began the teasing. He stood in between them with half lidded eyes. 

"Hello ladies. You are looking rather… stunning today." He whispered that last part in one of their ears.

That guard was hyperventilating. The other one was jealous.

"And I didn't forget about you, my shining diamond. You have some really nice armor. How would you feel if I… roughed it up a little?" He said caressing her armor.

The second guardmare was red like a cherry. "I-I would not mind… But the boss says I can't mess up my armor!"

“Oh who cares about your boss, I’m an ambassador. I’m sure whoever they are wouldn’t dare try and deny me some… time alone with you two.” He cooed as he got closer with his arms around them. At this point, both guardmares were red in the face and breathing heavily. 

These girls are worse than that mare from Manehattan I saved. Okay, time for the knockout punch!

“Let me make this simple for you two… You, me, a private room…” Fury closed in as close as he could. “And I’ll show you both what I can do with these nine lives” He whispered in a deep, sultry voice.

They both swooned and now these guards of the night appeared more like guards of fire with their reddish faces. They could hardly keep to themselves and babbled on wondering how he could love them. Meanwhile, Fury was chuckling along with his actual love interest as they watched the two guardmares babble like teen fillies over a colt band and giggled woozily on the ground.

Slam

"We… would… love… to… do… so…" Then they passed out before continuing anything further.

“And that's how you do it. Ha!” Fury said, smirking. "I hope you didn't get too jealous, my love." He teased Luna.

“No need to worry, lightning bug, I know you were trying to put them in their place. I now realize that sometimes I am going to have to accept that some mares may come for you and there’s nothing I can do about it.” Luna said. “And besides… I would like for you to speak to me that way.” She cooed in his ear.

Fury smiled at this but this time with actual excitement so that his hair stuck out.

"It would be my pleasure, my lady." He put his face into her neck and struck her chest piece and hair. "You wouldn't mind me gazing at your beauty, would you?" He purred into her ear.

She smiled seductively.

"I shall answer with actions not words." 

Luna strutted a few feet trying to imitate a model walking down the catwalk. Though awkward at walking like that, Fury found it simply enticing. Unbeknownst to him, she was causing another thing to happen. 

"Dang, moonpie, you know how to show off your stuff!" Fury cried out with a cheer!

Wait, did something happen behind me?

He looked behind to see his tail go stiff. He tried to move it back down but it wouldn't back down. His face went red as a tomato as he looked back at his girlfriend. She rounded a corner and looked back at him, wiggling her flanks a bit and flicking her tail as she disappeared. Fury immediately went solid as he saw her leave, his tail going even stiffer as he gawked at the sight.

“Aie chihuahua…”  Fury marveled at the amorous sight before him. He always was amazed at this princess, but now he saw a whole new side to her and he loved it so much, he completely forgot about his stiff tail. Until a cheeky voice reminded him.

“I can tell by your stiff tail that you like what you see?” The voice said.

Uh oh. He knew that sound. He turned around to see it was the Princess of the Sun itself with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh hello there Princess! I was… uh, just thinking about how cool this place is! Yeah! I mean look at all the rooms and the vases and the-" Fury said.

"Nice try, lover boy." Celestia said. "I know why you and your tail are like that. Those rosy red cheeks and stiff tail can't fool me."

Night Fury felt very nervous. "Heh heh heh. Um, what are you doing here Princess?" He said, trying to stall her.

"I just came to give some pie to Luna since she has been working for awhile. But I see she has someone to entertain her." 

"We were just telling jokes!" Fury defended, his tail going down slightly. 

"Jokes that clearly have you rather aroused. Let me guess, you gave Luna a bit of teasing and she decided to… strut her stuff?" Celestia said bluntly without expression. 

Fury was scared. He didn't know what Celestia was feeling. Whether calm or furious or disappointed, he never felt so uncomfortable since he was caught by his mother playing pranks at night.

"Pfft, oh please. It wasn't like that." Fury scoffed. Just as he finished his sentence, Luna walked by again with her guard and decided to go for round two, spreading her wings and running them down her body, essentially showing off her curves before she disappeared again. Although Fury tried to resist, he couldn't. His tail shot up again like a pole and his face went red. 

"Oooh, sweet mother nature. She's got a body I'd wanna hold onto~" He cooed, completely forgetting who was still nearby. 

"Ah, so it is more like that, huh?" Celestia asked. "I see you enjoyed my sister's company today."

"Doh!" Fury said to himself. "Me and my big mouth."

Fury knew he could say nothing else. He was caught. What to say now? Perhaps he should just confess and hope Celestia does not unleash her solar fury. Fury might be strong but he knew his power was like a cub compared to a celestial goddess like her.

"Oh calm down, why do you look so afraid? Is it because you think I'm the 'Overprotective older sister'?"  Celestia chimed. 

"No, no, not at all!" 

"Oh I see, you're afraid of what I might do to you. Aren't you? Well don't be afraid, I may be big, it's not like I'm gonna eat you." She then grew a cheeky smile and slowly began to wrap her wings around him. 

"Heh, wait you won't? You'll go easy on poor me?" Fury said with hopeful eyes.

"Maybe. Then again, I am bigger than you. Maybe I'll have you for my snack instead!" Celestia grinned with evil on her face.

"Ahhhh!!!" Fury cried out. "Luna, help me! Your sister is creeping me out!"

"Oh don't you worry, Night Fury. I'll go easy on my snack today." Celestia said. "Although, step out of line and I'll see how fast I could gulp you down."

"I promise Celestia I won't do anything inappropriate with Luna. I swear on my nine lives!" Fury said.

"Good. I'm glad to see that. Otherwise I make sure my prey is well cooked." Celestia said with her magic glowing. Fury went white as Celestia's coat and let out a yowl before disappearing from sight. 

Celestia laughed out loud at Fury's nervousness. "Oh Fury. You're so tense. I'm just messing with you."

Meanwhile Fury was running far away from Celestia in fear of being eaten. 

And I said getting eaten alive by a Cragodile was bad, who knows what a princess could do when provoked!

He eventually found a corner to hide around and caught his breath, sliding to the floor as he was exhausted from running, possibly for his life.

"Hoo boy… That mare is terrifying for somepony who keeps smiling everyday. I don't know how she does it, but I'm not going to find out today. Nohoho sir!" Fury said to himself. 

Just then, Luna made her way over to him.

"Fury, are you okay? You look like you were in a chase." She said, looking concerned.

"Oh I'm fine, I was just running away from your crazy sister! She said if I crossed some line that she would eat me alive! I don't want to end up in the stomach of a goddess!" 

Luna chuckled at his fright.

"Fury, you who bravely fought deadly forces and have even seen the face of death on more than one occasion. And the one thing that has you cowering in fear is my sister's empty threats?"

"As long as he keeps his place. If not, then it's the boiling pot for you." said the voice he dreaded.

Fury turned to see it was none other than Celestia herself. "In all seriousness, you need to calm down. I know you are a good creature who will care for my sister."

Fury calmed down a little and took a deep breath.

"I guess I was just thinking it would be like a situation with my mother. I thought being overprotective runs in every older familial figure, well except my dad." Fury said.

"And besides, why should I be scared of you? You may be big, but I'm more dangerous. As a matter of fact, you should be the one worried about getting eaten." Fury said with his cockiness back.

Luna facehoofed at this.

"Really now?" Celestia said. "I'm big and less dangerous than you? You have big words indeed."

"Big words…" He then slipped into the shadows and became something bigger.

"And big teeth!" He said, snapping his jaws just in front of Celestia. She was frozen, not moving an inch at all as if she had seen a horrible future. Luna frowned at the harsh reaction and was about to scold Fury when something happened that she hadn't seen in years.

Thump!

Celestia had passed out in fear for the first time in eons! 

Luna was shocked. Her sister, The ruler of all Equestria, passing out in fear to Night Fury? She knew he was strong but did he seriously terrify her powerful sister that much?

"You… you made my sister pass out?!" 

"Even princesses have their weaknesses, my dear." Fury said, smirking. 

"It has been over a millennium since I saw Celestia truly be fearful of something, let alone pass out! You truly are powerful."

"Thank you, my love." Fury said.

"But I must ask, what did you turn into?"

"Oh I just grew bigger, I didn't need to turn into anything at all. I've been working with Twilight to see if I could alter the effects of my transformations and through a bit of training, we discovered that if I can turn into bigger creatures, maybe I could use that bigger size for smaller ones. Including myself. So with a bit of training, I learned how to make myself bigger by changing only my size." Fury explained, emerging from the darkness as a much bigger version of himself. 

Luna was certainly impressed. She couldn't believe the extent of his abilities as well as the lack of limits to his mischief. After a few seconds, they both heard a moan from below them.

"Ohh… Oh dear…"

"Is she waking up?" Fury asked.

"It seems so. Quick, shrink down just in case she goes again." Luna instructed. Fury did as she asked and returned to his normal size. Celestia sat on her flanks, rubbing her head to soothe the impact point. 

"What just happened? Wait, that… That Night Fury! He turned into something bigger than I could hope to imagine." Celestia wondered how she could pass out over one of his pranks.

"What are you talking about, I didn't do anything." Fury chuckled. Luna didn't find that funny. 

"Sweetie, not now…"

"It's okay, sis. He has truly beaten me. It's been ages since somepony has actually been able to scare me so badly that I passed out. The only other somepony that I can think of was mother and her scary bedtime stories."

"Wait, you two have a mother?" Fury asked with quite a shock.

"Of course we do. What, did you think that we were born by the gods themselves as the most powerful beings in Equestria?"

"Well, you two are goddesses. I figured that your birth was from the bodies that you control bringing you into existence as a physical form of the pure magic that the sun and moon emitted." This explanation had both Celestia and Luna baffled. Did Fury really think they were just created as a way to give the celestial and lunar bodies a form to behold to the world? To be fair even ordinary ponies often thought that.

"While I do see where you went with that, that is actually not the case. Our mother does still exist, although she retired ages ago. Some say that she may return someday. Would you like to see who she was?"

Fury nodded. He knew there were secrets to these alicorns that he did know of. Just like for his own kind.

Celestia took out a bag. In it was an ancient book centuries old. Celestia turned the pages of the dusty old book and stopped on a picture of her and Luna's mother. Fury was amazed to see Celestia and Luna's mother, she stood tall like Celestia, her tan coat practically glistening in the sun as her scarlet red mane flowed in the wind. And he also took an interest in her cutie mark, a quill sitting in a clear glass inkwell.

"Wow, she looks beautiful." Night Fury said "Of course not as beautiful as Luna." He said to not have a jealous girlfriend. "But who is she? Is she the princess of anything? Air? Water? Being awesome?"

"This princess is something even more special. She was the Princess of all Equestria and of All Ponies. When the pony nations united as one, a ruler was chosen." 

"Wow, that's so cool. And hey there's a picture of you two. Woah, Celestia…  you mane, it was pink?! And Luna, your wings were so much smaller. And… oh my goodness. Celestia, you had sunspots?!"

Celestia blushed at this. "Yes indeed. I was young and a bit too obsessed with the sun back then." She chuckled embarrassed. "And Luna was still a little adorable filly who always cuddled with her Ursa Minor doll." Celestia said, teasing her younger sister.

"You said you wouldn't tell!" Luna said with her blushing cheeks.

"Relax babe, I had a stuffed animal too. Hang on, I'll be right back." Fury took off and came back with his saddlebags. He opened them and reached inside, only to pull out a small blue stuffed bunny.

"This is Sir Fluffsalot, he was my cuddle buddy as a cub. I kept him with me as a memento of home."

Luna was silent at first.

"Um Luna?" 

"That… is… MOST ADORABLE!!!" Luna cried out in her Royal Voice. "You had this bunny forever?"

He nodded.

"Yep, this little guy got me through all the rough times I had. We saw a lot together. Sometimes when I was sure I was not being followed I even took him with me on my adventures." Fury said fondly. "Hey, do you have your old doll with you? Maybe Fluffsalot could use a pal."

"Wait… right… here…" Luna teleported away from sight and returned within seconds. With her, she held a small Ursa minor doll with a black toy crown on its head. 

"Ah looks like we got a piece of history here." he said as he patted it. "What's his or her name?"

Luna blushed. "This is MoonLight, she's been my first and only friend for a while. That is until you showed up."

Fury smiled.

"Well Moonlight will have a second friend now!" He said as he put the bunny Fluffsalot by the ursa minor cub Moonlight 

"Tada! These two look like a perfect team to me!" Fury said.

"Awww, you two are so cute! I have to get a picture for the photo album." Celestia cooed.

"Photo album?"

"Yes, the family photo album." She said, pulling a camera out of thin air and preparing it for a picture. 

"Alright, take your places you two!" Luna and Fury scooched together and pulled their stuffed animals together to do the same.

"Okay, say buddies!"

"Buddies!"

Snap

"Let us see the photo!" Fury said, running to see it. Luna followed him.

Luna had a happy but calm face with her bear cub while Fury had a cocky face proudly showing his blue rabbit off.

"Aww, look at you two. That was a good one."

"Yeah, it looks good. But I have to ask, why is it in your family photo album?" Fury asked as Celestia placed the photo in the album. 

"Simple… Because you're as much a part of our family as your own." She said with a caring voice. 

"Awww, gee." Fury said blushing. "Thanks Celestia, you're pretty cool. I guess you're like my aunt." 

"I guess you could say that, although I do feel like more of a sassy aunt." Celestia said with a smirk. Fury facepawed and spoke up. 

"Oh dear goddess, how?"

"Because I have the looks, the attitude, and the connections to family."

"Well, you're right about those last two. But the first one, not so much. If I'm being honest, you're more of the chubby attention hog type." Fury said bluntly. Celestia raised an eyebrow while Luna started to giggle.

"And how am I that way?"

"Well for one, you have the attitude. Definitely have that type of voice and demeanor that says ' I crave attention'. Two, the connections to family are definitely solid. You treat the both of us like babies and you mess around a bit, maybe getting yourself in trouble sometimes. And lastly, the chubby part. You are most definitely the type of aunt that has the pudge and fluff that would put the biggest and best teddy bear to shame. You may give the best feeling hugs, but it's a bit funny to see you move around. And not to mention you eat like an aunt as well, always going for seconds." 

Celestia's eye twitched as she sat there hearing Fury's description of what type of aunt she was. Meanwhile Luna was laughing at how true the statement was.

"Oh is that so? Well if I do look like the type of aunt that's always eating, how about I show you what I can do?" She said with malicious intent in her eyes.

"Okay, so what are you gonna do?" Fury said, daring her.

"Eat you." Both Fury and Luna froze at the statement.

"Oh what, did you think I was bluffing when I said I would show you what happens when you step out of line?" She chuckled. "Well I wasn't, and I think I can hear my stomach calling for an early lunch." She made a fake growling noise to punctuate her threat. "Did you know ponies are not always herbivores but in certain very special times they can indeed enjoy the flesh of others?" She said, rolling her  tongue.

"Pfft, please, there's no way!" Fury boasted. Celestia decided to take things to the next level and put a spell on her belly, making it growl to scare Fury even further. 

"Uh Celestia, I was only teasing you. I didn't really mean all that stuff like about you being uh, chubby. I was just having some fun? Right Luna?" Fury turned to her.

Luna simply nodded.

Celestia laughed at this loudly, causing them even more fright.

"Oh you fool, you have clearly never seen who I can become when provoked." She smiled deviously, her spell making a louder growl.

"Oooh, my stomach is getting a little restless. Wouldn't want to keep… it… starving." They saw her eyes glowing and her horn as well.

"I will give you one piece of advice, my scrumptious prey," Celestia said.

"W-w-what is that?" Fury asked.

"Run." Celestia said deadpan.

"Thanks for the suggestion! Ahhh!!!" Fury said, running for his life in the hallways. 

"Come back here, I'm still hungry!" Celestia said, soaring towards the helpless Speed Shifter.

"Luna, help mehehe!" He wailed. "She's gone bananas!"

Luna felt conflicted between amusement and panic. She knew Fury once again brought it upon himself. But she knew Celestia could be crazy sometimes.

"Sigh, I better rescue Night Fury from Celestia's wrath."

"Stay still, I can't catch you and eat you when you're squirming around!" Celestia said with a crazy expression.

"Like I was gonna let you in the first place?!" 

"At least just a little bite?" Celestia pouted.

"Noooo!" Fury finally reached the tower's kitchen and locked the door. 

"Finally I'm safe." Fury said. But he heard a banging that almost scared him out of his fur.

"Oh Fury~ Let me in. You're in the right room, all you have to do is let me in and I can get started on lunch." Celestia sang.

"Yeah right, in your dreams!"

"I can check them if you want me to?"

"Ahhh!" Fury screamed and fell onto his stomach at the surprise new voice, only to see his beloved had teleported in.

"Oh phew… it's just you." Fury said. "Wait if you can get in here then…"

"Fear not." Luna said. "This tower is insulated against all teleportation magic except for those wearing a special amulet created just for me." Luna said.

"So that means we're safe!" Fury said. But he was proven a second afterward. He heard ramming from the door.

"What's that?" 

It appeared a hole was being made through the wooden door. Gradually it opened up more widely. So much so Celestia could peek her head through.

"Here's Tia!" 

Fury screamed in terror. 

"To be fair, kitchens are not normally places to defend oneself. Maybe I should get better doors." Luna said, wondering about security.

"Luna, this is not the time! What do I do?!" Fury said.

"Not to worry, I shall defend you!" She said with a smile. "Hear me sister! You will have to come through me before you touch my love!"

Celestia laughed. "We will see if love or hunger wins today! Hya!" She hacked down the last of the door allowing her to walk into the kitchen.

"Go get her, Luna!" Fury called. The two sisters ran at each other and rammed their horns together, pushing back and forth against them like bulls. Fury was amazed at the physical prowess of his girlfriend and smiled. While also sticking his tail up and raising his fur unconsciously.

"You shall never get to him. He will not be your lunch, you fiend!"

"Oh but yet, I possess the hunger induced adrenaline that overpowers yours! What could you do about that?"

"She can call in for backup!" Fury said, jumping onto Celestia's back. "You think you can take me out, well too bad! I'm just as ready to take you on as she is!" 

"Well, you seem to have gained a bit of courage. But did you use it wisely?" Celestia said. This made Fury think for a moment, but it would cost him his advantage as Celestia bucked him off and tossed Luna beside him as they both hit the floor. Celestia chuckled evilly as she towered over the two. 

"You have fought well you two. Valiantly and honorably I must say. Sadly though you were not able to beat me. Sorry Luna, there's a reason your older sister is the dominant one." She said, revealing a rope.

Before they could react, she tied them up back to back.

"Now you two, be prepared for your ultimate punishment." She said hovering them.

"Is it too late to negotiate for peace?" Fury asked.

Celestia nodded.

"Prepare yourself, young ones, for your day of reckoning. You two shall pay for defying me!" Celestia opened the fridge, revealing a large cake.

Fury and Luna were terrified.

"Uh, sister, might I ask what you're going to do with that?" 

"Ask not what the cake can do, ask what you can do for the cake!" Celestia said, levitating them over the cake.

"You're gonna put us in that?! And Blueblood said I was crazy!" Fury said, panicking.

She stopped the magic and the both dropped into the nice smelling sweet tasting cake. But couldn't appreciate it since they would be part of the dish.

"Eww!"

"Yuck!"

Both lovers sat in the cake with frosting and filling all over them. While the rope they were tied up with was now released, they were still stuck in the large dessert.

"Well, at least that's over." Luna said.

"Oh but sister, this is just the beginning." Celestia chuckled, promoting Fury to look over to his girlfriend.

"You just had to jinx us, didn't you?" 

Celestia went to the fridge and after rummaging through the contents, found some whipped cream dispenser. She went over to them and smiled. 

"Open wide!" She said as she shot the cream at them. And made them into funny looking facial hairs on both of them. For Fury, a long beard and for Luna, a twirling mustache.

"Hmmm, they look good on you, but they just don't meet my standards. I guess I'll just have to get them off of you… with my tongue."

Fury looked at Luna.

"It was nice knowing you, Moonpie!"

"I agree, Lightning Bug!"

"Here I go!" Celestia said. Then she jumped into the cake and ate all the whipped cream with her tongue and mouth. It was a little gross for the victims, at least for Luna, but Fury was having a hard time keeping himself together.

"Bahahahaha! It t-tickles!"

"Oh, is that so? Well, this is going to be interesting." Celestia started her work on Fury's cream mustache and licked it off, getting a giggle out of him.

"Hehehehehe!"

Then she went on to the filling on his sides, lapping it up with squirming giggles from him.

"Oh, and there seemed to be a large bit of frosting on your tummy. Let me get that."

She licked it off and his giggles turned into a roaring of laughter.

"Ha ha ha! Stop it!" Fury said in an uproar.

"Oh hold still, will you?" Celestia said. Fury couldn't handle being touched in his most ticklish spot of all, it drove him crazy.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! I can't take it, it's too much! Hohohohoho! I've never felt so vulnerable in my life, that's my most ticklish spohohohohot!" Fury didn't even tell Luna about that spot as it was too embarrassing. "Come on, give a Speed Shifter some mercy, will ya?"

Celestia stopped for a moment. "You have a point. I will ponder that…. No." Then she not only tickled him but even blew a raspberry on his stomach, Fury couldn't handle the assault and completely broke down. 

“Wahaahahahahahaha, not a tummy buzzehehehehr!” Fury said. "Puhleezee, I will do whatever you want! Just make it end!" He said laughing while crying.

"Very well then. If you want mercy, then repeat after me." Celestia said. She stopped tickling him for a moment.

"I, Night Fury, am a naughty boy. I am more of a cub at heart than a grown up. I am sorry Celestia for teasing you and you truly are my superior.” Fury scrunched his muzzle at the recited statement, but with his dignity on the ropes at this point, all he could do was accept his fate.

“Fine. I, Night Fury, am a naughty boy. I am more of a cub at heart than a grown up. I am sorry Celestia for teasing you and you truly are my superior. There, you happy now?”

"Almost." Celestia said. "One last thing."

“Oh come on! What else do you want from me?!”

"Celestia is not chubby. She is perfectly fit. As for me, I am a chubby little kitty who eats more than he needs to, which gets me grounded by my mommy” Fury didn't want to say that, but what choice did he have. But before he could speak, Luna spoke up.

“Okay sister, that's going too far, even for you. I know that he may get a case of the munchies now and then, but even I have to say that saying that statement is a complete fallacy.”  Luna piped up.

"Well you have to admit he does go through a lot of trouble to get those munchies." Celestia argued, but Luna stood her ground.

"He does sometimes but he also keeps his mind alert while sneaking not to defend him. And he is not that chubby. He runs a lot and uses a lot of skill to sneak past. Besides, can you not say you used to not sneak any cake when you were a filly, hmmm?" Luna prodded.

"Uhhhhhh," Celestia remembered sneaking sweets from their mother.

“Uh oh, looks like somepony got the tables turned on them. And in that sense, I think I remember Cadence telling me a story of you plunging your face in a chocolate cake when she was a teenager. Am I wrong?” Luna said with a smirk.

"Not in front of Night Fury!" Celestia whispered.

“Oh don’t think I haven't heard my fair share of drama about you. Let me think… Oh yeah, the gabby gums article that Pinkie told me about a few weeks back! Isn’t that right, Princess Frosting Face?” Fury said letting go of his fear.

Celestia now had a panicking look. "No, no, no, no! No more!"

"Very well, if you release me and Night Fury without more humiliation, we will stop with your oh so embarrassing secrets.” Luna proposed.

“Okay okay, I submit! You two can go free.” Celestia mumbled with a blush on her face. Fury and Luna both climbed out of their sweet and sticky conundrum and brushed themselves off, feeling confident that they got their revenge.

“Well, Moonpie, I have to say that this was rather interesting. A bit weird and crazy, but interesting.” Fury said.

"I agree, my Lightning Bug, we were able to pull out of that trouble." Luna said.

“You were rather brave standing up for me back there, thanks for the defense.” 

“No problem, Lightning Bug. And as a token of my appreciation…” She stepped up to him, lowered her head, and gave him a passionate kiss. Fury's face went ablaze. He felt so like with him and Luna together, nothing could stop them. He felt like he was in a thunderstorm of love. He felt it tingling within him. Then, it started to happen. His fur rose up as well as his tail, red electric bolts started to flow around him. The arcane energy soon turned from a deep red to a sort of reddish pink. Luna was completely stunned by the situation and stepped back from him as if he were a ticking time bomb.

"Um Fury?" Luna asked. "Are you alright?"

"Never… been… better! Ha ha ha ha!" Fury said in a crazy manner. "Aw yeah, I feel alive Moonpie!"

"Fury, you have a strange aura about you!" Celestia cried out.

“I feel amazing, I feel all tingly on the inside. LIke a supercharged version of butterflies in my stomach. It feels all fluttery and weird but absolutely enticing…” Fury said, practically moaning it out. 

Then his whole body was not even visible as it was surrounded by the pinkish red aura. He looked like he was glowing. Fury kept moaning but louder.

"Ah… ahhhh…. Ahhhhhh…"

The ground was now shaking and the windows opened.

"Fury?!" Luna asked. 

"Luna, take cover!" Celestia called out while pushing her sister behind a counter. At this point, Fury was just a pure ball of red-pink energy, his body being engulfed in what could only be described as artificial pleasure. The energy ball grew larger and larger, until…

“HOO YEAH!” It burst in a giant “Love EMP”, blasting across Canterlot in a giant energy wave. Fury floated in the air for a few seconds before falling on his back with pink and red energy swirling visible spirals in his eyes as he lay semi-unconscious in a pleasure filled trance. Celestia and Luna slowly peaked over the counter to see him lying there.

“Well… That was… Interesting.” Celestia spoke up, still stunned by what happened.

“What happened to him, all I did was give him a kiss.” Luna asked. Before an answer could be theorized, a blue burst of magic flashed into the room and Cadence appeared out of it with her horn glowing a hot pink, most likely detecting the love energy.

"This energy… it's… I haven't felt love this strong since me and Shining Armor’s love blast at our wedding!" The princess of love marveled.

"Cadence?!" Luna asked.

"I was going to give you two a little surprise visit." Cadence said.

"Everybody is sneaking in today." Celestia remarked.

"But then I noticed this love energy! Who is it from?!"

“How about you take a look at the blissfully unconscious feline on the floor?” Luna directed.

Luna showed her Night Fury and explained the circumstances that happened. Cadence took a look at him and saw the pink swirls of magic in his eyes.

Cadence instantly understood.

"I see." Cadence turned to the others. "This energy was probably produced because of all the new passion he felt today. His love with Luna has grown immensely and passionately. For someone inexperienced but filled with power, he had a hard time controlling these impulses.” Cadence said. "I should know, when I was a teen I felt these passions for Shining Armor and it got a little…crazy."

“That would explain why when I hugged him, his fur stood on end…” Luna said.

“And why when he saw you showing off your body, his tail went stiff.” Celestia added. “But here's what I don’t get, why did he just explode in a blast of pleasure when Luna kissed him? It seems strange.”

Cadence looked at Fury's unconscious body.

"Perhaps, it's because of all the satisfaction of teaming up with Luna. Before they might have played pranks but were not lovers. But here, they loved and cooperated in thrilling sneaky activities. This was the ultimate passion, romance while foiling your enemy. In this case, Celestia." Cadence theorized. Celestia raised an eyebrow.

“How do you know about that?”

“I…may have been hanging around, watching the chaos unfold. And now, I know where  Night Fury’s most ticklish spots are.” Cadence giggled. 

"I'll save that one for later." Luna smiled. Then she turned serious. "My goodness, imagine all of this power building up. I did not even realize it was all happening in his head."

Celestia nodded. "I do wonder, what would his parents think of all this? I wonder if this is something all Speed Shifters go through or just him." She pondered.

“Well I guess it’s a good thing that we felt it too so we can tell you.” All three princesses snapped to the door and saw Obsidian and Black Ice. 

Obsidian spoke up, "Yeah, my wife wanted to do some supervising of Night Fury to be sure he was doing alright."

Black Ice then spoke up. “So, who wants to explain the giant explosion of my son’s energy that shook us up?” Black Ice said, calm but stern. Luna and Cadence stepped up.

“We can explain what happened.” Cadence said. They proceeded to explain what happened to the worried parents, who changed their expressions from concerned to calm.

“Fur standing on end, stiff tail, blind talk in a blissful unaware state… Oh, I know what's happening, he’s just Crowning!” Black Ice said in realization. The princesses raised eyebrows at the term.

“Crowning?” Cadence asked.

“Crowning is basically the Speed Shifter version of puberty. The stiff tail, raised fur, and the blissful talk, all a part of a Sheed Shifter’s crowning process.” Obsidian explained. "Oh dear, I can remember me and my wife's first crowning." Black Ice blushed at this.

The three princesses now understood and they were relieved. For that means this won't happen regularly.

"So has he finished the process?" Celestia asked. "He won't cause another love bomb will he?"

“Oh definitely not, this is only a one time thing. The strange part about this is, is that when the crowning process is complete, us Speed Shifters usually emit a small burst of energy to signify the end of the process. But I guess with him having to deal with his increasing power levels from his destiny and the prophecy, the burst must have been enhanced tenfold to cover the whole city.” Black Ice pondered aloud.

Celestia nodded.

"Your son must indeed be very powerful. In him lies passion, his greatest strength. Surely this is probably only the beginning of what he can do." Celestia said.

"Yep! That's our boy!" Obsidian said. 

Black Ice nodded proudly.

"He will go far indeed with this potential of his."

“While I am glad that we all see the potential in him, can we please focus on getting my beloved out of his romantic trance. The poor thing looks so stuck and vulnerable, while also being kinda cute.” Luna giggled softly.

"Luna is right! Both on his cuteness, vulnerability and needing us to get him out of his trance!" Black Ice said, agreeing with Luna. She was definitely taking a liking to Luna over time.

"Alright, in times like these, we Speed Shifters are trained for these occasions." Obsidian said. "You got the goods, honey?"

Black Ice nodded, "With Night Fury, you bet I do." Black Ice pulled out the most delicious food a Speed Shifter can think of. A smoked salmon with pepper and lime on it. It's enough to turn any stoic guard into a beggar for just one bite.

"This will surely wake him up from a state like this." Black Ice walked up to him. She touched the salmon to his nose. Fury didn’t move for a few seconds, but after she wafted the smell closer to him, he started to sniff the air, most likely picking up the fishy scent.

“C’mon sweetie, up and at em…”

The sniffing continued. His tongue peeked out of his mouth, licking the fish to confirm it was not just some smell imagined in his head.

All of a sudden his eyes opened. He turned to the fish. He gazed at the beauty of smoked salmon, a food rare to Speed Shifters and only given out on special holidays. He panted no longer for love now but for hunger.

"Give… me… that… fish!!!" Fury said now on his feet. He grabbed the salmon and ate it ravenously.

His mother would normally scold him for losing his table manners, but any Speed Shifter would do the same after the Crowning process. And as expected, everyone around found it rather cute that he was munching on the fish like a cub.

Fury looked up to see his mother and Luna adoring him over eating salmon.

"Oh hey Luna. Hey mom." Fury continued eating for a moment, but then stopped. "Wait mom?! What are you doing here?! Wait, now that I think about it, why am I eating on the floor? Eh, who cares, I’m hungry." 

"Well, you see son, me and your father predicted perfectly what was to happen today." Black Ice said.

"That's right son, your passion for Luna was undeniable. It was only a matter of time before the Crowning began. And well you surpassed our expectations, my boy." Obsidian said proudly.

“Yeah, that’s nice guys.” Fury said dismissively as he kept on eating. Everyone except Obsidian thought he looked cute while doing it.

"Heh, I guess all that love has now been replaced with hunger, huh?" Obsidian said. "Tell me, are you alright? Do you feel hurt or strange anywhere?" 

“Nah dad, just hungry.” Fury said, eating the last bite and then giving a loud belch.

"Ahhh, that hit the spot." Fury said, rubbing his belly.

"Night Fury, say "excuse me" after a burp like that!" Black Ice said not finding that belch to be too adorable.

“Oh relax honey, he’s a growing boy. That was a big one, champ!” Obsidian cheered on.

“Thanks dad, but I could do better. Way better.” Fury said. 

"You'll match my burps when I was your age one day, just you wait!" He laughed, much to his wife's annoyance.

“Oh come on mom, don’t look like that. We both know that you weren’t exempt from letting one loose when I was a cub. Right, dad?”

Obsidian nodded while looking at his wife.

"I, heh, guess you're right son. I definitely remember giving a big one." Black Ice admitted, chuckling. “I remember when I was going through my pregnancy cravings and I would be liting one loose almost every meal. Although, those were partially your fault, son.”

“What, how was I the problem?” Fury asked.

“Oh please, with you kicking and squirming around in there, my belly never felt so bubbly. I felt like my stomach was in a wrestling match with a mini Amethyst! It was the worst feeling ever. That's the burden we mothers must face!" 

Fury laughed a little. "Sorry mom. I guess I just couldn't wait to explore the world even back then!"

Black Ice laughed too. "Oh don't I know it! But don’t beat yourself up about it, I said partially because all of those burps wouldn’t have been a problem if I wasn't so hungry all the time and was eating two times my body weight and half of yours when you weren’t here yet."

Everyone laughed and was having a good time now. 

"Well son, I want to congratulate you for going through this crowning process. Me and your mother are very proud of how far you've come. You've become a lady killer, my boy, just like your old man!" He said secretly crying tears of joy.

His wife on the other made no secret of her tears of joy. "My baby boy is all grown up now!"

“Ha, you bet. Thanks, you guys.” Fury chuckled, hugging his parents.

“Oof…” Black Ice moaned

“Woah, mom, are you okay?” Fury asked. Black Ice stepped back and held her stomach with a paw.

“I don’t know. Suddenly I’m feeling rather bloated.” 

“Do you require medical attention?” Luna piped up.

“No, I think I’m fine.” Her stomach gurgled in denial.

"I think you might have given her too much of a bear hug, son." Obsidian said.

"Oh sorry mom! Heh. You want some of this cake?" Fury got some of the cake.

"No thank you. I just have to relax." Black Ice finally relaxed and then she looked at Luna.

"We have one more thing to talk about. Right Obsidian?" Black Ice said.

He nodded and walked to Luna.

"Princess Luna, thank you for being there for our son. Especially in these hard times. I know we can count on you." Obsidian said. "Just make sure you watch out for any enemies out for him. Or another of our Speed Shifter tendencies!" Obsidian chuckled a bit.

"I will remember those things." Luna said.

Black Ice walked over to her. She gave her a jade amulet.

"What is this?" Luna asked.

"This amulet represents eternal love. Me and my husband grew strong from it. And now I want you to have it so your love for my son will grow tenfold.” Luna smiled at the generous gift, she was thankful that Fury’s parents were so accepting of their relationship. She was soon interrupted by Black Ice’s growing expression of pain.

“Black Ice, are you sure you do not need medical help?” She asked.

"Don't worry dearie. I think I'll be okay. I guess being in that camp has weakened me a bit and I have been walking a lot today." Black Ice said.

"Well, mom, how about you get to have a little vacation here before you go back to Ponyville. I think we've earned a Canterlot vacation." Fury said.

“I guess that would be nice.” She agreed.

“Still, that doesn’t excuse the fact that you’re feeling a bit sick to the stomach. You sure you’re okay?” 

“Please hon, I’m okay. I think you just hugged me a bit too tightly and it upset my stomach a bit, that's all.” Black Ice said lying down on the ground. "Could I have some water please?" 

“I've got it.” Cadence said, grabbing a glass of water for her.

"Ah, thank you." Black Ice said. She got up. "So would you mind me sleeping here, Princess?" Black Ice asked Luna as she was eyeing the magnificent tower. "It's a nice place. It reminds me of my old mansion."

“Of course, I'll have my guards set you two up with guest rooms for your stay. I trust that you’ll have a good time here.” Luna said.

Black Ice nodded. "Well then I cannot wait to see this tower! Let's see this beauty!" She kept running when all of a sudden, she stopped.

"Oh!" Black Ice groaned. "Maybe I'm not okay…."

“Mom!” Fury ran over to her. “Are you okay?”

“Okay, I think I can officially say that I am not okay. Maybe it was something I ate or drank.” 

“Do you remember anything you had on the trip here?” Cadence asked.

“Not much, I was mostly asleep on the train ride here. But I do remember the snack cart rolling by and me feeling thirsty, so I grabbed a drink. It was a bright orange color and it was really bubbly.” 

"Honey, how much of that did you drink?" Her husband asked.

"Ummmmm…." Black Ice seemed embarrassed to say. "Okay, fine I had three of those drinks! I couldn't resist! I just wanted to try something new."

Cadence looked with horror.

"Ma'am, the thing you just had was orange pop, it’s the bubbliest type of pop in Equestria, invented by some of the strongest sorcerers in Equestria! That type of pop is available to drink, but it’s mostly known for being the drink of choice in burping contests. It most certainly was not meant for three drinks to be consumed!” 

"Oh curses!" 

Urp!

She burped up a bubble.

"Uh oh." Celestia said.

“Uh oh, indeed.” Luna added.

hiccup

hiccup!

Hiccup!

"What's happening here?" The normally cool headed Obsidian asked a little worried.

“I think the pop is starting to bubble back up.” Fury whimpered nervously.

"And it will lead to something big." Celestia said. "With that many drinks, it will be one loud outburst. Everyone cover your ears!"

"Why?" Fury asked. Black Ice’s stomach gurgled loudly to answer.

“That's why.”

"Gotcha." 

The tuxedo feline kept on hiccuping non stop. 

Hiccup hiccup hiccup hiccup!

And finally she stopped. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hey, mom stopped hiccuping. Maybe she’s not gonna-” Before fury could finish his sentence, another gurgling sound broke the calm of the situation.

"Uh Oh…"

BRAAAAAPPPPPPPP!

All the windows of the tower shattered. The cake flattened. Some boxes moved. For ten seconds Canterlot had heard the loudest burp to date.

Black Ice finally finished. "Oh I feel so much better now!" She said, not noticing the collateral damage. The group uncovered their ears and stayed silent for a few seconds before they all burst out laughing. 

“Hahahahahahaha! I knew she still had it in her!” Fury laughed.

"I agree, Fury, your mother might be ladylike, but when she lets something out, she lets it out!" His father laughed.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Black Ice asked when she looked behind. "I didn't… Oh my!”

She looked to see everything that shattered.

"I… did… that?"

“Yes, you did.” Celesta chuckled. “But not to worry, this isn’t the first time this exact thing happened. I can attest that because… I was the one who did it.”

Everyone around her was surprised. 

"Was it more cake?" Fury asked.

“No, actually it was the exact same drink. You see, a few years ago, I had the bright idea to try and be a ‘cool ruler’ and see what all the younger ponies were trending with so I could ‘get with the times’. After some investigation into what was trending, I saw that teens participating in burping contests was the hottest thing out there. So, as the infinite wisdom of my judgment decided, I was going to host my own burping contest inside the castle and participate in it myself to show my subjects just how cool of a ruler I was.” 

“The contest went smoothly for some time, the selected judges making their scores fair with each contestant that tried their luck. Then came my turn. As a bit of a challenge, I decided to risk it all for the approval and popularity by drinking five full bottles of the exact drink Fury’s mother had. I had just finished the last bottle when my stomach started to feel funny. I brushed it off as the heat of the moment had me distracted. I stood tall, prepped my performance and let out the loudest burp I could manage. Needless to say the windows of every building in the city, including the castle, did not hold up and I was forced to pay a hefty compensation directly out of the royal treasury.” 

"Wow…" Fury said. "I don't know whether to be impressed or terrified! That orange pop could literally be a weapon!" 

"Now that is something I didn’t know about you, auntie!” Cadence giggled.

"Well you learn new things about me every day." Celestia chuckled. "Being a celestial monarch does give one great power both intentional and unintentional."

“While that was a funny story, I can’t express my forgiveness enough for the damage.” Black Ice piped up.

“Not to worry, the royal treasury is very extensive. I’m sure it can cover the cost.” Luna said.

“I’m just glad that Night Fury didn’t do it. Could you imagine a supercharged burp from him?” Cadence laughed.

"It would probably be the end of the world." Obsidian said. "I would not want to be on the same continent!"

“Oh yeah, like one from you wouldn’t cause an earthquake, dad!” Fury chuckled, then he stopped.

“Oof… Oh boy…”

“What’s wrong, Fury?” Black Ice asked. 

“I don’t know, I just feel a little- Hurp!” Fury's cheeks proceeded to puff up before he could finish.

“Oh no, he’s gonna blow!” Obsidian cried. Everyone made a run for it, hoping to not get destroyed by what they thought was another impending blast. But they all stopped when they heard laughing from Night Fury. 

“Hahahahahahahaha! You guys should have seen your faces! I got you so good, hahahahahahahaha!” Fury laughed out loud.

“Why you little… Come here!” Cadence called as she pounced on him.

"So you think it's funny to say it makes us frightened eh? Well how about something else funny?" Cadence said, grabbing his tail.

"Oh no, not the tail. Not the tail!" Fury said in panic. "Be reasonable!"

Cadence slowly grinned evilly. 

"What do you think guys?" She asked everyone. “Shall I pull the tail?"

Celestia nodded. Cadence nodded. Black Ice nodded with heavy approval. Obsidian did so too. Would Luna show pity?

“Luna, how about you? What shall be his fate?”

“Babe please, I’ll show you how well I can cuddle you if you help me out.” Fury proposed. Luna held a hoof to her chin in thought, would or could she help him in exchange for cuddles? 

"It is a hard choice to make, my love." Luna admitted. "Nevertheless, you have shocked us and made us worry and for that you must know judgment." Luna said. "Not just from Cadence but from every single one of us."

He gulped. 

“Oh boy…"

Everyone eagerly went close to him. Ready to play with him like a child with a toy.

Cadence cried out. "On the count of 3! 1, 2, 3!!!"

They yanked his tail and proceeded to not just tickle it but to strum his tail like an instrument.

“Wow Fury, your tail makes a good bass!” Cadence said, strumming at the appendage

"Indeed." Black Ice smiled. "I always loved the music that played from Fury's tail."

"Mom, that's just sick- Eek!" Fury yelped at the weird sensation.

Everyone had fun playing and even sang some songs to it. 

"Alright, I'm sorry! Just stop using my tail as a banjo!” Fury argued”

“Ah ah ah, not just yet. I have to get my turn, and I have something special for you.” Luna said, grabbing him and holding him back to chest. Fury looked up and saw her sweet but devious smile.

"What are you going to do?" Fury asked, hoping it wasn't too harsh.

"You’ll see..” She said with a deep voice. Night Fury immediately started panicking and tried to squirm his way out, but she held on tight.

“Oh no you don’t. Cadence, bear hug!”

Cadence used her alicorn strength to lock him in a great big hug. Fury could not move a muscle. 

"Ah shoot."

“Now, the revenge.” Luna used her magic and held his rear paws out from his body. 

Night Fury immediately knew what she was planning, but he couldn’t do anything with her and Cadence holding him in a bear hug.

"Well, I guess I just have to accept it." He said before the inevitable tickles began on his rear paws.

"Hahahahahahahha! Not again!" Fury said, but this time with no support from anyone. 

"This is what you get, Fury!" Obsidian said. "Sorry kid. But that's what you get for making others scared."

“Coochie coochie coo!” Cadence giggled. 

"Ha ha ha ha!" Fury laughed out. Fury was helpless. He was surrounded by an army of his closest friends and family and love who were out for vengeance. He could do nothing about it.

"Okay everyone, I think we should let the kid have a break." Obsidian said. "I think we made our point."

"Yes, please stop! I'm losing it here! I'll be a good boy today!" Fury cried out.

Everyone looked at each other for what to do. 

"I think I'll let my son off easy this time." Black Ice said. 

He was finally let go.

"Hoo, thank the gods above. I'm free!" Fury wailed. Then he turned to the crowd.

"You will all pay for your crimes!" Thank goodness that's over." Fury said.

"And no more tricks for the rest of the day unless you want us to do a trick on you." His mother warned him.

Fury gulped.

"Y-yes ma'am." Fury said nervously.

Fury got back up and straightened his fur.

"Well today was quite a day! This tower already had a bunch of fun in store. I can't wait to see the other parts of Canterlot!" Fury said excitedly.

"Just remember Fury, if you go to others in Canterlot like some elites, they might not view our games as fun as we do." Celestia said.

"Of course, I'll remember."

"You're staying with us on vacation?" Obsidian asked.

"Yeah. And besides, I need a break anyway." Fury said. "Believe it or not, Ponyville can be a busy place with Pinkie's parties or Twilight's new books or other chores of the Mane Six. It's nice to just chillax." He said reclining on a couch in the hallway.

"Well for me, I certainly do love the beauty of this tower. My son's girlfriend does have good taste I admit." Black Ice said.

"Why thank you, I'm glad you see my interests in a good light. Especially if they are rather romantic and have a buff build." 

Black Ice giggled but then turned a little serious. "Just make sure you don't go too far with my son, Princess. I have my own powers just so you know that I have not revealed to you yet."

Luna remained calm and simply bowed.

"Do not worry. I will treat your son with the greatest amount of respect possible. Or so help me a Cragodile feast on my innards."

"Now that is the kind of talk I like." Black Ice said. "Good work, my dear." She said, hugging Luna.

Fury smiled at their cooperation. And then he remembered how she mentioned how she liked his buffness.

"Oh, so you think I look buff now? I haven't decided to start flexing yet. Behold, the fruits of my labor!" He said, flexing his muscles for all to see. 

Fury appeared almost like a sculpture from hundreds of years ago. All the time he had fought enemies and trained under Zecora and the emperor paid off.

As for Luna, she felt like squealing like a teenage filly. She felt he was so handsome.

"Oh my Lightning Bug, you are truly a sight to behold!" She was about to say a Feast for the Eyes but that might have been too much for Black Ice.

"Yeah, you like what you see?! Cadence, Celestia, what do you think?"

Celestia nodded. "You definitely have good muscles. I haven't seen those in quite awhile."

Cadence agreed. "Aunt Luna's lucky to have you! Of course my husband is still hotter."

"Oh we'll see. Once I show him these guns, he'll be whimpering like a puppy!"

"Yeah, and once I show him how ticklish you are, you'll be the one whimpering." Cadence said. "Besides, you might have raw power but he has years of training and has powerful magic."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I could handle twinkle hooves in a straight up fight." Fury said flexing.

"Well maybe you should have a little duel with my husband someday." Cadence smirked. "See who can dominate who. See if you can handle his energy beams, teleportation and barrier spells. What do you say?"

"Watch me beat the brakes off of him and then we'll see who's better. And not to trigger you, but… I think he may be weaker in… other aspects." Fury teased. Cadence's eye twitched at the blatant disrespect towards her husband, but she couldn't get one hoof on him before he interrupted her.

"Ah, would you look at the time, it's time for me to see if I can survive a coo-coo crazy alicorn. See ya folks!" He said as he sped off, already knowing Cadence's reaction. 

"I am very sorry for our son's attitude." Obsidian said. "He can be a little cocky but he means no harm."

"Yes, I will give him a good lesson on proper etiquette!" Black Ice said. "If I had said those things, my father would have made me pay."

"No need. I can handle it all myself." Cadence said with a smirk. "He's not the only one who can go fast." 

She had a pink aura about her and readied herself to chase Fury. "Here I come!"

Woosh! 

"Yahoo, the chase is on! This'll probably count towards my daily cardio!"

"You little twerp, get back here!" 

"🎶 Cadence is a slowpoke, her flying skills are a joke🎶" Fury sang as he kept running. 

"Oh really?" Cadence seemed quiet for a moment.

"Heh. I guess she couldn't keep up." But he heard a sound from outside. "Gee, is that a bird?" He looked out while running and it seemed Cadence was soaring towards him.

"No no no!" 

Woosh

Cadence re-entered the hallway and hit Fury's tail. He barely dodged Cadence. He breathed heavily. 

"This girl is crazy!" Fury said. "Now she's closer!" Fury proceeded to run. But he felt the familiar tug of his tail.

"Well, Fury, how have things been? It's been awhile." Cadence said cheekily.

"Oh no you don't! You wanna hang onto my tail, then get ready for a ride!" Fury retorted as he revved up and took off, pulling Cadence helplessly around behind him. 

"Ahhhhh!!! How quick are you?!" Cadence asked, holding on trying to get some footing.

"As quick as I have to be to beat you! Hope you're having fun!" Fury said. "Ha ha!"

Think girl. That Speed Shifter ability makes him quick. But that could be his weakness. I wonder if he can run blind.

"Hey Fury, would you like to check out this vase!?" She called, grabbing a nearby vase and stuffing his head in it.

"Ahhh, I can't see!" Fury exclaimed. He said as Cadence kept sliding him to the sides making him bump into objects and walls, not being able to run straight.

Okay, let's get you off of me and out for the count!

"Okay, I give up! So let's bring this chase to a stop!" Fury stopped on a dime and flung Cadence clear of him. 

"Oof!" Cadence grunted. "Well do you like the design of the pottery, Fury, huh? Because it looks like that's all you can see!"

"Are you sure about that?" Fury said, pulling his head easily out of the decorative vase. "I think it looks better on you!" He proceeded to stuff Cadence's head in the vase.

"Aww, ponyfeathers." Cadence moaned.

"And do you hear that gonging sound?"

"What gonging sound-" Before Cadence could finish her sentence, Fury kicked the vase on her head, making an audible gong and making it vibrate. Cadence's body was shaken and shuttered by the vibrations, her brain feeling as if it was being rattled around in her head. 

"Ugh!" Cadence said feeling dizzy. "I feel weirder than with me and Shining being drunk on our honeymoon."

Fury relaxed a bit and smirked at her. "That must be the newest fashion, Cadence! You should show Rarity that fabulous hat! Also that's a beautiful noise. Hee hee hee." 

"Fury!" Cadence said furiously. "You… are… dead!" She said ramming herself into Night Fury's jeers to guide her toward her target like a bat.

"Ow! Okay, time for another ringer!" Fury said, kicking the vase a second time. 

"Not again!" Cadence cried out. She wobbled on her hooves as the shaking vase threw off her balance. She stepped one too many steps forward and fell on Fury, finally knocking the vase off of her head. They looked each other in the eyes and made a final decision.

"You know what? How about I take what I said back and we call it even, huh?" Fury bargained.

Cadence thought about it. She did admit she wanted to humiliate him a bit for being so naughty. But on the other hoof, seeing him with a vase was hilarious. 

"Hmmm, maybe I could let you go…"

"Hoo!" Fury relaxed.

"But next time, expect more of a challenge. I was going easy on you since I didn't want to damage the tower. But you haven't seen every trick yet. So just watch your tail, Fury." She said.

"Okay, deal." Fury agreed, shaking hooves with Cadence and getting off the floor. "I'll look forward to seeing your new abilities. Just know I'll have some more by then too. Same for your husband." Fury wondered what a fight between him and Luna vs Shining and Cadence would be like.

She and Fury nodded to each other in friendly rivalry.

"Okay, that was rather entertaining, you two. But how about we put this rivalry on hold?" Celestia piped up, the rest of the group standing with her with amused expressions.

"Okay." They said in unison.

"So now that this pseudo sibling rivalry is on hold, how about we get settled in for a vacation?" Black Ice reminded them.

"Sounds good. So Cadence, I guess you'll be heading back to the Crystal Empire?" Fury inquired.

"Actually no, I was coming here for an extended stay as well! I needed a break from my duties as well so I decided to come here to get some rest and relaxation in. And besides, now that we have a bit of a rivalry going, what's the point of heading back when I have unfinished business?" She said with a challenging smirk.

"Well I guess you're right. Now come on everyone, let's get this vacation underway!" Fury cried out. 

Everyone was looking forward to seeing the rest of Canterlot. It had been a fun day of challenges and rivalries. But now was the time to cool down and have a nice stroll in the decorated roads of the capital. However, they all would be faced with new challenges, funny shenanigans, and wholesome family time. Which shall take place next? Well, let us see for ourselves.
> Chapter 26: Prankster Princesses
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Black Ice and Obsidian were enjoying themselves with a nice breakfast feast, the early morning sun rays filling the room with a sort of comfortable warmth in Luna's tower. Luna and Celestia were off with some politics to sort out. Luna assigned them to have a delicious breakfast feast.

Black Ice was especially happy at her treatment in Canterlot. She loved the food and the aesthetics of the dining hall, truly adding to the experience of luxury. It reminded her of her own childhood in the dining hall to see a bushy-tailed Night Fury shuffling his way over. 

"Well mom and dad, you impressed with this place or what?" Fury called to them as he sat by them.

"This is some great hospitality. Princess Luna sure knows how to please guests." Black Ice said.

They all had a great meal. A good serving of fish for them. They talked about what they were going to do today. 

"So guys, would you like to go anywhere in Canterlot? Maybe the bakery. Maybe we can see the military. Or even Celestia's Palace!" Fury said excited by all the possibilities.

"Easy, sport," his father said. "We can't go to every place today. We'll focus on a few."

Before they continued, Princess Cadence came to talk to them. 

"Good morning, everyone. Enjoying your meals?" 

"You betcha! Luna's servants sure know how to make some good food for us! Another reason why I love her." 

Cadence giggled at this but then continued with what she was going to say.

"So I heard you guys want somewhere to go, hmmm? Well I think I have an idea. How about you come over to Celestia's Palace? They even have a dance floor. I bet you two would love it." 

Obsidian and Black Ice seemed quite interested.

"I would like to dance with my sweetheart," Obsidian said. "to prove we still have the moves." He winked to his wife who almost squealed in joy.

"And I get to go see mine! So it's a win-win for us, huh dad?" Fury asked.

"You said it, champ!" Obsidian said. "Today is going to really be a fun day. This time a little less crazy." Obsidian chuckled. But little did he know that he had jinxed them for the day. 

"Yep! No pranks this time!" Cadence nodded. "This will be a time to cool down." She smiled seemingly innocently.

The Speed Shifter family finally finished their meal. "Well, I'm stuffed." Fury said. "Let's get ready to leave!" Fury and his parents walked out of the dining hall, leaving Cadence alone.

"Heh heh, sorry Fury. But actually, I'm not satisfied with our little scuffle. For it is time for my retribution." She giggled devilishly as she followed behind them with a grin on her face. 

–

Cadence, Fury and his parents were walking along the path that led through the palace gardens. The sweet smell of flowers filled the air as they strolled down the stone pathway. 

There was nothing quite like seeing the larger than life stone buildings built so elegantly. His parents were clearly impressed.

"Wow, this has to be the most beautiful assortment of flowers I've ever seen." Black Ice said.

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I've seen something like this. The last time I remember taking a stroll through a garden like this was when I was learning to walk back home." Fury said, reminiscing over his early childhood. "Those were good times. I hope I come back to see it again someday."

Obsidian reassured his son. "Don't you worry. Once we deal with certain things around Equestria, we can go back together. I'm sure that we'll get a big welcome home from the rest of the Moonlight tribe."

"Yeah, maybe you two." Fury huffed. "I probably won't hear the last of it from everyone else, especially oh dear Amethyst, the stuck-up one she is." He muttered. 

"She was a bit loud and abrasive, I will admit that." Black Ice chuckled. 

"Kind of like someone I know," Obsidian teased her.

"Oh hush, Obsidian." She rolled her eyes but was still smiling. "I only do that forty percent of the time, she does it eighty percent." She giggled.

They continued to walk through the gardens when a quiet rustling made Fury freeze. 

"Hang on, did you guys hear that?" Fury asked, there was then a small breeze followed by a voice.

"Oooooooooh…" said a mysterious voice

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Fury called out

"I am the spirit of the Canterlot gardens, I have been awoken by your presence." The ghostly voice said. Fury instantly wore a smirk as he knew who it was, but decided to go along with it for the sake of it.

"And what do you seek from our presence, oh spirit of the gardens?" Fury asked. 

"No need to fear me, mortals. For I am a friend to you all. I only wish to converse." The voice replied. Cadence and Obsidian were confused by the voice, but Black Ice seemed to be showing a different emotion. 

"W-what does it want?" She shuddered.

"Oh come on, mom. Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts?"

"I'm not afraid! I-I'm just… concerned." She said meekly. "Y-you never know what spirits might want from the living!"

"Do not fear, mother of Night Fury. For I only wish to make one request with your son."

"And what is this request?" Fury asked, still smiling at the obvious trick.

"My one request is…"

… 

"Morning Cuddles!" Without a moment to spare, Night Fury was tackled by a blue blur that landed him in a grass patch. He looked up and saw that the so-called spirit wishing to cuddle was none other than his girlfriend, Luna. 

"Luna! Well well well. Trying to give us a scare, eh Moonpie?" He said caressing her ear. "Is this why you were gone this morning?"

"Yes indeed, my Lightning Bug." Luna smiled. "I hope you forgive me for trying to give you all a fright." She smirked.

"Oh don't worry, I think there was only one of us that got a bit of a fright out of this." Fury teased. 

Black Ice tried to hide her fear. "I was not scared, princess. I was merely, um… making sure you were not hostile. Yes. And you have proven you are, in fact, not an evil spirit." she said, trying to have some composure. Said composure would falter though as a light breeze grazing her back sent her into a frenzy.

"Ahhh! You shall not take me, sky demon! Stay back!" She backed up with her claws ready to defend herself.

Everyone around her laughed.

"Oh honey," her husband laughed. "You shouldn't worry. I'll save you from the horrors of the breeze!" He said hugging her. 

"Oh come on!" Black Ice said. "I was only pretending to be scared." She defended, but no one was falling for it. 

"Hurry everyone, huddle around mom! We must protect her from the dangerous sky breeze, she may get possessed!" Fury cried out. Cadence and Luna continued to give the middle aged Speed Shifter a big hug.

Black Ice looked unamused but they could tell she loved it too.

"You all are going to burn in Tartarus for this…" She moaned with a bit of a laugh.

"Says the one who came up with a pink fuzzy octopus creature to get me to go to sleep." Fury said bluntly. 

"Alright, fine! I guess we're even now, alright?!" Black Ice said. "You happy?"

"Very much so, mother dearest." Her son smirked.

"You all are being rather cheeky today." Another voice chimed. 

"Is this another of your pranks, Princess?" Black Ice asked.

"No, it's just my sister walking to see us," she pointed at her sister Luna.

"Oh. Never mind." Black Ice decided to be quiet for the moment so as not to show more embarrassment.

Celestia walked by them. "How are you enjoying your walk to the palace?"

"Well, we almost got possessed by Ms. Cuddle Demon over here…" Fury pointed to Luna, making her blush. "And we found out that my mom is a new target of a dangerous 'demon breeze'."

"Hey! Keep that incident private!" Black Ice pouted.

"Or what? This newly acclaimed 'Ghost wind' might possess me because of my transgressions against their kind? Ooooooh, so scary…"

Celestia chuckled.

"Alright, alright." Celestia said. "I must admit Luna, I am impressed with your little prank. You're starting to match mine"

Luna chuckled. "I will admit I was only going for Night Fury. But it was fun nonetheless."

"Well, we will have even more fun at my palace," Celestia said. "Tonight, we have a special ball. With a theme of tropical beauty in honor of Fury's parents.

"Wow, an entire ball in honor of us?" Black Ice was amazed at the honor. "This is just amazing! With this luck, I may be able to truly grow. Start a career, maybe start a business, and maybe grow my family with some grandkids!" 

"Eww, mom!" Fury said. "I'm not ready to think of family yet! Me and Luna haven't even been a thing for a year yet!" 

"Son, you must understand. My family was a prestigious family. One of the most renowned of the Moonlight tribe. Then my father made some terrible choices and we had to sell our mansion. We lost all of our honor. But with your heirs, we may recover the honor that was lost! Oh please dear, do it not just for me. But for your father who never got to see what a mansion was like!"

"I'm not that sad, dear. Not that I wouldn't like to live in one though…" Even her husband liked the idea a bit.

"Oh dear goddess, there goes the guilt trip. And you say that I'm the one who's immature." Fury scoffed. Luna just couldn't believe what she was hearing.

She cannot be serious! I have no plans to engage in romantic intercourse with him, let alone produce my own child! 

"Madame, I am not quite sure I am ready for such a momentous decision in my life." Luna said.

"Oh you shall, princess. After all, the greatest honor of love is producing a baby. One of your heirs to carry on the family legacy. It's quite glorious if you think about that!" Black Ice said. Fury snuck his way towards Celestia and spoke to her.

"Yeah, uh, that honor that you had for my parents? How fast can you make that a sole and singular honor?" He whispered. 

"Don't worry, Night Fury." Celestia said. "It will be a few hours but we do have some beautiful things to show off. Like the animals or the Wonderbolts flying over our palace."

"Great, 'cause I'm in one of those awkward situations where I want to make it stop, but I can't because some of my chosen words may not be… Family friendly."

"Leave it to me." Celestia said. She cleared her throat.

"Oh look at the time!" Celestia said. "We're almost late for the Wonderbolt Air Show! A bunch of flying colors in the shapes of Equestria's best known monuments in the air. It will begin in twenty minutes."

"Ooh, that sounds wonderful!" Black Ice said, forgetting about her future plans, starting to walk away. Fury sighed his biggest breath of relief along with his girlfriend. He was so happy, that he unknowingly kissed Celestia and hugged her.

"Thank you so much, I love you for this." He sighed, still oblivious to the blushing alicorn in his grasp. 

"N-no problem, Night Fury!"

"Come on guys, let's go see some flying!" Fury called, walking away.

"Should I have said something?" Celestia asked Luna.

"Not now, but later." She whispered as they walked to the viewpoint of the show. 

-

"Up next is the Statue of Manehattan! The symbol of a city of great wealth and achievement," said the announcer.

The Wonderbolts proceeded to use their colored clouds to make a lifesize cloud statue of a robed mare. The amount of detail was unmatched.

"Woohoo! Alright!" Fury and his mother both cried out in excitement.

"This is amazing! A work of pure art with clouds!" Black Ice said. "Pegasi are truly amazing."

"True that, mom. Wow, I wonder what it's like to fly that high. The wind in your face, not a care in the world… it must be amazing to be able to soar through the skies like that." Fury sighed, thinking about his falcon form and his sub-par flying skills. 

"Are you alright son?" his mother asked.

"It's nothing." He said.

His father noticed this and had a good feeling about what he was so worried about.

"Don't worry son. Transformation is a hard thing to do. But even harder when you have to think like the animal you're imitating. You just have to keep trying and trying. And just like a conflict with your loved one, you'll learn how to navigate it." Obsidian reassured Fury.

"And I know you've got some experience, considering mom is a bit of a hothead." 

"I am not a hothead!" She bellowed.

"Oh yes you are, sweetie. You've got the biggest temper out of the three of us." Obsidian smiled.

"And how exactly would you prove that I'm a hothead?" 

"By your previous sentences?" Fury said bluntly.

"Well I- hmph." She stuck up her nose knowing she lost the argument to see the Wonderbolts.

"But seriously son, don't you worry. You've done so much already, the future is bright for you."

"Thanks dad." Fury said.

Then the announcer gave a statement.

"Alright everyone. That concludes our Wonderbolts for the day. We hope you enjoyed them. But in an hour, we have a special dance. We hope you are there to participate! Have a good time, all of you!"

Everyone seemed excited now. The big appeal of the Canterlot Palace. The magnificent dances.

"This is it! I can't wait to be in such a beautiful setting!" Black Ice said. "Are you ready, my life?!"

"You know I am, Icey!" Obsidian kissed her cheek. "Let's go inside! Come on! You two lovebirds come in as well!" He said to Fury and Luna.

"Hey Moonpie, ready to take over the dance floor?" 

"Let's boogie, lightning bug!" Princess Luna said. 

While rolling his eyes at Luna's hip term, Fury held her arm and was ready to make this a night she would not soon forget.

Cadence was strangely quiet though. Normally she would go crazy over something this romantic. But she was happy. But she was happy about something other than the dances.

"Heh heh heh I hope you have fun. Because I know I will. Especially with you, Night Fury." Cadence said to herself. "Heh heh heh."

-

"My goodness, this palace is larger than any temple I've scoured through!" Obsidian said as he walked into the Palace.

"You got that right, dad!" Fury said. "We're gonna pull out some cool dance moves today! Ain't that right, Luna?" 

She blushed. "Indeed my love!" She leaned on his shoulder. 

Celestia stopped the group. "Alright everyone. First we need to get you all dressed. Go into those rooms and you will have someone work on an outfit for each of you. And then you can dance your heart out."

"Sounds good to me!" Fury said. "I wanna dress to kill. Not literally of course."

"Indeed, I can't wait to see what you have on, shmoopie." Luna cooed. 

"You got it! Just don't be too excited when you see me, you might pass out." 

Obsidian made sure they got to the point.

"Alright everyone. You can flirt later. Let's get dressed." 

Everyone went into the rooms. Celestia went to check other accommodations. All that was left was Cadence.

"It's so sweet how they want to dance with each other. It would be a shame if someone decided to… have some fun." Cadence said, thinking of ways to get back at her foe Night Fury.

Finally, after a few minutes, everyone was ready to dance. 

Fury was in a nice looking suit that had shoulder pads to make his figure stand out. His fabrics were exotic and from flung corners of Equestria. There was even a chain of turquoise and jade beads. He felt confident in his looks. But his jaw dropped on seeing his dance partner. She wore a flowing blue dress that was semi see through, allowing him to see some of her underlying features. The dress came with a pearl necklace and a star-spangled pattern that ran down the back of the dress. Luna took notice of the slack jawed feline and giggled.

"It looks like you're the one who might pass out." She smiled at his surprised expression. 

He snapped out of his stupor and put himself together. "Can ya blame me? With how you're dressed, how can I not be." He said, giving her his paw.

"You ready my lady?" Fury asked.

"As ready as I can be." Luna replied.

Everyone got onto the dance floor. Fury could see his parents were excited to be ready to dance. His mother looked like she was about to cry tears of joy at this event.

"Oh look at you two, you look so cute together!" Black Ice cooed, making the couple blush. 

"You two are a perfect match, there's no doubt about that. You two are going to be happy together." Obsidian added.

"Thanks pops." Then the DJ made an announcement.

"Alright everyone, welcome to the Autumn Appreciation Ball! While we all may be themed in tropical clothing, this party is mainly in preparation for the changing of the seasons! For our Speed Shifter friends it's to celebrate the beginning of the Rainy Season, so let's get to it!" 

The crowd applauded and cheered.

"Tonight is a very special night, because of two individuals who fought for their lives to be here tonight. By tooth and claw to fight for what they believed in. Ladies and Gentlecolts, give it up for Obsidian and Black Ice!"

"Woo hoo! Alright!" The crowd called on.

"Thank you very much. You, the people of Canterlot, have made us feel very welcome." Black Ice said. 

"And you have made us appreciate the opportunity to make new friends with different forms of life. We couldn't have realized that if it weren't for your efforts and your son's work to bring us together. Give it up for Night Fury, everyone!" 

Everyone applauded even harder for the beloved Speed Shifter ambassador.

"Thanks everyone! You guys are the best and I hope for a big bright future for all of us. Both speed shifters and ponies alike. But right now, we got something important to do, and that is, dance and show off your stuff! We're gonna make this ball the time of our lives! Let's do this! Hit it!"

"You got it!" The DJ played some nice slow dance music to start out. 

Everyone was slow but passionate with their partner. Fury saw how his parents despite their age looked into each other's eyes and how they had a burning love for each other.

I gotta do the same with Luna.

He looked into her eyes. To this song they were in each others' arms. They felt the warmness of each other. They touched their foreheads to each other.

"You enjoying this, Moonpie?"

"I am. I feel so whole with you. I feel like I have been with you for centuries. And I can never let you go."

"Me too. And you better not let go when the next dance comes up." Fury said.

Then the music stopped and the DJ made an announcement. 

"Alright everyone, now we've had a nice relaxing dance but get ready because this is where it gets really intense. It's time to show off your dance skills. It's going to get fast so get ready!" The DJ said.

The crowd cheered on at this.

Deep down, Fury was a bit nervous. He had danced slowly with Luna before. But to do some quick dances? That was a bit much.

He looked at his parents and he saw them pulling the most complex moves with Obsidian picking up Black Ice and spinning or him releasing her while she twirled around. Could he really do something like that?

Wait, why do I have to replicate them when I've got my own style? I'll show them what my generation has in store! 

He saw Luna's nervousness. 

"Luna. Don't look so shy because we're gonna show them what we got!" Fury said as he hugged Luna's waist causing them to stand up and then jumped into the air and span together.

"What in the world are you doing?" Luna asked. "We're going to fall from this!"

"No we are not Luna. Watch this!" Fury cried out as an aura of red energy formed around him. The force held the two up in the air and allowed them to hover. Luna had never felt such a feeling in her life and was strangely enjoying it.

"Shhh… just go with the flow, my love. I'm right here." Fury said. "Let's do this."

Luna nodded, still a little surprised at dancing mid air. But she started to feel more confident. Was it the electricity? Either way she held onto him. And they spun around but as they did so they produced almost a storm of red, blue and purple energy. Everyone down on the dance floor was amazed at the colors made. It seemed the two lovers were both glowing.

"That's our boy!" Obsidian said.

"I know! It's beautiful." As they witnessed the dancing pair.

Fury and Luna felt confidence like they never had before. A bit daring, Fury and Luna spun around quickly. 

"Get ready for this one, Luna!" Fury said.

"For what?" 

Fury let Luna go, making her go to the other side of the room. Luna was shocked at this. But before she crashed Fury jumped into the air, grabbed her front legs and spun each other again. 

"That was a bit much, Fury!" Luna scolded him.

"But admit it, you kinda liked the daring stunt, didn't you?" He said as they slowed down a bit.

Luna had to admit she was having the time of her life.

"Yes Fury, I did."

And then the music stopped. And the DJ spoke again.

"Alright everyone, that was amazing! You all had some great dance moves but the stars of the show are none other than the Princess of the Night and the Ambassador himself! Give it up for our guests!" 

The crowd clapped and cheered for them.

"Night Fury, that was amazing what you did back there!" Obsidian said. "That truly is using our energy in creative ways."

"I agree. You did most beautifully. I was worried for a moment that would end with you falling flat on the ground. But I can see you knew what you were doing today." His mother said. "I am so proud of you!" She said, hugging him tight.

"Aww, I'm glad you were worried about me. And thank you, I've been working on this my entire life and I think I've found the one that thought I was worth it." Fury said, kissing his girlfriend. 

"And you too, my love." Luna said. 

After they kissed, they saw Cadence.

"Cadence, you missed out on so much!" Fury said. "You missed out on all our dance moves!"

"Sorry I was just doing some, um, work. But I have to tell you about something and thank everyone for a great dance today." Cadence said.

"I've already made a speech."

"But don't you want to tell everyone how amazing it felt to be dancing with your love like that? Dancing on lightning?"

Fury had to admit he couldn't resist showing off a bit. 

"Alright I'll do it!" Fury said.

Cadence smiled. In her mind it was an evil smile. "Now that you're away from everyone, I can really finish this Rainy Season. Heh heh." Cadence walked into another room.

Fury went on the podium.

"Thanks everyone for such an awesome dance! We had a blast, literally!"

The crowd laughed at his joke.

"And I gotta thank Luna for all that electrifying dancing. You're a blast, Moonpie!"

Luna smiled at this.

"Anyways guys I hope you have a nice-"

Fury then noticed Cadence left. A bit rude, she taught him manners and she defied one herself. Unless…

Now that I think about it, while I was up there, I did see a box of balloons filled with water. Yeah. Oh I see. Very funny Cadence.

He was able to see that Cadence was on the top level.

So that was why you were gone. Well Cadence, go ahead and do it.

"-uh day. Before I go though I have one last thing to show you."

Then several dozens of water balloons dropped down from the box above. It was a few yards from Fury.

"Ladies and gentlecolts, let me show you what my tail can do!" His tail took a spring-like shape and caught the first balloon. It slowed to a stop in his grasp as he looked in Cadence's direction with a smile. Releasing the first balloon, he got a direct hit on her flank. But he wasn't done. 

"Watch this" The tail spring bounced a balloon into the air. And another and another. 

Cadence was hit by every single balloon.

"Ahhhh! STOP IT! I SURRENDER!" Cadence cried out. "You win this round!"

Fury then moved out of the way of the last balloons.

Cadence flew back down.

"How did you know about my balloons?"

"Well if you stuck around to see my sick dance in the air, you'd know I saw a funny looking bunch of water balloons. And you're Cadence, the Princess of Love. You would never turn down a time of dance unless you had something big in mind. So I figured you out, Princess." Fury said.

"Oh, and one more thing…" Fury said. He held up a single claw and electrified it, a red hue engulfing it. Cadence was left confused as to what he was doing until he pressed it against her water-logged fur and sent rather tickly electric pulses through her body. 

"Ahhhhhhh. That felt weird." Cadence said. After she recovered from that shock "Oh come on! You already splashed me, did you have to do that shock?"

"Why yes, I do. Don't you know that water is an excellent conductor for electricity?" He said, touching her again. 

"Which is exactly why you should not do that!" Cadence yelled.

"Hey if you didn't wanna get shocked or wet, you shouldn't have tried to drop balloons on me. Keep in mind as a warrior I'm trained to be weary of threats. Especially from you yesterday."

"You knew?" Cadence asked. "Who told you?!"

"Oh I just had a feeling you wanted some payback. Don't think I'm that naive not to realize that."

"Oooh, you little twerp! I'm gonna…"

"What? Do what? Because I will go full force and make you wish you weren't right in front of me." He chuckled. Cadence was so blinded by her loss that she decided to take her chances.

"You're not gonna do anyth-" before she finished, Fury dug his paws into her chest and ignited his powers, sending off the tickly electric pulses through her at full force. She tried to hold her ground, but she broke out and let herself slip. 

"Ughhhhhh! No more. You win this round! You got me again!" Cadence said. "Please don't zap me again!"

Fury looked satisfied. "Very well. I guess I'm still the Champion Prankmaster. The King of Mischief."

"That's not something you should be proud of." Black Ice said. "You should show more pride in being an Ambassador instead."

"Mmmm, maybe, Ambassador but I like Prankmaster even more. Just saying." Fury said.

"Well, it does show you are well aware of threats around you. It will be very useful against future enemies." Obsidian said.

"That is true, and mom, you have got to lighten up! Seriously, you're being a major buzzkill!"

Black Ice was about to argue, but then she thought about how it made him clever and skilled against future attacks. She imagined if it were an actual bomb. And then she realized Cadence did look pretty funny all wet.

"You know what? Maybe you're right, Fury. I'm sorry. And besides it is a family honor to show how clever one can be against foes." Black Ice said.

"Now you're talking, Mom! No one can mess with me, Night Fury. Well, except for Luna, but I don't think she can do much." He said bluntly. The crowd gasped as the words left his mouth and then he realized what he had just subjected himself to.

"Oops…" 

"My dear Night Fury, is that a challenge?" Luna asked. "Hmmm?"

"Uh no?" Fury said backing uo. "That was a mistake. Right, mom and dad?"

"Knowing how Fury is, he meant it." Black Ice admitted.

"Yeah that's how that boy is. Always saying what he means."

"Guys!" Fury said, realizing he backed himself into a corner. 

"Oh, Treesap…"

Luna used her magic to restrain to tie his arms and his legs separately and this time she tickled his belly.

"No! Not again! Ahahahahaha!"

Luna would not budge. She had to make him pay. 

"Cadence, are there still some balloons left?" Luna asked her niece.

Cadence smiled. "Why yes there are. I'll be right back."

"No no no no!" Fury said, still restrained.

Now Cadence had a whole bunch of balloons. She went above Night Fury.

"Now let's even the score shall we Fury?" Cadence said.

"Please no!" Fury begged.

The water balloons dropped on him. He felt wet like he was in a swamp. 

"Ah dang it! I'm so cold." Fury said while he was being ticked at the same time.

"Hold on." Cadence said. "I have one last punishment for you. 

"Oh come on, what now?" 

"It's gonna be a shocking retribution." Cadence said. "Servants! Give me a rug."

They did so. Fury wondered why she would need one. And then Cadence rubbed her hooves on the rug like there was no tomorrow. Fury then realized what she meant.

"Wait, I'm sorry! I'll give you a bunch of cake I promise!" Fury begged.

"Too late. Now hold still…" She then pressed a hoof to his belly and sent a shock through him.

"Hahahahahaha, it feels sohohohoho weird!" He laughed. "Okay, that's it!" He proceeded to snap his magical restraints with his own energy.

"You wanna get electric, then let's turn up the voltage!" He said as he pulled both princesses in and shocked them with a smile, making them laugh uncontrollably at the fuzzy feeling. 

"Not so funny when the tables are turned, now is it?" He chuckled.

"Okay okay, we get it!"

"Yes, we have surrendered in defeat! Now please let us go!" 

"Looks like I'm the king again!" Fury said. He finally let go, freeing the two princesses from their electrifying fate.

"You have done rather well against me for who you were up against. But sadly I just cannot be matched in my trickster prowess." Fury said. "You just have to accept that fact. Nothing personal."

Luna and Cadence looked quite annoyed at his smug bragging. They just wanted to really humiliate him somehow. But then, Luna remembered what happened that very morning and smirked.

"Oh I think we've got you beat, just in a different way. You remember that little… moment your mother had about us?"

"Oh brother, don't remind me." Fury moaned. "You know my mom's chanting is a pain to deal with."

"And you did ask my sister to sort things out, is that right?"

"Oh yeah, she handled that perfectly. Thanks Celestia, I owe you one!" Fury called to her.

"But didn't you already thank her? In more of a… personal way?"

Fury was confused. What did she mean? He liked Celestia but they were not that close. Unless… He finally remembered.

Oh dear goddess… 

"Luna, that was not what you thought. I was just very grateful and got a little too… close. But you would have done the same thing in my position, am I wrong?" Fury defended, trying to throw her off. 

"No, you are not. Well except for kissing her. But I am her sister, I am practically obligated to give her my affection in such a manner. However, I am curious as to how you have that pass…"

"Well… I… do we have to talk about this, Luna? The past is the past."

"But why forget the past? Is the past not filled with valuable memories?" Luna smirked.

"It is, but I say this particular memory can go on without any conflict." Celestia piped up. 

Fury looked to Celestia looking for hope. "Celestia! Thank goodness you're here. What we did was nothing too memorable, right?" He asked, hoping Celestia would get him out of this awkward scenario.

"Oh, but this is a rather memorable moment. I haven't felt so special to somepony besides Luna in years! I must say, you truly have the magic touch."

Oh great, she just had to say that. Didn't she? I am so dead… 

Luna shook her head. "You must have felt very special with my older sister, is that not true?"

"No I do not!" Fury cried out. 

"Awww, how sad. I thought we had a connection." Celestia said with a sad face.

"Oh what do you expect me to say now? That I'm willing to keep both of you?" Fury said unamused. 

"Well, are you?" Luna asked.

"Grrrrrr! I'm out of here! Maybe my father will be more reasonable!" Fury said, attempting to walk out.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere!" Luna called, binding him with her magic. "You still have a debt to pay, and I'm collecting." 

Oh shoot.

"What kind of debt am I paying? Can it be paid in snuggles, Moonpie?" He said, trying to woo her so he could escape his doom.

Luna shook her head.

"What you have done cannot be paid in snuggles. No. It must be paid in…" Luna smiled sinisterly, "Public humiliation."

"Uh what are you talking about?" Night Fury said. He would wish he hadn't asked.

"Let me show you." Luna levitated Fury and put him on the podium. "Citizens of Canterlot, behold our Ambassador of Speed Shifters would like to entertain you once more!" She lifted one of the paws of Night Fury. "He will give you sounds as you have never heard before." 

"Oh come on, not my paws. It makes me weird." He said to Luna.

"Silence! I am the Princess and I order this deed to be executed!" Luna cried out.

"And we shall assist!" Celestia added, waving to someone in the crowd. A few seconds later, Cadence made herself known and used her magic, clamping him down so that he couldn't move unless forced to. "So, our loyal subjects, are you ready to see what our ambassador has to offer you?"

"Yes we are!" The crowd went wild.

"Then here you go! Behold! Coochie coochie coo." Cadence said as she tickled his paws.

"Ayeee heh heh heh!" Fury said, trying to restrain his laughter. He snickered and let out the occasional squeak which got the crowd's attention, but that wasn't enough for the princesses.

"Trying to hold yourself together, hmmm?" Luna asked "Well how about you open up your feelings!" Luna then flipped him on his back, put her hooves on his stomach, while Celestia and Cadence had his paws and Luna levitated his tail. 

Fury realized they were going all out. Not one part. Not two. But many ticklish parts.

"I promise I won't eat your bakery goods again, Cadence. I'll be your butler. I'll clean your toilets. I'll even watch your girly romance movies again! Just please don't-"

His words fell on deaf ears. The three princesses proceeded to fulfill the deed. Fury couldn't even resist opening his mouth. He just had to let out the laughter from inside him.

"Bahahahahaha! Not thihihihihihis again! I'm too important to get this sort of treatmehehehehehehent!"

"Really, ambassador?" Cadence smiled in delight. "Is that why you ate from my wedding cake? Hmmm?"

Fury couldn't even think clearly at this point; he just wanted it to disappear back to the Emperor or anywhere. Worst of all, he saw the crowd in an uproar. He even thought he saw a rainbow-colored pony and a dragon watching.

Great, now they know. They're gonna keep bringing this tragedy up, won't they? 

"Well Fury have you learned your lesson?" Luna asked as the princesses stopped temporarily. "Have you learned to not be so sassy to your princesses?" She asked smugly.

"Aw come on, it was just a joke!" Fury said.

"Fair enough. But it's a joke that warrants another joke." Luna said, about to tickle him again.

"Come on! What do you want from me?! I'll do it!"

Luna thought about it.

"I might release you if…" Luna pondered. "You treat me to a night of loving cuddling. You will not stop until I have said you can stop."

"You monster that's… wait, what?" Fury thought he had earwax. "A night of snuggles with you?!"

"Indeed." Luna smiled. "My lightning bug."

Fury was ecstatic.

"Yes my liege, and I shall not stop until you and I are fully satisfied!"

He looked to the crowd. "You hear that everyone?! I will treat this lovely princess with the cuddles she deserves!" Fury called, the crowd roaring with applause. 

"Nothing pleases a crowd more than a loving romance." Cadence said.

"Yep!" Fury finally got up relieved he was finally able to escape his ticklish prison. 

He turned to Luna. "So Luna my love, when would you like for me to give you your due diligence?" 

"Tonight. Not later, not the next night, tonight." 

"I couldn't think of a better time. Say, since I made the mistake of trading my affection to another, shall we make it a group of three to pay my debts?" Fury asked.

"Three?" Luna asked. "Who will be the third?" She then realized who he was speaking of.

"Her?! But why?"

"Well, I made a rather uncouth action against her highness. I only believe it to be fair that she received just the same treatment for such disrespect." Fury joked in a posh accent. 

Luna was confused and unamused at first, but she realized he perhaps had a point. 

"Very well, Night Fury. We shall call her but if we have many join up, we might as well have all four do so. What say you?" She asked him.

"You bringing Cadence into this?" She nodded. "Fair, I did turn the tables on her failed prank. I guess I do owe her."

Celestia walked to him. "I heard you have some plans. Very well I look forward to your skills, Night Fury. I have had a sore back lately from all the work."

"I don't think Shining Armor will mind me getting a little pampering. Let us see if those paw pads are good at more than just sneaking around." Cadence added. Fury was a little put off by the willingness of the princesses.

"When I first saw Luna, I figured I would be lucky to even maintain prolonged eye contact with her. But now I have three princesses accepting my offer of pampering and cuddles? When dad said that I would have a future filled with otherworldly treasures, he wasn't lying." Fury laughed.

"Well now shall we get going, ladies?" Fury asked.

All of them nodded and went with him. Fury was both excited and nervous for his night with the princesses, but he didn't let that stop him from living the dream of a lifetime.
> Chapter 27: Keeping A Promise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the autumn party having subsided and the ponies disbursed to their regular lives, the castle became quiet and peaceful. Night Fury's parents were confused as to where their son went, but they didn't let it bug them as he was now fully grown and independent. Most of the time, no one would be anywhere as busy at such an hour with the sun setting, marking a day done and a cool night approaching. But for three princesses and an ambassador, this was the time to fulfill a promise made. With Cadence's failed prank, Celestia getting a surprise kiss, and a compromise between lovers, Fury had some debts to pay off. And unlike other debts that are a pain to pay off and no fun, this debt was one that brought enthusiasm and anticipation. The group of friends soon reached the doors to Celestia's chambers. 

If anyone had told Night Fury years ago that he would be in the bedroom of a princess, he would take it as a joke. And yet here he is. Quite exciting like any of his adventures but also just as terrifying.

Okay Fury, time to show these girls a good time. I have the Midnight Touch. 

"Okay, here we are." Celestia said, opening the door with her magic and revealing her room to the ambassador for the first time. The room was a beautiful mix of yellow, white and gold. Swirling patterns adorned the walls as he walked in. A wood fireplace sat to one side, softly shifting the shadows around the room as it flickered. Then there was the piece de resistance, her magnificent bed. It stood on four equal posts, thin golden fabric draping over the top as shaders for the giant piece of furniture. Fury was amazed at the sight of the acoustics and was incredibly jealous of her, but now was not the time.

"We can start on the rug and work our way through." Celestia spoke, getting a raised eyebrow from Night Fury.

"We can start on the rug?" Fury said, a little confused. 

"But of course. You didn't think that this little session of ours would just be limited to one place, did you?" She cooed softly. 

"I kinda thought it would." Fury said jokingly. "I mean this doesn't seem very comfortable."

Cadence rolled her eyes at Fury's obliviousness but she decided to advise him.

"Just go with it, Fury. Trust me, it's funner this way."

"Well, I'll try. But to be honest, this is the first time I've ever done this. Heck, I still haven't snuggled with Luna yet! But three princesses at the same time… Ooh, it gives me butterflies in my tummy."

Celestia smiled at him.

"Well then, let the butterflies roam free! Let's begin right now." Celestia said as she lied down on the carpet. Cadence and Luna were to the sides of her.

Fury approached them. He decided to start with Celestia.

So where do I start, Fury? She did say that she had a sore back, so let's start there.

Fury moved over to her and placed his paws on her back, starting to put pressure on it in a sort of kneading motion.

"You have no idea how hard it is to resist just teleporting to the nearest spa and plopping down on one of their massage beds. It's almost like a curse. I wish I could just go when I wanted, but alas, the attention of my little ponies would cause too much of an uproar." Celestia moaned, letting Fury do his thing.

"Woof, I can only imagine. I'm thankful that I've made my reputation around being laid back whenever I'm off duty. Everyone sees me as the type that's easy to get along with and friendly, but can be serious when needed. I do not envy you one bit." Fury said, moving up towards the base of her neck. "I mean, being an ambassador,  all you have to do is work on your reputation. But being a full on ruler, now that's tough." Fury said wondering what it would be like if he were a leader like Celestia or the Emperor.

"Ohhhhhh!" Celestia moaned. "Well with the right people, it does get easier. But you must not let that ease cloud your judgment. Ooh yeah, that's the stuff." She felt good. "Just remember that the sight of joyful subjects makes everything easier."

Fury smiled at this. Celestia was a wise ruler. But it almost sounded like she was implying he would be a ruler like her.

"How about my neck, Fury? That's a very hard spot." Celestia said.

Fury now spoke confidently. "You got it Celestia." He massaged it thoroughly, all the pain she felt was gone. 

Beside her was a jealous Cadence and Luna.

"Oh come on, when are we gonna get our turn?" She whined.  "You're not the only one who works hard, auntie!"

"Oh calm down, you two. Let Fury work his magic."

"A magic that is very slow." Luna groaned.

"Okay, that should do it. How do you feel?" Fury asked. Celestia rolled her neck a few times to loosen it up and it felt amazing, she had never felt so relaxed.

"You did an amazing job. But now, I think you have two more customers to serve." She directed. Fury nodded and moved on to Cadence.

"So Cadence, how do you want it?"

"How about… something quick and fast." She requested. Fury tapped his chin with a paw before coming to a solution.

"I've got just the thing." He said. He transformed into a smaller, more domesticated black cat and leaped into her back. He took a breath, ignited his powers, and proceeded to tip toe rapidly on her back. 

He was soft but swift in his steps. Cadence didn't need as tight of massages as she was younger than Celestia. But she probably liked the more quick feeling of multiple pressure points per second.

"Oooh yeah, there you go. That's the ticket." She sighed, her voice vibrating with the rapid tapping.

"I suspect you do not need as much deep tissue care as my sister and I?" Luna piped up.

"Yes, that's true. I may have a stressful load to deal with, but it's not as bad as most ponies think. And besides, I am much younger than the both of you." Cadence explained.

"Oh you haven't felt the whole story yet. Watch this." Fury proceeded to move up and down her back, spreading his moves out across the surface. Cadence bit her lip at the very enticing feeling, she loved every second. She felt so enticed that she made the careless move to flip over on her back and expose her stomach. Fury would have warned her of the impending accident, but it was too late.

"Uh oh. Bad decision, bad decisihohohohohohon!" She yelped as the soothing massage turned into a tickle attack. "Ha ha ha ha!"

Cadence laughed quite hard. 

"Is this, ha, payback for all the times I tickled you, Night Fury?! HA HA HA!" She asked as she felt a strange mix of regret and pleasure.

"Partially. But it's your own fault for flipping over and I'm still not done." And now Fury was ready for his finishing blow, his coup de gras. 

Fury focused his mind. And glowed a bit on the outside. Fury then examined her body to see her most sensitive ticklish spot all the while still tickling Cadence. 

"Hmm let's see. Is it here? No, that's just the back. The neck? closer but no. Unless…" He looked at the area between her shoulder and her neck. This area he knew was always the sensitive spot judging from personal experience with his dad tickling that area when they wrestled when he was a cub.

"Ahh, there's the jackpot. Hey Cadence, go ahead and flip over for me?" She did so with haste to stop any more tummy tickles. "Okay, here I go." Then, he focused on the spot he examined and went as fast as he could tip toe. Cadence stopped laughing, but she began to squirm and squeal at the sensation.

"Ooh… ahh…. Okay, that's enough for me!" She finally said. She twitched one final time and launched Fury into the air, allowing her to flip over and catch him in her hooves.

"Oof!"

"Gotcha!" Cadence said, having the black cat in her grasp. "Would you like to know how those tickles felt, kitty cat?" She said, smirking.

"Awww, that's no fair! I can't fight back in this form!" Fury said. "Have some honor!"

"Oh okay, but I will get you back. You're just lucky I like a fair fight." Cadence said, letting him go and allowing him to transform back.

"Now that Cadence has gotten her fair share, how about you show me how you like to hold onto me." Luna cooed. Fury was left confused.

"Hold onto you? But… I hug you all the time." Fury said. Cadence giggled and whispered to him.

"No, silly! She wants to see your ability to feel her over. You know, trace her body." Cadence said, chuckling.

Fury blushed. He was close with Luna. But since their relationship was still so young, he never thought he would go so far already.

But he had to admit he didn't mind giving it a try either. 

"Okay then, I'll do it." He said confidently.

"Hold on, just one thing." Luna said. She lit her horn a bright blue and let out a bright flash. Fury recoiled from the blast for a moment before turning back to see that Luna had gotten rid of her regalia.

"I just want you to get the full experience." Fury sat there with a slack jaw. He had always seen Luna with her royal attire equipped, and without them, she looked completely naked. He felt so lucky to see her form like this.

Am I dreaming?

"Well go ahead, feel my form." She said. Fury slowly reached out and placed his paws on her face, holding her cheeks in his grasp. Her face was slim and firm, but her fur was very soft. It felt like a comfortable rug at his grip. He moved his focus down her neck and moved his paws with his gaze. Her neck felt much the same, soft but firm. It was rather long for a pony, but considering she was an alicorn, her physiology was on the more powerful side.

He soon reached her chest and rested there for a moment. Her breathing shifted the surface up and down very softly, but still noticeable. Fury decided to put his head on her chest, pulling his ear up slightly. It felt firm as any alicorn yet soft and warm. He listened to her smooth breathing and heartbeat and sighed. It felt different yet so familiar to him. Luna smiled.

"I see you've taken an interest in my heartbeat." She said, her voice slightly muffled in Fury's ear as he stayed planted on her chest.

"Yeah. It makes me feel… safe. It brings back memories of when I was first born." Fury said.

"You remember your birth?" Luna asked intrigued.

"Vaguely. When I was first born, like any feline, my ears and eyes were shut tight. I couldn't hear or see when I was born, but I could still feel around and make noise. And the first thing I remember was my mom pulling me up to her chest and me feeling her heartbeat. In the early stages of a feline's life, we can't see or hear our parents like you ponies do, so our mothers pull us in to feel their unique heartbeat to help recognize them for the first few months before our eyes and ears open up." Fury explained.

"Incredible." Luna said. "Let me ask you. Can you recognize my heartbeat just like you could with your mother's?"

"I wish I could, but unfortunately no. The recognition of a mother's heartbeat, or as it's most commonly known, 'Heartsync', is exclusive to feline mothers. Heartsync is something that only a mother can achieve and only within the early stages of life. And besides, once we felines open our eyes and ears, the heartsync is disconnected."

"Oh. I understand." Luna said, a bit disappointed.

"Oh don't look so sad, Moonpie, I wouldn't need to sync up with you even if I had to. I have all the recognition I need." Luna smiled sweetly at Fury's comment, she was glad that he felt that way with her. 

He then pulled away from her chest and continued his venture down her body. He traced her smooth curves down to her sides and came in contact with her wings.

The fluffy surface was a strange feeling as he grazed over each feather with care. They felt like soft blankets. He decided to further down to caress all of the wings when suddenly he heard a fwoomp. He was not aware they were apparently very sensitive as they quickly extended and gave Night Fury a spook. 

"What the heck was that?! You okay Luna?" 

Luna didn't respond but merely blushed. 

"Oh she's fine." Celestia spoke. "Do you remember what happened with your tail? That applies to us winged ponies."

"It's true. I had to deal with it when I first got my wings. And believe you-me, it is no cake walk trying to get around with them forcefully extended. Especially when you're going through a hormone influx." Cadence added. 

Fury put two and two together and also blushed. And yet he tried to give her a confident look.

"So, I guess you're liking this?" He spoke. Luna finally came with a response.

"Y-yes, I am." She stuttered. "But I'm not sure you've completed your task yet." She then formed a seductive smirk with half-lidded eyes.

"So how about you… go a bit further down." She cooed into his ear. 

He smiled at this. 

"As you wish, Moonpie." 

Fury proceeded to go lower. Right below the wings, he massaged her. He was closer to her tail now. He took his chances and moved down to her flanks and legs. She was a rather slim pony, no excess pudge or loose skin anywhere. She was as fit as anyone could dream of.

"I… am loving… this body of yours. Your soft, subtle fur. Your smooth, flowing curves. Your strong and powerful legs. I could go in with what I love about this." He said softly.

"Really? Because I could notice you spent a few more moments on my flanks. Were you expecting me to have a little more… As they say, 'Junk in the trunk?' " Luna smirked.

Fury shook his head. "Nah, I think this is perfectly fine. Not too much excess unlike some ponies." Fury joked. Celestia took this a bit harshly. 

"Is that supposed to mean something?" She said, a bit of venom in her voice. Fury looked at her and chuckled.

"What? No, I was talking about Cadence. Not that it doesn't fit her. Seriously girl, how are you so slim yet so full at the same time?!" 

Cadence glared at him. "Mister, you are lucky you are in the middle of massaging your love or I would make you pay. And for your information, if I am a little chubby, perhaps it's because I am going to be a future mother soon. This is normal." Cadence said sharply, correcting him.

"C'mon, that was a compliment! Besides, I am way chubbier than all three of you. Honestly, I'm surprised I'm not considered a butterball by now." Fury defended, falling on his back and staring at his slightly distended midsection. 

"See? I guess it must be from all the cakes and meat I eat." Fury laughed.

This made all the mares chuckle. 

"Maybe that's why I knew where to tickle you." Cadence said remembering when she found one of his tickle areas.

"Oh no you don't, you're not getting me again." He snarled.

"I think he is perfect this way. And he can't be that chubby." Celestia said, poking him. She was soon surprised by a ripple effect along his tummy that made Fury blush.

Oh sweet mother nature, why me?!

"Or maybe he is that chubby. He jiggles like jello!" Celestia said, rubbing it and then giving a light slap.

"Eep!" Fury squealed. "Hey, watch it! You might be a princess, but I know my rights!"

"Oh really? I thought you were enjoying this?" Luna spoke. 

"Not anymore. And besides, you're gonna give me an upset stomach."

"I don't think it's upset, I think it's enjoying the pampering. As a matter of fact, how about one of us asks how it feels?" Cadence joked. 

"NO!" Fury said in vain.

"Greetings Fury's stomach. How do you do?" Luna asked, betraying her coltfriend.

"Oh I'm doing okay. I enjoy eating all sorts of food. And drink all the hot chocolate as well." Cadence said, grabbing Fury's stomach and pretending it was talking. "I love it when Fury sneaks and feeds me!"

Why must I be subjected to this humiliation? Why?…

"Okay. But I must ask, how are you capable of making so much noise? You seem like you love growling every two hours." Luna cheekily asked.

"I go longer than that!" Fury said, defending himself.

"Maybe it's because it is so much work, bein' a Speed Shifter. So I have to get some yummy in this tummy." Cadence said, having to resist laughing. Meanwhile, Celestia and Luna were cracking up.

"Oh, so you guys are finding this funny, huh? You forget that Cadence has just as much of an appetite as I do!"

"Ooh, he got you there, niece." Celestia pointed out. 

"But at least I don't shatter glass when my stomach growls!" Cadence shot back. As if on cue, Fury's stomach gurgled loudly, most likely from the rough handling before he could even respond.

"Woah, easy boy. Down boy, down!" Luna teased. It proved ineffective as it made a louder growl, almost in an effort to form an attack.

"You see, Fury's got a monster in there! That's gotta be the source of his appetite!" Cadence pointed out.

"Wow, and you call me childish." Fury said.

"Wait," Cadence said, ignoring him. "Someone needs to save him from the monster. It must be attacked like a manticore. And there is only one who can save him." Cadence said, glancing at a particular Lunar princess. At this point, Fury was just enjoying it. He wanted to make it stop, but seeing the princesses being so funny made the embarrassment shift away. 

"Sweetie, don't listen to Cadence. Remember all the foods we stole- uh, borrowed from Cadence. We did that as a team! You and me!"

"Oh I'm not not going to tickle you, dear. I'm going to try and drown this monster out." She said, using her magic to form a bottle of apple cider.

"Hurry, my love! This monster is tearing me apart from the inside out!" Fury said, finally letting go of his embarrassment. His stomach growled again, causing him to fall to his back and hold his paw to his head. 

"Ooh, it's trying to get out!" Cadence cried out. "Use the cider to cleanse this foul beast from our midst!" 

Luna unscrewed the bottle and stuck it in Fury's mouth. The sweet drink dribbled out of the bottle and into the domain of the beast, slightly inflating Fury's tummy as the final drops emptied out of the bottle. 

"Ah, that's the stuff." Fury said. "I guess it's good to have an apple farmer as a friend, I tell ya hwat!" Giving a country pony imitation.

The others laughed.

"Ah, that feels better. The beast has been quenched!" Fury said.

"I hope so, but it could return…" Cadence said dramatically. Fury's full stomach gurgled.

"Oh no, I think it can swim!"

"Wait! I think it wants to speak." Luna giggled. "Cadence, you seem to speak it's language. Try conversing with it." 

"Hello Fury's Stomach, how are you tonight?"

"Alright, but I feel I am missing something." Cadence pretended to be the stomach.

"Oh and what would that be?" 

"If only I could have the love of a certain princess of the night to sooth me. I could use her lovin' now!" 

Luna smiled at this. 

"With pleasure." Luna went to Fury's stomach and gave it a kiss. It wobbled and sloshed around at the brief contact. 

"Thank you, I am satisfied!" Fury said, now pretending to be the stomach.

Luna though didn't think this was enough.

"Perhaps he needs more than a mere kiss." Luna smirked.

"What are you talking about?" Fury asked, confused but a little worried.

"This!" Luna pressed her face against his belly. Fury didn't see what was so nefarious but then he felt ticklish.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" 

Luna gave his stomach a raspberry. He felt so ticklish and vulnerable.

"Bahahahaha, nohohohoho!"

"Hey look, Luna's making waves!" Cadence added, pointing out the waves being formed on Fury's bloated belly.

"Stop ihihihit, you're gonna upset it again!" Fury whined.

"Oh really, well I'll give it one final blow!" Celestia piped up, pressing a hoof to it and making Fury burp. 

BREPPPPP!

"Woah, that was a big one!" Cadence laughed. Fury sat there, giggling and squirming like a baby while the others looked on.

"Awww, you look so cute!" Celestia cooed. Fury then decided to get his revenge.

"Oh, I'm so cute? Well how cute will I be when I embrace the monster within?" He chuckled. The royal sisters looked confused and each raised an eyebrow. Fury took no time and transformed into a giant sized kangaroo, grabbing Cadence and holding her up.

"You said that I have a monster fueling my appetite? Well you can meet him yourself!" He roared. Throwing Cadence up into the air. She flailed around in mid air for a moment before falling into not Fury's mouth, but the pouch that surrounded his tummy. She squirmed around inside the soft pouch in a silly panic. 

"Auntie Luna, auntie Celestia, help! It's dark here! I'm in the abyss of doom!" The royal sisters playfully gasped. 

"Sister, Cadence has been eaten by this giant kangaroo!" Luna said melodramatically.

"Very well, we must save her! Unhand her, you horrifying monster!" Celestia demanded from the mysterious creature called the kangaroo.

"Fight me if you dare, for you may fall victim to my growing hunger!" Fury said while pretend boxing.

Celestia and Luna both pretended to box. "We will not abandon our own kind." Celestia said. "Even from you- Now!"

Luna was about to jump on Fury. But she was too late. Fury had anticipated this move. He dodged and picked Luna up and threw her like a javelin at Celestia.

"Sorry Moonpie, I have to be fair and get all of you." He said as he grabbed Celestia's neck and tossed her in the air. And he did the same for Luna.

"Get into my belly!" Fury cried out as they fell into his pouch.

"Yes! Victory is mine! I shall rule over Equestria and make this land mine!" He cheered. "And the only thing you three will be is dissolved as you bubble down in my stomach."

"You shall not prevail, foul beast!" Luna cried from inside.

"Oh but I already have. I can feel you dissolving away." He chuckled as he let out a fake growl.

"Uh oh, I think he's right. Either there's a tiger out there or his stomach is about to turn us into princess soup." Cadence said.

"Oh but we have a secret weapon. The power of poking!" Celestia cried. Fury sat there for a few seconds before he felt rapid tapping against his belly. He chuckled slightly and played along.

"Oohhhh… I think you're upsetting my stomach…" He said, making more fake growling noises as he wobbled around on his wide feet.

"Woah… this is starting to get wobbly." Celestia said as the three princesses were getting dizzy.

Fury decided if he was going down, he would take them with him. He bounced and moved all over the room.

"Sister, my head cannot take this moving and bouncing! Should we surrender?" Luna asked. 

"Never! We shall escape from the belly of the beast! We must try harder! Forward, my ladies at arms!" Celestia said as she and the other princesses tapped even more quickly on his stomach than before. 

The question was who would endure. Fury being tapped in the stomach? Or the princesses becoming dizzy? 

"Uuuugh… not this time! I shall prevail against you! You all have made me look like a fool for far too long, you shall fall to my hunger." Fury snarled.

"Not today, kangaroo! On three, princesses! One… two…  three!" As they counted down, they made one final poke into the soft fur.

"Ohhhh!" Fury called. "Uh oh, I think I'm gonna… Huraaaagh!" Fury reached into his pouch and ejected the princesses in a fake hurling fit. They all hit the rug and turned to Fury as he sang a little jingle in a robotic voice.

🎶WHAT DID YOU DO, YOUR HIGHNESS?🎶

🎶YOU'VE JUST WON THE FINAL ROUND!🎶

🎶I CAN'T KEEP THE BEAT, AND I'M FEELING DEFEAT…🎶

🎶AND MY SYSTEMS ARE ALL SHUTTING DOWWWN…🎶

Fury said as he collapsed on the ground with a hard thump. He was panting from all the movement. 

He turned back to his normal form. 

"Well, I guess every animal has its weakness." Fury laughed though worn out.

The three princesses also approached him though they looked exhausted too albeit less than Fury.

"You shook us up pretty good. I thought I was inside a giant cocktail shaker." Cadence giggled.

"You put up quite the fight, my love. I must say, it was rather fun to let loose and be childish for once." Luna said.

"I must agree. It feels good to be silly every once in a while, even if it's not what you expect to happen. I have to say, you have a rather motivating attitude." Celestia added. Fury smiled at the admiration from them as he sat there.

"Thanks, you three, I'm glad that everything went the way it should have." Fury said smiling.

"Oh but it hasn't." Luna piped up. Fury was confused.

"Huh, what's wrong?" The three princesses grinned at each other as they made their final move and began to sing in robotic voices.

🎶LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE, NIGHT FURY.🎶

🎶YOU'VE TAKEN ALL OF US DOWN!🎶

🎶BUT WE CANT KEEP OUR BEAT, AND WE'RE FEELING DEFEAT…🎶

🎶AND OUR SYSTEMS ARE ALL SHUTTING DOWWWN…🎶 

"Wait wait, nonononono- Augh!" And with one final groan, the three princesses tilted over and plopped onto Fury in a massive, laughing dogpile. 

"Grrrrr, I thought you were just trying to entertain me." Fury groaned. "I was already beaten!"

"Us too." Celestia said. "We just made sure, we took you with us. And we have succeeded."

Fury and the princesses were silent for a little while. Then had a huge laugh.

"Hahahahaha!" Fury laughed out loud. "And I thought massages were supposed to be boring, high brow stuff like my mother used to go to."

"Yep! This was the most fun I've ever had in all my life!" Cadence giggled.

"And we aren't going to be able to get up because… say it with me now…"

🎶OUR SYSTEMS ARE ALL SHUT DOWWWN…🎶

They sang it in harmony as they continued to giggle and laugh. 

"Where did you even learn that song?" Celestia asked.

"Hey, when you're in Ponyville, you meet some pretty weird ponies." Fury chuckled. "I think it was that DJ unicorn."

Luna chuckled. "You definitely are fitting into our Equestrian society. I hope you did not find it too odd."

"Are you kidding? I love all this crazy stuff that happens. And besides we Speed Shifters can be pretty crazy ourselves." Fury chuckled.

Then all were silent for a bit. They all looked at the night sky and stars. Fury felt so thankful for having such great ponies in his life.

"I'm so glad I met all of you." Fury said. "You ladies have given me the family I needed after I lost mine. You ladies are awesome and very fun too. I was worried at first you'd be all stuck up. But I guess that only applies to some bad apples."

Celestia smiled.

"We are indeed honored to have you too. You've given us happiness we haven't had in so long." Celestia said. "For me and Luna we are so glad you gave us some energy too. It has been awhile after all since I pulled many pranks. I always thought it was too childish."

Fury laughed. "Hey, you can never get too old for a little fun and mischief."

Celestia and Cadence nodded.

"Sometimes my husband needs to remember to chill out and have fun." Cadence said. "I'll be sure to use these techniques on him when I get back."

"Ah good that you have learned, my apprentice." Fury said to Cadence.

Luna felt a little left out at Fury not talking to her. But then she heard Fury say something.

"And for you, my Moonpie," Fury said. "You definitely are the princess of my life. I love you, baby." Fury kissed her.

Luna blushed.

"I always thought I was the boring reserved one everyone ignored. Why did you even like me? I would have expected with your energy to go for someone like Cadence."

Fury laughed at even the thought of this.

"Oh Luna… Luna… Luna... Must you be so blind? I like you for many reasons. For one, I like to wander around in the dark, so the darkness is a definite plus. Two, it's funner to get someone like you to laugh or get into my pranks and three…" Fury was silent for a little while and looked sincere instead of humorous.

"You remind me of my mother sometimes." 

"I do?" Luna asked, surprised.

"Well yeah. You're caring, soothing, funny, passionate… and you'll come to my rescue at a moment's notice. What, did you think I was gonna say that your attitude or temper reminded me of her? I'm not trying to get a magic blast to the face here!"

"Ah, you are wise to say so." Luna said. "I might have just given you another belly treatment otherwise."

"Ok, that part kind of resembles my mom." Fury said. "I guess you know how to put me in my place!" He laughed.

Luna rolled her eyes and tapped his belly briefly.

"Gah! Really?" Fury asked.

Luna smirked and gave a light chuckle.

"Well, you said I resemble your mother." Luna snidely said.

"Yeah, I guess I did." Fury said, pouting.

Moving on from that. Fury realized it must have been getting late.

"Hey, uh what time is it?" Fury asked, praying that it was not too late.

"Hmmm… guessing from the rate of the moon's ascension, I'd have to say it's about 7pm." 

"Aww man, that's not good! I gotta go-" Fury stopped. He realized that he was worrying about something that was in the past.

"Oh wait, that's not a problem. Pssh, why am I panicking like I'm a teenager after curfew?" Fury said.

"Was it something about your mother again?" Cadence asked.

"Besides the fact that she would literally track and chase me down if I was just a few hairs off my deadline… Yeah, you could say she had something to do with it. There were multiple times that my dad had to stop her from snapping my bones like peanut brittle because of my curfew." Fury said, somewhat traumatized.

"Now that we are all done with our massages, do you think you should go to your parents?" Luna asked. "We can pretend you had to help a kitten from a tree."

"Oh that won't be necessary, dear." A voice said.

Uh oh… 

All of them turned around to see a black and white owl was speaking. Fury's ears fell flat against his head.

"He he…  hi Mom. I see you're well." He squeaked nervously. Black Ice just laughed.

"Oh relax, honey, you're not a teenager anymore." She spoke, transforming back to her regular form and walking over. 

"Wait really? You're cool with me being out late now?" Fury said, a little surprised.

Black Ice nodded.

"I will admit I was a bit worried… okay very worried when you were gone. Your father said not to worry. But I flew everywhere and I finally found you with all these princesses. And I thought you were doing something… unwholesome. With more than one pony." Black Ice said. Everyone in the room, even Celestia, made disgusted noises towards the assumption. 

"Mom! What kind of son do you take me for?!" Fury said disgustedly.

"Eww, gross!" Cadence squealed. "He's too chubby for me. And a little too mischievous. I also prefer my husband's melodramatic side."

"CADENCE!" Fury complained.

"I think… I'm gonna be sick…" Luna whimpered, her face a shade of green as she teleported a bottle of water to her and chugged it to settle her stomach.

"Okay, Black Ice… even I, The princess of the Day, goddess of the Sun, have to say that you might have problems." Celestia said in a tone more akin to a teen than a multi-millennia old ruler. 

Black Ice continued nevertheless.

"But I realized when I saw you turning into a kangaroo, you were not intending anything bad. You just had your own… interesting ways of bonding. I mean come on, a monster sized kangaroo with a desire to devour Equestria's rulers and take over? How does one even come up with that?!" Black Ice said. Fury blushed.

"Hey, you were the one who came up with a twelve armed, pink, fuzzy octopus creature that was out to tickle me! You don't see dad coming up with that stuff." Fury smugly said.

Black Ice was quiet at first. "Touché, my son...Touché. I guess it has been awhile since I really used my imagination." She chuckled.

"You're not the only one. We somehow came up with the idea that there was a monster inside of Fury, driving his giant appetite!" Cadence spoke. 

"I see." Black Ice said. "We Speed Shifters have to use our imaginations to come up with powerful creatures to transform into. One of my skills as a cub was to make pottery with these strange animals. And they would help me transform. Transforming has always been my specialty. Now Obsidian, he was more speed focused. He always brushed off his ability to change his form, saying it was a 'lazy power' and was a 'get out of jail free card'." She explained with a little disdain. "It's not like I called his speed 'a move for fleeing cowards'."

"I'm not surprised that Fury's imagination was so wild that he made us believe that he had a monster inside of him. But if we're all being honest, with how loud his tummy gets when he's hungry, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the truth." Cadence laughed.

"Ha ha ha, real funny. But I can't control my poor stomach. It needs its food, ya know!" Fury defended himself.

"But does it need to get so loud and announce it to everyone within earshot?" Cadence shot back.

"I am this close to transforming into something big and eating you for real." Fury deadpanned. 

"Okay okay, I'll let you go with that." Cadence said.

"Thank you." Fury said. 

Moving on from that… 

"Sometimes mom got jealous that my dad kept teaching me speed skills instead of transformation. I only mastered shape shifting later." Fury said.

"And I'm happy that you did, sweetheart." Black Ice piped up.

"Yeah, I'm glad too…" Fury snarled, growing in size until he was big enough to swallow her whole. "Because with this power, I can eat anything I want. And I won't lie, mom… you look like you taste good."

Strangely enough, his mother was still smiling. 

"Oh really?" Then she transformed into a large Cragodile even larger than Fury had done before. "Would you like to feast on me now, boy?!"

"Yes, yes I would." Fury said with a calm demeanor. He then transformed into something even Black Ice was afraid of. A giant, black, Bug Bear. 

"Ahhh, curse you bug bear! No no no no! Be gone!" Black Ice said fleeing. 

Fury laughed at this. "Sorry mom. I guess I win this round." He transformed back to his normal self. His mother did the same.

"Fury! I told you I have a phobia of bugbears! I told you not to do that in front of me again!" Black Ice said angrily.

"I know… that's why I did it. Sometimes you step out of line, and since dad isn't here to do it, I decided to take the reins. And besides, are you afraid of the creature itself, or just me being able to swallow you whole?" He chuckled. 

"Hmph!" Black Ice said wanting to defend her honor. "Bugbears can still be beaten by Cragodiles. Cragodiles have a strong bite to them."

"Maybe, but not when you have a phobia of them. Didn't you tell me, Mom, not just to use brute force but strategy to defeat my foes? That's what I did!" Fury said. 

"Ooooh… you smart-mouthed little boy!" She hated when he won the argument against her.

"Okay okay, I'll turn into something less threatening." He said, turning into his kangaroo form again. "C'mon mom, come here…"

"Mmmm… okay, I'll come give you a hug." She proceeded to walk over to the giant kangaroo and attempt to hug it, but was cut off by being grabbed and lifted to see two slitted eyes staring evilly at her.

"Oh how gullible you are, dear mother. Now prepare to become my snack for the night!" He roared, using the same trick he used on the princesses and let her land in his pouch. Black Ice landed in the soft pouch and shot her head around in a panic, but soon calmed down and played along with her son.

"Hey, let me out of here! I don't want to be eaten!" She wailed, squirming around in the pouch at Fury's expense.

"Hahahahaha! H-hey, that tickles!" Fury laughed. 

"Oh really, does that tickle?" Black Ice asked. "Well then let me help you with that." She put her mouth to Fury's stomach and gave him a classic raspberry. 

"Bahahahahaha! Not the raspberry! Okay, you asked for it!" Fury said as he began to wobble around.

"Woah… Woah… I think I upset his tummy, your highnesses! Help, before I get bubbled down!" 

The three other princesses just looked on amused at this transaction. They could see how even Black Ice liked to play in her own way.

After awhile with Fury moving around, both Fury and Black Ice were exhausted and collapsed. Black Ice crawled out of the pouch and transformed back as well as her son.

"Not bad son. Not bad." She panted.

"Right back at you." He panted as well.

After a while, she got back up. "Alright, Fury, that was fun. But I think it's time for us to go back to our bedrooms."

"As much as I don't want to, you're right. This was fun, we might just have to make this a secret thing between us." Fury said.

"I just might. If only to put you in your place, dear." Black Ice said competitively. "I have pride in my transformation abilities after all."

"Oh you're on! Celestia, Luna, Cadence, how about you? You up for declaring a new secret tradition between friends?"

They nodded.

"I think I would look forward to that." Celestoa said.

"Then it's settled! We shall be part of the Secret Society of Silly Shenanigans! AKA, Ssss for short! You gotta hiss like a snake." Fury said.

"Can't we call it something more formal like the League of Transforming One's Body?" Black Ice asked.

"Come on, mom! That'll single us out and Luna! And yes, she can shapeshift. I think my name is better. We could use the abbreviation as a code phrase to let other members know when the society is about to gather! And besides, your name makes it sound too formal." Fury said.

"Okay okay," Black Ice conceded. "We'll do it your way. We will hiss like snakes to say it."

"Now you're thinking like me!" Fury said. 

"Then, it is official! The Secret Society Of Silly Shenanigans had been created! Let its members be well and live long!" Cadence cheered. 

"Hey, what was that?" A muffled voice came from the outside. Fury panicked as he heard who it was.

"Oh shoot, it's dad! Hurry, act natural and don't slip up about our secret society!"

Obsidian flew up with his robin transformation, since he couldn't make too advanced of forms and saw his family and the princesses.

"Well, it looks like you all are having a good time. How's it going? Your mother was quite mad, son. I was trying to find you before she did." Obsidian said.

"And I heard you talking about some sort of society, any idea what that was about?"

"Oh, uh… Celestia was just treating us to a bit of a history lesson on the advancement of technology in Equestrian society. Nothing secret at all…" Luna spoke, quickly being silenced by a paw from her lover. 

"Yeah, you have no need to worry dad." Fury said smiling. "Everything's chill."

"Hmmm." Obsidian wondered aloud. "I see. And what were you teaching them, Princess?"

"Oh you know, about things like mine and Luna's mentor, Starswirl the Bearded." Celestia said.

"Oh… well that's good. I'll see you back in our rooms." Obsidian said yawning and not wanting to pursue the question further since he just wanted to sleep, so he took off once more into the cold night air. Everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief as he disappeared from sight. 

"Hoo, that was close! He almost found us out before we got started." Fury sighed.

"I must agree with your sentiment. Although, this new secret society has made me think, should we include Twilight Sparkle in our midst?" Luna asked.

"No!" Cadence and Fury called. The silence in the room made them blush and correct themselves.

"Ahem, uh… We don't think…"

"You know what, Cadence? Don't even try and sugar-coat it, we both know that Twilight is a bit too… orderly to be in this society." Fury said bluntly. "We already have my mom, but we don't need an order obsessed pony like her with us."

"Yeah, you're right. She is a bit of a buzzkill sometimes. And I can say that with confidence since I used to foalsit her. Seriously, she tried to calculate a game of catch to find an 'optimal enjoyment quotient'." Cadence chuckled.

"Well that's fine." Celestia reluctantly said. "Twilight has her own friends and for us we have the perfect number of companions."

"I must agree," Luna said. "She has her own group of companions and we have ours. Let us keep it that way."

"That's true. Let's keep this society to a minimum." Fury said. The group of friends was soon distracted by a strange sound.

Rrrrrrrr

"Seriously Fury, you're hungry now?" Cadence quipped.

Fury did not react as he listened to the sound.

Rrrrrrrrrr

"Nope, that can't be me. It sounds more hollowed out, and besides, I'm not hungry."

"Then this sound must be originating from elsewhere. Celestia, do you know where it's coming from?" Luna asked, but no response came.

"Celestia?"

… 

"You all must run…" She finally spoke.

"What, Why? Is there something here?" Cadence inquired.

"No… it's inside of me. Fury, your monster… has infected me too." Celestia quivered. Everyone else wore a smile as they understood what was happening.

"No… it can't be…"

"Yes, it is. My hunger is growing and I can't… stop… it." Celestia lifted her head slowly and revealed her now glowing eyes and wicked smile.

"Well well well, looks like I have my dinner sitting right in front of me. You all look so good to eat." She growled.

"Uh guys, I think she's lost it." Fury whimpered.

"What are we gonna do?" Black Ice asked, showing fake worry to play along. "We have to get away somehow.

"Oh there is no getting away, my little snacks. You have fallen into my trap. Now, come here!" Celestia pounced almost like a Speed Shifter toward them.

"Ahhhh! She's coming! We've gotta get out of here! Quick, through the door!" And with one big effort, all four of them made a break through the door. Although they were laughing at the joke, they still ran like their lives depended on it. They made it a few feet down the hall when one of them fell victim to the creature.

"Luna, nooooo!" Fury cried out, seeing his lover being 'gobbled up' as he ran away. 

"Run, hahahahaha! Save yourselves!" Luna 'selflessly' demanded of them.

"Hmmmm," Celestia said. "I wonder if my sister tastes like moonpies like your coltfriend says you do?" She said slowly approach her, licking her lips.

"Only I get to know that, you crazy horse!" Fury charged to Luna's aid, not worried about his hungry foe. "You won't be tasting any pony today!"

"My son, don't do it!" His mother pleaded.

"I must do this… For Love!" He roared as he pounced on Celestia and held her down.

"You want to eat my lover for dinner? How about I do the same to you, you big, plump freak of nature!?" Fury said.

"Is that a challenge I hear?" Celestia smiled.

"You're darn right it is!" Fury said.

"Be careful what you wish for," Celestia's horn glowed and wings broadened. "You just might get it."

"Yeah I doubt that- Hehehehehehehe!" Fury was tickled on his stomach with her wings. Celestia used it as an opportunity to get him off.

However Fury jumped before she did so.

"Nice try, Tia!" Fury said. "I won't let you get me. No, instead…" He transformed into a kangaroo. "I will get you! Get into my belly again!"

Celestia gulped. Great, it's that giant kangaroo monster again! I have to be on my guard.

Celestia smiled on the outside though. "You think you're so tough, young one? Well news flash, I am the princess of the Sun. So I will make sure you will be taught a lesson, my prey!"

Fury simply stared at her with a defiant look.

They stared at each other till they came toward each other.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Ahhhhhh!"

Two were about to ram into each other when Fury did something unexpected. He transformed into a hummingbird and avoided Celestia causing her to…

Crash!

"Now I gotcha!" Fury now went back to kangaroo form and grabbed the princess. "Any last words, Sunbutt?"

"If you consume me, I shall punish you and your kin for eternity! I shall consume all of your cakes and your family's cakes! And I shall do so in front of you!"

"Hmmm, that does sound bad." Fury pretended to wonder. "But me and my family are strong enough for that. Into the belly of the beast you go!"

"Nooooo!"

He dropped her down into her pouch. Celestia was not amused but Fury sure was.

"Luna, my love, I have saved thee from thine evil sister!" He said melodramatically.

Luna ran over to him and dramatically hugged him.

"Oh Fury, my Lightning Bug!" She as if it were in opera. "You are my hero and savior. Back then, now and forever more! You I shall always treasure." Luna dramatically said. "And you're quite easy on the eyes." She whispered and winked.

Fury felt pleased. But he also felt some struggle from inside his pouch.

"Hey look, she's moving around in there. You think she's still alive or just struggling against my might?" Fury said smugly. 

"Oh I am still alive, Fury. Indeed. And I have a little surprise for you." She said.

"And what would that be?" Fury dared to ask. "More of your tapping? This time I'm used to it."

"That wasn't me tapping your stomach." Celestia pointed out.

"Wait what? Then what is that?" 

"Oh just a little…magic potion that gives you the hiccups." Celestia smiled. "Which will come right about… now!"

Hiccup 

Hiccup 

Hiccup

"Not more of these hiccups!" Fury said. "I cannot *hiccup* lose!" 

Fury hiccups became four hiccups per second. Fury could barely control himself. 

"Whatever, you'll feel dizzy too!"

"The hiccups will be for five hours though." Celestia pointed out. "Unless you release me in which case I will release you from this hiccup mania."

"Never!" Hiccup. Hiccup.

"Oh well, I guess you should prepare for a sleepless night of hiccups." Celestia sighed, seemingly getting comfortable within Fury's pouch.

"C'mon, Fury, think! I've gotta *hiccup* figure out how to *hiccup* get her to stop this while maintaining my victory! Think Fury, think!" Fury thought while hiccuping. "Wait, I'm not alone. I have the others on my side."

"Luna! Cadence!" Fury called out. "You must make this *hiccup* spell stop. Don't you know how to undo this magic?"

Cadence nodded. "We do. But to do so we must get inside the pouch to counteract the hiccups. Are we really ready to fight the big bad Tia for that?"

Luna looked defiant. 

"Yes we are. Alright Fury, open up!" 

"Good luck girls. May the gods be with you." He opened up the pouch and they went inside.

"So…" Celestia said. "You have come to challenge me. Do you know who you are facing?"

"Yes we do. We are facing an alicorn who is plump and likes to eat cakes all the time." Luna smugly stated.

"Ooh, you've done it now!" Celestia called, tackling the two other princesses and beginning the internal scuffle at Fury's expense.

"Bahahahaha! Hey, that *hic* t-tickles! I can feel *hic* you three squirming around in there! Can't you gals lighten up a bit?" He giggled, taking the brunt of the rather tickly squirming inside his pouch. 

The trio had to fight in the limited space afforded by the pouch. The alicorns had to use their physical and not magic moves to fight each other.

"Hiyah!" Cadence said, trying to kick Celestia in the stomach. Unfortunately, Celestia dodged and Cadence kicked Fury's stomach making him hiccup more.

"HIC! Not helping!" Fury commented.

Cadence was frustrated. Celestia kept moving around like this to mess with them.

Cadence whispered to Luna. "Luna, we aren't getting anywhere. What are we going to do?"

Luna thought and whispered back to Cadence. "You got it!" Cadence told her.

"Hey aunt Tia! You know I think the sun is kind of overrated. The winter and night is much nicer. It's not as annoying or obnoxious, no offense."

Celestia however was offended.

"Oh, is that what you think of the day? Well I'll show the whole power of the day right now!" Celestia said, trying to pounce Cadence.

But while Celestia was fighting Cadence, Luna was using a potion spell to alleviate Fury's stomach.

Fear not, my Lightning Bug, for I shall save you from the bubbling hiccups! You shall be liberated!

She poured the potion on the desperate feline's stomach. And Fury felt different.

At first, he felt weird hiccuping even harder. 

"Are you sure this is the right potion?!" Cadence asked

"It is!" Luna replied.

"Well I *hic* hope *hic* you're *hic* right, Moonpie, because I'm feeling *hic* super weird.*hic* " Fury said. He kept hiccuping.

But when all hope felt lost, after ten seconds Fury stopped hiccuping. 

"Is it over?" Cadence asked.

"My love, how are you feeling?" Luna asked. "Do you feel alright?"

Celestia, instead of relief, felt anger. "No no no no! I can't believe I got distracted! I was this close to beating you and making you my prey!"

Night Fury felt himself over and was relieved that the hiccups were over.

"I… don't feel any more hiccups! You guys did it, you saved me!" Night Fury as a kangaroo did a victory dance. "How do you like that, Tia the Giant?"

Celestia grumbled at this.

"You may have won this day, Fury, but I will win someday and feast upon you!" Celestia declared. "You shall see!"

"If you say so." Fury shrugged. "Alright, are you gals ready to leave the comfort of my pouch?"

"Awww, but it is most comfortable in here." Luna whined. "I prefer this place over my bedroom!"

"You heard my boy!" Black Ice cried out. "You had your fun, but it's over. Leave him now! Come on!"

"Sorry guys, playtime's over." Fury said. "Unless you want my mom to be mad at you guys. Believe me, she can be pretty scary if she wished to be.

"Awwwww…" The three princesses sighed. 

"Come on, princesses, we should leave before we cause anymore tension." Celestia said, getting not so enthusiastic responses from her fellow royals.

"Oh, drat it all!"

"Boooo!" But with the limit having been reached, the three princesses squirmed their way out of Fury's pouch, allowing him to transform back to his original form.

"Well, all good things must come to an end I suppose…" Luna said. 

"Yeah, too bad. That was pretty fun." Cadence added.

"Hey, who said this had to be the last time? We just formed our secret society, so we can have these little meetups more often. And besides, we can come up with some new material as well." The three princesses looked at each other and smiled.

"I suppose you're right, Night Fury. We can make new games for us to play in the future. You were always the optimistic one." Luna chimed.

"And I plan on staying that way!" Fury called, walking over to her and whispering. "But if you would like, we can make that kangaroo trick a little… thing just between the two of us. Call it a little… romantic gesture if you will." He cooed. 

"Private time." Fury winked at the lunar princess. Luna gave a knowing smile in return.

A giant kangaroo for a partner? Getting to rest in a warm, comfortable pouch at my pleasure? I might have to brush up on my shapeshifting so I can return the favor to him. 

Luna gave a satisfied smile. Fury in turn felt ecstatic.

"Well, we certainly had quite an unexpected night of revelry," Celestia said chuckling. "But like Fury said, it won't last forever. However, I will make sure I get ready so next time I will not be outdone by you, ambassador." Celestia looked sharply at Fury.

"Don't get your head too far up in the clouds, I've got my own improvements to make." Fury shot back.

"Of course. But I couldn't help but notice… you called me Tia." Celestia said.

"Well I figured since Luna is my girlfriend and I call her Moonpie, I get to be a little more casual with you. Honestly we're kinda like siblings now!" Fury said.

"He isn't wrong, auntie." Cadence added. "He is technically family to the both of you. He's basically like the brother you never had."

Celestia chuckled at this. "I suppose you are. I guess I now understand what a younger brother is like." Fury smiled at her compliment, he felt special to be considered family to her. He felt so special that something unexpected happened. Cadence snickered at the sight.

"F-fury, are… are you wagging your tail?" 

Fury looked behind and saw it. He tried to stop it but to no avail. "Heh heh, a little." He replied a little nervously.

Luna chuckled lightly. "Awww, do not worry my Lightning Bug, I think it is simply adorable." She said while embracing him causing him to blush even more.

"Aww, Luna." He said a little embarrassed but happy.

"I always knew my little Night Fury was always adorable." Black Ice added. "He was this way as a cub. You should have seen him when I gave him a bath!" The other princesses awwed at the visual of a young Night Fury being bathed, but Fury was a little too embarrassed with his mom doting over him.

"Ugh, I'm going to bed." Fury moaned, transforming into a firefly and buzzing away. "See ya, ladies! I gotta sleep in. The emperor will kill me if I don't meditate tomorrow!" 

He flew off from the Canterlot's Palace and to his awaiting bed. The other princesses and Black Ice decided they should part ways and went to their respective rooms. To all involved, tonight was a special night. A night for friends, family, and the further strengthening of bonds. 

While everyone was getting ready to sleep, a white light in the sky hovered over the city, watching over them as they dozed off to sleep.

"Soon… soon I will make my return and reunite with my family." The floating light said, disappearing into the night sky. Who is this mystery spirit, what do they want with the princesses and Night Fury, why does she consider them family? Well, those answers will come in due time. But tomorrow is a new day, and a new opportunity to bond and share.
> Chapter 28: Challenges and Changes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fury was sound asleep in his room. The morning sun shone through the curtains that were slightly closed, warming his body with the sun's rays. But even though it was a beautiful morning, one that anyone would be elated to wake up to, Fury slept through it like he had nothing better to do.   Especially for Fury, who was tired out of all the events with the princesses and his parents the previous night. 

But the sleeping feline was interrupted by a certain familiar female voice.

"Oh my dear son, why are you still asleep? Have you outgrown your mother and decided not to spend time with her?" The voice cooed. 

"Huh?" Fury moaned "Ugh, come on Mom, can't I sleep in?" Fury lifted his head and planted a kiss on his supposed mother before laying back down, not once opening his eyes. 

"Thank you, Fury. But I was not aware you looked at me as a maternal figure." The new voice thanked him.

"Oh come on, Mom, stop messing with meEEEAAAAHAHAAAH!" Fury let out a screech that would put a banshee to shame. He had now fully opened his eyes and was met with not his mother, but Celestia's face. He squirmed under the covers in a frantic panic before crashing down into the floor with a thud.

"Oof!" Fury sat upside down on the floor, rubbing his head before looking up to see the amused expression on Celestia's face. 

"Are you alright, Night Fury?" Celestia said.

"Yeah, no thanks to you!" Fury complained. "Why would you do that!? I only kiss two people, your sister and my mom! That's just gross! I'm not that close with you."

"Oh come now. I just wanted to have a little fun, Fury." Celestia said. "Well, that, and to get payback on you for yesterday's pranks."

"Ugh, I'm never going to be able to get this out of my head. And goddess forbid I tell Luna about how I kissed her sister for the second time." Fury grumbled, flipping himself over and untangling the blanket around his body.

"Oh don't worry, I won't tell a soul. This is just between us." She winked as she finished her remark. He was about to speak when another presence made themselves, or in this case, itself known.

GrrrrRrrrrrRRr… 

Celelestia smirked. "Well it sounds like your old friend came back. Quite soon, I might add."

"Yep. I could sure use something tasty to start the day." Fury was relieved he could find a way to change the subject. "Well nothing like starting off with some tasty chow like some eggs."

"Well it's a good thing that I've come to invite you to the main palace dining hall for a joint breakfast with my fellow princesses. Unfortunately, your parents took an early jump at the day and went for a jaunt around Canterlot so they will not be joining us." Celestia explained. 

"Eh, I'm not really that surprised. With dad being a commander in my tribe's defense force and my mom having a fascination with the early morning, seeing them up so early is nothing new." Fury said. He was about to continue speaking when he was loudly interrupted.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRR… 

"Oh my! Perhaps we should get started on making our way to our destination. I'm worried that my fellow subjects might think there's a manticore roaming around." 

"Yeah, wouldn't want them to be scared of any wild animals roaming around. Well, besides me, of course." He joked.

When the two finally made it, Fury was in awe. 

"No way! You have seasoned sardines ready for me?" Fury said with his mouth watering.

"Why yes, I figured I would get things started before we arrived." Celestia said. Then there came a creak from the opposite side of the room, revealing the other two royals.

"Ah, good morning Cadence and… Moonpie." 

Luna smiled upon seeing her beloved.

"Good morning, my dear Night Fury. Even if I normally abhor the mornings, with your presence, it is a bit better. Just a bit." Luna smiled.

"Well, let's make it another bit better, shall we?" He said before kissing her on her lips.

"How do you feel now?"

Luna blushed. "Much better now, thank you."

"My pleasure my love." Fury said, continuing with his food. Celestia and Cadence looked with admiration at the love the two had for each other.

Everyone proceeded to eat their breakfast. Fury appreciated how much food Celestia gave to him. He felt like a chief or better yet, an emperor.

"So Moonpie, did you enjoy our little game last night?"

Luna nodded. "Ah yes, indeed. It sure was. What with all the transformations and the strategy. And best of all your warm pouch. It was quite comfortable."

"Glad to please you, my lady." 

"And yet there is one thing I am not quite satisfied with yet." Luna said. "You've been doing so much to please and to give me comfort."

"Hey I'm a master of a lot of things and love is one of them." Fury said.

"However, I do wish to return the favor." Luna said. "Especially in the form of a kangaroo." 

Fury was surprised at the request.

"Wow, really? I mean, no offense but are you sure you can take that sort of shapeshifting? Sure, I've seen you turn into your nightmare form a couple of times, but changing species entirely? Is your shapeshifting really that good?" Fury asked as he took a sip of his orange juice.

"I can assure you that my ability to shapeshift is quite extensive. While I have held back from any complex alterations to my form, I can change species if I want to. While I mostly specialize in illusion and deception magic, transformation magic isn't far out of my skill. It shouldn't be a problem for me to return what is due."

"Huh, a giant blue kangaroo. I can only imagine what that looks like." Cadence added.

"Yes, dear niece, it would be one spectacular sight. And I can speak from experience since I saw her change into her filly form so she could get free ice cream." Celestia chuckled, earning a blush out of Luna and a giggle from Fury and Cadence. 

"Yes… I was young back then." Luna admitted. "Also the taste of dragon fruits is to die for." She whispered. "But getting back to the point, observe as I perform my transformation.

Luna got up from the table to a clear area of the room. She closed her eyes to focus. 

I haven't done this transformation in a long time. So I need to focus absolutely.

The others saw a blue aura of energy as the princess of the night briefly levitated. A blue flash of light soon engulfed the room before Luna floated to the ground in her new form. 

"No… Freaking… Way! Luna, you're… a kangaroo!" Fury called out, gawking at his girlfriend's new shape. "And a big one at that!" 

"Well it seems I still have it." Luna smiled at her boyfriend's reaction. "I assume you like it, Fury?" She asked, already knowing what he thinks.

"Luna… you're huge! I can't believe what I'm seeing, but I am totally digging it!" He said, looking up at her. Cadence's horn began to glow a pink color, most likely detecting Fury's love radiating off of him. 

"Love is in the air, auntie. Love is in the air." 

Celestia giggled lightly. "So Fury, I wonder what Luna's pouch is like? Is it as comfortable as yours?"

Fury simply smiled eagerly.

"You say that as if I'm not gonna find out for myself. Luna, here I come!" Fury scooched out of his seat and made a love fueled dash for his lover.

"Cannonball!" He yelled as he jumped up and into Luna's pouch. 

He landed into a dark but warm and soft room of fur. Even the bed in his Ponyville mansion could not match the comfort this abode felt. He decided to just lie down.

"Fury? Fury!" Luna called out.

"Huh?" He asked. 

"I've been asking for twenty seconds how you felt in there! Are you alright?" Luna asked.

"Ha ha ha, oh Moonpie, I feel better than alright! This is what I call fine living! Forget those fancy hotels or palaces, this is what it's all about." Fury said satisfyingly.

Luna was pleased.

"I am delighted you have given my pouch such a lovely review. But may you come up so I can see you?" Luna asked.

"Sorry this place is too cozy. Maybe I'll take a little snooze… Ah!"

Luna pushed his upper body until he was poking out of her pouch.

"That is better. You forgot the most important part of transformation."

"And what would that be?" Fury asked.

Luna then kissed Fury while he was in the pouch.

"That is what I mean. After all, now we are closer than ever before." Luna said. 

Fury chuckled. "Silly me. This is the best part of your transformation."

"In return, however, lightning bug, you had better transform into a kangaroo for me so I may rest and embrace you too." Luna said. "I believe it to be a fair deal. There will be consequences otherwise."

"Oh boy, I don't want to see what happens then. But anyway, that sounds fair, I don't mind it at all. I guess today can be a day just for us." Fury smiled deeply.

Celestia walked up to the interesting couple. "It seems you two are delighting in this new form now. But let me ask, do you have any plans for today?"

"If I did, I don't anymore. Today is my day away from my life to embrace the love of my life." Fury said, hugging and nuzzling Luna's tummy. 

She gave a sigh of satisfaction at this. "My sentiments exactly, my love. So, shall we excuse ourselves to truly grow our love for eachother?"

"That we shall, but I'm staying here for the ride. This place is nice and cozy." 

"Hmmm, very well, my love. Let us go to my chambers. I look forward to our alone time." The kangaroo like Luna said smiling. She started to bounce away and Fury fell back slightly, bouncing around inside her pouch.

"Oof! I wasn't expecting that! Hehe, it's like a fuzzy bouncy castle in here!" Fury laughed.

"Well it definitely is not meant to be as comfortable as a carriage when in movement. If anything it keeps you on your hooves or in your case toes."

"I see," Fury said. "Say, does anypony else know about your forms? Like if you walked into a Canterlot street, would everyone understand or cry out in fear?" He asked curiously.

"They might not know who I am at first. I keep a lot of my powers secret. I don't like others knowing too much about me. Even my sister has some secrets she would rather not share with the public." Luna explained.

"Understandable. Wouldn't want anyone to make assumptions about what you could, would, or have done if you showed off too much. Yow!" Fury called, doing a backflip into Luna's tummy and rebounding off of the inside of her pouch. "After all, we wouldn't want suspecting enemies to know the true power of bouncing in a pouch!"

Luna chuckled at this. "Indeed. We can keep this to ourselves. Ah, we made it to my quarters in this palace."

"What about your own tower?" Fury asked.

"I alternate between the two. But right now, I do not want others to know my form yet and anyways, I wish to just as Rainbow Dash would say chillax with you." Luna said, stroking her coltfriend's cheek.

The two finally entered Luna's room. The curtains covered the windows making it still look dark. And the room was filled with tapestries of the constellations and phases of the moon. 

"Wow, I didn't know you loved the night this much! I thought you might have been the Princess of the Sun " He said cheekily 

"Was it not obvious to you with the moon being my cutie mark?" Luna chuckled. "You know what? For your cheekiness, I shall have my revenge!"

"Oh, puleeze, I'm ready for anything you throw at me. You might be an alicorn but I'm pretty strong myself ya know. What are you gonna do huh?" Fury said, tempting fate.

"Hmmm, nothing too much. Just a little exercise for myself."

"Wait, what do you mean- oof!" Luna pushed Fury's head down, applied magic to her pouch to close it completely. "I wish to do a bit of jumping exercises. And you get to join along." 

Fury's eyes widened. He knew how unpleasant this would feel for him.

"Oh boy, this is gonna get bouncy. Isn't it?"

"Yes. Now let us get our cardio started!" Luna called as she started bouncing on her strong legs. Fury began bouncing around inside of her pouch, rebounding off of the walls of the soft pocket and her stomach. He felt as if he was being ricocheted inside of a giant, furry pinball machine. While most would be wailing for their release, Fury actually seemed to start to enjoy the bouncy fun. 

"Hey, this is pretty sick. In a good way I mean. I feel like I'm in one of Pinkie Pie's bounce houses! Your bigger tummy makes a good trampoline." 

Luna was a bit surprised. Fury was actually taking a liking to all this bouncing?

"I was thinking you would be begging for forgiveness."

"Oh please. My trainer Amethyst put me through worse than this! I'm used to this by now. I might have a weakness to tickles and food but not to being in a mini bounce house!" Fury said dismissively.

"Hmph!" Luna huffed in annoyance. "I won't let you get away with sassing a princess like me. I will find a way to make you pay!"

"Yeah yeah yeah." Fury dismissed her.

Then Luna had an evil smile as she came up with an idea.

My bigger midsection seems to have caught his attention. Maybe I can use that to my advantage.

"Oh Night Fury, I understand how you do love my pouch. Perhaps it could use more of a personal touch." Luna cooed, pushing against her pouch. Fury now felt unbalanced as she pushed against where Fury was and rubbed her pouch and Fury with it. He felt ticklish now.

"Hey, let me go ha ha ha!"

"Thank you for reminding me, my love, about your weakness to tickles. I hope you are ready for my tickle bouncing session!"

Luna bounced all the while tickling Fury. Now Fury was out of control and couldn't stabilize himself like before.

"Whoaaaaaa ha ha ha! Now I'm feeling a little heh dizzy!" He said, now unbalanced in both body and mind. Then, he got an idea for an escape plan.

"Hey Luna, I think you've won this one. Can you let me out?" He asked innocently.

"I'm glad you see that you've been bested." Luna said, undoing her spell and bringing him out to face her. What she didn't realize is that he was using her for an easy get away.

"Well well well, it looks like you've fallen for my trap card!" He called. He proceeded to push her over and make her lay flat on her back, climbing up onto her belly and looking at her with a smug smile.

"So, you want to say that I have a thing for your bigger belly, huh? Well how about I take that statement to the extreme!" He called as he began to bounce on her belly, simultaneously tickling her and sending waves through her midsection that made it visibly wiggle. 

"Now how does it feel being tickled this time, Moonpie?" Fury asked, remembering all the times he was tickled. It was nice to have payback.

"Ha ha ha ha, unhand me, vile fiend! This is most unpleasant!" Luna demanded while laughing.

"Hmmm, how 'bout no." Fury stayed adamant on his revenge. Luna had never felt so vulnerable in her multiple millennia of life, but she didn't take it too harshly as she was in love. The torture seemed to go on forever until a weird noise broke the laughing.

Bllblblblblblbllbl… 

Fury raised an eyebrow at the strange noise as he slowed his bouncing.

"Woah. Luna, did you hear that?" Fury asked, coming to a rest in her stomach. He heard it closely. He smirked when he heard it.

"So I assume you have a beast there too, huh?" He said

"I…may have one within me as well." Luna squeaked. The noise then sounded again, this time, shaking Fury up.

"Woah, that was shaky." He said, then deciding to make another attempt at revenge through embarrassment. The "monster" made itself known once more and Fury began his act. 

"Yikes! Belly quake!" He yelled, hiding a smile. "I must save us all! I must tame this beast of yours."

Fury said as he rubbed her stomach as if he were giving it a massage. Luna felt pleasant yet a little ticklish.

"Heheheheh, this is rather silly. But I don't have one complaint." She giggled. The monster within began to fight back, trying to throw Fury off. 

"Whoa! Easy there!" He said to her stomach. "Your stomach seems to be acting up. Looks like I'm gonna have to go all out." Fury's paws glowed and then he really massaged her stomach.

Luna had a sigh of satisfaction. "Ahhhh, you know how to make it work, Fury. Not even the fiercest ursa minor can match the pleasure of your caresses."

"Why thank you very much my lady." He bowed then kissed her stomach. "I do try to please. How is your beast now?"

"I think she is satisfied. But now I think it is your turn to be cared for." Luna said.

"Oh yeah, I forgot!" Fury then backed off of Luna and focused his energy, changing his form to match her previous one as she reverted to her original shape. 

In many ways it was a relief for Luna, she was not used to using that much energy when transforming. She was ready to have a good rest.

For Fury, it was easier to transform into a kangaroo. He was used to this. He smiled at Luna.

"Well Moonpie, wanna get warm and cozy? It's quite nice here." Fury asked, inviting her inside.

She nodded.

"Why yes, I would love that." Luna proceeded to flap her wings and fly over to Fury and landed inside of his pouch, getting comfortable as she snuggled in.

"Ahhhh, this is much better. I like it in here, it is rather cozy. Like I'm being hugged all over." Luna said lying down to settle down.

"Especially your stomach, it feels like a giant throw pillow."

"I wouldn't lean up against it if I were you, you can probably hear what's going on inside of it." Fury chuckled. 

"Perhaps I am curious to hear it." Luna said leaning into his stomach.

Grrrrrrrrrraaaaaaawwwwww… 

Luna jumped back a little. She didn't think it would sound like cragodiles or toads in a swamp.

"See? Told ya, Luna! We Speed Shifters have to really digest the food like fish or meat in our bodies." Fury said.

"But you're a kangaroo!"

"You can change the outside of a speed shifter, but never his mind and especially his appetite." Fury explained. "Although, unlike your transformation magic, us Speed Shifters change our biology when we transform while you just give yourself a different shape."

"Even still, it is rather jarring to believe, especially with what I just heard." Luna said. "You Speed Shifters are indeed an enigma."

"Well I could say the same thing about you ponies somehow can handle eating those hay burgers." Fury said.

"What in the world do you mean? They are extremely delicious. They also have a nice texture that is satisfying to chew on." Luna said, imagining eating one. Her feline boyfriend didn't seem to agree.

"Ugh, I couldn't for the life of me."

"Hold on, you just said that your kind changes their biology when you transform. Correct?"

"Luna, I already know what you're about to ask and… that… actually is an interesting theory. Could my food tolerance change with my biology?" Fury inquired. 

"Well, how about we find out? And besides, it is close to noon and I am craving lunch at the moment." 

"Yeah, me too. Okay, let's try it." Luna hopped out of Fury's pouch and let him return to his feline shape. Fury then became cautious. "I've never actually transformed into a pony. This is gonna be something completely new to me."

"I have full confidence in your ability. All you have to do is focus on what you would perceive yourself as and make it a reality." Luna encouraged. Fury looked at her with a small smile as he let her words sink in. He had always felt as if he was in a perpetual spiral of doubt when he considered his abilities, but with her around, he felt like he could do anything.

"Okay, here I go." He took his place and let out a breath, igniting his aura as he began to change. He had to remember what his mother taught him.

Okay, Fury, keep it together. You've got this. Just focus on your form and you'll make it through. It will feel weird and a little painful, but I can do this.

With one big effort, he flashed his power and changed his form in an instant. 

He looked down and held up his new hooves, slightly weirded out at his missing claws.

"Woah… my claws are gone. And my hooves are faded into a lighter black." He said. 

"That's not the only thing that's changed." Luna said, lighting her horn and pulling a mirror in front of Fury so he could fully embrace his new form. 

"Whoa. Holy cow." Fury said, stunned. "I can be a manticore, I can be a cragodile. I could probably even be a tour guide with this form. Wait, are those…" Fury had been well acquainted with the fact that when acquiring a new form, the feeling of new muscles and appendages should be expected. But there was a set of muscles in this form he had acquired that were totally unusual to him.

He closed his eyes to feel around for these new muscles to stretch them, eventually finding their contact point with his body and extending them. He reopened his eyes and gasped.

"I-I'm… I'm a pegasus?" He inquired, his eyes shifting quickly between his two new wings. Fury was excited. He always felt like he could relate to the fast passionate pegasi the most.

"Yes you are, dearest. And might I add that you have beautiful wings." Luna smiled at him.

"Thanks, Moonpie. So, how about we put our theory to the test? Can my different biology change my appetite?"

Fury's smile dropped slightly. He gulped in nervousness. He was not quite sure what this food would taste like.

"Well, a promise is a promise. Maybe I'll finally see what you ponies like about these things." 

Luna gave him a plate with a hayburger sandwich. To make it more appetizing she also added some salt and pepper as well as ketchup.

"Well here goes nothing." Fury grabbed the sandwich and slowly took a small bite from it. Luna was eagerly anticipating her coltfriend's reaction. He chewed on it slowly before swallowing, Luna stared on in silence.

"Well, is it to your liking?" She asked.

"This… tastes… amazing! I finally understand what you ponies like about them. It has a nice bite to it, the ketchup adds a kick to it, the seasoning adds some spice… it's just as good as a salmon! Mmph!" Fury said, taking another bite. 

Luna was quite pleased.

"It is good you appreciate the finer things of Equestrian cuisine. You now have very good taste." Luna congratulated.

"Yeah. But just so we're clear I already had good taste with salmon especially when mom prepared it. That's just how we Speed Shifters roll." Fury said.

"Hmmm, I'll take your word for it." Luna said, admitting to not knowing what salmon tastes like. 

"So, do you want to continue our little romantic time?" Fury asked.

"Why I'd love to. You know what to do." Luna said with a smirk. Fury nodded and transformed back into his kangaroo form. 

"Let's go, my lady." Fury said, opening his pouch.

She was charmed by the polite gesture and flew up and descended into his pouch. "Where shall we go, my giant Lightning Bug?"

Night Fury thought about it for some time.

"Hmmm, maybe a jaunt around Canterlot would do. Ponies are used to seeing me in different forms, so we should have no problems with any attention we receive." Fury suggested. 

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. Shall we get going?"

"Let's. Hang in there." Fury said as he began to bounce his way out of the room, out of the hallways and towards the city streets. 

Fury missed the fresh morning air and as he leaped, he saw the surprised onlookers to his amusement. They knew who he was with his black coat but they never saw a beast like that.

"Heh, it looks like I'm the star attraction of Canterlot today! Hey everyone, just taking a stroll!" the kangaroo said while bouncing. 

"Hey Luna, you enjoying the ride in there?" 

"While I would have complained about the jostling force yesterday, I think I'm enjoying the sights from this angle. It gives me a new perspective of things, even if I can fly just as easily." Luna said. This made Fury feel a little sour, he didn't want to admit that he still didn't know how to fly after months of trying, but it was the truth.

Luna saw his somber expression and spoke up. "Are you alright, sweetheart? You seem to have something on your mind." Then she remembered his frustrations in learning to fly.

"Oh, I see. I struck a nerve when I spoke of my flight, didn't I?" 

"No, no, no! What gave you that idea?!" Fury tried to deny it. "I'm completely fine with my flying so far. I don't feel angry that I still get cramps in flight, or I bump into walls or I keep losing against a freaking robin or…"

Luna simply looked at him with her eyebrow raised.

"Okay fine, I'm upset I still suck at flying! Amazing how I became a pegasus when I can't even fly like one." Fury complained.

Luna had a look of sympathy. "Night Fury, you shouldn't worry so much. Flight is one of the most confusing activities any winged pony can face. It's easiest when you are already learning in foalhood. But as you are already an adult, it naturally takes longer for you. Even Twilight Sparkle still needs training to learn flight. But you will fly properly someday. I promise you that." She said while caressing his stomach.

These words of encouragement elevated Fury a bit.

"How about this, I shall teach you how to fly myself! It will be a fine bonding experience for the both of us." Luna suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea, I'm in!" Fury felt confident in having her teach him to fly. 

"Let's go to that tower over there to give us a view." Luna pointed over to the golden roofed tower. 

"You got it!" 

When Fury reached it, he felt like he heard of it before. "Did someone live here?"

Luna nodded. "According to my sister, this was where Twilight Sparkle used to study before she traveled to Ponyville. It was before she had any friends."

"Well if I wanted to have a place to hang out I would probably pick this place too. But more to climb around." Fury said. 

Fury finally made it to the top of the stairs. Luna went out and Fury became a pegasus. He was a bit nervous, but Luna's presence calmed him down a bit.

"So, Night Fury, are you ready to learn the art of flight?" Luna asked.

"Okay, let's do it." Fury squeaked nervously as he stepped out onto the balcony. He had been in high places before, but jumping off of them made his tummy flutter.

"First of all, we want to make sure you're nice and stretched out before we even take off. This should help prevent the cramps you've experienced before." Fury saw Luna doing these maneuvers which he found quite attractive but he had to focus. 

"Funny, neither Rainbow nor Twilight ever showed me these types of stretches."

"That's probably because these ancient exercises are no longer popular. But for you these exercises are deep and intense."

Fury felt as if he went to a masseuse after doing those exercises.

"Okay, I think I'm good. What's next?" 

"Next, we have to get you used to gliding on the air. Gliding is a prime step in learning to fly. If you can't keep a stable glide, how are you meant to stay steady at high speeds?" Luna said. "So therefore, keep steady." She moved Fury's wings in position. "Be perceptive."  She straightened his head. "And follow my lead." Luna took position and leaped off the balcony to glide. Fury was amazed at her grace in the air.

"Alright, Fury, it's now your turn. Go forth!" Luna called out.

Fury took a deep breath and ran to the edge of the balcony and jumped into the air. He followed Luna's motions. He started off well so far and felt relaxed.

He had realized how much easier it was to learn flying from the calm Luna than with Rainbow Dash who talked a little too much for him to focus. 

He then started to feel a little off-balance, swaying side to side as he tried to keep steady. Luna saw this and gave him a quick tip.

"Try holding your hooves out from your body! Your wings aren't as big as mine so you need a counterweight to keep you steady!" She called out. Fury took her advice and extended his legs out from his body. He soon began to stabilize and glide straight and true.

"Hey, look at me! I'm gliding!" He cheered.

"Great job, lightning bug! Now we must teach you how to gain height. Remember, your wings aren't as big as your falcon form so you need to flap at a higher rate to go higher. But just don't flap too hard or you send yourself into a spin. Up and down, up and down." Luna said.

Up and down. Up and down. Fury closed eyes briefly and flapped as per Luna's specifications. He opened his eyes again and saw was a bit higher than before.

"Well done, Fury. You're doing well so far." Luna complimented. "So you practiced gliding. You have practiced gaining height. Next, we shall practice gaining and lowering our speed. The fun stuff as you call it." Luna smirked at Fury with that slight jab at his personality.

"Oh ha ha, very funny. I know I don't like taking things slow at all, but I can at least do this." Fury defended. 

"Riiiiight, slow down…" Fury huffed at Luna's teasing. 

"Well I will if you would show me what to do next."

"Alright, alright. This is your next task. You must tilt your wings forward to gain speed, but remember to keep a low and sleek profile while flying. It will help with the wind resistance. Otherwise than that, just make sure you watch out for obstacles. I'm sure you know how to pitch and yaw by now."

Fury nodded. "Sounds good. Okay time for the big one. Here I go!" Fury readied himself and took flight. 

He started to gain in speed, remembering what Luna said about tilting his wings. He then saw his first building. 

"Okay, no turning back now. Gotta turn!" Fury said, shifting to the side.

He dodged that building which was easy but then to his horror, he saw a whole bunch of buildings in front of him. 

"Oh boy!" Fury cried out. He went into a state of panic and pulled up hard, gaining weight at a rapid pace. Luna became worried and went after him.

"Fury, wait! The air is much thinner up high, you might pass out!" She called, but her words only fell of deaf ears as he continued to climb. Not looking down, he went higher and higher until… he hit something soft and fluffy. 

"Oof. Ah, it feels cozy and nice… Wait what the…?" Fury took a closer look. He poked his head out of the object he had collided with and realized he had bumped into a cloud. He climbed out of the cloud and mindlessly stood on it. Looking around, he saw that he was so high that he had a full view of the entire city. It wasn't too long before Luna had caught up to him and landed next to him.

"Fury, are you alright?" Luna asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I landed in this cloud that slowed me down. I can't believe the view from up here, I could hover here for a while." Luna gave a confused look as his words hit her ears.

"Hovering? Fury, you do realize that you're standing on a cloud, right?" 

"Huh?" He looked down and realized what he was doing. He was a bit shocked and amazed. "Wow. I knew I used to look at clouds as a kid, but I never thought in my wildest playtimes that I would actually stand on one!" Fury said in awe.

Luna nodded. "That is the power of pegasi. If you were any non aerial creature you would have fallen down to your death by now."

"Wow. Wait, how far up am I?" He looked down at the edge of the cloud and saw he was a fair bit up off the ground. "Holy sweet mother of Equestria!" He pulled away from the edge and plunged his face into Luna's wings, trying to erase the high altitude from his head.

"Shhhh, it's okay. I've got you." Luna comforted.

"I-I can't believe I went this far up! Dang it. I was so focused on dodging those buildings I forgot to moderate my height." 

"Well Fury, I was hoping to save this lesson for later but since you put yourself into this situation you have to pass it now. This lesson will be on descending and keeping calm and in control when you fly this time." Luna said somewhat scoldingly.

"Alright, alright. I won't make the same mistake again." Fury said. "I just have to *gulp* get ready to jump from this height."

"Remember Fury, when you drop down, use your wings to get back to flying or you will crash into the ground and become like my sister's pancakes." Luna advised. Fury snickered at the joke.

"I'll make sure I don't fall flat. But if I do, make sure no one eats me." 

"Will do." Luna giggled. Fury took another look over the edge and whimpered. The ground seemed to get further away the longer he looked. But then, he thought about the speed of falling down from this high. The adrenaline started to get to him, his mind going from feeling fearful to anticipation.

"Fury, are you feeling okay-" Before Luna could finish, Fury not only jumped, but backflipped off of the cloud and started plummeting towards the ground.

"Toralo Ko Banai!!!" He hollered as loudly as he could in his people's language as he fell fast towards the surface. This loud cry got the attention of all of Canterlot, including Cadence and Celestia who walked out onto the balcony of one of the towers to see him b-lining towards the ground. Even his parents saw him on the downfall. All four of them were shocked by the crazy sight and assumed that he was in trouble, the princesses and Black Ice all flying up to try and catch him while Obsidian and the rest of the city watched from below. 

"What have you gotten yourself into this time, Night Fury?" Obsidian calmly said but with a bit of worry.

"Night Fury! My boy! I'll save you!" Black Ice as a falcon cried out, flying as quickly as she could. 

"Hang on, Fury, we're coming!" Cadence called as she flew with her aunt Celestia to catch up with him. Luna, by this point, had just teleported next to Obsidian and looked up at the ensuing action.

"Here to watch the show, your highness?" 

"Yes I have," She said, manifesting a bag of buttered popcorn. "Popcorn?"

"Sure." Obsidian said, taking a paw full and eating it as he saw his son falling through the sky. Fury breathed heavily as he fell through the sky, the rushing wind and his heartbeat being the only thing that he could hear as he continued to plummet. Then, he heard three simultaneous voices call out. 

"Fury, hang on! We'll catch you!" Celestia Cadence and his mother all cried out. Fury took notice of them and instead of letting them catch him, he dodged them and looked up at them, giving them a salute and a smile before flipping over and diving even further. 

All three rescuers were flabbergasted. 

"Woohoo!"

"Is he insane?! He can't be enjoying this!" Black Ice protested.

"Unless… he's trying to force himself to learn how to fly! How else would Fury have done this, because I know for a fact that he doesn't take new challenges lightly." Cadence added. 

"My goodness, even I was not this determined to learn to fly when I was a filly. This is something else indeed." Celestia said with a chuckle.

"More like sheer insanity!" Black Ice yelled. "Night Fury, you had better let us rescue you or so help me…!"

"Or what!? You're gonna let me die? Yeah, nice parenting!" He called out as he fell through the sky.

"That does it!" Black Ice flew as quickly as she could. "I will show you nice parenting, boy!"

"Sorry mom, I can take care of myself." Fury called out. 

Just as Black Ice was about to catch him, Fury did a flip upward, narrowly dodging his mother's claws. 

"Mom, chill out! At this point, you're just trying to get me killed!"

"I wouldn't have to if you weren't being so stupid!" She shouted. Fury wore a shocked expression at that, but turned serious and went silent.

"So that's what you have to say, huh? Get out of my way." He snarled. He proceeded to grab her, forcibly spread her wings, and backflipped off of her as she caught the wind and shot up out of view.

"No one calls me stupid, not again." He said to himself as he dove down, nearing the top of the tallest towers of the castle and closing in on street level. 

"That disobedient little runt- Wait, where did he go?" She said, wondering where he was. She looked up and saw a pegasus soaring the skyscrapers. "F-Fury? Is he actually flying that high successfully?" She said astounded.

Fury had finally pulled out of his dive and was shooting up into the sky.

"He really is flying, I'm impressed at his efforts." Celestia said.

"Yeah, but he also seems to be b-lining towards us." Cadence added. Fury indeed was shooting towards them, but he was aiming for one in particular. Within seconds, Fury head butted his own mother and sent her flying.

"Ugh, Fury what in the world was that!?" Black Ice called out. 

"Retribution. Well deserved, at that!" He roared. 

"Ooh… you really are just plain ignorant, you disrespectful little runt!" Fury took offense to what was said by his mother and used his power to launch a beam of light out of his mouth. She narrowly dodged it with moments to spare. This is when Celestia and Cadence decided to intervene.

"Fury, this has gone to extreme lengths! How could you attack your own mother!?"

"Because she decided to call me stupid for facing a hard challenge the way I see fit!" He shouted.

"Woah, what?" Cadence was flabbergasted at the alleged statement. Then, Luna flew up with Obsidian on her back, both concerned as to why they saw Fury launch an attack from below. 

"Night Fury, what is this behavior of yours? Whatever it is, that is no excuse to attack your own mother! The one who conceived you!" Luna said.

"This is none of your business, Luna! This is between me and my mother."

"Luna, his mother called him stupid for going about this challenge." Celestia said.

Luna was surprised. After all it was not just him who decided to fly. She urged him on. His mother shouldn't put the blame on Fury.  

She flew to Black Ice who was quite angry herself.

"Why would you say that to him? He was just getting used to flying true for the first time."

"But did he have to do it in the dumbest way possible?!" Black Ice yelled 

"Shut it!" Fury shot back. 

"You… have no idea how hard it is to live with hearing that, dad! Do you not remember what I've heard? Especially after the incident that she doesn't know about?!" Fury explained. Obsidian then understood his anger, he knew that those memories were ones that he rather not reminisce on. Black Ice didn't let up.

"What incident?! Have you been lying to me now?! Of course, why not! You get one shot at independence and you can't even remain honest!" 

"SHUT UP!" Fury had enough. He flew over to her at blistering speeds, shoving her so far back that she hit Celestia. "You have no right to question me! Do I need to drill into your head so you can understand what happened?!" He shouted. Luna stepped in to hold him back.

"Fury, please! I think it's best that you go and cool your head, for your own sake." Luna looked deep into his eyes.

Fury thought about it. 

"Hmph." Fury simply turned around. "I'm leaving." He flew away somewhere.

"Fury! We're not finished here!" Black Ice called out. "You come back here this insta-"

"Icey, that's enough!" Obsidian called. "I understand that you are his parent as well, but this is too far!"

"Or not far enough! He needs to learn that he's not above anyone in this world and that he needs to stay in his place!" 

"That boy can be quite a mouthful to deal with, I admit that. But you have to look at his perspective sometimes, especially now." Obsidian corrected.

"At what point should I have taken this from his perspective!? That disrespectful tone is nothing I want to see or hear! And he still hasn't told me about this 'incident' that he had! Does he not realize that I am merely doing my motherly duty to protect him from harm or death?!"

"Black Ice! You will listen to his perspective right now! I'm trying to give an answer!" Obsidian roared which caused Black Ice to jump back a bit.

Black Ice quickly recovered, trying to keep her poise. 

"Alright, fine. Let's hear it out." Black Ice finally conceded.

"Thank you!" He said relieved that she was willing to listen. 

"Alright, so do you understand what incident our son is talking about?" Obsidian asked.

"Well… I suppose when we got kidnapped it must have been hard on him." Black Ice said. "I can understand that."

"It was way before that, dear. He's always had some feeling of inadequacy especially when it came to that Cragodile in the village."

"Oh that dreadful thing." She shook her head. "I'm glad not all of us survived that. Including Fury."

"Well dear, he might not have died that day. But his honor did. Everyone around him despised him and mocked him for not successfully defeating that Cragodile. Do you know what the others told him?" 

"Just what did they tell our boy?!" She asked with both sadness and rage.

"They told him, he was a disgrace, a failure, unworthy of respect. They even said it would be better if you never… gave birth to him." Obsidian said, looking away. Black Ice's blood ran subzero and her eyes shrank to pinpricks.

"T-that can't be true, you must be trying to guilt trip me to get me to calm down." She said shakily, trying to play her pain off.

"I am afraid that this is true. Night Fury has told all of us about his pains of feeling unimportant and weak. As he said before, that is the reason why he tried to kill my nephew. Because he didn't want to fall to the level that he felt all of those years back." Celestia explained, Cadence and Luna nodding in regretful agreement. 

Black Ice was silent for a moment. "So it's true…. I-I never thought he would think that about himself. My son might not be perfect, but I am proud to have him as my son. He does not deserve to be disgraced like this!" Black Ice said.

"Well unfortunately, you brought those bad memories back. And in the most painful way possible, directly from you. That's why after the incident that Blueblood caused, many ponies spoke his name in only respect and high praise. Some even going to the point of giving him the title of the 'God Amongst Us' and bowing down to his power at times." Luna said.

"Luna is not wrong. Over the past few months, I've seen ponies discussing whether they should bow down to him when they see him, as if he was a literal god that should not be angered." Cadence added.

"My goodness," Black Ice said excitedly. "I knew our son was powerful, but I never imagined others would bow down to him. I guess it's better than being a pariah in the village."

The others simply looked at her.

"Even with that level of respect, that doesn't excuse the fact that he has been reminded of deadly memories from his own blood." Luna spoke sternly. "I am deeply disappointed."

The others shared the same sentiment. Celestia… 

"So am I." 

Cadence… 

"Totally unjustified and uncalled for."

And Obsidian all had their distasteful remarks towards Black Ice's methods.

"I may be your husband, but I am also Fury's father. And right now, I cannot side with you." Obsidian said. "But you know what is worse? You are his mother. You should instead of doubting and dismissing him, you should listen to what he says. You should think before saying something hurtful. And most of all, sympathizing with his plight, not calling it a lie!" Obsidian said, calling her out.

"How does it feel? How does it feel to always boss your son around and neglect him and his thoughts? To constantly be  pushing your views against him as if he was another one of you? I would not be surprised if he decided to disregard you as his mother." Luna commented. Black Ice floated a bit lower in the air as she realized what she had done, was she really that bad?

"Not to butt in, but I've got eyes on him. Looks like he's hanging out on top of Auntie Celestia's tower." Cadence said, pointing out a black speck leaning on the rail of the balcony. 

"What is he doing?" Celestia asked.

"He probably is like when I would feel the world was against me." Luna said. "I would be alone and want to shut out all outside presence."

Black Ice meanwhile looked down. "This is all my fault. I didn't realize I was being so cruel to him… I thought I was always on his side. But I wasn't. Those villagers were wrong. I was the real disgrace. A disgrace of a mother and of comfort to my child."

Obsidian was about to comfort her but Celestia spoke first.

"I know how you feel, Black Ice. Do you know why?" Celestia looked at Luna. "For too long I have failed to give my sister the care and love she deserved. Everyone ignored her and loved me back then but I should have been there for Luna. I simply dismissed her worries and I let her be corrupted by that Nightmare." Celestia was now crying too. "But you Luna, deserve love and respect. You deserve someone who wants to look out for you."

Luna also looked at her sister. "Sister, that is in the past now. All that matters is I have you. I know now you love me." She hugged her sister deeply. "And even if you were ignorant back then, you are not anymore. And I forgive you." 

Celestia smiled at this.

Then after awhile Celestia looked at Black Ice.

"Sorry, I got kind of distracted…"

"No no, it's alright Princess," Black Ice said. "After all, you showed me what I have to do. I need to learn from your example and be that comfort and light that my son needs."

"Well it looks like you two have something in common." Obsidian said. "You both made mistakes but now you want to make things right. So what are you going to do, Black Ice?"

"Simple." Black Ice looked at the tower. "I'm going to apologize this instant for my misbehavior. I have always taught him about discipline but I failed to apply that standard to myself. I'm going to make things right. Hang on, Night Fury! Your mother's on the way!" Black Ice said, flying down to her son. 

The others looked at her flying.

"Do you think she'll be able to reconcile?" Cadence asked Obsidian.

"Knowing how persistent my wife can be, I'm sure she'll find a way." Obsidian said, smiling. " Let's go with her, I have a feeling that my boy is going to need all of the family he has right now.

-

Fury sat on Celestia's balcony, the wind brushing his ears. Every sound that passed through them was filtered through his mind as he looked out into Canterlot's vast skyline.

Baby crying in a stroller, 5 O'clock east. 
Pastry store bell ringing, 2 O'clock North-northeast. 
Pony Joe speaking to his girlfriend, 10 O'clock west… 

Every miniscule difference in the atmosphere was made aware by his enhanced hearing, nothing was getting by him. Especially the sound of his mother flapping her wings above him.

Oh great, what does she want now?

He looked up towards the sky, lo and behold, not only his mother floated in, but everyone else came down as well. She clamped down on the thin metal with her talons, everyone else landing around him as Black Ice sighed before speaking.

"Hello… Night Fury."

"Black Ice." 

"It's mom-," Black Ice was about to correct him but realized it was not the time. "Never mind. Are you feeling alright, Fury?" She asked in a soft tone. 

"You tell me, I'm the one who made the decision to have some independence from his mother. I took the liberty to face a challenge the way I see fit, so who am I to say that I have any right to an opinion. I am, after all, below you in every way so what's the point in trying to stand up for yourself when you have no right to say anything?" He said not even looking at her.

Black Ice saw how frustrated he was. 

"Night Fury, I apologize for what I said back there. I had no right to say all those things to you. I did not know what troubles were going through your head. I should have seen it better." Black Ice said.

"You think?" Fury said with some anger. "You simultaneously made me feel unappreciated, unimportant, and no better than any barely functional cretin that exists. If I wasn't any the wiser, I would have thought that you were trying to turn me into another one of you. Oh wait, you were!" 

"I-I wasn't trying to make you like me. I just wanted you to be safe and be able to live well." Black Ice said, looking down.

"Oh, save the waterworks. You know what, I finally know why you got your name. Black Ice, everyone doesn't mind you just existing. But as soon as you even dare make your existence known, everyone wishes you were gone!" 

"S-son, I'm trying to make things right. Please give me a chance. I promise I won't be as strict on you." Black Ice said, practically begging. 

"You say that as if you haven't made a history of your actions already. Everyone knows that someone can change, for better or worse. But let me make this clear, once you make a good enough name for yourself and what you're like to be around, no amount of changes can reverse what you're already known for. Just admit it, all you're trying to do is look good for grandpa. Well guess what, he's gone. And he ain't… coming… back."

Black Ice and everyone around was shocked he would bring up her father. She never liked talking about him to others. Especially with her complex relationship with him.

"Don't talk about that! I am not doing this to look good. I am trying to be a caring mother. Do you not realize all I have done to support you? All the food I have given you? All the transforming I did with you? Does that mean nothing to you?!" Black Ice said with tears.

"I'm just being honest! Okay! And yeah, you did all those nice things for me, sure. But when did you just listen to how I felt? When did you just stop to tell me that you're proud of me? All you do is scold me. It's like it's your hobby." Fury said, looking away with some tears.

Black Ice's face softened.

"Fury, I want you to know. I've always been proud of you. I've always loved you. Honestly Fury, sometimes I wish I was more laid back like you, you always seemed to be able to get along with others so naturally. You're someone so special. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you that. But I want you to know I will always be proud of you, my precious boy. If you hate me forever, I understand completely. You deserve a better mother." Black Ice said.

At this Fury's expression seemed to soften at least just a bit. He was actually a little shocked how humble she was now. She usually had that aristocratic behavior that always felt like she was right and others were wrong. But to see her actually back down, it made him surprised.

For Fury, he had to admit his mother was a mouthful. But at the same time, she also was always there to give him breakfast to start out the day.  If he got a cut she would scold him for going on an adventure but would heal and pamper him afterwards. She always chewed him out but also genuinely loved him.

Maybe I need to say something to her before she gets too broken up. Maybe she learned her lesson after all. But… that still doesn't excuse my earlier actions. I think I know what to do… 

"All of you here, I know you may think that I go too hard on anyone who plays with me. So that's why… I'm willing to withdraw my citizenship for my treasonous actions against the royal family, my behavior, and for your own sakes."

Everyone's jaws dropped. Did he really feel so guilty as to go that far? Everyone was shocked. But Luna was most heartbroken at this.

"Is this some sort of prank, Fury? You felt angry before and now you feel guilty?!" Luna said.

"Of course I do. I lashed out at Celestia when she brought up my upbringing, I lost my temper on multiple occasions, and I almost killed Blueblood in a blind fit of rage! I… I think it's only fair that I save myself the trouble of being exiled in the future and just bug out of here." Fury said, looking away from his friends, family and girlfriend.

"Night Fury, you made mistakes before but you're working on them. You are a good person. We can work together!" Cadence said. "Please don't go."

"Yes, son!" Obsidian said sadly. "You don't have to do this! We'll help you!"

Fury simply shook his head. "Sorry, but this is all for the better. I went too far. I hope you all take care. Especially you, moonpie." Fury said. "You guys take care…"

But before he walked away, something grabbed him.

"Please don't leave," He turned to see his mother hugging him. "I don't want you to have to be alone or to suffer. Your problems are partly my fault. I should have been more understanding and caring. You deserve better, my son. Please don't lose your chance of happiness." Black Ice begged her son. "If anything, I should be the one to be banished for my treatment of you."

Fury stood there silently, thinking of his potential actions. He could leave Equestria, recenter himself, and better himself to be in more control of his emotions in isolation. Or he could stay, learn from who he has met already, and improve himself with aid. He knew what he would say next could shift tides in ways that could shake the very fabric of reality and his future. 

But before he made a decision he turned around towards his mother, realizing she deserved to have some closure.

"Mom, I just want you to know, you have made mistakes but I do love you. I'm sorry I blew up at you. And I really do appreciate what you've done." He said looking into her eyes. "But I don't know. I still feel like I have that beast within me that needs to be controlled."

"Well, guess what son? If you're alone, you could be picked off by enemies. You would not have friends to comfort you." Black Ice said firmly. "If you have these problems then we will work on it together like me and your father, and those who trusted you, used to beforehand. We can make things right." 

Everyone nodded at Black Ice's reasoning. Even Fury was surprised she could be so rational. 

Night Fury looked at them all. "I-I can't decide yet. I need some time to think. But…" Fury smiled at them. "Thanks all of you for understanding and being so helpful. I'm really grateful. I'll try to think about it."

Everyone nodded.

"Very well, I wish you well." Celestia said. 

"Just remember what we said." Obsidian said. 

–

Fury lied down on his own balcony and this time gazed at the sky thinking about what to do. Where would he go? Would he be able to control himself?

"This is just too difficult." Fury said to himself. "What in the world can I do? I'm supposed to be some sort of potential god and I can't even decide."

"You seem more confused than my husband when we were first dating." Said a voice behind him.

"Oh real funny, Cady. You think I didn't hear you coming?"

"Wait, you heard me?"

"Ears may look small but they're like radars, I could hear a mouse squeak from here to the catacombs. Or a certain princess who skipped lunch." He chuckled. 

"Hmmm. You seem to have a lot of unexpected surprises." Cadence said, a bit embarrassed that he knew that. 

"Yeah. Not all of them are positive." Fury said, looking down. "So lemme guess, you came to tell me not to go, right?"

"Well… not necessarily…" Cadence blushed. Fury raised an eyebrow. "Okay fine, I guess I kind of am."

"Look, I get it. I've been your friend for a while and it's hard to hear when they're considering going away, but how would you feel when you are faced with a hard truth that your power is not only necessary for your own survival, but the survival of your entire species? Not only that, but you have to face the demons of your past and the complications that come with being gifted with almost god-like power." Fury said.

Cadence thought about it. 

"Well, it would be pretty burdensome. No, really burdensome." Cadence walked by him. 

"That's what I thought." 

"But that's what happens when you have great responsibility. For me, I don't usually show it but I am the Princess of Love. I have to really be disciplined and careful to rule over the Crystal Ponies."

"But you've had the best teaching in Equestria for… I don't know, forever? You are the niece of the most powerful beings in Equestria, the pure embodiment of the most powerful emotion in life! You actually have something to show for your efforts, what about me? I'm just some random creature from a forest tribe that got lucky." 

Cadence simply laughed at this. 

"Oh Fury. Do you think that just because I had some powerful beings to teach me means that I didn't have a whole bunch of challenges?"

"Isn't that the exact reason why you got that horn in the first place?"

"Well let me tell you, Fury. I had to do a lot. A lot of challenges. And I had a big responsibility to represent love itself." 

"How could that be a challenge for you? Look at how much of a love expert you are." Fury said.

"Well I have a talent for love. And a love for love. But… I also… kind of abused it at times." She said blushing.

"Pfft, how can you abuse an emotion?" Fury said, still doubting.

"Ever heard of a 'Want it, Need it' spell?" Cadence asked.

"No, why?" 

"Well, when I was younger and going through puberty, I decided that since I wasn't getting any attention from any stallions, I wanted to be the hottest mare in Canterlot. So, behind Auntie Celestia's back, I snuck into her private study, cast the spell on myself, and went for a stroll. Everyone was gawking at me like I was the hottest thing to exist. I liked the attention, but it came at a cost…"

"What cost?" 

"I… may have turned the effect of the spell up a notch, forgot about it… and caused the biggest stampede through the castle to come running to my unfortunate wishes. Needless to say, Aunt Celestia was livid, and she grounded me for what felt like an eternity." Cadence said. She looked over to Fury who had his head turned in a different direction in an attempt to hide his amusement.

"That… is… a doozy of a story, Cady." He wheezed, struggling to keep a straight face. Cadence smiled and turned his red, puffy face to hers.

"C'mon, we both know that you think it's ridiculous. Come on, let it out…" She cooed. 

Fury took her request to heart and exploded in laughter.

"Ba ha ha ha ha ha!" Fury roared in laughter. "You caused a whole stampede possibly costing millions of bits because you wanted others to think you were hot?! Bahahahahaha! Oh… oh I think you just gave me a tummy ache and I haven't had one in awhile!" Fury laughed.

"Okay, okay." Cadence said. "I was sometimes irresponsible back then. But if you think that was bad, you should have seen what I did when I was babysitting Twilight with a stallion and mare arguing."

"Oh please, please don't! I don't want my stomach to explode!"

She told it anyways. "Well, it turns out when I used the spell, the two made up their differences but guess what?"

"W-what?"

"They weren't boyfriend and girlfriend at all. In fact, they were just two neighbors that were having a disagreement over their barking dogs. And the worst part? They already had their own romantic partners. And everyone thought they were cheating on the other partner. It took weeks to clear up the misunderstanding!" Fury's eyes twitched as they turned red and began to glow, morphing his form into a wolf before starting to laugh again.

"Howwwwwwwwhohohoho!" He howled, rolling around on his back as he lost his mind. "You actually went that far?! Oh my gosh! You really were a love expert back then." Cadence rolled her eyes at the literally howling-laughing feline turned wolf. It was so loud that it got the attention of the rest of the group who walked in on the giggling wild dog and herself. 

"Is he… laughing as a wolf?" Luna asked, a bit confused.

"Yes… Fury used to use that all the time when he found something hilarious." Black Ice said. "I'm glad he's feeling better, even if I hate recounting those memories he woke us all up with his hound laugh."

Meanwhile for Night Fury, he finally calmed down with his laughing. "Sorry, Cadence, it's just that… that was just the most beautiful story I've ever heard. So much drama, tension and heartbreak-"

"Okay okay, I get it! You can stop sassing me now." Cadence said. 

"Alright, I'll go easy on you… for now." Fury chuckled.

"Anyways… the point I was trying to get at was that I messed up a lot. I acted very ill disciplined. I was not the mature princess you see me nowadays." Cadence said. 

"Still not quite if you ask me…" Night Fury said snidely under his breathing.

"Did you say something?" 

"Nothing!" 

"Listen. The point is I had to learn hard lessons and go through training to ready myself to be the princess of love. Some ponies thought I wouldn't be able to handle the pressure. But I didn't give up." Cadence said. "I learned so much and taught myself to think rationally and to be careful of getting out of control."

"Well I guess you were able to lead a nation of those Crystal Ponies in that frozen junkyard." Fury said.

"But do you know how I did it?" Cadence asked rhetorically. 

"Through a lot of meditation?" 

"Sometimes, but most importantly I had the help of Aunt Tia to help guide me to the right path. I didn't have to be alone to learn. I was able to have others help me." Cadence looked at Night Fury.

"Fury, I know you are worried. Believe me I understand. But you have to let others be able to help you with these problems. Luna told me how you defeated the Manipulator guy. So you have the ability to do it just like how I had to learn." Cadence said.

"So what you're saying is… even when you seem to be on your own, you're never really alone?" Cadence nodded in agreement. "Huh, I guess you're right- Is… something funny?" Fury asked as Cadence attempted to hide a giggle.

"S-sorry, but I just can't take you seriously with that crazy wolf fur." Cadence laughed. "It's just too insane! Seeing a wolf being so silly."

"I see. I also see that you want to pet this fur." Fury pointed out. Cadence blushed. 

"Well… I, uh…"

"No need to feel embarrassed, go ahead. Feel it." Cadence slowly reached out a good and put it on Fury's head. She brushed his fur slowly and felt how soft it was.

"Wow, this feels good." She said, moving down to his cheek. Fury was also enjoying the feeling, albeit more visibly as he began to stomp his back paw. A rhythmic thumping sound filled the air. 

"I see you are also enjoying this, Fury." Cadence teased. Fury tried to stop his paw, but he couldn't resist.

"No I'm not!"

"Oh really? What if I go a little… faster!" She then placed her other hoof on his other cheek and began to rub and scratch. Fury began to whine and whimper like a dog.

"Mmmm, no! I… can't be enjoying this! I'm a hardened warrior, not some domestic puppy!"

"You're not enjoying this yet, I just have to find the right spot." Cadence giggled, reaching all over his body. She hit every spot possible. His back, his sides, the top of his head, she tried them all. But only when she scratched his chin and made him fall into his back did she find the right spot.

"Hmmm, maybe some belly rubs will get you to submit." And she began to give him the best belly rubs she could. Fury tried to resist the temptation, but he soon faltered to the rubbing, sticking his tongue out and panting while wagging his bushy tail in a blissful trance. 

He panted like a wolf irresistibly, he already couldn't handle belly rubs but as a wolf? It made him want to howl but this time in humiliation. 

"Awooooaoooaoo, I demand you to stop! You know how fierce wolves are!" Fury said, trying to put a brave front.

"Well you don't seem so fierce. In fact, you seem more domesticated." Cadence teased. Fury continued to pant and wag his tail, soon forming a smile. Cadence then decided to take things to the next level by speaking the magic words… 

"Who's a good boy, who's a good boy?" She giggled. "Yes you are. Yes you are!" 

"Gee, when did you become Fluttershy?" Fury asked.

"Since you became a wolf! I just feel like I have to pet you!" Cadence said, now petting his ears. "I'm just trying to tame you."

"Ooh… M-maybe I am a good boy." He whimpered. 

"Hmm, it seems that with each new form, any sort of physical interaction has a different effect. This is rather interesting and entertaining." Luna chimed, her sister nodding with her statement. 

"If Twilight were here, she would have a field day with all of his forms and strange culture of her own." Celestia said. Fury then decided that he had enough and took revenge on Cadence in the best way possible. Laying on her face the biggest, wettest dog kiss he could manage. 

"MWAHHH!" Fury's face finally separated from Cadence after ten seconds. The pink alicorn's face was in horror.

"Ewwww, gross!" Cadence said, spitting out. "What the heck was that, you pesky runt?!"

"What? Don't you ponies lick each other to show affection just like us felines? You're the Princess of Love, I would have figured you wouldn't mind." He said cheekily. 

"Maybe when we're foals with our parents! Not random people! This isn't prehistoric times, we don't do that anymore!" Cadence said with arms crossed.

"Well I just revived the tradition. I'm sure future generations will appreciate Night Fury the Wise and Talented for this." He said getting under Cadance's skin.

"Grrrrr!" She had an idea for counter revenge. "How about you Luna? How do you feel that your lightning bug just kissed me on the lips for ten seconds straight, hmmm?" She asked, hoping Luna would give Fury some punishment.

Fury's eyes opened up at this revelation. Shoot, I forgot Luna was watching. Why do I always do this stuff at the wrong time?

"I believe he already knows his fate if he dared to. But, I don't think he would be the only one to suffer the consequences of breaking my trust and loyalty." 

"Wait, what is that supposed to mean?" Cadence asked with confusion. "Are you saying I'm in trouble too?"

"Oh trust me when I say, you both wouldn't last a second with the punishment I would conceive." Luna sneered, spreading her wings and flapping the tips in a demonstration of what she had in mind. 

"We're toast aren't we?" Fury turned to Cadence.

"Yep." Cadence aptly replied.

Luna then jumped towards them, catching both of them in her wings like a trap. The two tried to escape but couldn't.

"You two shall pay for this transgression!" Luna said in her Royal Canterlot Voice. "You shall both know true justice!" Luna's looked to their bodies conceiving of what to do with them. She then gave a sly smile.

"Perhaps, I shall use my magic hooves to vibrate your lips. If you wish to use them improperly, then how about a feeling of mystic hooves." Luna said while holding her hooves close.

"Luna, come on! You know I was joking!" Fury said.

"And I was the one who was given that nasty kiss in the first place." Cadence argued.

Luna simply shook her head. "I am sorry but you, Fury, have crossed the line of what is acceptable for kissing. And you Cadence, you treated Fury as if he were a dog tickling him. For these offenses you two cannot be forgiven. Prepare your lips for some energy." She said as her hooves glowed some sort of purple hue.

The two screamed in terror as the hooves approached their lips.

BUZZZZZZZ

"Wahhhhhhhhhh!" Fury and Cadence cried out at the weird, electrifying but not quite uncomfortable feeling. It felt like they touched metal after running a rug. 

"Wait, this doesn't even feel that bad. It just feels like a bit of static to me." Fury explained, feeling no real difference in his being. Cadence however, was not as fortunate. 

"Gahhhhh, speak for yourself! I don't like thisssssss!" Cadence said.

"Pffft, what a lightweight," Fury said, unimpressed with his partner in punishment. "You can't even handle a little shock to your system? I guess since my aura is an electric charge, I have somewhat of a resistance." He said calmly. "I guess you ponies just don't have it. Well so much for your punishment, moonpie!" He said cockily.

"Oh, is that so?" Luna inquired. "Then maybe I must change tactics." She let go of her victim's lips and moved her hooves down their bodies.

"I just had to open my mouth, didn't I?"  Fury asked.

"And it shall result in both of your downfalls!" She called as she began to tickle both of their stomachs. 

"Bahahahaha," Fury laughed. "my mom was right! I should keep a better watch of what I say and do around others! Ha ha ha ha! Well I'm paying for it now!" Fury said.

"Yeah same for me ha ha ha. Thanks a lot, you howler!" Cadence replied to him.

Luna kept doing this for over five minutes.

"Can you stop already?! I said I was sorry!" Fury cried out.

"Hmmmm," Luna pondered. "Maybe I shall." She lifted her hooves and let them breathe.

"By Star Swirl's beard, I'm glad that's over." Cadence giggled. 

"Ah ah ah, not so fast." Luna butted in. "You didn't let me finish. Maybe I shall… stop tickling you, I never said that I would stop all together. I have another idea. Celestia, If you would…"

Celestia walked close to Luna. "I would most appreciate a little sisterly bonding. Especially to teach these younglings a little lesson."

Fury and Cadence both gulped and looked in fear. 

"You're looking forward to this aren't you?" Fury asked.

Celestia nodded. "Yes indeed. I look forward to this so be ready. For you now deal with the Princess of the Sun!"

Celestia approached them as the two were trapped under Luna's wings. Fury and Cadence looked in terror at the impending doom.

But Celestia surprised them by releasing Luna's wings. Luna was shocked and Fury and Cadence were relieved.

"Sister, what are you doing?!" 

Fury and Cadence both cheered in joy.

Celestia simply laughed ominously. "Oh, do you think I am letting you two go that easily?" Celestia shook her head. "No, I am giving you a challenge. A race. A monster race you could say if you know what I mean."

Luna now understood. She now grinned with her sister.

"Uh Cadence, I think we have something else to worry about now…" 

"What?" She asked nervously, the two sisters now closing in.

"We have a couple of monsters to deal with."

"What type?" Before Fury could answer, the two princesses reared up on their hind legs and called out… 

"Come to us, prey!" Celestia and Luna cried out.

"That type." Fury said as he transformed into a falcon. "Let's get outta here!"

Cadence nodded.

Both narrowly dodged a strike from the princesses. Cadence and falcon Fury had to fly away quickly.

"Don't think we will let you go so easily!" Luna called out. "We will have our justice!" 

"As if!" Fury said. "You'll have to catch us. I bet you two are slowpokes in the air!" He said while giving them the L with his tail feathers.

Big mistake that was. The two princesses then shot like bullets up into the sky and towards the escapists, causing some strong winds. 

"Do you always have to be so much of a cocky hotshot?!" Cadence jabbed.

"Sorry, force of habit! This is the first time I've actually had somewhat of an equal when it comes to power!" Fury said.

"Just for your information, I fly pretty quickly too you know!" Cadence said.

"Okay okay. Whatever. You're quick. I'm quick. They're even quicker and they're gaining on us!"

Celestia and Luna appeared eager to have their prey.

"We're getting closer…" Luna sang, slowly closing the distance. They climbed higher and higher into the sky, almost hitting the cloud layer.

"Sorry Cadence, gotta leave ya. Time to show them what it's like being the fastest bird in the animal kingdom!" Fury called, pulling into a stoop and diving out of her sight. 

"Hey, don't leave your comrade behind!" Cadence also dove down. 

Fury looked around for what to do. They might catch up to me. But maybe I can hide on the ground as a small creature. 

Fury went to the ground and looked around. He was in one of Celestia's gardens. There was a bunch of grass to hide in and trees to mask himself. He transformed himself into a squirrel and hid in a tree.

Good luck trying to find me now!

Celestia and Luna followed him to the garden and saw no sign of him.

"Oh great, how are we supposed to find Fury? He could be hiding anywhere." Luna complained.

Celestia though simply chuckled.

"What is so amusing?" Luna asked.

"Fury thinks he is completely invisible. But I did manage to give those two some magic beads which means… I can see them with my X-ray spell!" Celestia's eyes glowed as all the vegetation was ignored and all there was, was the sights of living creatures.

"Aha, there they are! Fury's in the tree as a squirrel and Cadence is in the rose beds! You take your coltfriend, I'll grab her." 

Luna nodded. They both went their own ways.

Luna nonchalantly went by the tree. "Hmmm, I wonder where Fury could be. He is probably somewhere else."

Fury chuckled to himself while eating some acorns. Yeah, go ahead! 

He realized too late she was being sarcastic. Suddenly, the tree rumbled. "What's going on in here?!" Fury then felt like the tree was moving up.  "What the heck is going on here?" Then the tree shook heavily. He tried to hang on but he failed, falling to the stone path below and coming face to face with who he both loved and dreaded to see.

"Well, I didn't know that I had a squirrel for a lover. Perhaps I should take a closer look!" She said, jumping at the small mammal. Fury jumped out of the way just in time to the side away from Luna's hooves. 

"Nope! Not today!" Fury said as he scurried away. He made a run for the eastern side of the gardens and heard a loud screech from who he could only assume was Cadence. Lo and behold, she came running in the opposite direction with Celestia following her.

"Cadence!" He called, "Up and over, down and under!" Cadence nodded to the black squirrel and began to gain speed. 

Cadence flew over Luna. Fury went under Celestia. Celestia and Luna were both confused at this gesture when suddenly the two saw each other a little too closely.

BAM!!!

Celestia and Luna crashed into each other. They both felt very dizzy due to the high speed they crashed into each other.

Cadence and Fury took this time to run to Celestia's castle, Fury jumping on Cadence's back. 

"Good planning, Fury. This time your mouth actually helped us for once." 

"Ha ha, very funny. But this squirrel is smarter than he looks!" He said, making a few titters and chirps. "After all, we have to avoid nasty predators. We gotta be quite crafty, so we can have our nuts in peace. Want one?"

"Eh, I think I'll pass. That's for little rodents anyways."

"Suit yourself." Fury said, popping one into his mouth. "Mmm, yummy!"

"At least we're safe now." Cadence said. "We better find shelter. Let's go to the Castle, we'll be safe there!"

"Eh. I don't think we need to worry about those two. They're probably down for the count." Fury said. But he spoke a little too soon.

"Wait, do you hear something?" Cadence asked.

"Yeah I do. It sounds like a speeding bullet. What's going on back therrrrree!?!?!?" Fury saw a speeding Luna coming at them faster than anything. 

"No way! It's Luna! She's so quick!"

"If you must ask, my sister tossed me. She is quite strong I must say. So do you miss me, Lightning Bug?" Luna mused. 

"Not as much as I wish I did! Step on it, Cady!" Cadence proceeded to go faster.

Luna, being determined, shot some beams of energy.

"No way! Wait, now there are magic beams involved!?" Fury said, clearly annoyed and terrified.

"Apparently! This chase has more action than Pony Heist 4!" Cadence said. 

"I gotta watch that movie sometime!" Fury said as another laser showed up. "Step on it!"

Luna never used her beams of energy since they use up a lot of energy. But she found it worthwhile if it meant having some fun.

"Door's coming up fast!" Cadence directed, but at a cost. There was a flash of golden magic in front of her and her Aunt Celestia appeared in front of the door.

"You two aren't going anywhere!" She stood strong as she blocked their way. 

"Yikes! Hit the brakes!" 

Cadence went upward. She had an idea where Luna would crash into Celestia. 

"I am not falling for the head on collision trick again!" Luna said, not taking the bait and flying up with them. Celestia smiled eagerly

"Ah rats. Luna is about to catch us!" Fury said. Then, he got an idea. "Cadence, you're my friend. And I would do anything for you if I had to. And now is that time… Goodbye, my friend." He then let go of Cadence and started falling towards Luna. 

"Fury!" Cadence cried out.

"Geronimo!" 

"What in Equestria?!?!" Luna asked as Fury jumped on Luna.

For Luna, though confused. She found it easy to restrain her squirrel lover in her arms. "Well, I finally caught you. Did you really think that little stunt would stop your demise?"

"No, but it would allow me to distract you. Laters!" Fury then jumped off of her and started to dive for the ground below. Luna was confused as to what she was supposed to be distracted from. That was until she came face to face with something hard. 

"Not again!" Luna cried out.

BAM!

Luna had a full on collision not with Celestia, but with the wall. 

"Ouch." Luna said in pain. "You are one crafty beast, my love."

Meanwhile for Cadence, she managed to not have Luna on her tail. But Celestia was now chasing her.

"So niece, it is just you and me. You should know I have flown a lot longer than my sister! You will be caught!" Celestia cried out.

"I think not, Auntie." 

"Well, bring it on then!" Celestia said, using all of her power to reach her.

Dang, I'm gonna have to think of a way outta here. She just might intercept me. I hope you have something in mind Fury!

As if reading her thoughts, Night Fury jumped onto Celestia.

"Ah! Get off me you pesky squirrel!" Celestia said, scrambling to remove Fury.

"Sorry Tia. But I am in a traitorous mood today. And I can't let you get Cadence. We partners in crime have to stick together." 

"Your loyalty is to be commended." Celestia admitted. "But now your days are numbered." She said as she finally caught the squirrel with her hooves. "Perfect, all caught. How about you join me so we can take down my niece together." Celestia said wanting to strike a deal.

"Never!" Fury then turned into a skunk. "Eat skunk fumes, you giant marshmallow!" Fury said as a skunk, shooting intoxicating fumes right into Celestia's nostrils.

"AHHHHHH!!!" Celestia screamed.

"Cady, catch me!" Fury said, jumping off of Celestia. Cadence flipped over and looked up at Fury. She held out her hooves in anticipation and caught the small mammal against her chest. Although, she recoiled at his smell.

"Ugh, yuck! Maybe you should change into something that smells less putrid!?" She complained. 

"Hey, all is fair in love and war. You should know, what with all of those love exploits you have." Fury defended himself.

"Yeah yeah, let's just get back into the castle." Cadence said, rolling her eyes.

The two finally made it to the Castle. They locked it just before Celestia and Luna entered.

"Score one for Team Midnight Snackers!" Fury cried out in victorious cheer. "I can already smell the scent of victory."

"Let's not get too excited, this is their castle. We have no idea what secrets that this place has." Cadence warned.

"True. But, if we play our cards right, we can make it out of here." Fury said. He then took a moment to think about the day he had.

"Y'know, I think with all of this going on, I realize now why I came to Equestria in the first place." He hopped off of Cadence's back and returned to his normal form.

"Really? Why?" 

"I was looking for someone that could give me what I had lost so long ago. The bravery to take on what I feared. When I got the invitation to your wedding, two things went through my head. One, that this was a new opportunity to live my life to the fullest. And two, that I could finally have the courage to take on what I was scared of going through at the moment."

"And if it weren't for you, Celestia, Luna, Twilight and everyone else… I'd probably never have realized that I need to take life by the horns and face the things that scare me the most. And that's why I'm definitely not going anywhere."

Cadence was silent for a moment and then she hugged him.

"Oh thank you, Night Fury!" Cadence said with tears. "I already had a feeling you were going to stay. But just confirming it makes me feel so relieved. Not just for me, but especially Luna."

"Awww, you really were gonna miss me, weren't you? I knew I was irresistible." Fury smirked.

"I wouldn't exactly say 'irresistible', I would probably say memorable for better or worse." Cadence said bluntly.

"Wooooow, really? You just had to do it like that?" Fury pouted.

"Sorry Fury. Just telling it like it is. But on the bright side, you're more  fun than other troublemakers like Sombra."

"So first I'm a silly prankster, then I have a 'monstrous' appetite and now I get compared to some wannabe grim reaper? What else am I gonna be known for at this point?"

"Well, who knows. But I'm my opinion, that monstrous appetite is probably gonna be the main thing. Isn't that right, Thunder Belly?" Cadence teased him.

Fury rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah yeah. Well I guess I do have quite an appetite, but can you blame me? I have so much energy even compared to many other Speed Shifters. I run and my stomach wants some good grub. I think my belly has the right to be thunderous." He said as if he were a professional.

Cadence giggled at this.

"I guess I see what you mean. Although even Twilight's belly didn't grumble as loudly when she wanted hayburgers. You take it to a whole new level." Cadence said.

"Like I said, a good feast is something a true Speed Shifter prides himself in attaining. So my belly has a right to rumble like that." Fury said with pride. "And besides, it's not like you haven't gone through the same thing with your guilty pleasure for greasy food or your favorite Hearts and Hooves chocolates."

Cadence blushed at this. "Okay, so maybe I like those foods a little too much."

"A little?" Fury smirked.

"Okay fine, I binge on tasty delights a lot! Even a princess can't resist. You happy now?" Cadence asked, annoyed.

"Yes, yes I am." But before he could bask in his victory, there was then a flash of golden magic from behind Cadence and Night Fury practically shrank. 

"Uh oh…" He whimpered.  "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yep, I recognize that blast." Cadence said.

"And right you are." said the Princess of the Sun walking through the smoke. "So did I interrupt anything, my dear friends?"

"I think you know the answer to that!" Night Fury sharply replied. "And I thought this castle was supposed to be too strong for anyone to just blast through!"

"To a normal pony, but not the Princess of the Sun." Celestia said. "It would be bad if we were locked out by some troublemakers. Case in point." She said, repairing the wall. 

"Okay, time to put this to rest." Night Fury declared, "Luna, I know you're there! Come and face me!"

"Ah my Lightning Bug, you knew I would not just stand idly by after you had my head battered… twice." Luna said, coming inside. "Did you think I would simply let you off so easily? You did not even bother to hide. Your pride, my love, will be your downfall today. And the same for Cadence." She said with an evil smile. Night Fury held his head down slightly and chuckled.

"You really think I was trying to hide? No, I was just waiting for you two to come to me. You both may be princesses, and subjects bow down before royalty. But peasants… peasants kneel before a god." He growled with a smile, igniting his aura and standing menacingly before them. 

Celestia smirked. 

"Bold words for someone who is in the presence of Equestria's most powerful beings. I think we should show him what we mean, isn't that right, sister?"

"Agreed." Luna charging her magic. "We will get you this time, Night Fury!"

"Good luck, you're gonna need it." He snarled. He then phased out of their sight, almost as if he had phased out of existence. The two sisters looked around frantically for a trace of where he could be, even Cadence was confused, but the shadows around them seemed to grow larger as if they were working against them. The curtains around the windows then quickly closed, shrouding the hallway in darkness. 

"Luna, you're the Princess of the Night! Maybe you notice where he might be?" Celestia asked.

"I don't know! I am just as confused as you are!" Luna said worriedly. "Fury, are you just going to hide in the dark all day?!"

For a little while there was no voice. No sound of the Speed Shifter. This silence made Celestia and even the more nocturnal Luna uneasy.

"Show yourself already!" Celestia called out. "Or will you just stay there doing nothing?!"

After more silence, they finally heard some laughter in the darkness.

"Ha ha ha ha… you can't see me, you can't hear me. But you can still feel me." He said through the darkness. There was then a quick flash of red electric light from down the hall, briefly revealing his shadowy figure before disappearing again. The flashes continued, increasing in frequency as he slowly moved from position to position towards the two sisters. To both of them, it felt like a horror movie. To Night Fury, this was a fun bit of retribution. 

"We have to blast him with your energy!" Luna cried out. The two sisters tried to shoot magic at him but they just kept missing as he popped in and out.

"Oh puhleeze, I could do this all day. A for effort though." He said condescendingly. Then, the flashing stopped. Silence rang out as the magic blasts stopped. The two sisters looked out into the darkness in a panic, trying to figure out where he went. Nothing came for several seconds until… 

… 

"Surprise!" He popped up right in front of them with the creepiest face they had ever seen. 

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Celestia and Luna screamed like foals on Nightmare Night. Fury just laughed at their fear as he disappeared into the shadows.

"Hahahahahaha, weaklings!" He screeched, running around them in the dark to form a red tornado of light. "You should have never been so foolish as to try and stand against me! Have you no clue as to who I am?! I am not a king, I am not an emperor… I Am Night Fury!"

Raaaaaaaaargh!

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" The two sisters screamed at the horrifying sight as they cowered in uncontrollable fear. Within seconds, Fury took the opportunity to quickly disappear, letting the illusion dissipate and leave them alone with each other. 

The Royal Sisters were breathing heavily. They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. It was almost otherworldly. The two sisters simply stared at each other in the dark as they consoled themselves from what they had seen. 

"Luna, have you ever seen something like that in your nightmares?" Celestia asked.

"Never in my multiple millennia of life have I seen something so terrifying. It reminds me of when I watched my first horror movie after my bedtime when we were mere fillies." Luna said, surprisingly shocked.

"Well at least that part was over. And besides perhaps he was just showing off. He thinks he has the advantage? Well can he face two powerful princesses for real?" Celestia said. "I don't think so." 

"You are right, sister. Do you hear me, Night Fury!? You do not scare us! I am the Princess of the Night! Your cheap tricks will not scare us again!" Luna said tempting fate.

"You wanna say that again?" They heard something behind them which caused them to jump forward. When they looked back he was not there. 

They saw red lightning in the darkness, surrounding the sisters.

"Oh my, how gullible you two are. You have certainly given me a run for my bits. But now, I get to see how deep your wallets run. How much change do you have on tap, how much dough you have to spare, what it takes for the most powerful beings in Equestria to be broken." Fury appeared as a giant, red, ghostly Speed Shifter.

Even Cadence was intimidated by this. "Celestia, Luna! Just surrender already! Your pride isn't worth it now!"

"Yes! Surrender your notions of bravery to me! You know you're terrified, you know you're not on top. You… know… you're… beneath me." Fury said slowly approaching them.

"WE SURRENDER!" Luna cried out. "You have outdone us today! We are not afraid to admit so! But please return to normal, to the original Fury I know and love!" Luna said with some panic. 

Fury's giant form smiled as he heard the pleas from his girlfriend, waving a paw around them and diffusing the electric rods around them. The curtains opened and revealed the light of day to the hallway, letting his power fall and return him to his black, sleek form. 

"Well, what did you ladies think?  Impressed or were you unsatisfied?" He said in a cocky way. "Just be honest."

Luna was still a bit surprised. "What in the world was that? Was that you? Or was it just an illusion?!" Luna took deep breaths and calmed down. "But either way, you and Cadence were surprisingly capable of fleeing from us. An impressive feat."

Fury grinned and laughed. "Thanks!" He then turned to the Princess of Love. "You wonder why I wanted to go into the Castle? So could I pull this sweet stunt. This is power taken to the next level, the darkness made me scarier than Amethyst and my mom combined. Actually nothing is scarier than those two-"

"Was it an illusion?" Luna interrupted. "Or did you really transform into that… thing?"

"Oh that was just an illusion, sweetheart. A little voltage can go a long way for me." Fury said cockily. "But let me tell you, if this were in the light, this would not have worked at all. I wasn't just chilling out and relaxing. I had this planned out while I was flying and running from you guys." 

Celestia, Luna and Cadence were in awe. Just how powerful were these Speed Shifters?

"Well anyways, that was pretty fun! I hope you forgive me now, Moonpie. I just want you to know you're the only one for me. I was just being silly again." Fury walked up to Luna and kissed her. Luna was charmed, she felt lucky to have him around. She then decided to bring up the question of the day.

"Does this mean…"

"Yep, I'm not going anywhere." Fury nodded. "Not for a long time." 

Luna was in tears and hugged him. She was so relieved. She realized that this fun chase would not be the last. It was just the beginning.

"I am so thankful you will be here." Luna said.

"Well I do have to thank Cadence here of course for convincing me." Fury smiled at Cadence causing her to blush. "Especially when she told me all her personal life stories like when-"

"If you open your mouth, I'll make you fall in love with an old grandmare!" Cadence threatened.

Fury shut his mouth. He didn't feel like replacing his girlfriend for somepony who looked like Granny Smith.

"I'm glad you've made your decision on staying in Equestria," Celestia spoke. "This is truly a wonderful surprise."

She then craned her neck down to him. "And besides, if you were to leave my sister alone, I would have to hunt you down and-" Before she could finish her snide remark, Fury grabbed her by the muzzle and stared at her.

"I get that you care for your sister and would do anything to keep her happy, I really do." He then turned to a cold tone. "But if you ever try and hunt me down, in any way, I'll show you that being immortal will not save you from the eternal pain and suffering I would put you through."

"I see." Celestia said, a little surprised. "Well I know you will be well defended when our foes come to defeat you." Celestia said. "I would not want to be your enemy, that's for sure!"

"Yep!" Fury said now more relaxed. "You got that right! If those crazy Shadow Speed Shifters try to come after me or any of you, they'll have a nasty surprise in store."

Everypony and Night Fury all had a good laugh. Everything was going well again.

"I just want to ask though." Luna said. "Is everything between you and your parents going to be fine? I hope issues will be mended between you." Luna said in a caring voice.

"Hopefully so, Mom is probably gonna have a hard time though. When she rarely actually admits her mistakes, she goes through an entire process of elimination to try and fix the problem. She basically turns into a stallion trying to go over the top to cheer up his girlfriend when she says 'I'm fine'." Fury said.

"Oh I know that feeling…" Cadence said, reminiscing about Shining crying and apologizing for three days for not getting them into a fancy restaurant. 

"Yeah, my mom can be a hassle but she is one of the most loving people I have ever known." Fury said smiling. But then he turned serious. "You know what, I think I have to go. I have to make my peace with mom. We both made mistakes and it's time for me to use my ambassador skills for my mom."

Celestia nodded. "In that case good luck, Night Fury. I hope your family has a happy reunion."

"Thanks. Now I just have to find them. Maybe they're back at Luna's tower." Fury said as he walked out of the palace to find them. But he didn't expect to see one of them so quickly.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" 

"Oh son." Obsidian said. "Do you really think you could have one of your chases without us knowing? Ha ha ha. I must say that was entertaining to watch. Especially the part of your kiss with that pink alicorn." He said, having to hold back his laughter.

"Oh gee dad, you saw all that?" Fury said embarrassed.

"Of course I did. You sure do have a way with ladies, boyo." He chuckled.

Fury rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. But I don't think I'll be doing that for a while unless I want Luna to come after me again."

"Ah don't worry about it, son. It's all part of the fun. You are an adult, after all. You can make your own choices, however unorthodox they might be." 

"Well, I'm glad that you see me as grown up. As opposed to mom who still calls me 'her little fuzzball'. Speaking of which, where is she?" Fury asked.

"Well-" Obsidian said before being cut off by a slight skittering noise.

"Wait, what the heck was that?" Fury asked. "Do Celestia and Luna have more stuff they want to do with me?"

"I haven't been around ponies too much, but I don't think they sound like that." Obsidian said, looking in all directions.

The skittering continued for a few seconds before dying out. Fury looked around and couldn't see anything in the vicinity. Then, Fury felt not one, not two, but eight strange poking sensations on his sides. His eyes shrank to pinpricks as he realized what, or in this case, who was in his back. 

"Wait… mom?! Is that y-you?" Fury asked, horrified at his mother's giant arachnid form.

"You bet it is, fuzzball. Now, come here!" Black Ice said.

"Bahahahaha! Tia, Luna, Cadence, hehehehelp!" Fury laughed out loud. "I can't take this!"

The other princesses came to his aid only to see Fury being held hostage by a giant spider. 

"Back off, fiend!" Luna said.

"Don't worry princesses. It's just some motherly love." Obsidian said.

"Oh in that case, we will merely observe." Luna said while eating some moonpies.

"Dang it Lunahahahaha!" Fury said in laughter. "Dahahahad, I thought you were on my side!"

"I am, but this is none of my business. This is between you and her mother."

"You traitor! Mom, let go of mehehehe!" Fury squeaked. 

"Oh son. Why are you resisting? I am simply playing with you like I did when you were a cub. Except since you are now matured, I have to use this form so you may not escape. Isn't that reasonable?" Black Ice asked.

"Dang it, mom!" Fury said in desperation. "Come on, you've had your fun. Now let me gohohoho!"

"Hmmmm," his mother pondered for a bit. "Maybe if you asked politely I just might do so." She said with a smirk.

"I can't exactly do that when yohohohoho are tickling me with your eight, giant legs!" Fury laughed.

"Well perhaps you should try a little harder to do so because I can do this a long time." His mother said.

For Celestia she was impressed by the abilities of Black Ice. "I must say Obsidian, I can see where your son got his transformation abilities."

"That's right." Obsidian said. "She used to be an instructor for transformation magic in our village. Of course Fury might be transforming quite well so far, but he still has a long way to go before he can match his mother's insane horrifying transformations."

"Alright, that's it!" Fury said as he ignited his powers and began to vibrate. Black Ice's head began to feel shaken up as he increased the intensity. She eventually couldn't focus on holding onto Fury and dropped him, allowing him to swiftly flip over and land on all four paws. 

"Sorry mom! But I'm a big boy now. I don't have to live with being tickled anymore. I'm free!" Fury boasted.

"Hmph. Not bad. You've won this time son. I'll find a way to make you restrained next time and then you will not resist me. But until then, I think you'll have someone to fill my role." Black Ice said. She pointed to the princesses and they all, menacingly, opened their wings with sly smiles. 

"Oh that we shall, Fury." Celestia said smiling.

"Indeed, my love." said Luna.

"What they said." Cadence added.

"Come on, we fought together, Cadence! Did our chase mean nothing?" He asked Cadence with some sorrow.

"Well, keep in mind the only reason I helped was to run away from Celestia and Luna. I was the one you kissed and got me into this mess." Cadence said. "So sorry but our alliance has just been canceled." 

"Well, if this is happening, I might as well get this out of the way." Fury spoke, turning to his arachnid mother. "Mom, I have to say that I'm surprised with how you handled all the drama. I'm sorry that you had to see that part of me, I wasn't in my right mind." Fury said, looking down in shame.

"No son, I have to thank you for giving it to me straight about my parenting. If you hadn't set me straight the way you did, I'd probably be here yelling at you for an eternity. You showed me that what would have worked back then, doesn't work now. And that I have to keep up with what's needed for you as you grow up. I'm not going to be here forever, so I should probably make the most of it by treating you with the deserved amount of respect for the grown Shifter you've become today." Black Ice said, putting her paw on her son's shoulder.

Fury smiled at this. "Thanks mom. I really needed to hear that. Of course I also want to say I've always appreciated you. You taught me how to be kind to others and to love passionately." Fury said earnestly. "Even if you had to put up with me stealing from the cookie jar." He admitted. Black Ice's eyes lit up at the memory coming to her.

"Oh I remember that one! Your highnesses, I think I brought my old Memory Sealer from home here on vacation. Would you like to take a look at Fury's memories?" Fury's eyes shrank as he heard the mention of the artifact in question.

"Wait mom-"

"Oh I would indeed love to see a part of Fury's adorable past." Luna said.

The other two princesses nodded as they came closer.

"You don't wanna see it. It's really boring!" Fury said, hoping to dissuade them. "Come on, let's go eat!" He also tried to grab the Memory Sealer.

"Oh don't be that way Fury!" His mother said leaping over her son to the princesses. "I just want to share the memories." She said with an innocent yet mischievous smile.

Oh sweet mother nature, what have I done?

Black Ice brought out the seed-like contraption and placed it on the ground. She pressed a button on the side and the seed opened to reveal a ruby in the middle that projected a screen.

"This device is used to store memories of anyone that is linked to it, old and young. And let me tell you, the things Fury has done when he was younger…" The ruby then focused on his forest hut home, a smaller Night Fury in his room.

In The Past… 

Young Night Fury was in his family's hut and he was fixated on one thing. 

His mother's special festival cookies. Filled with chocolate, fruits and a few spices. Fury was supposed to wait three days until the festival of The New World came about, a festival celebrating Speed Shifters arrival in the Valley after their exile from the Silver Blue. But for Fury, three days was just too long. He wanted to eat them now.

"Awww, I want to eat them now! Mom's a big meanie" He whined to himself. He then got a mischievous idea as he jumped off of his bed.

"Mom said that I have to wait until the festival to eat the cookies, but she never said anything about snacking on them." The little Speed Shifter rubbed his paws together and chuckled deviously as he opened his bedroom door and snuck his way down the dark hallway.

–

It was the middle of the night and Night Fury was feeling a big case of the munchies for those festival cookies. So he decided that he was going to snatch some for himself. He quietly snuck down the hall, past his parents room and came to the stairs leading to the living room. He knew that certain spots on the steps would creak under pressure, so he made his steps wisely.

"Slow and steady, Fury. Slow and steady…" He whispered to himself. He finally made it to the main floor.

"Okay, the hard part's done. Now, for the fun stuff." He snuck through the carpeted living room and into the kitchen. Looking up, he saw the cookie jar on the top shelf of the counter. He used the drawers to make a staircase up to the counter, sneaking across it and making his way to the shelves.

Almost there… I can practically taste those chocolaty, fruity cookies.

He stood on his back paws and reached up to grab at the jar. To his luck, it wasn't booby trapped when he pulled it off of the shelf and heaved it onto the counter where he could get inside. He took a quick look around at his surroundings to see if his parents were anywhere near. While it was dark, he could still see with the moonlight shining through the windows. The coast looked clear and he opened the jar slowly.

The top came off smoothly and he put it down on the counter with a small *klink*. Fury winced at the noise, the sound feeling ten times louder than it usually was. He soon regained his smile as he licked his lips and reached inside, grabbing one of the cookies. He looked at it with drool coming from his lips and opened his mouth, raising the cookie to his mouth and eating it. He quietly hummed to himself as the sweet, fruity taste danced in his tounge.

He was so blinded by the taste that he helped himself to another.

And another…

And another…

He was a few cookies deep and was about to have a fifth one when suddenly… 

"Enjoying yourself, sweetie?"

"You bet it!" He said with his mouth full. "These cookies are the best. Too bad my mom doesn't want me to-" He then stopped as he paid close attention to the voice he had just heard. 

He turned slowly to see the face he dreaded the most. His mother's unamused face.

"Oh, uh hey mom! Um, I was just… making sure these cookies were put back in their rightful place. They must have been here the whole-" 

"Do you think I'm so naive, boy?" His mother interrupted. "Why is it I see crumbs in your mouth then? Is that supposed to be an accident?" She sharply replied.

"Um… Yes?" His mother sighed and then laughed.

"Oh sweetie, I should have known that with your sweet tooth that you couldn't resist having these nearby. If I'm being honest, you take after your own mother." She chuckled. 

"Wait, I do?" Fury asked. 

"Yep. I used to sometimes go into the kitchen for some sweets. Trying to sneak past the servants or even bribing them to give me more. Of course I was not as stealthy as you. You have quite a knack for that." She chuckled.

"Yeah, dad has taught me how to stealthily hunt down my foes." Fury bragged. "And one day I will be able to sneak around with no one noticing!"

"I'm sure you will, dearie." She rustled his fur.

"So uh since you're so impressed, you'll let me go right?" Fury said hopeful.

Unfortunately for Fury, his mother laughed at that very idea.

"Oh no, you're still in trouble, mister." Black Ice said.

"Awwww…"

"But, since I'm feeling generous tonight, I'll let you get away with this one. However, you're gonna have to make it up to me. Any ideas?" His mother proposed. Fury tapped at his chin for an idea, soon coming to one that would hopefully go well.

"How about… I help you bake the next batch. How's that?" Fury asked.

"Why, that sounds very nice, Fury. I could use a helper around here." Black Ice said. "I will show you ways of cooking that have been passed down from my ancestors. At the very least you'll be better than your father, that's for sure." She said dreading Obsidian's abhorrent meals.

"I won't let you down, Mom!" He said, hopping up onto her back. 

"Good. Now let's get you cleaned up and back in bed, my little fuzzball." And with that the two Speed Shifters walked back up the stairs and to their rooms, having learned a valuable lesson on not to take things that aren't yours.

In The Present… 

"Awwwww!" The princesses squealed at the cute memory. 

"That was so sweet!" Cadence said.

Even Fury was pleasantly surprised. He thought it was going to be one of the more embarrassing memories. This was just a pleasant experience.

The only one who was not as pleased but still happy was Obsidian.

"Oh come on. My food wasn't that bad!" Obsidian defended himself in an unusually whiny voice for himself. Fury just deadpanned and turned to him.

"Dad, please tell me you're joking. When mom said that she was hankering for a slice of 'Hot Apple Pie', you made a pie with apple and Jalapeno pepper filling! Mom couldn't stop heaving up literal smoke from the spice for an hour, some of the other Shifters thought we had a house fire!" Fury explained.

Obsidian looked to his wife hoping for some defense.

"He's right, darling. I am still mentally scarred from that dreadful excuse you called edible food!" Black Ice scolded him.

"I-I thought it would be something unique…" Obsidian said defeated. "I didn't think about the long term results…"

"Yeah, 'Unique', as in a unique new type of pain." Black Ice huffed, her throat feeling dry just thinking of that memory. "Why else did I ban you from the oven?" 

The princesses had an amused expression. Obsidian was at first unamused but then he chuckled along.

"Oh well, I guess we can't all be cooks. That's what I have you and Night Fury for." He said smoothly while kissing Black Ice.

"Nice recovery." Black Ice said blushing.

Everyone was in a jovial mood now. They felt truly like this was an ideal family and friends reunion.

"Forgive me for being blunt, but I never thought you had such a fun side to you, Black Ice." Celestia said. "It is quite a delight."

"Wow, that is one sentence that I would have never thought would be directed towards Mom, eh dad?" 

"It is pretty unusual. I will admit." His father admitted. 

Black Ice rolled her eyes.

"I'm not always a sourpuss for your information. I can have fun… sometimes."

"Yeah that is true." Obsidian said. ""Especially back then. Things were less stressful when Fury was a cub. That was before there was so much pressure." 

"Maybe. Even so, I'll still remember you as being the 'Super Duper Sourpuss' like I knew you for as a kid." Fury said.

"Well to be fair," Black Ice said. "I did make sure you had… better manners and I did make sure you kept the house clean and not dirty. So I might have been a 'Sourpuss', but it was for the greater good."

"Well… I guess so. At least sometimes." Fury admitted. "But hey, at least I managed to change you for the greater good." He then stood with a hunch in his back and hobbled around.

"Otherwise you would have been that old, grumpy, mama who could never be anything more than miserable." He said In an exaggerated old voice. "Get off my lawn, you fun having hooligans! Nyah! Oh, my back!" Fury said pretending to be older.

"Heh heh heh, I definitely owe you that my son. Sometimes I'm not an easy lady to be around. But I'm glad you still loved me even when I was a bit harsh towards you."

"You kidding mom? I'll always love you no matter what! No matter what arguments pop up." Fury said, hugging his mother. 

"But you're still in the wrong for saying I'm old."

"Hey, just be glad I didn't call you prehistoric like blueberry and marshmallow over there." Night Fury said.

"And just who might be this marshmallow-"

"And blueberry-"

"That you are referring too?" Celestia and Luna asked unamused.

"Um…" Fury said, realizing he made another mistake. "Some other ponies that are white and blue?"

The two princesses just looked at him unimpressed.

"You're going to try to chase me down again, aren't you?" Fury asked.

"Yes, we are."

"Indeed, my love."

"Welp, I'm gonna take off now. If any of you hear laughing after a few minutes, just know I'm getting the worst tickle attack of my life. See ya on the flip side!" Fury dashed away.

Luna then turned to Obsidian and Black Ice.

"Would you mind if we-"

"Go ahead." Obsidian said.

"Agreed." Black Ice replied. "He still needs to learn a lesson on not having a loose tongue."

"Thank you." Luna said bowing.

"And Luna!" 

"Yes, Black Ice?" Luna asked.

Black Ice smiled. "Take good care of our boy. He needs it sometimes."

Obsidian nodded. "You two make a great team."

"That I shall. I promise." Luna bowed. "And now, to give chase to this mischievous young feline. COME BACK HERE FURY!" Luna screamed while soaring at its approximate location, Celestia following her closely. Cadence and Fury's parents were then left alone in silence.

"Um… you guys wanna grab some lunch?" Obsidian asked. Cadence and Black Ice nodded as they followed his lead into the castle. Today might very well be the most powerful day anyone on this vacation has experienced. Fights were had, amends were made. But most importantly, a family of good individuals was born.
> Chapter 29: Funny Foodie Festival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Canterlot's renowned race track, though it was closed to the public now, there was a black blur running through. 

Woosh!

Night Fury was jumping over obstacles and trying to surpass his speed limit. After all, he didn't have a lot of time for training ever since he went to Canterlot.

"Hoo! I think I'm good for now." Night Fury said, wiping himself with a rag. Night Fury sat down on a seat in the stands, he was getting hungry. Even eating energy bars wasn't enough.

"I need something bigger than these tiny bars. I have to go chow down! But where?" Fury said, wondering about a place beside Celestia or Luna's kitchens. He wanted something new and more common.

"Well it's a good thing we finally found you!" A voice called. Fury looked up into the still early morning sky to see none other than his girlfriend and her fellow royals hovering in. 

"Hey there ladies! Come to check me out?" 

"Hey, we were looking for you all morning. You just straight up left." Cadence said. "Of course the one who was really worried was Luna."

The three princesses landed on the ground.

"I was just wondering if someone had kidnapped you. I just felt a bit worried." Luna said.

Fury simply laughed at this notion.

"Oh please, if anyone tried to even get near me with those intentions, they wouldn't be able to be found. Ever." He said casually. 

Luna smiled at this. 

"That I do not doubt." She replied. "So am I interrupting anything?"

Fury shook his head.

"Nope, I just finished. But instead of a desire to run, I have a desire to eat. All of this working out has given a serious case of the munchies."

"Wow, how surprising." Cadence chuckled.

"Yeah yeah yeah." Fury responded. "But I want something to eat. But I need something less royal and more average. More new. There has got to be a good restaurant around here or something." Fury said, looking impatient to eat already.

"You have any ideas where to eat?" Fury asked.

The other princesses scrunched in thought. There were so many places to eat in a large city like Canterlot. But which one was the best?

Celestia then remembered.

"I know the perfect place for you. Somewhere with a lot of treats. We call it Canterlot's Food Mine. You will find all sorts of delicacies there."

Fury instantly rose up. He was looking forward to this.

"Great. Count me in! Time for some culinary excavation." Fury said, racing off in a random direction. 

The black feline sprinted in excitement. Then he went back. "Uh, where is it exactly?" 

Celestia rolled her eyes. "How about you just follow us?"

"Yeah, that sounds like the better plan. Let's roll." Fury chuckled, transforming into his falcon form. The three princesses and Night Fury flew off towards their destination, all expecting the best of the best in the culinary arts.

–

As the clocks reached 10:00 am, all four friends came to a landing spot on top of one of the castle towers. Looking down, Fury was astounded by the amount of vendors set up on the streets below. Different bakers, cooks, grillers and more lined the city limits. Celestia began to speak.

"Night Fury, welcome to Canterlot's Food Mine. A place that holds every culinary innovation you could think of." She spoke.

"Yes indeed, it has much potential to do your appetite justice. At least, I assume so." Luna added. Fury gave her a side eye as he heard her. Was she making a joke about his big appetite? 

"Yeah, it has everything! It has fancy food from overseas, casual grilled food, new innovations, and much more." Cadence explained.

"You are right, Cadence. But you almost forgot one thing, it's also where you got your big appetite." Celestia teased. 

The pink alicorn's cheeks blushed. It was something she always got a bit too addicted to.

"Yeah, that's one of the reasons I took up racing so often." Cadence said.

"Ah you shouldn't feel too bad," Fury said. "You'll get fat from having a baby like mom so you don't have to fight it!"

"Oh no you didn't…" Cadence's face scrunched up.

"Oh yes I did! Call it karma for you teasing me about my appetite. And besides, you could plump up a bit. Seriously, I can almost see your ribs."

"And for your information, I have a perfectly fine figure nowadays! Being a princess means you have to be physically adept after all." 

"So your definition of 'physically adept' is looking like a glorified skeleton with a thin layer of pink fur that makes you look like you just rose from the dead?"

"You should be careful talking about death. It just might happen to a certain someone if you don't-"

"They say death catches up to everyone… Heh, he can certainly try." Fury interrupted. Then came an announcement from down below on the street. 

"LADIES AND GENTLECOLTS! TODAY WE ARE HOLDING OUR ANNUAL EATING COMPETITION! DO YOU FINE, WELL DRESSED FELLOWS THINK YOU CAN CHALLENGE THE GREAT CHAMPIONS?! COME ON DOWN TO PONY JOE'S AT NOON AND TEST YOUR LIMITS!"

The words eating and competition together drew Fury's attention. He forgot what he was talking about.

"What is that?!" Fury asked, pointing to the gigantic foods such as a pony sized pretzel or a multi fruit pie. 

"That, my feline friend, is heaven." Cadence sighed. The royal sisters rolled their eyes in amusement of the two foodies, they were obviously enticed by the giant foods.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's get down there and test out the grub!" 

Fury sped quickly to Pony Joe's food haven and the sights did not disappoint him. It was a heavenly sight. He could even see the cooks doing their jobs.

Bakers were kneading dough. Chefs were frying asparagus in oil. And even chocolatiers were carefully sculpting their statues made of chocolate.

"Holy mother of Equestria, I've never felt so good seeing all of this food in my life!" He said, sniffing the air and taking in all of the new scents around him. The three princesses soon caught up to him and we're just as impressed.

"Well, here we are! Since you guys brought me here, why don't we all go around and try out what's cooking? The least I can do is invite you guys along with me." 

Princess Celestia smiled at this. "It's nice of you to try out such valuable delicacies. Donut Joe and his ancestors have always had a great pride in their culinary craft. But be warned, you might just lose yourself amidst the wonders of the foodstuff here. I have seen too many lost souls in my millennia of living."

"I think I can handle whatever weird, exotic foods you ponies make. And besides, you all make a habit of teasing me about my appetite anyway." Fury said.

After making some tough mental decisions, Fury ran over to the bakery. He had many choices of bread. But he was curious how sweet bread could be.

After asking the bakers for some slices of sweet bread, he decided to taste one. And his mind was enamored at the sugary goodness combined with the texture of old fashioned bread.

"You must like it very much, huh, kid? It's a family recipe!" The old fat but strong baker asked. "We bakers carry all this dough around just to make some good loaves."

"You bet I love it!" Fury said.

"Well if you love that, you better try out the other foods!" The baker said. "A bit of cheese combined with that could be a nice addition!"

"He's not wrong," Cadence said. "A bit of cheese with some bread can make all the difference. Seriously, you have to try a charcuterie, they have all types of cheeses to enjoy bundled up in one." Cadence pointed to all the cheeses.

"Wow, those look pretty good. You wanna do this together?" Fury said.

The princesses nodded with absolute certainty.

"Then let us go for part two." Fury walked slowly but excited for the next culinary delight.

"My good stallion, I would like your whole charcuterie. I want to indulge myself in these delectable flavors! I will pay anything for those."

"Well, since I can tell you are a good connoisseur of fine dining I will give you a discount. Not everyday have I seen a creature like you show such interest in cheese."

Fury got ahold of the array of cheeses. Even for Speed Shifters, cheese was considered a rarity. So to Fury, to have all of these was almost as good as eating smoked salmon.

"Now this is what I call 'Culinary art'. Since this is my first time, I'll try something simple and sample the swiss."

He tasted the strange white cheese of many holes. He took some time evaluating the flavor quality like any good food critic.

"Eh, it's good. But it's not the intense flavor I was expecting. I want more flavor! I want something to tickle my taste buds!"

Cadence had heard his plea. 

"No problem. Try this." Cadence showed a much more deep yellow cheese. There was a pungent aroma around. "Have some sharp cheddar, something more intense."

"Phew, sure has a smell to it!" Fury said, a little taken aback by the smell. 

"Don't worry, it won't kill you. Just try it." Fury cautiously took a bit of it. And his eyes widened. The sensations of smell and taste intensified in his mouth. He had never thought cheese could be so pungent.

"Oh my goddesses! This cheese is my kind of thing!  You can't get any better than this! You ponies sure have some special knowledge."

"Oh but there is more to it." Luna explained. "You must take a look at the weirder side of the festival. I promise you, it will blow you away."

"Really? Okay, Moonpie, let's try this place out. I don't know how this can get any better though." 

But little did he know it did indeed get even better. The three friends walked further into the festival, many more creations catching Fury's attention. But one vendor in particular made him stop in his tracks. He walked up to the elderly mare's stand and read the sign above.

"A thousand year old eggs?! How in Equestria does something like that even exist?" He said in amused shock.

"To make a long story short," Cadence said. "Long ago, a farmer placed some eggs in his fiance's garden so he could impress her. But it was too hard to find and got buried in ash, sea salt, and other natural spices. But a thousand years later, a stallion was cleaning out the area. He happened to stumble upon these eggs and decided to try one. And he gave it to his angry fiance and she cheered up and they married. And it's been regarded as a culinary art ever since." Cadence explained with Fury eager to hear her lore about food. 

"Wow! If this amber colored egg is that popular, I've gotta try one!" Fury said. He hopped up onto one of the stools and had one egg placed in front of him. He took a sniff to get his bearings, but he instantly recoiled at the very pungent smell.

"Woah! By the mother of the sea, what kind of smell is that?!" He complained, covering his snout. The two sisters laughed while Cadence blushed at her blatant lack of warning.

"Oh! Uh, did I forget to mention that those eggs have a very strange and strong smell?"

"Yeah, ya did! And I don't know what kind of stallion would think these would be good love gifts!" Fury wheezed.

"Well the smell might be a little unusual, but it actually tastes pretty good. Go ahead, Lightning Bug. Just pinch your nose and eat the thing. Unless a little egg makes you fearful." Luna said.

"I'm not scared of this little thing!" Fury stated, not wanting to be conquered by an egg. "I'm going to try it!" He said, though a bit nervous.

The black feline grabbed the amber colored egg and raised it to his mouth. The other princesses waited in anticipation as he popped it into his jaws and chewed on it. A few seconds later, Fury was enjoying the taste.

"Huh, it actually doesn't taste that bad. It tastes like blue cheese and sea salt. It was a little strange at first. But I think this might be a favorite. Maybe I oughta show my mom!" He said as he swallowed the egg.

"I knew you would like it. The smell of something doesn't always determine the taste." Luna said. Fury smiled at his lover's kind words, but he soon lost focus as another smell was picked up by his strong nose. 

"Are you picking up something else?" Celestia asked. 

"Yeah, I am." Fury then began listing off what he smelled. "It's a combination of things. Noodles, eggs, celery, parmesan cheese. And is that some sort of broth I'm smelling?"

Fury went up and walked once more to some less exotic but no less enticing noodles known as ramen. 

"Woah, is this what ramen looks like? Looks pretty tasty." He said, taking in the smell.

"Oh yes. This is a very common combination of items in the food industry. Mainly starting with Neighponese ponies starting the famous trend not too long ago." Luna explained. Fury was immediately hooked.

"Cool! How about we grab some?" The other princesses nodded in approval as they all walked up to the vendor.

"Excuse me, good sir. We would like four bowls of your finest ramen please." Celestia spoke. 

The vendor agreed and proceeded to make the ramen. Fury looked with interest as the cook boiled the water. Then he dropped some mushrooms, a special sauce known as soy sauce, some pepper, seaweed and other ingredients. He even saw the mysterious substance known as tofu and many other ingredients. Soon enough, all four bowls of ramen were done. The vendor gave a bow to the four of them as they sat at the wooden extension of the vendor. 

"Hey, what are these weird sticks?" Fury asked, holding up said objects. 

"These are chopsticks, you use them to grab food and put it into your mouth. Observe." The vendor used his chopsticks and grabbed and ate a mushroom.

"Yeah, here's the problem with that…" Fury held up his paws and gestured to his lack of a horn. "It's not so easy for us non levitating types. What am I supposed to do with two sticks?"

"Allow me to help you, my lightning bug." Luna said. "I used to have an ancient version of ramen when I was a young filly and chopsticks have not changed since then. Let me show you."

She grabbed chopsticks. "To grab them you must simply do some trial and error. You will grab it with the right instinct eventually. It may take a long long time, perhaps months but it will come to you."

"But I want the food soon, not in months. Wait, I've got an idea!" Fury said excitedly. He grabbed the two chopsticks and held them in one paw. Activating his power, he began to quickly fiddle with the sticks. 

"What are you doing?" Cadence inquired.

"Using my speed to try every single grip to find the right one. Work smarter, not harder. Let's see… nope, nope, nope, close but nope…"  He continued for a few more combinations when he finally got a good enough grasp. "Ah ha! I finally did it. Are you impressed, Luna?"

"Most definitely, my love." She smiled at his accomplishment.

"Alrighty then, time to try this out." Fury carefully dipped his chopsticks into the bowl and extracted some noodles with a slice of hard-boiled egg. He placed the food in his mouth, slurped up the noodles hanging out of his jaws, and let out a breath of satisfaction as he chewed and smiled at the savory taste of the egg, noodles, and cheese dancing on his taste buds. 

"This is awesome!" Fury proclaimed as if he were in Rainbow Dash's body. "This is so tasty." He slurped some noodles in. "It's a crime that this is not in our village!"

"It's really good, isn't it?" Cadence spoke. "This is my favorite type of noodles. All of the different flavors, the beautiful presentation, the flawless mix of the ingredients. It all just sings to me, and my stomach." She giggled.

He slurped down the egg. "Can it get any better than this?"

"Oh we aren't done yet." Cadence said. "I know something with a lot of stuff in one little bite. Follow me."

Fury and the princesses came across what looked like pastries with a brown covering.

"What is this? This doesn't look that appetizing. "

"Why these are none other than dumplings. They are stuffed with a whole bunch of ingredients but the flavors will mix and burst onto your tongue." Cadence said. 

Fury took her advice to heart and ordered some. The cook then placed a plate of the small pouches in front of him, sliding some chopsticks next to them. Thankfully, he had a better understanding of how to use them and set himself up before taking one dumpling and eating it. 

"Well here goes nothing." Fury put it into his mouth and…

"Mmmmm, this is some good stuff. They pack so much into this! Who would have vegetables that could taste so good! It has an amazing flavor and texture. It feels like I'm eating little pockets." He complimented. "AH!" He was preoccupied with the tasty food.

"You seem to be enjoying the festival well enough." Celestia remarked, glad that was enjoying it. 

"Oh yeah, this is the best festival I've ever been to! If I ever go back home and try to make peace with my tribe, I have got to introduce you to Chief ThunderClaws." Fury said. He then saw something strange to his left.

"Hey girls, take a look over there." The three royals followed his lead and we're surprised to see a fairly new vendor. He was a bit plump with a curly mustache, he looked like he was baking something. But it wasn't any dessert of any kind. 

"Hmm, that's peculiar," Luna said. "He seems to be trying to make something new."

"Well, c'mon. Let's go see." The group of four walked up to the vendor as he was just finishing up his creation.

"Ahh, si, new-a customers! And-a royalty too, It is-a pleasure." He spoke in a heavy accent, bowing his head. "I see you are-a quite interested in what we call pizza." The group of four stood there with confused looks, they had never heard of such a food.  

"Wait what now?" Fury asked, confused.

"A pizza, a glorious a-dish of cheese mixed with tomato sauce. It-a melts in the mouth. It is also highly adaptable in that you can put any ingredients on from mushrooms to black olives."

"Huh, sounds interesting. How many have heard of this new food in the block?" Fury asked. The vendor sighed.

"Unfortunately, nopony has-a taken even the smallest a-glance at my masterpiece. I have just created this on my own through years of-a preparations and brainstorming. I was-a hoping one of you could give me and my dish the benefit of the doubt." The princesses and ambassador felt bad for the vendor, all he wanted was for his new creation to be noticed.

"Well count your lucky stars, my friend. Because we're gonna make your creation famous! Celestia, Luna, get together and bring in a crowd. Cadence, you and I are gonna do a taste test." 

Fury proclaimed. The other royals nodded to his plan as they set it in motion in the Royal Canterlot Voice.

"Come one, come all to see this newest food creation in Equestrian history. Come and see as Princess Cadence and Ambassador Night Fury taste this new food and give their opinions of it!"

The crowd were intrigued. What was this mysterious new food? Would it fit Fury and Cadence's liking?

"Well Cady, looks like we got this large disc to eat." 

"Let's give this out best, Fury. Although with this nice aroma from this pizza, that won't be hard." The vendor smiled as he saw the crowd that had gathered, he was rather excited to have a live audience. He sliced the pizza eight ways and served one each to the taste testers. 

"Okay, here goes nothing." Fury grabbed the slice of pizza by the crust, after having grabbed under the slice didn't seem to work, and ate the slice. He chewed slowly and let the flavors mix around. Fury said nothing.

After some time of silence, Fury finally spoke.

"This…" Fury said. "...isn't good."

The vendor looked disappointed.

"This is one of the greatest things I have ever had in my life! Seriously, where was this my whole life!? The cheese and the sauce. It just *mwah* mixes all so well. Cadence, what about you?"

"Mmmm," Cadence hummed. "This is quite delectable. Just mmmmm. This is a true treat. Civilization seems to have advanced centuries after I ate this."

The vendor was overjoyed now. He had the approval of some of Equestria's most renowned public figures.

"You hear that everypony? This pizza is the greatest thing we've ever had!" The testers said in unison. The crowd cheered as the verdict was made, absolutely swayed by the high praise from the two. 

"Now what are you folks gonna buy today?" Fury asked the crowd.

"The pizza!" The crowd called out.

"Then go get it!" Fury said pointing to the vendor.

The crowd ran like crazy for this newest taste sensation. The guards had to calm the crowd down a bit, but overall, everyone seemed to enjoy this experimental new dish.

"Oh thank you, my friends!" The vendor said to the princesses and Fury. "I was-a wondering if I should just give up. You gave me some nice exposure!"

"You're welcome." Cadence said. "But remember. If you have some new food, work on your advertising. Perhaps get someone famous like an actor or in this case, us to try out your food."

"Oh I will, your highness. Now, please excuse-a me, I have some new customers to serve!" The vendor said in a happy voice.

Fury was stuffing his face in all of the pizza. "I wonder if I could add some new toppings to this pizza. Maybe fish. I heard one person even say pineapples, although that sounds weird."

"Maybe you should take notes for later. Right now, how about we move on to the drinks?" Celestia suggested.

"Wait, they have new drinks here besides water and lemonade?"

"You bet they do! Come on, we'll show you!" Cadence waved a hoof in the direction of the drinks. As they made their way through, Fury looked around at the different drinks he had never heard before.

"Smoothies, Fruit punch, cider, juice… I've never heard of any of these, let alone tried them."

"Well now's your chance, lightning bug. How about a look at the cider?" Luna directed him towards the cider. Fury walked up to the cart and saw multiple barrels full of the stuff. Then the vendor made her appearance, which happened to be a familiar one.

"Applejack, you're here too?" 

"Howdy, Night Fury! I'm just here sellin'  the family's pride and joy, Apple cider. Made from apples."

"Is it like apple juice?"

"Ha ha. Nope. This is for the grown ups. This apple cider has a strong pungent flavor. It's what the pioneers used to drink. Just don't drink too much, or you'll be wobblin' around on your paws like jello in a tornado!" Applejack said, chuckling.

"Well I don't know what that feels like," Fury said, a little confused over her countryism. "But as long as I have a little at least, I think I'll be okay." He said, grabbing the cider. He took a sip from the tankard and pulled back, the taste hitting him like a stone.

"Hoo boy, you were right, this stuff packs a punch! How does Rainbow Dash guzzle this stuff down so much without looking like she got thrown into a whirlpool?"

"Oh it took some gettin' used to!" Applejack said. "She used to go in some crazy mood when she had this. Sometimes she would make a mess on the floor." Applejack remembered unfondly. "But she got used to it overtime and knew she just won't stop asking me to make some for her. I still have to limit how much she has before she gets all funky."

"Puh, I don't doubt it!" Fury chuckled. He then took a look at the clock overhead and saw that it was getting close to noon.

Huh, it's just about noon, the eating contest starts then. Hey AJ, you gonna be there too?"

"You betcha. We apples have big stomachs. The biggest stomachs in Equestria. And we ain't gonna let that reputation be lost today. I'm gonna eat and eat today!" Applejack said. 

"Well Applejack." Fury looked at her. "You better be ready to defend that reputation. Cause I'm going in too! My mom always said I ate a lot. And it will be no different today."

Applejack had a competitive look on her face.

"Is that a challenge I hear, partner?"

"You're darn right it is." Fury said. Just as the challenge was declared, the clock struck twelve and the announcer for the contest rang in.

"Ladies and Gentlecolts, get ready for the greatest eating contest of your lives. Come on down to Pony Joe's and watch the show!" said a very excitable announcer.

"Well, it looks like that's our cue." Fury said. "Don't go crying when you see how much food I can scarf down."

"Oh don't get too cocky, whiskers, I'll be right behind ya!" Applejack called out as she readied herself for the contest.

–

Ponies from all over the city gathered at Pony Joe's, waiting excitedly for the contest to begin. Five seats sat in front of a large table with a plaid cloth over it. It was made clear that this contest was not going to be easy, and most of the ponies stayed away from entering fearing they would be conquered by the food. But those five seats would soon be filled as there were some brave enough to take it on. The announcer came on and welcomed them all.

"Hello Canterlot! Thank you and welcome to the Canterlot Food Mine Foodie Frenzy!" She said, the crowd roaring with applause.

"Today, we have five contestants ready and waiting to show you all their might in the best way possible. By eating as much as they can! Before we begin, I would like to say thank you all for coming to this festival. For years, this has been a tradition of our city that has never been broken. And everypony I see standing here is just part of the reason why we keep it going! With your love, donations and participation, this festival shall continue for generations after us!" The crowd roared out again in gratitude. The people of Canterlot were glad that they could help in maintaining a long time tradition. The announcer spoke again.

"Now, without further ado, allow me to introduce our contestants! Up first, coming from the rural farmland of Ponyville, she has had a long time running with a family legacy of good apple cider. And with that legacy, she has also made it known that she is no lightweight. Coming all the way from Sweet Apple Acres, give it up for Applejack!"

Applejack approached and came to the table greeting everypony. "Yeehaw! I'm gonna eat like a lion gone hungry!"

"Next up, another one coming from Ponyville. Though he isn't a pony like us, he still has his ways of making friends with all of us. Through his efforts to show us that his kind aren't as dangerous as we seem through sacrifice, pain, and strength, he has effectively won us over. Everypony, put your hooves together for our Speed Shifter friend, Night Fury!"

Everybody cheered loudly including a certain vendor as Night Fury waved and pointed to the crowd. "Aww yeah, I'm about to show you all what being a Speed Shifter is all about!"

"Our third contestant is a rather surprising one. She has protected us for generations upon generations of pony kind, standing tall over our heads as she swore to protect us. Though she may be royalty, she can still put on a show! Give it up for our own goddess of the sun, Princess Celestia!"  

Everyone now cheered louder than even the others and chanted her name. "Long live our Princess!" Celestia bowed to them. "Thank you my subjects. I have served you in protection and governance and now I shall serve you in a good show of my abilities to eat like manticores!" The crowd cheered for this.

"Coming in at number four, we have another beloved princess. Though she may have turned to the dark side in our past and swore to engulf our Equestria in eternal night, she has returned to show us that she has changed for the better! With the help of the Mane Six, we can all be together as one with her in her beauty and grace. Not to mention a certain feline got her around his paw…"

The crowd let out a scandalous 'Ooooh', causing Fury to blush. "Yeah yeah, we're a thing now. Get over it, ya dramatic plant eaters." The crowd laughed as he shot the insult at them.

"With that said and done, everypony give a warm welcome to the guardian of dreams, Princess of the Night, Princess Luna!"

The crowd once again cheered while less fervently than Celestia, it was still clear the people still appreciated the princess of the night. She bowed humbly. "Thank you citizens. I am not the voracious eater my sister is. But just as I conquer nightmares, I can conquer the hordes of food that challenge me. Come forth with thine food!" Luna called out, raised her hoof defiantly.

"And finally, our fifth contestant. Coming from the far reaches of the Crystal Empire, she has made herself known as a caring, lighthearted ruler that has compassion for our woes. While her achievements may not be as great as the royal sisters, there should be no mistake that she has made just as important contributions to our species as any other creature here. Please give it up for the ruler of the Crystal Empire, The Princess of Love, Princess Cadence!"

The crowd cheered loudly for the Princess of Love as she waved to everyone. She had a nice smile.

"Thanks everyone! I can sense the love in the air today. But right now, while I love my husband, today the only love I can think of is this love for all your great food! May I be worthy to have all this delicious food!" Cadence called.

The crowds were now excited at these five worthy contestants ready to battle it out on the dining table.

"As you can see we have five remarkable contestants! So here is the goal: You must eat as much of the food in front of you in 20 minutes. If you stop for whatever reason, you must try and start eating again in 10 seconds or less. Whoever eats the most out of the five shall be the winner of this contest and have the honor of Food Champion of Canterlot! In front of you are a selection of some Canterlot's greatest foods. But be ready. For your tongue might love it but your stomach may say otherwise. Will you have the willpower to forge ahead?!"

"Yes I do!" Fury said confidently. The other contestants, while silent, appeared likewise confident in this endeavor.

"Alright then, let's get started! Contestants, take your marks!"

I've proven myself as a warrior recently, but can I prove myself as a food champ too? It's time to do so.

Fury looked closely at the food. He felt his mouth water. He could taste the food even before eating it. He knew in his heart he was ready.

"Here we go in Five…" 

"Four…" 

"Three…"

"Two…"

"One…"

"Go go go!"

The contestants chugged down the various food items closest to them. With Celestia, a huge cake. With Luna, a moonpie. With Applejack, multiple apple fritters. With Cadence all sorts of chocolate dishes. And Fury, they started with their new favorite food, the pizza.

Gee what's so bad about this challenge? Fury thought to himself. I get to have all this great food.

Fury finished eating the pizza and moved onto eating some Moonpies, just like his girlfriend. He looked over to see his competition and saw that none of them were holding back, which only made his appetite grow as he kept going.

"Mmmm, this is amazing! I think I've got this in the bag already! Hey AJ, you sure you're not feeling a tummy ache yet? You little cowgirl?" The audience let out an 'Oooh!' at the diss to the orange earth pony. Though she got caught up in the flaming for a moment, she didn't let it stop her.

"Oh you best watch what you say, sugarcube. I've done this more than you, little kitty cat." She shot back

"Oooh, we've got some smack talk on the field! 40 seconds in and our contenders don't seem to be slowing down, what a show! Let's see how they're doing!"

Everyone was all eating like no tomorrow. Though Luna was more composed than the others who were going at it like wild animals (Save for Night Fury, of course).

"Ahh, Princess Luna. You seem to be taking it easy. Please, for the record, why do you think this strategy will work?" 

Luna smiled. "Right now, it seems I am not eating at the same frequency as the others. But I know this will help me. After all, if you eat too quickly…"

All of a sudden, Fury seemed to stop eating. But why did he stop?

Hiccup! 

"Oh come on, now?!" 

"Ooh, looks like Night Fury got hitched with the hiccups! Can he recover to keep up the pressure?" 

Oh gee! I don't feel good. It's all bubbling up.

Wait… why try and let it pass when I can clear it out!

He looked around the table and thankfully, they all had been provided with a few cases of cider to wash down the food. He grabbed one bottle and began to shake it, raising the pressure of the air inside.

"And we have our first pull of cider! And it looks like Night Fury's shaking things up, what's he gonna do?" He took the metal cap off of the bottle and quickly chugged it till empty. He felt a slight bubble in his stomach before he let it all out.

Uuurrraaaaap!

"Ahhh, that's more like it!" He said as he went back to eating.

"What a brilliant move by the ambassador! He used the bubbly cider to cure his hiccups, a truly amazing use of intelligence!" The announcer said, the crowd cheering for Fury as he regained his appetite. The announcer then moved on to Cadence who was indulging in some chocolate eclairs. 

"It seems the Crystal Empire's ruler loves her sweet delectable eclairs. And what's this? She's dipping them in the cake itself?! Impressive how she can eat two food types in one!"

"While I do love some good chocolate, I like to savor it more so the gorge on it. I've been called a choc-aholic many times throughout my life just because of it, but I don't mind it as long as I get to keep loving it." She said, continuing her onslaught. 

Then came the first major change in the contest.

"What's this? It looks like our Apple cider seller is having some issues!" The other contenders looked over and sure enough, Applejack seemed to be slowing down.

"Remember folks, you step away from the table or stop eating for longer than 10 seconds, you're out of the running!" 

At the five second mark, Applejack took a jar of zap apple jam and poured it on an apple fritter. And ate it up. The audience gasped.

"I cannot believe it! Applejack ate all of that zap apple jam! If I had that much, I would probably be knocked right out! That apple mare must have had that her whole life!"

"Oh so you wanna bring it back from the brink? I'll show you what I can do!" Fury declared. He took a glance at a vanilla cake that sat in front of him and grew a sly smile. He made his move by tossing the cake upwards, jumping up, slicing the cake into ten slices, and landed back on the ground as he swallowed them one by one.

"...Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten! Ten slices of cake in one go, that's a whole new level of crazy! This Speed Shifter sure has his way of giving us a show! What do you think, folks?"

The crowd answered through their hollars and approval. 

"Night Fury! Night Fury! Night Fury!"

Celestia looked at Fury with jealousy. How could someone like him show more love for a cake than her? She could not let this be tolerated.

She grabbed two towering cakes, levitated them and shot them in the air and she ate all the layers of the cake as they dropped back down.

"Holy mackerel, two six layer cakes at once?! I must be going coo coo with what I'm seeing! Looks like Princess Celestia had it out for Fury's little trick!" 

But while Fury and Celestia were almost daring each other with their eating, another contestant was doing differently.

Now let us see our Princess of the Night. And… uh oh. She seems to be eating a bit more slowly. Is she losing her appetite?" The crowd was stunned as she proceeded to slow her pace. She was taking slow bites out of a cherry pie as she slowed down, trying to stay in the game. But soon enough, she couldn't handle it and tapped the table.

"Ohhh, and the nocturnal princess has tapped out! What a performance from Princess Luna, give her some love y'all!" The crowd applauded as she made her way past the other contestants and off of the stage, only to hear her lover speak to her.

"Ya did great, Moonpie. Don't feel bad that you didn't last long, you held out pretty well. And that's why I love you." Fury said, giving his girlfriend a messy, frosting covered kiss on the cheek.

"Awww, so sweet to see love blooming even in competition. But let's get back to the action! We're 2 minutes in and we still only have one competitor out of the game, these hardened food warriors sure can hold their own."

Fury and the other ponies were all proving the announcer right, everyone was going harder than ever. Especially Night Fury. But he also noticed the others' determination, including the apple farmer herself.

Gee, she might be shorter than a princess but she sure can eat. I can't let her get to me though. She probably underestimated just how much I can eat. Oh but you'll see Applejack.

Another two minutes flew by and the four competitors were still going at it. Until a certain sun princess started to turn a green shade. Everyone seemed to take notice of this.

"What's going on? The princess of the sun seems to have lost her drive for cakes! What a shock indeed! But even the craziest cake fanatic has their limits." Celestia slowed up as her face went green, she was not feeling too good. She even tried to take a few bites out of another slice, but it was just one bite too many as her cheeks puffed up and she ran away to the nearest bathroom. 

"I guess even the Princess of the Sun cannot conquer the tyrant known as cake! She has done well, but her time is over! She is out! At least she will be with her sister in this defeat."

After Celestia came out of the bathroom, her face seemed disappointed. But Luna was there to put a wing over her sister and Celestia smiled.

The crowd was tense seeing the three surviving contestants of Applejack, Night Fury and Cadence. They all kept going, though they were all beginning to slow down themselves. Applejack of them all, was starting to think that it was time to call it quits. Even she had to admit that she might be out matched. 

Well I gave it a good run. But as I learned from before, I don't have to worry about gettin' first place. Besides this ain't rodeo. 

Applejack said to herself. With one more apple fritter down her gullet, she tapped the table and made her way to a bronze metal. 

"And our apple farmer is out. She had done a mighty fine job as they say in Ponyville, and I can say that she still deserves the bronze medal. We wish our apple farmer a good time. But we still have two competitors left, The Princess of Love and the Speed Shifter Ambassador! Who will be going home with a silver metal and who will reel in the gold? Let's find out!"

Fury stared at Cadence. And Cadence did likewise. They both looked fiercely at each other. They knew this was the big one. Whoever could endure would be the Champion.

"Just dont give yourself a tummy ache yet, lovebird! It wouldn't be as good to do my victory dance with you whimpering like a filly." Fury teased his rival.

"Oh don't count your lucky stars just yet, fish breath! I've still got some room left! Don't forget, you're facing the Princess of Love. And I love food! I bet I love it more than you!" The crowd gasped at this scathing response. As for Fury, he was not amused at that.

"Nobody gives me that talk, you pink, pretentious Mama's girl! You wanna fight in the big leagues? You'll get one alright. So let's go!"

Fury took two sweet bread loafs and put 10 types of cheeses between them. And ate it.

For Cadence in turn, she took five apples and dipped them in chocolate fondue and dropped them into her mouth in rapid succession.

It was as if each one was trying to outdo the other in how much food and how much daring each one would have.

"Hoowee, we've got a major grudge match going back and forth. Who's gonna stay in the running, who's the one going down?! Oh, the pressure is getting to me!" Everyone in the crowd was on edge, waiting with baited breath as the two kept duking it out for the honor of the gold. 

9 minutes remained and they weren't letting up, giving no leeway. But one of the two would be going out. In a strange act of confidence, Fury stopped eating and stared at Cadence.

"Night Fury stopped eating, and the 10 seconds have begun! What are you doing, you crazy cat?!"

"I'm waiting for the moment that I win this thing, these ten seconds are all I need! Isn't that right, Cady?"  Fury said smugly. 

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, I've got my strength still." She said, continuing to eat.

"Not for long. Because I'm about to win this thing in three, two, one…"

"Urf!" Cadence grunted, dropping her chocolate covered eclairs from her magic and holding her stomach. She started to feel funny, her stomach feeling as if it were swirling. She stayed up for a few more seconds, Fury's time out counter almost out until… 

Thud! 

"I don't believe it! Cadence went farther than contestants would dare. She went out fighting, and now she is nursing a serious tummy ache. Great effort from Princess Mi Amore Cadenza! But this year's victory goes to the one and only… Night Fury, Ambassador of The Speed Shifters!"

The crowd cheered for the victorious Night Fury. Everyone ran up to him and carried him.

"Three cheers for Night Fury! One… Two… Three!" They bounced Fury.

"Hold it! You're gonna make me feel sick." Fury said, feeling very full and going back on stable ground. He decided to make his way to Cadance who was now standing up, although on wobbly hooves. The other contestants followed his lead and faced the pink pony princess with a bulging belly and red cheeks. 

"Well Fury, it looks like you won this round. Not bad for someone who just started his first eating competition." Cadence said weakly.

"Eh, it wasn't too bad. All I had to do was focus on the food and not feeling full. It's all a battle of the mind, not the body. I guess all of those mental activities the emperor and Twilight had me do was worth it. But from what I'm seeing, you're up against a battle of your own with that tummy ache." Fury chuckled.

"Ugh, yeah. That's for sure. Once I get back home, I'm gonna have a lot of explaining to do once Shining Armor sees me. Heh heh." Cadence said, walking away. "Nice job Fury. Nice job."

"Thanks!" He felt ecstatic as a pony handed him his reward. Fury stepped out onto the edge of the stage to face the crowd, the announcer beginning to speak. 

"To everyone who came out here today, just know that because of you, we have had yet another successful Canterlot Food Mine festival this year. And today is no different from previous years. But instead of it just being a place to enjoy food, we have turned it into a place to make friends. We've made friends, family, and even love here at this very festival because of your continued support and admiration. And even though this may be the end of a great day's fun, it's not the end of a generational appreciation for the contributions to each other. Give it up for our champion, everyone!"

The crowd clapped and cheered for Night Fury, champion and Slayer of Food.

"Thanks everyone, this was one awesome contest! I love you all!"

"Is that so? I didn't know you had a relationship with the whole city." Luna said. Fury blushed at that statement.

"Luna, you know that's not what I meant! I don't even know how that would work!" Fury defended himself. "I'm just telling my adoring fans I appreciate their support."

"In what way? Emotionally, physically? Or maybe both?"

"Ugh! I'm outta here, I've gotta go pack my bags for the ride home anyway." Fury huffed, racing off with a red face that matched his aura. 

Cadence simply laughed at this ordeal. "Oh come on Luna. You know your Lightning Bug would never betray you."

"Hmmm, maybe. But I still am not used to him having all those adoring fans. Maybe I am just a little bit possessive." Luna admitted. "And besides… I guess you could say that is my own way to defeat him, even after losing." Luna said with a chuckle.

Cadence laughed while rolling her eyes at this strange conversation.

"Well we better give him and his parents one last farewell before they leave for Ponyville. As for me, I will leave for the Crystal Empire, especially with the Equestria Games going to happen in a couple of weeks. I have to be ready for that!" Cadence said.

"I gotta go back to Ponyville too!" Applejack said. "And now that I think about it, what would Fury think about entering the Equestria Games? Rainbow Dash is looking for a dirt track runner for the new road race event they're introducing this year."

"I believe Night Fury would be quite pleased with another challenge." Celestia said, approaching them. "Of course, you should ask him to see if he is ready for another competition. Or if he would rather relax in his mansion."

"Of course, this is his decision after all. Let's meet him at the train station and ask him then." Cadence suggested. The other princesses and Applejack nodded at the idea as they made their way to the train station.

–

"Alright, that's all of our bags ready to go. I'm gonna miss this place, it was truly the perfect destination for a vacation. Truly a beautiful place." Black Ice said, almost crying as she looked up at Canterlot's skyline. 

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, mom. But like you've always told me, all good things must come to an end." Fury remembered, throwing a leg over his mother. 

"Yes. Of course." Black Ice said. "We do have to savor it while it lasts."

"Speaking of savoring, how was the eating contest, Fury? That gold medal around your neck tells me it was a good time." Obsidian pointed out.

"Oh yeah, it was a blast! I had no idea I could eat so much, but I'm not complaining. Although, it wasn't my type of competition. I'll have to find something else to fill that hole." Fury admitted. "After all, eating is supposed to be for relaxation not the competition itself."

"Well then, it's a good thing we caught up to you to propose a solution." Cadence said, walking up to him along with the other ponies.

"As much as more food would sound nice, I think I'll pass on that." Fury said.

"What, no! Listen, it's about the one and only Equestria Games!" Cadence said.

"Equestria Games? Never heard of it." 

"You see, everypony knows that it's the greatest athletic competition in Equestria. Players compete in flying, javelin tossing, wrestling, racing and other activities to prove their skill." Cadence said.

As soon as Fury heard the word racing, he knew he was in.

"Of course if you would rather have a break in Ponyville, then we can-"

"I'm joining these games!" Fury said with no hesitation. "I need to work off all this food I've eaten after all."

Obsidian chuckled. "Ah you always have something you want to do, eh?"

"You bet so dad! I can chill out later. I wanna get some good ol fashioned competition in. So where are these Equestria Games supposed to be?" Fury asked.

"My home of course. The Crystal Empire, if you remember Fury. It's now lively thanks to you and the Mane Six and Spike." 

Fury remembered his time battling Sombra. He was glad to hear the formerly dead city of crystals was now revived.

"Wait. Did you just say… Crystal Empire?" Black Ice asked very curiously.

Cadence nodded.

"Well then, I'm going to! Obsidian we are going to the Crystal Empire to watch our boy!" Black Ice said enthusiastically.

"And to see all the jewelry you can buy, right?" Obsidian smirked.

"Well um… that's… part of it." Black Ice admitted.

"Trust me guys, you'll be surprised by how much crystal is in the Crystal Empire. Equestria Games, here I come!" Fury said proudly, before his stomach made a bit of an objection with a loud gurgle.

"Oof! But first, I gotta let my stomach settle down a bit. Ugh, I feel so heavy." Fury said. 

"I suppose it was a lot to eat after winning, Lightning Bug." The princess of the night approached him.

"Ah come on, Luna! I just wanna relax!" Fury said not in the mood to hear Luna's nagging.

"Oh do not worry." Luna said. "I was just going to ask if you would want to rest in my pouch while we take the train." Fury's face lit up red like an evening sunset as she said those words, she had a very influencing way of getting him to submit to her.

"Well I'm not complaining about that. And besides, I could use a nap after this epic ordeal." 

With that, Luna used her power to transform into a giant kangaroo. And Fury leaped right in.

"Oh yeah! I feel like a king today."

Everyone else giggled at the sight.

"Well this has been fun everyone, I could have never planned a vacation like this in years. But even so, it was still worth it! Especially with you being around." He said nuzzling Luna's snout.

Celestia approached them.

"I wish you all a good journey. For me I have to get back to work in Canterlot. Take good care of my sister Fury and good luck with your games." Celestia said.

"Trust me, I will. And maybe I can save her from the boring life that you have brought her back to from the moon." Fury chuckled. "Boo to the boring sun, praise the fun and almighty moon!"

Luna felt a little smug at this. But the other upon him with a certain amount of horror. 

"Night Fury! How dare you! Celestia has given us great hospitality, apologize to her this-"

"Oh do not worry, Black Ice." Celestia said with a calm smile. "It's all in good fun." She said, holding up her hooves. "Fury, would you like to come here for a hoofshake?"

"Sure, the least I can do is show respect." He said, completely oblivious. He walked over to Celestia.

"Night Fury, no it's a trap!" Luna cried out.

"Oh come on, moonpie. What's the worst Sunbutt can do to me?" He said, about to shake Celestia's hoof.

"This." Celestia said. Celestia took his arm and flipped him to the ground. 

"Gah! Huh?" Fury noticed Celestia holding all of his arms. "Uh oh." 

Celestia looked at Fury's armpits. "There is one more pony that wishes to say farewell. And you know her name?"

Fury shook his head.

"Her name is the Tickle Monster!" Celestia then tickled Fury's armpits.

"Hahahahahahahaha!" Fury laughed in agony. "Someone, haha stop her!"

"I wish I could, but this is just too adorable." Luna said, watching as her lover was mercilessly tickled. 

"I'm plenty entertained by this, Slayer of Food." Applejack smirked.

Cadence was simply laughing at his ordeal.

"Mom! Dad! Show some pity!"

"Oh no, you brought this onto yourself! No need to step in when due justice is already being served." Black Ice said, turning a blind eye. 

"Sorry son, but your mother's right. If you talk smack, expect consequences. And also this is just too hilarious." Obsidian said.

"Oh so you all think this is funny huh? Watch this!" Fury's body lit up and began to flash, distracting the 'monster' holding him down. He managed to get himself free and stand upright, facing the group.

"I wish I could say I felt bad about this, but I don't." He then jumped into the air, turned into an octopus, and landed on Celestia's back. 

"So you wanna tickle me, huh? We all still don't know if you've got a weak spot. Even so, I'm gonna hit every spot anyway!"  Fury said as his arms reached all of Celestia's potential tickle spots.

"Say hello to my tickle monster now!" Fury said.

The princess of the sun tried to resist laughing and keeping her mouth shut. I can't let myself be beat by Night Fury. I'm the tickle master in Canterlot.

"How strong are you Princess?" Fury asked. "Look into my eyes and tell me you don't just want to let it all out." Fury said, showing her a silly face.

Finally Celestia couldn't resist and burst into laughter. "Ha ha ha ha ha, I surrender. You win, ambassador!"

"And?"

"And I'm a boring sun princess that can never overtake the might of the moon!" Celestia squealed.

"That's more like it, was that so hard?" Fury said releasing her.

Luna came up to Fury and hugged him. "Thank you, my aquatic champion of the night. I never thought anyone would think of me as fun until you showed up."

Fury smiled. 

"My pleasure, my queen of the night. You're the funnest, cutest lady I know." Fury said. 

"So, dear pseudo-sister, you still thinking of me as a younger brother?" Fury asked.

Celestia chuckled. "Well maybe a little. But I must say you are definitely more clever and determined than a lot of ponies I've met. So maybe you have grown a bit."

Fury smirked. "Ah you just don't admit it. But I am glad you acknowledge my new abilities. Maybe one day, you'll consider me 'Big Brother'."

Luna almost laughed at this.

Celestia rolled her eyes. "We'll see about that. Just watch yourself for my next attempt."

"Oh I will, and don't think I won't be prepared to do the same." Fury shot back. Then a distant whistle was heard from behind him. The mood changed from friendly tension to joyful farewells.

"Okay, well I'll see you guys in the Crystal Empire. First we'll go back to Ponyville, relax then train for the Equestria Games. Wish me luck. I'm gonna be the best around." Fury said.

"Well, I know once I get Twilight and the others, we'll also go to the Equestria Games. I sure do look forward to it too." Applejack said.

Celestia waved at them. "Take care everyone."

And so Night Fury, his parents, Luna, and Applejack all took the train to Ponyville to train for the Equestria Games, while Cadence went back to her Empire to make preparations for the games. They gave a final wave to Celestia, looking forward to the games ahead. As for Fury, he was still napping in Luna's pouch. Luna smiled at how cozy he looked, being the Princess Of The Night and his love interest, she was all but elated to see him snoozing so soundly. 

"Sleep well, my love." Luna said to her sleeping boyfriend as she watched the train approach the village of Ponyville.
> Chapter 30: Ready, Set, Run!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a fun and fruitful vacation, Night Fury was glad to finally be home in Ponyville. But he wasn't just going to hang around like he usually does, he had something else to look forward to. The Equestria Games. The day he returned with his parents and Applejack, he was met by his friends. But instead of being happy to see him, they had a few choice words for him. After a brief but aggressive speech from the rest of the Mane Six about where he had been and not telling them he had left the day he and his parents returned, Night Fury was walking towards an open field where he saw multiple pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies stretching out before training.

For the first few days of him being home, Night Fury had done nothing but work off the remaining pounds he had gained from the eating contest in Canterlot. And he had proven successful in time for the last training session before the tryouts. 

"Ah it's good to move around after all this time." He said stretching his body. "I love how open this terrain is. It gives me a perfect time to dash."

For Fury he was quite happy to be back, but also quite determined to make sure he was ready for the Equestria Games.

"Okay maybe I'll do a bit of jumping and even flying through this obstacle course." Fury said. Soon he and the rest of the team had finished stretching and the team captain, Rainbow Dash, made her announcement.

"Alright everyone, listen up! This is the last training session for the Equestria Games! Now I know that this may seem pointless since we already have done quite a bit of training, but some of us take more time than others. And not to mention, we have a newbie joining the team for qualifying." Rainbow explained, pointing out the Speed Shifter in the crowd.

"Now before we begin, I'll give a run down of how this is gonna go. For those who don't know, we don't just go to the Equestria Games because our team was chosen to participate. We have to go through qualifying which takes place at Rainbow Falls. These training sessions are to make sure that we're in tip top shape for qualifying so we have the best chance to make it to the games! Now, you better be ready to work your hardest, because this is gonna be the hardest training session we've done."

Even with this surprising announcement, Fury was confident though that he could be ready.

"Bring it on Dashie! I'm ready for whatever challenges you have in store for me." Fury said.

"I'm glad you feel that way, but don't get too cocky. This isn't your casual run through the forest. You're gonna be going up against the best runners in Equestria, all without your powers. To start, let's go over the new event they're introducing this year. Night Fury, step up to the track!"

Fury ran over to see what was in store for him. He came up to the oval track and stepped up to the starting line as Rainbow Dash explained to the others.

"This year, the event organizers decided to add a new event to the Equestria Games. The Dirt Track Rally. In this new event, three races will take place, each with a different runner from each team. As a chosen runner for this new event, Night Fury will be grouped up with two more of you as the three runners for our team."

I wonder who is gonna be grouped with me? Fury asked himself.

"At the start of each round, one of the three runners will step up on the track against the other teams in a five way race. Five total racers will go against each other in one round, five laps in total for each round. The team with the fastest time will be awarded five points, second fastest will get four, third fastest will get three and so on. The team with the highest number of points at the end of three races will be deemed the winner." 

The group broke out into interested murmurs as they grasped at the new information. Rainbow Dash continued.

"As a precaution, Night Fury must set a benchmark time for determining if he needs more training or less. He will also be judged on form, agility, and overall speed. You all will be put up to this track to test that time and you will be judged hard. Night Fury, take your position to start."

As he walked to the starting line, he noticed the other racers looked either nervous or serious at Fury. They clearly wanted him to do a good job at speed.

Okay Fury, this is the first time I've run so long without my energy. But that's fine. I just have to make sure I stay determined and breathe properly. Yep, I will make it through this.

"You ready, Fury? Don't go crying if you don't make it."

"Oh I will, Dash. I've been training for this."

"Well then good luck. On your mark, get set… Go!" 

Woosh!

Night Fury ran like no tomorrow. He was desperate to make it in time. So far so good for him though even if he was disappointed he didn't go as fast as he wanted to.

"Lightning Bug! Go forth and prove yourself!" said Luna, who was watching from the bleachers.

With this, Fury was encouraged and pushed himself even harder.

"First turn coming up! Time to show these ponies what years of running through forests can do!" He said confidently as he ran harder. Ponies gasped as he approached the turn with such speed, some even whispering that he wouldn't make it. But they were wrong.

All Fury could hear was his heartbeat and his breathing, nothing else existing to him as he jumped into the air, landed sideways, and started skidding through the turn. Ponies gasped and gawked at the amazing move, it was almost as if he was running sideways as he pushed his claws into the dirt to keep his traction.

Everything seemed to slow down, nothing else but his pounding paws and racing heart to fill the void as the adrenaline flowed through his body. He slid around the turn flawlessly and got onto the straightaway, pushing the limits of his body. 

Ah, a perfect start. It looks like everyone sure liked it. 

"C'mon Fury, push it!" Rainbow Dash cheered from the sidelines.

"You've got this, big guy!" Fluttershy spoke.

"Yeah!" Yelled Bulk Biceps. 

Fury was filled with confidence at the motivation of his three friends. Even with Fluttershy being, well… shy and Bulk Biceps being a bit bulky, he knew he had teammates who believed in him. 

Okay, finish line is getting closer. Just gotta ease it in for the win. 

Fury took deep breaths and braced himself to reach the line just in time. Rounding the next corner, the checkered flag waited just ahead. Fury felt amazing, like he had just actually won his first race in years. He had never felt such an adrenaline rush from just running without his powers. And with one final push, he crossed the line and skidded to a stop a few feet away, officially setting the benchmark time. 

"14 seconds?!" Rainbow said, shocked. "As Spitfire liked to say, 'that's a record!' "

Fluttershy and Bulk came over to congratulate him.

"Yeaaaaahhhh bro! You have done awesome. You are like a role model to me." said the white strong stallion.

"You did amazing! I could have never gone so fast on my hooves alone." Fluttershy praised him quietly but proudly.

"Thanks you guys, that was amazing! To be honest, it's been a long time since I've run without my powers and just went for it. I should do this more often." Fury said proudly.

Rainbow Dash flew by the team and blew a whistle to get their attention.

"Okay, that was neat and all, but we still have more work to do. You better be ready for the next challenge."

"Yeah!" Bulk Biceps said.

"Just tell us what to do!" Fury said confidently.

And Fluttershy nodded. 

Throughout the next few hours, the Ponyville team began to train. Pegasi did wing-ups, unicorns honed their magic, earth ponies worked their muscles and all the rest. Some required more attention than others, some could handle their own training. But if there was one thing that was true for certain, it was that there would be no slowing down until tryouts.

"Alright everyone, good job! Pegasi, keep doing those wing-ups! Unicorns, I wanna see those horns glowing bright! Earth ponies, work those muscles! But keep in mind, don't work yourselves too hard, this isn't a competition in fitness. At least not yet." Rainbow Dash said, supervising Ponyville's team.

"And as for you Night Fury…" Rainbow flew to him. "I need you to do some- Wait, what are you doing?" The black feline sat alone from the rest of the team, his eyes closed as he breathed in and out slowly.

"Breathing exercises. The legs aren't the only thing that needs to be trained in order to win races. Ya have to make sure you can maintain your breath for a long time, especially when you're racing in a rally." Fury explained, barely moving a muscle besides his chest moving up and down. "This is something my father taught me when I had my first race."

"And it works?" Rainbow asked.

"Yep. We speed shifters especially need to take these breathing exercises to strengthen our lungs. We like to go fast and thus we have to prepare ourselves." Fury said. 

Rainbow Dash was curious about this technique. "Do you think it can work for ponies too?"

"If they have the patience and focus to do so, then I guess so."

Rainbow Dash then decided to whistle again. 

"Alright everyone, stop your exercises and listen up. This rookie says he has some new breathing techniques that just might give us the edge. So follow Fury's instructions to the T!" 

Everypony's eyes were on Fury. Well better not disappoint them. Okay, just like my dad told me.

"Alright everyone. Take a deep breath for four seconds. Calm your mind down with some words then exhale slowly. It's bound to work! It helped me being chased down by that crazy Amethyst. Just keep your mind calm,go to your happy place and let your breathing be the only thing that fills your mind."

Everypony followed suit. Rainbow noticed the relaxed feeling they had. 

"You sure, Fury? This won't just make them not take competition as seriously?" she whispered to Fury.

"Is that what you think? Let's put that to the test."

Fury called them and challenged them to race.

"Alright everyone, let's see what you've got!" Fury said, taking his spot at the front of the pack. Rainbow Dash said on the sidelines with Luna and readied her whistle.

"Three… Two… One…"

Tweet!

Everyone took off in a stampede, dust kicking up in plooms as they shot down the track. Fury led the pack like he was on a group hunt back home, he felt so alive running around the track that he almost forgot to keep an eye on the group behind him.

"Nice form everyone! Keep the pacing steady, Lilly! Watch those hooves, Thornback! Bring your legs up, Windy! You're all doing great!" He continued to work with the group as they ran, his encouragement fueling their adrenaline. They did three laps around the track before they stopped for a water break.

As they all walked off the track, they gave Night Fury their thanks.

"Thanks for the encouragement, Fury." Said Lilly.

"You've got some moves, Bucko. I salute you." Thornback said, saluting him.

"Luna is very lucky to have you around. She should be very grateful." Said Windy. Fury was glad they all felt encouraged by his words, it was a great achievement for him.

"Great job everyone, now get that water flowing. Keeping yourself hydrated is just as important as putting up good competition!" He said. Luna and Rainbow Dash then walked over to him, Rainbow holding a clipboard.

"Hey whiskers, gotta talk to you."

"Hey RD, what's up?" He answered.

"Says here, you haven't had any check-ups." Rainbow explained, leaving Fury confused.

"Check-ups? Rainbow, you and the others visit me all the time." He said. Luna stepped in.

"I believe that is not the meaning of what she is saying, Lightning Bug." Luna stated. "What she means is a medical check-up." 

Fury was still confused, he had never heard of anything like that.

"Never heard of such a thing. We don't really have doctors where I'm from, we just take care of ourselves the best way we see fit." Luna and Rainbow Dash looked concerned. Throughout the months he's been here, had he really never had a check-up before? 

"Well, that's no good. You have to have a current medical status if you wish to participate in the Equestria Games. And no, the scientists doing tests on your biology do not count." Luna said.

"I don't really want to though. And besides, what do check-ups do to you? Do they do experiments on you? Do they harvest your organs or something to test their health? Heck, do they have some sort of submarine that can shrink to go inside of my body or something?!" He panicked. Luna and Rainbow Dash laughed at his woes before comforting him.

"Oh Lightning Bug, your imagination is truly a wild one." Luna chuckled, wrapping a wing around him. "None of that will happen to you. And just to make sure, I'll come with you to the doctor tomorrow to keep you company."

Fury sat there for a moment. He was a little nervous, but it was the first time he'd done so. And he knew that there was a bit of fear when it came to new things, so he stood tall and gave a nod.

"Okay, I'll do it." He declared.

"Good. So after we're done with the training session, you get some rest and head to the doctors to get a check-up first thing in the morning." Rainbow Dash directed. Fury nodded to the information and went to take a water break.

"Okay everyone, take your water break and get ready to keep training. We've still got some work to do!" Rainbow Dash said. Over the next few hours, the team did many drills. Running in place, wing-ups, push ups, breathing exercises, they did everything they had to in order to be ready.

After the session was over, Fury had gone home to think about his next objective: get a check-up. He was still nervous and did not want to go through the ordeal, but with Luna with him, he felt just that little bit more safe. As his thoughts faded away into darkness and night settled in Ponyville, he slept soundly as he dreamt of home. His friend Jade must be worried about him, considering he didn't tell him, let alone anyone else where he had gone. He would have to get back home soon to clear things up.

–

Dawn came over Ponyville in a heap, the warm sun replacing the moon to trade night for day. Luna stood on one of the balconies of Fury's villa as she lowered the moon with her magic, her wings moving at a similar pace as the early morning was introduced to the world. She smiled at the warm sun, knowing that her sister was happy and healthy in Canterlot as she was away. As she walked down the hallway to the kitchen, she heard a moan from Fury's bedroom. She encased the knob on a blue hue and opened it to find Night Fury sitting in bed with a green face, wet towel over his head and a thermometer in his mouth.

Luna was surprised to see him in such an odd state. At least she would be if she didn't see the bucket of green paint under his bed and his face looking like it had been burned, signifying that he had most likely pulled the age old trick of using a lamp to make the temperature of the thermometer go up, at the expense of his fragile tongue.

"My my, lightning bug, whatever is the matter?" She said sarcastically, running along with her lover's gag. 

"Luna… I think I'm sick." He said, a fake, nasally, stuffy nose voice coming from him.

"Well, it's a good thing we're going to the doctor. Come, let us go." Luna replied, walking over to assist.

"Wait no!" Fury called out. "I-I'm sick, so I can't be around ponies. It's a very bad sickness."

"Oh? And what might be the name of this illness."

"Uh… Peculiar… Pony-itis?" He stuttered. Luna fought hard on the inside to resist from laughing as she smiled on the outside.

"Oh my, how terrible! Hold on, I know how to cure it. Stand up." She instructed. Fury took the wet rag off of his head and thermometer out of his mouth and uncovered himself, revealing a heap of crumpled tissues under the covers.

Hmm, lots of crumpled tissues, wet rag, fake thermometer for temperature… He's really trying to keep away from his fate.

"Okay, what's the cure?" Fury asked in a weak voice. Luna finally smiled openly as she summoned a water bucket over him and let it splash down, rinsing the paint off of his face.

"Cold water!" She called, finally allowing herself to laugh. Fury shivered at the cold liquid and chattered his teeth.

"What was that for?!" He called out. Luna only smiled at him.

"Oh Lightning Bug, did you really think I couldn't tell you were faking it? The tissues and the thermometer were on point, but you could have done a better job of hiding your bucket. Plus, being sick when we're going to get you a check-up? Really?" Luna teased. Fury opened his mouth to retort but quickly closed it as he realized how dumb his plan was.

"Oh… yeah that really doesn't make any sense." He admitted, blushing a furious red that matched his eyes. Luna just smiled.

"Come on, let's get ready." She said, turning to leave. Fury's ears flopped to the sides of his head as he reluctantly ate breakfast, washed up, and made his way with his girlfriend to the doctor's office.

As they say in the waiting room, Fury saw many other ponies around him waiting for their turn. Although he knew that was coming, he couldn't help himself as he let his mind roam.

What if they have sharp things to poke me? What if they start probing at me? What if they just straight up hunk my body into a giant blender and chop me up?!

Luna was reading a magazine when she looked over to her fidgeting lover and chuckled.

"Come on, lightning bug, you've got nothing to fear. Why are you so scared?" She asked. 

"Oh I don't know, maybe because I have no idea what they're going to do with me." He said, looking as if he had seen death itself. 

"Relax, sweetie. There's nothing to worry about." Just as Luna said that, a wide eyed stallion walked out of the door that led into the back. He looked at Night Fury and spoke.

"It's a heavy load man, I think I just saw the heavens." He said as he walked out of the office. Fury whimpered and hid behind his ears as he shrank into himself. Luna sighed at the bad timing.

Karma just had to rear its ugly head, didn't it? She thought to herself.

Fury sat there more worried than ever, his vision blocked by his ears to try and shut out this horrible moment. Just then, a familiar voice piped up.

"My, you look like you just saw a ghost." The voice said. Fury lifted an ear and looked to his left to see Mayor Mare.

"Mayor Mare, you're here too?" 

"But of course, I have to get my check-up today as well. You look nervous, is this your first time?" She asked.

"Yep. And what makes it worse is that I've seen and been treated by doctors and nurses in a hospital before, and I didn't bat an eye. But just a small check-up putting me in shivers? That's just embarrassing." Fury whimpered, replacing his ear to its protective position.

"Well, a lot of things can be scary. Especially when it's your first time. I was scared of eating ice cream when I was just a filly." Mayor Mare said. Fury looked at her with a strange face.

"You're kidding."

"Not at all. I was scared of trying ice cream for the first time because I heard that you could get a brain freeze, and I thought that a 'Brain Freeze' meant my brain would shut down." Mayor Mare chuckled, a blush on her face. Fury allowed himself to exhale a laugh at the story.

"Wow, that sounds like it was really embarrassing." He said.

"Oh it was. But my point is, trying something for the first time can be frightening at first. But once you're used to it, it'll be as if it's apart of your regular routine." Mayor Mare said. Fury felt the slightest bit better about his check-up, his fear slowly washing away.

"Night Fury?" But as soon as his name was called, his face went pale.

"Okay, let's go, lightning bug." Luna directed. Fury slowly got up and walked towards the door to the back of the office, but a final wave of fear washed over him and he immediately tried to make a quick escape behind Luna and the doctor's backs. Unfortunately, there was another that had a different view. 

"Hold it right there." Mayor Mare said, holding him back from his escape route. "You're here now, and you're going to get… this… done." She strained, pushing him back until Luna could grab him by his tail. 

"Nooooo. Mayor Mare, why have you betrayed me?" He said, trying to go against his girlfriend's pulling.

"Sorry, but I must hold myself to my duty to maintain the health of my town." She said with a sly grin as Fury was slowly dragged backwards into the doctor's office.

–

"Okay, you can just hop up here." The nurse instructed. Fury reluctantly hopped up onto the bed while Luna sat in a chair nearby. 

"Okay, Night Fury, I'm Nurse Redheart. I'm going to be giving you your first check-up." She said. Nurse Redheart was a white earth pony mare with a red medical cross and hearts as a cutie mark. She had somewhat of a soothing demeanor right off the bat and Fury was calmed slightly, although still on edge.

Okay, Nurse Redheart. She seems nice enough. Fury thought to himself. Nurse Redheart then reached into a nearby drawer and collected a bundle wrapped in gauze, placing it on a cart in the room and unwrapping it. Out came many sharp looking, silver medical devices that immediately made the feline in question seize up. He immediately went into panic mode and hunkered down, covering his eyes with his ears and his paws for an extra layer of safety as he whined like a scared dog.

"Easy, big guy. These are my medical instruments, they won't hurt you." Nurse Redheart soothed. Fury looked up and saw that she was wearing a caring smile, one that Luna often carried on a daily basis. He took a deep breath and sat up, readying himself for the check-up.

"Okay… let's get this over with." He said, showing some courage.

"Good." The nurse reached for her tongue depressor and held it up. "Okay, open up and say 'Ahhh'."

"Ahhh…" Fury opened up his mouth and let her place the depressor where it should be. Nurse Redheart was surprised to see Fury's teeth, she had never seen a creature like him before.

"Wow, look at those chompers. Sharp as a tac, those fangs of yours. I've never seen such sharp teeth." She said, doing a full exam. She deemed his mouth a safe area and removed the tongue depressor, allowing Fury to close his mouth. 

"Okay, your teeth are nice and clean. And I didn't see any cavities, which is a surprise to me considering how much I've been warned about your sweet tooth." Redheart chuckled.

"Oh boy, has it really been floating around town that much?" Fury asked sheepishly.

"It truly has. Basically every doctor and nurse in Ponyville has heard the rumors that you have a bit of a sweet tooth. But, I guess those rumors were somewhat false." Nurse Redheart remarked.

"Somewhat?"

"Of course. I would say they were completely false, if I didn't smell raspberry doughnut filling on your breath and noticed your teeth look like you brushed them on the way here to try and hide the evidence."

"Fury…" Luna moaned, promoting said feline to blush and scratch the back of his neck. 

"Um… shoot." Fury sighed, his scheme had failed. "Well maybe I just ate something from some friendly neighbor in this hospital?"

The nurse simply shook her head. "Nice try, young cat. But I know enough children to know a trick when I see one. And I'm not going to let you be the first."

"Ahh pony feathers. Well, no use in denying it now. I may have stopped by Sugar Cube Corner and gotten myself some sweet morning munchies." Fury chuckled. 

The nurse rolled her eyes. "It seems a sweet tooth is quite common these days."

"I guess so. But can we move on, I'm trying to get this ridiculous thing done." Luna encouraged. The nurse nodded and turned to her patient.

"Okay, now I'm going to check your body over for any muscle strain and possible bone abnormalities, Mr. Fury." The nurse said. Luna looked up slightly and secretly smiled.

A body exam? With his certain weaknesses? Oh, this should be good.

Nurse Redheart called for reinforcements and instructed the other nurses to assist in checking him over. They grabbed his limbs, checked for any vital signs and even looked at his eyes with a flashlight.

"Gee, a bit much guys?" Fury asked, knowing they'll still keep doing this.

After some time, Nurse Redheart was ready to perform the final investigation.

"Okay Night Fury, all we have to do now is check the other side. If you would be so kind as to flip over?" 

Ah dang it. I should have known they'd get to this part.

"You sure you don't need to check my tongue or ears again for infection?" Fury asked.

"Already did that. We need to move on. Please Night Fury. We have to do this for your own good." 

Yeah and because you are so curious.

"Okay, you win, here I go…" The black feline sighed as he flipped over onto his back.

"There we go, now just hold still…" 

The nurses investigated his stomach closely. Fury felt nervous about them touching it. For awhile, they just investigated. But Redheart decided to tug on it to see how his stomach felt.

"Hey, you don't have to touch my stomach right, nurse? You already investigated!"

"Of course we do. We have to check if you have any abnormalities or anything else unusual. And the only way to do so is through some physical contact. Now shush." She said, placing her hooves delicately onto the squishy part of him. Fury strongly resisted the urge to squeak at the touch, but he couldn't resist his twitching mouth. 

The nurses noticed his twitchy movements and his clenched eyes as they prodded at him, some were confused, but nurse Redheart knew exactly what was happening with her many years of experience examining young fillies and colts. 

Ah, whether pony or cat, anyone can be susceptible to the dreaded tickles. I wonder if he'll keep it in for long.

Fury was desperately trying to keep his composure, not wanting to be embarrassed.

Come on Fury. I'll prove to Cadence and Celestia I can hold my laughter back… even… if… it's… tough…

Fury's facial expressions grew more and more contorted as the nurses stroked his stomach and used the stethoscope on it. The nurse with the stethoscope pulled back and began to speak with nurse Redheart.

"His stomach is sloshing around a bit more than usual. Do you think he might have indigestion? Stomach bug?" She whispered slightly worried. Redheart shook her head.

"No, none of the above. What our feline friend here is suffering from is a very common disease called 'Tickle-itis'." She smiled a little deviously. "Isn't that right, sir?" 

Fury simply shook his head in an attempt to hide any suspicions, although already failing quickly. 

"Night Fury, I'm afraid you must concede defeat and stop holding back your laughter so we can get back to the operation." Nurse Redheart said.

Fury still shook his head.

"So that's how it's going to be. Nurses, you know the protocol for these cases." The other nurses nodded and went to each of his paws. They pinned them to each corner of the medical bed as they readied the protocol. 

"Now Fury either you laugh or we'll do it for you." 

Fury still said nothing and gave a defiant look.

"Alright, everypony, begin!" Nurse Redheart commanded. The other nurses then began to mercilessly tickle his belly, causing him to immediately lose it.

"Bahahahahaha! Nohohohoho stahahahahahp!" Fury said, giving in. "You win! Have mercy on your patient!" 

"That's more like it. You can stop, everypony." Nurse Redheart said. The other nurses pulled away from the now giggling feline, allowing the head nurse and now Luna to step up to him.

"S-so, you have a protocol for ticklish patients, huh?"

"We have protocols for many strange things. Ticklishness just so happens to be very common among us mammals." Nurse Redheart said.

"Looks like your promise to yourself failed, Lightning Bug." Luna giggled.

"How did you know that I was trying to hold back?" Fury asked.

"I may have had a passive thought reading spell placed on you. And I may have given the nurses a bit of a heads up to keep you in the dark about the protocol." Luna said, holding back giggling.

Fury pouted at this. He always hated when his secret of being vulnerable to tickling would be exposed.

"Great, now even the medical establishment knows that I'm ticklish now. At this point, I've basically cemented a one hit K.O for me just in case I go rogue. And in the sense that somepony just wants to mess with me. I'm gonna have an army of ponies armed with feathers running for me by next month." Fury whined.

"Oh come now, ambassador, we in the medical establishment are sworn to secrecy when it involves our patients. We nurses and doctors will keep it a good secret. You need not worry your head off." She said, patting Fury's head.

"Why do I still not believe that? I've already got Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash on my passive radar for pranks, I don't doubt that any of you nurses won't be next." 

"You worry too much!" Said another nurse. "You think we medical professionals are a bunch of sinister villains."

"Can ya blame me after the stuff you've done with me?" Fury replied.

"Listen, there's nothing to worry about. We doctors and nurses have standards. Just calm down, okay?" Nurse Redheart said. Fury gave the room a suspicious look for a moment before smiling.

"Alright, I believe you." He said. "Not that I have a choice."

"Good. And even more good news, you passed your check-up. You're free to go. There seems to be nothing wrong." Nurse Redheart said. 

"Thank the gods I can finally leave!" Fury said.

Fury stepped down from the medical bed and walked to the door with girlfriend in tow. But before he left, he had one more thing to do.

"But before I go, I have to say this… I must not let a protocol like this go unrecognized." Fury smirked deviously. He then let out a whistle and a flock of chickens surrounded the room. "I've had many ponies do what you've done to me before, but they weren't let go without repercussions. Professional or not. So I say, why not give you a taste of your own medicine? No pun intended."

The other nurses went wide eyed as they saw the chickens before them. But before they could react, Fury set them loose.

"Get em."

The nurses scrambled in terror at the army of chickens.

"Where did they come from?!" One nurse asked.

"Well it must have been none other than Night Fury!" Nurse Redheart sharply looked at him. 

"Yep, one of my abilities is to summon other animals. Though I'm not like Fluttershy and can directly talk to them, I can give them basic directions through gestures." Fury said.

"Get these chickens out this instant!" Nurse Redheart demanded. But he ignored her.

"Come on guys, give them the goods! Do to them what they did to me!" Fury called out to his chicken army. They processed the order and chose a target, and began using their feathers as they were instructed to. 

"Ahh, curse these feathered fiends!" One nurse said.

"We were just doing our jobs!" Another one cried out being tickled.

"Sorry, that's just how karma works, ladies! Come, my love, let's go before they catch up." He chuckled, quickly leading Luna away from the ridiculous and laughter filled scene. 

"And now onto the next challenge. The tryouts at Rainbow Falls! Here I come!" Fury said.

"That is your next challenge, Lightning Bug. I shall call the other princesses to meet at Rainbow Falls for the tryouts to cheer you on." Luna said, walking with her lover to get ready for the tryouts. 

–

"Well guess who's back from prison?" Rainbow Dash remarked as Night Fury came within sight of the train station. "So what did they say?"

"First of all, rude. And second, I'm in perfect health. Although I did get exploited and embarrassed for a moment before I could leave."

"Oh my." Fluttershy said worriedly. "They didn't insult you or make fun of you, did they? I'm so sorry."

"Oh no nothing at all. Nothing too big. But I guess it doesn't really matter." Fury said not wanting to admit to them of the tickles.

"I disagree, Fury. Your stomach was quite a victim of the tickles." Luna said to Fury's dismay.

"LUNA!" Fury was not amused unlike Rainbow Dash and Bulk Biceps who laughed. 

"Oh Night Fury the all powerful, vanquished by tickling!" Rainbow could barely contain herself.

The black feline glowed a bright red on his face and curled up. Fluttershy approached him and snuggled up with him.

"That's not funny, you all should not be making fun of him for something so innocent. I'm disappointed at this, especially from you, Princess Luna! I'm not even giving you a pass." She said assertively. 

Luna looked down.

"I- I only meant it as a joke…"

"Well some jokes are just downright embarrassing for the other party." Fluttershy said. "There is nothing wrong with being ticklish. It's just how we are made. There is no shame to that. Fury is still strong." 

She then looked down to the feline in her hold.

"Fury, how do you feel when someone talks about you being ticklish?"

"I mean… I'm not afraid to admit it. But when I get put out in the spotlight for it, I don't like it. It's fine as a common joke or maybe the occasional prank or two, but a barrage of reminders of it? I can't handle that." Fury said. Fluttershy understood and nodded with him.

"You see? He may find it funny sometimes, but on a constant basis of reminders? That's not funny at all. Now, I want all three of you to make up with the poor thing." Fluttershy spoke. 

Bulk Biceps was the first to approach. "Sorry bro. I didn't know this was getting to you. I think you're still awesome."

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Yeah I can let myself go too far with my mouth. Sorry about that."

And finally Luna. "Please accept my apologies. I should have kept that a secret. I apologize sincerely for my misbehavior."

"Thanks you three, it means a lot." Fury said, accepting their apologies.

"Good, now with that over, let's see that smile." Fluttershy encouraged.

"C'mon Flutters, I'm fine." Fury defended, but she persisted

"Come on, smile for me…"

"I'm fine, Fluttershy, really!" Fury said, but Fluttershy had other plans.

"I'm not letting you go until I see you're happy. Even if I have to… get it out of you myself!" She said, as she then began tickling him.

"Bahahahahaha! Fluttershy, you were juhuhuhust defending me from thihihihis! Betrayahahahal ha ha!"

"No, I was defending you from being teased about you being ticklish. I was never defending you from being tickled outright." She giggled, letting go of him after a few. "Ahh, there's that award winning smile I remember."

"That is a pretty nice smile." Bulk Biceps admitted.

"Yeah that's for sure." Rainbow Dash smirked.

Fury was tickled again. "NOT AGAIN!!! Alright Fluttershy, I'm smiling! I beg you to stop!"

"Well since you have smiled. Alright." Fluttershy said showing mercy.

Night Fury thanked the gods that it was over. He learned that day not to underestimate the shy ones. 

"You… are… cheeky for somepony so shy." Fury sighed, catching his breath.

"I may be shy, but that doesn't mean I can't stick up for myself and others when the time comes." Fluttershy said. Then came the rest of the Mane Six.

"Hey you guys, ready to go to the tryouts?" 

"Finally! Yeah you bet!" Night Fury said. "Come on Rainbow you don't wanna be a slowpoke do you?"

"No way. Let's get in and win this thing!" Rainbow flew to the competition.

And so Ponyville's Team got ready to enter the competition.

– 

As the final tunnel through the mountains came to an end, the Ponyville team was treated to the magnificent sight of Rainbow Falls. All of them were amazed by the beautiful colors and stretching view that was bestowed upon them. As the train came to a stop with a hiss, the team exited the coaches and readied themselves for tryouts.

"Okay! Pegasi, to the Aerial Relay Course! Unicorns, To The Buckball Field And Weight Station. Earth Ponies, and Night Fury, To the Dirt Track and Team Tents!" Rainbow Dash called out, filing everyone to their stations. Night Fury followed the earth ponies to the dirt track and tents, setting up his space to get some last minute stretches in.

"Alright everypony, we're here! At this point, there's no going back! I want all of you to do your best and give it your all! And be responsible with yourselves, don't work too hard or else you'll tire yourself out. And be sure to put on a show as well, we have all four princesses here to watch us." Rainbow Dash barked, the team nodding with her orders.

"Night Fury, to the tents in the back! It's time you met the rest of the Dirt Track Rally Team." Fury went over to the assigned tent. It had two ponies facing each other with a heart in the middle as its logo, the mark of the Ponyville team. Once there, he saw two earth ponies standing on with Rainbow Dash.

"Night Fury, these are you teammates. On my left is Windbreaker…"

"Hello." The navy blue earth pony mare said, her black mane shining in the sun.

"And to my left is Swiftly Singer."

"Nice to meet ya." He said, his red coat and orange mane puffing up. 

"Nice to meet both of you. I'm glad we can be on the same team." Fury said with a smile.

"Alright you three, you get some stretches and practice in. There's still a bit before the Dirt Track Rally tryouts." Rainbow Dash said, flying off to check on Bulk Biceps and Fluttershy for the Aerial Relay tryouts. The tree dirt track runners went to stretch out, each choosing a different form.

"Okay, gotta streeeetch out the kinks." Fury strained, extending his back legs.

"Wow, you sure are lanky." Wind Breakersaid, doing invisible bicycle runs on her back.

"That's just one of the perks of being a Speed Shifter, you've got some long legs for jumping and running." Fury replied. He then changed positions to a downward dog, his front legs stretched out in front of him while his rear stuck up in the air.

"Hnnnng, gotta stretch out the glutes!" He said, pushing himself. For a few seconds, there was nothing but silent training. But soon there was a distraction.

"Uh, Night Fury…"

"Not now, Swifty, gotta keep going." Fury said, keeping his intense focus.

"Fury…" Wind Breaker added in.

"Not now…"

"Fury!"

"Ugh, what Windbreaker?!" Fury finally called out.

"You've got some onlookers." Wind Breaker giggled. Fury was left confused.

"Huh? What do you mean I've got onlooker-" At that moment, Fury's mind went blank and his eyes bulged. There, right behind him, stood the four princesses with amused expressions looking at him with his butt in the air. Fury went as red as Big Macintosh's natural complexion as he saw them. 

"I never knew stretching could look so… interesting." Celestia said.

"You said it, Auntie. I never knew you would stick your butt out that much…" Cadence said.

"Oh I see! So if you point your posterior into the air then it will result in better-" Twilight said, writing down what was in front of her.

"Twilight!" Fury whined. "Do you mind?! And for the rest of your majesties too?!"

"Why would we? You are the one who has his rear in the air like he just doesn't care." Luna said, quoting a song that Fury had heard. Fury was completely embarrassed, letting his legs slip from under him and let him flop on his belly as he planted his still glowing face in the ground. He could hear the princesses giggling from behind him before a pink alicorn lifted his head and made his eyes meet hers.

"Come on, Fury, we know you're just training for tryouts. We're just messing with you." Cadence said. Fury sat up in a sitting position and blushed harder. "Come on, kitty cat, lighten up…" 

Fury then allowed himself to smile, although a sheepish one.

"There's that beautiful feline smile." Cadence said. 

Wind Breaker and Swiftly Singer tried to resist chuckling at his smile. 

"Okay okay, ladies, now we've got some work to do." Fury said. "And don't go peeping at me again! Only Luna has the pass for that. And maybe Cadence too, if she wishes." Fury winked at the princess of love who had a small laugh at this. 

Chuckling at this, Celestia motioned the others to go to the seats. 

"Night Fury, you sure I can't do a bit more research before I leave?" Twilight asked. "I could write a report on Speed Shifter stretching!"

"Alright. That's enough, Twilight." Cadence said, pushing Twilight out of the area.

"Hey, you do not have my consent to do research on my butt! That's private!" 

"Ya clearly meant for somepony to see it with that pose…" Twilight muttered, walking away. 

"I heard that!" 

Luckily for Fury, he was now alone with his fellow teammates.

"Wow, you sure are popular, Fury. In more ways than I thought." Swiftly Singer chuckled.

"I'm starting to see why." Wind Breaker added.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious. Now let's get back to it, guys! We can talk about my physique later." Fury said, continuing the stretches. The Dirt Track Rally Team continued their routine, stretching out their muscles, doing a few laps, taking a water break and then repeating. Fury saw his teammates were doing well, especially Windbreaker. For a mare, she had a lot of stamina. Swifty Singer, on the other hand, was less successful. Having lost his breath multiple times, he struggled to put up a good lap time.

Even so, they trained their hardest to prepare for the tryouts. Above them were the Ariel Relay tryouts and Ponyville's team put down some good progress, resulting in a win. A few minutes later, the Dirt Track Rally tryouts were beginning and Ponyville's team was ready to go. On the stand stood Mayor Mare, stepping up to the mic to begin the tryouts.

"Ladies and Gentlecolts, welcome to the first ever Dirt Track Rally tryouts! As Mayor of Ponyville, it is an honor to see my village produce such strapping young athletes. We might be a relatively small town compared to say Manehattan, but we have a huge heart and great pride!" 

Everyone cheered at this.

"So therefore Dirt Track Racers. Go forth, do your best and prove to the rest of Equestria, our hometown spirit!"

"We'll do our best!" Fury, Swifty Singer and Wind Breaker cried out. "For Ponyville!" 

First up, came Wind Breaker's round. She stepped up to the starting line and looked around. From her perspective, she could see the other teams watching from th stands. The other teams, such as Cloudsdale, Griffonstone, Manehattan, and Fillydelphia were lined up on the sidelines as they had already qualified for the games in different aspects.

She was a little nervous at first as this was for the honor of Ponyville in the eyes of all of Equestria. But she remembered her stretches. The training she did.

"You got this one in the bag! Just remember our training!" Fury said.

With this Wind Breaker was fully confident. She was ready.

The announcer spoke.

"Alright, we begin in 3… 2… 1… GO!" The starting horn sounded off and the race began. As this was only tryouts, the track was made bigger and there was only one lap. If all three runners from the Ponyville team could make it to the finish line before the clock ran out, they'd qualify for the Equestria Games. 

Wind Breaker dashed forward, using Fury's breathing techniques, faster than she ever had. Her competitors were shocked by how fast she was going at the beginning.

"Keep it up, Windbreaker! You just have to make the benchmark time!" Swifty said.

"You're doing great, girl! Just keep breathing like we practiced!" Fury cheered.  

Even though Wind Breaker was a rookie, she felt like she was already as fast as Commander Hurricane.

But she was running out of time all the same. And she was starting to get worn out.

Come on, Wind Breaker, just a little bit more… 

She thought to herself as she closed her eyes, and pushed her limits as she rounded the final corner and passed the finish line, the benchmark time having been beaten.

She had cheering from Night Fury and Swifty Singer, so she opened her eyes to see she completed her mission.

"I won? I won!" She cried out in joy. The crowd cheered with her as they were amazed by her performance.

"Nice work, Windy! 42.03 seconds, not bad!" Fury said.

"Thanks, I've never run that fast! Your breathing technique really works!" Wind Breaker added, her smile widening.

"I'm glad they worked, but that's just one round down. Me and Swifty still have to put down our times. Swifty, you're up!" 

"Yep! Time for me to shine. This will be easy." Swifty said with a smirk. He walked to his area with his nose up. He didn't even bother with any greetings. 

Well, he's a bit more full of himself than Windbreaker, more like an earth pony version of Rainbow Dash. I just hope his cockiness doesn't get him in trouble.

Fury thought as he watched Swifty take his place on the track. 

"Up next is the son of a famous Royal Guard! A famous racer in Ponyville and even writer of epic exploits, he is one guy you don't want to underestimate! Give it up for Swifty Singer!"

The crowd cheered for him, who unlike the relatively unknown Wind Breaker until now, already had a decent fanbase.

"Thank you. Thank you. I know I'm glorious, but please tone it down just a bit! Everyone already knows how amazing I am!"

Okay I really hope this guy isn't all talk. Because this will be a challenge unlike before. Windchaser said to herself.

"Now on your mark, get set, go!"

Once again, Ponyville's Team's success hung in the balance. Swiftly had a large smile and felt like nothing could stop him. 

Yes, I am so very close. I will get there and prove once again my greatn- Oof!

All of a sudden, Swiftly was slowing down. It seemed he had a cramp. He looked helpless.

Swiftly was wondering what was going on.

The other towns fans were laughing at his current failure. 

"Come on, Swifty! Kick it up a notch! Think of your family's honor!" Fury called out. "Do it for them!"

Swiftly was now in pain and he felt like quitting as he had never run this much. But hearing Fury's words, gave him a second flame. He knew it was not for his glory but for his family's and for Ponyville's and for his team.

For my family. For my family. For my family! 

Swiftly repeated to himself. He pumped his legs as hard as he could, his mind repeatedly telling him what he was doing it for. The cheers from the crowd soon returned as the red earth pony came back into action. Pushing past the finish line, the clock stopped at 45.23 seconds. A bit slower than Windbreaker, but it beat the benchmark of 55 seconds. 

"I won? I won! I'm awesom-" Swiftly stopped himself. "No. I mean my team is awesome." He corrected, moving over to his teammates. 

"Thanks, Night Fury. If you hadn't straightened me out at that moment, I would have cost us qualification! And sorry for uh… being so cocky. I guess I was just too hyped up." 

"Oh don't worry about it. You learned your lesson and that's what matters." Fury said.

"Just make sure you try to pace yourself next time, big guy." Windchaser remarked.

"Speaking of next, it's my turn." Fury reminded them, stepping up to his position.

"And finally, we have our first Speed Shifter on the track. Throughout his time in Equestria, he has shown us that he can face any challenge and come out on top! Put your hooves together for the son of Obsidian and Black Ice, Ponyville's very own… Night Fury!"

The crowd cheered once again for the newest contestant. He became a sort of popular hero figure in Ponyville. After all, he brought in fame and attraction to the quaint village.

"Thank you thank you! Stand back guys as I give you a true demonstration of just how fast we Speed Shifters really can be. Hold onto your hats or someone else's if you don't have one. Cause I'm going in!" Everyone cheered at this after chuckling or rolling their eyes at his corny joke. 

"Here we go, everypony, the final race of qualifying! Let's see if he can give Ponyville its place in the Equestria Games! On your mark… Get set… Go!"

As expected, Fury ran like lightning. He ran fast along the dirt track as dust kicked up from where he had been and he shot along the path. The crowd cheered and hollered as he flew around the first corner, bursting into a sprint along the next straight. Fury used his breathing techniques, keeping himself steady. 

Wow I can see why the Wingbreaker and Swiftly struggled so much with this. Going this quickly in a limited time really makes you try hard.

As the timer reached the 30 second mark, he made the next turn. But instead of a steady exit, something got in his way. A stray rock slipped under his paw and tripped him up, sending him into an uncontrollable roll.

"Oof! Argh! Aaugh!" 

Fury's roll of doom led him to fumble and stop in one spot.

"Oh! As you can see folks, even the mightiest of warriors can stumble because of bad terrain. It's happened to the best of armies but sadly this might cost Ponyville's chances."

Fury tried to get up and keep going, but his head pounded from the collision with the ground. Trying to move ultimately led to him stumbling around and falling back down. 40 seconds in and the crowd started to wonder if Fury had gotten a concussion or worse, brain damage. 

Dang it. This stupid path just had to have these dumb little rocks. Am I gonna cost the team the win because of a stupid pebble? 

"Woah, the speed freak doesn't look too good. Is he okay?" Wind Breaker said, a concerned look crossing her face.

"I have a feeling he's gonna get back up." Rainbow Dash put in, floating down to the other dirt track racers. "He's taken bigger hits, he'll be okay."

Fury slowly stood up as 45 seconds passed and shook himself off, looking ahead as his blurry vision began to clear.

55 seconds to beat… C'mon, Fury, let's win this thing!

Fury's mind just wanted him to accept defeat. He felt like he was in such a daze. Maybe he could just this one out-

NO. No, I will not just accept that. I'm gonna remember what my father and Amethyst taught me, Jade's encouragement. And even the emperor's instructions in my mind. 

The dazed speedster soon started to move. He chanted to himself the old ancient quotes Snowdrift taught him. With a focused mind, he went forth. Slowly from a slumped stride to a walking pace, then a running stride as he picked up speed. 49 seconds down and all was on him, he had to push it hard if he was gonna bring home the gold. 

"For Ponyville, for my parents, for Luna, and for my village!" Fury cried out as he made a final foray.

"I don't believe it! The black speedster is back on his paws and running, what a turn of events! Will he make it?" 

He was only seconds away from defeat.

"You can do it, Fury!" said Fluttershy.

"Go show them who's boss!" said Rainbow Dash. 

"Come on, darling, just a little further! We believe in you!" Rarity shouted, completely different from her usually reserved tone. 

"Come on, Fury, keep that pace! You can do it, win this race!" The cheerleaders fired off, forming a pyramid. Fury ran like a bullet onto the final stretch, everyone from the Mane Six to the princesses coming into view. He could even see his parents in the stands, he didn't know they had shown up. 

"You told me not to give up! So do the same!" Wind Breaker said.

"Yeah, just as you didn't give up on me, don't give up on yourself!" Swiftly cheered on.

"Come on, son! I know you can do it! Don't give up!" His father said.

"Do your best, my dear! I know I birthed a hero!" His mother cried out.

"Go Forth to victory, Night Fury, my love! Show the power of the night!" Luna cried out.

Fury smiled as he saw the finish line in front of him, the cheers from the stands boosting his adrenaline flow as he made the final push towards the win. Cameras from paparazzi flashed and dust flew as the pounding of his paws became the only thing in earshot. And in one final effort… 

Ka-chick!

The photo finish camera flashed and Fury finally came to a stop, kicking up a wave of dust as he skidded along the dirt track. He held his head down, sweating as he caught his breath. Nothing else existed to him besides the faint clicking of cameras and his heartbeat flooding his mind. Had he done it? Did he make the qualifying time? 

"Please wait while the officials tally up the time." The announcer said. Almost silent murmurs broke out amongst the crowd, the loudest thing being Fury's heavy breathing. After about a minute, the announcer came on the mic.

"Ladies and Gentlecolts, the decision has been made. After careful consideration and quick calculations…" The crowd and Night Fury sat with baited breath, the anticipation in the atmosphere being thicker than steel.

"It is with great pleasure and joy, that with a narrow time of 54.95 seconds… Ponyville qualifies for the Equestria Games!"

Rainbow Dash gave a loud almost girly cheer and Fluttershy yelled how awesome Fury and his teammates were. Fury's teammates, friends and residents of Ponyville closed in to congratulate Fury. They lifted him over their heads in a mob, cheering his name as they brought him to the podium to receive his award.

"Night Fury! Night Fury! Night Fury!"

"Ha ha ha! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Fury called out as he was brought to the podium where Swifty Singer and Wind Breaker were waiting. Mayor Mare stepped up to them, flanked by the princesses while carrying three gold medals.

"Swifty Singer, Wind Breaker, and Night Fury, it is with great pleasure that I bestow upon you the gold medals of the tryouts and officially declare your Ponyville team qualified for the Equestria Games!"

"This is amazing. We really are going to the games!" Windbreaker said. "I only had it in my dreams. Is this really happening? Ow!"

She turned to Fury. 

"I just wanted you to know it wasn't just a dream!" Fury said with a cheeky smile.

Windbreaker rolled her eyes.

"Ah Fury, you're quite a guy." Swiftly said. 

"You bet I am! I wouldn't be so awesome if I hadn't gotten us into the games. Not to mention that I bagged myself a hot babe to love me for it!" Fury bragged. "Isn't that right, Moonpie?!" He called out to Princess Luna.

The crowd turned to Luna who approached him, her cheeks red. "Well I would say it was me who bagged you, Lightning Bug." She said with a smirk.

"Ah technicalities. Come here, your beautiful highness!" Fury said, embracing Luna and giving her a kiss. The crowd was stunned and excited to see the winner on his podium, but they never expected to see him kissing a princess. A privilege that he had won fair and square along with his gold medal. 

Everyone cheered for Fury and Luna, and their smooth romance. Everything seemed great for the team of Ponyville.

"Um… excuse me." Fluttershy said. "I do appreciate the celebration, but it's still not over. We still need to win the Equestria Games." She said with a face of both relief and worry.

"Oh come on, Flutters, stop focusing on the future. Let's focus on the now. And right now, I've got a pretty lady in my grasp and a gold medal around my neck. That's my favorite thing about this. Hey Cadence, you seeing this?!" Fury called out. 

Cadence was indeed looking and she had a camera with her.

"I was even before you called out to Luna. I just knew it would be romantic!"

Flash!

While Fury was annoyed by the brief blindness of Cadence's self appointed paparazzi activities, he was completely delighted in his situation.

"This has to be the best day of my life! I can't think of any way this could get better!" Fury said. But to his surprise, it could get better.

"Howdy y'all, got some fresh cider waitin' for the winners! Who's gonna grab the first swig?" Came Granny Smith, followed by Big Mac, Applejack and Applebloom with a ton of cider bottles in tow.

"Aw yeah, nice timing, Granny! Come on guys, let's hit up our victory with a little cider!" Rainbow Dash called, waving the Ponyville team over to the stacks of cider. 

"Heck yeah. One of Ponyville's greatest contributions to Speed Shifters. Apple cider!" Fury said, raising his drink.

"What even is this apple cider? Is it some sort of juice?" asked a familiar female voice. Fury turned around and saw that the question came from his oblivious mother. 

"Well mom, since you asked, I guess you could say it's a very very strong juice. Kinda like the toxic cider from back home, but you can actually drink it! Here guys, catch!" Fury then threw two bottles of cider to his parents. 

"Well let's drink away. I'm sure it won't be too bad." Obsidian joked.

The two both drank them and…

They spat out the drink. 

"What in the Snowdrift's name is this flavor?! This is not what I was expecting." Obsidian asked with Black Ice nodding.

"Wow, I must have a way higher tolerance than you two! I only got caught off guard a bit when I first tried it. Eh, I guess it's not for everyone." Fury said.

"No no, I think I can get used to it. How about you, Icey?"

"Well… I will admit I've had stranger tastes especially in prison. And… it does sort of taste like toxic cider. Hmmm. I will give this a chance."

"Wait wait, hold up! In prison, mom?!"  Fury asked, shocked. Black Ice blushed with the new information being leaked. 

"Oh believe me, my son. The food in the Cursed Forest was not quite normal. It smelled and tasted horrid." Black Ice explained. 

"Oh phew, for a second I thought you were saying that you actually got caught in your childhood. Unlike me and dad, of course."

"Well unlike you two, I actually was on my best behavior and never spent a day in jail. You would do well Fury to emulate me." Black Ice said with a smug smile.

"That's because you were a goody two-paws, honey." Obsidian put in, Fury nodding in agreement.

"He's not wrong, mom. Back then, you were the definition of a snitch! I think grandma still has your old Memory Sealer from back then, if she's still alive now." 

His mother pouted. "I only did it to help things from getting out of chaos. I did it for others' good."

"Sooo… when you snitched on your old friend Maximillion for sneaking out to get his first date, or the time you told on poor old Silver Stone when she was climbing trees wasn't you being a goody two-paws?" Fury reminded her.

"Wow, I was a bit of a goody two-hooves when I was a kid, I'll admit that. But even I wasn't that much of a snitch." Twilight admitted. "Just ask Shining and how much I kept his dates with Cadence a secret from my parents."

Black Ice was now embarrassed.

"Alright… I might have gone a bit too far in those cases." Black Ice admitted.

"Just a little, dear?" Obsidian questioned. "It was more than that. You sure liked to talk a lot! Remember when I brought you to meet my parents and you told them about my 'Supposedly well kept secret' escapades that you promised you'd keep your mouth shut about?"

"I told you I apologized for that! I just felt that if I were to be closer to your parents in law, I would explain some of our secrets. I thought we would bond through learning about each other!"

"Not every secret is meant to be told. As a matter of fact, a secret is never to be told!"

"Yeah yeah, you two can deal with your marriage problems over there. I'm gonna chug this cider and have a good time." Fury cut in before they had one of their arguments. 

Fury appreciated the fine taste of the apple liquor.

"Yeah, this is good stuff!" Fury said as he drank the cider. For the next few hours, the Ponyville team relaxed and had a good time, Obsidian and Black Ice soon seizing their disagreement to join in. Today was a good day, a day that Fury and the rest of Ponyville will remember. That is, if he didn't lean so heavy into the cider.

–

On the train ride back to Ponyville, Rainbow Dash, Wind Breaker, Swifty Singer, the princesses, Fury's parents, the Mane Six, and Fury himself sat in a train car chatting with each other. At least some of them were, as Fury was on a different planet entirely with how drunk he was with his rosy red cheeks and dazed expression. Out of the four princesses, Cadence watched over him, having the most experience when it came to a drunk guy. And while this wasn't like her and Shining Armor's honeymoon, it was just as funny to see Fury spouting out random shenanigans as he drunkenly lied next to her. 

"Hey there Candance? Do you like candy? Cause you sure look like one! Even your name! Ha ha!" He said in a drunk stupor.

"If I were candy I would be very bad tasting, so you shouldn't bother." Cadence said, chuckling.

"Ahhh… m-maybe your right, ssssweet cheeks. Hey, who's the sun bum over there? Shhe… She *hic* She looks hot. Maybe I should… give her company"

Fury waddled over to Celestia who was just about to sleep.

"Oh Celeste. Your sun shines over my dark heart. Oh how I love your radiance. Would you like to be mine, sunpie?" Fury said, strangely flirting with Celestia.

"Fury, I don't have time for… *yawn* jokes. I just want to go to sleep. I just want to have a nice soothing dream." Celestia said right before she dozed off.

"Oh don't be *hic* silly, you'll be dreaming about me anyway. Hey, is anybody else seeing dancing leprechauns on Twilight's head? Urp!"

"There could be one in your head if that's what you think." Cadence said sarcastically.

"Don't be unscientific! Leprechauns hate being inside a head, too claustrophobic. They prefer to mess around outside. Perhaps I should teach them a lesson about personal… *hic* space!" Fury said, approaching Twilight who was already asleep.

"Hey… hey, Twibutt, you've got dancing green dudes on your head." Fury drunkenly spouted before letting out another burp. 

She only responded with snoring. 

"Oh no. They already knocked Twilight out! Lyra was right about the uprising of leprechauns! First those hairless monkeys and now ponies! I must save you!" Fury said, raising his paw up ready to attack. He reared his arm back and swung with unpredictable force. 

Wack!

"Ow! What the heck, Fury?!" Twilight spoke out.

"I ju- *Urp* just saved you from the leprechauns Lyra was telling me about! You're *hic* welcome!" Fury said. Twilight sighed at his absent mindedness.

"Oh yeah, I forget you're drunk. I should have told Applejack to cut down on the cider especially for a different species. Cadence, please take him back." Twilight pleaded.

"On it. Come on, big guy." The pink alicorn directed. Fury was led back to his seat where he let his head fall into Cadence's lap, looking up at her.

"You know something, Lovebutt? You- *hic* you're like a pink, fuzzy angel from where I'm sittin'."

"Get off me, you big oaf!" Cadence got him off. "And I thought Shining's high school pick up lines were bad. Okay Fury, let's go!"

"H-hey, don't blame me! It's your h- *hic* husband that gave me those lines. If you're gonna be mad as somepony, be mad at him." Fury slurred. At this point, Rainbow Dash was just laughing at the moment.

"Wow, this is just priceless!" She giggled. Then a blue aura surrounded the drunk feline.

"Hey, what's with the light show?" Fury asked. He was lifted away from Cadence and landed in his girlfriend's lap, his head laying back.

"It's me, you big ignoramus. Luna, your one true love." She cooed.

"Well… what'dya know? I've got an actual- *hic* girlfriend." Fury said, his rosy cheeks growing brighter. His stomach then let out a small gurgle from the cider.

"L-luna, I think my tummy's talking." He said with a slurred voice. 

"Yes yes, I'm well aware of that." Luna said, caressing his stomach. "Just relax and be calm. The night is a time of peace. With… our exceptions of course."

"Can you… h-hear what it's saying?" Fury asked. Luna giggled at his frazzled state and bought into his drunken game. 

"Is it talking about leprechauns or perhaps goblins wanting to leave your stomach?" Luna played along.

"I- *hic* I think it's talking about you. Maybe it's talking to you."

Luna looked at his stomach and bowed.

"Greetings, good sir, for what do I owe the pleasure of meeting you?" She asked as if it were a king from a foreign land. Fury's belly growled in response.

"Oh, I had no idea you liked me so much. And why do you have such an affinity for me?" Luna pressed on. Another groan answering her.

"Ahh, so you like it when I just listen to you? Well, I suppose I do have a relaxing voice." Luna chuckled. But that time, she looked over to see that Fury had fallen asleep, much to the other passengers' relief.

"Oh good, he's asleep. If I were to say one thing about him, I'd say he is a goofy mess." Cadence giggled.

"And a bit hardheaded." Black Ice put in. "I told that boy not to have too much. But it was a little more than usual."

"You know him, dear, always willing to push his limits on what he can do. I know one thing though, he's gonna have one heck of a hangover tomorrow." Obsidian added. Luna nodded at the prediction. 

"Then I will stay with him just in case. It is a good thing that the games are not until the day after tomorrow, or else we would have to deal with a moody, grumpy feline with a splitting headache." 

"Yeah, the games are already stressful enough." Cadence said. "We don't want Fury's abilities to be sapped. The poor thing would be a complete wreck if he had to make moves tomorrow."

"Just make sure, if Night Fury does more of his… questionable activities, you make sure to stop him before he tries to "save" somepony else." Twilight said, rubbing her still stinging head.

"Consider it done." Luna nodded.

Everyone decided to go back to sleep. With Fury still sleeping on the blue alicorn's lap. Luna smiled as she saw him peacefully snoozing and thought to herself what she could do for him.

With how much cider he drank, he's probably going to need somepony to help him nurse the incoming hangover all day tomorrow. And it wouldn't hurt to give him some company while he recovers, I suppose a stay in Ponyville won't be so bad. 

And so Luna slept in with a drunk Night Fury. She knew he would have quite a huge day when the tournament comes. But for now, she is content simply to have him doze off into sleep. He had a big one yesterday after all.
> Chapter 31: History In The Making
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ugh. My head…"

The young Speed Shifter held his head in one of his paws as he sat up in bed. The day before had been a nightmare, with his head in a slurry of pain and his stomach heaving up what he had the day of the tryouts nonstop. While he had to admit that he had taken the apple cider too far, he wasn't sorry for having such a good time.

"Boy, that cider really is a punch to the gut. It's a good thing Luna decided to stay with me and take care of me. She's so sweet." Fury said, smiling at his royal girlfriend's hospitality. 

He then heard footsteps approaching him. It was none other than his dearly beloved coming in to check on him.

"Are you still feeling unwell, lightning bug?" Luna asked.

"Well, I'm still feeling like a train hit me in the head. But, I don't feel like there's a whirlpool in my stomach anymore at least." Fury chuckled. 

Luna smiled.

"That's good news. I'm happy you are not completely out of it. Especially compared to last night."

"Wait, speaking of which, I didn't do anything too weird right? I mean maybe my All Powerful nature makes me resistant. " Fury asked hopefully.

Luna simply shook her head.

"Powerful in combat, weak in drinking. No Fury, you had gone as mad as a wolf looking at the full moon. You literally flirted with Cadence and Celestia and then you attacked Twilight to save her from some leprechauns. And that is what happened." 

Fury facepalmed in embarrassment.

"Oh sweet mother nature, what was I doing? I'll be sure to send them some apology gifts for that. It's our tradition for Speed Shifters to give gifts of apology." 

Luna nodded.

"That is a noble custom and idea. Perhaps we ponies should learn from it." Luna said, appreciating his noble gesture. "But let me ask. Leprechauns?" She asked incredulously.

"Lyra. She's convinced that the little green dudes are gonna overthrow the government or something. And that's nothing compared to what she thinks about these things called 'Humans'. She's a nice mare as is, but she's a little frantic sometimes."

Luna laughed at this absurdity. 

"My goodness, ponies in Ponyville really are insane!"

"Well some of them." Fury said. "For me, she basically insisted I read her pamphlet. I didn't wanna be rude so I read through it. I'll admit I did enjoy it but mostly for a laugh. Don't tell her I did that though." Fury said.

"It is probably for the best that she doesn't know." Luna chuckled.

"Yeah. Hey, is it just me, or does it feel like I'm forgetting something?" 

"Really, what could have slipped your mind?" Luna asked.

"I don't know, but it feels like it's something important. Like something I should be doing right now, but I can't put my paw on it…" Fury said, pondering before turning to Luna.

"You wouldn't happen to know what time it is?" Fury asked, trying to piece things together.

"It's about 10:35, why?" Luna answered. Fury took a second to think before coming to a shocking realization.

"Sweet Celestia, the Equestria Games! I almost forgot that it was today! Ugh, stupid drunk brain making me forget things! No time for breakfast, gotta pack my things and get moving!" Fury called out, practically jumping out of bed and racing around his villa to pack his bags. 

"Okay, energy drinks, check! Protein bars, check! Team outfit, check! Train ticket, check! Realization that I may have almost screwed over the team again, check!" Fury said, grabbing his duffel bag and looking at his girlfriend.

"Sorry to leave you in a flash, but the team needs its dirt track runner! I'll see you in the Crystal Empire, laters!" Fury said, disappearing with a door slam and the distant whirring of his powers. 

"Triumph over your foes!" Luna said as he left. 

Fury was frantic as he bolted through town, his windy aftershock blasting whoever was in his path. He soon made it out of the town's limits and ran towards the train station. With a few strong breaths, he jumped in the air, got his ticket punched mid-flip by the conductor, and smoothly landed next to Fluttershy with a thump. 

"Ahhh! Don't hurt me!" Fluttershy panicked before seeing who it was. "Oh, it's just you. Sorry, but I can't believe you made that jump though. That seems dangerous!"

"When you're like me, you can make any jump with the smoothest moves." Fury boasted. Then Rainbow Dash noticed him as the train began moving.

"Night Fury, there you are! Where in the flying feather were you?" She asked sternly.

"Sorry Rainbow, had a bit of a late wake up call. That hangover was a pain and a half to deal with." Fury said. 

"Well don't let it happen again! I was worried we would have to put off the game for a day. Seriously, I might be a heavy drinker, but even I don't drink that much!"

"Okay, Rainbow. I think he gets the point." Fluttershy said, trying to calm her down. "What matters is that he is here now. And we are going to the Equestria Games."

Rainbow Dash quickly smiled. "Yeah you're right. I guess that is a plus. Well strap in, Fury, because this is going to be the biggest sporting event of your life!" Rainbow Dash said, flying off to address the rest of the team. Fury smiled a relieved smile as the train left Ponyville and began the journey to the Crystal Empire. He was glad he had a quick mind and even quicker paws to make his mark, or else he would have been left in the dust. Figuratively and literally.

–

The train stopped in the Crystal Empire with a hiss of steam. The Ponyville team, Fury's parents, and Fury himself stepped off the coach and onto the platform.

"Well guys, welcome to The Crystal Empire! Shiny as ever and in better shape too." Fury said to his parents, gesturing to the beautiful, crystalline city. Both of Fury's parents were amazed at the looks, especially his mother. 

"By the gods, I have only heard of such wonders from the elders' stories! Truly a sight to behold!" Black Ice said, her eyes sparkling like the crystals she saw. "It almost makes me want to carve a piece from a crystal for myself."

"I don't think Cadence is gonna be okay with that." Fury chuckled. "You guys follow the rest of the team to the castle, I'm gonna take a walk."

"Okay son, we'll see you there." Obsidian said, taking his wife with him to the castle as Fury did his walk around. Fury's parents adored the sights, the crystal roads, the beautiful colors of the shops, the hustle and bustle of the city were all amazing to them. Black Ice took it upon herself to check out the merchandise and got herself a necklace along with a bracelet made from diamond.

"Wow, this jewelry is amazing! I'm glad I got these as souvenirs, they were definitely worth it!"

"The hole you just burned in our money stash wasn't…" Obsidian mumbled. 

"My dear. Some things are worth giving away your money for." Black Ice replied to which Obsidian simply rolled his eyes.

They soon reached the base of the castle where the rest of the Ponyville team, the princesses, and the Mane Six stood. Along with a new face to see that greeted them.

"Ahh, you must be Night Fury's parents. Shining Armor, nice to meet you." The guard captain greeted.

"The pleasure is ours, this empire is an amazing sight." Obsidian said.

"It sure is. But it wouldn't be like this if it weren't for your son's heroics in defeating King Sombra. Not to mention the big help of this little guy." Shining Armor said, gesturing to Spike.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." The small drake said. Black Ice immediately took an interest in the dragon.

"Well hello there. You're an adorable little thing, aren't you?" She said, patting his head.

"Aww, thanks. But I'm not adorable, I'm a great and noble helper." Spike said confidently. Black Ice giggled at the dragon's confidence.

"Well, I'll make sure to keep that in mind." She said, walking over to the princesses.

"Well, it looks like we have everything under control. These games are looking to be a hit." Twilight spoke, guiding the team to the entrance into the castle.

"I hope so, this is a truly big event. Unlike anything I've ever seen." Black Ice said.

"Well let's hope that nothing gets out of hand. I am particularly excited for this new event in the roster, a dirt track race sounds very intriguing." Celestia remarked, a look of anticipation crossing her face.

"We think so too, this is gonna be good." Said Rainbow Dash, being flanked by Wind Breaker and Swifty Singer. "Speaking of which, we've got incoming!" 

The group looked back to see Night Fury running up the straightaway towards the castle's base. He particularly looked amazing in the cheerful atmosphere, his jet black fur glistening in the bright sun. The more cheery atmosphere of the Crystal Empire from its past made him look especially attractive to the mares around, growing devious smiles and blushes as they saw him swiftly but smoothly glide past.

The mares of the group under the crystal tower grew in temperature as their cheeks reddened. Though he was not actually near them, it felt as if a godly energy was radiating off of him. His smooth fur, slim build, harsh red eyes and quick moves had them captivated. They all had the same thought on their minds, that he looked totally hot. 

"Hahaha, look at me now! I'm on my way to making histor- woah!" Fury called out as he lost control of his speed on the freshly polished crystal roads and went into a dizzying spin. 

"Woahhhhhhh…!" Fury spun out on the crystal roads, his paws losing traction on the smooth surface.

"Oh boy, looks like the speed freak lost his grip. And he's coming in fast!" Wind Breaker pointed out.

"I've got him!" Cadence said. She walked over a few feet until she was directly in Fury's path and sat on the ground. She held her forelegs out in anticipation, waiting for him to get closer until… 

Wump!

He made contact. Cadence was forced back a few feet and came close to the Crystal Heart's pedestal before stopping.

"Gotcha!" She said confidently, looking at the now dizzy feline.

"Uuuugh… everything is super spinny. I think I'm seeing constellations." He whimpered, his eyes spinning in his head. 

Cadence was not feeling too pleasant either with having to use all her strength to immobilize the black bullet. 

"Oof, that was not easy. The guy is a bit smaller than your average stallion, but he sure can put some force behind his powers while running." She wheezed, her chest a little tight.

Their other friends ran up to the two.

"Oh goodness! Are you alright, you two? That was a major collision!" Fluttershy asked desperately.

"Yeah you went faster than Rainbow lookin' for the last pint of cider." Applejack remarked.

After caressing his head, Fury chuckled a bit.

"Don't worry guys I've survived through worse. This is nothing. Ow! Well it'll wear off." Fury said, getting up.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. When me and Cadence went to the Crystal Empire, I slipped a few times on these roads. I guess the Crystal Ponies must have some special hooves or something." Shining Armor said.

Rainbow interjected in this.

"Well that stuff doesn't matter. What does matter is that today is the day." Rainbow Dash

"I don't wanna go to school, ma! Imma make a superhero club!" Fury said, his dizzy mind barely functioning. 

"And we lost him again. Come on, bring it back…" Cadence encouraged, squeezing his face. Fury blinked a bit before he finally came back to reality. 

"Huh! Oh that was… gee. Even being as powerful as I am, I didn't expect that to happen. Cadence, whoever waxes these roads needs to get a raise and be fired at the same time!"

"Oh you'll get used to these roads some day. You just have to be more careful. This is not the place for speed ever since Sombra's been beaten."

"Well it's still pretty unpleasant." Fury said. 

"Hey, I can help but notice you look a little rushed. Like you didn't get much done today, did something happen?" Cadence asked.

"Well, after Luna helped me with my hangover yesterday, I had a bit of a late wake up call and had to rush out the door to get here on time." Fury admitted. Cadence giggled at his embarrassment.

"So that explains it. And I have a feeling you missed something, perhaps something important in the morning?"

Fury had a look of embarrassment.

"Nothing much except everything. I had to pack everything like no tomorrow. I didn't even get any of those donuts from Canterlot for breakfast." Fury said. 

"But I also wanted to just say sorry for hitting on you, Celestia and Cadence, and sorry for simply hitting you Twilight. I was drunk off my paws and out of my mind. And I may have been running on E back there as well."

Twilight spoke up.

"Oh don't worry too much. You were not yourself there. At least not all of it. But it is important to remember Fury. Always drink in moderation! Say no to drunkeness!" Twilight said as if giving a school lecture.

"Yeah yeah, thanks for the tip, Professor Sparkle. Yeesh, if I wasn't tired already, I sure am now."

"That's probably because you're running on an empty stomach." His father said. "Maybe we should give you something to eat."

"You read my mind, pops! I wonder what this place has in its entourage compared to back home?" Fury wondered aloud. 

Cadence spoke up. 

"Well follow me. And I'll take you to the most popular restaurant around here. The Apatite Cove! Shining Armor, show our Ponyville team to their domains while I take care of this one." Cadence instructed, her husband following her command. 

"Don't you mean appetite?" Fury asked while walking with her.

Cadence chuckled at this. 

"No silly, apatite is a type of stone. The ponies around here love talking about different rocks and crystals. Just be thankful I told you before crystal ponies chuckle at you for not knowing. It happened to me." 

"Gee this place feels like a whole nother planet." Fury said. "It must have taken you and Shining forever to get used to this place."

"Oh, believe me, it was not easy. The meaning of everything here is a bit jarring at first, but you can get used to it if you keep it in your head for long enough. Now let's get you something to eat before we start to hear some rather loud complaining." Cadence giggled, bringing back the teasing about Fury's loud stomach. 

The two traveled via the crystal roads, this time Fury being careful not to go too quickly. And they finally reached their destination.

"Behold Night Fury! The place where you replace appetite with apatite! The Apatite Cove!"

Fury saw a pyramid of deep blue crystals he learned was called apatite. 

"Ohhh, I get it! Nice play on words. So, what do they have at this place?" 

Cadence looked forward to showing Fury what was inside.

"Come on in and see for yourself."

When Fury and Cadence came in, it felt more like a cave with the roof towering over their heads. There were stalactites hanging from the ceiling and even some water streams flowing. The seats and tables were made up of an oakwood-apatite fusion, adding to the aesthetics of the restaurant. Fury was impressed, now even he knew that something so delicate could be used to support a building.

"Wow, this is amazing. But I'm not here to admire the aesthetics, let's see what this place has to offer." 

They sat at a table and Fury looked at the menu.

"They have salt crystals? Um… okay let's see what else." Fury continued to look at the menu and looked a little bit disheartened.

Sea shore Hay fries, Boisterous double Hay burger, Hipster horseshoe chips? Moonwater from Apatite? What? Ugh. Nothing here looks like it's for me.

"Oh dear, I forgot about that. The Crystal Empire hasn't had the chance to adjust to your desires and diet." Cadence said sympathetically.

"No no, it's okay. There's no need to worry, because I can do this now." Fury said, snapping his claws and turning into his pegasus form. Cadence was surprised, she didn't know he could do that. 

"Okay, let's consume."

He called for the waiter and asked for the items he had read.

When the waiter returned, he saw on black obsidian bowls the exquisite food items that filled his nostrils. Normally he would want to barf at these, but he was now curious what they would be like.

"Hoowee, these look good. I'm gonna enjoy this." Fury said, taking a batch of hay fries in his wing, using it as if it was an artificial paw. He crunched down on the fried food and was graciously surprised by the taste.

"Mmmm, this is amazing! Why have I not done this before?" 

Cadence appreciated his liking for equine cuisine but she knew that was only the beginning.

"It's nice you like that but it's time for you to have Crystal Pony specialties."

She presented to him some white crystals in the shape of fries and a blue crystal with liquid coming out of it.

"Rocks? Okay I have my limits, ya know?"

"That's what I thought but these crystal ponies have mastered making rocks tasty. These white crystals are made of a special salt. You can crumble it and the salt tastes better than any salt ever. And this blue crystal? It's apatite, and it's special because it's said to come from the moon and it stores up water from when the moon used to have water. At least that's what the legends say."

Fury was in a state of disbelief, how in the world did this crystal come from the moon? Nonetheless, he was going to try it out. He took one of the white crystals in his hooves and decided to test it out. He lifted the top bun of his hayburger with extra ketchup and pickles and crushed the crystal, letting the flakes fall into the burger before placing the top bun back on. He held it up to his mouth and took a bite out of it. Within seconds, his eyes opened up at the amazing taste of the salt crystals.

"Oh my gosh, this has to be the most delicious thing I've ever had. I'm never having that boring salt back in Ponyville again!" Fury said, his mind in a state of bliss. 

"Good!" Cadence said. "But now is the next one. The moon water."

"Uh, I don't know. This water is older than the Silver Blue or Canterlot. I feel like it might give me some sort of stomach bug or worse. I would rather not have that during our competition." Fury said worriedly. Cadence giggled at his concern.

"Oh don't be such a worry wart, it's completely safe. What, do you think that if you drink it, some sort of monster will start running around in there?"

"Yes." 

"Well, just drink it! Doctors say there are no side effects so far." Cadence said, a little too casually for the feline across from her.

"Oh great, I could be the very one to make those unknown side effects known. How exciting." Fury moaned.

"Just drink the water, ya silly goose."

He took the crystal and moved his muzzle to the little hole and chugged this exotic drink down.

He was a little silent at first.

"Well what do you think?"

"Hmmm… it tastes… kinda tastes like… a sweeter version of water. Like those flavored vitamin water packs ya see in the supermarket. Though it sits like a liquified rock when it lands down there. So this is what the moon tastes like."

"And do you like it?" Cadence asked. "I won't tell Luna if you don't."

"Eh, not exactly my thing, but it is interesting. And by the way, I can see you and your multiple hayburgers over there, ya loonie." Fury teased. 

"Hmmm?" Cadence said, having already chewed through one. "Whatever are you talking about?" Cadence asked while chewing.

Fury said nothing and simply smirked at her with a knowing grin.

"They're good, okay? You can't resist them!"

"I now see where Twilight gets her hayburger obsession from." Fury smugly said. "One more thing, how many times have you gotten a food baby before?"

"A food baby?!" Cadence asked, almost spitting out her food.

"Seriously, you've never heard of the term 'having a food baby'? And I thought I was the clueless one." Fury said. "Basically, it's when you eat so much that you look like you're pregnant. Simple as that." 

Cadence had a frown on her face. "Somehow I knew you were going there."

"What? I was just explaining it to you. Did you really think it was trying to jab at the whole 'Princess of Love' thing?" 

"Uh no! And for your information I don't eat that much to have that so-called food belly. I keep my figure up well. Thank you very much." Cadence sharply replied.

"First of all, it's food baby. And second, that whole thing about you benefiting from plumping up a bit, was actually a concern of mine." Fury explained. Cadence was a little surprised.

"Wait, you… were concerned about me?"

"Yeah. Considering the fact that I've never seen a creature as slim as you and the last time I saw someone so slim, they were either sick or not eating enough… yeah, the past kinda transferred to the present when I first laid eyes on you."

The pink alicorn had never thought of being thin as a bad thing. But she started to understand that perhaps the blunt Speed Shifter might have had a point.

"Well, I never thought of it that way. I was always focused on how others perceive me so I try to keep my figure up a lot. Some through magic and others through pure exercise." Cadence said, Fury's face contorted at her thoughts. 

"And that's even more of a reason why I'm concerned. You don't have to subject your image to whoever's opinion is bigger. I mean, look at me for example. I eat meat, and even though I've been in Equestria for months, almost a year now and there are other creatures who often visit that eat meat as well, there are still gonna be some ponies that have a different opinion."

"I've been getting a lot of talk considering my diet and how I act. My boisterous and high-energy mood, my diet of meat and fish, my origin as a whole. It's all been put up to bat. And yet, I don't swing at it. Remember when Celestia was debating the fact that I said ponies are too soft and only resort to pacifism? What did you tell her?" 

Cadence thought for a moment.

"Well, I told her how we can resort to pacifism on some occasions but sometimes we have to resort to violence when the time comes, no matter what beliefs we have." Cadence recounted that difficult speech to her aunt.

"That's exactly my point. You shouldn't be scared of a little bit of criticism. Sure, some ponies may see you as slacking off and not holding up to the standards a princess should hold dearly, but that doesn't mean that it should influence your thoughts and actions. There's a big difference between what ponies expect of you and what you want for yourself. So let yourself go once and a while, have a food binge while watching your favorite movie, pack a few pounds onto your figure, whatever. Nopony should have an opinion that fundamentally changes how you want to live your life. That's what my dad taught me."

Cadence was surprised at how he can be so fearless and unafraid of others' opinions. He felt like a truly free spirit and she knew he could use some of that.

"Quite the wise sage, I see." Cadence said smiling. "I guess that Emperor's words are rubbing off on you."

"Eh, I'm no wise sage. I am still a silly goose by your sense. A guy who still delights in stealing tasty treats and tickle contests. Wait, I think I said too muc-"

Cadence immediately stopped him with a hoof.

"Hold on a second… Tickle contests?" 

Fury realized he was in a pickle now. He had to think of an idea.

"Uh… you can't get me here! Yeah! We're in a restaurant. Wouldn't wanna disturb the peace, eh?" Fury said, thinking he got her in a bind.

Cadence still had a smile on her face as she leaned in on him.

"That may be so, but we're not going to talk about this here. We seem to be well enough finished with our dining, I say we get back to the castle and… investigate this new information." She said cheekily. 

Fury gulped at her sudden excitement. "Well you'd have to catch me first! I won't fall to your devices."

Cadence finally finished her food and called the waiter. Afterwards, Cadence looked into Fury's pupils.

"We'll see about that. I've been doing some more flying practice with Twilight so I'd be all ready to take you on." Cadence smirked.

They both left the Apatite Cove with their appetites satisfied.

"Uh beautiful day, huh?" Fury said, hoping Cadence would forget about her little devilish scheme. "I like how the sun reflects the crystals so much. It's very uh… aesthetically satisfying in my opinion." He went further in using fancy words he would normally not use.

"Do you think I'm that easily put off? I haven't forgotten about what you said. As a matter of fact, why put this up to a chase?" Cadence said. She lit her horn with a bright teal and within seconds, they were in a room inside the castle. 

"Wait, what? huh? Where am I?"

"We're in the Crystal Palace in one of the many rooms here. Pretty nice, hmmm? It's also quite private. With no one… to rescue you from me." Cadence said with an evil smile.

"Oh come on, we just ate! Can't we do this later? And besides, I've got the Equestria Games to worry about." Fury whined.

"Just think of this as a little warm up. I'm just trying to help you get ready." Cadence grinned creepily. "Besides, what if you had to run from assassins after you just ate? This could be helpful!"

"Yeah right!" Fury shot back. He tried to move away from her, but she stepped in front of his path.

"Ah ah ah, you're not going anywhere until I hear more about those contests you talked about. And I'm going to test them for myself, as well."

Fury was clearly unamused. He just wanted to chillax for a bit. But he saw how Cadence was so he figured he would placate her desires.

"Okay fine. Those 'Tickle Contests' are a way to test the strength of our will as future Speed Shifter warriors as kids. We go through them as a way to prove that we can hold our own in any situation. They're… also a way to show affection and love throughout my kind." He explained with a blush. 

Cadence nodded, clearly fascinated with this new information.

"Well I'll be. I never realized tickling was a military training tactic! I have to tell Shining about this for sure." Cadence chuckled. "So if that's the case, I don't think you would mind me tickling you to show friendship, hmmm?" She grinned again.

"Wait, let's not get too crazy now." Fury said, trying to get her to back off.

"I don't think so. I'm kind of feeling like a predator, and you're my prey. And I'm feeling like I haven't had my fill." She snarled, leaning in on the feline until her muzzle touched his. 

"Ummm…" Fury knew he was in big trouble now. Think of something. Something. Ah ha, a distraction!

"Uhhh… Look, Shining Armor in short shorts!" 

"Really?" She looked the other way excitedly. "Hey, I don't see him." Cadence turned back around to see Fury was not there anymore.

"Ooooh, that cheeky little… using my own husband against me! Where'd he go?!" Cadence looked around. 

She did hear some noise of running in the long hallway and could make out some black.

"Fury, I'm coming after you." Cadence said as she flew after him.

For Fury, he was laughing at how he bested Cadence. He praised himself for pulling it off and how he could get out easily. 

"Ha, that actually worked! Now all I have to do is get to safety, and I know just the two royals who can provide it! Throne room, here I come!" 

"Mind if I join you, Fury?" said a voice behind him. 

Fury turned around and saw Cadence catching up to him. 

"Ah shoot. I guess I was a little too late. No matter, I'll just lose her." Fury picked up speed and came to an intersection. He leaned left and baited Cadence into following him before quickly shooting right and juking her. She took the left turn and tried to stop but her momentum was too great before Fury disappeared.

"Perfect. Now, to get smaller." He said, using his powers to turn into a bat and fly the rest of the way to the throne room. The throne room came into view and he flew through the gigantic doors, flying to the roof to get a top-down view. As he expected, Celestia and Luna were sitting on Cadence's throne, talking to each other.

Nice, they're here. Time to hide out!

He made a few squeaking noises and got their attention.

"Huh? What was that?" Luna asked her sister.

"I don't know, but it sounded like a bat." Celestia answered. Not more than a few seconds later, a small bat with a red contrail came flying in, landing on Celestia's shoulder. 

"Hmmm, I was not aware this palace had a bat infestation. We'll have to tell Cadence eventually." Celestia said.

"They are not pests, sister! Bats are wonderful creatures of the night, essential for the environment." 

"Yeah, show some respect to us bats, Sunbutt!" The bat spoke. 

"Sunbutt? Why, I only know one daring enough to call me that. Isn't that right, ambassador?" Celestia chuckled, calling him out. 

"The battiest guy around!" Fury said, flashing his pearly white fangs. 

"Ah, my little lightning bug. Always a pleasure to see you. But it's a bit early to see us, is it not?" Luna inquired.

"Never too early to pop in on you two, I love seeing you guys. And besides, I'm actually hiding from somepony as we speak." 

"Oh? And who is this threat we have yet to see?" Celestia asked. Just as Fury was about to explain, a familiar pink princess arrives in the throne room.

"Speak of the devil…" Fury whispered, hiding in Celestia's mane.

"Hey, you two. Have you seen Fury around, he's supposed to do something for me." Cadence asked. Celestia and Luna decided to pry into this question and played along.

"Why must you find him so urgently?" Luna asked. 

"Well, I just found out that Fury's kind have 'Tickle Contests' to prove their strength of will and to show affection and love between each other. And I asked him to help me test it, but he ran away. I was hoping you could help me find my… test subject." Cadence said, winking at her aunts. 

Fury was desperately praying to the gods that Celestia and Luna would not rat him out.

Come on ladies. Especially you, Moonpie. You're for me!

He thought to himself as he continued to sit in the ethereal mane of the solar goddess. Celestia and Luna smiled at their niece's wish and decided to not only help her 'find' him, but help her conduct the experiment. 

"Well my dear niece, one could say you are doing this in the name of research. Well I say that is a noble goal. Twilight would be proud so… let us do so." Celestia said with a devious grin. She reached a hoof into her mane and pulled out the small bat inside.

"Ohhh, so that's where you were. Very clever." Cadence giggled.

"Oh come on, I thought you two would help me!" Fury called out. 

"Oh but we are helping you. We are helping you help us." Luna said innocently. 

"What?"

"You see, my dear lightning bug, I truly want to know what love is. I only have a small understanding, but through this, I may complete my goal."

"Can't we just talk about our feelings?" Fury pleaded.

Luna simply shook her head. 

"Words are not enough sometimes. Which is why I'm done talking. Let us begin!" Luna said, turning to Celestia.

Celestia carried the small bat to her niece and sat before her. Fury transformed back to his original form and was immediately squeezed in the sun goddess' forelegs like a pet. 

"No! Let me go! I do not approve!"

But the others ignored him. And Luna and Cadence went to different sides of Fury. Being ready to show him classic Speed Shifter discipline.

"So, dear niece, you say that this shows love and affection to his kind?" Luna asked. 

"Yes it does, Auntie. And I think he's gonna love this." Cadence giggled. 

"Even if it was supposedly love and affection, I never wanted it again! I kept running from my mother whenever she tried that!" Fury complained.

"Yeah yeah yeah. All I hear is someone who is just too shy." Cadence said. "Am I right, aunts?"

They both nodded.

"Now, let's see how this turns out." Cadence said, beginning to tickle his side. Fury resisted like he did for his check-up, tightening his body and holding as still as possible. 

I will not break. I will not break. I will not break

"Hmmm, what would happen if I tickled his nose?" Celestia said, pulling a feather and wiggling their captive's nose. 

I will not break. I will not break. I… will… not…. I'm breaking!

Slowly but surely, small snickers started to break through. 

"Oh, ladies, you only focus on the small things. I know where to strike him hardest." Luna said, moving to face him. She slowly moved her head up his body and stopped at his belly. Fury's eyes went wide as he realized what was about to happen.

Oh no… she's not about to give me a…

BBZBZBBZBZBZBT! 

"Not a raspberry! Ha ha ha ha!" Fury was finally defeated.. He squealed and squirmed as he was tickled on all sides, nothing being able to save him from his fate.

"A-kitchie kitchie koo!" Luna said, adding to the humiliation. 

"Oh why must I suffer so much ha ha ha ha!" He said both crying and laughing at the same time.

"He's so cute when he's vulnerable. I wish I had him as my mate!" Celestia said.

"Don't even think of trying to take him from me, sister!" Luna butted in. Just then, Twilight showed up.

"Celestia, I was just wondering, what should we do if- Uh, what's going on here?" The purple bookworm asked, a little confused as to why Fury was being tickled by her fellow royals. They stopped to let Fury breath and spoke to her. 

"Twilight, thank the gods you're here! These three psycho princesses decided it would be a great idea to torture me by restraining me and tickling me!" The black feline called out.

"Nonsense! We are just conducting an experiment." Luna said. This got Twilight's attention.

"An experiment? Of what kind?" She asked, a little intrigued.

"It turns out that tickling is one way Speed Shifters show affection. And we are seeing if that does the same with ponies." Celestia said. Twilight beamed at the new information, her inner filly bubbling up as she thought of the research possibilities. But she also showed a bit of deviousness in her look, now knowing that there was a benefit from giving her feline friend a tickle.

"Is that so? Well, I say there's no better way of conducting an experiment than with multiple testers." Twilight said. She gave a whistle and all of the Mane Six showed up. She quickly whispered to them what she had been told and all of them slowly showed either devious looks or silly grins. 

"I can't wait to show our champion some gratitude!" Rainbow said. 

"Ah'm mighty excited what a kitty like him will sound like." said Applejack.

"Normally I would think this childish, but since it is to better understand him, I will generously give him tickles." Rarity added.

"Well I always want to know what a feline like you would sound like." Fluttershy shyly said.

"THIS IS GONNA BE SO FUN! I CAN'T WAIT!" Pinkie said bursting with energy.

"Alright girls, if we are in agreement, let's show him affection." Twilight said as they all marched toward the nervous looking cat.

"No… nonono not again!" Fury said, leaping out of Celestia's grasp and gunning it passed his friends. But one more would stand in his way, or more so trip him up.

"Oof!" Fury fell face first into the castle floor. Looking up and to his right, he saw none other than Spike with his foot out where he had stepped.

"Oh come on, Spike!" Fury said, wishing he was not there. "You ruined everything!"

"Nice job, Spike!" Twilight said, using her magic to drag Fury back to them and telling Pinkie Pie to hold him down. 

"Oh uh sorry pal. You should have watched where you were going though." Spike said nonchalantly which annoyed Fury.

"I'll get you for this, Spike!" Fury said vengefully.

"Oh calm down. I have you now, big kitty!" Pinkie said. "We just want to have fun!"

All of the Mane Six held him down. All at once, they all went in on him and gave it their all. Fury burst out into laughter and filled the room with howls of his voice.

"Hahahahaha, this isn't fair! I thought we were all about the Equestria Games!? Don't you remember?"

"Oh we know. This is just a bit of stress relief before the competition." Rainbow said. "Just lie down and embrace your fate."

"Oh wow, I'm getting so much data! By now, I'll probably have enough to extend those medical records and known biology about your kind!" Twilight said, writing on a clipboard. 

"I'm sensing an increase in love energy from him, I think he's starting to like it!" Cadence said. "Rarity, you're hitting the sweet spot! You're getting the most of a reaction out of him!"

"I guess you could have experience from my own parents doing that to me as a filly. So I know exactly where to make it hit." Rarity reminisced.

"Okay girls, I think we've got enough. I think I'm starting to see him turn red." Twilight giggled. The Mane Six released their hold on him and let him breathe. Fury giggled and let out cute squeaks as he tried to regain his composure, rolling around as he made the tickly sensation go away.

"Hey girls, the games are going to start soon!" Shining Armor popped in. He immediately raised an eyebrow as to why Fury was rolling around on the floor giggling like a baby. 

"Is he alright? Does he need first aid?" Shining asked, quite confused.

"Nah, he's fine, just give him some time. He went through a lot." Cadence said.

"That, or you all put him through the ringer. Which is more believable considering how you're all gathered around him like a bonfire. Now come on, the games inspector wants to go through the events with the team before the games start!"

Everyone's faces turned from amused to worried.

"Seriously? I thought she was done." Twilight put in.

"Apparently not, she wants to make sure that everything goes as it should be." Shining added.

"Well, I suppose we should get going. Come, let us go." Luna instructed. After Fury finally finished his laughing fit, he stood up straight and followed the others  to the stadium.

–

The stadium stood tall over the group, the crystal walls shining bright in the sun as they walked up to the entrance. As they approached the entrance, they all noticed the games inspector standing there. She was a reddish-brown earth pony with a yellow mane, an official pendant and suit to accent her professional looking profile. The group of ponies and the Speed Shifter stopped as they came in front of her.

"Ahh, you all seem to be on time. Which to me is a surprise considering some of your backgrounds." Ms. Harshwhinny spoke, sounding condescending. "I understand that you have a special teammate within your team. Is he here?"

Gee, she sure sounds like a very fun lady. Fury said in his head.

"Yeah yeah, I'm here. Keep your clipboard in your hooves." Fury stepped through the crowd and showed himself, a very unamused look on his face. 

"Well, it's about time you came here, Ambassador. I hope you will not disappoint me as I analyze you."

"Analyze me? What am I, an alien? And just so we're clear, as long as you're in my presence, keep that title in your muzzle. I'm not here to start playing patty cake." Fury spat. 

"Um, excuse me for a moment ma'am. Fury had some sort of accident. He doesn't mean to be so blunt. Right, Fury?" Twilight asked, staring into him.

"Keep it short and sweet, princess. This isn't your time to start speaking on my behalf. I don't need you trying to do anything for me." 

"Excuse us." Twilight said. She pushed him to a private corner. "Fury, cool it! I don't need you causing any problems today! Do you even know who you're talking to?" 

"That snooty games inspector Rainbow warned me about on the train and the one I read up on when I first heard about the games? Yeah, I know her and I don't intend on letting any disrespect slide. I'm going to explain this to you only once, Sparkle. I am all for these games, but I don't let snobby attitudes and passive aggressive comments about me slide. You have a problem with that, take it up with me. Because I will gladly show you what I let slide and what I don't."

"Look, if this is about you being tickled. I'm sorry. I got carried away with research and it won't happen again. I'll give you a whole bunch of fish later on." Twilight said.

"I don't care about the research, bookworm. It's disrespectful ponies that are snide and make passes at me for not being so prim and polished that I'm worried about. Now let's get this done, I've got a gold medal to reign in." Fury said, walking back to the group. 

Harshwinny appeared a bit unamused. "Ah, finally. I hope you had an adorable conversation with your buddy over there. Because I am getting very impatient here."

"Keep your teeth in, I'm not going anywhere. And she is not my buddy. Let's get this done, shall we?"

"Finally something wise out of you. Follow me." Harshwinny said, leading him and the group to the stadium. Fury was less than enthusiastic with that comment, a visible vein pulsing in his head that made the Empire's ruler and the royal sisters concerned. 

"That Fury, why is he like this? Can't he keep his emotions inside?" Cadence whispered. "This is not the time to talk back!"

"That may be the case, niece, but I suspect that Ms. Harshwhinny is pushing her limits. Or more so, trying to get Fury to break his own." Celestia said.

"I just hope Fury will not get more angry than now." Twilight said. The group entered the vast stadium, the grass stretching a few hundred yards in every direction. Ms. Harshwhinny began to speak.

"As you all may know, the Equestria Games is the biggest sporting event in Equestrian history. Many creatures from far and wide come to either spectate or participate. And with the ambassador being here, he will have brought a whole new species into the games and cement his kind as the first to participate and spectate in Equestrian history. Which in my professional opinion is rather surprising, considering how violent they are." She mumbled that last part. Fury still picked up on that and the vein in his head began to pulse faster, getting Fluttershy's attention and making her concerned. 

"Now now, don't let her get to you. Maybe she's just a bit angry at something else. She probably doesn't really mean anything personally."

"Is that so, Fluttershy? Can you hear what she's saying?" Fury jabbed, clearly annoyed.

"Well, no but-"

"Exactly. So don't try and tell me what she's trying to mean when I can hear her and you can't." He snarled quietly. Fluttershy was worried for her friend, but she could understand what he was saying. He did have a better sense of hearing than she did, so she really couldn't tell him what she meant when she couldn't hear what he did.

"Now, as of this year's games, the event organizers added a new event. The Dirt Track Rally. As you can see, the track has been laid out with cones surrounding the border and a state-of-the-art starting light that allows for much easier viewing for your pleasure. May the sights of contestants fill you with utmost passion." 

Everyone watched as they were filing in. Anticipation filled the contestants' veins. The group continued to walk the field and came up on the Ariel Relay Course.

"And here is the Ariel Relay Course. Specially designed to taste the limits of even the best flyers, this course has stood the test of time. Constantly challenging those who take it on and running those who can't handle it out of the stadium."

Fury saw the course and realized he would have to use all his flying skills for this part. He hoped he and his teammates would be ready. They continued to tour the stadium, coming across the ice archery range, the horseshoe throw, the weight lifting section, and the obstacle course. As they exited the stadium and came to a stop, Ms. Harshwhinny began to speak her words before departure to oversee the lighting of the torch that Spike had graciously been assigned to do. 

"Now I shall go. Do your best, as much as you can at least. For I am watching." Harshwhinny said as she left.

Phew, it's over. I swear, Fury might have some problems with that tone of his. Wait, where'd he go?

Twilight asked herself. She observed the crowd ahead of her and couldn't see the black cat anywhere.

"Has anyone seen Fury?!" Twilight asked. Everypony said no and they were all frantically searching for Night Fury.

Dang it Fury. Of all the times to not be present…

"Night Fury, where are you?!" Twilight called for him. "We have to hurry! The game is about to begin!"

"Hey, I've got eyes on him! He's… he's talking to himself." Rainbow Dash said. The group walked over to where he was said to be and listened into his conversation with himself.

"Ooh, that pretentious little hoof licker is a pain! If I could, I would grab her by her neck and drag her face so badly that even Luna would have an epiphany seeing her mangled body. She is lucky that she was in the sightlines and to those four princesses, and if she wasn't, she would never be able to be found. Let's see how long she tries to test me."

"Yo Fury! If you're done talking to yourself, we have a game to play. So get your butt back here and be ready!" Rainbow Dash called out to him.

"Oh we've got a game alright! I'll beat the brakes off of those other teams like I just met them!" He said as he moved back there.

Rainbow liked the sound of that.

"That's the spirit! Now you, Wind Breaker and Swifty Singer get into position."

They did so. They were all anticipating the big event, waiting for their chance to prove themselves in the biggest sporting event in Equestrian history.

–

"Places for the precession everypony, two minutes!"

Windbreaker and Swiftly Singer were both eager to prove themselves in this great competition. It was something they dreamed of as foals.

"I'm a little nervous again." Windbreaker said. "I never thought I would get this far."

"Ah don't worry!" Swiftly said. "We'll show these other sides that Ponyville is unstoppable. We've learned a lot after all from before. We'll make their jaws drop!"

Wind Breaker had a boost of eagerness.

You're right we can do it! We'll show them! Right Fury?" She heard silence at first. "Um… Fury?"

She looked to her left and saw the black feline staring at the ground, whispering to himself. She looked worried at his state and decided to pipe up.

"Feeling the pressure?" She asked. Fury pulled his head up and nodded.

"Yeah, but not for the reason you think. I know that I'm confident in the games and my performance, that's set in stone. But… it's just that this is going to be the event that truly introduces my species to Equestria." 

"Introduce your species? But haven't you already made a name for yourself?" Wind Breaker asked. 

"Maybe to a couple of delegates who've heard of me and the ponies I interact with on a constant basis, but there's still a ton of ponies that barely know me, let alone know I even exist! These Equestria Games are going to be the biggest moment for not only me, but for the reputation of my kind as a whole." Fury explained. 

"I can understand that." Swiftly said. "I know this is our time to truly show all of ourselves. To prove our worth to all of Equestria. Isn't that right?" 

"You understand well, my friend! Alright, let's do this!" Fury said. The Ponyville team stood inside a tunnel that led to the field, the opening ceremony about to begin. Many of the teams had already made it out to the field and given their entrance routine. But now, it was Ponyville's turn. Night Fury had been ordered to stay behind as the team went out to the field as he was to be separately introduced, his species being the first to participate.

"Now, please welcome the delegation from Ponyville!" Shining Armor called out. The Ponyville team, being led by Scootaloo of all ponies, ran out. The other two members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders held up a banner of their team flag, readying themselves for the charge.

"Ponyville forever! Yay!" The Cutie Mark Crusaders called out as they let the team run through. Scootaloo led the team with their flag attached to her scooter, letting the ponies behind her fall in as they ran out onto the field. 

All of Ponyville had their eyes glued on their heroes. Fury swore he would not let them down.

All of the contestants finally made their positions. And then, it was his turn. 

"And now, please welcome the newest member of the Equestria Games…"

Okay, Fury, this is it! Give them a show they'll never forget.

"Through his trials and tribulations, he has made a statement to ponies that he can live amongst us in harmony. Some know him as a hero, others know him as a friend, and only a very lucky somepony can call him their special somepony. But without further ado, Ladies and Gentlecolts, I give you the very first Speed Shifter to walk this field. Give it up for the one… the only… Night Fury!"

Everypony cheered for him. Especially his parents and the Mane Six. But most of all his one true love, Luna. She was shouting at him to destroy his foes.

"Well I won't do that literally, but we'll totally beat them in the dust." Fury said to himself. He ran out to the rest of his team and joined them in the center of the field for the lighting of the torch. 

There Fury saw a familiar scaly figure running to the booth. Fury was proud that Spike was able to have such an honor, he had basically been crowned a deity among the crystal ponies for what he had done during King Sombra's attack. Spike climbed up the ladder to the torch, took a deep breath and used his fire breath to light the torch, lighting it up in a beautiful emerald flame. 

"Yeah, you show the crystal ponies, Spike!" Fury cheered him on to the young drake's appreciation. The young dragon bowed to the crowds in gratitude before returning inside the stadium to rejoin the stands.

"With the lighting of the torch now complete, it is time to begin our first event! The Dirt Track Rally! Our first contestants are the young but no less talented Wind
Breaker, Stone Claw, High Tower, Fleet Foot and Two Tone!" As their names were called out, the five contestants walked their way to the starting line. Five ponies plus one griffin stood ready at the marked area. 

Wind Breaker approached her area, ready to make all three laps. She was not as afraid though. She knew her abilities had increased ever since the first race. She took a deep breath and let it out. Looking over, she saw her opponents. While Two Tone and High Tower were earth ponies like her from Fillydelphia and Manehattan respectively, Stone Claw and Fleet Foot both had wings and had a special binding spell placed on their wings to allow them to compete. 

She could see they were all just as determined as her. Some of them seemed rough on the edges especially Stone Claw who had a scar by his eye. She knew they were not to be taken lightly. 

"Racers, take your marks!" Came Shining Armor, standing next to the new starting lights. The five racers leaned down to running positions, ready to take off at a moment's notice. The lights engaged and showed red, three sets of light going down in order before green.

3… 2… 1… Go!

The light went green and the race was on! The rest of the teams cheered from the sidelines as their teammates took off. Ponies in the stadium began cheering for the runners as the action started, ponies closer to the action getting an easy view while others higher up such as the princesses and some friends of the royal family in their own private box being displayed the action below through screens via a complex web of viewing spells. 

For Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Mane Six, they could see the many complex maneuvers Wind Breaker made to catch the others off guard. She often switched inside and outside to pass other opponents, used the dust kicked up to cover her moves while keeping it out of her eyes, slowing down to let others overshoot turns in order to pass. She was killing it. By the time the third lap came up, Wind Breaker had set herself in a solid first place, Stone Claw in second, Fleet Foot in third, and Two Tone and High Tower bringing up the rear. 

Everyone cheered on the young intelligent champion. They were impressed by her level of skill.

"Come on, Wind Breaker, just bring it home!" Rainbow Dash called out. Wind Breaker rounded the final bend and with the sound of an air horn, the race was over. She and the other racers pulled off of the track and started congratulating each other as the points tallied up.

Ponyville: 5 points
Griffin Stone: 4 points
Cloudsdale: 3 points
Fillydelphia: 2 points
Manehattan: 1 point 

"Nice race, High Tower! You may not have made the top three, but you put up a good fight of endurance." Wind Breaker said to the blue stallion with a black and blue mane.

"Hey, when you're an architectural manager constantly running up and down flights of stairs to monitor levels upon levels of construction for a sky-high corporate office in the middle of the city, you give yourself a good workout." He chuckled. 

Night Fury was impressed by her humbleness. She was someone who showed respect to others.

"Nice job, Wind Breaker! That's five points for us. And I like how humble you are. Considering how competitive and hardcore this event is, I'm surprised you're not bragging." Fury commented.

"It's not that much of a competition type gal. To me, it's just a day to get out there and show your stuff. Since my dad was a part of the weather patrol in his heyday, he told me that l should look to the smaller things in life and never let your emotions barge in over yourself." 

"And that's a good idea to stand by, your father is a good pony." Fury said, making Wind Breaker blush. While she was rather embarrassed to admit that she liked Fury's words, she did find him like a pseudo big brother with how caring his demeanor was.

"Alright, we're in the lead, let's try and keep it up! Swifty, now's your time to shine!" Rainbow Dash called out.

"Next up we have our second group of contenders. These being Swifty Singer, Thunderlane, Skylar, Pea Pod and Sweet Treats!" The next five contestants stepped up to the line and began to prepare themselves. Swifty knew that this was a big event and he had all eyes on him, but it wasn't all about him. 

He remembered what Fury said during tryouts and made his objective to do it for his family and friends as well as his teammates. The other contenders looked as ready as he was, With Skylar and Thunderlane being the fiercest out of the five. Pea Pod and Sweet Treats on the other hand, looked more meek and casual. With Pea Pod being a literal sweet pea farmer from Fillydelphia and Sweet Treats being a baker from Manehattan, they both were less enthusiastic about the competition and were more nervous.

Even so, it didn't stop them from trying. The racers then changed their attention to the starting lights, watching as they went from red to green and permitted them to take off.

Everyone could tell that Swiftly was less nervous than the previous contestant. He was also far more experienced at running since he has been doing this for a long time. He easily breezed through the first lap and gave Ponyville the thought of an easy win. But just as lap two started, things would get hairy. 

As Swifty rounded the second corner, he would start to slow down in an effort to conserve energy for when he needed it. But what he didn't realize was that the other racers didn't have such a strategy in mind.

"Okay, just gonna slow down a bit and give myself some time to- Augh!" As he was about to finish his sentence, Skylar and Thunderlane flew past him, kicking up dust that blinded Swifty. To add insult to injury, Sweet Treats passed him up and made him trip over his own hooves, giving his team a horrible sight to see as the dust cleared from where he sat in the dirt. 

"Whoops, sorry for the little trip, yokel." said Sweet Treats. "Have fun down there. Peace!"

Fury and Wind Breaker looked in horror. 

"Get back up now!" Rainbow and Fury yelled together. "You can't let them blaze through!"

For Swiftly he was able to finally get back to his hooves and keep going, luckily not falling too far behind as Pea Pod was still a ways behind him. He pushed as hard as he could think through the final lap, trying to keep up with the rest of the competition. But with Sweet Treat playing aggressive and making sure he didn't pass, he had a hard time coming back from his fall and ending up with a fourth place finish.

Cloudsdale: 8 points 
Griffin Stone: 8 points 
Manehattan: 4 points
Ponyville: 8 points
Fillydelphia: 3 points

As the points racked up for the teams, Ponyville saw that they were tied with both Cloudsdale and Griffin Stone. This was not a good sign for them.

"Aw man, I got tripped up! I should have done more!" Swifty huffed, walking off the track. "I failed Ponyville."

"Easy, Swifty, you did good. It's that Sweet Treats that was the problem, she was playing aggressively big time. You did all that you could and that's all that matters." Rainbow Dash said. Swifty calmed himself and nodded at her, he knew that with such a high amount of pressure and lots of fame on the line, there were going to be a lot of players who would push the limits of what they could do. 

"Who would have thought a pony with a sweet cute name and fru fru bow in her mane could be so nasty?" Wind Breaker remarked.

"Whatever that girl is up to, it's over now." Rainbow remarked, turning to the feline of the hour. "Fury, it's all up to you! We've got to break this tie to win this event, go get that gold medal for us!"

"Oh boy. I guess I'm the chosen one of this race, huh? I never thought it would be this close. I'm going to have to put on my A game today. I have to remember everything I was taught." Fury said. "But no matter, I'll have us feasting in Cadence's palace by tonight!" 

"Finally, we have our third round! Up next are Spitfire, T-Bone, Coco Pommel, Heat Strike and Night Fury!" Shining Armor said. The third name on the list was an interesting one for a certain fashion designer in the crowd, her ears perking up ever so slightly.

"Coco Pommel? The upcoming fashion designer from Manehattan!? I had no idea she was the athletic type! Especially with how… reserved she is." Rarity said, her gaze following the cream colored earth pony as she walked onto the track. "Go Coco Pommel! Prove your might!"

Rainbow Dash was not at all inspired that Rarity sided with a rival contestant instead of Ponyville's team.

"Sorry darling, but us fashionistas have to stick together." Rarity said.

"Well so much for you and Ponyville pride, she has got to get her priorities in check." Fury moaned, taking his place at the starting line. He looked over to the side and saw the captain of the WonderBolts, Spitfire. Rainbow Dash had her in her cross hairs ever since she was a filly and had an obsession with the WonderBolts. He had to admit, she was a bit of a legend. What with her world records for the fastest flying creature in the world and the fastest pegasus in the world. But it didn't matter to him, this was still his competition. 

Rainbow Dash then turned to Fury and cheered "Bring in the gold, Fury!" 

Fury smiled that the Element of Loyalty was still on their side unlike a certain other pony.

The lights lit up and went red, all lighting up in sequence.

3… 2… 1… Go!!!

And the race was on! Fury and the other racers took off at blistering speeds, dust blowing in the air as they took off. In a few seconds after the first turn, the field started to find their positions. Spitfire in first, Fire Strike in second, Fury in third, Coco in fourth and T-Bone in last. 

Well it looks like I'm making progress. I just gotta get ahead of that Fire Strike and Spitfire. Gee, why did I get the really tough ones?

Fury kept running but felt like he was not getting any closer. But he saw an opportunity as Fire Strike overshot the last turn into lap two. Fury took the chance he had and extended his claws, giving him more traction as he gained on the red pegasus from Fillydelphia.

"Sorry bud, but I've got a gold medal to reign in!" Fury called out, giving Fire Strike a salute before pushing past him and beginning his second lap. 

After hearing some swearing from the red pegasus, he moved on to his biggest foe. Spitfire. Someone he heard of great exploits.

"Oh boy, Spitfire is too smart to go for a fluke like that hothead there. How am I gonna catch up to her?" Fury thought as he skidded past the first turn and onto the long straight away.

That's it! I'll get behind her and make her mess up, the pressure from me being behind her should get her to crack. And maybe staying silent as I do it will add to the stress.

Fury pushed hard as the second turn passed by and he started to gain on Spitfire. He got up to her right flank and proceeded to slow down, hanging out next to her as they raced down the straight away towards the final turn. 

"Well well well, look who managed to catch up. You feeling the burn yet?" Spitfire asked in her usual raspy voice. But Fury said nothing. 

"I said, are you feeling the burn yet, kid?" Spitfire said thinking he didn't hear her.

…

Fury only continued to run beside her, causing the WonderBolt captain to start losing focus. The final turn was incoming, all the marbles were strapped around Fury's neck, and it was his time to shine.

Alright, let's bring home the win!

"Hey Spitfire!" He called out, getting the bright orange pegasus to look at him.

… 

"Watch out." He said smugly, slowing down even more. Spitfire had no idea what he meant. That was, until she found herself running up and over the sloped turn, flipping upside down and landing in a patch of hay on the border.

The crowd roared as they saw Fury enter the lead, giving him the motivation to keep pushing harder. He felt like no other creature alive, his adrenaline flow pulsing through his veins as he saw the finish line ahead. He swore if it weren't for the disabling spell on him, he would have done a stylish sonic boom to punctuate the moment. With one final push and a victorious roar from the feline in first place, he crossed the line and sounded the air horn. 

"We have a winner! The Speed Shifter ambassador himself, Night Fury!"

"Yeah! We did it! We did it!" Rainbow Dash said going into a little dance.

Everyone came up to Night Fury. "You did it, Fury!" Fluttershy said louder than her usual self. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Heh, thanks, you gotta admit that was a neat trick I played on eh?" Fury said.

Everyone admitted so. Although Rainbow seemed to not want to rag on Spitfire too much for obvious reasons.

"No! How could we have lost!" said a frilly looking Sweet Treats. "My city was supposed to be the winner today and we lost to a hick town and their pet cat?!"

"Too bad, sweet cheeks, I'm just better. And besides, wasn't Manehattan the city that got swatted in the Equestria Games four years in a row?" Fury said, roasting her. The team and the crowd let out a synchronized 'Ohhh!', Princess Celestia coming out with her own 'Oh Snap!' before regaining her composure and blushing at her rather childish antics. 

"Humph!" Sweet Treats simply stuck her nose up in the air. "I should have gotten my father to pay for better teammates. Too bad I got a bunch of lameos instead!" She said walking away.

"Hey! We helped you get here in the first place, you spoiled daddy's girl!" Coco Pommel said, the other players in team Manehattan holding her back from charging at the leaving baker. 

"Wow… she may be reserved, but she can put her hoof down when she needs to. I may have to hire her someday, once I have the time and money to extend my boutique." Rarity commented, her mind wandering at the possibilities for her and Coco in the future. 

Rainbow was still a little miffed that Rarity didn't even think about Ponyville's Team. But on the other hand, she was just happy to finally have Team Ponyville win this game against all the odds.

"Hey, not bad there, kid." Fury turned to see Spitfire. "I was impressed by that trick you did there. You have a lotta talent."

"Thanks. I have learned from all my days of pranking and sneaking around with a few mind games sprinkled here and there. But if you want to give credit. Give it to Rainbow Dash. She was the one who organized this whole team and made us shape ourselves up."

"Oh really?" Spitfire turned to Rainbow Dash who was shaking with anticipation at her hero. "Not bad. If you trained these guys up, you might be captain one day."

Rainbow almost passed out at this. "Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh."

Fury laughed at his friend's fan girl freak out, he was sure that she was in her happy place with Spitfire even talking to her. The teams then walked over to the podium, each runner getting their own medal. Ponyville cheered for the three runners as they received their gold medals, standing tall as the pride flowed through them.

"Congratulations to all our medalists. And now, the anthem of the Equestria Games!" Shining Armor said. Fury showed a cheeky smile as he heard this and disappeared. Swifty and Wind Breaker had no idea what made the feline want to leave, but it didn't matter as he showed back up a few minutes later.

"So you know how they added speakers to the stadium for the anthem?" Fury asked the two, getting nods in response. "Well, I may have swapped out the CD that plays the anthem for something more… prank worthy." 

The two other racers gave each other confused expressions as the speakers began to play. And at that moment, the biggest prank in Equestrian history would be carried out in all its glory.

🎶Never gonna give you up…🎶

🎶Never gonna let you down!🎶

🎶Never gonna gallop around and… desert you!🎶 

As the music played, he looked at the diversity of responses. Some were laughing, some were crying, some were offended, and others were simply confused.

What amused him the most was the face of Miss Harshwinny who seemed both offended and confused.

"What is going on? This is not part of the ceremony! Who would be so unprofessional?! I demand answers!" Miss Harshwhinny yelled out. Nopony seemed to pay any attention to the aggravated inspector, especially the perpetrator of the prank who was rolling in the grass laughing as his plan was unfolding.

He tried to recover himself as the chorus kicked in, but he then looked up to where the princesses and delegates sat and lost it again. While all of the delegates were laughing at the joke, the four royals were in a mix of confusion, amusement, and strangely, concern. 

"Cadence, is this pop song popular with teenagers really appropriate for the most important games in Equestria?" Twilight asked with confusion.

Cadence shrugged her shoulders. "Normally not, but today, yes, yes it is. Just embrace the feeling. You know the rules and so do I!"

As Cadence did her thing and Twilight tried to figure out what was going on, the two royal sisters looked down at the field below, watching as the chaos ensued.

"I think I may have a good idea who is behind this musical mix-up. Do you have the same thoughts, sister?" Luna asked, smiling.

"Yes I do. I also know a good, and rather cheeky reason why." Celestia chuckled, watching as the crowd below had their laughs as the music played. 

– 

The games were let out for a break as the tech teams were trying to work out what happened to the anthem. Meanwhile, outside the stadium, Rainbow Dash and Night Fury were laughing at what had taken place.

"Hahaha! Okay, Night Fury… That very well could be the biggest prank in Equestrian history!" Rainbow Dash said, wiping some tears away.

"I don't doubt it! I have been waiting to do something like that ever since I heard about you and Pinkie's Saturday Prank Spree." Fury recalled, looking back at when he had gotten the classic water bucket dumped on him on one of those prank sprees. "I'm happy to have contributed to the fine art of pranking."

Rainbow and Fury both high hoofed each other and had a good laugh.

"Well it seems that you two have been enjoying your time." A voice behind them said.

Fury and Rainbow looked and saw it was Celestia along with the other princesses and the rest of the Mane Six.

"Oh hey ladies, that was one weird mess up. Wonder what happened to the anthem?" Fury said innocently. 

"Hmmm, I do wonder indeed." Cadence hummed aloud. "Who would be so mischievous as to go into that room and change the discs? And who would be so strangely unshocked by the course of events? I do wonder…" 

"Yeah I still have no idea!" Pinkie said, not catching on. At this point, Fury was trying to hold back his inner laughter. Holding up a blank mask in an effort to ward off the suspicion. But it was only until Luna stepped up that he was finally exposed. 

"Night Fury, we already know what transpired. You are the perpetrator of this guilty crime. You snuck in there without any guards knowing. You were the one who wanted a good final laugh to commemorate your victory. The culprit is you! Who else would be so sneaky and mischievous and conveniently disappear for ten minutes?" Luna pointed her hoof to Fury. He dropped his mask and started snickering, then dropping into demented cackling.

"Bahahahahaha! That has to be my most brilliant work yet! I saw all of your faces and I was dying laughing!" Fury laughed. 

Everyone once again had different reactions.

"You are one silly cat." Applejack said with a chuckle.

"Yep! You have joined the ranks of true pranksters! Welcome aboard, soldier!" Pinkie said in a deep voice, donning a military helmet and wielding her party cannon. 

"I do have to admit it was quite amusing. I never really loved the anthem anyways. Too much intensity. I prefer this sweeter song of not deserting." Fluttershy said meekly.

"Personally, I was looking forward to hearing the anthem. But I suppose it was pretty funny." Rarity admitted.

Twilight on the other hoof was a little unamused.

"Fury, you are very lucky you didn't get caught. Do you know how awkward it would have been if Harshwhinny found out what you did? And you need to treat the anthem with a bit more respect!"

"Eh, I wouldn't care. Some of the reason I did that was to spite her snobby attitude. And besides, if I know how she operates, she'll figure it out sometime." Fury admitted. Then came the karma of his actions.

"Mr. Fury!" A voice howled.

"Speak of the devil…" Fury chuckled, this time smiling at the more furious inspector stomping her way to him. 

"Mr. Fury, I have just found what appears to be black fur in the radio room that is clearly not the fur of a pony! Care to explain that?"

"Yeah, it's mine. I'm getting close to shedding season anyway." Fury said casually, scratching at his back with his rear paw and knocking loose his shedding fur like a dog. 

"So you admit you did it?" Harshwinny glared at him like a tiger with its prey.

"No, cause the radio room is on the way to the bathrooms. And besides, a gust of wind could have blown that piece of fur under the door." Fury lied, not even looking in her direction. Harshwhinny was getting even more irritated as he became more laid back and dismissive. 

"How dare you! You cannot even admit to your crime?! I should have you punished for this atrocity, you disrespectful vandal!"

"Ain't nobody care, sweet cheeks! I could give less of a hoot what you or anyone else thinks. I'm a free bird, and I ain't coming down for a landing anytime soon!" Fury said as he began to sing to himself.

🎶Flyyyyy Hiiiiigh, Free Bird, Yeah!🎶

He transformed into a bird soaring while singing his tune.

Harshwinny looked like she was going to blow a gasket as Fury landed and transformed back. 

"Ms. Harshwinny, I think you should let it go." Twilight advised. "He is too popular amongst the crowds. Doing anything would cause an outrage. Even if his supposed actions are childish." She whispered the last part.

"Yeah, let it go." Fury chuckled, singing again.

🎶Let it go, let it go! Don't hold it back anymore!🎶

He then started laughing again, which finally pushed Harshwhinny over the edge and forced her to say the most disgusting and unwarranted insult anypony could and would hear. 

"YOU SPEED SHIFTERS MAKE ME SICK! MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO PRINCE BLUEBLOOD AND BARRED YOUR KIND FROM US DECENT PONIES!" Harshwhinny ranted. Ponies freezed in place as they stopped walking by and muttering started to flourish. The Mane Six and the princesses were shocked at the blatant lack of restraint that came from the inspector. Lastly, Fury turned around to face her. But strangely, he was still smiling.

"What are you gonna do about it? Huh? Do something, we'll settle this one on one and then we'll see who's better." He smirked. "And just so you know, I don't care. So how about you do what you are best at doing with that oversized mouth of yours and suck on it!"

Harshwinny was scared for the first time ever since she was a filly, though she tried to put on an uncaring facade which Fury could tell was failing.

"Y-you are just as bad as the rest of them! I can't imagine what type of disgusting things you-"

"Shut up." Fury said. "You wanna fight?"

Harshwhinny did a double take. "What?"

"Do you… wanna put your hooves up and fight? Because if there's one thing that I fight for, it's my honor. And let me tell you, there is no way that a scrawny… self-entitled… self-righteous little tick like you can surely stand up to me and put up a good fight." Fury said, taking a few steps closer to the inspector. He cracked his neck and moved slowly into a fighting stance.

"I-I used to be 3 time champion of the Equestria Games! I am not a weakling!" Harshwinny faintly said.

"Well let's see if that's enough to take me on. You wanna go, prissy pony? Let's go."

Harshwhinny was face to face with the one she angered. She was about to challenge him, but she realized that that would not be very wise.

"It's not worth it." Harshwinny said, turning back in defeat. "I'll let you go this time. I'm leaving."

"Oh uh uh, I'm not done. Get you musty, overgrown tail back here and face me."

"Fury, let it go!" Twilight cried out briefly. But Cadence restrained her.

"Oh would you just can it, Sparkle Butt? I don't have the time to talk to you. And besides, you think I don't remember what you called me back in Canterlot?" Fury reminded her. 

"Um, what did I call you?" Twilight softly asked.

"Oh so you don't remember now? What a surprise. How about you let everyone who heard you explain? Everyone who froze up when you spoke, everyone who was stunned by your words." He calmly said, pointing to the group behind her. 

"Yeah I remember, Twilight, you said he was a… what was it? Oh yeah! 'A dangerous creature running loose in Equestria.' Yep, that's you to our buddy." Rainbow said with disgust.

The rest of the Mane Six nodded along even Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.

"I I didn't mean to-"

"Save it. I waited to get the repercussions thrown at you because I wanted to see the look on your face when you realized you went overboard. First, you're causing problems just to meet some self-imposed deadline. Now, you're solving problems in the most effective and efficient way possible… evaporating someone who doesn't have the same views as the creatures around him. What a brilliant idea." Fury said.

Twilight was silenced and waited to hear more from him.

"To everyone in earshot, this is what I do to prove I want to live amongst you all! I know you may see me as a threat to the peace and serenity of this land, maybe a threat to your children and loved ones. But just know, I'm not choosing to do this. I'm doing this because it's what I see is the right way to handle it. You may not agree with how I do it, but just be aware that I do it to protect my honor and ward off any misinformation about me." Fury spoke to the ponies that had gathered. 

"I… I understand." Twilight nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile Harshwinny was slowly sneaking away, thinking Fury was distracted.

"Ah ah ah, I can still see you. Come here." Fury said. Harshwhinny's ears fell flat as she approached him.

"As for you, I want you to look me in the eyes and admit that you are not in any way, shape or form in the right to talk down about my kind. Especially when addressing the ambassador of said species." 

"I- I-"

"Also, I have some ground rules to set." Fury said, standing tall.

"Again, to all who can hear me, take this as not only a reminder… but a warning. This is what happens when you step out of line with me and my kind as a whole. I am going to not only be a part of your social hierarchy, but embedded in the roots of history between us. I may be friendly most of the time, and can be a face you can trust. But if you step out of line, I will retaliate with reasonable force on the way I see fit." He said sternly, turning back to Harshwhinny.

"Now that I think about it, you shouldn't be just apologizing to me." Fury stated, turned Harshwhinny's head to the princesses. "You should also be apologizing to them."

"What? W-why?" Harshwhinny asked. 

"For indirectly insulting their judgment in trusting me with such a responsibility and insulting their decisions to accommodate me within the role of ambassador." Fury stated. "Go on, speak your peace."

Harshwinny looked into the princesses' judgemental faces and bowed to them.

"I am sorry for my misbehavior. I am sorry for disobeying your will to treat Speed Shifters with dignity. I am sorry for mocking your judgment. I will never do or say such things to insult the honor of Speed Shifters. If I do so, may I be punished tenfold." Harshwinny said to the princesses. The princesses gave each other a few looks to each other before nodding to Night Fury, deeming the apology sufficient.

"Now be on your way, things are still in motion here." Fury said, allowing Harshwhinny to quickly take her leave before addressing the crowd.

"Alright everypony, listen up! This may be a little setback, but it's nothing too big. We've still got the Equestria Games to worry about. And don't worry, I'll still be here for any of you who need me, you are all like the biggest family I've had ever since I came here. Now let's have some fun, yeah?!"

"You know what? I could use some fun now." Said surprisingly, Twilight. "Let's have a good make up party! You ready Pinkie?"

"YOU BETCHA!"

And so everyone had a fun time of parties, games and revelry. It truly was a time of triumph for not just Fury but all of the Ponyville team and the Crystal Empire.
> Chapter 32: Game Time!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Night Fury with the help of Wind Breaker and Swiftly Singer, they could not have anticipated achieving so much so far. Despite the odds they were able to finish a great deal of the games. His two pony teammates promised to cheer him on in the next race.

For Fury though, the day after the race there was no time for dancing and songs. For now instead of land he would now have to look to the air.

"So Cadence, what is this game gonna be like?" Rainbow asked while accompanied by the four contestants.

"This next event is the Ariel Relay. This is where your flying skills are going to be pushed to their limits." Cadence said. "So basically you will have four laps to run through. Remember not to go too high or too low and stay within the designated area or you'll be disqualified. You understand?"

"Yep! Sounds awesome! Ya hear that whiskers, you're gonna have to stretch out those wings again." Rainbow said to the feline behind her. 

Fury gave a deep breath. "Yeah, it sounds… cool."

"Is there something the matter?" Fluttershy asked.

"YEAH! You usually are eager and confident!" Bulk Biceps said.

"Well, I have gotten better at flying. But I'm definitely a rookie in terms of flying. Since I've learned transformation late in place of running I've only recently learned flight. Maneuverability and steady soaring, I've got that down. But high speed and high G turns, I still haven't got that down." Fury huffed.

"Well it's a good thing that there's a practice space in the castle, I can help you." Cadence said with some sympathy. 

Fluttershy spoke up.

"Honestly I could probably use the training too. I'm even less skilled than Night Fury, no offense. I could really use some more training just to give me some more confidence and skill."

"I WANNA PRACTICE TOO!" Bulk yelled out. "IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE PREPARED!"

After having to cover their ears up for their loud companion, Rainbow Dash agreed.

"Well I think we should all get some preparation. Make sure we don't get our butts kicked! Does that sound good to you, Fury?"

Fury nodded.

"Oh you bet! I'm gonna go all out today to get ready. I might be more of a runner but today I'm gonna be a free bird and fly high!"

Cadence led them to the practice space in the castle. In the room sat many obstacles such as rings, tunnels, loops, corkscrews and even a high dive for extra speed.

"Woah, this place really is huge." Fluttershy said, marveling at the sheer size of the room compared to her.

"It is truly a masterpiece of crystal architecture. Now, let's get down to business." Cadence said, turning to Night Fury. "Alright, Fury, let's see those wings." 

"You asked for them? You got em!" Fury transformed into the most aerodynamic bird he could transform into, which was a falcon.

"Amazing!" Fluttershy said, astonished. "I wish I could transform into an anim-"

"Okay guys, let's get down to business!" Rainbow interrupted, to Fluttershy's slight annoyance. "Now you have to practice as best as you can. We've got hoops and endurance contests as well as some weights. Overall just do what you can to enhance yourselves."

Rainbow looked at Fury and whispered to him.

"Fury, make sure Fluttershy is able to get through all of this. She can be, you know, not the best flier. So you have to be her guide. Fluttershy doesn't find me the most comfortable or patient trainer, and Bulk is too loud and intense, so you're the best choice."

"I'll try, but I'm not going to be making any miracles happen." Fury replied. Rainbow nodded and took off to start her training. Fury looked nervously at his giant wings and scrunched up his beak, this would be the first time he really used them to get some speed in the air and he couldn't say that he wasn't partially terrified. After all it was one thing to mess up on land, but in the air it would mean his quick end.

Okay. Here I go. Let's start with some wind practice. Keeping balance in rough conditions.

Fury thought to himself. He walked over to the big purple air jet and stared up at its cavernous wind tunnel that funneled the air out, patterns of clouds and cartoonish wind representations plastered on the sides. He looked a bit further up and saw Cadence standing on a platform above the giant machine.

"You ever seen a Cloudsdale Air Blaster?" Cadence asked, the falcon shaking his head in response. "Well, these big beauties were originally built to produce the clouds that float over our heads every day. But, with a little mechanical adjustment, these babies were turned into training devices to test a creature's balance and wing power. All it takes is a little bit of water." 

The black falcon was impressed with pegasus creativity and technology. Unicorns might be smart with their scrolls and many spells, but he far preferred the more mechanical and practical thinking of pegasi.

"Well, if that big vacuum is good enough for you pegasi, then it'll probably be just what I need." Fury flew in position. "Well, let's do this and hope I don't get splattered like an egg on my first try." He chuckled.

"Don't be so cynical! This will be easy. Here, try this out." Cadence flicked the switch on.

WOOSH WOOSH WOOSH WOOSH

"Okay, this isn't so bad." Fury said, flapping. "I just have to keep flying and- whoa, that's a bit more intense but I've got this under control." Fury said, flapping more and more.

Cadence kept on increasing the speed of the wind. And more and more Fury got more uncomfortable. It was such a strain to move his wings at this time.

"Okay… This is getting a little… tough." Fury strained, trying to keep up with the rapidly increasing wind speed.

"Oh don't be so dramatic, you're fine." Cadence said bluntly, turning the blaster up to max power. Fury tried to adjust for the increase, but it was too much.

"No I'm noooOOOOT!"

CRASH! 

"Oooooh!" Cadence said, cringing at the sight of the painful crash. "You alright, Night Fury?"

Fury went back up. "Wow, I can see a lot of stars and it's not even night time. Wait a second, since when did you have a twin sister?" He said dizzily before falling face first into the crystal floor. 

Cadence sighed at this. She probably shouldn't have gone that far. She knew she was going to have to be more gradual next time.

"This will be a long day. But I have the time. Oh, and I better give him some water and some ice for his head." 

After a bit of recuperation, Fury was ready to try again. He flew over to the air blaster and readied himself.

"Okay, let's try this again." Fury said. Cadence nodded and turned the air jet back on, this time at a more gradual climb in power. Fury flapped his wings and flew against the wind, but he found that he felt uncomfortable somehow. It wasn't until Fluttershy stepped up that he noticed what was wrong.

"Try not flapping so much!" She called out.

"Why?!"

"Your wings are bigger than a pegasus wing span, you don't have to flap as many times to keep up. Just flap harder! Bigger wings, more air to be caught under them so you can stay up!" 

Fury wondered about this. She was not the best flier on one hand. But then again she was an animal expert. She probably was obsessed with reading about birds. He figured it was worth a shot.

"Well you're the animal expert. So let's test that theory out." Fury did as Fluttershy said and flapped harder than usual, using all of his might. He then noticed that his muscles were easing up and he wasn't so uncomfortable, his bigger wings being able to drag more air down below him to keep him up.

Huh, it does work. I guess this also explains why Celestia flaps her wings slower than the others, her wings are bigger and more powerful, so it makes sense.

"And try to angle your wings back towards your talons! Push more forward than up!" 

He did these activities that Fluttershy instructed and felt freer than before. He felt more at ease and not so tense. 

So this is what it's like to be in the air. While I may not be high up, which I'm still not so comfortable with, it's a start!

Fury kept going and flapped harder than ever, not even noticing that the air blaster was at its max.  

"Fury, do you want a break?!" Cadence yelled. "You've been at this for awhile!"

"Ah this is nothing! I can go ten more minutes at this rate! I feel like a certified bird of prey already" Fury boasted. He pushed harder and against the wind, eventually flapping so hard that he got too close to the tunnel and got a blast of air in his eyes that blinded him. 

He closed his eyes. "Gahhh!!! Too much wind!" 

Cadence had a smirk about her. "Told you Fury. You can't be reckless around these big machines."

Fury chuckled after he had recovered. "Yeah, I can tell. And besides, I should probably do my next exercise. What should be next?"

"I suggest a little practice on the course, give yourself a bit of a feeling for the tight maneuvers you'll have to pull off." Cadence suggested, gesturing to the many hoops and tunnels above his head. 

"I also recommend you try the high dive a bit, it'll come in handy when you need to pick up speed." She added. 

Fury looked on with a bit more confidence this time. "You got it! I just gotta think of this like I'm running through old caves. But, I don't have my legs on the ground, heh." 

He flew up to the required height to begin the course, but he had almost forgotten one thing he hadn't prepared for. He still wasn't accustomed to flying at high altitude. 

"Okay, I'm feeling a little… weird. Why is there so little air? How do birds even function this high?!" He said in frustration while taking heavy breaths. "I guess even as a bird, I'm still not used to this feeling." He realized even with most of the anatomy of a falcon, that wasn't even enough to overcome his land animal feelings of fresh air.

Fluttershy and Cadence looked up to see him and became concerned.

"What's going on with him up there? He looks a little woozy." Fluttershy pointed out.

"This is probably his first time at a high altitude, the air's thinner up there. And he may not be as brave up in the air as he is down on the ground, classic fear of heights." Cadence remarked.

The shy pegasus felt sympathy for the poor cat turned bird. She knew what it was like to be uncomfortable with certain parts of flight. Fluttershy knew what to do.

"Let me talk to him." Fluttershy said, taking off to help her friend. Cadence nodded. Fluttershy flew up and was ready to give advice.

"There there now, Fury. I'm here to help you." The pegasus said softly.

"Can you help me with heights though? I think the floor is starting to move." Fury said, looking uneasy.

Oh dear, he really is woozy. I'm going to have to help him get over that. 

Fluttershy looked into his eyes. "Night Fury, look at me. You have to let go of your fear. You also have to think like a bird. A bird can breathe easier than most land animals. You have to think of yourself not as a shifter but as a falcon soaring in the skies. Don't worry about air. Birds were made for these altitudes. Is that okay?" She said softly but with conviction.

"O-okay, I got it." Fury said. He took a deep breath and studied himself, letting his mind clear out before he looked around.

"Just take it easy, you don't need to run the obstacle course just yet. Try practicing losing and gaining height to get yourself situated." The yellow pegasus suggested. 

"Well, if you say so." Fury did as she said. He went slowly. And tried to adapt himself in a steady way. He glided down slowly to the floor, just above Cadence's head before flapping back up to high altitude and repeating. Slowly, he made his process faster, turning his gliding to diving and pulling out. 

Cadence smiled. "Hey, I think you're getting the hang of this, champ! Are you feeling good up there?"

Fury was still a little nervous but yet he felt excited. The same feeling he felt when his father first taught him to run only in the air now.

"I'm feeling good! Hot diggity, if only the others could see me now!" Fury said. As if on cue, the other three princesses entered the training room. They looked up on the team training for the Ariel Relay, but they mainly focused on the black falcon diving in and pulling back up. 

Fury smirked. "Ah good timing! Well ladies, have you been impressed by this bird's form?"

Celestia, Luna and Twilight seemed relieved he had learned so quickly.

Celestia spoke first. "You're definitely not the same clumsy bird you were a few days ago. Now you're starting to get the hang of it. Isn't that right, Luna?"

Luna was eager. "Truly. Truly. You're doing very well my love. You will show those rivals what the power of the night can truly do!"

Twilight was also fascinated. "I'm proud of you, Fury. You really learned well. Hopefully I can start improving my flight too."

"You can thank Fluttershy for that." fury said which caused Fluttershy to blush.

"And don't worry, you'll get there. But now that I've done this, I want to test something. Hey Twi, what's your opinion on electricity being used as a propulsion device?" 

Twilight's eyebrow furled in confusion at this notion.

"Well I don't have an opinion on it, because it's just not possible. You can't just shoot electricity out like that." Twilight explained.

"Well I'm about to prove you wrong." Fury said. He landed softly on the ground and focused on his powers, directing the energy towards his talons. Lightning bolts started to ride down his legs, a slight mist gathering under his feet. Then, like a match to a striker, a burst of red energy came out from his claws like jet engines. He slowly began to rise into the air before stopping a few feet over the princesses heads. 

He smirked at seeing the young purple alicorn's jaw drop. "So what now, Twi? Still think it's impossible now?"

"Th- th- THAT WAS AMAZING!" Twilight gushed out in excitement. "I didn't know that was even possible! I used to hear crackpot unicorns and pegasi say that, but I never thought it would be real!"

Fury smirked at Twilight's enthusiasm. "You'll find a lot of weird stuff that is true when it comes to Speed Shifters. Check it out, I've got hover jets under my feet!"

The black falcon stopped flying but still remained in the air. Since his feet became like a hovercraft.

"Yep, us Speed Shifters just need a little thinking outside of the box to make stuff happen." Fury remarked. "We might not change weather, teleport and shoot hot lasers out of our heads, but our aura can do a lot with enough cleverness." 

"This is truly revolutionary. With this knowledge, we could not only improve our understanding of your kind, but we could also revolutionize our society's technology based on your powers." Celestia chimed in.

"Not to mention you look quite warm up there." Luna cooed. 

"I think you meant hot." Cadence corrected.

"Yes… that." Luna said with dreamy eyes.

"Right back at ya, moonpie!" Fury shot back. He let go of his energy and slowly landed on the ground.

"Fury, do you even know what you could do with this ability?! You could go faster than even Celestia's chariot, and that thing can fly supersonic with no issue!" Twilight said excitedly, writing down her findings on a scroll. 

"How in the world does that thing go supersonic? I've seen the thing myself and it's not exactly built with aerodynamics in mind." Fury said bluntly. 

Celestia chuckled. "Let's just say it involves part magic and part craftsmanship. It's a state secret. Don't want our enemies using it against us."

"Ahhh, I see. Too bad you don't have one of your own, Moonpie." Fury said sympathetically.

"Well, I used to. But that beautiful craft has been lost to time, I've always wondered what happened to it." Luna recalled, thinking back to when she used it on her first trip to Ponyville on Nightmare Night. 

Fury's face was filled with sympathy. "Don't you worry. If there's one thing I do well, it's looking for valuable stuff. Once I get done with this, I'll help you out for sure!"

Luna felt quite grateful to him for this kind gesture. "I would very much appreciate that. It is nice to have something like that around."

"Don't worry about it, Moonpie, I've got your back." Fury said with a caring smile. Just then, Shining Armor made his appearance.

"Alright everyone, now's the time to hit the skies! Let's go!" He called out.

"Alright, let's do this! Let's move out everypony!" Rainbow Dash said. 

"YEAH! GET SOME!" Bulk yelled.

"I hope nothing bad will happen." Fluttershy said nervously. "I'll try not to mess up."

Fury turned to her. "Hey, who was it who taught me how to fly? If you can do that, I bet you have a good chance of making your mark. Okay?

Fluttershy smiled at this. "Thanks, Fury. I'll try my best." She said as she gave him a hug.

"Hmmm, your fur is really fuzzy. Fuzzier than usual." Fluttershy pointed out.

"That's probably because of my heavier coat growing in." Fury explained as they walked. "Since we Speed Shifters don't exactly have the luxury of clothing like ponies do, we adapted to the colder temperatures of fall and winter by shedding our old fur and growing in a thicker coat to keep us warm." 

"It's amazing how adaptable you Speed Shifters are!" Fluttershy remarked.

"Yep. Why else do we have an emperor who lived in the snow and us shifters who live in the humid hot jungles?" Fury said.

"Hey look, we made it! Look up!" Rainbow Dash pointed to the obstacle course. 

Everyone saw the hoops, wind blowers, cannons and contraptions facing them.

"Woah, that's big." Fury said, gawking at the myriad of things being readied for the relay. He then saw the other teams on the field stretching out before the race as the crowds filed in. Most of the competition were pegasi and griffins, for obvious reasons and had very determined looks on their faces.

They saw the other rival cities oncepre for Fillydelphia, Griffonstone, Manehattan and of course the most prestigious, Cloudsdale.

Unlike the more evenly matched land ponies, Fury knew some of the ones especially from Griffonstone and especially Cloudsdale were much more experienced at flight.

Luckily he and the other members trained a lot for flight. And they had Rainbow, one of the fastest fliers ever. So for him he knew he was ready.

Fury was confident. "It might look nice but by the time we come, they ain't gonna be so cocky. Let's rock!"

–

A few minutes later… 

The crowd had fully piled into the stadium and we're waiting in excited anticipation for the Ariel Relay. The crowds were even larger than before. Perhaps because of the tricks that could be done in the air compared to land.

Everyone cheered on for their own team. The announcer once again came within sight and made his announcement.

"Ladies and gentlecolts! It's a pleasure to see you again. Today, our teams will be competing in another race. But now it is a race in the heavens. A dangerous but exciting challenge. This is the Aerial Relay!"

After the crowd cheered once more, the announcer specified the rules and the course.

"In this event, four members of each team will compete in a four lap race. Each team will be given a golden horseshoe to pass along throughout the race. Each lap, the teammate finishing each lap will pass the golden horseshoe to the next teammate in line to start their lap. At the end of the fourth lap will be the ultra lap, all competitors on this lap being subjected to the harder obstacles of the course. First team to fly through the finish ring at the top of the stadium wins!"

"Our first contestant will be the bearer of the legendary Sonic Rainboom herself. Rainbow Dash!"

The crowd was eager, everyone cheering loudly for their own hometown.

For Fury, he had heard of these rules. He was ready for the time ahead.

He looked to see Rainbow's determination. He could see in her a sense of seriousness and determination. He knew the clouds were her territory.

"Alright everypony, I'll show you how it's done!" Rainbow said with a smirk. "Pay close attention to what I do. Cause you guys gonna have to go through what I will. Got it?"

Everyone agreed.

Rainbow flew to the starting line and she saw her opponents just as determined and eager to win. Some of them looked rough and a bit sinister. She knew to be on guard, since she knew fliers were known to sometimes shove others out of the way or do some other dirty tricks.

She lined up at the starting line, golden horseshoe in her grasp as she focused on her take off.

"Racers, on your marks! Get Set… Go!!" 

Woosh!

Rainbow Dash zipped her way through the sky, the other teams doing the same as they began the race. Rainbow Dash took an early lead, Spitfire following in second, T-bone in third, Newcastle from Manehattan in fourth, and Skyhammer from Fillydelphia in last. The contenders raced through the skies, dodging air cannons and flipping through loops as they ran their course. 

"Gee, this cannon fire has gotten faster since I last flew in one of these." Rainbow Dash admitted. "The others are gonna have to watch out."

The first lap was coming close to an end and Rainbow Dash began her descent to pass the horseshoe off. She got as close to the ground as possible without crashing, slowed her pace and passed the horseshoe to Fluttershy.

"Nice lap, Rainbow! Smooth moves around those air cannons."

"Thanks. Now it's up to you Fluttershy. And remember to keep your eyes open." Rainbow said. "You don't want anything to surprise you. Especially not here."

Fluttershy gulped. She had gotten better at this but she was still a rookie.

"Remember Fluttershy. Just do your best, okay?" Rainbow said in an unusually soft voice which encouraged her friend.

"I will." Fluttershy said as she flew into position. 

"Alright, one lap down, three to go! Racers, on your marks, get set… Go!" The announcer shot off. Fluttershy flew forward as fast as she could and began to run the course. She mostly kept her cool, but the obstacles made her nervous. Especially the air cannons that could easily blow her off course. 

"Ahhh!" She narrowly avoided one of the cannon shots though it still hit one of her wing feathers.

"I have to get out of here!"

Fluttershy kept track of the cannons flying as far away from them and timing when she would fly in their paths of fire. Though her timing of the blasts helped her keep on course, it didn't help her speed as she fell back to third in a flash. 

"Fluttershy! Don't worry so much about the cannon shots! They won't kill you! And it won't stop you as much as losing your place!" Rainbow cried out. It was partially true that it would not be the worst thing although cannon shots were pretty painful and would delay her considerably.

Fluttershy mustered up her courage and flew faster, keeping herself from falling back any further. She flew past the wind blowers, flew through the loops, and came around the final turn as she slowed down to pass the horseshoe to Bulk Biceps. 

"I wish you luck, Bulk. I'm sure you'll do great."

"Thanks Fluttershy. I'll fly in like a hurricane! YEAHHH!!!" Bulk Biceps cried out. He flew with his tiny wings to the starting line.

For Rainbow and Fury, although they didn't say anything, they were a little worried. Fluttershy only made it to third place, which was honestly higher than Rainbow was expecting but still Bulk will have to make up some laps.

"Can he really fly with those small wings?" Fury asked Rainbow.

"Heh, oh you'll be surprised what that guy can do. You should have seen him in Hurricane Season or the Wonderbolt Tryouts. And besides, his bulky physique has its own benefits. He's basically a wall" Rainbow said with confidence. Fury nodded as he looked back up to where Bulk was hovering. He wasn't exactly sure about him being the fastest flier, but he was certain about him being hard to push out of the way.

He may not have the biggest wings, but he sure is beefy. He'll be a hard one to target.

Fury thought to himself as he watched the other racers line up.

"Half way through the event and things are heating up, let's see who comes out on top! Racers ready? Get Set… Go!"

Bulk Biceps flew a bit more slowly at first but built up acceleration. He used the fans to propel him forward and his large size made him plow through clouds that were normally a time consuming obstacle for most pegasi.

Fury was astounded by how strangely quick he was but most of all for being unaffected by the obstacles around him. But then he saw a cannon ball.

"Bulk, look out!" The cannonball struck Bulk and left him stunned for a moment, but he quickly re-focused on the race at hand and moved on.

"Wow, he really is bulky. He took that cannonball like it was a pebble!" Fury said in shock.

"I told ya he was basically a brick wall. Nothing much moves him." Rainbow Dash said, but at the cost of karma striking hard and fast. As Bulk reached the loops, one of the griffins flew up to him and bumped him.

"You sure are a big guy! You sure you're not gonna sink like a brick taking these loops on, shrimp wings?!" said a creepy looking lanky griffin with a scar on his face.

"Hah! No way! These 'shrimp wings' have been through worse than that! I'm not gonna have Ponyville lose to some loops!" Bulk said with confidence.

"I admire your foolish optimism but…" The griffon then flew over Bulk's wings and pecked them.

"Ahhhhh!" Bulk yelled out in pain.

"...this is not your game." The griffon smiled sinisterly and licked his lips of Bulk's blood as he flew off and left Bulk struggling to keep in the air. Fury saw it all and was angered by the slick move.

That cheeky snake, he pecked at Bulk's wings on purpose! He is so not cool!

"Somepony call a technical foul, there's somepony bleeding on the course!" 

Bulk tried to fly more but he was uncoordinated against the advice of Rainbow, Fury and Fluttershy. He could barely fly properly. When he finally made it to the finish line, a few medics were waiting to patch him up. He was in last place.

Bulk Biceps was ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry for losing. I cost us all."

Rainbow sharply responded. "Don't you dare apologize! You did the best you could have possibly done."

Fury nodded. "Yeah you did great against those cannons and clouds. No, the real problem was-"

"THAT BIG BULLY! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! MAY SOMETHING REALLY NOT NICE HAPPEN TO YOU FOR YOUR DIRTY WAYS!" Fluttershy yelled out in rage.

"You should probably tone it down, sweetheart. Don't want to get heaved out of the stadium for unsportsmanlike conduct, now do you? Heh heh heh." The griffin said snidely. Fluttershy wanted to go after him, but Fury stopped her.

"Cool it, Fluttershy, it's not worth it. Let's just get this event over with without any more hitches." Fury said calmly. Fluttershy calmed herself and nodded to her friend. 

"Now listen to me carefully, Fury. Despite us losing a lot of potential points, there is still one more lap to go. And that lap belongs to you. But you have to get first place even second place will be a loss for us. Do your best and we can still win this." Rainbow Dash said as she simultaneously watched Bulk Biceps get treated. "If nothing else, do it for Bulk." 

Fury nodded as he transformed into his falcon form and readied himself for the final stretch. He grabbed the horseshoe in one of his talons and flew up to his mark for the ultra lap. He stayed focused on his route through the course, planning his moves carefully as he got his bearings. What he didn't see was the same griffon from last round was now in his bracket and was eyeing him closely.

That feline freak is gonna have to tell his girlfriend goodbye once I cripple him for life.

Thought TwoFace as he readied himself to take on the final lap of the relay.

"Alright everypony, this is it. The ultra lap! In this final race to the finish, all of the previous obstacles are gonna be cranked up to eleven! More clouds, higher wind speeds, heavier cannonballs! It all comes down to this!" The announcer said. The racers prepared for the worst as they looked forward at their path to victory, waiting for their moment to risk it all.

"On your marks… Get, Set… Go!!" 

The black falcon soared through the sky. For him, he had his eyes not just on obstacles but on his opponents too. Especially the griffins.

I have my eyes on you. If you try anything, we'll see how you like my talons if you come near me.

In this ultra lap, the course opened up to the higher parts of the stadium. High enough that even the princesses got a clear view of him on the move. He flew fast and hard, taking sharp turns and fast dives as he worked his way up the ranks. He then came up on the cloud makers and did his thing, moving up and down to avoid being blocked by them.

Fury then saw his griffontarget and flew past him, his bigger wingspan blowing a decent gust of wind in his face as he took second place. 

"See you later, sucker!" Fury said, racing forward.

The griffon simply smiled. "Oh I don't think so, freak. You made a big mistake getting ahead of me!" 

The griffon flew to catch up to Fury. 

Oh boy, I know that griffon is gonna try to do the same thing with Bulk. That beak could really tear my wings even worse. I'm not quite strong enough in a falcon form to face him. But I can mess with him.

Fury watched TwoFace fly over him and try to dive on him, but Fury countered him by slowing down, flying over him and thrusting his talons down to bump him off course.

"I've got a race to win! Try me and see what happens, you four-legged nesting bird!" 

"No no no no!" TwoFace briefly landed in the clouds.

Grrrr. That little punk is crafty. But if he thinks he's won, he's got another coming!

After TwoFace got out of the clouds he flew far to the left of Fury. He slowed up as he turned in his direction and dove in on him, bumping Fury hard on the side and almost knocking the air out of him. 

"Oof!" Fury stuttered for a moment, slowing up and allowing TwoFace to take second place back. He eventually straightened himself out and began his push towards the next obstacle, the wind blowers. He looked over to the wind blowers and saw that Two Face and a more familiar face, Fleet Foot, were struggling to keep going.

Perfect, gives me enough time to take first.

Fury remembered what Fluttershy taught him about bird flight. And used it to fly despite those obstacles. And then he even used a trick Bulk had used and used the blowers to propel him forward as quickly as possible. The crowd and the princesses cheered for him as he took first place, leaving Fleet Foot and TwoFace behind.

That's it! Time to take that freak out of my race once and for all. And for good measure, I'll do it in front of who cares for him the most for more emotional damage. 

Thought TwoFace as he flew away from the wind blowers and towards his target. 

Fury flew fast through the loops and came up to the air cannons, which conveniently were within the princess' sightlines. Fury even gave a Victory sign with his talon to Luna who smiled at the sight of her lover. But he saw her face turn to horror looking behind Fury.

And Fury noticed the griffon caught on to that trick and was speeding right towards him.

"How's it going, pal? You need some help with your wings? I can fix em!" TwoFace asked with a bloodthirsty look while licking his beak.

Great. He's going really quick! He's gonna catch up in a few seconds. I need to find a way to avoid him! Hold on, I got an idea.

Fury found a cloud to his right and went towards it. 

I have only one shot at this.

Fury flew faster and faster towards the cloud, drawing the attention of the griffon behind him.

"Hey, squirt for brains!" Fury called out. "Hope you like taking a nap in the clouds!" 

"Huh, what's in Guldo's name is that supposed to- AHHHHH!!!"

The griffon slammed right into a large cloud. Fury was amused at his dirty foe's struggling and rage.

"Hey, you should chill! Let me win the game for you while you have some sweet dreams!" Fury called him out.

The griffon's rage was immeasurable. 

"I will tear you to pieces and feast on your flesh!" The griffon raced toward him.

Fury and TwoFace were now within sight of the finish line. Fury had to use all of his energy and power. Same for TwoFace.

"I'm getting closer. I'm almost there." Fury said.

"Yeah? Well, so am I, birdy." said a voice Fury didn't want to hear.

Oh no. Fury tried to fly out of the way but not before the griffin was able to land a blow on Fury. Specifically his face.

"Ow ow ow ow!" Fury said as he felt the griffon slash his face. 

"Ha ha ha! There's a reason we griffons are the real masters of the air! We're like you Speed Shifters with our claws but we're not weakened by the air. We use it to our advantage." TwoFace said as he slapped Fury away.

Fury wasn't used to so much pain in such a sensitive area. He felt like it was over. 

No! It is not over!

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and flew up.

"Well it looks like I'm about to win this thing!" TwoFace said.

"I don't think so, chicken brain!" Fury said who turned out to be under the griffon. Fury then planted himself on the griffon's beak.

"Get off me! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Using you as a launching pad. See ya!"

Fury kicked as hard he could against the griffon so that Fury could launch himself to the finish line.

Shrrrip! 

Fury flew past the finish line and cut the ribbon at the end, finally solidifying the gold medal for Ponyville. 

"I can't believe it folks! In a battle between a feline turned falcon and the half feline half eagle griffon, the falcon won! Ponyville wins the Ariel Relay!"

Everyone cheered for Night Fury. Especially the princesses and his friends. 

"Fury! Fury! Fury!"

When Fury landed on the ground, many came to him. Especially the paramedics who gave some ointment to him. Fury looked around at the cheering crowds and waved to them, giving his gratitude for their support. Then, he started to feel faint as the adrenaline wore off and the pain of the scar he had gotten from TwoFace started to kick back at him. 

"Ouch! Oh, this is gonna leave a mark." Fury said.

"Night Fury, thank goodness you're still intact! Are you alright?" Fluttershy asked. 

"Fine, I guess. A little more lightheaded than usual but still kickin'." Fury said. He then saw two other griffons step up to him.

"Skylar, T-Bone, what are you guys doing here?" Fury asked.

Skylar spoke first "We are so sorry about what happened to you. That idiot TwoFace has disgraced all griffons with his behavior."

T-Bone agreed "Yeah, you guys were cool. You were amazing. And you didn't have to resort to dirty tricks to win. That's something a lot of griffons these days forget. Honestly I feel like he only wants to win so he can melt the trophy for more gold."

Fury smiled at this.

"You guys are cool. I don't blame you for those things. You played a good game." Fury said. Then came the final straw that broke the camel's back. 

"Hey, fish breath!" The angry griffon came out to approach. "You might have won this aerial relay, but I assure you that you're gonna lose the final match! You think you're so cool huh?! Well you'll get your butt handed to you someday!" 

Fury sighed at the griffon's temper, but decided to test how far he'd go.

"Okay, who asked for your opinion?" Fury said, the princesses showing up as spoke. "The only thing I care about is me absolutely dumpstering you! You mad, feather brain? You're mad, you're mad, you're mad!" 

The sore loser of a griffon yelled in anger.

"TwoFace, come on, let's stop with you being immature. You've already made us lose our honor." T-Bone said.

"I… don't… care… about… honor! I simply wanted to win! I would get fame and  therefore money from it! I could've been a millionaire! And I've been denied! It's not fair!" He said now sad instead of angry.

"Awww, the baby is getting grumpy. Hey Cadence, I think you're gonna have to come out of retirement and come babysit the little one. I think he needs his bottle and blanky-wanky. Ha!"

TwoFace was now crying miserably.

"Aw, don't feel so sad, cutesy wootsy." Cadence said. "How about you have a bottle of milk? Okay?"

TwoFace simply yelled in rage. "Gahhhhh!!!!" He said.

"Looks like somepony missed their naptime. Luna, I think you might have to sing a lullaby for the baby."

Luna nodded. And grabbed the griffon with her arms. She gave a lullaby normally reserved for foals younger than the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Hush little baby, rest your head.

Hush now, it's now time for bed.

You shall be safe in my arms.

My little sweetheart, near and far.

At this point, Skylar and T-Bone were laughing at the scene unfolding. They had never thought that the princesses could be so cheeky. Perhaps Night Fury had a bigger impact on them than they thought. 

"Let me go!" Twoface got them off. Fury swore he saw his eyes a little teary. "One day we griffons will be wealthy and powerful enough to make you into our slaves. Just you wait! Just you wait! Are you listening to me?!"

Fury now was just intentionally ignoring him to cause him even more anguish.

"Did you say something?" Fury asked.

"Grrrrr. I don't have time for you losers! I'm out of here! Griffonstone will beat you in the next round!" TwoFace said laughing only to bump into another cloud. "Oof!" He then flew off in shame.

"Hahahahaha! Too bad you can't do anything to me! Nobody can touch this!" Fury said as he started crab walking while repeating a song he had heard.

🎶Can't touch this!🎶

🎶Can't touch this!🎶

🎶Can't touch this!🎶

🎶Stop… Hammer time!🎶

Everyone laughed at Fury's victory performance, Fluttershy having a light chuckle. Even Skylar and T-Bone had a fun time.

"Ha ha, oh wow, you Speed Shifters are pretty cool!" Said Skylar. 

"Yeah, you Speed Shifters also seem to have very good dancing skills." T-Bone agreed.

"That's just how we roll! Cool as ice, sharp as a tac! And to a certain somebody, hot as lava~" Fury said looking at Luna.

"I could say the same for you, my Lightning Bug!" Luna said, giving him a hug. 

"Wait, she calls him Lightning Bug?" Skylar asked.

"Yeah, we have our own little language with each other." Fury said, smirking.

"Ya know, Night Fury, I think with how many songs you repeat as a joke, you probably have a beautiful singing voice." Twilight pointed out, making the black feline blush.

"Nah, I'm no singer. It's not my thing. If there's one thing I'm known for that everyone can agree on, it's my massive appetite."

Everyone was delighted with each other. Then everyone heard a whistling sound.

"Okay everyone, we did great despite the odds." Rainbow congratulated them. "But don't get too cozy. We have one more match to go before we can take home the glory. Make sure you get ready for the final match. It'll be a point to point race so be ready for it." 

Fury smirked. "Ooh, a sprint for the win? Now that's more my speed! Heh, literally." 

Fluttershy raised her hoof. "Um… what will this point by point race involve exactly? I'm not quite familiar."

Twilight was happy to give out the required information as she pulled out a pamphlet she had stored under her wing.

"Says here that this race will take place outside of the stadium. Starting from the train station outside of the empire, all contenders from every team will compete in an all out dead sprint from the train station to the base of the Crystal castle. Many obstacles, distractions, and shortcuts will be laid throughout the route. The first team to get all of their members across the line wins the gold medal and the Equestria Games outright!"

Fury had to admit this was more his style of play. More freedom involved and while running was still important, being tricky and thinking outside of the box was even more so. 

"That's right Twi, and I'm ready to go all out. But first, let's chill out for a bit. We've got some time to kill, so let's give ourselves some time to recuperate and gain our strength back. And besides, I'm starving and I need to grab some lunch anyway." Fury said, blushing slightly at his large appetite. 

Fluttershy then asked in concern. "And are you going to be alright, Fury? That TwoFace really did a number on your face."

"No need to worry, I've taken harder hits. I'm completely fine, just a few scratches and a bit of blood. Nothing big. I made sure to duck my head before he really damaged me too. Now, I'm gonna go grab some grub before I start wasting away."

Fury walked to his bag of supplies, grabbed a blanket and placed it on the grass. He was ready to eat some traditional salted fish. It was nice to have Crystal Empire cuisine but now he wanted the food he craved and loved as a cub.

He grabbed at a fresh salted salmon and bore his fangs, shimmering in the bright sun. His eyes turned to slits as his more predatory instincts kicked in, his mind only focusing on the fish in his grasp before biting down on it with a loud crunch of the bones. Fury didn't care that he had a few onlookers as he ate, one certain yellow pegasus finding his style interesting. He just wanted something good to fill him up. 

"Oh yeah, get in my belly, you little fish guy! Yum!" He kept muttering as he ate them.

Rainbow was confused. "How can Fury eat that stuff? I'd have to be in a desert without other food to resort to that!"

Fluttershy responded. "Well that's just how Speed Shifters are. They're meant to eat fish like this. Just like you can't blame a manticore for wanting to eat meat. We're just made differently."

"Well you're the wildlife and smart creature expert." Rainbow said still not quite understanding completely but accepting. She also finds it interesting how Fluttershy can abhor violence but also is so comfortable with meat eating too.

Fury looked at them. "If only you ponies were carnivores, you would understand the joys of meat. Oh well, more for me!" He said throwing a fish in the air and then swallowing it. 

"I'm rather thankful that I'm not a meat eater," Rarity said. "Both because I don't find it appetizing and I doubt it's good for me in a nutritional sense."

"Eh, it's not for everyone. Which makes it even better for me because I don't have to share! Nom!" 

He finally had the last fish.

"Oh man, that was all!? I knew I should have packed more." Fury whined. 

"You just had 20 fishes!" Applejack said. "Even I'm not that crazy for apples!"

"Pfft, so? They're still delicious, and I wish I had more. Man, if that eating contest back in Canterlot proved anything, you ponies are lightweights. I can pack away 40 salmon in one sitting!" Fury boasted, flashing his pearly white teeth. 

"Okay food champion, sorry for your food crisis but I think you can be done for now." Cadence chuckled. "It's almost time for the Point to Point Race. So are you ready to show your moves?"

"Just point me in the right direction, candy girl, and I'll show you what I can do."

Ignoring his silly nickname for her, Cadence led them to the start of what will be the final event of the Equestria Games. He saw everyone in anticipation of what would happen. The final match to determine the winner once and for all.

"Ladies and gentlecolts, I present to you the final match up for the Equestria Games! The Point to Point race! Every team from every city will be participating in this mad dash for the win. Everyone will start here, at the train station and wait for the air horn to sound to begin the race. From there, it's an all out sprint through the streets of the Crystal Empire, many obstacles and distractions to mix up the field. But be aware that there are also hidden shortcuts to aid in the victory of each team. The first team to have every member cross the finish line at the base of the crystal castle wins!"

For Ponyville's side, Night Fury was at the ready along with Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Swiftly Song, Windbreaker and Bulk Biceps whose wings were damaged but he was still able to run. Along with them stood the other teams, Fillydelphia, GriffonStone, Cloudsdale and Manehattan.

Rainbow looked to her team members. They all looked fully confident, even Fluttershy. They knew they were ready.

Although they did notice two undesirable returns. Sweet Treats and TwoFace.

Those guys. Fury said to himself. I bet they'll fight even dirtier than before.

TwoFace looked at Ponyville's team with a crooked smile. And Sweet Treats was more vocal.

"You might have won the battle. But you were probably lucky. You're just a cat and a bunch of small town yokels no one cares about. But I'm the daughter of a renowned business pony. I will honor his legacy by beating your butts to the ground!" She said, stomping her hoof. Fury thought she might be athletic and competitive like Rainbow, but she also was fru fru, had no loyalty and thought only of herself.

"Bold words for somepony who spews out more toxic fumes than a broken sewage pipe!" Fury quipped. "Maybe you should get some perfume for that! Oh wait, can't fix a landfill when it's already full of trash!"

The Manehattanite looked furious. "Well… well you're um… ugly! Yeah ugly! And I'm going to make everything better by beating you!" She said struggling to have a comeback line.

"Wow, that was so dumb that a Diamond Dog with a brain bleed would be offended. Or he would consider you just like him. Eh, who cares, you've got 'bout as much brain power as a brain dead lizard." Fury shot back. 

Rainbow, Bulk, and Swiftly gave a big. "Ohhhhhhh!" to the spoiled earth pony's dismay.

Sweet Treats responded in anger. "Whatever! Can we just start this game already so I can make them know their place!?"

"Sure thing, sweet cheeks. Just be prepared to be staring at different pair of them as I show you how it's done. Ha!"

Everyone was getting ready. Despite trashing Sweet Treats, Fury was secretly focused on TwoFace. He was quiet the whole time but had a face that screamed of vengeance. Fury knew he would have to watch out for him especially since Sweet Treats was probably all talk. 

I have my eyes on you, TwoFace. 

As for Bulk Biceps, he was especially focused on TwoFace since he had a quarrel to settle. 

And for the poet Swiftly he was eager to show that pretentious Manhattanite that he was not a failure. 

"Alright everyone! The time has come. Are you ready?!"

The audience cheered on.

"Then let us begin in… 5… 4… 3… 2…"

Fury closed his eyes. It's time to go all out. Here I come, Castle.

"...1…"

"...GO!!!!!!"

Everyone frantically raced through the streets of the Crystal Empire, each one having to watch their step.

Luckily for Fury, and his team, Cadence taught them how to walk on the Crystal roads. For Fury it took some time to get used to, but he was able to run well. It seemed to be harder for some of the other contestants.

"We're doing pretty well so far!" Swiftly said. "As expected from me."

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say, Swifty. Just remember, we don't have to stick together, all we have to do is get everyone across the line at the end of the race! Find your own path, use the shortcuts to your advantage and go as fast as you can!" Fury said to him. The giant group of players soon began to filter out, most of the teams finding out the hard way that the obstacles used for this final event were no slouch. 

From pits in the ground to chasms, Fury found these obstacles challenging but fun. He craved for the thrill of a good challenge like this without being too out of his league like with flying.

I just hope the others are having as much fun as I am. I know how long it took me to get used to running while avoiding obstacles…

Meanwhile, on another part of the race, Swiftly was running without too much trouble. Although he disliked how the reflections could be a bit blinding sometimes.

"So far so good though. It looks like I'm the only one here."

But he heard something. 

"Hmmm what was that?" Swifty looked back and saw that Sweet Treats was gaining on him, and fast. 

"Gee, you're faster than I thought, miss! I guess you aren't just good because you cheat. But I still have the advantage!" Swiftly said.

"Oh I wouldn't say that, my friend. I'm just close enough to show you something really… special." She said as she got out a mirror. She pointed it skyward and reflected the sun's light into Swifty's eyes, blinding him. Swifty tried to block it out and keep going, but it was too much to endure as he slowed down to get the reflection to dissipate. 

Sweet Treats ran past him and looked back, seeing that he was mildly disoriented. "Well, it looks like the sun is on my side today. Too bad that I have to leave so soon, I really wanted to watch you struggle. But, I have a race to win."

Swiftly Singer was now both in pain and in rage. "And I just complimented her for not just being good because she cheated. Dirty little…" He closed his eyes for a bit. "Alright, I think I'm good now. But I gotta be more careful with her. And I gotta catch up with her."

But he noticed she was far ahead of him now. Even though he was catching up to her, he was still not close enough.

"What can I do? Wait, look for a shortcut." He looked around and saw an alleyway that seemed to lead in the direction of the Crystal Palace. "Got it! I'm going in!"

As he ran through avoiding the trash cans and garbage, he finally came back to the highway.

"Heck yeah, I bet she didn't expect that!"

"You're right I was a little too naive." Swiftly turned his face to the right to see he had just caught up to her. "I should've known not to go easy on you. Now that you're close, I'll stick it right close to your retinas!" She said about to get her mirror.

"Oh no you don't!" Swiftly rammed into her and cut off her attempt. "You're not getting me again! And besides, look at who's on your right." 

Sweet Treats looked over to where the shadows looked under the passing buildings and out came a speeding feline bashing into her right side, pinning her between them. 

"Surprise, look who's back!" Fury said, catching her off guard. "I think it's about time I take care of you.

Fury jumped in the air and came down onto Sweet Treats' back.

"Get off me, you dirty wild cat!" She demanded, but Fury didn't listen. He used his rear paws to dig into the crystal roads for another pounce, this time taking her in tow. He jumped in the air once again with her in his front paws, flipping her over before suplexing her onto the street and bounding back upright to keep running. 

"Owwwww! You'll pay for that, you cretins!" She said enraged.

"Oh we'll pay, pay for our feast in honor of our moves against you!" Fury said high fiving Swiftly as they ran off.

For the two Ponyville racers, they now were ready to keep going.

"How are you two doing?" They heard Fluttershy catching up to them. "I thought I heard some yelling!"

"Better, now that Fury took care of that snooty baker by suplexing her into the street!" Swifty said. 

"Uhh…"

Fury explained. "It's a wrestling move. We're taught this back at our village. All you need to know is that we showed that spoiled brat not to mess with me or my friends."

"Well that's good, she deserves to get put in her place. We should catch up to the others, see how they're doing." Fluttershy suggested, the two other racers agreeing and taking off with her. For the Ponyville team, they had been spread out across the empire, racing to see who would win the Equestria Games and the gold medal. And while they were on their own in the streets, they had many eyes watching over them from afar.

–

Meanwhile at the base of the Crystal Palace… 

The rest of the Mane Six, the princesses, Spike, and some of the crowd had gathered at the base to watch the finish. While the race continued, a series of screens showed how each team was progressing, some doing better than others. But for the Ponyville team, the princesses and the Mane Six were watching attentively to their view, especially after seeing Fury's savage revenge move. 

"I can't believe it!" Applejack said angrily. "That hoity toity mare thinks it's okay to blind another racer?!"

Rarity concurred. "Indeed darling, I will have a nice talk with her with my needles if I ever see her…"

"Easy, you two, we don't need another incident on our hooves." Twilight warned.

"Wait, do you guys see something moving besides those two? Something in the shadows?" Spike said, pointing out a black spot on the screen that seemed to be moving.

"Wait a minute, is that…" Before anyone could ask themselves who it was, the moving spot was quickly revealed to be their feline friend coming to Swifty's rescue.

"Weehee, Night Fury to the rescue!" Pinkie Pie squealed, bouncing in place.

"I wonder what he's going to do?" Celestia asked. Just then, it happened. Fury grabbed onto Sweet Treats' back, flipped her over and savagely slammed her into the crystal roads with no remorse. Everyone looking at the screens either had a look of shock, cringe, or righteousness as the action was carried out. But most of all, the princesses winced at the most likely damaging move. 

Twilight winced. "Oh my… That was quite… extreme."

Luna nodded. "It might be, but for this situation. It might have been called for. She won't be using that trick again, that's for sure." She said looking at that shattered mirror that lay next to the now injured mare.

"But Night Fury could have caused her severe brain damage, at the least, a cracked skull!" Twilight retorted quite loudly. 

"Well, in this case, it looks like she can still walk. I'm certain Fury knows not to go too far if he intends to do harm. Besides, she was about to blind Swifty Singer beyond repair. She had it coming." Luna said. "And anyways it looks like she is about to run again. I'm sure she has no chance of winning at this point though."

"If she can get up at all." Cadence put in. "She's lucky she isn't bleeding from the head, Fury took her up a good couple of feet off the ground before that slam."

"It should be remembered, if you try to harm a Speed Shifter's friends, you will wish you were never born. That's what he told me once." Celestia said. "And I can believe that."

"Hey, check it out! They're coming up on Rainbow Dash, Bulk and Wind Breaker!" Spike called out. The group turned their attention to the screen and saw that indeed, they were gaining on them. But little did they know that a sly intervention would be taken out on one of them.

–

"We're gaining on Bulk and Rainbow Dash, let's slow down to check on them." Fury said. 

"I hope they're doing alright." Fluttershy said worriedly. "I'm still worried about that TwoFace."

"Well, if he's messing around, we'll be there to put that uggo in his place." Swifty said as they finally caught up to the two pegasi.

"Hey guys, how are you holding up?" Fluttershy asked.

"Bulk's wings are still a little sore but besides that, we're fine. You guys run into the baker from Manehattan yet?" Rainbow asked, eliciting a nod from Night Fury.

"Yep, just did. And let me tell you that she is a bit more… damaged than at the start of the race." Fury said with a smile.

The others were tempted to ask further. But they were a little afraid to.

Rainbow asked, getting to the point. "But she won't be a problem for us right?"

Swiftly chuckled. "Yeah that's for sure."

Wind Breaker just sighed. "Well whatever it is, we shouldn't be too relieved yet, we still have a ways to go."

"Not if I cut you off, you don't." A voice said from nearby." The small group looked back to find that TwoFace was behind them. 

"Oh great, here comes the crybaby." Fury moaned. 

"Ah, I'm glad you appreciate me." TwoFace said. "How are your wings, buddy?" He asked Bulk Biceps.

Fluttershy was enraged. "You little piece of…"

"I'm just fine." Bulk cut her off before she said something unpleasant. "I've got my pals here with me. We're in the lead. And we're gonna beat ya! YEAHHHH!"

"That's the spirit!" Rainbow said. "What can you even do against all of us? Just be done."

"Oh, it's none of you ponies I want…" TwoFace started before grabbing Fury by the neck in a choke hold. "It's the cat that I have plans for!" He said as he started to slow down and drag Fury with him.

"Fury!" The rest of the group called out as Fury was pulled away from them. Night Fury and TwoFace then started to wrestle with each other, trying to get an advantage over the other. 

"Y'know, roughhousing is a bad influence for kids. Maybe you should be put in time out." Fury joked, but his griffon opponent didn't find it as amusing.

"That says a lot coming from the one who can't fly right, but let me show you what you should have seen during that clearly rigged race." TwoFace snarled as he changed positions and began to push Fury to the edge of the street, lamp poles flying past the black feline's head.

"So you wanna try and get rid of me, huh? Let's see what happens when a griffon gets their head cracked open." Fury said coldly as he jumped over TwoFace and grabbed him by the neck. He instantly slammed his face into the road, scraping his face as they ran together before pulling the griffon's head back up.

"You lost, you disappointment of a nesting bird." Fury said as he ran faster to where another light pole was, pushed TwoFace away and watched as he slammed into the pole, an audible crack from his bones and a creak from the crystal-metal hybrid alloy of the pole was bent. Fury smiled sinisterly at the sound of bones cracking, almost as if it was satisfying to him as he raced off to continue the race.

The others were shocked. Fluttershy was horrified. But Rainbow was grinning. 

"You showed that guy!" 

"Yeah, no one messes with a speed shifter or his friends." Fury said 

"Will he…" Fluttershy said worriedly.

"Ah, don't worry, he can still walk. But let's just say, he's not going to be feeling too well for a while." He said with a devious smile.

–

Back at the Crystal Palace… 

"Ohhhh!" The crowd had just seen the incident between TwoFace and Night Fury, the painful crash making them wince. Once again, the black feline's close friends were shocked at the move, this time a bit more concerned as the screens were equipped with sound and they had heard the very visceral sound of metal bending. 

"Oh my word." Rarity said, a little queasy at the sheer display of violence.

"Well, I guess it was in self-defense." Twilight said. "But wow, I didn't know Fury could be so powerful even without using his magic."

Celestia nodded. "There are many powerful creatures we don't even know about yet. I just wonder how powerful Emperor Snowdrift was in his prime."

"Wait, who's Emperor Snowdrift?" Cadence asked, having never heard about this name that her aunt seemed to know very well.

"A long story, my niece, but basically he is the Speed Shifter equivalent in terms of power and rule to me, except he is not around anymore… at least physically." Celestia explained.

Cadence was surprised. She couldn't even imagine what a Speed Shifter with more power than Fury right now would be like. And how strong will Fury be in the future?

"Either way, that hit sounded painful. I think I heard some of his bones crack." Spike said, a little grossed out. "And did you see how Fury's eyes turned to slits and he smiled a bit when he did that? It was almost as if he… enjoyed the sound of TwoFace's bones cracking."

"It must be his carnivorous instincts." Celestia said. "Speed Shifters have an instinct that can make them quite aggressive at times, including great distress. The sound of TwoFace's bones cracking against the pole must have ignited that instinct. An internal mechanism that turns Speed Shifters bloodthirsty at the sound of injury. It's like how certain sounds cause us to cringe or relax, but more… violent."

Twilight nodded. "I have noticed these attributes. But it is good that Fury at least didn't eat him or anything. He is at least trying to control his instincts. And TwoFace still seems to be not permanently injured although he seems to be in great pain now."

"Much to Night Fury's enjoyment." A new voice came in. The group looked back to see Black Ice walking up with Obsidian by her side. 

"I've seen that very same look in my own father when he was a part of our village's defense force before he retired, he always told me how he loved the sound of spewing blood when he was in battle. Almost as if he was enticed by the sound." Black Ice recalled.

"I have seen much the same in my thestral guards." Luna added. "During training, my guards use life-like dummies to practice on. Filled with fake bones and blood to add to the experience. They have repeatedly shown to have some sort of… enjoyment to the sound of breaking bones and spewing blood, much like the interest Night Fury is showing."

Cadence and Twilight were quite astounded.

Cadence asked Obsidian.

"Do you sometimes have that instinct in you? You seem so calm." 

"I used to make weapons made from obsidian back home and watch as they were used for training and battle, that's how I got my name and my job as a blacksmith. The sound of blood does not excite me as much as it does satisfy me as I know my brilliant craftsmanship is being put to good use." 

Twilight was fascinated.

Black Ice added. "Same for me. My love for transforming and cooking is a good way to dull our bloodier instincts. That's why even the most civilized of Speed Shifters will consume extreme amounts of meat or fish, even more than necessary. It already makes me want some…"

"I can facilitate that for you, honey. Back in a flash." Obsidian said as he disappeared to answer his wife's needs.

"Hey, check it out. The Ponyville team just passed Apatite Cove, that's the halfway point. And look, the other teams are starting to file in on the main road." Pinkie Pie said.

"We're onto the final stretch, let's see if Ponyville can pull out a win." Twilight said as she watched all of the teams start to file in on the main straight away towards the Crystal Palace.

But it was not yet over, there would be one more ordeal that they were subject to face. 

–

"Wow, we're halfway there guys! Just keep it up!" Rainbow said excitedly.

"I think we're past almost everyone," Fluttershy said. "Including others like Coco Pommel and T-bone! I hope Coco gets her chance to shine someday though."

Rainbow said "Oh she will. She's already a rising name in Manehattan. She'll be fine. But what we need to worry about is the finish line and we're almost there!"

"Yeah, we just have to keep pushing it a bit more!" Fury said. The Ponyville team were excited about winning the Equestria Games, especially Night Fury who would finally have a gold medal in a competition and set the record for the first Speed Shifter to participate in the games.

Soon, the other teams began to come into view. Coming in from side roads leading to the main stretch, they surrounded the Ponyville team in a spread out manner, most of the other team's members falling in behind Ponyville as the more experienced runners got in front of them. But they knew it wasn't a race to be first, it was a race to get all of the team to the finish. 

"Aw, I guess I forgot we're not the only racers who know about shortcuts." Wind Breaker said.

"It doesn't matter." Rainbow said, smirking. "That just makes it a better challenge. We'll get ahead."

All the racers competed to get ahead with great determination. So it was hard for Ponyville to get ahead. But Fury had an idea up his sleeve.

"Hey, have you ever wondered what it was like to ride a Speed Shifter?" Fury asked.

"Huh? Ah!" Windchaser and Swiftly were grabbed and put on his back. 

"Bulk! How about giving Rainbow and Fluttershy the same treatment!" Fury suggested. 

Rainbow saw what he was thinking and they both rode them.

"Now what?" Rainbow asked. "How will this help?"

Fury responded. "Simple. Bulk grab my tail!" Bulk complied. "Alright everypony, hang on!" 

The team felt a slight energy from him.

Fury proceeded to guide the team to victory himself by letting his teammates ride on top of him as he pushed through the stampede of racers. Bulk Biceps kept up with him and followed his every move, turning left, right, and speeding up at every moment they could. Soon enough, they were nearing the head of the pack where they saw Cloudsdale leading the charge. 

Fury spoke. "Alright folks, we're approaching the Cloudsdale Express." Pretending he was a train conductor. "Make sure you wave hello when we pass them!"

Fury and Bulk kept going inching closer and closer. But Fury was getting a bit tired of carrying the two on his back. He wasn't a mule after all.

"I hope you guys had fun, but I think you guys can take it from here." Fury panted, letting me Wind Breaker and Swifty off of his back. They soon came face to face with Soarin' and Spitfire. 

"Sup, Captain. Nice to see you're not in last place." Rainbow Dash said, addressing her superior as if she were in the Wonderbolts. Spitfire smiled at her recruit running next to her.

"No need for formalities, trainee, this is supposed to be fun. And besides, I still have a score to settle with the kitty over here."

"Wow, are you still heated about the dirt rally?" Fury asked. "I thought Wonderbolts didn't hold grudges?"

Spitfire smirked. "Hey, I'm just saying I have a score to settle. We Wonderbolts have a great pride and we aren't gonna let you have it without a little fight."

Soarin laughed. "Yeah, that's just how Spitfire is. Always wanting a challenge."

Fury responded with a cocky smirk. "Well missy, if you want a challenge, I'll give you one right now!"

Fury said as he gave a sprint to the corner and made a fast turn. The others followed suit. But Fury took a different approach to the curve, letting his paws slide along the crystal roads as he "Drifted" the corner at high speed. Spitfire and Soarin' were shocked, they had never seen such a  smooth trick be taken out with such ease. .

"Maybe we should have him as a wonderbolt." Soarin suggested.

"Sorry, no thanks. I already have a team! And we're gonna win this thing!" Fury said as all of Team Ponyville finally took the lead.

Spitfire and Soarin' still looked in shock. Spitfire told herself someday she will beat the worthy feline foe Fury.

Meanwhile for Fury, they were three quarters of the way to the finish line. Everyone was excited from the cheering spectators to the Ponyville team themselves.

"Aww, yeah, we're gonna have a sweet victory today!" Rainbow said.

And yet for some reason, Fluttershy seemed a little troubled.

Bulk asked "What's the matter, Fluttershy? We're winning."

"It's just… I was wondering about those two cheaters. Have we really defeated them? Or are they planning something?"

"Look Flutters, Fury took care of those chumps. We're fine! Don't worry." Rainbow reassured her friend. Although even Fury wondered if they had completely escaped them. And those questions would soon be answered as his final challenge would come to face him. 

"Hey, do you hear something?" Wind Breaker asked. "It sounds like a crystal shattering."

"Yeah the sound is kind of annoying." Fury admitted. He looked back but saw nothing at first.

"Maybe it's just our paranoia- WATCH OUT!"

Fury narrowly avoided a crystal shard coming launching right at him. And he avoided another one too.

"What in the world was that?!" Fluttershy asked. Fury looked over from where the shard came from and saw exactly what he thought he'd never see until the end of the race.

"It's TwoFace and Sweet Treats, they're back! And it looks like they're seeing red for my little tricks, literally!" Fury said.

"And I bet you that red they're seeing is probably your blood pouring out as they put the last blow on you." Swifty said, looking concerned. 

TwoFace and Sweet Treats both were lobbing them endlessly. Both were quite strong in their legs allowing them to throw far being that it was a griffon and earth pony.

"It's a bit shameful we had to destroy that gorgeous crystal to stop them." Sweet Treats commented while throwing shards. Even she appreciated aesthetics at least when it fit her narrow definition of beauty.

"A necessary sacrifice, this one's personal. I don't care if the princesses themselves have a bone to pick with me for this. Once I'm done, it'll be his bones they'll be picking up off the streets." Said TwoFace with a devilish smirk on his beak. 

"Normally I would say that would be barbaric, but if it's that filthy furball we're talking about, then I would mind that. Maybe I'll have his fur for my coat." She smiled now without any more guilt.

He focused up on his next throw, aiming a little bit ahead of Fury before throwing and nailing Fury in the leg. 

"Aaaagh!" Fury yelped out in pain as he held his leg up, a small stream of blood flowing down the crystal sticking into his leg.

"Fury!!" His team called out as he tripped up and skidded to a stop, face in the ground. 

"Fury, are you alright?!" Rainbow asked in desperation.

"You need healing now!" Fluttershy cried out.

Fury looked up at them and was surprised.

"Why are you stopping for me!? Go with the others, I'll deal with them!" Fury said. Rainbow was put off by his disregard for his condition.

"Dude, you have a crystal sticking out of your leg, I can't leave you!"

"You sure can!" Fury said sternly. "Remember, it's the first team to get all of their members across the line for the win. And I'm pretty sure I saw a couple of other racers getting stuck in the traps, we're fine. I'm fine, just go!" 

Rainbow Dash wanted to help him, but she knew he was right. If he could take these two on and get to the finish line in time, he could still get Ponyville the win. In a last moment of respect, she gave him a silent nod and took off. Fury looked over and saw TwoFace and Sweet Treats approaching. Standing up on three legs, he wobbled around a bit before looking at them.

"Well well, looks like the cat's nine lives managed to save him. No matter though, you're still at our mercy." TwoFace said ominously.

"Heh heh heh heh. Aww, look at you. So pitiful. How does your leg feel, kitty? A little messed up?" Sweet Treats mocked him.

Fury didn't mind their insults. Instead, he began to chuckle as he showed his fangs and revealed his slitted eyes.

"Do you really think I care about a little spilled blood?" Fury said in a cold tone. He then grabbed the crystal, violently pulled it out of him, and licked his own blood off of the shard. All without breaking eye contact.

"I don't care in the slightest, I love the taste of blood. Now, let's see how yours tastes."

–

At the base of the Crystal Palace… 

"I don't care in the slightest, I love the taste of blood. Now, let's see how yours tastes." The crowd watching the screens were simultaneously scared and horrified by Fury's bloodthirsty move, they had no idea he could be so terrifying considering his usually peppy mood.

"Princess Celestia, what's going to happen?" Twilight asked nervously.

"I think, my former student… we are about to witness what happens if you incur a Speed Shifter's wrath…" Celestia said as she saw Fury staring into his opponents with eyes of hatred.

–

Fury's teeth were exposed. His eyes slit. His claws ready for action.

"Gee, what's the big deal? I just wanted to stop you and you didn't listen." Sweet Treats asked. She would soon regret asking as Fury practically teleported up to her and grabbed her by the neck. 

"The big deal is… you messed with the wrong one today. And I'm about to show you what happens when I snap." Fury said, holding her tight. Sweet Treats had a look of unbridled terror and pain. She gasped for air as she watched her vision start to tunnel, begging in vain for him to let her go, her eyes beginning to roll into the back of her head. 

"Oh don't go out now, I'm just getting started." Fury said, thrusting her into the street and knocking her out. "Then again, you weren't the one who stuck me with the shard and you most likely wouldn't be conscious after what I would do anyway, so who cares?"

TwoFace gazed at him with a sense of both fear and awe. He never saw such efficient power as from that speed shifter. He was amazed but also realized he was in trouble. Fury snapped his vision over to his next target and made him flinch. 

"T-that mare was quite annoying am I right, Speed Shifter? She should have shown a powerful beast like you far more respe-" He was immediately cut off by a punch that was so strong it bent his beak before being pinned against a wall.

"Shut up." Fury snapped, his eyes beginning to glow as he passively charged a new ability that not even the emperor himself had done. "You have disrespected me and my kind for the last time! So, what I'm going to do is show you our power. Our status. Our paralyzing rage."

Fury looked dead into TwoFace's eyes and held onto him, making sure he was looking back at him. Then, TwoFace's eyes began to glow red as if he was being transferred some of Fury's energy. But what would happen next would be the most painful experience that any creature would be put through.

TwoFace began to see visions, memories of Speed Shifter's past as he saw blood and bones be pried out of different creatures. Cragodiles, Ursa Minors, Maulworfs. He saw it all. He began to scream in terror, his eyes becoming pools of red energy as he was subjected to this mental torture. Cracks of red electric energy began to flow down his body, disabling his motor functions as it moved down his front legs, to his tail and back legs. He saw blood spew and splatter across different surfaces as the trademark ungodly roar of Fury's kind rang out in his ears. And in one final scream of pain and fear, he was completely paralyzed by Fury's aura.

Fury dropped him to the ground and stared down at him, TwoFace's body overrun by his energy. His eyes were completely red with energy, his body twitching as if he was seizing as the energy coursed around his body. Fury smiled and chuckled darkly as he stared at the paralyzed griffon before him, turning to leave as he opened his mouth to say one more thing.

"I…  Am… A GOD." He said as he took off to hopefully bring in the win for the Equestria Games.

–

Everyone watching the screen was in awe. Complete silence. They didn't know what they were watching.

For the princesses, they had seen much,  but never this.

Twilight was the first to speak" Just… what… is… Night Fury?"

Cadence also spoke up. "I mean I don't know. But he called himself a deity. Maybe he was just being dramatic though." She said not being sure what to make of what she saw.

"That was no drama, Cadenza." Luna said, using Cadence's royal name. "That was pure and utter fear being distilled upon that griffon, the power of Night Fury's lineage paralyzing him in overwhelming fear. That was no show, that was a warning." 

Celestia added. "A warning of what was to happen to those who crossed Fury's friends, family and his own life."

"My goodness, I didn't know our son had it in him." said an unusually surprised Obsidian. 

His wife was almost speechless.

Black Ice spoke up. "Is this… the true potential of the All Powerfuls? Is our son truly this powerful?"

"I think it's more than that, Ms. Black Ice," said Spike. "This is the potential of creatures that we haven't seen, powers we have not the understanding to comprehend, legacies that we have no information about to be revealed. This is more than just potential… This is history being set in stone for what we should take into consideration as new lifeforms make themselves known." 

Spike then walked over to the solar goddess.

"Celestia, I heard about what Luna said about ponies being soft. I think you should see this as a sign that if ponies don't take a different approach to dealing with problems and enemies, we may as well get set down a peg in not just the food chain, but the hierarchy of life itself. I've been raised by ponies my entire life and while I may not know all there is about our way of life, I know for sure that if we don't make some changes, we may have bigger things to worry about than King Sombra and Chrysalis." 

Twilight looked at Spike with surprise. She never knew Spike could speak so eloquently.

"Spike… I'm so proud of you. You're becoming wiser every day!" Twilight said, almost crying.

Spike blushed at this. "Aw thanks Twi, but now's not the time. What do you think of all this, Celestia?"

Celestia pondered for a moment. "I think, Spike, you do have a point. Just like Fury said. Our enemies are indeed growing stronger, and we are growing weaker. We must be more prepared. Otherwise who knows what may happen?" 

"You are correct in your judgment, sister. I believe that now, more than ever, that Night Fury will be our guide to a safer and more prosperous future." Luna said. 

"Same here. It looks like he's becoming what he was destined to be, a guiding light to a better future. But instead of just his own kind, he is doing it for all of Equestria." Cadence said. 

"Well you guys are basically my family after all." Spike said.

Cadence turned back to the small dragon and snickered. "You do know who we're talking about… Right, Spike?" 

"Oh right, of course. Heh. Whoops." Spike said a bit embarrassed at the misunderstanding. Although Cadence still hugged him and he hugged her back. Everyone was happy.

"Well, either way," Celestia said. "Fury seems to be running toward his goal now. It seems like he's catching up to his teammates."

As a matter of fact, Fury was catching up to his teammates. But he was behind the rest of the pack that had passed him during his little ordeal. While there were still some other racers behind him, it was only two from Manehattan and Cloudsdale. This was his time, his time to take the gold medal and win his rightful place amongst his friends.

–

Rainbow Dash and the rest of the team were running fast towards the finish line, the crowd finally coming into sight.

"There's the finish line! Come on, just a little more."

"I hope Fury is still okay." Fluttershy said. "He's still not here."

"Yeah, and that TwoFace and even Sweet Treats were two nasty creatures." Swiftly said.

"Yeah." Bulk said more softly. "I hope his leg is not as bad as my wings now.'

"Even so, he'll pull through. He did it in the Dirt Rally and the Ariel Relay, he'll do it here for sure." Wind Breaker said.

"I have no doubt. Now let's cross the line and catch our breath." Rainbow Dash said, pointing to the Crystal Palace. The team made the final push to the finish line and crossed it, a few of the other teams following suit.

"And we have our first contestants crossing the line! Ponyville has 5 over the line while Manehattan and Cloudsdale are each also missing one. GriffonStone has two over the line and Fillydelphia seems to be nowhere in sight, so it's up to these last three!" The announcer said. The other teams then came over to Ponyville's team to speak.

"Hey, this was a nice race. And I'm sorry about Night Fury, TwoFace is way out of line." Skylar said.

"And we're sorry for Sweet Treats, she was a bad influence from the time we met her and we didn't do anything." added High Tower.

"Yeah she reminds me a bit of my old boss, Suri," added the shy Coco Pommel. "No regard for anyone but herself. The ends justifies the means for her. I've heard she underpays the other bakers and treats them horribly."

"That was majorly messed up, I have no idea what was going on with those two." Said Fleetfoot. The Ponyville team were glad to hear the support for their friend, it was a heartwarming thing to hear in such a competitive environment. 

"Thanks guys, it really means alot to hear that." Swifty said. 

"Yeah me too! You guys are AWESOME!" Bulk screamed out.

"Wait, I think I see something back there. It's black. Is that… Night Fury?" Windchaser asked.

"It is! And it looks like he's got two on his tail, who are they?" Swiftly wondered aloud.

"Looks like a light blue pegasus and a griffon with a single gray talon." Wind Breaker pointed out.

"That's Soarin' and Stone Claw, and they're putting in work! But at this point, I'm rooting for Ponyville!" Said T-bone.

"Hey guys, Fury's on the final stretch!" Rainbow called out, getting the attention of the rest of the Mane Six, Fury's parents and the princesses.

"Wait, it looks like Fury has something on his leg. Is that… a flag of the Crystal Empire wrapped around his leg to cover his puncture wound?" Twilight asked.

"Heh, the guy's resourceful. I like that." Rainbow Dash replied, smirking.

Fury, despite feeling pain, showed off his smile. 

"Hey everyone, bet ya missed me huh? Well don't worry, I'm here to win this thing and have us eat some good stuff!" Fury cried out to his teammates, the Mane Six, his parents and the princesses.

They were also so happy to see him even if a little distraught at his leg.

He slowly but surely made his way to the finish line. He finally crossed and though he was last everyone cheered for him nonetheless as he brought himself, Soarin' and Stone Claw and Stone Claw to the finish line.

"Ladies and gentlecolts, this has been quite an excitement if I do say so myself! And as the last one of his team to cross the finish line and complete the roster… Ladies and Gentlecolts, Ponyville wins the Equestria Games!"

"We did it, guys, aww yeah!" Rainbow yelled out.

"Yeah!!!" Yelled Bulk Biceps.

"Alright, you did it!" Said Wind Breaker. Fury smiled at the celebration of his friends and felt like he was on top of the world.

"Ye-heah, that's how it's done!" Fury said before being picked up by his girlfriend in a hug.

"Congratulations, Lightning Bug, you did it!" Luna said, her happiness at an all time high.

"I'm glad you enjoyed the show, Moonpie. It was a tough ride, but I got it done!" Fury replied.

"And I'm glad you could make it to the finish line. Very resourceful of you to use one of my kingdom's flags as a bandage." Cadence said with a chuckle. Fury blushed at her observation and chuckled.

"Heh… I can get you a new one." 

"No need, I'm pretty sure I can handle one flag being gone amongst the literal thousands that are strewn across the city." Cadence reassured him with a smile. "But we have only one Night Fury."

"True wisdom, my niece." Luna said. "Are you alright?"

"Oh I'll be fine, moonpie, as long as I see your face." He said as he kissed her.

"Awww, how cute!" Black Ice put in. "Congratulations sweetie, you made your mark!"

"Your mother's right, son, you set in stone the first Speed Shifter to ever compete in these games. I bet you're proud." Obsidian said.

"You bet I am, This was an amazing day and a fun one at that." 

"But not without its challenges." Said another voice, that being Celestia's as she and Twilight made their appearance.

"Night Fury, you are truly an amazing creature. Your feats of athleticism over the course of these games have been astounding, I am truly impressed." Celestia said, Twilight nodding in agreement.

"Thanks again for the support, this was probably my biggest point in Equestrian history to date!" Fury said, earning a light chuckle out of the solar goddess. But her face became serious as she decided to address the elephant in the room.

"That may be so, but we must address the bigger matter in these past events…" She started.

"My little scuffle with Sweet Treats and TwoFace, I get it." Fury finished. 

"Do you know what you had just done? With TwoFace in particular. I have never seen an ability like that in the long life I have had. Did you learn that from the emperor or from an ancient text?" Celestia said in complete confusion.

"Even I don't know, kid." Obsidian added. "What was that?"

Fury answered. "Well honestly, I don't know. It just came to me. I just felt like I knew what to do. It was almost like something was telling me what to do to defeat, not punish that TwoFace. It felt like a voice was urging me to bring those memories into him.."

"Even so, you completely paralyzed him. Not to mention he was screaming bloody murder, what was he seeing while he was looking into your eyes?" Twilight wondered aloud. Fury took a moment to think about what he did to TwoFace.

"Well, I remember seeing lots of flashbacks. Like memories but in rapid succession. They were… gruesome to say the least. Creatures getting gutted, blood flying, bones crunching, roars from other Speed Shifters. The whole lot." Fury recalled.

"Fury, I think you may have instilled a brief flash of visions from Speed Shifter's past into TwoFace's mind." Luna said. 

"Well that does explain why he seemed to be talking to himself so much. While he was twitching on the ground, he was repeating something in the Speed Shifter language. Otoru Moani Luatu Ana." Fury said. 

"What does that mean?" Twilight inquired.

"The weak shall fear the strong and fall to their mercy." Fury translated. 

"I see. Is that an expression from your tribe?" Twilight asked.

"More like a shared expression throughout my kind. Ever since the emperor himself gave birth to our species and the All Powerfuls became a legendary part of our kind, this saying has gone through every part of our history. From the time my kind were familiar with the Crystal Empire's original queen, Queen Amore. To the very three Speed Shifters you see in front of you, this 'motto' of strength and power has been with us for generations and I doubt it will ever fall into silence by the time I'm dead and gone." Fury said. 

"Fascinating." Twilight said.

"This doesn't mean that the weak will be bullied though right?" Fluttershy said a little nervous.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight scolded her.

"Don't worry. It means more that those who are morally strong and the ones with strong will shall dominate those with weak hearts and ideals." Fury explained.

"Oh thank goodness." Fluttershy said.

"And just so we're clear, you aren't weak, Fluttershy. Especially with how you yelled at that ugly griffon for messing with Bulk." Fury said. And then continued on.

"But, it is kind of a way to make sure that other creatures know that if you mess us… you'll either be left paralyzed temporarily, for the rest of your life, or just straight up dead. Just ask our friends TwoFace and Sweet Treats." Fury said in an unsettlingly calm demeanor. 

As if on cue, the two aforementioned cheaters come into view behind Fury. Sweet Treats was still walking by herself, although mildly wobbly as her head had taken quite a beating from Fury's blows as shown by the gauze wrapped around her noggin. Meanwhile TwoFace was asleep on a stretcher, Fury's leftover energy having finally dissipated as he was loaded into an ambulance wagon and taken to the hospital. Sweet Treats was completely silent, but with a look of sheer trauma far from the chatty braggart she usually was, not even noticing Fury or the others, as if completely detached from the world.

The group watched as the two were cared for, all keeping a passive eye on the one who put them in that state as he smiled and licked his fangs. 

"I think I made my point." Fury said succinctly.

"Yeah, that's an understatement." Rainbow said. "I don't think those two will be cheating any time soon. Or even talking at this point."

"Oh they won't be. And if they try again, I'll make sure they'll stop talking. Forever." Fury said casually. All of his friends were very unsettled, but the most unsettled of them all was surprisingly Cadence. She had met a lot of ponies with an attitude like Fury, mostly happy all the time but could switch up in an instant at the right moment.

Being who she was as The Princess of Love, she was used to reading emotions and getting to know how someone acts. But Fury, there was nothing traditional about his emotions. They were all meshes of random feelings and thoughts, somehow existing in a chaos-free state without any conflict and in complete control. She had seen a lot in her day, but him, he was a different story. 

He was someone who seemed on the surface a relaxed feline, just wanting to spend time and have fun. But as she learned, this was only the surface. Inside is a storm of confusing emotions and memories. And not just because he was a Speed Shifter but also because he seemed to be one of the All Powerfuls, whatever they were.

Then the princess of love spoke up. "Well, Fury, you sure have done and experienced a lot today. But do you think you should tell the emperor about this? Perhaps to unlock whatever mysteries even you are unsure of?"

Fury turned around to see Cadence was speaking and replied. "No, not this time. He may be linked to me now, but that doesn't mean that all of my actions, feelings, and emotions should go through him like some sort of spiritual therapist. And trust me when I say, Cadence, some things are better left lost to just a memory."

Cadence was confused for a moment. "Wait, he's linked to you? Is he still around?"

"Unfortunately no. After a little history recap with Twilight when me and Luna found those artifacts in the Silver Blue, we determined that Emperor Snowdrift died right around the time Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead unified the three tribes and founded Equestria. Though his spirit does live on… in my subconscious mind."

"How did he link up to you in the first place?" Cadence asked.

"When Luna and I discovered the ancient temple within the Silver Blue, we found a memorial to his grave and a scroll that housed a spell that could link another Speed Shifter to him within their subconscious. He's been a guide for months now and I can't thank him enough." Fury explained, then he got an idea.

"Hey, do you wanna meet him? I can summon him from my mind for you." He asked. Cadence was surprised at this new information being given to her, but she was interested nonetheless.

"Sure, I would love to meet him!" She said excitedly. Fury nodded and took a secure stance as he began to speak his kind's language. 

"Aru, mazah, nelu, koru, telu…" The Speed Shifter chanted.

Cadence was astounded by the sheer focus of his speech, it was almost as if she was witnessing the perfection of the magical arts. Soon enough, a red see through figure split off from fury and took its form with long teeth, a short tail and a red cape almost like King Sombra's. There, standing before her, was Emperor Snowdrift.

"I have been summoned, what is it that you wish to speak on, young one." The emperor said in a calm but powerful voice that caught Cadence off guard.

"Actually, I'd like you to meet someone that I've been meaning to introduce you to." Fury said, pointing out the pink alicorn and speaking again.

"Emperor Snowdrift, this is Princess Cadence. Ruler of the Crystal Empire. She was the one that not only gave me the means to come to Equestria in the first place, but was a driving factor in releasing my parents from the Shadow Shifter's grip."

The emperor gave the princess a bow. "It is nice to meet you Princess Cadence. You have done great things for not just Night Fury but for all of our kind. We owe you and your people dearly."

"Thank you very much, Your Highness. I'm pleased to meet your student Night Fury. He has learned so much. And his power is unbelievable now. But may I ask a question of you?"

"Indeed. I am happy to impart knowledge. What is it that you inquire about?"

"Is Night Fury one of the All Powerfuls? And will he be destined to be mightier than ever thought possible? And what about those who wish to seek him out?" She asked, the emperor nodding to her inquiries. 

"Ah good questions, good questions. To answer them all… Yes, Night Fury is destined to be one of the All Powerfuls. Given his birthmark and the prophecy's speaking of the one with the mark of The Raging Storm shall continue the legacy, he is the next in line. He will become a mighty warrior for all and be the guiding light for a better and brighter future." The emperor smiled at this.

"And yes, those who seek him out will exist. Some looking for his guidance, some looking to try and rewrite his destiny by force. But either way, he will be a point of interest throughout his entire life for as long as he is willing to bear the responsibility of holding up this legacy." 

Fury nodded. "And I will do my best to make it so. I won't let you down emperor."

"But there is one thing that I'd like to ask of you, your highness." The emperor spoke.

"Of course, what questions do you have?"

"How familiar are you with your childhood?" The emperor asked. Cadence was taken aback by the rather personal question, but decided to oblige.

"Well, I know that I was raised by two lovely pegasus ponies in a small town when I was young. They loved me and cared for me to the bitter end. But when they found out that they couldn't support a child anymore, they unfortunately had to give me up for adoption. That's when my aunts Celestia and Luna came in to care for me as their adoptive niece." Cadence recalled. Twilight nodded sadly as she remembered the story.

"While I do not doubt that happened to you and I have many condolences for your troubles, I have to tell you that… you may have had a different life altogether."

Cadence raised her eyebrow. "But we just met. How would you know anything about me?"

"Not you in particular but I know of the Crystal Empire, and I know of its ruler Queen Amore. She was a wonderful ruler who ruled with love and honor."

"I heard of her. Celestia told me about her good and honorable rule but what does this have to do with Cadence's childhood?" Twilight asked. The emperor took a deep breath and began to speak his peace.

"The thing about that is… I have proof, solid evidence that she, Queen Amore, was Cadence's original birth mother." 

"What?!" Cadence and Twilight both gasped. 

"She's my… mother? I was originally the heir to the Crystal Empire even before I knew about it? She had to send me away?" Cadence asked with surprise.

"That is correct. From what the queen herself had told me, you were born in a time of war. Battles across the frozen north rattled the nation to its core. You were meant to take over your mother's duties as the newest princess of the Crystal Empire. But unfortunately, the world you would have grown up in was not a safe place. She gave you up to that pegasus family as a way to protect you and preserve the future of what would be your future kingdom. And as I said, I have proof. Observe." The emperor manifested a few pictures into his paws and gave it to Night Fury who allowed Cadence and Twilight to see.

"Woah, check it out. You guys were tight back then, weren't you?" Fury asked.

"Yes. Back then, Speed Shifters were well known to ponies, but only the Crystal Empire was aware of our existence. My relationship with the queen was strong as she made trade deals with us and held celebrations in our honor." The emperor said. Fury flipped through the pictures until he came up on a picture of Queen Amore laying on a bed with something swaddled in a blanket.

"What… what is this?" Twilight asked.

"The very picture to prove my point. Look closely at what, or who is next to her." Fury took the picture and used his power to enlarge the photo. The group looked closely at what they realized was a  swaddled newborn, and what they realized shocked them all.

"Oh… my… gosh. Look at the baby. Pink fur with a swirled mane in a tri-color of pink, yellow and purple! Cadence, that's you!" Fury said. 

Cadence was silent for a moment. "So she was my mother the whole time. I always wondered where I came from. I knew I had a special connection to the crystal ponies ever since I first came here. Almost as if the Crystal Empire was calling to me. But I never imagined I would be the daughter of Queen Amore herself" Cadence took a deep breath. "Can I ask… what she was like, Emperor? Was she…kind?"

The emperor smiled. "Very much so. She was a loving ruler who cared for her subjects well but respected us Speed Shifters just as much. I will miss her and it is quite a shame that the Crystal Empire was sealed up by Sombra for so long. But if she were here, she would be very proud of you for what you have done, Princess Cadence." He said. "As she once told me, 'Love is the key to everything.' And I ask that for her sake, you remember that saying forever."

Cadence took this to heart and even gave a brief tear. "I will always remember that and I will carry on her legacy. King Sombra might have destroyed the Empire once but I will make sure it comes back again."

After a moment of silence and comfort. Cadence was ready to say her farewells to him. "Thank you for telling me this. I've always wondered where I had come from. And I'm glad you were there to teach us these things."

The emperor nodded. "It is my pleasure. Farewell and I ask you two to be ready for whatever happens in the future. This is the rebirth of not just the Crystal Empire, but of Speed Shifters as well. I sense  Crystal Ponies and Speed Shifters and even other ponies will be interconnected in the future. Keep each other strong and stay alert. Farewell."

The emperor of Speed Shifters finally disappeared, merging back with Night Fury's mind.

"Will you be okay, Cadence?" Twilight asks.

"More than okay, relieved and happy." Cadence said letting a tear of joy out. After that she turned to Fury. "Anyways I didn't mean to neglect you, Team Ponyville. Let us have a feast in your honor today!"

"Oh you bet I want one!" Fury said.

"YEAHHH!" Bulk added.

"I would like that very much," Fluttershy said. Cadence nodded and then turned to Fury as she gave him a tight hug.

"Thank you. Thank you for showing me this, I have always wondered where I came from and what I was destined to do and you gave me that clarity. I would have never thought that a single invitation to my wedding would bring such an amazing friend. Thank you." She said in a teary voice. 

Fury hugged her back. "Anytime, Cadence. Anytime. And I know you've done the same for me."

Cadence and Fury shared a great respect for each other. They knew they could trust each other like siblings.

"And now that I've seen your past, I can finally put to rest one of my long running theories about you." Fury said.

"And what is that theory?" Cadence asked.

"That you really did look like a small piece of candy as a baby." Fury laughed, returning to his usual jokester tone. 

"Uh oh, this oughta be good." Rainbow Dash said.

"He always has to say something, huh?" Twilight sighed.

Cadence pouted. "Do you always think I'm candy? I'm the Princess of the Crystal Empire, not the Candy Kingdom!"

"Cadence, please. Look at yourself and tell me that your mane doesn't at least look like a batch of lollipops?" Fury said, running off and returning with a mirror. 

Cadence looked at herself. She had to admit he had a point. "I never noticed before, I have to admit. This mane of mine does resemble them. To an extent! You have to admit it doesn't look that much like lollipops. You must be eating too many sweets."

"Oh really? Back in a flash." Fury said, taking off again. This time, he returned with a lollipop in his paw that had the exact color scheme of Cadence's mane in a swirl. Cadence looked in the mirror, then to the lollipop, and back to the mirror.

"You have got to be kidding me…" She deadpanned. 

"You see, young mare? Some truths in this world are pleasant. But others are cruel and dark. But this is the truth." Fury said sarcastically. "You can either admit it or run away from it. Your choice." He snickered, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he licked his lollipop. 

Cadence then took his lollipop with her magic. "You're right about that, Fury. I can't run from the truth. But you know who else can't? You. And you know what that truth is." She responded with a creepy smile.

"Yeah, not today. See ya!" Fury said as he transformed into a woodpecker and flapped his way to safety.

"Too bad, Candy mane. I've got the advantage here! Catch you guys at the after-party! He he he hah he!" He said, laughing a silly chuckle because flying away. 

"Oh no you don't! I won't let a woodpecker beat the Princess of Love! Come back here!" Cadence flew after him.

Many of those watching were chuckling. 

"Wow, does he ever tire out?" Twilight asked.

"I believe so, Twilight. But let us leave their business to them." Luna said with a knowing smile. "For now, let us enjoy the spoils of victory at this grand party! Come friends, and we shall indulge with glee!"

"Yeah, let's go eat!" Rainbow said. "I want to try some of that grub in Apatite that Cadence kept mentioning! Let's go team! Our next assignment, eat as much as you can!"

Everyone cheerfully ran to their destination for food. It was a time of victory, triumph and discovery. The games were concluded.

–

"I must say, this was most interesting. I never expected a Speed Shifter to have that much power…" said someone in the shadows.

"Yeah, it traumatized that big brute for life. I think Blueblood will want to hear of this. But will we be able to beat him?"

"Don't worry, I've heard of an energy absorbing beast who may help us and those shadow shifters. This is just the beginning and we are starting to learn."

"Heh heh yeah. Look out, Night Fury, you'll be the one to have pain inflicted on your mind soon enough."
> Chapter 33: Party For Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the Team at Ponyville, they were busy feasting. They were hungry for some of the exotic crystal pony delicacies. Especially the exotic salt that made everything good.

"Yum!" Rainbow said. "This is absolutely tasty! We normal ponies have been missing out on so much!"

"I must admit this is quite a divine cuisine." Rarity admitted who was eating her food more carefully. "I am quite impressed more and more with this city."

"I do wish Fury was here to eat with us. I hope Cadence and Fury will be back to feast with us." Fluttershy said. "And I hope Cadence didn't tear him up too badly to enjoy this." Fluttershy said. 

"I'm sure they'll be back soon." Rainbow said. "Knowing Fury, he would never miss a feast like this even if it meant he would have to be a slave. I'm sure he'll be right-"

The door suddenly opened.

"-back."

Entering the room was an unscathed Night Fury, his previously hardened pursuer nowhere to be seen. 

"I'm here, baby! Save me a seat!" 

"Night Fury, you're back! Where's Cadence?" Twilight asked.

"Oh her? Well, let's just say…" Just then, Cadence came into view, covered in spider webbing as she scooted her way into the room like an inchworm.

"She got tied up a bit." Fury finished, chucking as he went to take a free seat next to his girlfriend. 

"I wasn't even able to tickle you this time." Cadence said, scooting on the floor with defeat while trying to remove the web. "So this is what those flies feel like when they've been caught."

"A helpless bug caught in the spider's web, such a poetic moment." Celestia chuckled as she used her magic to disintegrate the web from afar and free her niece. 

Cadence and Fury finally sat down. 

"I'll get you next time, Fury. Your spider webs won't stop me forever."

"Don't worry, I'll just think of something else." Fury smirked.

"You have come a long way from that ticklish, defenseless feline I met so long ago, my love. Perhaps you shall become completely impervious to those tricks." Luna said. Fury smiled at her affirmation of his maturity.

"Yeah, maybe I will be able to resist those tri- bahahahahaha, hey!" Fury laughed as Luna tickled his side with a wing.

"You are very right. Maybe you could become impervious to those tricks, but it is no guarantee. And besides, I shall find new ways." She smirked with a cheeky giggle. 

"Ha ha… Curses! I guess I can't even trust those I love… How could you?! Such villainous behavior from my own lover, I am devastated!" Fury said dramatically. 

"That's just how love is, my son." Obsidian said. "Your significant other might deceive you or take advantage of you. Especially when it comes to new exotic jewelry that costs us a lot." He said looking at his wife.

"Oh ha ha, very hilarious, dear husband of mine. But your father's right, love is unpredictable. And you have to be ready for any speed bump that could rattle your relationship. Especially since he's done his own mischief." Black Ice said, shooting an unamused glance at her husband.

"Such wise words. If I wasn't a solo act, I would probably take you in as a protogè, Black Ice." Cadence said, unaware as to who was currently present.

"A solo act, you say? Perhaps our vows were of no importance to you." A new voice said that startled the pink alicorn.

"Uh oh… Cadence got caught." Fury said cheekily. Cadence slowly turned around to see her husband standing behind her with an eyebrow raised in suspicion. 

"Shining, you know I take vows seriously. I would rather stab myself with Sombra's crystals for all eternity than ever replace you!" Cadence said genuinely concerned that Shining thought so.

"Well, if that's the case, then you won't mind if I do this." Shining Armor said, pulling Cadence in for a quick kiss. "Heh, I knew you would never do that."

"Huh, I guess you're not as naive to the ways of love as I thought, my dear." Cadence said seductively while stroking his cheek.

For Fury, he was thankful Luna was distracted by the new pair. And he decided to silently transform into a mouse to escape and to get back to chowing down on his lobster soup.

"Oh, not so fast. I know that trick Fury." Luna said, squeezing the mouse. "I'm not done with you yet. Prepare for another punishment." She said, giving him a raspberry on his cheek.

"Ah gee, not another one!"

After a while it was clear everyone around was laughing at all the shenanigans of the party. Along with the usual romantic teasing, there were attractions: Pinkie and Bulk were doing karaoke together, Swiftly was trying to serenade some crystal mares, and Rainbow was busy chugging down some apple cider with crystal sugar to spike the flavor.

"Man, this is an amazing party! If it weren't for me, this whole thing wouldn't be as good." Fury said to himself. Then he heard a strange noise.

Hissssss… 

"Huh? Who's hissing?" He asked himself as he looked around.

Hissssss… 

He looked over to the door and saw Celestia, Luna, and Cadence standing around the corner. He was left a little confused as to why they were hissing, but then he remembered.

Our Secret Society Of Silliness call, of course! I almost forgot we set that up. I wonder what they're trying to do?

Fury nodded to the royalty who got his attention and smoothly left the room without anyone noticing. The group walked a small distance to another room with a circular table. 

"Ah it looks like the council has convened. What shall we discuss, my fellow enactors of silliness?" Fury asked.

They all had a serious look. As if they were planning a military operation.

Celestia took a drink of cider and stoically looked at Fury.

Celestia spoke up. "We have convened for an important reason: to commemorate this important occasion."

Cadence nodded and continued. "Your great service to Ponyville, a victory at these games that has not happened for centuries, deserves the finest celebration of all."

Fury was quite interested. "Excellent. I would like even more fish but considering you called us to this secret meeting, I know that's not why I'm here."

Luna nodded. "Yes indeed, my love. To commemorate your great victory we must celebrate in the only appropriate way. Some pranking shenanigans." Luna smiled deviously. "But it must not be just any normal tickling. It must be special."

Fury's eyes immediately lit up. Forget the fish! He's ready to prove his worthiness as a prank connoisseur. 

"I would most appreciate this sacred action. I'm in." Fury said, putting his paw in the center of the table. 

The others all put their hooves and paw in the center to show their commitment.

"But we must ask the important questions." Cadence said. "Who shall we prank, what is our objective, and what is our mission plan?" She treated this like a military operation.

"I've got a target…" Fury said, pulling a picture from behind his ear and placing it on a table.

"Shining Armor!? Why? He didn't do anything." Cadence asked.

"No he didn't. At least that would be the case if he didn't prank me first by replacing my shampoo with pink fur dye last week." Fury explained, showing another picture of him colored completely pink.

"Ponies were calling me 'Bubblegum' all weekend." Fury said with a mix of sadness and rage. "He thinks he can get away with a prank like that? Fine. But if one is pranked, only fair balance can be restored and I will get my vengeance." Fury said now smiling evilly, more than usual.

Even Cadence had to admit that was an extreme prank that deserved swift justice.

"I must admit. I didn't think Shiny had it in him to do that. But everyone is filled with surprises. But for the sake of justice, I shall help, at least for this one action." Cadence said, shaking Fury's paw.

"Alright, we have a target. Now the question is, what prank should we pull?"

All the princesses pondered. It had to be a big one. 

"Well first we must ask what gets under Shiny's skin? Cadence?" Celestia asked.

Cadence spoke up. "Well he hates seeing his armor get dirty… He hates when others are late… And his biggest pet peeve is disorder within his ranks! It gets on his nerves to no end when his soldiers are slacking off, messing around, or even both."

Fury was not surprised at all of this. He had some ideas. "He sounds like someone I can really have fun with."

"Yep, there's marching practice in a few hours. That is our chance to strike. The ultimate symbol of organization will be made into chaos."

"Now that's something to get with. I can get to the barracks fast enough, so I can get the guards in on the plan." Fury chuckled. "But won't the guards get in trouble?"

"Don't worry. I'll explain the whole situation to Shining Armor after the fact before he makes them dig a ditch in the middle of the night. He trusts me." Cadence said. "But for you Fury, you have to make sure you leave no signs for Shining Armor. He might be alert. And not all the soldiers will be mischievous enough to go along. So here's a list of the guards who are, how should we say… troublemakers. Still loyal but they like a good laugh" Cadence handed him a list. 

Fury was eager to go through with this. "Ah, you've thought this through. For me I have a few prank ideas. Not just dirty armor but also a bit of marching chaos. Perhaps a bit of bad singing too. I'll think of more later." 

"Then it's settled." Celestia said. "Me and Luna will help Cadence to distract Shining from going into the barracks before it's his time."

"You can count on us in this endeavor of utmost importance." Luna said sincerely.

"Alright, let's do this!" Fury called out. The group disbanded and went on with their plan. The three royals went back to the party and kept Shining Armor busy as Fury went around to the listed guards who were known for being a little less disciplined, some of those guards even getting the hard cases of the Crystal Guard to join in. By the time everything was ready, Shining Armor was on his way to the training field to begin marching practice and Fury rejoined his fellow members of their secret society, his mother having caught on and decided to join them in their plan to prank the captain.

–

"Atten-Hut!" 

All soldiers were at attention. 

So far so good… 

Shining Armor said to himself as he inspected their spears, their armor, and their mane cuts. As expected they all seemed perfectly disciplined. Even the mischievous ones seemed all good… 

Wait. Is that… paint? He painted it green?!

Shining was sorely offended by this travesty. Only Rarity would react worse to terrible military fashion. He was ready to teach this private a lesson. 

"Private Cold Steel, step forward!" 

He marched forward.

"May you please explain to me why your armor is grass green?!" Shining Armor said sternly. Cold Steel kept a straight face and addressed the captain.

"This is the armor that I was assigned for this training, sir!" He barked. Shining Armor squinted at the soldier hard.

Maybe the forgers were in a bit of a cheeky mood today, that would be the most logical explanation. He thought to himself.

"I will let you off with a warning, private. But don't let this become a repeat offense, now step back in line!" The soldier stepped back in line. A few feet away sat the fully gathered secret society watching the exchange,and they were slightly disappointed.

"Seriously? Nothing?" Luna asked, perplexed.

"I guess he isn't as driven crazy by imperfections as he used to be. Which I guess should be a good thing but not today." Cadence admitted in defeat. "Fury, are you sure this will work?"

"Trust me, it'll work. Watch this…" Fury took the opportunity to quickly but silently slip out of the bush they were hiding behind and get behind Shining Armor.

"Now, today we will be doing marching practice. I hope you all haven't been slacking off and messing around." He spoke sternly. As he walked up and down the line, Night Fury was tap dancing behind him and getting some of the guards to start snickering. Shining Armor heard this and turned to another soldier.

"Is there something amusing about marching practice that you'd like to share?" He asked. The guard shook his head and got Shining Armor to back off. 

"No sir, just some food I had. That's making me feel strange." The guard said, holding back Snickers of laughter as Fury danced behind the captain. 

"Well, get a better diet then! Especially before training!" 

"Sir, yes, heh, sir!" The guard said barely containing his laughter

Shining kept on going.

Okay, for some reason, my professional guards are acting like children. But maybe now I can finally get this marching practice done already. 

"Alright, guards! You know the drill! We must march with poise and purpose. Do not falter!" He said, eyeing some of the guards. Just as Shining Armor was about to turn around, Fury attached his final part of his plan to his hooves and quickly hid.

"What did you do, Fury?" Black Ice asked.

"Oh, just added a little bit of classic humor to this prank. Take a look at what I attached to his hooves." 

She saw something pink right out of the hooves. Instead of the usual horseshoes, she saw whoopie cushions. She remembered whoopie cushions and all the turmoil she endured from their family dinners back at the village.

"Whoopie cushions? That is classic." Celestia giggled.

"But rather bothersome. I still remember those family dinners that you just couldn't stop laughing at." Black Ice said with an accusatory grin. Fury grinned back at her and rolled his eyes.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said innocently. "And these aren't just regular whoopie cushions, these are the new Repeat Rippers I picked up from Ponyville's Prank Emporium. They can go again and again for infinite use. They can even withstand the harsh conditions of marching."

Cadence was confused "Wait, why have I not heard squeaking yet?

Fury smirked. "These are set to go off at just the right time. And they're a tougher type, so only with enough pressure will they go off. And let's just say… Marching is both this thing's weakness and strength, Heh heh heh."

"Guards, atten-hut!" 

His crystal guards followed their captain's instructions and got into position.

"Forward… march!" 

Everyone marched as planned. So far so good. 

Finally, Order. Discipline… 

Frrt! 

Honor… 

Frrt! Frrt! 

Music? 

Frrt! Frrt! Frrt! 

Noises?

Shining didn't know where that annoying sound was coming from. Was it one of his recruits having an awful diet or fooling around again? However he kept marching, not wanting to have another interruption. He will find out-

Frrt! 

And teach them a lesson later.

"Hup *frrt* two,*frrt* three,*frrrrt* four!" 

To Shining's dismay he saw some of his guards grinning. He thought he saw one chuckle! The nerve!

This is supposed to be the renowned and feared Crystal Guard of legends?! Shining said with a face of pure rage.

Meanwhile, the ponies and Speed Shifters in the bushes were laughing at the childish noise on repeat. 

"Wow, your husband's face is turning red like a chili pepper!" Fury pointed out. "He looks like Twilight if you gave away her Daring Do books."

"Ah, I guess the genes run in the family. Especially the father, who loves organization. But I think he's about to snap." Cadence said, right on cue. 

"Enough!!!" The captain of the guard cried out, causing his guards to stop their show of amusement.

"Is this how you conduct yourselves?! By acting like eight year olds?! You are the Crystal Guard, our foes are supposed to fear and respect us! How can we do that if you chatter like a… a… a…"

Shining stopped talking for a moment. He felt something inside of him.

"W-what's going on?!" Shining said in an uncomposed voice of panic. "Where's the restroom?!" He cried out. 

One of the guards pointed him to a crystalline gift shop. Shining didn't even say thanks and just rushed right in.

"I didn't do that one, what was that?" Fury asked. This time, it was Luna who had a say in the prank.

"I may have spiked his pre-training coffee brew with a bit of black magic. And by black magic, I mean I spiked his usual decaf with a few hefty pumps of high power espresso." The nocturnal princess giggled. 

Cadence's jaw dropped. "Aunt Luna! Shining is very sensitive to that coffee! His bowels cannot handle all that force!"

"Exactly, which makes it all the more funny." Celestia said, giggling herself. Cadence was appalled by her aunt's lack of sympathy, but then turned to suspicion as she gave a glare.

"You all didn't happen to add one extra phase to the prank behind my back, did you?" She asked. 

"We may have conspired with Black Ice and Night Fury to help me with it." Celestia admitted.

"Yep, oh and she forgot. Mom added… some of her herbs." Fury said deviously.

Cadence was surprised. She always saw herself as the pranker leader. But she never knew Black Ice could put in something so vile, whatever it was. She almost feared them.

Until she laughed out loud at all of this.

"Oh wow, you guys are too much! You've really done it, I must say!" Cadence said, not able to contain herself.

"Shh, here he comes!" Fury whispered, pointing to the returning captain that looked like he had been to Tartarus and back. 

"Ohhhh!!! It's over. It's done." Shining said, giving deep breaths as he was still not feeling quite like himself.

"Sir, are you okay?" said his second in command.

"What makes you think I'm fine, I just had my bowels eject themselves at terminal velocity!" Shining barked in pain.

"Well sir, perhaps it's you who could use a change in diet." The second in command joked.

"Don't start with me, corporal." Shining said, trying to compose himself. "Now, we're going to pretend none of this toilet business ever happened. I just figured out someone put these whoopie cushions on my horseshoes! I am going to find the perpetrator in my ranks if I have to lose a leg!"

Shining grumpily marched to his guards and stared them down. Then, he heard a voice ring out.

"Oi, how about you flick that switch in ya noggin and do something with that peanut-sized brain of yours, ya wallop!" Said Fury from afar, leaving Shining Armor just that little more ticked off. 

"Who said that?! Which one among you wretches said that?!"

He only heard silence.

"It's your conscience, ya ponsie! Take a hint and stop being a mullard, ya snot for brains!" Fury said. 

"I am your Captain! I have trained you in the art of warfare. And this is how you repay me?!"

"Um sir, are you okay?"

"Yes I'm perfectly fine. Do I look upset?!" Shining said with a horrifying expression.

"N-no." The corporal hesitated. "It's just that… uh… not to question your mental stability, sir, but I see nopony's mouth moving." The corporal said. 

Shining was shocked he could still hear the voices. But everyone was completely still. What was going on?

"Is this… some sort of… psychological warfare against me? Is Chrysalis making her return?! Did she infect my breakfast?!" 

"Nope, just you being oblivious! You bulky, gender-swapped Sapphire Shores!" 

"Someone give me an answer! What is happening to me?! I need answers!" Shining yelled out. "Why are my professional guards acting so silly? Why are there whoopie cushions and bathroom trips? And why in Tartarus is there a voice calling to me?!" Shining ranted.

Cadence looked at the Speed Shifter doing his work. "Okay Fury, I think my husband has had enough."

"Aww, come on! Just one more?" Fury begged. 

"Fury…"

"Ugh, fine…" 

Fury leaped in front of him. "It is I, you big oaf! None other than the Speed Shifter, Night Fury!"

Shining Armor did a double take. "Fury? Wait. Why are you involved in this?!"

"Oh, it's not just me, lover boy. I've got a team by my side! Ladies, you're up!" Fury called out, the rest of his 'Crew' popping out of the bush. 

"Greetings, Captain." Celestia proclaimed.

"We  haven taken notice of your marching practice today." Luna said.

"And we decided to have a bit of… fun, dear." Cadence said. 

"So we came up with a fun little prank series to throw at you." Added Black Ice. 

Shining was shocked. "Wait… those voices, those whoopie cushions, they were all you?!"

"Even the messy armor." Fury added. "And I may have gotten some of your guard in on it too."

"So, that's why my renowned Crystal Guard has acted like a bunch of school foals. Now everything makes sense."  Shining said a bit unamused. "Cadence, did Fury blackmail you into throwing this prank on me at training of all times? If he did, I have a few words for-!"

"Woah, hit the brakes, Shiny! He didn't try to persuade anypony. As a matter of fact, I was the one who got the idea to do it in the first place." Cadence admitted. Shining Armor was left speechless at that. His own beautiful honorable wife, a prankster? To be fair, she was a bit silly back in their teenage years. But now, as a respectable ruler? 

"You did?! But but but but-" 

"Uh, Shining, do you need new batteries?" Cadence asked. Fury did a spit take at that joke. 

"Why?! Why would you do this to your old husband?! Is this about when I was hours late for our dinner because I was watching a military reenactment? Is it because I was busy shining my armor instead of watching a movie with you?"

"Wow, he really is uptight like Twilight. And calling himself old? Now I would have thought that I would be the one to call him that, but to do it himself? The self deprecation is real." Fury commented.

Cadence simply chuckled. "Shining, you're thinking too hard about this as usual. You really are Twilight's brother. But no, I just wanted to have a celebration for Fury's triumph and the best way I could think of was with a classic prank. And you Shining, were the perfect pony for that."

"And it sure did work! I feel super special now! It's like I was hanging out with the older sisters I never had!" Fury said to everyone's surprise. 

Shining was now understanding of it. He calmed down a bit but was still a little annoyed.

"I understand now. But couldn't you have waited after my training session?"

"Shining, let me tell you. You need to take a break from that stuff. You've barely had time to relax and smell the roses. Life isn't just about marches, you know, honey?" Cadence said sincerely.

Black Ice nodded. "Agreed. I had to learn that the hard way. I was so uptight I forgot to just have fun. I guess ever since my family lost our home, I was always hard on myself and others. That's why I helped as unlikely as that might seem. To give myself a chance to have fun again."

"Yeah, mom's right. Just look at me! Like seriously, how do you think ponies would have looked at me if I was like my mom? Uptight, always focused on perfection, never letting myself slip to maintain some fake honor code that I held myself to? Where do you think my popularity would be now?" Fury said.

Shining started to understand now. He appreciated it a bit more.

"I'm still gonna have to clean up that armor though. And I wish I still had my moment to shine in this prank war. Shining said.

"I doubt it, you're too strict. Why do you think we left Twilight out of it? For all we know, she'd probably spend most of her time calculating the optimal time frame and precise movements to make this prank an 'Optimal exchange'. " Fury joked. 

Shining chuckled at that. "Well at least I'm not as bad as Twilight."

"Yes, and that's why I love you." Cadence said, walking over and kissing her husband on the cheek. "But back to what Fury said earlier… Fury, you think of me and my aunts as older sisters?"

"Yeah, I guess I do. I never had any siblings, just a few friends and maybe the occasional cousin. But yeah, you three kinda feel like the three older sisters I never had back home." Fury said smiling. "I would never have imagined ponies so fun and ready to have fun like you. I thought princesses would be stoic and no fun, but not you girls! You girls are cool!" Fury said with the energy of an actual younger brother. 

The three princesses felt warm in their chests at the compliment, they never knew that Fury felt so close to them. 

"We are forever grateful." Celestia said. "But to answer Shining, do not worry, one of us will clean all that stuff up while you and your stallions get a vacation. And I think I know who."

Everyone looked toward Cadence.

"Seriously? All of you?" 

"You are his wife, Cadence. And you admitted you were the one to come up with this plan. I say it's only fair of you to repay what you owe." Said Luna with a smirk. 

Shining Armor chuckled. "Sorry dear. But I agree with that." But then Shining looked to the others. "However, I think it might be worthwhile if you all played your part too. Like you, Fury. I think I have a special reward for you."

"You touch me, you'll be drinking hay smoothies through a straw for a month." Fury deadpanned. 

"Oh I won't do so. Others might though. Celestia! Luna! I was going to eat this delicious cake and moonpie. But if you do me a favor I might just give them to you." he said with a smirk. "It has extra cherries and blueberries. With some exotic sweet crystals."

"Ehh, go ahead. I'm not exactly in the mood for it anyway." Fury said, unfazed. 

"Here are the conditions, you two." Shining said. "If you put this silly clown makeup on Fury. Then I will give you this tasty cake. The guards like seeing clowns to entertain them. So why not give them entertainment?" He said with an evil smirk rivaling Fury's. This got Fury's attention as his eyes popped wide. 

"Whoa whoa! Look, I can clean your armor. I can serve you as a butler for a week. I can- Wait, why am I begging for mercy when I don't have to stand here and take this?" Fury realized, his fangs starting to expose themselves.

"Everyone knows that I don't take nonsense from anypony, so why should I start with you?" Fury said as he slowly started to move.  

"Oh is that a challenge, Speed Shifter?" Shining said, also slowly moving.

"I guess it just might be." Fury said. "I like jokes but being a clown is too much pal. Even I wouldn't go that far with you. And besides, Cadence did tell me about a little sparring match between you and me while she was on vacation in Canterlot with me and my parents."

"Wait she did? W-whatever do you mean?" Shining said, a bit worried.

"Wait, she didn't tell you? Oh that just makes this better. You see, Cadence and I had a little bit of a… rivalry during that vacay, pulling pranks and practical jokes on each other until one of us broke. And one day, she brought up the idea of you and I having a little match after I made a joke about your relationship. So now that you're sounding like you grew a pair, how about we reinstate that little argument?"

"Heh heh heh." Shining Armor chuckled confidently. "If it's a challenge to regain my honor, then I will gladly resume our argument. I just hope you'll be ready. Because I won't be going easy on you."

"As if I was going to do the same…" Fury said with a cocky smirk.

Fury and Shining both gazed into each other ready for their challenge of honor. They both were eager for this. They circled a small area between each other, giving hard glares to their opposite as they planned their first moves. Then… Fury went for it. He immediately shot forward and got behind Shining Armor, jumping up and kicking him in the back of the head with enough force to launch him a good few feet. 

"Ooooh!" Went the guards, watching as their captain's body flopped to the ground.

"Ooh, that felt good! It's been too long since I landed a good hit on someone! Let's see how long you stand up to me." Fury said as he raced towards Shining Armor. The royal guard captain saw this and ignited his horn, forming a pyramid shield around him. But Fury anticipated this and transformed into a mole to go underground.

"What, where'd he go?" Shining asked himself. But he would soon find out as Fury reappeared inside the pyramid shield and slammed his paws into Shining's back, dissipating the shield and knocking him down with enough force that he bounced off the hard ground and back into the air. Fury took this chance to reposition at Shining Armor's side, charging one of his paws with energy before punching his opponent, sending him flying into the crystal wall nearby and creating a powerful crater that instantly bruised the captain. 

"Gahhh!" Shining cried out a bit reeling from the pain.

"You're pretty strong with your magic, Shining. But even that is no match for some clever tricks." Fury said walking toward Shining.

Shining got up with a determined look on his face.

"Oh really? Can your tricks resist this energy beam?!" Shining said, charging his horn and shooting at Fury. "Let me teach you how we do it at the Academy."

Fury stood there with a blank expression, not feeling fazed by his opponent. The energy beam came closer to him, nearing his location before Fury just stuck up his paw and caught it like a ball, a shockwave pulsing around him from the impact.

Fury didn't move, his face blanker than a void. 

"Too bad, I don't care." Fury said as he flicked the ball of energy back at Shining Armor with one claw. But instead of being a blockable attack, it was more powerful, sending him flying backwards so fast that the original crater in the wall became deeper and the ground shook. 

BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!

Everypony around was shocked at this sight. They couldn't believe their eyes. Fury just tossed a fairly powerful unicorn beam right back at the caster like he was playing a game of catch. Cadence was especially shocked. She had seen Shining Armor leave his soldiers near crippled during training, but now he was the one looking like he was going to leave with life-changing injuries. 

"Shining! Are you alright?!" Cadence cried out.

"Ughhhh…" She saw the rocks levitate out of the way, revealing a Shining that was heavily breathing and fairly bruised. 

"Yeah, but just barely. Oh boy…" He looked at Fury. "Normally that beam would put 50 of my soldiers in the hospital. How were you able to resist my beam?"

"Simple. Look at my paw." Fury directed. Shining Armor followed his lead and saw that Fury had created an electric barrier around his paw to practically eliminate the force of the beam. Fury continued to speak. 

"I wasn't really in the mood to see some wannabe, life sized, royal guard action figure try to put up a fight. So let me make this clear. If you even try to get disrespectful with me, I'll bust you up so badly that even Celestia will say her own name in vain." He said bluntly. 

"I see." Shining said. "You really have gone far. I've underestimated you. I thought you were just a rookie. Is that why you personally wanted to prank me? To teach me a lesson for all the times I belittled you and said how you were not as great as the Royal Guard?"

"Rookie? Maybe a few months ago. Teach you a lesson? Yes. That nopony, not even the husband of the pony who gave me the permission to even step foot on this land, is exempt from my ways of dealing with disrespect. Whether that be by argument or hoof to paw combat, ain't nopony in my sights are on my list for letting it slide. Because let me tell you, these paws are rated E for everyone." He said, his tone not changing as he spoke hard and firm. 

Shining was silent at first but then he spoke. "I… I apologize for looking down upon you. I guess me being a Captain of the Royal Guard and being part of an important Canterlot family made me arrogant and strict. I promise I will not let you down again. You deserve respect. You have my word on the honor of the Crystal Empire."

Fury watched as not only Shining bowed to him, but the guards lined up behind him saluted him. Fury felt satisfied with the amount of respect he was getting, but even then, he kept his emotions in check and stood firm with a straight face.

"Thank you all, I appreciate the respect. Let's just make sure that this doesn't have to be demonstrated again." Fury said. 

Shining nodded to him. 

Fury then relaxed. "But I will say, that was a nice shield you had there. If I didn't know how to transform, I probably would have lost. So you still did quite good. Although this does show you probably still need some more training. It looks like you've gotten rusty." Fury said bluntly. 

"In fact, if you need it, I would be happy to show you some Speed Shifter energy techniques. Even if we Shifters can't shoot out beams, if you control it better, your beam can come out quite better."

Shining smiled. "Well if you were able to go from rookie to this powerful in only a year, then I think I would be foolish to say no. Very well. You're now welcome to the barracks to teach my stallions these new moves."

"Cool, that sounds great." Fury said.

"Hey, something's not right…" Cadence spoke up.

"What wrong, Cadence?" Shining asked, a little perplexed. Cadence then walked up to Fury and looked him over.

"Fury's not smiling like he usually does, that's not good." She said, looking Fury in the eyes.

"What do you mean, I am smiling."

"Not the way I know you do. Maybe I have to fix you?" Cadence pondered, observing him. 

"What do you mean exactly, Cady? What makes you think I'm so different now? I'm just going about my business." Fury asked with curiosity.

Cadence further clarified. "You seem a bit different. It's hard to explain but you have a different attitude."

"Different attitude? Fix me? What are you getting at?" Fury asked, starting to get suspicious of the pink alicorn looking him over. 

"Like maybe you need to relax now. Chill. And I have a special treatment for you, my friend." She said with twirling her hooves around. "I am going to really fix you and put a big smile on your face."

Fury was now nervous.

"I… don't like the sound of this." He walked back.

"Which sounds better? Being tickled or wearing a clown outfit? Your choice. And you do have to make a choice, cause I'll make ya if you don't." Cadence said in a flying position.

"Oh no…" Fury was now nervous, his choices not sounding good either way.

"I doubt either of those choices will suffice." Luna spoke up. "But I do have an alternative."

Luna then started to whisper in her niece's ear, her smile growing as she heard the alternative. 

"So your lady friend has an alternative proposal. How would you like some… cuddles?"

"No no no! I do not want… Wait, cuddles? What are you saying?" He asked, confused.

Luna spoke up. "Fury, you've given us massages and cared for our wants for a while, it's only fair we repay the favor. We want to give you the massage of a lifetime. Unless you would rather dance like a clown…"

Before she could even think of something else, Fury jumped on her back and wrapped his paws around her neck in a hug.

"Take me away, my lovely pony of the night." He cooed. 

Luna smiled and kissed him. "My pleasure, my lightning bug."

Celestia then asked. "Shall we go now or later?"

Fury reached over and grabbed her by her cheeks, pulling her in until they were nose to nose.

"Do not delay this dream any further, let us go now." 

Fury transformed into a housecat hanging tightly onto Luna's neck. With that all three princesses flew back to the palace. Shining waved farewell to them and wished them luck.

Night Fury, you are one lucky cat.

–

The princesses soon reached the palace, coming up to the balcony that stretched off of Cadence's personal quarters. They entered through the glass doors and sat in a rough circle, Luna using her magic to levitate the cat on her back to the center. 

Fury walked and plopped down on the bed, he was after all a bit exhausted from all the pranks and battle he had with Shining.

"I don't know girls… Can you match my masseuse techniques?" Fury dared his princess friends and girlfriend.

"No need to try and replicate your techniques, we have our own. So let's get started with this repayment, shall we?" Luna said. 

Fury had his limbs out so he could get massaged. Luna made him even more eager to see what would happen.

"Okay, just relax and let the tension leave you." Luna said as she started work on his back. Fury could tell that she removed her slippers for this, to give him the best experience. Fury felt the kinks get rolled out and the knots get untied as Luna worked him up and down. Then, his body started to passively glow.

"Woah, is that normal?" Cadence asked, a little concerned.

"Completely natural. Just like unicorns and alicorns, Speed Shifters have to learn how to contain and control their energy flow. Mostly as a safety measure to prevent any accidents. But this energy is completely harmless. It's just a sign that my aura is free and loose as my body relaxes. Nothing to worry about." Fury explained. 

Cadence was interested now. "Ah, maybe I can use these techniques on my own husband. Luna mind if I get a little practice with our Speed Shifter friend?"

"Please, be my guest." Luna said, moving aside to let Cadance squirm in. 

Cadence squeezed his lower back. She learned from Luna and Fury. And she had some experience being married to Shining with this, so she gave an even more thorough massaging than Luna.

"Ooh, that is good… I'm guessing the marriage gave you a bit of experience, not to mention the whole 'Love Princess' thing." Fury sighed, resting his head between his front legs. 

"I suppose it does, doesn't it? I do have my ways in pleasure and joy, so how does it feel?" Cadence asked, getting a little smug. 

"Oh yeah yeah yeah, ahwoo! This really hit the spot. But uh… not as much as Luna's." Fury quickly added to not make her jealous.

"Good." Luna said.

Celestia came over. "You ladies think you are so experienced with massages? Well I have much experience with strength and power in war. So I think I am ready to make my mark today."

"Okay Celestia, lets see what you've go- ohhh, sweet mother of mercy…" Fury was completely paralyzed as Celestia took her turn and used her own technique.

"Heated hooves? Ohh, that's genius." He cooed, his body really starting to loosen up. 

"One must be creative when trying to fight supernatural enemies. And in this case your kneads are my enemy so… BE GONE TENSION!" Celestia pressed hard on Fury's legs.

"Yaaahahahaow!"

Celestia could see the slight red where she pressed on Fury. 

"Was that too much, Fury?"

"A little sunburn never hurt me… At least not yet. And besides, I feel amazing!" Fury said as he practically melted. "So when's the cuddling starting?"

Cadence shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe when you least expect it… NOW!"

Cadence immediately fell on Fury's left side, Celestia his right and the most beloved Luna on his back.

"And that is a cuddle pile." Cadence said. Any questions?!"

"Nope, you all feel like a giant fuzzy blanket from down here." Fury said, his body almost completely covered.

"You really are a little lightning bug, you're so small and tiny compared to us." Luna said, nuzzling the top of his head.

"You know what would make this even better? The sound of laughter." Celestia suggested. 

"Um… is it okay if I say no?" Fury asked, already knowing what they would do.

"Fury, you are caught in-between three of the most powerful beings in Equestria. I doubt you'd be able to get away as is." Cadence smirked. 

"Yeah I guess I'm toast." Fury admitted. "Well, have at me then."

"With pleasure!" Luna said as she plopped down and snuggled by Fury along with the other princesses.

Fury felt warmth and fuzzy fur. He knew he hit the jackpot for comfort. He started to purr like he usually did and relaxed, he felt like he was in his most wanted dream. 

"Do you still wish to escape our wrath, Fury?" Cadence asked. "Or have you accepted your helplessness?"

"Helpless? Oh no no no, not today! And besides, you three always tease me about being ticklish… why not give you a taste of your own medicine?!"

Fury then disappeared… 

The princesses wondered where he had scurried off to or even how he disappeared.

"Where could he be?" Cadence asked. "We had him in our firm grip."

"Yeah, but clearly not firm enough." said a black hamster on Celestia's back.

Celestia realized they just got outdone by him.

"And now for letting me escape, you must pay the toll." Fury said, transforming into an anaconda. He quickly slithered around the three princesses before they could even react. He then pointed his slack tail at Celestia.

"Prepare for some retribution!" Fury's tail roughed up Celestia in her tickle spots. Even the princess of the sun was no match.

"No, please stop!" Celestia laughed while crying.

"Yeah I'll give you a break cause I have to move to lover girl here." He said tickling Cadence.

"Oh gosh oh gosh! Ha ha! You really are experienced with this! Ha ha!" Cadence admitted.

"And finally we move onto my last victim." Fury said to Luna. "Well Moonpie, any last words?"

"This act shall not be left alone without repercussions!" Luna called out. 

"Such a futile effort. I fear not what you may attempt in the future for I shall be ready. Now silence as I deliver the final blow!" 

Fury decided to be fancy and wiggle his tail near Luna just to mentally torture with the anticipation of what was to come and then… 

"HA HA HA HA HA! I DEMAND YOU STOP IMMEDIATELY! I AM THE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT!"

"And I'm your boyfriend, so I have rights that nopony else has! Nothing you can do now but fall to me!"

Luna was being driven to her limit. Fury was much more intense with her than the others. It was almost a torture. But even Cadence could see the passion was causing him to go all the way.

"You can't ssssssstop me now, I've got the advantage. Whatcha gonna do, huh?" Fury boasted and hissed, his confidence at a high. 

"Oh, we'll show you what we can do. C'mere!" 

Luna's eyes glowed and a newfound strength allowed one of her legs to escape her lover's clutches. She grabbed Fury's tail and twirled it around. And she pressed on his tail. Luna now was the one chuckling.

"You were saying, Lightning Bug? Are you ready for my next payback?" Fury transformed back and looked up at his lover, her eyes filled with vengeance. He then looked to the two other royals down at his rear paws and they had the same look. 

"Oh boy, you're not gonna go easy on me are you?"

They all simply shook their heads.

"Well, crud."

Then what followed was even more tickles in all of Fury's tickle spots. All three together. The trifecta of tickles.

"Curses! Ha ha ha! Foiled again! Ha ha ha!"

"You should not underestimate us, young one." Celestia said. "We are familiar with the art of tickles. This is how it must go."

"Ha ha I see that! You can stop now! Please!" Fury begged. All three of his attackers heard his plea and released their grip on him. Unfortunately, this only led to a pouty face and a frustrated huff.

"Hmfp! Why do I always have to be at a loss? It's not fair." He whined, his expression like a child being told it's their bedtime. 

"Oh do not worry, my love. You tried your best. But you must realize when you go all the way. Expect a reaction. A big reaction." Luna said. 

"Yeah I know I know." Fury said, still pouting.

"Oh, don't look so glum. Come on, where's that smile?" Cadence asked, her question only falling on deaf ears as Fury's mood didn't change. 

Then Celestia had an idea. An idea she had when she would cheer Luna up as a filly. She whispered to the others. The others smiled and nodded.

Celestia talked to him. "Fury. Is there something wrong with my face? I need your input."

"Huh, what are you talking- what is that look?!" Fury said with disbelief.

Celestia looked like one of those faces Fury would see decorating his parents house. Seeing it for real was ridiculous.

"What the heck is that?! You look like a goose!"

Cadence interrupted. "If you think that's bad then get a load of this!" Cadence showed herself looking like an old mare like Granny Smith.

"I never knew you could be so old!" Fury said, his mouth starting to twitch upwards.

It's working, he's starting to smile! But it also looks like he's trying to hold back… 

Celestia said to herself as she observed Fury's expression. 

For Luna, she gave the very last coup de grat. 

"Fury, might I ask for your opinion of my new look?" 

Fury turned to her not knowing what to expect. His mouth dropped and was beyond surprise. Luna looked like… 

"My mom? What?" Fury said.

"Yes Fury! Why are you here?! You should be cleaning your room! You should stay away from that music you listen to! Do I make myself clear you shifter!? And stop that giggling! It is disrespectful to me!" Luna said with an eerily similar impression of Black Ice.

Fury's cheeks turned red and he started to snicker, his mind flashing back to moments in his childhood where his mother did say those things. Cadence saw his attempt to hold back and decided to add to it.

"Come on Fury, you know you want to laugh." She said softly in his ear. Fury tried to resist, but she pushed harder. 

"Laugh."

And harder… 

"Come on~"

And harder… 

"Giggle giggle, fuzzball~"

Until he finally broke. 

"Bahahahahahaha!" He laughed as hard as possible, going even beyond the Royal Canterlot voice this time. It was so loud others outside wondered what that laughter was.

"There's that silly smile we love to see! Hehe, look at him go." Cadence said as she and her fellow royals watched him giggle and laugh. Fury laughed so much that he started to glow and transform. But this time, he turned into something that none of the princesses around him expected. Fury had shrunk in size and regressed into a Speed Shifter cub the size of an average filly, his giggles sounding more child-like as he squirmed in-between Luna's forelegs. 

"Ha ha ha! Sorry mom! I do what I want! I live on the edge. Doing my own thing!" Cub Fury said to Luna.

"How dare you, young cub! Go to your room!" 

"Nope! I'll just chill here with my new princess friends!" Fury said in laughter.

Fury finally transformed back to his adult form and was still laughing a bit. 

"Oh, Moonpie, I didn't know you were an actress! You gave a better impression of my mother than my mother would be willing to give!" Fury admitted.

"Well, mimicking others is one of the techniques we used against our enemies in the old days." Luna said. "It's only natural."

"And I wasn't lying when I said I could chill with my princess pals. But you Moonpie…" Fury tenderly kissed Luna. "You're my pal and lover for life."

Cadence and Celestia were touched by the loving display of the two. Fury and Luna were perfect for each other. And Celestia knew she could trust Fury to love her. And for both to entertain each other through very strange imitations.

"Do you feel happy now, Fury?" Luna asked, embracing her lover.

Fury nodded. "You betcha! Your weird expressions brought a smile to my face and I hope my antics entertained you."

Luna nodded. "You were very cute as a cub." She chuckled.

"I guess I was back then. Although I preferred to be called fierce and mighty back then." Fury chuckled.

"You're both." Luna said.

"Right back at ya!" Fury winked.

Cadence then spoke up. "So then we had a lot of fun. I am sure Ponyville is thankful for you winning those games. I'm glad you had a lot of fun in this exotic strange place despite the… questionable creatures in this competition."

"Eh, every place has those creatures. Even in my village." Fury said.

"But where will you go now?" Celestia asked. "Are you going back to Ponyville soon?"

"I suppose so, I have things to work out on my schedule. My work as an ambassador, that meeting with the duke and duchess of Maretonia Twilight told me about, my birthday coming up, my talks with-"

"Wait wait, back it up!" Cadence called out. "What was it that you said?"

"My talks with Fluttershy about my species?" Fury answered.

"No, before that!"

"My… birthday?" Fury inquired, confused by her sudden interest. 

"Yes, that! It will be your birthday soon?! I was not aware!" Cadence said with both shock and excitement.

"Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you guys. My birthday is in about a month and I'm thinking of having a party."

"Oh well it's not that much sooner, but still. When your birthday does come, expect some great time and great presents." Celestia said.

"Oh I know I will." Fury then did a stretch. "Maybe I oughta go get some shuteye soon. This has been one of the greatest days of my life. I finally showed those jerks back in my village I can really win with flying colors. And it's nice to help out another village."

"I hope you are ready for those times ahead." Celestia said. "And I wish you luck with those dukes."

"Uhh… you do realize they're coming here and we're all meeting them, right?" Cadence reminded her aunt. "I've had their arrival and the preparations on my schedule for weeks!"

"Of course. Still, I just want Night Fury to be ready for them. They can be quite a hoof full after all. I should know."

"Eh, I'm sure I can handle it no problem. I've dealt with it before, I can do it again." Fury said. "I won't let a bunch of fancy pants ponies scare me."

Celestia put a hoof on his shoulder. "In that case, have a good sleep, Fury. And be ready for an even greater future ahead." 

Fury smiled at this.

"You got it, Tia. And see you too, Cady. And especially my Moonpie…" He gave her one last kiss. "And uh… please don't tell my mom about that imitation thing, she'll go ballistic for days."

"Agreed, it will be our little secret." Luna said. "Farewell, my love."

And with that, Fury went off to head back home. Today was a day that many of the creatures involved would remember. Some have pleasant memories, some more painful. But either way, The Equestria Games were a time to have fun and share amazing moments between friends and family that would last for years. But even so, life is not complete without its drawbacks. As not only Fury, but the entirety of Equestria would soon find out. 

"Soon, Speed Shifter, soon. You shall see." A cloaked figure said watching secretly through a glass ball as the Speed Shifter left the castle.
> Chapter 34: A New Threat On The Horizon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cold morning wind blew softly throughout the crystal mountains, the snowy peaks being manipulated and played with against the breeze. The sun hadn't yet risen from the east, thus allowing other creatures to sleep soundly as the daily workload had not begun. But the same couldn't be said for a small Speed Shifter turned bat. Night Fury glided on the wind with his small wings, occasionally flapping them to keep his height and speed.

The early morning air was slow and steady, nothing bringing about too much turbulence for the small mammal on his flight back to the Crystal Empire. It had been about a month since the Equestria Games rang in and he had won Ponyville the gold medal, giving him some time to recuperate before he had to return to meet with a few important figures.

Man, this morning air feels good. I couldn't ask for better conditions to fly in at this size.

Fury thought to himself as he adjusted his flight path around another curve in the mountains. He racked his mind on the previous events on his journey through Equestria and had to admit that things were going well. He had won his first real competition, his role as ambassador had been running smoothly, and his relationship with Luna was as clear and clean as the crystal roads of the kingdom that had just come into view. 

Fury thought to himself that he was very lucky to still be in this world. His new friends and reunited family all being here with him to be by his side in life, he had a feeling that he would be in a good spot for a while. But that was not the case as a familiar voice rang out nearby. 

Fury… Fury… there is… calamity… afoot.

"Eh, is someone there?" Fury looked in all directions. "Huh, maybe I was just hearing things."

I assure you, you are hearing me correctly… 

At this point, Fury was confused. Where was this voice coming from? He looked around again and this time was met with a familiar light following him on his left. 

"You again? What's given you the courage to escape from my dreams and face me now?" He asked. "In case you couldn't tell, I'm trying to relax before I meet these high and mighty ponies."

The light didn't bother to respond. "Fury. Listen very carefully. Very soon, trouble will arise, there will be great terror and panic upon Equestria."

Fury wasn't so concerned. "Look, I faced Sombra, I faced an assassination attempt, and even survived a carnivorous flower. Whatever this is, I'm sure it can be handled."

"I shall admit those were grave dangers that you overcame. You truly have grown in power. But this is like no other threat that you have faced. I assure you, this will be no cakewalk as the danger not only you, but the entirety of Equestria will face is like nothing this generation has ever seen." The light said in a more grave and deep tone. It was clear she was confident in her words.

Fury had to admit that he wasn't all that confident now that he heard that this entire land could be in danger from what this light said was coming. He contemplated for a moment what he had heard before coming to the conclusion that he had to be ready. 

"Well, you've led me along with those assassinations a few months ago and I survived. So I guess I can't say that your sources aren't credible. I'll be ready for whatever comes my way, you can trust me on that." Fury said confidently.

"But one thing I don't understand is how you got in contact with me in the first place. The energy that I'm sensing from this form you've taken doesn't seem to be spiritual, more like magical. Like a spell of some sort." 

The light only flashed a bit brighter in response. "You are correct, this is a spell of mine. I have contacted you as a way to inform you, a way to clear a path through the foggy future that is your life. But I will not hold this form forever as I plan on returning to Equestria soon." 

Fury was surprised, who could this be wanting to return to Equestria? "Okay, so you'll reveal yourself to me soon? When can I expect it?" He asked, rather curious of this mysterious entity.

"I cannot reveal that to you. But I can tell you that when you are at your lowest, the most powerful of allies will stand by you." The light said, slowly dissipating into the horizon as the sun began to rise. Fury was now in a confused panic, his mind now filled with many more questions that were currently unanswered. 

"Wait, you're leaving already?! Can't you give me a little more info of what I'm gonna face?! Hello?! Hey!" Fury called out, but the floating light had already disappeared into the rising sun. Fury was now more confused than ever, his thoughts jumbled and messy as he continued his flight to the Crystal Empire.

Who was this mystery figure who spoke to him? Who was going to return? What danger was he and the rest of his new home about to face? All of these questions ran through his head as he began his slow descent, but he didn't let his worries cloud his judgment.

No time for worrying and the future, let's focus on the now. And right now… I could use some shut eye.

Fury said to himself as flew down to the Crystal Empire to try and get some rest before the day started. While he was a bit more nervous than he was before with all of this new information being given to him, he wasn't disoriented from his goals and would get it done when the time arose. But for now, he needed some well deserved sleep.

Better get some shuteye. Maybe everything will be clearer then.

–

The sun shined brightly throughout the Crystal Empire, ponies going about their business as the day started off right. At the base of the Crystal Palace, guards flew and marched around the premises in preparation for the upcoming visit with the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia. While the preparations were being done, Celestia, Luna and Cadence stood under the tower while waiting for the Mane Six to arrive for the ceremony.

"Well, I hope you two are ready for our newest guests of honor." Celestia said to the other princesses.

"Well, I am a bit nervous. But I have started to practice some public speaking with Night Fury and Cadence. I'm sure this will be fine."

Cadence was not as eager. "Ugh, yeah, I just… I just feel a bit itchy in my hair. Ugh. I didn't want to get my hair messed up but I think I have to get rid of the itch."

Cadence said as she got her hoof and tried to itch it. Only to feel something big and soft in there.

"Huh? Wait. Something's in my hair…" Cadence said. She could have sworn she heard some snoring. And it seems she heard some mutterings too. 

"Is it just me, or do you two hear muttering and snoring?" Cadence asked.

"As a matter of fact, I've heard small squeaking noises coming from your mane on occasion since this morning." Luna said, a few small squeaks coming from Cadence's mane. 

"Okay, this is getting weird. My mane is snoring, muttering and squeaking. What in the world is happening?" Cadence pondered.

"Allow me to take a look, perhaps I can find the source." Celestia offered. Cadence nodded and allowed her aunt to search through her hair. She carefully dipped her hoof through her niece's mane, reaching through in order to find what the noise was until she came across a familiar and rather amusing sight.

"I think I might have found the source of your itch, Cadence. Look what I found." Celestia said, moving a small portion of her mane out of the way to allow her and Luna to see. To their surprise, they were able to see a small black bat with a grayish lightning strike marking on its back, snoozing soundly within the pink alicorn's mane. 

"Ah, I see our friendly vampire is sleeping amongst us." Luna said, petting Fury. "As if he could not be more precious." 

Cadence for her part was both amused and a little annoyed the Speed Shifter decided to make her mane into a nest.

"Well, precious or not, I think it's time for him to wake up." Cadence said. As if on cue, the small mammal began to awaken. He lazily climbed out of Cadence's mane, up the side of her neck and slid down her face onto her muzzle where he let out a yawn that gave her a good look at his small but very sharp teeth. 

"Wow, I'm still not sure whether his fangs are cute or frightening." Cadence chuckled. 

"For me, it's both. Which is just as I like my lightning bug." Luna said

"I wonder what will wake him up?" Celestia pondered. 

Luna had an idea. "Maybe a little treat will coax him out of his lethargic state?"

Luna said as she got out a big juicy peach normally reserved for the garden animals. She put it right next to the bat's nose and twitched her wing a bit to waft the smell over to Fury. The lazy bat began to sniff in the peach's direction, his ears slowly rising from their flat position. Once he had realized what he was smelling, his internal instincts kicked in and he went full fruit bat mode.

Hissssss!

He let out a hungry hiss as he took to the air from Cadence's nose and flew for the berry, his teeth in full view as he snatched it out of mid air, flipped a U-turn and landed on Luna's head to chew on it rather cutely by the princess' standards. 

chomp chomp chomp chomp! 

"Yes *slurp*, that's the good stuff. Awww yeah! That's what I'm talking about! *slurp* Oh yeah, that is some good food."

With Fury's instincts back to normal he finally noticed everyone looking at him amused.

"What? Never seen a bat enjoy his food before?" He said plainly which made the royalty around him crack up. 

Cadence finally spoke up. "That's our Night Fury. Always eating and sleeping, especially in the most unexpected of places."

"Dang straight!" The bat said as he ate the last pieces of the peach and threw the pit in the distant trash can with unusual strength for a bat.

"Well, I hope I didn't keep you ladies too anxious for my arrival." Fury said, transforming back to a feline.

"Not at all, we were actually expecting you to show up in an unorthodox manner." Celestia said. 

"Awww, really?" Fury said, almost disappointed.

"Yep, when I said the unexpected, I meant most ponies. But to us, we knew you would not arrive the normal way." Cadence said while chuckling.

"Yeah I guess that's how I do things." Fury said.

Luna, wishing to get back on topic, spoke up. "So Fury, are you ready to see the Duke and Duchess today?"

"Yep! Twilight and Spike gave me some info about these guys, and I think I know what to expect from the ponies with big hats. Speaking of which, where are the Mane Six?" 

Just as asked, he was answered by said ponies going inside the building. All with deep breathing except for Pinkie.

"Here we are, I hope we're not too late!" Twilight panted.

"How in Equestria did Fury get here before us?! I mean, he is fast but we're talking crossing borders and running across the snowy mountains to get here!" Rainbow Dash called out with a tinge of envy. Though she was correct about crossing borders as the Crystal Empire was a separate kingdom and thus had border crossings that would have to be passed to enter the Crystal Empire, Fury was not phased by it.

"Eh, I just got going earlier than you guys did. Nothing more than an early morning flight over the mountains." Fury said casually. "I guess flying has been very interesting to me." Fury of course left out a few details but decided everyone already was thinking about this diplomatic mission.

"Even so, we still have the Duke and Duchess to worry about. And Twilight, did you really have to wake me up at 5am on a Saturday no less for a 'Mandatory Diplomat Greeting Lesson'?" Fury moaned. Everyone around the purple alicorn gave her a look that showed both smugness and a hint of sass. 

"Well, it is good to be well prepared. Especially since you are a sort of civil servant. Even when I was a filly I always disciplined myself to wake up early to get ready for whatever lectures or schoolwork and when I became an adult for whatever tasks Celestia would have me do. I'm just trying to give you a good work ethic." Twilight said, justifying her reasoning. Night Fury, however, found this funny. 

"Woop Woop! Buzzkill Alert, Buzzkill Alert!" He joked. 

"He's got a point there, Twi." Spike said.

"Well it's nice to know my advice is so appreciated." Twilight moaned while looking down. "Although I guess to be fair, I probably should have asked for permission to wake you up at that time." Twilight admitted.

"Night Fury, you have to be the most laid back creature that I've ever met." Rarity spoke up.

"It's just the vibe, Rare. You can't mess with perfection." Fury boasted, his confidence at a high. 

"Well, let's hope that perfection includes being on your best behavior during the Duke and Duchess' visit." Celestia warned. Fury turned around and gave her a smirk.

"Wooooow, Celestia really just went mom-mode. Somebody get her a two story house, 401k and a half decent husband, Stat!" Fury laughed. 

"I don't need a husband now or a family since I already have a whole kingdom that is my children and I don't think I'm ready for that commitment. But thank you for your compliments." Celestia said cheekily.

Night Fury saw a chance to be even more casual and shot back. "Hey everypony, watch out! Princess Celestia has commitment issues, don't let her rope you in! She'll ghost you faster than a cheetah drinking jet fuel!" Fury said out loud, falling into a laughing fit. 

"For your information, Celestia would be a great wife if she so chose." Twilight said, thinking she was defending Celestia. Fury just saw this as another opportunity.

"Wow, teacher's pet much?" He spoke. 

Celestia on the other hand just chuckled. "Maybe you do have a point. I'm already too committed to my favorite cakes. My husband might get jealous after all."

"If you're so sure, maybe you should marry a red velvet cake to be certain." Fury muttered under his breath. 

"Now you're talking! Just point me to the baker and I shall have myself a fine date!" Celestia said, salivating at the thought.

Fury was especially amused at Twilight's confused face who was not sure how to reconcile Celestia's regal side and her goofy side.

"Bahahaha! O-okay, I think we should get ready before we're here making jokes all day." Night Fury reminded the group. 

Twilight nodded. "So you remember everything I told you right? Like about bowing twice. And not staring at their eyes for more than three seconds?"

"Relax, Twi. You already hammered all of it into my head this week. I'm all set for this. They're gonna be quite amazed at the one and only Speed Shifter in these parts."

"Well then just keep all of that in mind. Celestia, Luna, Cadence and… I will greet them first and introduce them. Then they will meet you as the representative of the Speed Shifters. Just remember to be on your best behavior and please keep your jokes to yourself for today. These are the most regal and important visitors we have had for a while."

"Yeah yeah, thank you for the warning, Mom. Sweet mother nature, you ponies can be a pain sometimes." Fury sighed as he walked away to where he would meet the dignitaries. 

–

"Presenting their royal excellencies, the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia!" One guard called out. The fanfare sounded out proudly as the duke and duchess made their way to the princesses. Ponies gathered around the street to get a good look at the transaction about to go down, guards stood still and tall around the street as security to keep the order and peace, the banner of Maretonia hanging from the palace balcony to welcome the dignitaries. All in all, the situation was under control and all was good.

The duke and duchess soon reached the princesses and bowed before the, the royals on the opposite side doing the same as a subtle greeting. 

"It is our pleasure to meet you, Princess Celestia." The Duke greeted Celestia. 

"Likewise Duke, we hope the road to get here was not too perilous."

The duchess responded. "Fear not, it wasn't an issue. But now we must go onto issues about our two realms. This includes trade, security issues and a certain ambassador that we both have yet to meet."

The royals talked for a long while with Twilight being rather nervous but pulling through. Fury as he was hearing these things admitted he found their talk dry and boring. It was just like every other meeting with no new news. So he decided to take a leave of absence and go find something more interesting to do. 

Sheesh, this is more boring than I expected. Maybe I can sneak away and go do something that'll keep me entertained until I have to make my appearance.

Fury thought to himself as he silently slipped away from the street and went into the castle to find his activity. No to much later, the princesses and the foreign dignitaries followed suit, Cadence having suggested a tour of the castle to introduce the duke and duchess to her kingdom and what lies within.

The duke and duchess had an air of superiority about them. They were clearly trying to act like they were unimpressed compared to their own palace.

For Twilight, she was deterherod to impress these new guests. How to do so? Perhaps she would elaborate on some great achievements.

"Did you know this palace took centuries to build and was built in honor of the princesses? It's truly a grand monument." She said.

"Now that was something I didn't know." The duchess said. "I had always thought that this castle was carved out of a mountain of crystal that was slowly formed over the years. At least, that's what I was told as a filly for a bedtime story."

"Well that's true too. But it's more like the Crystal Ponies guided the construction along. They had to control the way the crystals grew." Cadence added

"Fascinating."

"It's fine. All fine." The duke said with a certain lack of interest.

"Oh come on dear. You are not impressed?" She asked her husband.

"Buildings are one thing. They look good. But that's just window dressing. It doesn't tell us how truly worthy a kingdom is. The only thing is the deeds of its citizens." The duke said. "Our Duchy had several great and honorable warriors, diplomats, scholars and so forth. I'm not saying you don't have that. But I do wish we heard more of these."

Twilight was not quite sure what to say. This king was surely not a superficial one for sure. He wanted true worthiness. But who was an example of a worthy hero? Then, she got a sudden lightbulb as she remembered who else had shown up to this event. 

"While I do concur with the fact that the Crystal Empire may have some lacking values when it comes to achievement and glory, but I can assure you that this new ambassador you have yet to meet will soothe that itch." Twilight explained in a bright manner. The duchess smiled.

"I have heard good things about this new foreign ambassador you've introduced to the world. I've heard he's even gone as far as eliminating King Sombra during his return." The duchess recalled. 

"Indeed, your highnesses, he showed great bravery in the darkest of times. He was able to fight and destroy the tyrant of the Crystal Empire. He used his wits and his power." Twilight said proudly.

"Hmmmm." The duke said. "That is a bit more impressive. This ambassador sounds like he means business."

"That he does, your highness. But not just in fighting. Even in our games, he was able to win even when others would dare cheat against him."

"Resilience! This Speed Shifter sounds like the epitome of what a hero is!" The duke said. "I would like to meet him myself! And to see what kind of heroic creature he is."

"Ah yes! And meet him you will, he is just a few doors down waiting for us. He is the epitome of an honorable and noble creature." Twilight said eagerly. Things were going well. Well, as long as Fury was on his best behavior.

Everyone walked with eagerness and walked past all the doors. The duke and duchess wondered what this mysterious ambassador and honorary Equestrian citizen he would be like. They soon came up to one of the private rooms in the castle and stood before the doors in preparation for the meeting. But instead of the usual silence, they heard something unusual. Something like… 

"Music?" Twilight questioned, her curiosity being triggered like a live stick of dynamite.

She walked by to hear what was beyond the door. 

"Is there something of interest?" said the duchess.

"Um, it's probably nothing." Twilight said, wanting to make sure it was proper first. At worst she was wondering if Fury was singing one of those silly songs.

"Nonsense! What you hear is what I wish to hear! And same for my husband! Come along, dear." The mares pushed her husband by the door both to Twilight and the Duke's dismay. On the other side, they would have expected Fury to possibly be sitting down, reading a book or maybe drinking some tea. But no, he seemed to be listening to music on what looked like a boom box. The crowd stepped back and pulled the doors slightly closed, only a crack left that was big enough to hear and see clearly.

"Is that… him?" The Duchess whispered.

"Yes, it is. But he seems to be somewhat distracted." Luna said, looking on at her lover who was bobbing his head to the beat. He then started to move a bit more and sway along with the tune, getting into the rhythm. And then, with a passive ignition of his energy and some confidence, he unknowingly treated the ponies behind the door to the most amazing sound of all.

🎶 Something terrible is going down, through the entire town. Reeking anarchy and all it brings.🎶

🎶 Sudden evils start lurking around, bringing society down. With a pain that knowingly stings.🎶

🎶I can't sit idly, no I can't let this stay! When you say his name, he'll lighten up the waaaaaay…!🎶

🎶 Fury! He'll stand up for the throne! Leaving nothing in his path until the world is one and whole!🎶

🎶 Fury! He will save us one and all! So let him be your saving graaaaace!🎶

Fury's voice seemed to echo through the entire castle with his vocals ringing like a brass bell, his voice practically a siren call with how smooth, loud and beautiful it was. The ponies near the door were astonished by his singing, they had no idea that he had such a beautiful talent that could sound so good. 

"Princess, is this the ambassador you spoke of?" The duke said in a solemn voice.

"Um, well, y-yes. Please forgive him. He wasn't supposed to be singing right now. He probably just has some-"

"Nonsense! This boy is truly a musical genius!" The duke said out loud.

The duchess nodded pleased that her husband was ecstatic for once.

"Wait really?" Twilight asked surprised

"Of course! Who knew he had a voice so beautiful and harmonic? I would have never seen it coming!" The duchess agreed. 

"I never knew he had such a beautiful voice. It almost drives me to tears hearing it." Cadence said, fanning her eyes in an attempt to hide her tears. 

"You didn't tell me you had a singer in your midst!" The duke said. "This ambassador truly reflects well upon the Crystal Empire! I must go see him!"

The duke walked eagerly to the Speed Shifter.

"You! Are you the ambassador known as Night Fury?" The duke asked.

The Speed Shifter was almost shocked at the suddenness of seeing the duke. But he decided he would play it cool.

"Yes, that's me. How can I help you, your excellency?" He said, bowing his head. 

"You have played the most excellent song I have heard in quite a long time. You show a stunning ability! Are all you Speed Shifters so musically gifted?" The duke asked enthusiastically, almost like a child. Fury blushed and scratched the back of his neck, he had no idea that he or even anyone was listening.

"Not all of us can sing, only a select few of us are gifted with a singing voice. And I wouldn't call myself a singer in any sense." Fury said.

"Nonsense, you have a beautiful voice." The duchess added, being followed by the princesses. 

"Indeed, lightning bug, you have proven your voice is almost heavenly." Luna said.

Cadence nodded. "It is quite amazing how well you can sing. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering that time at the games." She chuckled.

Celestia nodded. "Perhaps you are not a professional poet in your village, but you have the musical mood in your feet and your mind. Your love for joy makes you sing well."

Fury had to admit he never thought his singing would be a draw for others. He usually did it for karaoke. But now he realized they had a point. He had the musical spirit in him as some elders would say. His face went red and his smile seemed to flash brighter as his emotions ran high from the praise. 

"Gee thanks. I have to admit my singing is not what most sages in my village consider true singing. I just do it for fun. There are better Speed Shifter singers than me." Fury said with an unusual sense of vulnerability.

"Well those sages are not truly sages if they can't recognize your singing! It comes from the heart, boy!" The duke said to him.

"I guess so. But I can't say it was justified, I was supposed to be professional and stand stern at this meeting. I was completely-" Fury was about to shame his casual demeanor when the duchess stopped him with a hoof.

"Ah ah ah, not today. Professionalism may be an important value to hold onto when meeting with foreign dignitaries, but today is a different time. You don't have to be formal with us, we know how you operate." The duchess reassured him.

"And besides, we already know how you managed to get the moon to come down to earth~" She said slyly, giving the ambassador a knowing smirk. 

Luna and Fury both blushed at this.

"Well, it was not easy." Luna said. "But with him, he just has that sort of charm that makes him irresistible. Even if he can be a bit mischievous."

"Awww, you're too kind dear! Sorry for being such a bad boy though." Fury smirked as gave her a kiss on the neck, partially tickling her.

"Hehehehe! You truly know how to please a princess!" Luna said back.

"And you know how to make me as happy as can be." Fury cooed, nuzzling Luna's cheek with his own. 

The duchess awed at their romance.

"It reminds me of how we used to have things, right dearie?" The duchess asked. "Why do you never do this anymore?"

"Hmmm, well um… you see I-"

"Aw just kiss her already, Duke!" Fury said as he "accidentally" pushed the duke with his tail to his wife. He relaxed into it and felt good.

Cadence, Celestia and Luna were all quite overjoyed at how this mission had gone by so well. It was certainly funner than usual.

For Twilight, she was quite shocked at how despite not going according to the plans, Fury still managed to make it all work.

Well he could have been a little more professional. Twilight muttered to herself. And yet… he still managed to get it done. I still wonder to this day how his relaxed attitude actually can work.

"Ms Sparkle? Ms Sparkle!"

"Huh! Oh my apologies, Duke. What were you asking?"

"I was asking about his kind, are there more like him?" The duke asked.

"Oh, yes there are! But only two more exist within Equestria's limits. Those being Night Fury's parents. He wishes to go back to his homeland soon and hopefully work out a peace deal with his tribe to expand that number." Twilight explained. 

"Really, have there been problems with your tribe?" The duchess asked, a bit worried.

"No current problems, more so a pre-existing one that's held my tribe back. To save on time, let's just say that a rival tribe that made themselves out as friendly kidnapped my parents when I was almost fully grown. They had assistance from a few forest-dwelling pony mercenaries that we thought were our comrades. Ever since then our chief, Chief ThunderClaws, has put in a 'Trust no other creature' policy as a way to protect our way of life."

"Some of the more stubborn Shifters stand by it, but the majority don't want to go by that rule. Even so, they still do it for fear of their safety. As a matter of fact, the main reason I'm here today is because I disobeyed that rule to find my parents and hopefully get some help from you know who." Fury said, gesturing to the princesses behind him. 

The princesses nodded.

"It is true. A while ago, I sent a letter to Night Fury inviting him to mine and Shining Armor's wedding. My aunt Celestia had told me about how she had heard of him through a long line of information that spread throughout the ranks of the royal guard that were deployed near Fury's home on a recon mission. Once I had heard of the terrible invasion and felt Fury's immense heartache through my magic one night, I felt it only necessary to try and help him by bringing him here." Cadence explained. 

"Oh dear. You poor soul, you!" The duchess said to Fury. "I'm glad someone like you had the approval of these princesses. I am very pleased with that. I hope your parents are alright now."

Fury smiled. "Oh don't you worry, they're doing very well. My parents love their new home. They can feel comfort for the first time in years after being enslaved by the tribe I was mentioning earlier. And hopefully I can stretch that out to the rest of my tribe back home. I may not be aware of how they're doing right now, but I know for a fact that they could use a breath of fresh air before that whole 'Trust no one' policy collapses in on their mental state."

"Well if you can convince ponies to be trusting of you Speed Shifters. I'm sure you can do the reverse with your tribe. I wish you luck my young friend." The duke said, shaking his paw.

"Heh, thanks. We'll see what happens though. You never know what others think of others." Fury said. "Like how I didn't you two could be so chill."

"Oh please, we are nothing like most expect. Did you know that my wife used to make bets on underground cart racing and participated herself in her youth?" The duke said, exposing the duchess.

"No way!" Fury gasped. 

"Yes, I might have gone a bit too far with how much I bet… I might have spent our treasury to do so…" She said, a bit embarrassed. "But to be fair, I did have a good eye for victories and I was one of the more skilled racers in that field so at least I knew what to do." She said, bragging just a little.

"You also did not react well to losing, sweetheart. You always went into an existential crisis when you lost. I swear, the amount of times I had to take you to the hospital because I thought your blood pressure was about to go through the roof…" The duke chuckled. 

"Honey! That's supposed to be a secret!" The duchess said angrily but then smiled. "Just like your secret obsession with cute animals like pigeons or cats!"

"Gah!!! Curses! That was supposed to be a secret!" The duke said with rage.

"No, you see Fury, my husband might be stoic a lot of the time. But anytime he sees a lovely animal he just can't resist petting one!" The duchess chuckled to her husband's embarrassment. Fury smiled cheekily at this and got an idea. 

"Is that so? Give me a moment." Fury said, walking away. The royalty that was left behind were rather confused as to what Fury was doing, but the answer to those underlying questions would soon be answered when he returned a few minutes later.

"So, you like cats. Don't you, duke? Well, let's just say that I have a few friends in the same bloodline." Fury said as he did the most unexpected thing that none of them had seen… 

Meow.

The princess' eyes widened at the sound, they didn't know Fury could do such a thing. But they were soon interrupted by more of the same sound.

Meow.

Meow meow!

Mreeeow… 

Soon enough, a crowd of cats and kittens walked in, meowing as they would as they split into small groups and surrounded the ponies that they each found most attracted to. 

"W-w-what am I observing here!?" The duke asked.

"It's like an army of cats!" Twilight said. "Look at them coming at us!"

They saw the cats going closer and closer forming a smaller circle.

The duke almost felt like passing out. But he resisted, for he was the Duke of Maretonia. He could not be swayed. 

But then he heard a cat rub his leg and meow.

Resist… resist… RESIST!

But then he saw the last straw, the cat was on its back exposing its belly and wiggling its ears. He could withstand it all.

"Enough! You are mine!" He said as he pet the docile cat giving it belly rubs and some boops.

"Yes, you are worthy!" The duke said "WORTHY! HA HA HA!"

"Aaaaand he's lost it." Fury chuckled, but he wasn't done. "But why must he be the only one? Go, my brothers and sisters, share your serotonin with him!" Fury said to the crowd of kittens and cats. 

Meow!

All cats and kittens came over to the Duke. He almost had a heart attack but he had to be strong and was determined to pet every single of those cats.

"It is my sacred duty!" He said while petting and scratching six cats already.

"Wow, he sure loves cats." Twilight said matter of factly.

"Yes he does. But there's still another… younger group that I've saved just for you four. Go on, little ones." Fury encouraged, a crowd of younger, and arguably more adorable kittens came towards the princesses, all mewing and meowing in an almost high pitched squeak. 

The normally composed princesses were in shock of seeing these precious babies coming at them.

"What are we supposed to do?" Twilight asked.

"I tell you what we must do." Cadence said. "Hug and love every single one!"

Cadence was the first into the fray. Kissing them, stroking them, and cuddling them.

"Who's the cutest of them all? Yes you are. Yes you are!" Cadence said.

Luna and Celestia looked at each other.

"I have not resisted Fury. And I most certainly will not resist these lovable creatures!"

Celestia nodded. "You are becoming wiser and wiser, my sister. Nothing is greater than feeling the soft fur of kittens. Let us go forth!"

Celestia and Luna did the same with their selections.

Twilight was more hesitant at first not knowing the proper way. Then she saw a lone kitten also a bit shy. She walked over to it.

"How are you, sweetheart? You a bit shy?"

Meow… 

Twilight was now in love with this kitten. She softly stroked and petted the little beast, all her former worries had melted away like butter on a pan. As all the kittens were being tended to, Fury couldn't help but feel a little jealous of them as he was being left out. But luckily, that jealousy didn't last long as a certain pair of sisters took notice of his mood. 

"Is a certain giant cat feeling abandoned?" Celestia asked.

"What? No! I was the one who brought them here, so I'm fine!" Fury shot back, sticking his muzzle up in an effort to fix his problem. But unfortunately, one of the two sisters had known him for too long and loved him too much.

"I have known this cat long enough to know when he is trying to hide something." Luna said. "But my Lightning Bug cannot hide for long. For his owner will always come to pet him."

Luna said, walking by with sultry eyes. Not allowing Fury to realize she had grabbed him with magic and flipped him over.

"And I know the best spot for pets." She said looking at his belly.

"Awww, can't you rub my belly in private? it's embar- Hahahahahahahaha!" Luna was not going easy on her boyfriend. She stroked him, caressed him. He felt like he had to get up but also didn't want to either.

"Dawww, look at how cute you are. Such a beautiful creature. And I had no idea you could meow or easily communicate with other cats either." Luna admitted.

"That's the power of a universal catalog of languages. Speed Shifters can turn into different creatures and understand their creature of choice as if they were speaking English. And since my default form is a type of cat…"

Meow!

"It makes sense I can communicate with them and even lead them to their targets." Fury smirked. "Like how the calico cat on Cadence's left wants her attention…"

"Aww, are you feeling left out? Come to me so I can love you!" Cadence said to the calico who leaped over to her for back scratches.

"Or how the kitten on Celestia's head wishes she was her pet." Fury continued. 

She saw a gray kitten was anxious and a little grumpy, seeming impatient.

"I apologize for keeping you so long. It is time for your royal treatment." Celestia gave the kitten a peck on the cheek and rustled her fur. The grumpy kitten seemed to be content now.

"This is most adorable! I may have to take one back to Maretonia!" The duchess said, the duke agreeing with her.

"Go ahead, they're all strays and could use a good home anyway." Fury said. 

"Strays?" Twilight asked with a tinge of sadness.

"Yeah, it seems a lot like hiding in the gardens nearby. They're good at hiding, coming from a fellow cat. But they can all use a good home. Make sure you take good care of them and make them happy!" Fury said to the duke and duchess. "But remember if you even think of mistreating even one of these cats, you will understand what raining terror really means." 

"Understood." They both said quickly.

"Good! I knew you were good folks!" Fury said. "Well what do you think of us Speed Shifters? Did we leave a good impression on you?"

They both nodded.

"Indeed, you have impressed me very much. We will remember you. If you need our help, then just call upon us and we will aid you." The duke said.

"That I will do, your highness. That I will do." Fury said confidently, knowing good and well that he had done well as ambassador once again.

–

"Well I must admit, that went exceptionally well." Celestia said. "It seems we have some new friends."

"Yeah, I know, right? A lot of royals are boring and snooty but not those guys!" Fury said.

Everyone felt great relief at the successful diplomatic mission. Everyone sat on couches and ate some grapes from the royal garden.

"It definitely went better than I would have expected." Twilight said. "I'm relieved that our alliance is so strong. We could use some good friends."

"You've got that right, we've got enough to deal with as is." Cadence said. "And before you even speak, yes we have it that bad, Fury."

"Hey, I wasn't even gonna say anything!" Fury said. "Although to be fair, at least you don't have too many conflicts between other pony states." He said so although he deep down knew that was only on the surface.

"Not a lot. But there are always some internal problems. Just like Blueblood." Celestia said. "There are always going to be some greedy ponies looking to get more power."

Fury nodded. "I see. But are there any other problems that have been rising?" Fury was especially curious since considering that light entity he encountered.

Twilight further explained. "Well, there have been some ponies who want Blueblood back, some who want to secede from Equestria, and there have been a lot of powerful creatures lately. One, including Cerberus, the one who guarded Tartarus, went missing for a while."

"The three headed mutt? I'm surprised that he hasn't been found yet, he's huge. Although I'd love to get his DNA and become the first Speed Shifter to turn into him." Fury said, getting Twilight's attention..

"Wait… 'Get his DNA'?" She questioned.

"Yeah. Speed Shifters gain different forms through direct contact with the target species and storing that creature's DNA within our own DNA. A Speed Shifter's power to transform is quite literally bonded to us by our biological makeup, not some magical energy within us like our speed."

Twilight was intrigued. "Fascinating. I always assumed it was magic. I guess for you shifters, you probably have to fight a lot to get the proper DNA."

"Actually, no. The DNA can come from anything on the creature. Whether that be a few drops of blood from a living creature or the rotting bones of a million years old skeleton. So basically, Speed Shifters are the living back drives of the animal kingdom's DNA." Fury explained. 

Twilight was extra giddy from all of this information. "Perhaps we can place this information into the Speed Shifter Museum! Maybe even the bones you found or blood samples!"

"Go ahead, it'll be a good addition. Oh, did I forget to mention that through expert meditation and skill training that Speed Shifters can use the powers of different creatures in their default form?" Fury said. At this point, Twilight was in a pure state of shock with the amount of information that was being provided.

"Are you serious?! What can you do?" She asked.

"Observe." Fury said simply. He then focused on his energy and acquired his inner chameleon DNA and changed his pigment, slowly changing from his usual jet black to a shade of pink identical to Cadence's fur. 

"No way, you can change color like a chameleon?!" Twilight exclaimed. 

"Wow." Cadence said simply.

"Try me!" Twilight said like a filly.

"Too easy." Fury boasted as he changed from pink to purple with ease. "But that's not all, check this out."

Fury then focused around his eye and copied Twilight's cutie mark onto his right eye like a work of face paint art. 

"This is amazing. You Speed Shifters never cease to amaze!" Twilight said giddily. 

"Yep! And I know for a fact they'll be quite useful for dangerous situations. Of course, we can't stay this color forever. We're not changelings. I can only mimic abilities for an hour at most and for really energy consuming ones for only ten minutes per day. But that's usually enough time to help out." Fury said.

"Even with that time limit, this power is a good advantage to have. You'll be able to use it for much good in the future." Celestia commented.

"I'm glad you see it that way. And, bonus, I can look like the most powerful marshmallow to ever exist!" Fury laughed as he changed his color to a familiar white and formed a sun cutie mark on his eye. 

"He does have a point, sister. He does bring that smooth marshmallow look out of you." Luna said smugly with Cadence laughing.

Celestia rolled her eyes with a slight chuckle. "Yes, a very apt imitation of me, Fury."

"I try my best." Fury said cheekily as he returned to his original black.

Celestia did have some things in mind while talking. She was wondering about Cerberus.

"By the way, have you heard any rumors of escaped prisoners?" Celestia said, getting back to the discussion. "When Cerberus went loose, that might have allowed some prisoners to escape."

"I can list off a few, but they're not that much to worry about." Fury said. "Rainbow Dash said she got called to Wonderbolts HQ because a swarm of Twitter Mites was lighting up the runway, there was a BugBear attack somewhere in the Whitetail Wood on some pony travelers that sorted it out themselves, Steven the Sea Serpent told me that he's had to ward off the occasional Manticore. Nothing much that I can recall." Fury listed off.

"Those are fairly small, especially compared to what I have heard. There have been a few whispers about some… strange occurrences around the Hollow Shades."

"What have you heard?" Luna inquired.

"There have been sightings of weakened ponies with their cutie marks removed laying in the streets. There have also been talks of unicorns losing their magic out of nowhere before collapsing in a sudden heap of exhaustion, as if something stripped them of their abilities and strength." Celestia spoke. 

This made Fury legitimately uneasy. Sapping power? For a Speed Shifter, the goal was to get stronger and stronger. But it can just be sucked away just like that? Just the thought of it made him uncomfortable. After all if he wasn't careful, it could be him whose power was sapped. Then, he realized what might be the cause. 

"Wait, ponies losing their magic? Weakened strength? Have there been any sightings of unusual figures making their rounds throughout the towns?" 

"Well, we have heard of different sightings in Canterlot's slums. There are always strange things happening in those places. But these past two weeks have seen a surprising amount of weakened ponies. The culprit is still unknown." Luna recalled, thinking back to the multiple times she and Celestia were made aware of ponies filing into the local urgent care unit. 

"Any concrete or at least credible descriptions of who was spotted?" Fury asked, his concern rising as he tried to piece the parts together. 

"It has been reported by those lucky enough to see them that the voice sounded old, it always wore a cloak to conceal themselves but most agree it was a grovely male voice. Five witnesses pointed out seeing some red. And one even mentioned using hands. Although strangely the different victims reported different sizes for this, some say it was short, others it was normal and some slightly tall."

Red color? Hands? Conflicting size description? Wait… it can't be… 

Fury took a moment to work the angles he was given, the princesses around him noticing his immense concern.

"Fury, are you okay?" Cadence asked, throwing a hoof over his shoulder. 

"Yeah, just… a little concerned. One last question. Did any witnesses mention black horns and a gray beard, maybe a goat-like lower half?" Fury asked, bracing for the answer. 

"Well, a few mentioned some protrusions on its head. There was one who even said they thought they saw a shadow of a sheep's hooves before being attacked." Luna answered. 

Fury pondered all this evidence. Then he went pale.

"Oh God…"

"What? What's wrong?!" Twilight exclaimed. At this point, Fury's eyes were darting all over the place. His breathing heavy and his movements sharp as he got up and shot out of the room towards the castle library to check what he had concluded about the suspect. 

"Fury!" Luna called out.

"What is he so worried about?" Cadence asked.

"Perhaps, something we don't know." Twilight said. "Maybe we should follow him."

Celestia nodded. "Let's see for ourselves."

For Fury, he was trying to find a certain book. Of course since he had not as much inventory experience as Twilight, it was difficult to find the right one. But he knew what he was after. 

"Come on, where are you?! I need it." He said desperately.

"Fury, what's wrong with you? What's got you so spooked?" Cadence asked as she and the other princesses walked into the library.

"The fact that you don't know that the most powerful magic-siphoning creature is on the loose!" Fury said as he finally found what he was looking for and flipped through the pages at lightning speed. The princesses stood above him as he flipped through the pages and then stopped on a page that held a picture of the very creature that he was dreading.

"By the emperor's might, I was right!" Fury exclaimed. "Ladies, I think your suspect is someone that I've heard of. Someone that almost brought down Speed Shifters in the past." 

Fury passed the book off to the princesses and they saw where he had stopped. 

"N-no…" Celestia said with unusual dread.

"I-it can't be…" Luna said likewise.

"Might I be so bold as to ask what you fear so much?" Cadence asked with a bit of worry.

"Cadence, the creature we're dealing with… is Lord Tirek." Fury spoke in a shaky voice. 

"Tirek?" Twilight asked. "I heard of him once in a book I read as a filly. But I always assumed he was just a legend."

"Oh he's as real as the super speedy feline standing right in front of you. Come with me, I think it's about time you heard about what he's all about." Fury said as he led them all out of the library and into another room with a round table at which they stood as Night Fury began to explain.

"You see, Tirek is a very powerful sorcerer that once roamed the icy flatlands that us Speed Shifters called home before ponies came along. He has the power to siphon a creature's magic to improve his strength and magical abilities. His tyrannical influence has had its ways of putting us at a downward slope in Speed Shifter's past. He has tried multiple times to take us down, seeing us as an obstacle in what he considered 'The Rise Of The Centaur Empire'. He and his father, King Vorak, have always seen themselves as the rightful owners of what Equestria is today."

"Not too long before the All Powerfuls were formed, King Vorak gave his son the task to source the power of this new godly energy and use it to build their regime. Fortunately, Emperor Snowdrift was at his prime and easily dispatched Tirek to keep Speed Shifters from going extinct. That smaller version of Tirek that has been reported to have changing heights, that's him growing bigger with the amount of essence he absorbed. The magic he absorbs is basically small bits of the legendary Mountain Of Youth for him, his age regressing with each pony he drains and his strength returning."

Fury continued to explain the past of Speed Shifters and their feud with Tirek, Celestia and Luna adding in their own part on how they sent him to Tartarus in the first place after being informed about his intentions to drain the land of its magic by his younger brother Scorpan. 

"And quite frankly without the help of Scorpan, we could have been ruled over by Tirek to this very day." Celestia said. "We were able to defeat Tirek and imprison him in Tartarus."

"Well, I guess he got beaten twice by two different races he tried to rule." Cadence said trying to be positive.

"But as they say, Cadence, three is a lucky number." Fury said grimly. "You never know. Perhaps this time he has a better plan. I've heard horrible legends of Tirek. Even Emperor Snowdrift doesn't like talking about fighting Tirek, except that he said it was difficult."

Twilight was surprised. After seeing all of Fury's abilities it seemed nothing could phase him. But just the name of Tirek is enough to make him worried.

"Are you truly sure this is Tirek?" Twilight asked.

"Well, it seems like so far he's the most likely culprit. Especially with Cerberus leaving." Fury said. 

Celestia was quite frustrated. "Curses! I should have had better guards supervise Cerberus! I underestimated how much danger we were in." Then Celestia looked at the others. "But we can't let him drag us down. If it's been only two weeks, and he is only somewhat tall, it'll take him awhile to be at full strength. We still have time to apprehend him. This is an extreme emergency. I will have all of Equestria's Armed Forces and Police be at high alert. But it's up to all of us to keep an eye out for any unusual disturbances."

Fury nodded. "If you need my services, I'll help in any way I can. But… I would rather not do this alone. If I'm not careful, he could suck out all of my power and I'd be helpless. I'd rather do this very carefully." 

"Right and we have to come up with a plan. What can we do at this moment to bolster our defense?" Twilight inquired. 

"Well, for now we might want to enforce a curfew to not go out at night. Also give strong warnings not to walk along if possible. And we need to make sure we search for Tirek immediately. We'll check Canterlot again, but we have heard rumors also in Manehattan and other places of this going on, so he probably knows we'll try to find him. We have to respond as quickly as possible." Celestia suggested.

"Hmm, an active search is nonadvisable. That'll just tell him that you've sent away more of your forces into the wild to be picked off and that less will be available at a moment's notice once he decides to hit the bigger targets. What we need to do is starve him of his power source, drag him into an opening where it would be a better chance of catching him off guard." Fury protested. 

"So an ambush? A trap of sorts?" Cadence asked. 

"Yeah, basically. We have to seem nonchalant. And let him walk into our trap. Tirek was notorious for being attracted to power. That itself could be his weakness." Fury said. "It's like catching a mouse and using peanut butter for the bait."

"So… we trap him in a null zone. No magic to be absorbed so we can catch him at his weakest. At his current rate of strength gain, he's in no hurry. So it wouldn't be hard to plan for this." Twilight said. 

"Now you're thinking like a Speed Shifter, Twily." Fury smirked. "If we do that, we'll have caught our prey. Is everypony in agreement with this?"

"I'd have to say we all are in agreement with this plan." Celestia spoke. 

Luna nodded. "Agreed. We might want to establish a festival for one of us princesses or you Fury to lure him out. And if we do this we might just catch him in his act. But only one of us at a time, because we would not want multiple of us to be siphoned in the worst case scenario or he might be too powerful."

"Alright then. It's settled. We will catch this guy before he gets too powerful. We will stop him from trying to rule the world again! I won't let that happen, mark my words!" Fury said with confidence.

"And you'll have not just my help or the princesses but also the Mane Six." Twilight said. "We'll be ready to assist in taking down this tyrant."

Everyone was in agreement. Everyone was more confident now.

Though for Fury, he did wonder if the return of Tirek was what that light spirit was talking about. He remembered the words of that spirit, about how there will be great terror and this will be a force like he had never encountered. It did make him wonder.

"Um, Fury, are you alright?" Cadence asked. "You seem a little… distant."

"Huh? Oh no, I'm fine. It's just that this strange presence has been coming to me and warning me of upcoming dangers." Fury explained. 

"As a matter of fact, before the whole Manehattan drama, a source of light came to me in my dream and warned me about other creatures wanting to put me in harm's way. And that very same light came to me on the flight to the Crystal Empire telling me about some other danger that I'd never encountered before." Fury said with dread. "And if what happened with Blueblood was any indication, this just might be another big time fight."

Celestia nodded in silence. "I see. We should not dismiss this. If it really is that dangerous, we must all be on guard. I'll make sure my guards will be trained and ready. You should be ready too, Fury." But Celestia softened her voice. "But like we discussed before, we should not worry too much. We are much more ready this time than with the Blueblood incident. At the very least, we'll be more ready."

Fury let out a slight sigh of relief. "Okay, I'll hold you to that. I'll need some time to get myself together before I take this on, but I'll be ready when the time comes."

Fury then closed his eyes and let out a deep breath before beginning to glow softly, a static charge building within himself. 

"I'll be sure to practice controlling my energy in case he comes for me. And I'll be sure to train myself to be aware of threats. I'll be training for a little while. I'll make sure I'm ready for him."

"Good." Celestia said. "If you would like to go back to Ponyville, I'll put you on a secure train in secret. I can even have a few guards protect you."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I actually think it's better to fly on my own. Better to be somewhere he has no access to than riding out in the open and risking the strength of some of your finest guards." Fury said, his eyes still closed and his energy still pulsing. Celestia looked at him with a calm but slightly surprised expression, he had come up with a plan that was objectively better than hers and was stern about his stand on it.

He has become much wiser than when we first met. Most impressive. He is truly the best candidate to restore the Silver Blue and carry on the legacy of his kind. 

Celestia thought to herself. 

Fury then said farewell to the princesses and flew off into the sky. He was still a bit worried but at least they had a plan.

Of course as his father once said, when the battle begins, all plans go out the window.

—

It was a rainy night. In the middle of the forest, there was a cart delivering oats to Ponyville. But the cart driver was not going about his business. He collapsed on the ground completely weakened, his strength having been completely sapped from his being.

"Ah, delicious. Thank you for your cooperation." Said a cloaked figure, stepping away from the scene. The cloaked figure was walking along the dirt paths of the forest in search of a certain spot, a spot that would allow the figure to not have to hide its identity. 

He finally found his location. To his right he saw a worthy site. "Ah yes, this large cave will be a good place to hide for the moment."

Tirek entered the dark cave, setting up a tent to sleep for the moment. He opened a can of his latest victim's food to satiate himself.

"Ah…. I am glad I have made progress. But… it will take forever at this rate going after such weaklings. I need someone stronger. It will take me months at this rate to be able to even fight." Tirek said with frustration. "Well I guess my father taught me the value of patience."

As was about to eat the rest of the beans in the can, he heard a snap.

"Huh? What was that?" The centaur said, looking around. 

…

"Are you… Lord Tirek the Great?" a slightly deep voiced but elegant female voice said.

Tirek didn't answer his question. "Who is there?! Show yourself! Or I'll make an example of you!"

"Heh heh calm down, you don't need to worry. I'm someone you can trust."

"Ha! I've heard that one before. I doubt you could give me what I want anyways." Tirek said smugly. "Just show me who you are. You already made a mistake coming for me."

"Very well. Behold your new friend." 

Out of the shadow, a female feline came out. Her fur was a deep orange, almost like a fiery mix of red and yellow. Her eyes glowed a soft amber color in the dark, her aura powerful but controlled as she stood before Tirek with grace. 

"Wait, I think I've seen your kind before. Are you not… a Speed Shifter?"

"You have that right, dearie. My name is Pyro Flare. But to you, it's just Pyro. A pleasure to meet you." She said bowing.

"Awww, you Speed Shifters have always been so polite." Tirek said. "And so brave. You've come to me even though you know what I did to your people? Shouldn't you be begging for mercy?"

Pyro simply laughed. "Oh yes, I know very well what you did all those years ago to our emperor. That is actually why I have come looking for you. To get rid of a mistake that shouldn't have happened."

"Oh no I'm so scared!" Tirek laughed. "What are you going to do to try to hit me? I can just suck all your power up."

"Oh you are a barbaric mistake of nature, don't get me wrong. But that's not why I'm here. I'm talking about the one from Thunder Hollow. One of the All Powerfuls. His name being… Night Fury." She said with seething hatred.

"Ah, I remember. I heard rumors. I heard he was a hero to those pathetic ponies. He's a sort of folk hero nowadays. Especially how he saved ponykind from Sombra" He said, chuckling. 

"He has shown interest in her royal majesty, and she has accepted his love and made him her lover. Even with all of that sweetness, the little brat leaves a sour taste in my mouth." Pyro said, gagging at the very thought of the ambassador. Tirek had to admit that he was getting curious about what this Speed Shifter was after. Would and could she be able to get him what he wanted? 

"I must admit that I hold your sourness towards the ambassador in my heart as well, he is quite the nuisance. I agree with your statement of wanting to get rid of him, he will be an easy target."

"Now now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Like I said, he is one of the All Powerfuls. Meaning, his power levels are much beyond mine and yours combined. And he is not one to be taken lightly as he has already made himself known for not showing mercy through almost killing an associate of mine and brutally murdering a fellow Speed Shifter that orchestrated the kidnapping of his parents." Pyro warned the Centaur. 

"Ah I see. He seems like a force to be reckoned with. More than these ponies for sure. Let me ask out of curiosity, are you trying to avenge the murdered Speed Shifter and is he related to you?" Tirek inquired. 

"Oh Moon Beam? No. He was a loud obnoxious idiot. He tried to kill the ambassador outright and take his power for himself as a way to carry on the dark proceedings of a late relative, The Night Tyrant. He was too reckless and made himself easily discoverable. And in his quest for the near limitless power that pulsed through Night Fury's body, it led to him having his head and spine torn away from his body and left to bleed out in what remains of his now ruined fort in the Cursed Forest." She said with disgust. 

"And to answer your question, no I'm not. I'm more of an adviser. I'm simply someone who is trying to bring glory to the Speed Shifters. I guess you could say I'm the power behind the scenes of the Shadow Shifters. There are many who want to be chiefs. I can find another. But that's not important to you, is it?"

Tirek nodded. "Yes it isn't. So you want us to have an alliance, correct?"

"Exactly. I know for a fact we need each other. You need my help to bring down Equestria's defenses and I could use your help to deliver some retribution to the ambassador. I promise you that if you help me bring down Night Fury and deliver the rightful owners of the All Powerfuls' legacy their dues, I swear on the aura that flows within me that you will get to rule over Equestria as you please with no resistance."

"Hmmmm…" I do not trust her one bit. She probably knows I don't trust her either. But I do know for a fact, that I need her help to get more power. I'll help her but keep her at a distance.

"Alright you have a deal. But if you break this promise…"

"Oh don't worry, my dear, we Speed Shifters have a sense of honor. We will honor our word." She said with a smile that did not give Tirek reassurance. Not that it mattered right now.

"Alright you have a deal." Tirek said. "But it will be a bit hard if it's just you and me against all of Equestria."

"Not just us. Not just us. I've made a friend along the way." She said almost gagging at the thought. "He is Blueblood. He had a falling out with Celestia and is hiding with our tribe."

"Are you really that desperate you have to resort to a spoiled pony prince to help us?"

"Yes. Yes, you and me are. He has a lot of disgruntled soldiers with him. And he knows secrets that can take the princesses down." Pryo emphasized. "With our strength we will defeat those treacherous ponies and Night Fury. Unfortunately he cannot come with us on this escapade as he is both currently planning his revenge and recuperating from the brutal, and almost fatal beating that the ambassador put him through a few months ago."

"Ugh, what a weakling. He should be getting back to fighting already." Tirek scoffed. 

"He's a pony, sweetheart, what can you expect from them? But he will help us when the time is right. Just trust me on this one." Pyro said.

Tirek nodded at the Speed Shifter's words. He gave his new options some thought and agreed that this would be his best option to get back at those pathetic ponies that wronged him and his father along with defeating a Speed Shifter with godly power. This could be it, the one thing that could cement his title in history as the greatest Centaur to ever live.

"Okay, I will allow this unity to push forward. We will begin our quest for domination at dawn. But first, would you care to step inside and warm up? It's only fair that I show some hospitality to a new friend and ally, not to mention that a storm is on the way."

"Awww, how courteous of you. I didn't realize you were such a gentleman" She said she entered and lied by the fire. But her main thoughts were not on Tirek but on Fury.

Mark my words, Fury, you might have set us back temporarily but you have no idea what you are about to face. You will learn the true wrath like you have never before.
> Chapter 35: Equestria On Edge Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Aru mashu kara inu. Aru yeva laka. Neru sa ka."

Fury was meditating, trying to focus himself. He knew he had to prepare himself for what was coming, so he took the time he had to isolate himself within his villa to maximize his concentration. 

I have to be ready for when Tirek comes. Nothing must distract me. 

He then heard the slightest rustling.

He opened his eyes and leaped at the bush. It was a rabbit that was put into his garden. Fury smiled.

"I'm getting better with my senses. Heh, sneaky little guy." Fury said as he let the rabbit go and went back to his meditation. Fury knew he would be more ready in case Tirek tried to sneak past him.

While he was meditating, many other things were happening around him. The princesses had started to make announcements to ponies about Tirek and his ensuing plan, urging them to stay inside for as long as necessary and not to go out during the night. While many ponies didn't like having their day cut short and their business interrupted, they understood that I'm such a time, it was a necessary sacrifice.

"Basina Aria Lopona Mitushi. Sephora Natu Ati Colapa. Retulan Foro Ecanti Erus." Fury chanted, his energy in perfect balance. 

I feel one with the aura. I feel relaxed and complete. This is quite pleasant, I definitely need thi- Hold on, it seems someone is here. I guess I'll give my guest a warm WELCOME!

Fury leaped at the target. 

"Surprise fool! Watch me rip you to shreds!" He called out, but then a familiar voice shot back.

"Fury, chill out!" 

"Wait… Cadence?" Fury looked down and saw that he had indeed tackled the Princess Of Love. He got back up and felt a little awkward in this situation. "Heh, sorry about that. Meditation really makes me go unhinged sometimes, heh." Then Fury's face turned inquisitive. "Wait, why are you on my patio and how did you get in here?"

Cadence answered. "Well I was knocking on your door for ten minutes. And so I decided to use the key you gave me a while ago. So that's the answer."

"Once again, meditation." Fury responded. "I'll have a better sound system to snap me out of my meditation mode. But you didn't answer my question of why you visited me. Is something the matter?"

"Nah, just wanted to check on you and see how you were holding up. Especially with all this happening." Cadence said.

"Oh… Right." Fury sighed. 

"Well it seems you're quite well prepared. It seems like it'll be hard to sneak up on you." Cadence said. "I can see why my husband likes your methods."

"Well, when you spend all day walking in the jungles, you start to be very aware of every creepy crawly thing around you. Not that you're one of course. I mean, you don't have wings made of chitin, an exoskeleton or eight legs." Fury chuckled. 

"Thank you for pointing that out." Cadence chuckled. "But I would like to ask, are you sure you'll be absolutely ready? If you need any help, I'll be sure to provide all the support needed." 

Fury was confident in his ability to stand up for Equestria and all that inhabit it, but he had a certain feeling like he was reaching way too far out of his league. He had to admit, he's faced a demon king, a bloodthirsty prince with racial motives, a delusional power hungry Speed Shifter that wanted to strip him of his power, and his own personal demons. But what bothered him the most was that as time went on, the quite literal target on his back that resembled a lighting strike, would grow bigger as his destiny became more well known across the land. 

"I don't know. I would appreciate all the help. It's just that… I feel like I'm heading down a road I never had to go on. Don't get me wrong, I like being a warrior and all but I'm getting thrown down a well of sudden responsibility and expectations that I didn't ask for." Fury said. Cadence understood his struggles with coming to terms with his newfound power. After all, she had to go through the same thing when she was adopted into the royal family at a young age.

"I understand what you're going through. It's not easy to take on such a huge responsibility that you practically got thrown onto your shoulders without any prior warning. But let me tell you, you're not the only one who has gone and is currently going through that same issue." Cadence said.

"Really?"

"Of course. How do you think I felt when I was adopted into the royal family and was instantly expected to hold up a reputation for not only myself, but the entirety of the royal family? As a matter of fact, how do you think Twilight is feeling right now with having to deal with real threats to Equestria and having to deal with ponies looking up to her for guidance?" Cadence reminded him. 

Fury knew she was right about Twilight, she had come to him multiple times about her stress of fillies coming to her to ask about being a princess and older ponies looking up to her for guidance as if she was one of the Royal Sisters. 

"Well at least I'm not alone. Was it hard to get through that phase of growing into responsibility for you?" He asked.

"Believe me, that phase is still not over for me. It's still hard to govern and to lead a whole city. I have to deal with so much." 

"Well that helps a lot." Fury said sarcastically.

"But let me say this, I'm more used to it now. I'm more prepared. And most importantly, I've grown from it. You will too, I assure you. Whatever challenges you have, just remember to be calm and tackle it in the best way you can. You might not be used to it at first but with time and experience you get better. That's what I believe."

This made Fury a bit more relieved.

"Now that makes me feel better. You could have just told me that from the beginning." He said with a smirk.

"Oh come on. You can only appreciate the good stuff when you compare it to the bad stuff." Cadence said with a chuckle.

"Ohhhhh, like how you give the worst hugs on the planet?" Fury said smugly.
"Yeah I guess so. But seriously, thanks for helping me out. I really needed it."

"Glad to help you." Then Cadence's face darkened. "And for your information, my husband very much appreciates my embraces. No need to put them down."

"I doubt it, I just can't believe that you of all ponies would give good hugs." Fury said, pushing even further. 

"Alright, you little furball, I think you need to be taught a lesson. Let's see what you think about my hugs now!" Cadence said, lunging forward and glomping Fury tightly.

"Oof!" Fury said, feeling his breath being pushed out. Cadence gave him a good squeeze and pulled him in close, not allowing any avenues for escape. She then smiled and looked at him, almost muzzle to muzzle.

"You were saying those things just to get a hug from me, weren't you?" She asked with a smirk. 

"Hmmm… Maybe…"

Cadence raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, guilty as charged. And it looks like it worked." Fury said, smirking. "I always liked your hugs ever since that little romance lesson you gave me. Your fur is just so cozy and soft."

"Awwww, you're too much." Cadence said. "Thanks."

"So is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Fury asked. 

Cadence yawned. "No, I think I'm good. I'm going to go see how our Princess of Friendship is doing now. If I'm to guess she's probably swimming a sea of books now."

"As if she doesn't do that anyway." Fury chuckled. "Hey, do you think she applies Sunscreen Chronicles before she dives in?" He laughed. 

"Yes. Yes. She does. As she basks in the sun, that is her reading lamp." Cadence said. "Well, I better make sure she doesn't go too far. I'll see you, Fury."

"Catch you later, love maker." Fury quipped, earning a giggle from Cadence as she walked off. Fury was glad that he had such a good friendship with her, she had so much wisdom to give and was a very funny pony to be around. Maybe this whole thing with Tirek wouldn't be so hard after all?

Maybe I'm thinking too hard about all of this, I have the best group of friends to help me along and be there for me. I guess that's all that really should be on my mind. I'll catch up with them later and see what's up. 

Fury thought to himself as he went back to his meditation and took a little nap in the process.

–

Later on… 

Pyro Flare and Tirek were walking on the roads near a guarded fortress, both cloaked so as to hide their identities. 

"Are you really going to attack a fort of pony guards?" Tirek asked. "I don't want us to be discovered!"

"Oh be quiet you." Pryo said dismissively "Here's the thing, we need to attract some attention. Our goal is to lure our prey like bait. And our first job…"

They walked over to a small fort filled with some guards. "We need to cause a bit of a stir. If I pull this off, Night Fury will come in with naivete and we will catch him by surprise."

"Okay, fair enough, but this had better work!"

"Do not fear. You only need to come in when the time is right. If things go south we can both flee and they won't know of your presence." Pyro said in a reassuring voice. "Besides, we Speed Shifters like to have a little fun with our prey." She said her soothing voice turned bloodthirsty. "Don't be too scared of what you witness."

Tirek rolled his eyes as he saw the Speed Shifter sneak her way to the fort. He noticed she had what looked like an unlit torch.

"Ah, the Thestrals. The warriors of the night. I'm sure a certain princess cares oh so deeply for them." She said with disgust. "So it's time to give the ambassador's sweetheart a little gift."

She saw two thestral guards patrolling. She turned into a snake to slither by the guards. She figured it was best not to risk possible discovery.

As she made it to the wall, it was just as she figured. This fort was simply made of wood, surrounded by a palisade. It might be enough to protect against bandits but to a Speed Shifter, it was just a joke. It was clearly not made to protect against such powerful beasts.

She transformed into a mole and dug under the palisade, and she kept on going until she got to the central fort but it was solid stone. The floor was too hard to bury into.

"Dang it, how do I get in here?" The reddish black mole pondered for a moment. She looked if there were any possible cracks. She realized she had to venture out of the dirt to find a crack in the wall and risk possibly being seen.

"Well they probably don't know what a Speed Shifter mole is, so I bet I can do this with ease." Pyro said to herself as she returned the way she came and looked for an opening. At a glance, nothing seemed out of place for entry. That was, until she found a small hole in one of the edges. 

"Hmmm, perhaps a smaller form is needed?" Pyro said as she turned into an earthworm and slowly but surely squeezed through the hole and into the compound. 

"Heh, heh, so much for their security." She said after transforming to a mouse. She hid behind some barrels and looked around to see thestrals eating and playing cards. They all seemed distracted.

She saw the door she had to go into. It was unguarded and so she went up quickly before the guards went back.

She finally made it to her destination, the kitchen. Her goal was to start a fire with the stove.

After the chef left the stove, she went in quickly and made sure to use her torch to set fire first in the kitchen then let it spread to the other areas.

She also made sure the plumbing system was clogged up. And even added a special crystal to make the smoke toxic. And for the final touch she used an explosive crystal she smuggled from the Crystal Empire, a gift from Blueblood. Once the fire spread to it, it would explode.

She made a mad dash out of the tower. Everyone noticed the fire and was panicking. But before they were able to put it out…

BOOM!!!

The fort collapsed on itself. All of the guards were panicking trying to get the others out of the wreckage.

"Hello soldiers of Princess Luna." Pyro said behind them. "I know you want to save them but the truth is," Her claws started to show. "Their days are over and so are yours."

—

Fury had another round of meditation over with. He decided he would read the news.

He opened the mailbox, got the newspaper and dropped it on seeing the headlines.

"What?! 'Riverside Fort burnt down!? All soldiers except one killed?!"

Fury even saw skulls of the thestrals on stakes. He was horrified. Who could have done this?

He read on ahead with the rest of the article.

"Reporters say that Tirek was NOT at the head of this deadly attack, but another being the perpetrator. Supposedly a plus one to his campaign to rule over Equestria. High Stakes, the president of the Equestrian Federal Bureau Of Investigation (Or E.F.B.I), Suspect that by the paw marks leaving the now scorched and collapsed compound that this act of mass genocide and terrorism was acted out… By a Speed Shifter?!" Fury gasped, he had no idea that this had happened until now.

"Wait, they don't think I did it right?" He read on ahead.

It seems at least they said it was not likely Fury and perhaps it was one of his rivals from the other tribe. As he was reading he noticed the pictures of the skulls had a strange symbol carved into the Captain of the Thestrals.

A lightning strike with a cross through it, written in blood. Is this some sort of threat to me because of my birthmark being the symbol of the next All Powerfuls?

Fury had known that after saving his parents and bringing them to Equestria with him, he would have a target on his back. But why not come to attack him directly, or at least in secret like Blueblood? 

"If my birthmark is getting engraved in the skulls of the dead, then I'm going to have to hunker down somewhere safer. And this villa ain't gonna cut it. As a matter of fact, I don't even think Canterlot Castle is okay! Maybe I should go… further out?" Fury thought. He wasn't sure what to do now that it was made clear that the figurative bull's-eye on his back was at the forefront of someone's nefarious plans. Just then, a scroll with the insignia of the royal family landed in front of him. 

"Luna?" He opened the scroll and saw that it was in fact from her.

Dear Night Fury,

I am sure you're aware of the disastrous arson attack on the Riverside fort, and I must agree in your thoughts that this is a terrible outcome. My sadness and anger are at an all time high with this new development, especially with the captain of my guard being made into a gruesome decorative piece that now lays on display in the ruins of that outpost. I send this letter as not only a way to inform you, but also as a warning. You may not be safe in your home for much longer and that not only scares me, but my fellow princesses as well. Please come to Canterlot with most urgency, we must discuss the actions of this new villain.

With much love and concern,
Luna

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Fury said, rushing to the train station. 

—

Fury had finally made it to Canterlot. He found it much harder to get in with all of the tightened security. He also saw a lot of fear in many citizens' eyes as he passed by. But not just them but he saw his own parents looking quite upset.

"Mom? Dad?" 

They saw him. "Oh Fury! It's terrible!" His mother said with dread. "They're back! The Shadow Shifters!"

"It looks like they finally came to get their vengeance." Obsidian said.

"Yeah, I heard. Look, let's just get to the throne room with the princesses and we can hopefully clear some of this up." Fury suggested. His parents nodded and followed his lead to the throne room. 

When they went in, they saw many of the elites filing into the throne room. Most likely going to ask questions of the princesses to assess the situation. Fury decided that he would go with the flow and followed them in, coming to see not only Celestia and Luna, but Cadance and Twilight as well. 

When they entered the throne room, they saw all the Princesses in their seats with a grave look on their faces. While they were silent, the room wasn't for all the elites sputtered out different questions

"Are we in danger?"

"Will speed shifters try to invade?"

"How are we to avenge those guards?"

"Who is to blame for this catastrophe?!"

There was so much noise in the air, Fury felt like he would be dizzy from all the panic. Even so, he could understand what they were feeling. An entire fort was burned to a crisp and many lives were taken at the paws of his own kind, who most ponies knew were very powerful based on his own image. 

"Woah. I haven't seen the nobles scattered this badly since Blueblood and the bombing incident." Fury said.

"They look so disturbed, so broken." Said Black Ice said with sympathy.

"I don't blame them, I would be scared too if I found out seemingly out of nowhere that a base of operations was burned down and all of its crew were killed." Obsidian said sternly. 

"Even so, I have a job to do. As ambassador, I have to be present too. And Luna didn't send me that urgent message for nothing." Fury gave a loud whistle and got the attention of the royalty at the head of the room, almost completely silencing the rest of the nobles. 

"Hey, ladies! I'm here!" He called out from within the crowd alongside his parents who waved at them.

"Ah, Night Fury, it is good to see you in these troubling times!" Celestia answered back.

"Indeed." Luna said with a melancholy look. "You are most needed. Come forth."

"Sweet. C'mon guys, let's get you clear of the ruckus." Fury said, directing his parents to the thrones while he hopped up and out of the crowd, transformed into a small bluejay and floated down to Luna's side where he transformed back and kissed her.

"Hey sweetheart, I'm sorry about what happened at Riverside. You must be devastated." Fury said, attempting to soothe her. 

"They were some of my most loyal guards. One of the few creatures that respected me and showed loyalty to me. They were honorable even if society was not always honorable to them. And now they are gone." Luna said with tears. "Not even in an honorable battle, but by assassination."

"Truly shameful behavior." Obsidian said with his wife nodding. "It figures they would be so cruel."

"Shhh shhh… it's okay. I'm here for you. Go ahead and cry if you need to, I'll be here for as long as you need me."

"Th-thank you, Fury." She hugged him while crying and then separated from him.

"But I have no time to grieve. I will leave that for those poor spouses. No. I am here to avenge their honor." Luna stood up.

"You're not alone, I'm with you." Fury stood with her. "You have my word, Luna. I will avenge their dignity and honor. And I will bring this monster to justice! I swear on the aura that flows through me."

"We're with you too, your highness." Said his parents in unison. Luna was grateful that they stood by her in this tragic time, it was like she had a family right alongside her. 

Luna smiled at this. "Thank you."

Then Fury turned to all of the nobles. "You hear that? You don't have to worry one bit, I'm going to take care of this!"

"But do you even know who did such a thing? Or how to even find this vile beast?" asked one of the nobility.

"I am well aware that the perpetrator was another one of my kind that is a part of a group that has tried to dispatch me in the past. And I assure you, I have thought of ways to track them down." Fury spoke. 

Celestia then stood up. "Exactly. We will find out all of these answers. The only thing you need to know now is that we are indeed doing an investigation. But for now, we must keep this private. We ask that you all leave for the sake of confidentiality."

Some of the nobility were panicking and still wanted more answers but the guards made sure to escort them out. Black Ice and Obsidian also sped up the process as no one wanted to mess with them even if they were friendly.

Twilight spoke up. "Do we have any photos or other evidence for who this could be?"

"I actually do." Fury said. "As a matter of fact, when I got into the city, the president of the E.F.B.I caught up to me and gave me a few pictures, along with a couple of evidence bags to pass on to you all."

Fury then passed on a small bag filled with the evidence to Celestia who extracted a few photos of the scene, a small blood sample, a fur sample, and what seemed to be the remains of the torch that was used to start the fire. 

"I see." Twilight said. "At least we have this to go on. Have they done any tests yet and do they have a report?"

"A couple of specialist DNA scientists who broke down their chemical analysis of the samples we've been given will be here soon to give a full report." Fury replied. "But I do have a theory of who it could be."

Fury explained. "You see, when I freed my parents in the Cursed Woods, it was apparently a labor camp led by some renegade tribe. Even if I took out Moon Beam, they're probably still more than him. I'm sure whoever did this was aligned with the Shadow Shifters who kidnapped my parents, or have gotten a call from Blueblood to carry out his plan while he recovers from my beating."

Twilight nodded. "Interesting. Do any of you know anything about this Shadow Shifter tribe?" She asked the speed shifters.

"Honestly, we don't know a lot about them. We don't know much about them and they only do a few raids, not major invasions. We know they come from some far away place. But they manage to keep their whereabouts a secret and even if we find a base they just move around." Obsidian said. 

Fury continued. "After they kidnapped my parents, they stopped doing any major raids. I suppose by the order of Moon Beam, they diverted all resources to finding me and stealing my power to 'Realign the stars to their rightful place as Speed Shifters take their throne once more'. Or something like that."

"Well I'm glad you still have it, darling. We need your strength to keep everyone safe." Black Ice said, making Fury smile. Just then, one of the guards popped into the throne room.

"Your highnesses, a few ponies from the E.F.B.I have come to see you." The guard spoke.  

"Send them in." Celestia ordered.

Two scientist ponies with lab coats came in. One looked like a stereotypical nerdy scientist and the other looked like a hardboiled detective.

"Your highness, we analyzed the results and have some new information." Said one scientist. 

"What have you learned?" Cadence asked.

"Based on our DNA analysis, we can confirm that this attack was carried out by a Speed Shifter. Also, we have come to the conclusion that with the partial blood sample you possess, the perpetrator was female. Middle aged probably in her late thirties or early forties with a blood type of AB Negative."

Obsidian scrunched his face. "Hmmm, older than my cousin but younger than me and my wife, no offense. Well that could still be a lot of Speed Shifters. Are there any other details you two found?"

Twilight spoke up. "Well the problem is that these are Speed Shifters. We ponies don't have any records to cross examine since the Night Fury and you two are basically the only ones we have contact with."

Fury came over. "Okay Twily, let Fury take over from here." He looked at the two. "So, from what we have here, we have a Shifter who is middle aged. Does anyone have pics of her paw prints?"

"Yeah, here you go." One of the scientists said.

"Hmmm… Wide spread toe pads, oval shaped foot pad, deep imprints in the surface…" He looked at the size of them. "Almost the same size as Princess Cadence's hooves. From what I can tell, she's a bit plump with a wide strut to her stride. Maybe she's eaten a bit too much meat and laid around thinking what to do next." He said with a chuckle.

Black Ice rolled her eyes. "You always have a joke, rather crude too, about something, don't you?"

"Yep, and I'm not sorry for being funny, mom." Fury said with a smirk. "After all, it just means she likes to cook like someone I know."

"Ah that's sweet of you… wait a minute. Who is this certain someone you're comparing to?" She asked in a hostile tone. Fury just shrugged it off. 

Twilight interjected before they got into an argument. "Ahem, it's quite impressive how you can analyze Speed Shifters with just paw prints, Fury."

"Well nothing is certain but you tend to be able to see the signs if you go out exploring. And speaking of which, I have one last thing I wanted to check out…." Fury looked a little grim. "I need to see that skull where she inscribed her symbol."

"I see." The scientist gave it to him.

Fury was focused in particular on the lightning strike symbol carved in. He wanted to see if there were any other symbols. And also the way in which she cut the skull. His parents also looked at it.

"Don't we already know enough about the skull?" Cadence asked.

"Of course. But the fact about that is, it's my birthmark and the telltale signal of my position as an All Powerful. The way she seemed to cut the skull wasn't engraved, it almost seemed as if it was burned in with a high power laser. Take another look at the carving, notice the slight burn marks around the tip of the lightning strike and the char dust around the circumference. Clearly, this was carved out by a direct beam of light." Fury said. Twilight was amazed that Speed Shifters had this ability. 

"What?! Speed shifters can actually do that? Especially with this amount of power?" Twilight asked.

"While it is not one of our best techniques, it is something we have done before. One of the previous All Powerfuls, Burst Ignition, came up with a technique to redirect the energy flow within ourselves to create beams and attacks to aid in battle and exploration. It seems that whoever this is, has a fire aura like he did and can use it in a very precise manner. She must have done extensive training to do this." Black Ice confirmed. 

Fury then turned to the blood sample in his possession. "I have to ask, have either of you tested her blood for a certain ignition reaction?"

Both of the scientists were confused. "Uh, I don't think we have done so, ambassador. But why does it pique your interest?"

"You see, a Speed Shifter's blood contains a fair amount of their aura, allowing the energy flow to be maintained passively from active use. If my theory is right about this certain Shifter having a certain fiery aura, then a test of a chemical reaction should be able to help us find her by using said ignition to pinpoint a location like a beacon." Fury explained.

"Ah, that's my son. Always coming up with the strangest ideas possible." Obsidian chuckled while smiling. "I'm curious myself how this will work out."

"Well dad, I can tell you that even I have to ask for help with this one. Excuse me while I notify an associate of mine." He spoke as he went to write a scroll to said associate. 

"I wonder who Fury has on his mind?" Twilight wondered aloud.

"I don't know. But if my son's got an idea on how to make tracking this monster easier, then I'm all for it." Black Ice replied as they continued to question the scientists while Fury was away.

–

Later on, in a secluded part of Canterlot Castle… 

"Thanks for coming out on such short notice, Zecora. You're the only one who knows just as much about Speed Shifters as I do, so your input is a major factor." Fury said as he led the zebra shaman, the princesses, and his parents to a smaller and more isolated part of the castle that he had set up for Zecora's arrival. 

Zecora bowed. "It is my pleasure to assist, for to help I cannot resist. And it is also a pleasure to meet those who raised you, as these are your parents if I were to assume."

The two parents each shook her hoof. 

His father spoke up. "It's nice to meet you, Zecora. I heard you helped our son with his instincts. You have no idea how hard it was to help him with that." He chuckled.

"Yes, his control over his carnal instincts has proved. As he no longer tears through meat as soon as it moves." Zecora joked.

"Heh, as if he doesn't do that anyway. I've seen him rip through a whole basket of salmon in less than 3 minutes." Black Ice chuckled.

"Hey! At least I'm not the one who snuck in a few snacks everyday whenever I cooked, Ms. Butterball!" Fury snorted. 

His mother had a look of simultaneous anger and guilt. "H-h-how dare you, young boy!  I manage my diet very well! I don't engage in such dastardly acts like you." She rebuked him while raising her nose to the air.

"Says the one who ate three cakes in a day because 'It was necessary for her daily sugar intake'." Fury jabbed at her.

"But I… needed… it." She said trying to defend herself but knowing she already lost. "Hmph!" She turned away.

"Yeah I thought so." 

Then Night Fury went back to explaining about the experiment they planned to do with the blood.

"Now, the reason we're here is this. Speed Shifter blood has a certain reaction to other types of energy. Each Speed Shifter can have a different reaction to certain energy sources, giving us our strengths and weaknesses. Some skills have to be worked for. Others are just naturally there from birth. And some abilities are completely cut off no matter how hard one tries. Every speed shifter can relate to that." Fury said explaining shifter biology. "But when exposed to others of our kind, our auras can be… charged in a way."

"I have a theory that if we mix some of my aura with the blood sample, we could supercharge the energy reaction and use it as a sort of beacon to detect our mystery figure. And to do that, I had to call in the best maker of potions and elixirs I knew." Fury explained. 

All of the princesses, especially Twilight, as well as his parents were all quite interested. 

"Amazing! The abilities of zebras and Speed Shifters are extraordinary!" Twilight said.

"Well, Speed Shifters and zebras actually have had certain dealings in the past. So I guess we are technically partners in this." Fury recalled, thinking of his history lessons on trade deals when he was a cub. 

"Indeed. Now let me have silence. For I must carry out this science." Zecora said as they entered the special potion room. The room was old and unused, having not been used since Luna was banished to the moon. But with a little cleaning and brightening up, it would be good enough to carry out the tests needed. The group opened the doors and were immediately met with a wave of dust. 

"Phew, this place sure is dusty. Achoo!" Fury sneezed. 

"Yeah, it's certainly not the cleanest of places. Spike would have a field day with this room." Twilight said.

"Let's get this over so we don't have *achoo* be here for too long." Cadence said as she wiped some dust away.

Zecora walked into the middle of the room.

"Are you sure you do not need any help, Zecora?" Luna asked. "I have some… experience with spells. For better or worse." Luna said not preferring to remember her incident with Nightmare Moon magic.

"I assure you, no assistance is needed. For my skill allows many potion mixes to have succeeded." Zecora said.

"Well, I guess there's no need to keep you held up. Achoo! Achoo!" Fury said, sneezing a few more times.

"Maybe you should step outside while we handle the dust, kitty cat. I don't think your nose can take much more." Cadence chuckled.

"I have to agree, sweetie. Your nose seems to be under attack at the moment." Black Ice added. "You've always been sensitive to heavy dust."

Fury tried to ignore the feeling in his nose. "Nah, I'm fine, mom! A little dust never stopped me… hee… heagh…" Fury started before he started to glow with energy as a bigger sneeze began to charge up.

"Oh dear…" His mother whimpered. 

"Uh oh, giant sneeze incoming!" Obsidian exclaimed. 

"Everyone make a force field around the potions!" Luna said, knowing what force a Speed Shifter can sneeze.

Everyone did so and braced for the loud sneeze.

"HA CHOOOOO!!!!" He caused a slight rumble as his electric energy shot out of his body, but every delicate item was okay.

Everyone gave a raised eyebrow to Fury. 

"So what were you saying, dearie?" Black Ice asked smugly.

"Sweet mother of Equestria, that was huge!" Twilight said.

"Heh, I think the universe has made its point clear." Fury said. "But, that doesn't mean I can't adapt."

Fury then took off in another direction before returning with a mask with the flag of Equestria on it. 

"See! And I never would have expected a flag on a mask of all things. But I do admire patriotism." Fury said. "Anyways, now the dust bunnies won't have their way with me."

"Ah, good. So now we shall proceed with great speed." Zecora said. She had already mixed some potions while the others were talking about dust.

She had mixed a bit of her own herbs  from her bag into a red potion. She also shook the vat around. And after mixing it properly the next, possibly dangerous, came. Have this potion make contact with the Shifter blood. 

"One of you princesses, must make for me a shield. So that I may be protected and not yield. Who shall it be?" Zecora asked.

"I'll provide the protection." Cadence said, igniting her horn and forming a teal bubble around her.

"Mom, Dad and I will stay on the outside for this, I can take whatever happens. Speed Shifter energy doesn't do much when applied to another one of its kind, so I'll be fine." Fury said as he handed the blood sample to the zebra. 

"I shall do so." Celestia said. "I am experienced with force fields so it shall be done." She flew a few feet yards away from the sorceress.

Zecora nodded and uncapped the small sample before pouring it into the vat. The mixture then turned a bright orange color, the same color as the fur that was collected.

"Now that the blood has been combined together, all we need is the sample of another." Zecora said, looking over at Fury.

"Leave that to me." Fury said. He extended a claw and raised it to his face, energizing the tip before slashing his own face and drawing his own blood. 

"Fury! Why did you do that!?" Twilight said, concern spread across her face along with the other royals. Although his parents seemed less shocked at the procedure.

"To give a bit of my energy in its purest form. Not worn out by time and from one of the most potent areas. The face." He said as he rubbed the blood onto his paw and held it above the vat.

"It's very true." Black Ice said surprisingly unworriedly. "Sometimes in our schools, we have to draw blood for certain spells like transformations."

Obsidian nodded. "Yeah, don't worry it's scary at first. But that's how we taught Fury to stomach it and deal with the fright. Not only by seeing the blood of others, but his very own blood."

"Well, if you say so." Twilight said even if she didn't quite understand fully speed shifter medical traditions. The others watched as Fury's blood trickled down the tips of his claws and into the vat, sparks of his energy turning the orange mixture into a reddish orange. The vat began to bubble slightly and swirled slowly, the Speed Shifter's powerful essence churning the vat around passively.

Twilight and Cadence were looking with some worry. Celestia tried to keep her cool but still looked a bit worried. Luna was simply staring at the formula. Black Ice was also a bit tense and Obsidian looked more calm seeing the mixture. Zecora nodded and told him to keep mixing it.

As Fury mixed it more the bubbling started to make a noise like they were boiling in a pot.

"Alright, that should be good." Zecora said. "Now that the mixture is bubbling, we go to the most dangerous part. What we will do is shake the vat and then we shall open the vat, place it on the floor and be far away as it carries out the final reaction." Zecora explained. "Otherwise even the forcefield might not protect against all damage."

The other princesses seemed worried and  Fury's parents too. But Night Fury was not going to let that stop him

"I've done more dangerous things as a kid. How do we do it?" 

"At this stage, any exterior shaking would make the mixture volatile with your essence. Perhaps an inside out procedure will allow answers to make their presence." Zecora explained. Fury tapped his chin and came up with a rather insane idea.

"Zecora, I've got a stupid idea that might work." The Speed Shifter began to whisper his idea to her, her eyes widening as she heard the idea. She ultimately agreed and thought the idea could work. 

"Though your thought process is wild, I will not lie. I suppose we should at least give it a try." Zecora said. 

"You'll at least find it interesting regardless of what happens to me." Night Fury chuckled. 

He proceeded to open the vat. He now had to be quick before too much gas left. He then transformed into a creature he had rarely done. It was long but small, similar to a snake but more aquatic. 

"Well, that's a new form I haven't seen him carry out." Luna said in surprise. 

"What is that?!" Cadence asked.

"I believe it is an eel." Twilight said. "But why would he be one- Wait, is he…?"

Fury flopped right into the vat. He made himself comfortable.

"Fury! Are you insane?!" Twilight and Black Ice said, trying to go toward him. But Luna restrained her.

"Trust Fury, he seems to be master of the jungle after all."

"Yes, our son is… unorthodox in his ways. But isn't transforming all about thinking outside of the box?" Obsidian asked his wife

Twilight calmed down and Black Ice too. Meanwhile Fury used his new form to get some accurate readings of the liquid before popping his thin black head out to reveal protruding teeth and two small fins grasping the edge. 

"I have never seen an eel before. And to be honest, you look kinda cute like that." Cadence admitted. 

"Aww, shucks. But this cute little thing is about to make a big bang today!" Fury said as he dove back down into the vat. He began to hit the walls of the vat causing it to shake around. Then, he swirled the mixture around by swimming in circles, causing bubbles to rise up above him. 

The crowd above the surface not only saw bubbles but they even heard a certain sound similar to electricity.

"It's working!" Twilight said enthusiastically. 

"Don't stop now!" Black Ice cried out.

"Alright, time to kick up the voltage." Fury said as he began to release his electric charge. Bolts of lightning skipped across the surface, Fury's form glitching as his body was becoming more and more pure energy.

Luna and his parents were amazed at what they were seeing. It was a form more akin to the windigos from which the Speed Shifters got their powers than any physical entity. Was he becoming his aura?

"Uh, Fury… I think now might be a good time to get out of there." Twilight warned the small eel. 

Fury looked at the vat and saw it was boiling like his mother's stove. His work was finished and in fact he probably overdid it in excitement.

"Okay, time to skedaddle out of here!" He quickly jumped out of the vat and into Cadence's arms.

"Oof!" Cadence said she was knocked over by the black eel. "Ewwww, What in the world is this stuff?" She said feeling the glowing slime.

"I guess my aura congealed into some sort of slime when mixed with the liquid. But hey, on the bright side, it does make my skin feel cooler. And by extension, yours." Fury said. 

Black Ice facepalmed at that. "Oh Fury…"

"Gee, thanks for your gift." Cadence said, rolling her eyes.

"Everyone, you must be silent. For the vat is about to be violent." Zecora said pointing to a red sparkling glowing container.

"What shall happen?" Luna asked.

"You'll see, Moon Pie." Fury said. "At least I hope so."

The vat kept on shaking and shaking. It turned from red to pink. They could even see lightning in the vat. The sound was like thunder.

"Um, is this safe?!" Twilight exclaimed worriedly.

"At this point, I don't even know. But it's our only chance of finding out who we're dealing with." Fury responded.

Cackle! 

They saw the substance in the vat swirl around and the vat even floated.

"Perhaps we should at least give some sort of barrier!" Celestia screamed as she summoned one along with other princesses. "Be ready!"

It kept on swirling and crackling when… 

Then they heard nothing. It went back to the ground.

"Um, is that it?" Twilight asked. "Maybe we forgot some ingredients?"

Fury was confused too. "I thought I put everything in there. Maybe we'll try something el-"

Thooooooooom! 

All of a sudden, the whole group was flung back to some trees. Trees burst into splinters and the soil became a dust cloud. It seemed like one of Fury's EMP blasts when facing his foes.

After a few seconds of shock, someone got up.

"Is everyone okay?" Cadence asked.

"Fine here. Celestia, Luna?"

"We are stable." The sisters said in unison.

"Us too!" Obsidian said getting his wife back up.

"Your highnesses, I'm afraid all is not well. For Night Fury is incapacitated from the explosive spell." Zecora said. All of the princesses looked over and saw that Night Fury had indeed been knocked out by the blast, his passive energy flowing along his face as a glowing crack across his right eye. 

"Fury, are you alright?" Luna said, trying to wake him up. "Come on, Fury! This is important!"

"Wake up right now!" Black Ice yelled in a loud voice.

Fury seemed unconscious at first but then opened his eyes quickly. "W-w-what happened? I feel different. Wait, the vat!"

Fury ran to the batch of fluid and looked inside, his eyes widening as he saw what was inside.

"Guys, come check this out!" 

Everyone ran to him. 

"Oh my word…" Celestia said, surprised.

"By the gods…" Obsidian said.

What they witnessed was pure energy in front of them. They saw what looked like an orange-red mist. 

"Is that the enemy Speed Shifter's aura!?" Twilight asked.

"I think it's more than that, Twi. Look closer." They all leaned in and took a closer look, the most clearing a bit to reveal a face. A face that looked a lot like Fury, but orange and more feminine. 

"Is that… her?" Cadence asked.

"It appears to be." Zecora said. 

"Wow… she really is on the plump side." Fury said bluntly. "I guess she did too much laying back."

"Sometimes I wonder if I failed as a mother." Black Ice grumbled at her son's jokes.

"If you did, I'd be as stuck up as you." Fury chuckled. His mother simply pouted which he found humorous.

Luna looked at the Speed Shifter. "So… we have finally found the culprit?" 

"Yep. It seems so." Fury said.

"Thank you Night Fury. I owe you so much." Luna said. 

"Don't thank me yet, we still have to find her." Fury said. Then a small bit of the liquid splashed up onto his face. 

"Ahh! What the?!"

"Fury, are you okay?!" Twilight asked.

"Yeah yeah, I'm okay! Wait a second…" Fury took a moment to sniff the air. "Does… does anypony else smell something sweet?" 

"Huh, it does smell a little sweet in here. I wonder what that is?" Cadence asked.

"It smells familiar." Obsidian said.

"It's that liquid on Fury's face. How strange…" Luna pointed out. Fury looked down at his muzzle and extended his tongue, licking some of the liquid off and tasting it.

"Mmmm… it actually tastes pretty good! As a matter of fact…" He went over to the vat, cupped a little of the liquid in his paws and sipped at it.

"Hey… I don't think we just made some random potion. I think we just made the biggest batch of strawberry lemonade!" Fury said. 

"What?!" Luna, Cadence and Twilight asked. 

"Did you put that drink into the potions, Fury?" Black Ice asked.

"This isn't a prank, Mom. I'm serious! Check it yourselves if you think I'm lying!" 

His mother took some of the mixture in her paws and drank it. Her eyes widened. "Wow, it really does taste like strawberries and lemons. It's probably one of the sweetest things I ever tasted."

"Aw, you're too kind. And you thought I couldn't be sweet." Fury laughed.

"Who would have thought this mixture could make something like that?" Twilight said. "And… wait. Is that a lightning mark?!"

They all looked back at the potion in the vat and saw that a lightning mark was surfacing in it.

"Wait a sec… if that copy of my birthmark is in there… does that mean…"

"Your energy turned the potion into strawberry lemonade!" Twilight said with surprise. 

"Well what do ya know? Even my mom and dad didn't tell me about this technique! I could have had a free drink all the time!" Fury said. "I guess my charm really can turn anything sweet. Even princesses." He smirked at Luna.

Luna just rolled her eyes while blushing.

"We didn't even know something like this existed!" Black Ice said, and yet she knew something about it smelled familiar.

Meanwhile Zecora and Celestia were thinking of what they just saw. And wondered if they could attain some clues.

"Fury, let me ask you. From this scent, to this mist. Is there anyone you know who resembles these features?" Celestia said.

"Probably not. These Shadow Shifters are pretty distant from us." Fury said. "Although they do have similar bloodlines at times. And some traitorous Speed Shifters go to their side." He paces around wondering for any clues.

"Though I don't know anyone off the top of my head. There were a lot of Speed Shifters who were similar in color and body type. There was Chili, the pepper grinder who made chili dust for cooks. Lava Mold, one of my dad's old colleagues from his smithing days. Heat Seeker, one of our best artillery officers. And then there's Pyromancer, one of our own shamans that made cures for certain ailments. But none of them are girls, so that's pretty much a bust." Fury sighed. 

His parents agreed with this assessment. It appeared that orange was a rare color in Thunder Hollow. 

Fury kept on wondering if there was any clue he could pick up from this. Would he just have to wait for the next attack?

"Well, I've got nothing. But at least we know who we've got to look out for and what they look like." Fury said.

"Agreed. We now have a little more information on what we must be vigilant about." Luna said.

"Even so, it's not much to go off of." Twilight added.

"Yeah, it's not much. But hey, look on the bright side…" Fury dashed off and retired quickly, making a quick loop around the vat and scooping some of the liquid out into a pitcher with eight cups on a tray.

"At least we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor, with a little help from my electric charge." He said in his usual bright attitude. "Anyone wanna drink?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Fury, we don't have time for- mmm." Fury put the cup in her mouth and she just relaxed into it. "Well, maybe we do have some time. I have to admit that it is delicious." Twilight said.

Celestia nodded and so did Cadence. They enjoyed it.

"I must admit, I am curious to see how this tastes." Black Ice admitted. "Mmmm."

"Glad you're enjoying it." Obsidian said as he partook in it.

"How about you Moonpie, want some?" He asked Luna.

"I just hope we find her." Luna said. "I really thought we would bring her to justice."

"We will soon, sweetheart. But for now, let's try and take a little weight off our shoulders, huh?" Fury said, offering a cup to her. 

She did have to admit it was quite tasty, the sweetness dancing on her tongue. It felt a little like her childhood.

"I suppose a little refreshment is what I could use right now. And it's thanks to your energy that brought it to light." She said, hugging him with a wing. "Cheers to Night Fury and his powerful being! May his charm and sweetness live on! Here here!" 

"Here here!" The princesses, Fury's parents and Zecora cheered him on.

They chugged away. They felt it was a bit fizzy like pop at times.

"You know now that I think about it, this kind of tastes like something you would make, mom." Fury said. "Maybe a little more sweet than usual, but I can kinda taste the energy in this."

"Well, energy is what makes good Shifter dishes into divine Shifter dishes. It's like when Granny Smith showed me Zap Apple jam. That energy made it all delicious and resplendent." Black Ice said. 

"Wait. Your energy?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, even if it takes a lot of energy, you can make delicious dishes with them. Of course some shifters' auras are worse for taste than others. My family just happens to have a very good aura for cooking."

"That's it!" Twilight cried out. "Black Ice, your aura is similar to our suspect!"

"Woah, Twilight, you better not be saying…" Fury hissed. 

"No. Listen to me! Black Ice, do you have a record of your relatives that look orangish?" Twilight asked. 

"Well, I don't know everyone. But I did have a record of my family relatives. Being part of an important family, we keep track of our relatives and their physical features and auras too." She said, pulling out a small book. It had Shifter text but it also had illustrations of different members.

"This book holds the record of everyone in the family from me and Obsidian. From our own parents to distant cousins, this book holds it all. It's also simultaneously a photo album for us." She said as she flipped a few pages over to where she and Obsidian were shown. 

"Ah, I remember this Book of Records. Boy, some of our cousins and uncles sure had weird powers and faces." Fury said pointing at some wrinkly and unusual faces, one with a nose ring on it. 

"Hey, that's me!" Obsidian said. "It was in style back in my day!"

"Yeah, I feel bad for your generation." Fury pointed out. "I feel worse for your parents."

"Oh, so you want to point out the oddballs, huh? Well, I guess you won't mind if I flip to your section." Black Ice said cheekily. 

"N-n-no, let's get back to work." Fury tried to get the book away, but Obsidian grabbed the book and gave it to his wife.

"No no no no!"

"Let's see… Oh my. How gorgeous." Black Ice said as she pointed at a picture. Fury on the other hand was embarrassed to see his teen self with an ear piercing. He even had a tattoo roughly translating in pony slang 'I am da boss! Fear me!' 

"That was a phase I never wanted to remember." He sighed. 

"Oh! I almost forgot I had some baby pictures in here. Now, where are they?" Black Ice flipped through the book and stopped. "Aha! Here he is! Everyone, gather round!"

Everyone looked to see. And they all uttered the same interjection.

"AWWWWWWW!!!"

"Look at him trying to chase a ball, how cute!" Celestia said.

"Oh, he tripped." Cadence chuckled.

"Ah my Lightning Bug was always a big eater. Look, he's eating his first steak." Luna said, pointing at one where he had stuffed cheeks from the food he had.

"Awww, look at this one. Baby's first bath!" Twilight cooed as Fury seemed to be fighting to get out as Black Ice tried to clean him.

"Ahhh, and look at this. A noble warrior has humble beginnings. For he had to face swimming." She pointed to cub Fury struggling to swim with his parents.

Fury was as red as a sunset as his friends saw his infant years. But then, he just let it go and decided to actually take it up a notch. 

"Ya know what, I'm not even embarrassed. But it gets better…" He turned to the door and raced off, returning with his Memory Sealer.

"So you guys find my baby years adorable, huh? Watch this." He grabbed his first bath photo and opened the Memory Sealer. He then slotted the picture into a small slot on the side and watched as his first bath began to play back on the device. 

–

"No!!! Mom!!! Lemme go!" A young Fury cried out.

"Hold still! I want this to be a memory we won't forget."

"You won't get me, woman! I'm stronger than that! You'll have to fight me!" He said holding a rubber duck as a weapon.

"Oh no, I'm so scared!" She said in pretend fright. "Come and slay the foul beast!" She said.

Fury smiled at how naive his mother was as he squeezed the duck and shot water at his mother's face.

"Ahhh! I wasn't expecting you to actually have something to do about it! Obsidian, take the photo, quick!" 

"Gotcha, you little rascal!" Obsidian took the picture at the last moment and caught him holding a rubber duck while squirting his mother. 

–

The playback ended and the screen went blank as the photo ejected itself and Fury pulled it out. 

"See, mom, you can't underestimate my many tricks and deceptions. You gotta be prepared." Fury said smugly.

"Ah you always were a little troublemaker, weren't you?" She said, rustling Night Fury's fur. "Like the first time you discovered mud?"

Black Ice proceeded to take another photo and slot it into the device, starting another playback of Fury walking down a path with his mother and his father's cousin, Amethyst. 

–

"It's a lovely day out isn't it, Amethyst?" Black Ice asked her somewhat grumpy friend.

"Yeah, I guess it's better than yesterday when it got cold and all the recruits could barely move without complaining about the breeze." Amethyst said. "What about you, squirt? How are you handling this walk?"

"Ugh, it's sooo boring! Why are we even doing this, mom?" A young Fury moaned. 

"Because, you've been cooped up in the house for too long. And besides, what's wrong with getting some fresh air?" His mother asked. 

"It's not napping and relaxing in the comfort of my own room." Fury mumbled. 

"Your kid's a real worker." Amethyst whispered sarcastically.

"Indeed. He'll get over it… Someday." Black Ice sighed. 

They kept walking for a few more minutes when a new and unusual sight caught Fury's eye.

"Hey Amethyst, what's that brown sludge?" Fury asked. 

"Eh? Whatcha talkin' about, runt?" She looked at him.

"That weird puddle over there, it doesn't look like the rain puddles I've seen." 

They both saw large basins filled with what looked like mud. 

"Oh those? That's our valley's special mud. It's not normal though, It has a bunch of special properties that will soothe you. Sometimes our warriors go into it to relax themselves. Only true warriors get to go in there." 

Fury looked over to the mud puddles with trails in-between them and his curiosity peaked. He walked off the path and stopped next to the puddles, his ears askew as he looked down at them.

"Hm, I guess he's curious about the mud." Amethyst said.

"Huh? How can you tell?" Black Ice whispered.

"From the time I've been with him, I know that his ears are very expressive. Look at how one is flat and the other is at an angle, that's how I can tell when he's confused or curious." Black Ice was amazed at the attention to detail Amethyst had. Even she didn't know that about him. Reading expressions was a skill taught by Amethyst's and Obsidian's family that they were experts at.

Fury bent down slightly and sniffed the puddle, the strange stench catching him off guard for a moment. He waved a paw around his nose and blew away the stench as he got closer. Amethyst and Black Ice watched as Fury dipped a paw into the mud and played with it a bit, his face lighting up as he took a few steps back and raced forward before jumping into the mud with a loud… 

Splat! 

"Fury!" His mother cried out. He seemed to be gone. "Oh no, what happened to him?!"

"Relax, Ice. The squirt's probably just playing in there. It's a lot of fun to be in there."

"Well, I'm not taking that chance!" Black Ice jumped into the mud which she was known to hate to try to find him. "Fury, come out now! Where are you?" But before she could try and pull him back out, he popped his small head out of the mud which he was now covered with.

"Mom, check it out! This mud is awesome! It's so cool and wet, like you're chilling out in a pool but the water sticks to you! Hahaha!" Fury giggled as he jumped out of the mud pool and landed in a much shallower puddle. 

His mother was relieved but then realized she got dirty for nothing and was very annoyed. Terrific, I just got my fur groomed. "Fury, you can be very irresponsible sometimes."

"Hey I just wanted to learn! That's something you like me to do." Fury said to his mother's annoyance.

"And wow, you can really feel the strange liquid." Fury said. Then he looked to his mother. "Hey mom, why do you look like you just came out of an Ursa Minor's nose? Because you look like a giant booger."

Amethyst heard what Fury said and began laughing, she had never heard Fury rip into his mother with such brutality. 

"Don't encourage him!" She cried out to Amethyst.

"Oh come on, Ice! Fury's telling the truth this time! You do look like an ursa minor's snot!" Amethyst laughed. 

Amethyst while being strict in the training and the battlefield, she could be very playful too which made her both fun and feared to Fury. Especially compared to his stricter aristocratic mother. Then, Black Ice got an idea to teach her son a lesson. 

"So, I look like a giant booger? Well, how about I show you what a real disgusting monster looks like?" Black Ice said.

"A monster? What monster?" Fury asked.

… 

"A Mud Monster! Raaaah!" She said expanding and transforming. She appeared less like a Shifter and more like a giant bear with mud all over and snot running down its nose.

"Would you like to know what our boogers feel like, you two?!" She asked.

"Uh Oh! Run, Amethyst, Run!" Fury called out as he jumped on her back and held on as she ran around the muddy patch. 

The two ran as fast as possible but despite Ursa Minor Ice being giant, she was remarkably quick.

"Ah keep on going, Amy!" Fury cried out.

Finally, a way to get that little runt to do some training. Time to get to work, Fury! 

"Sorry kid, we gotta split up. You're too heavy!" Amethyst said. 

"No I'm not! We gotta stick together." Fury protested, but Amethyst didn't budge. 

"Fury, you have to do this for me." Amethyst said. "So that I might survive!"

"Likely story! I'm staying here and nothing is going to stop- Oof!"

Amethyst moved under a branch, leaving the poor cub by himself.

"You dirty traitor! I'll remember this!" Fury yelled before he noticed his mother running to him.

"I have you now, boy!" His mother cried out.

Fury had to think. How could avoid her lunging at him?!

Climb… Climb, you fool! 

Fury jumped on the tree, scaling it inch by inch. It was hard to do with his juvenile paws and them being all muddy, but Fury kept on climbing out of desperation.

"I will survive!" Fury cried out narrowly dodging his wrathful mother. He kept climbing up and up and up to the first bough he saw.

He took deep breaths. He had never climbed that much before. But at least he was safe.

Until he saw his mother pounding the tree with her body. She was going to feel it!

Bam… bam… bam…

"No no no! What now!?" Fury saw another tree near the bough he was on. He knew he had no choice.

"Come on, Fury, give it up!" His mother told him. "Mommy always gets her way!" She said as she gave the final bash.

"NEVER!!!" Fury said as he made a huge leap to another tree and slid down the trunk. Landing on the ground, he put his legs to work and ran. His mother kept up with him and was almost on his tail, but then Amethyst came to his rescue. 

"I've gotcha, squirt! Climb on!" Amethyst said.

"Oh, so now you're helping me!" Fury said. 

"You wanna whine or do you want your mommy?" She said as Ice was closing in on them.

"Better alive and well than squished and dead, let's go!" Fury said as he climbed onto Amethyst and they took off together. 

"See, you can climb! All it took was some encouragement." Amethyst said with a self-confident grin.

"Is that what you call it?!" Fury asked. "You're the worst!"

"Hey! Just be thankful I came back for you. At least we're now both safe!"

But what all three of them didn't know was that something was, quite literally, about to trip them up.

Amy was running fast and self assured when she tripped on a rope and all of a sudden dropped down.

"Ahhhhhh!!!!" The two both screamed as they dropped down into another mud pool below them.

Splat! 

Once they resurfaced, Amethyst shook herself off now that she was just as muddy as the Speed Shifter she was carrying.

"Yuck! Now I'm just as muddy as you!" She said.

"Not so funny when karma bites you in the tail, is it?" Fury snarled. 

"Okay, okay, you win." Amy said, wiping the mud off. "But someone worse than karma will bite both of our tails off. Now let's get outta here!" She said, dragging Fury out of the mud. But something else met them on the other side.

"Oh, you're not getting out that easily, you two." Black Ice said from in-between them, her giant muzzle poking out from the middle of where they both stood. 

"Ahhhhh!" Both of them screamed.

Fury's mother came out of the mud roaring. "Did you think you two could escape?" She said as she grabbed the two. "Well, I don't think so. Now, face your punishment in the eternal bath of mud and tickles!" Black Ice called out as she pulled them back into the mud pool. 

"No please, I'll do anything! Even clean all of your knick knacks!" Fury pleaded.

But they fell on deaf ears as his vengeful mother put them right into the mud.

"Are you having fun now, my boy?" Black Ice asked while cackling.

"This isn't what I was thihihihinking!" Fury laughed as he was tickled mercilessly. "Amethyst, help mehehehehe!"

"What do you want me to do, hahahahah!" The normally tough Amethyst laughed. "You're the one who put us in this mess! What do you think!?"

"What the heck am I supposed to do?!" The helpless cub asked.

But maybe she has a point. I don't wanna be tickled like this forever. There's gotta be something I can do. Think Fury think!

He looked around while laughing looking for a solution to his problem. And then he had an idea. 

With his paws that were still free, he grabbed a leaf. And then he fluttered around his Ursa Minor mother's nose.

"Doesn't that feel soothing, mom?" Fury asked.

Black Ice started to feel sensitive around her nose, her snout twitching as the small leaf brushed against her face.

"Ahh… Ahhh… Achoo!" 

The sneeze was more akin to the sound of thunder than a sneeze. She let the two go unintentionally.

"Now's our chance!" Fury said, hopping onto Amethyst. "Let's get outta here! Back home!"

"Better than being her toy!" Amy said as she ran forward as quickly as possible. The two hopped out of the mud pool and left the Ursa Minor behind, heading back towards Thunder Hollow in a dead sprint.

–

The playback cut off and Black Ice pulled the photo away.

"Hoo boy, were we muddy by the time we got home. Obsidian almost dropped his coffee when he saw us walking in." Ice laughed.

"Hehe, yeah. Safe to say, we all took a looooong bath after that one." Fury chuckled. 

Cadence chuckled. "You Speed Shifters are crazy. Well maybe except Obsidian here."

"Oh I have my own quirks. I just hide them better than the rest." Obsidian bluntly said. 

"Ah, and here are all of my orange colored relatives. It's been so long since I've seen any of them. Night Fury, a lot of these Shifters are your cousins and aunts." Black Ice said. 

Fury was astonished. Their colors stuck out. They were stunning.

"Wow, I'm surprised I haven't seen more of these orange Shifters." Fury said.

"Let's just say they like to keep to themselves. They're the type to think of themselves as better than the rest too." Black Ice said. "After all, their family has some of the most revered Shifter warriors in all the Speed Shifter tribes, are law abiding and are usually rich."

"Now that reminds me of someone…" Fury said smugly, slowly directing his gaze in his mother's direction. 

"Well I'm the exception. I'm not judgemental or snobbish like them." She boasted. "I'm humble and treat others with equal dignity."

"The stench of lies floats high and blows strong." Luna spoke up, getting a chuckle from her elder sister. 

"Everyone's a critic." Black Ice muttered as she looked away from them as Fury and even Obsidian also chuckled.

Twilight then decided to get back to work.

"So are there any relatives you think might look like our culprit, Black Ice?" Twilight asked.

"None really stick out to me, except for this one." She pointed out one Speed Shifter that looked identical to the one they saw in the vat.

"That's it, that's her! And her name is… Pyro Flare. Says here, she's one of my aunts and mom's 5th sister!" Fury said, surprised.

"But that's impossible, my mother only said she had four children!" Black Ice said. Then she realized.

"Unless…"

"She's a sister from another mother." Cadence quipped. 

Black Ice seemed horrified at this. "No. No. My father had many problems. But he was a loving shifter. He would never do that! He would never betray me and my mother"

"Uh, mom? You might want to look at the date." Fury directed the attention to the date under Pyro's face.

"Oh, thank goodness. The date says she was born before my mother married my father. So this one must be from a previous relationship of my father's. This is my father's book of records, so it would make sense that he may have included some of his previous flings." Black Ice sighed with relief, she was glad that her father was still loyal to her mother. "Although it does figure that he would have a lot of flings with different women before settling down." She admitted.

"But who is this Pyro Flare supposed to be?" Twilight asked. "Do you know the mother?"

"Not me, but maybe this book can tell us." Black Ice said, flipping through the book and finding a whole two pages full of a different family.

"Look, there's grandpa!" Fury said. "And there's the wife, her name's Fire Starter. From what's visible, grandpa had two children with her. Pyro Flare and another one named Hotshot."

"So this is that other family. Are there any notes on said family?" Twilight asked. 

"Luckily for us, he had a diary separate from this as a way to express his thoughts. He never really spoke out about anything personal to him. Can you go get it, sweetie?"

"Back in a flash, mom." Fury said. 

He flashed away quickly and was back with the diary in no time flat.

"Here ya go!" Fury said. 

"Alright, let's see what we have. All I have to do is correlate the dates of when this Fire Starter married my father and we'll find out more about her." Black Ice flipped through the diary until she found an entry that was around the time Fire Starter would have been at her one year anniversary. 

"Dear diary, Fire Starter is as happy as ever as always. She and her family are very rich and planned an event for our anniversary. While I have gotten used to having a rich Mother and Father-in-laws, I can't feel like I'm out of place with my more rural upbringing. Their beautiful stone mansions can't match the peaceful feel of a hut. Everyone is so much more uptight too."

"I also noticed that they have much more… extreme views of the world, with anyone else below their own social level not being acknowledged in the slightest. But now that I've married into the family, I'm technically on their level. Even so, I still get the occasional stink eye for where I was born and raised. Signed, Ice Monger."

"Wait, grandpa's name is Ice Monger?" Fury asked curiously. Black Ice was confused, had Fury never known his grandparent's names?

"Wait, you didn't know your grandfather's name?" She asked.

"You do realize that I basically had no contact with the rest of the family after the first few months of my birth, right?" Fury said. 

"He is right, Icey. We didn't really go over for many visits after Fury was born. You were so hyper focused on raising him right and keeping his destiny a secret from those who might want to seek him out that you never at least once made a little playdate for him." Obsidian added. Black Ice now realized how awkward it was that Fury hadn't heard the names of the ones in his family, but there was no time like the present to let him know. 

"Yes, it is. And your grandmother's name is Snowflake. Both of their families were ice carvers that hauled ice blocks in sleds in the winter, at least the males did. That's where you got your strength, baby." Black Ice said. "Not to say your father isn't strong, but running is more of his capability."

"That's true. As well as lightning powers." Obsidian said. "You're not quite the fastest or the strongest of all Speed Shifters, Fury. But rather you're a good mix of them." 

"Ah I see. I guess it explains why I have no orange in me. I don't have any orange shifters in me." Fury said. "By the way, what abilities do they have? Let me guess, they have some fire abilities?" 

"Yes they did. Your aunt Flaming Passion had the ability to ignite her body with flame, and your aunt Smoldering Coal was able to transform into a pure fireball-like state where she could start fires with her aura."

"Whoa!" Fury said. "They might be snobs, but I can see why. That is a cool ability." 

Then Fury got a little jealous. "I wish I had the ability to use fire. Maybe shoot fire like one of those dragons."

"That could have been troublesome for a little prankster like you." Obsidian said. "You might have burnt the village down.

"Oh come on, dad. If anyone was gonna accidentally burn down the village, it's Ms. Hothead over here. You might be cold as ice, mom, but you're hot headed like your oven."

"I'm not that hot headed! If anything, the giant sized quadruped goose behind me has more of a temper than me!" Black Ice said blindly. Everyone was stunned that she would say such a thing in Celestia's presence, everyone except for Fury and Luna who were laughing about it all while Celestia got a smirk plastered on her face. 

"So I'm a goose you say?" Celestia inquired.

"N-no, Your Highness! M-my apologies! I was um… talking about someone else. Yes! Not you!" Black Ice said stumbling, not being used to herself acting improper.

"I don't think so, momma! You were speaking with intent!" Fury laughed as he transformed into a goose and began honking. 

"I'll show you intent!" Black Ice grumbled. "Um, I mean um… how regal you look Princess! Ha ha ha!"

"Stop lying, you've been waiting to rip into her! I bet you've had it sitting in the back of your mind that you would've ripped her a new flank for allowing me to date her sister!" Fury said, still honking as a goose. 

"I'm your mother, Fury! You should be more trusting of me! And at least not berating me as a goose!" Black Ice said.

"Sorry, you told me to always speak the truth. And so I'm doing just that. So as I was saying… HONK HONK HONK HONK!"

Black Ice saw it was hopeless. She looked into Celestia's expressionless face. "Y-you don't believe him, right? He likes to joke around…"

Celestia chuckled. "Oh Black Ice, are you trying to trick me? I know what you said. But don't be afraid. I understand how I could resemble a big goose. If I just had a beak I would fit the bill."

Fury laughed at this pun.

Twilight meanwhile was still pondering about Pyro Flare.

"Speaking of fiery abilities, no wonder why that fort got burnt down. Her powers must have made it easy as pie." Twilight said.

"I wouldn't doubt it, she probably made it look like a cake walk. But the thing is, how did she get in to begin with?" Cadence pondered.

"If I'm going off of anything, she probably turned into something small like a worm to squeeze through the walls or dig under the surface." Fury said. "Grandpa did have some transforming capabilities after all, I guess it figures it got passed down."

"This lady sounds really powerful. She was able to defeat multiple thestrals." Cadence said. "Do you think you would be able to take her on?"

"I can definitely do that. I'd love to take her on… and watch her blood splatter across the ground… bones cracking and crunching under the pure force of my blows… her cries for mercy ringing through my ears as I bring her to an end." Fury said, slowly dissolving into his underlying bloodlust. 

Everyone around him looked in either shock or discomfort, except for Luna who seemed stoic and a little pleased at this.

"Fury, I think you need to calm down." Obsidian said. "You're in one of those moods. Don't do it now, especially not in front of non-speed shifters."

"I'm completely fine, pops. Do I look like something's wrong with me?" Fury pulled his head up and revealed his slitted eyes and crackling energy, his inner predator revealing itself on his exterior. Obsidian was about to calm him down when Luna stepped up.

"I believe I know why he is in this certain mood," She spoke. "He is going through a withdrawal."

"Withdrawal, you say?" Celestia asked her younger sister. 

"Yes. He has been holding back his instincts for the sake of others around him. But now he's had enough. Especially if it's for the sake of someone very close to him." Luna said, referring to herself. "To be honest though, I think I appreciate the gesture." Luna said with a smile.

"Luna? What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"What I mean is… my poor guards have suffered greatly at this monster's paws. If Fury were to put her through the same things my guards went through, I would not mind one bit." She said with a dark smile.

"Your Highness," Black Ice said. "You shouldn't encourage him like that. He could go on another um… rampage. He might not be able to control himself!" She said.

"Woah woah, wait a minute… Another rampage? Just when did I have one before?" Fury questioned her.

Obsidian spoke up. "Remember your race against that griffin and earth pony? You seemed to have had a primal instinct swell up. You even used a spell that not even our oldest sages ever heard of. I'm just worried if you're not careful, this Pyro might try to use that against you. You need to be careful. I've faced orange Shifters before and they can be more dangerous than a Cragodile."

"I was able to take that wimp Moon Beam down easy though!"

"First of all, he was barely a warrior. Probably some spoiled aristocrat who got to be chief because of his family, not talent. Not like Pyro Flare. Even so, we're still concerned that you might go off track." Black Ice said. Fury stood there in shock, were his parents really trying to not get into conflict?

"Okay let me get this straight. First, I get called out and shamed for not stepping up when I had to in the past. I do exactly that to save both of you, and now you're telling me not to take the fight to her and deal with this problem permanently?" Fury said. 

"Listen, we're just saying you have to be careful." Black Ice said. "You have powers beyond your understanding. Who knows what may happen?"

"I know, she's gonna die by my paws and the problem will be solved. Since when did you guys value the life of someone who literally went on a genocide run?!" 

"We don't value her life, son! She can rot in Tartarus for all we care, it's you we cherish. We just want you to stay on the right path." Obsidian defended. 

"Right, because if I don't I'll be just as bad as Moon Beam?" Fury huffed. "Sorry, but no. She made a wrong move and now I will tear her to pieces. Not for my sake but for those thestrals and for Luna."

"Fury, this is not as much about her as much as it is about you." Obsidian said. "Ever since you had that scar, we have worried about what you will become. We want you to be in control. Your aura is so powerful it might overwhelm you and make you out of control."

"Are you underestimating how much I can manage my powers? Guys, I have done way more training than you could ever know! I'm not weak like what others said before about me. And I swear I will destroy this Pyro gal and be just as in control as ever!"

"Don't you care about the reputation we might lose though?" Black Ice said. And at that point, Fury laughed.

"So that's what this was all about, huh? Reputation? I guess you really can't change, mom. You will always have the reputation of our blood running through your mind like rats in a forest fire. Heh, I should have known you'd be so weak." 

"Reputation is important! It allows us to be trusted and make allies. My family's reputation has helped us to prosper even if our money was lost. We speed shifters might lose our standing with the ponies and start a war on us!" Black Ice said. 

"And yet the lives at stake from Tirek and this Pyro are less important? How could you be so selfish? I'm trying to do the right thing and you're going around talking about how other ponies see us? They've seen me kill, they've seen me draw blood. How can you say that reputation is more important than saving the ones who took us in?" Fury argued. 

"As a pony, I absolutely agree," said Luna, marching to his side. "Fury is absolutely right in this. He wants to bring this fiend to justice and save others and all you worry about is your honor?! HOW DARE YOU?!?! YOU CALL YOURSELVES WARRIORS AND HEROES?!?!" Luna yelled out.

The parents were silent. They couldn't even respond.

"You know something that I've realized about us? We can't let go of our past failures and stubborn ideologies. That's why the chief put in that 'Trust no other creature' policy. Not just for the sake of our way of life, but to stand high above others as the one who took the responsibility to change something we couldn't solve outright."

"You know how you two look right now? Weak. I've never been more insulted to have been born to such disappointments in my entire life." Fury said coldly. "To think you used to be some of the fiercest, most powerful Shifters I knew. But ever since being imprisoned, you've become spoiled and weak. Where's that warrior pride you once had?"

The parents were silent. They had never thought of it like that before. Had they become so spoiled they forgot what it was to fight for a noble cause?

"Well, now that I've gotten a grasp on who's gonna do the right thing and who's gonna sit on the sidelines, pondering about how they look to others, I'm gonna go do something with my life. And as for you two… Pfft, I dunno, go back home and get softer than you already are. You've already proven yourselves to be useless, I don't need you two making me wish I was an orphan." Fury said bluntly as he walked out. 

"Fury, wait!" Black Ice called out, but Fury was already gone.

"No." Black Ice said on the ground. "We turned him against us again." 

"I might not be a Speed Shifter." Luna said. "But I understand him well. I think you underestimate how powerful he is. You always think he will be defeated. You should be more confident in your son, even if his reputation was lost he would get it back."

"I should say the same, coming from a pony who used to try and plan you her entire year to maintain a sense of order." Twilight said. "Honestly is one of the core pillars of Relationships, Familial or Romantic. And if I'm being brutally honest, you two took a dive off the deep end, hard."

"It's just… ever since we were imprisoned or even before that, we worried about Fury's future. He used to not be the fastest or bravest." Obsidian said. "He didn't have too many close friends except one. I want him to be safe and in control and to not do anything he will regret."

"Well, he has more now. And he knows how we see him on a daily basis. We know he can be violent at times, we know he can be lazy, we know he can change his views based on what is at the forefront of his radar. And right now, he sees that you two are doubling back on what he was taught many years ago." Celestia spoke. 

"We know he holds his views dear, but what about how this could shape him? Thinking about killing creatures constantly"

"Isn't that your whole world view, that any creature who steps over the line needs to be dealt with permanently?" Cadence reminded her. 

"That world view is exactly the reason why we're currently taking steps towards a less pacifist lifestyle for ponies. He made it clear through his actions, he only destroys those that are irredeemable and he does it to save others from their destruction. And as he's said through concise and factual arguments that if we didn't toughen up in everyday life and continued to lean towards trying to make friends with creatures that clearly do not have any intention of accepting out of pure ignorance, we may be in more trouble than we realize. And this troubling time of figuring out how to deal with Tirek and Pyro Flare is the perfect time to truly show how we see the world ourselves." Celestia said.

Black Ice looked down in thought.

"I think our son might be right. Maybe we have gone soft. And lost our honor." Obsidian said.

Black Ice started to see the truth. "And I just told him he was still not honorable enough to make his own decisions… I'm ashamed of myself."

"You should be, you went too far. I am truly appalled that his own parents would be this unsupportive, even after he basically saved you from your deaths." Twilight said bluntly, her expression flat and blank. Celestia was truly surprised by this, she had never known Twilight to be so cold and blunt under all of the optimism that she has shown over the years. 

"Twilight… aren't you being a little harsh?" Cadence said.

"Yes I am. But it's well deserved. And they need to hear it. They need to know they did wrong and that this is unacceptable." Then she softened. "Just like I did. I'm not perfect either. I said some terrible things to Fury and put into question his decency or if he should even be our friend." Twilight admitted. 

"So if that's the case…" Black Ice askes. "What should we do?"

"Simple. Go to him. Admit all your mistakes and make things right with him. And make sure he knows you are confident in him." Twilight said.

"We will. But I think we should give him time to cool down to a point where he'll be willing to talk, we shouldn't rush to get his approval just yet." Obsidian said. Black Ice nodded in agreement, she knew that running after him would make them seem desperate for forgiveness. 

Ever since she saw him again in Ponyville, she has started to realize that with Night Fury she had to be more careful and more sensitive to Fury's psyche. And so she was thinking what to say to him. To tell him she trusts him. 

And so she waited. She then was wondering more about this Pyro Flare. She always wondered what happened to her father's first wife and why he never told her or his other daughter.

"I wonder what my father was thinking at this time…" She said aloud. "I never knew he had a previous family before me and my mother. Why did he never say anything?"

Obsidian sat by her. "Does the diary say anything more?"

"No. It looks like this diary ends early. Maybe he has another one?" Black Ice said, still wondering. 

"Well, we can worry about that family history later." Obsidian said getting up. "I think he's probably cooled off now. Let's go find him."

She nodded. "Thank you Zecora for helping my son find this culprit."

"It is a pleasure." Zecora said, waving to them and bowing. Then Fury's parents went off to find their son. Tensions were high, questions were to be answered and regretful things were said. But nothing would be able to come between them if they stuck together. At least, that what was thought at the time as the impending threat would soon cause things to go overboard and new terrifying power from both sides to be revealed.
> Chapter 36: Equestria On Edge Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So this is Canterlot." Pyro Flare said, looking at the city from afar. Her and Tirek walked in the forest rather than the road so as to not be detected.

"I will admit, however pathetic ponies are." Tirek said. "They sure know how to make architectural wonders."

Pyro was less courteous though. She scoffed. "Oh please, this is merely alright. But the Speed Shifters, we used to have grand glorious cities that would make this look like a little village!"

"And how about now? Are you Shifters known for any modern marvels?" Tirek asked with a smirk.

She didn't appreciate his sarcasm. "We used to be! While ponies were still living in their wooden huts, the old Silver Blue city was our pride and joy, the majestic piece of our labors in our time in this land! Unfortunately, these pathetic equines decided to declare this nation their own a long time ago. And now, all we Shifters do is waste our power mucking through the forests outside of the land that was supposed to be rightfully ours!"

"Alright, alright I was just joking." Tirek said. "Listen, don't you worry. When we get those princesses, you and I will be unstoppable and we will crush those little pests. Along with that cocky ambassador to boot."

She then smiled. "Excellent. I can't wait to show that furball what true Shifter power is."

They walked on a little further. 

"So, dearie, are we going to sneak in or will we do this the fun way?" She said with a bit of bloodlust.

"Let us not let our thirst for power overcome our judgment, a sentiment my father never seemed to understand. We shall sneak in and slowly feed on the local's energy, then we go for the princesses and the ambassador." Tirek explained. 

She of course already knew he was right even if she was slightly disappointed. Canterlot was far more well defended than that distant wooden fort. And the guards are much more powerful and numerous. It would be a suicide mission even for her.

"Oh very well. From what I can see from here it seems they've closed off the gates. I don't think we'll be able to convince them to let us in considering how we look." She strategized.

"Hmmm, can you transform into a pony? Maybe you can sneak in and let me in." Tirek postulated.

"No. Even the most powerful transforming Shifter cannot become any other sapient creature. We can only do it with animals. Well I could but it would only be for a few seconds and my energy would be sapped for days. It's basically useless."

Tirek groaned in frustration. "Well what are we supposed to do?!"

"Fortunately, our favorite traitor prince already gave us a solution. This map gives all the tunnels that are in Canterlot. Blueblood says he was hiding in one of them for the longest time. We shall use those." She said.

"You could have told me that earlier!" Tirek said, annoyed at her stalling.

"Oh I just wanted to explore other ideas. I just find them interesting." Pyro said, a little amused at his annoyance.

"Ugh, well, whatever the case they look treacherous to get through. Blueblood must have had help going through these or he's tougher than we thought. Are you sure you're up to it?" Tirek asked.

Pyro smirked. "That's okay with me. We Shadow Shifters have survived living inside volcanoes. We can survive a mere cave. Take me to it." 

Tirek led her to a far off corner in the woods. He took her to an abandoned cemetery. There was a mausoleum dedicated to some ancient pegasus warriors. They went inside and Tirek ignited his horns to provide some light as they made their way through the secret tunnels.

–

Meanwhile, inside Canterlot Castle… 

Celestia was pacing around in thought around a map.

She, Luna and Cadence were trying to find possible locations for the two dreaded villains while Twilight left to go coordinate with the scientists that had come from the E.F.B.I. But so far they have had nothing.

Celestia was unusually frustrated. "We still don't have a lot of info. How long until we get any news?"

"I guess those two realized they needed to lay low after that uh… incident." Cadence said, wanting not to offend Luna. "They are clearly biding their time."

"Well I wish we could have some clues! My dead thestrals are still crying for justice!" Luna said furiously. "I don't think the E.F.B.I is trying hard enough. Do they not care about this travesty?!" She yelled out.

"I'm sure they do, Luna. But for now, we have to give this time. I've sent Twilight to confer with the scientists present on the matter of what they know so far." Celestia said. 

Luna was still angry.

Celestia put her hoof on her shoulder. "Listen, sister. This is a long process. We are all confused and angry. But we have to be patient. We will find this Pyro Flare and Tirek and we will bring them to justice. That I can promise."

Luna calmed down a bit. "My apologies. I will be patient. I will wait for an answer. And when we find them we and Fury will seek them out and defeat them once and for all."

"Speaking of Night Fury, has anyone else noticed that he's becoming more serious and cold? He seems to be growing distant with his previously peppy attitude and replacing it with a more stoic and unmovable demeanor. I'm not concerned, I just find it a little strange." Cadence brought up. 

Celestia nodded. "I have noticed. I think for Night Fury, this is personal. He is not dealing with some normal pony scoundrel, he's fighting the one of the Shifters who kidnapped his own parents, who caused Thunder Hollow to be filled with fear. And on top of that, he has visions from a mysterious source of this being a battle like no other. He is probably both fearful and angry."

"He is also probably facing his inner demons as well. The fact that one of the perpetrators of his parent's kidnapping is coming probably has him in a state of theorizing what he will do. Especially with what his parents have just said to him. He is probably in a stalemate with his inner bloodlust of killing this Pyro outright and contemplating how he will be seen now that his parents have made it a point of interest to him. And to be honest, I think he'll lean towards listening to that inner bloodlust and try to kill her." Luna explained. 

Cadence and Celestia nodded. 

"Do you think we can trust Night Fury with this important mission?" Celestia asked Cadence. "Please be honest."

"I think we can trust him, but let's keep our conflicting opinions on how he may execute it to ourselves. I have a strong feeling that he'll be able to make better decisions without criticism of his possible actions right off the bat." Cadence said. "Either way, I don't really like this more serious Night Fury. I like the old one better."

"I guess we'll just have to be patient," Celestia said. "But I guess I shouldn't worry too much, we at least know what enemies we're dealing with. They won't surprise us with any strange actions. We have the advantage since there are many of us and few of our enemies." Celestia said, reassuring the other princesses.

"Numbers are good, but power is a very potent factor as well as having large numbers." Luna said. "And I also find Fury's more focused sense a little disheartening. Where is the old one that we all very much know and love?"

"Everyone has their bad moments, Auntie." Cadence said. "I know me and Shiny get into a lot of fights. Shiny gets stressed about his responsibilities. Same for me. This is normal for every creature to go through. I'm sure since Fury has a heart of gold, just like my Shiny, then he'll make it out alright." Cadence said with a hoof on Luna's shoulder. "It will get better."

–

Fury was sitting silently in one of the castle bedrooms, his expression blank and his eyes closed as he focused on his energy flow. He said nothing, his mind in a state of focus as meditated on his own. He was starting to become more serious as the situation grew more tense, his previously peppy attitude starting to fade. While he was not one to be serious about much and have a bright personality, he couldn't help but find himself smiling less and popping fewer jokes as he continued to think about his future fight with the threat at large. 

What will happen when I face those two? I have never had such powerful yet cruel foes. Even Sombra seems to be a sad joke compared to these two. I just wish others would be more on my side, now more than ever.

He thought to himself. Then there was a creak from his right, most like the door opening. Fury didn't move and continued to sit there meditating, his face blanker than a chalkboard. 

"Whoever it is, I'm not in the mood for chit chat." Fury said bluntly. Fury's eyes may have been closed, but he could hear and sense that there was someone there. 

"If you're gonna interrupt me, you better at least tell me who you are. Unless you want to become target practice." He warned unsheathing his claws.

"Calm down, Fury, I just wanted to talk with you a bit." The voice said.

"Celestia?" He asked.

"May I come in?"

"Sure, go ahead." He said a little unenthusiastically. "You can sit on the bed or something."

Celestia entered and noticed the candles and incense and how dark it was in this room. He didn't even have light.

“Fury, why are you sitting here in the dark?” Celestia asked.

“A dark and silent environment is key to a productive meditation session. And the incense allows for better control over the body and mind, the chosen aroma being a determining factor in maintaining focus and calm.” Fury explained. Celestia was taken aback slightly at how descriptive Fury was about the space around him, he was almost beginning to sound like Twilight. 

“I… had no idea you were this methodical with meditation. But that isn't why I'm here.” She said.

“Then why are you here?”

“Well, Cadence and Luna have brought it to my attention that they find your more serious tone and demeanor a bit… unnatural.” Celestia spoke, pausing to try and find the right words. Night Fury remained stoic and didn’t move, the ever growing silence from him making the solar goddess uncomfortable.

“That’s something I wasn’t expecting to hear. They know why I’m being this serious, Tirek and Pyro Flare are out there somewhere. I don’t get why they would be so concerned about my change in tone when two very dangerous creatures are making their way closer to us.” Fury said.

"Well, they are happy you will be able to defeat them. But you usually have a big grin and have good cheer even when faced with tough situations. Your, how should I say, carefree attitude is a treasure to us that we haven't had in ages." Celestia said.

“You say that like they told you I haven’t smiled in years.” Fury said. “Haven’t I already shown that when the time calls for it, I can get serious? It shouldn’t be a surprise that my tone can change when it has to be done. If they find it unusual that I’m not cracking jokes and being lighthearted in a time of stress and hardship, what does that say about them?” He said bluntly, still having not moved from his original position.

Celestia was starting to sympathize with Fury more and more and his hardship. Nevertheless…

"This is not just about them though. Fury, we don't want you to lose who you are. We're worried that all of this may drive you to completely throw away what made not just us, but the entirety of Equestria recognize and love you. More so for some than others.” Celestia reminded him. Fury stayed silent for a moment before finally getting up and turning to face her. He opened his eyes and looked at her with a blank expression, not seeming to move an inch. Almost as if all of his liveliness had been stripped away and replaced with something… mechanical in a way. 

“You and everyone else may think that I’m losing myself in all of this, but I’m still me. Sure, I’m acting more serious than usual, but that’s just what has to happen if I’m ever going to come out of this alive. I have to stop messing around like this is some sort of game and actually treat this like a threat. Now is not the time to be cocky. It’s about time that I take my role as an All Powerful more seriously and stop treating it like some sort of arcade game power-up.” He said.

Celestia never knew Fury could be like this, but she knew herself that she was not one to talk. When she was a younger princess she also became genuinely worried and fearful and became stoic to compensate for that. Maybe Fury is going through what she had to when she had her first crisis as a princess. Maybe she needs to approach this by relating to him.

“Fury, maybe you should stop and think about why you’re acting this way in the first place. Are you truly acting serious because it is what must be done to accomplish your goals, or are you doing this just because you are scared of the fact that you have been burdened with such a great responsibility?” She asked him. Fury took a moment to think, was he really doing this because it  had to be done? He had to admit that he had been questioning his role as one of the legendary All Powerfuls and how he should treat such a gift. But his thoughts were clear and his mind was straight, he had to do this.

“This is what must be done to protect those who are otherwise helpless in this time of hysteria. If it’s unnatural to some that I’m not acting how I did in the past, then perhaps they need to accept that times change along with the creatures who live among it.” Fury said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need some fresh air.”

And just like that, Celestia was all alone within the room.

I just hope he does not go too far in this attitude shift. I know for a while, I acted all serious after banishing Luna that I forgot to feel joy again. I wish you the best, Fury.

–

Later on, in the streets of Canterlot…

"Please, I beg you! I-I'm just a normal pony! I don't have much power!" said an earth pony stallion.

"Oh don't feel so down on yourself, my dear." Pyro patted his head. "Your power combined with everyone else will matter all the same."

Meanwhile, Tirek was sucking the power out of the unfortunate soul. Once he stopped, his body grew larger and his horns longer as his body attuned to the new energy levels. The stallion collapsed.

"Hmph. And they thought they were so safe." Tirek said, giving a loud burp.

"Ugh, you centaurs are disgusting." Pyro said.

"Oh you just don't know how tasty others' energy can be!" Tirek said. "But enough chit chat. I've gotten a good enough amount of power to at least be able to fight. Do you think we should go into the palace?"

Pyro thought about it for a moment and decided that it was time they focused on their primary target. Once they got the princesses, they could go after the feline ambassador in Ponyville and be done with him. But what she didn't know was that he was closer, and far more focused than ever. 

She grinned eagerly like her Cheshire cousins. She licked her mouth in delight.

"Does that mean I can finally fight?" She said giddy like a child.

"I suppose so. You can finally make your power known to the most powerful beings in Equestria and take what is rightfully yours." Tirek said. 

"Finally. Time to give those equines what they deserve!" She said while she seemed to be producing an orangish aura around herself. "Let's go! I shall restore the Speed Shifters!"

—

The princesses were in the dining room eating. They had taken a break from investigation to wait for more clues. Fury was not present for dinner.

"Luna, is Fury coming to dinner?" Celestia asked.

She shook her head. "No. He said he wasn't hungry. He's trying to fast, he said he needed to focus on himself."

Cadence sighed. "It's like I'm talking to my old magic teacher! Where's the old Fury that used to sneak around for snacks?"

"Well, it should be no surprise." Celestia said. "He feels he has to do this. And all we can do is wait for him to feel better and hopefully more news about the culprits."

"This isn't good. He's becoming less and less of the Speed Shifter we knew, and for what? To prove that he's not just messing around with his powers? I hate to say it, but I think he's acting too serious for his own good." Cadence sighed. "He doesn't have to be a Debbie Downer to be strong. Just look at Discord."

"He'll be fine. And to be honest, he really isn't the best example considering he never takes anything seriously." Luna said bluntly. 

"That's for sure." Cadence chuckled. "Well, I'm stuffed. How about we take a little walk outside to clear our minds?"

The other two nodded and got up. A nice stroll in the gardens always helped relax their minds. The sun shined bright as they strolled through the flower planted garden, the sweet smell of roses and lavender calming their nerves as they walked. Just overhead, they spotted their missing feline friend standing there in the balcony of one of the towers. He did not acknowledge them and just stared out into the distance in stoic silence. 

"It's like we're invisible to him now. He doesn't even look in our direction, and his senses can pick up the smallest speck from a mile away. He's completely different now." Cadence said.

"At least he seems to be relaxing in the gardens." Celestia said, trying to look on the bright side.

"Is it? Or is he still aggravated?" Luna said. "I believe we should go talk to him once more."

"I don't know," Celestia said. "He probably wants peace and quiet. Perhaps it's best to leave him be."

The three princesses continued to walk, now thinking of their feline friend and his slowly deteriorating levels of optimism. He was a golden light amongst them, the one who could still crack jokes even on the brink of death. And now, all of that was fading away. 

"Your Highnesses! Grave news!" Said a pegasus messenger, gasping for air.

"What is it?" Celestia asked. "Is it news about Pyro Flare and Tirek?"

He nodded quickly. "I believe so! It seems a cat of fire and a centaur are eliminating our guards and they are battering down our gates!"

The princesses shook in shock. They thought Canterlot was fully defended. How did they get inside? No one was allowed in!

Of course, it must have been my treacherous nephew. Probably some secret tunnel that still has yet to be covered up. Celestia said to herself.

But the sun princess braced herself. She had to remain calm so others would not panic. "I see. Do not worry, we princesses will deal with these monsters immediately. Go instruct all the palace staff to evacuate the premises. And you two," she said to the other princesses, "Follow me!"

All three of them flew up to find the two intruders. As they got to the gate, they could see guards shooting them with lasers, javelins being flung. But to no avail. The two powerful entities dispatched them.

They saw Pyro grabbing the head of a wounded unicorn guard.

"Oh you wretched pony. Don't worry, I will free you from your disgusting body right now-"

BOOM

She was flung into the wall by a laser. 

"Gahhh!" She looked up.

"You have done quite enough damage, Pyro Flare!" Celestia said, flying down on the ground. "Every guard, leave immediately and evacuate all citizens to safety! We'll take care of these cretins." She ordered as the guards ran off.

Pyro soon recovered and looked at the solar goddess. "Ahh, Princess Celestia. It's nice you were kind enough to know my name. And I see you've come to defend what you care for? Oh, and what's this? You've brought some friends."  

"Indeed." Luna said. "Friends that will put an end to your cruelty and make you plead for mercy! How could you have done those actions to such decent soldiers?!" Luna said in more rage than she ever said before.

"Awww, you think they are like family. How sweet." Pyro said. "But I had my reasons. For one, my dearest ally Tirek needed the energy. It was also a way to throw you off. Simple tactics." She said with no sympathy. "And it was satisfying too."

At this Luna was about to attack her outright. But Celestia spoke up first.

"What are your goals? Why have you done all these atrocities? I'm a little surprised you two would work together." Celestia said.

"Our goals are to take what is rightfully ours!" Tirek said. "For me, my throne as the crowned ruler of Equestria. Her, bringing down that wretched excuse for an ambassador. And I will also give her people their own kingdom."

Pyro nodded. "Yes. You remember what you call the Everfree Forest? Well there is the Silver Blue City. And we will make that our new capital and you ponies shall be made into our slaves! Does that not sound utterly amazing?!" She said, all giddy.

"Well as amazing as that sounds, we ponies are a free people and we will not just let you take what is ours." Celestia said. "And I will assure you that if you do not leave now, you will suffer like never before. Do you even know who you're facing? Tirek can tell you." Celestia said, smirking at him.

Tirek grunted. "That was one time, Celestia. I was young and naive. But not anymore. You will know what true power is now.

Tirek charged his horns, a bright ball of energy forming between them. He aimed for the princesses and was about to fire, when something struck him quickly and disappeared. 

"Ugh! What now?! Who is so powerful as to stop my energy!?" Tirek asked.

"Me." Just then, a dark feline figure emerged from the shadows. His red eyes were slit and his face blank, nothing but a stone cold look being shown up on his features. He turned to Pyro.

"Hello Pyro Flare."

Pyro looked at the Speed Shifter. 

"Hello. I see you have become quite powerful. That spoiled Moon Beam had no chance against you. But now here you are." She said, smirking.

Fury was still silent.

"I hope you Shifters from Thunder Hollow enjoyed yourselves. And I hope you enjoyed the loving embrace of these pathetic ponies. Because when I am done with all of these princesses, I will use their skulls for my drink." She said with a beastly vigor. 

"Let me ask you, Fury? I am willing to give you a second chance. You are an All Powerful, correct? Well, then join my mission to bring back glory to the Speed Shifters." She said. "And I will make you the new Emperor of Speed Shifters! You will not have a village but a grand city! And you will be renowned as a champion for Speed Shifters! What say you?!"

"Burn in Tartarus, you pure waste of flesh. You don't exist to a living god like me. And for all those deeds you boasted of? I will return the favor by a thousand! All of the lives you ruined? They will be avenged today when I grind your bones for my bread!" He roared.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Pyro laughed. "Your choice. But let me tell you. You might be an All-Powerful." Then she became larger and larger and she became a dragon. "But you are still young. I have trained all my life to bring back our glory. You will know the true power of Speed Shifters!"

She said as she used her long neck to slam Fury into the wall. But when the dust cleared, all he did was laugh.

"You think that being bigger will make me notice you? You're nothing to me. Peasants like you bow before me. And I'm about to show you why." He said as his body began to glitch as his power increased and he disappeared. 

The dragon looked around. "Where did you go?" She was ready to burn him up with her fire once and for all. Then, she felt a chill run up her spine. As if some sort of demon had been awoken from a thousand years old slumber. An overarching shroud of fear passed over her, causing her to lose her focus and transform back. 

"What are you doing?!" Tirek asked.

"W-w-what is this feeling? I've only felt this a few times long ago. What is going on?" She said looking around for Night Fury. "You call yourself a Speed Shifter! Show your face!"

Just then, a literally bone shattering force gripped her foreleg and instantly broke it. She screamed in pain as she felt her body tense up in pain. She fell to the floor in a display of agony that shocked not only the princesses, but Tirek as well. Then, Night Fury phased back into existence right in front of her, his form still glitching as if it wasn't all present. 

"Here's my face." He said with a face of fury and energy. He looked more like a demon than a speed shifter.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life. And it will be… your… last." He growled as he practically teleported behind her, picked her up and bashed both of his paws against the sides of her face. Grotesque cracking sounds emitted from her body as her bones were damaged, leaving her completely still in shock before Fury reeled back one paw and sent her through the wall, her screams fading as she was launched several feet down the main street from the castle gates. 

She moaned as she got back up. "I have to be more careful with Fury! What in the world was that?!" She said to herself. "Wait, I remember our old chief saying something about this power. The All Powerfuls have powers that go even beyond time and space itself! Most of the All Powerfuls don't get this powerful so early! The only way one can get this power so early is… through severe trauma." She realized that Night Fury's pain made him far more powerful than he probably would have been normally.

"Curses. I made a mistake by baiting him. Alright I have to be careful. I'm just going to have to use the old stealth approach. Then I'll burn him like a steak!" She said to herself. "I don't think he knows where I'm at yet."

It was then she heard the slow walking of Night Fury. She was injured so she hid behind a rock.

"Where are you?! Show yourself!!"

She stayed quiet and waited for him, letting him get closer and closer. She was within pouncing distance. 

Gotcha now! 

She pounced at him with her flame claw. But he dodged it with ease. She was then attacked from the side with a powerful ram, knocking her off balance. Fury then rotated to her other side and grabbed her by the neck, pivoting on one paw and throwing her back towards the castle before racing after her. 

"Eat this fireball!" She threw as many fireballs as possible trying to hit him before he reached her. 

But Fury somehow phased through each one it almost looked like gas going through the balls and he finally knocked her to the wall.

"You have any more tricks up your sleeve, sweetheart?" He said with a low venomous voice.

"H-how are you this powerful?! T-they say you were some lousy student at school! You could barely fight back then. How did you get so strong? Was it… a potion?" She asked, seeking any answer.

"No. It's because I'm better in every way. I've trained for everything you could throw at me, and look at you. A broken leg and a broken spirit, how sad but delicious to see. Now, let us show your partner what happens to those who dare stand against me!"

The wall cracks revealing Fury who was grabbing her neck. "Tirek!!!! Here's your partner!!!!"

Tirek looked at them. She was utterly decimated while Fury looked like an extra dimensional creature. 

"Yes, I can see her. What about it, Fury?" He said although he was more curious to know what this power is like.

"You're next…" Fury began to transform, his body growing bigger as he grew wings and his face elongated. Soon, he stood over Tirek and the princesses as a dragon that was twice Tirek's size. 

"Your end is within my grasp… And I intend to take it." 

Even Tirek awed at this. The princesses' jaws dropped.

Tirek was speechless. "F-fine. But I am far more powerful than her. Let's see if your beam can match the power of mine! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

He shot a laser right at the drextra. Fury responded with his beam of pure energy. The beams were in a tussle for dominance.

Fury will admit this was a bit harder than with Pyro. He focused more and more of his energy into this beam of energy.

But while Night Fury was powering through with his beam, he took his enemy speed shifter and launched her at his face. It hurt but it didn't really affect Tirek. But that was not the point. Tirek let up his guard.

"I got you now!" Fury launched his beam and the energy was able to finally overwhelm Tirek's beam and…

BOOM!

A thunderous boom shook the castle and almost all of Canterlot, both Pyro and Tirek being caught in the blast as they were burned and blasted by Fury. 

Tirek and Pyro collapsed on the ground. They felt weak and helpless.

"Ughhhhhh…"

"I can't believe this. Are we… losing?!" Pyro managed to spit out.

"To me!" The dragon roared. "You never should have come here. You should have known that you both were useless against me. You don't have what it takes to even be considered villains."

He stomped towards them and fit them under his claw, grabbing them and slamming them both into the ground.

"You are not worthy…" 

He slammed them again.

"You are nothing to me…"

And again… 

"You… Are… Nothing."

And one final time, deepening the crater he was digging into the floor and bruising the bones of the two under his foot. Meanwhile, the princesses were stunned in shock at how mercilessly Fury beat and broke them. He had completely changed from what they knew him for. 

"F-Fury? I-is that really you?" Luna asked him. "Are you still Fury?"

Fury stopped, throwing the two villains aside and putting holes in the wall. The dragon closed in on the three of them, his red eyes glaring at them like they had just sucked the souls out of them.

"I've always been me. What makes you think I've changed, your highness? This is the real me, the me that has the approval of not just ponies… but the ones who said I was never going to be a great warrior. Look at me now… I am who I was always meant to be."

"Really? Because the Fury I knew was funny and silly and… sweet. After all this time you're going to sacrifice that over some approval?!" Luna asked him.

"I've been holding back for too long, Luna. Too many times have I not been using my powers the way they should be. I shouldn't be treating my new destiny like a slight alteration, I should be treating it like a new life! And that life… is filled with defending what is right. At… all… costs." Fury growled as he turned back to the ones he threw aside. Pyro looked at the dragon and was immediately terrified.

"Tirek, we have to go. Now isn't the time to try and stand our ground, let us retreat and try again." Pyro said frantically. Tirek snarled at the idea of retreat, he had already gotten so far already. But with how beaten up they were, he couldn't help but agree.

"I suppose now would be a good time. Mark my words, feline! We will return, stronger and better! You cannot stand over us forever, just you wait!" Tirek shouted as he grabbed Pyro and lit his horns, teleporting away in a bright flash. 

"No! Come back!" He tried to grab them but it was too late. They were long gone.  "No. I was so close. SO CLOSE!!! I SHOULD HAVE DECIMATED THEM EARLIER!!!" He roared in rage.

The princesses flew up to him. Celestia spoke first.

"But at least they're gone now, you have not to worry about-"

"Yes I do, feather brain! I have to deal with the fact that I let them get away! And who are you to say don't have to worry!? Huh? ANSWER ME!!"

"Fury, I am the ruler of Equestria. Don't you think I am just as worried? I know they will come back. I'm worried too! But it might help if you calm yourself!" Celestia said.

Fury in fact, didn't calm down. His body grew larger and his teeth became more jagged, spines beginning to pop out of the top of his head. Celestia was now looking down the dark tunnel that was his mouth, slobbery and sharp as he stood before her even more agitated. 

"Tell me to calm down one more time, I dare you. I'll show you how many of you can fit in here in twenty seconds." He snarled. 

"C'mon Fury, what's the deal with you lately? You've been getting so cold and distant, why are you becoming so serious all of a sudden?" Cadence asked, floating next to his head. 

Fury was enraged. How could they be so blind? 

"Don't you get it?! I am supposed to be an All Powerful! I have a burden none of you could understand!" He roared in rage. "We Shifters always had to wander around and live in pathetic villages. I have to restore them eventually according to the prophecy! And you know what? Maybe they were right about other creatures, maybe they are just as untrustworthy as they said!" 

"Then perhaps you need a perspective from somepony who's seen and spoken to every creature that could exist." A new voice popped in. The giant dragon looked behind him and saw a familiar light speaking to him.

"Well well well, if it isn't my luminous warning signal. Here to tell me that I may step in a mud puddle next week?" He said sarcastically. 

The light chuckled. "If you did I would rather not say, for that would ruin the adventure. But to answer your question, I have seen every perspective and I know what you are thinking but also about the greater picture as a whole. Let me ask you Fury, did you feel distressed when I came to you?"

"Well, you told me that I would be facing a threat that I'd never faced before, gave me a rather ominous promise that you would come to my aid someday, you foretold that you were planning on returning to Equestria when I barely know your intentions, let alone who you are at all. And to top it all off, you left me high and dry with just a tip to watch out for odd signs. So yeah, I'd call that a little distressing!" Fury listed off quickly. 

The gold light was silent at first then spoke up. "I am sorry, I was not able to tell you more, I was not in the right moment to do so. For even in my form, I have my limitations. Even now it is taking all of my power of imagination and willpower to allow me to communicate right now. It's a little painful." She chuckled.

"Well if it's that hard for you, maybe you should take on your true form. Maybe that'll help me understand what perspective you want me to see, you overgrown lighthouse lamp." He snorted, puffs of smoke flowing out of his still scaly muzzle. 

There was silence. Everyone looked upon the dragon who was clearly unamused.

"Well, your wish is my command." She said. "Behold."

Fury of course was simply being snarky before, he didn't expect any real revelations or big surprises. "Wait what?!"

"You asked for it? You shall have it! Behold, a form you can comprehend!" The light announced. The form of the bright entity began to shift, growing legs and wings along with a horn. Her body began to take shape as the light faded, her pure white coat and red mane coming into view. Everyone looking at the new being was surprised, especially the two sisters. As they had now laid eyes on one that they had never thought they'd see… 

"Mother!?" They both called out. 

The dragon jumped back a bit, knocking a few more bricks off the wall. He was shocked like nothing else.

"Mother?! Wait a second, are you telling me that you're…" 

"The mother of the two current rulers of Equestria? Yes, that is me. I am Lauren Faust, But you may call me Lauren." The alicorn spoke to the dragon.

"Mother… is that truly you?" Luna asked, mesmerized.

"Yes, my daughters. I have returned. It is wonderful to see my girls so grown up and strong." Lauren said. 

"Mother!" Celestia said in an unusually loud voice. She went to hug her immediately.

"I missed you…! I never thought I would see you." Celestia said.

"Same for me." Luna said. "We always longed for your return ever since we heard the slightest rumor. We have truly missed your presence."

"You would not believe it but Fury's new charge of energy caused so much energy it made me able to have enough to be able to return. So for that I can thank Fury for that fact." Faust said.

"Yeah yeah, nice sappy show. But who… in the flying feather… CARES?! We don't have time for this, we still have Tirek and Pyro to deal with. Nobody cares about what's going on here when we've got bigger problems to deal with!" Fury snorted, his mood not changing. 

"No Fury, I care. I care a lot." Faust said. "I care more than you could ever know. I have been worried so much and disappointed seeing how Speed Shifters fell apart. And I was disappointed at seeing Blueblood, my own relative turn to the way of evil."

"Well worry about something important! And what's important right now… Is getting rid of those two rejects at any cost! Don't you ponies have more than a singular brain cell in those multi-colored craniums of yours?!" Fury yelled. 

"You sure have a colorful way of speaking don't you?" Faust said rather amused.

"And you sure know how to make your family fall apart pretty well, don't you?" He said coldly. "How do you think they felt after you were not there? Huh?"

"Fury, stop! What is wrong with you?! Haven't you learned anything from your time here?!" Cadence called out.

"Shut it, you uneducated, unexcused extra baggage!" Fury snapped, making her jump. Lauren was about to jump at him when she saw something around him. A dark, infectious aura that was feeding off his aggression. And it seemed to be getting worse.

"Has he been like this all day?" Lauren whispered to Celestia.

"Unfortunately, yes. At first it was him getting more serious and cracking less jokes, then it turned into him neglecting his need to eat so he could focus on controlling his power. And now, it's turned into this. He's already demonstrated that he's changed massively by breaking that other Speed Shifter's leg and cracking her skull." Celestia said with an abundance of concern. 

"I see." Faust said. "Luna, you care for him very much don't you?"

"You could say that. He's the first true friend I've had since I returned from the moon. Besides Twilight and the others, he's been here for me the most. And to see him in this state rather than his usually peppy and goofy self, it almost breaks me to see him in a similar state of mine to when I was beginning to become jealous of Tia." Luna said, almost in tears.

"Yep, history repeats itself." Faust said. "Perhaps through the extension of friendship and love, maybe you'll be able to bring him back. Just like the Mane Six used friendship to bring you back, maybe you should use the power of love to bring him back. Or as you called him your Lightning Bug."

Although Luna was a bit embarrassed at her mother knowing that personal nickname, she saw that Faust had a point.

"Don't worry, you won't go at this alone. We'll bring him back together." Faust said. "We just have to be clever."

Meanwhile, Fury was staring Cadence down intensely.

"Now Fury, let's not make any rash decisions…"

"Or what? You gonna do something about it, pipsqueak? Come on, try me!" Fury said, pinning her against a wall with his scaly muzzle. 

"Fury, over here!" Lauren called out, getting Cadence free from him.

"What do you want? You finally decided to get your priorities right for once in your life and focus on what's at stake?" He said bluntly, not sparing any feelings. 

"I'm just curious. You're my daughter's sweetheart aren't you? She's your  'moonpie'. So that means you're my son-in-law! Isn't that great?" She said.

"Faust, we're not married. Doesn't someone have to marry into the family in order to become a son or daughter-in-law? I figured someone with a head that big would actually know that." He said insultingly. 

"Oh that's very gentlemanly of you. I guess it stores all of my ideas for my children." Before Fury could ask what that meant she went back to the point. "But let me ask you. Do you love my daughter?" Lauren asked.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do!" He answered. 

"Then why are you dismissing her feelings so much? Can't you even listen to your Moonpie?" She asked. "I thought what you had was like a love story."

"We still have it! I'm just focused on what's actually important right now! And it seems nopony is in their right mind to actually do anything!" He argued. 

"If you're so sure, then why haven't you done anything, hmmm?" Faust said. "No one is stopping you."

"Well I can't stop them now obviously! But I'm planning to find out where they are next! And that is doing something, genius!" Fury shot back.

"And don't think at a time like this, you could use some calm?" 

"Why would I need that now?!"

"Well I can tell you as an alicorn who has to think of fantastical ideas all the time, I need a break every so often, to recharge myself and to put everything in perspective. And perhaps even to see you have not failed as badly as you thought." Faust said. Fury just stood there, appalled at how she hadn't once mentioned the threat at hand.

"Why is it that all of you are so focused on me all of a sudden? You tell me to lighten up, you say you miss how I used to act, you say I need to calm down… I haven't changed! Why am I the center of attention for all of you?! I'm not even that important!"

"Because Fury, you are important! Not just for yourself but for all of Equestria and Speed Shifters too!" Faust said. "You know as well as I do, those two villians are gone. You won't be able to find them today. So if you can't do anything, why worry and cause distress to those closest to you? Just like for my other girls who need to learn morals to fight giant machines and an evil monkey."  Lauren explained, but Fury just became more agitated. 

"That's exactly my point! You pea-brained idiots can't do anything yourselves! I mean, at least I don't rely on some random unicorn and her girly crew to solve my problems like the giant chicken with stilt legs you've got for a daughter!"

Celestia seemed strangely intimidated by that insult but Faust responded. "That daughter of mine was the reason you were even allowed in Equestria in the first place. She helped you to take down Blueblood. She was the one who gave you guidance like an older sister. If she were not around you would probably not be alive."

"And do I look like I give a hoot? Stuff it up and deal with it!" Fury said, the dark aura growing around him. He eventually turned back to his normal self, but he was much different. His fur was on edge and his claws were more jagged, not to mention that his birthmark seemed to be pulsating a dangerous maroon color. 

"What's going on?" Cadence asked.

"I think Fury has awakened something vile he's kept inside for a long time. The burden of being the chosen one." Celestia said.

"His inner stress must have finally taken a toll on his mental state and caused him to take it out on whoever was near him. This isn't good, we need to help him." Luna said. "I just want to hear his laugh again… that's all. But what do we do?" 

Faust turned to her. "It's not what we can do today. It's what you can do, my child."

Luna was surprised. "Wait what? What am I supposed to do?!"

"Fury, despite being enraged, is now also open to reason. He can't logically prove his reasons for rage so he resorts to pure emotion. So therefore you, Luna, must do the same. Remind him of what love and friendship really is." Faust said.

"Do you really think it can work? This is not one of those children's stories where everything works out in the end by talking." Luna said skeptically.

"Or maybe they are true at this very moment. Right here, right now. Luna, you might not think you are a talented speaker but for Fury, you have saved from many troubles. You know what feeling inadequate is like. I know if you are brave you can save him." Faust said. "I will be there to help, but you have to be the one. Can you do that my child?"

"I will try, mother. I will try." Luna said as she approached Fury and held his head in her hooves.

"Fury. It's me, Luna." She said approaching the raging Speed Shifter.

"What do you want?" He asked. "Here to do your oh so looney mom's bidding?"

"I want you to listen to me. This isn't you. You are the funny one who can make even the most stubborn ponies laugh, you are the one who can crack a joke even while facing death itself, you are the one who gave me a chance to see the world for what it truly is. And most importantly, you are the one I fell in love with." She spoke. 

Fury turned away from her. "I'm just doing what feels right to me. That's all."

"Are you sure? Let me ask you Fury, when all of Ponyville turned against you, did you feel good about it? No! You needed help just like all of us! Remember when I talked to you to confront that cockatrice?" Luna asked.

"Yeah yeah I remember… but-"

"And do you remember when you and I went to find the Silver Blue city together? We worked as a team there, even with all of those traps." 

"Yes…"

"And do you remember when I, the lonely, awkward princess of the night, was called upon to ransack my niece's cake?" Luna asked.

"Where are you going with all of this?"

"Night Fury of Thunder Hollow. You need me. And I need you. You brought me out of a dark stage in my life and I brought you out of yours too. We need each other to comfort one another. And only then can we be truly strong! Strong enough to vanquish Tirek and Pyro Flare!" Luna said. Fury just sat there, nothing changing about his blank face. He had calmed down, that was a plus. But he hadn't smiled or cracked up at all. He was like a deer, nothing changing his facial expression as he stared at her like he had never seen her before. 

Luna smiled. "I think Lightning Bug, you know I have a point. Even if you refuse to admit it." She walked over to him. "I know what having a burden of responsibility is like. It can be hard. But with my sister and you, it became quite a bit easier. So please let me help you. Help you from becoming something you do not want to be." Luna said, touching a hoof to Fury's cheek. 

Fury still didn't move though, almost as if he had lost his ability to speak or change his expression. He was a blank slate. At this point, Luna was beginning to lose hope that he would smile or laugh again. But luckily for her, she wasn't the only one who missed his smile and laughing. 

Cadence spoke up. "I remember all the pranks, I remember the secret society we formed.  Even the times we pranked my husband."

Celestia followed. "That is true. It can be lonely being ruler of Equestria, and a taxing job. You've brought joy to me that I have not felt in awhile. And even if they might not admit it, even the other villagers appreciate your bright attitude. And that you saved them from forced labor. You don't need to prove yourself as much as you think. We accept you."

Even after all of that, Fury still didn't move. He just… looked at them. It was like a baby was looking at them, unable to speak and unable to express how he felt.

"I don't think the sentimental stuff is working." Cadence whispered. 

"Perhaps we must change gears and go with another approach. But what may that be?" Lauren pondered aloud. 

"All I want is for him to be normal, to be like he used to be. The small, fun, peppy feline that we all know him for. To brighten our day and his own day."

Faust then had a lightbulb flick on in her head. "Then why don't we return the favor?"

"Huh?" Luna asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean to do what he does. Make him laugh."

"At a time like this?" Cadence asked. "Won't that just make him annoyed?"

She shook her head. "As someone who delights in telling children stories, I can attest even the grumpiest can laugh at a silly gag. Or even the classic tickle monster." She said, smirking. "Are you scared, my daughters, of going a-pranking?"

The three princesses looked at each other. They wanted to help him in any way they could, and they had their chance sitting right in front of them. Lauren was right, he made them laugh all the time. But they had never taken into consideration how many times they, or even anyone had done the same for him. 

"She is right." Luna said. "He has brought joy into our dull lives. Can we not do the same for him in his time of need?"

"I second that!" Cadence cried.

Celestia nodded. "Very well, mother, we will do our best."

Faust nodded. "I taught you how to use your minds to have fun. Now use that fun to bring him back!"

Everyone smiled and had confidence. "Let us do this." Luna said.

All three of them briefly huddled together to plan their next moves.

Fury paid them no attention and just stared at the wall.

"Oh Fury…"

"What now? Any more sweet nonsense you wanna give?" Fury turned around. 

"Hee hee hee." Luna said.

"What's so funny?" Fury asked. 

"Hee hee hee!" Celestia said.

Fury was a bit confused. It was not everyday he heard Celestia giggle. At least not in that high tone. It felt weird.

"What are you-"

"Ha ha ha ha!" Cadence uttered.

"...laughing-"

"HA HA HA HA HA!" the mother of Celestia and Luna laughed.

"...about! What is so funny?!" Fury said, completely confused as to why these once mopey ponies are now riotous with laughter.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA!" All the princesses laughed together.

Fury was extremely confused, a little angry but strangely a little… amused by this display?

"W-what's going on here? Did someone give you guys a dose of Poison Joke?" Fury asked.

"The only poisonous joke we have here is our own faces!" Faust said self-deprecatingly. 

Fury was even more confused. But he had to admit. He almost let out a chuckle. Celestia heard him repress one.

"Oh! Was that a chuckle I just heard?" She asked cheekily. 

"No! It was probably one of your stupid laughs!" Fury said accusingly.

"Perhaps we should take this one step further. Maybe add a little… tune to our humor?" Luna whispered to her mother. Lauren agreed and nodded to her daughter.

"I agree, let's give him something extra silly to really get those giggles out. Fortunately, I've come up with silly ideas to make kids laugh, so pay attention." Lauren whispered back. They both spread the idea to the other two and they both were enticed by the idea. 

"What is going on with you? Since when do you three laugh so much!?" Fury asked. 

They all answered him but not in a traditional manner.

Ca: 🎶Every now and then, I couldn't tell you why, suddenly I get the giggles, I've just gotta laugh, or I'm gonna burst, Suddenly, I just get the giggles!🎶

🎶Tee hee hee, you should try it! Everything is a riot! I'm feeling pretty good, soon you will be too, when suddenly you just get the giggles!🎶

Fury's jaw dropped. He couldn't say anything now. How was he supposed to react to a song number Pinkie would sing? But before he could say one word-

Ce: 🎶Starts with a little giggle, then there's a bigger giggle, then you'll be rolling on the floor! 't be so funny because you're suddenly giving me a tummy ache! Please oh please, can't giggle anymore!🎶

 Celestia sang this as she rubbed her tummy lying on the floor. Fury was now completely speechless, had these four esteemed figures of royalty lost their minds? 

Lu: 🎶Every now and then, well as you can see. Suddenly, we get the giggles! We've just gotta laugh, or we're gonna burst! Suddenly, we just get the giggles!🎶

🎶Tee hee you should try it! Everything is a riot, feeling pretty good, soon you will be too, when suddenly you get the giggles!🎶 

Everyone's giggles were now a full blown uproar. They looked like they would collapse from all the laughing but they never did. Fury was lost in confusion, all he was seeing was ridiculous child's play. But inside, he was bursting with laughter.

Lau: 🎶I've lived for years and years, nobles by my side! But sometimes, I get the giggles! I try to hold it back, not moving an inch… But still, I just get the giggles. Tee Hee Hee, you can do it! We won't judge, we'll see you through it! All you have to do is look down deep inside! And then you just burst into giggles!🎶

Fury was desperately trying to hold back. But everypony could hear him trying to keep his mouth closed.

"I'm not gonna fall for this! You hear me?! I'm not falling for this!" Fury yelled out with a few subtle giggles.

"Okay everypony, we're gonna stop giggling and singing when I say three!" Faust said to Fury's relief.

"One…"

The other princesses' looked like inflated beach balls.

"Two…"

"Bwahahahahaha!" All the young princesses laughed. And that was followed by Lauren herself. Fury was furious but knew for all his might, he was powerless to stop the song. 

Ca: 🎶Everyone's gotta laugh, like my sweetie pie. Even he sometimes gets the giggles. Sure, he can be tough! But he's truly a big love! He can be like stone, but not when he sees scones!🎶

Ce: 🎶I can say the same, I'm not so tough myself. But when I get a cake, it's a fest! I eat until I'm stuffed, tired and nothing less! And it gives me the giggles when it's time to get some rest!🎶

Lu: 🎶My nights are much the same, filled with scares and frights! But even just once, I am filled with delight! Searching through your dreams, it gives me a little tickle! And by the sun's rising, I'll be filled with laughs and giggles!🎶

Lau: 🎶The only thing that's left is to see it come from you, hearing the one thing that you always love to do! We'd love to hear you laugh, without a joke or just a tickle! Oh dear Fury, we just want to see you giggle!🎶

Fury just stood there. He was hyperventilating. He never heard something so joyous and silly in his life.

"Heh… Heh heh…."

He began to crack, much to the princesses delight. 

"Heh hehe hehe heh heh…"

"I think it's working!" Cadence said giddily as Fury began to laugh. 

"Ha ha ha ha… Ha ha ha ha ha!"

And then… Fury lost it. 

"HA HA HA HA HA HA! IT'S TOO MUCH! TOO MUCH! I CAN'T TAKE IT!" Fury collapsed to the ground and laughed in an uproar. "It's too much!"

The other princesses smiled.

"I knew we could get you to crack." Faust said. "Even the grumpiest have their cracking point."

"You can say that again, look at him squirm!" Cadence giggled. 

"Even an All Powerful cannot resist the power of amusement." Luna said.

"You weren't this happy before." Celestia said.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! You win! You win! That was hilarious!" He finally got back up. "I thought only Pinkie could match my silliness. It looks like I was wrong!" Fury admitted. 

"Oh, but we're not done yet. We really want to hear you laugh, like you used to. And we have something for you that'll do the trick." Celestia spoke. 

"You guys might have been silly, but I don't think you can top what you just did." Fury said confidently. 

"Oh I wouldn't be too sure of that." Faust said. "There's a little thing I like to call… imagination. Let us take this somewhere else where we can see it to its full potential."

She then lit her horn a bright red color and teleported all of them into a private room within the castle.

"Now, what we'll do is go inside your mind and see how your imagination works. Think of it as a treat from us to truly appreciate who we've come to know." Lauren said.

"Oh… kay. But, how exactly are you gonna get inside my head?" Fury asked.

"A dream walking spell, of course. Who do you think taught your beloved when she was just a bit older than you?" Faust said. 

Luna gave a nod and a smile.

"Wait… you're going into my dreams?!" Fury asked, shocked. "You can do that?!"

"Of course. I gave birth to the fine daughters you see before you, so I have everything they have and more. Anyway, are you up for it?" Lauren asked. Fury was a bit skeptical about going inside his head, but he always loved using his imagination to make up games as a cub.

"Let's do it! But I have to warn you, my imagination was a wild thing when I was a kid. So don't be surprised if you see something crazy happen up here." Fury chuckled, knocking his head a bit. 

"Oh, with you Fury? I would be more freaked out if we didn't get surprised." Luna said.

She and the others gathered in a square. Luna and Faust used their power to lull everyone into sleep.

-

"Huh?" Cadence woke up into some ethereal blue realm. "Where am I?"

"Welcome to the dream realm, my dear niece." Luna said, helping her to her hooves. Cadence was mesmerized by the dream realm, the blue color adding a bit of atmosphere. She also saw many small bubbles floating around her and her fellow royals.

"What are those bubbles?" Cadence asked.

"Those are the dreams of ponies who are asleep at this time. Though it is still daytime, some take naps during the day and their dreams show up here." Luna explained. Cadence looked around and saw that each bubble had its own individual aura, giving a clear separation of who's who.

"Okay, but where's Night Fury's bubble?"

"I think that would be it." Celestia pointed out a red bubble with static electricity circling it, clearly indicating Fury's high energy output. 

"Seems… intense." Cadence said. "Should we wait just a bit?"

Luna shook her head. "This is just who he is. A crazy burst of energy, either very happy or very angry. It's time to go in there and see what we can discover."

The princesses flew into the bubble not knowing what to expect. Would there be booby traps? Storms? Cakes?

"Wait, is this a… forest?" Cadence asked. The surrounding area was a heavy forest, muddy puddles and large trees making up most of the view.

"I guess he manifested his forest home as a default." Lauren said.

"Yeah, but it's also so you guys don't get lost in what I usually dream about!" A voice called from above. The four of them looked up to see Fury floating down to them, but he hadn't changed his form. 

"Ah it's pleasant you are so courteous." Luna said. "Most ponies don't have the hospitality or skill to easily navigate through a dream. It is very annoying." Luna grumbled.

"Well are you guys coming?" Fury asked.

The princesses nodded and floated into Fury's mind.

As the princesses entered, they went to a road. It was a dirt path. They looked at the trees. They were tall and concealed the village.

"Is this all you dream about? Just.. walking through the forest?" Cadence asked, a little disappointed.

"Nah, this is just the beginning! Wait until you see the craziness on the lower levels…" Fury then whistled loudly, causing a part of the ground to rise up and form an elevator in front of them. They all stepped inside and let it take them downward where they began to see the ever so glorious landscape that was Fury's inner thoughts. 

They looked in awe as they saw in front of them was a wooden wall with a moat around it. And there seemed to be a hill. They could see wooden houses closer to them and on the hill stone houses. And they could even make out what seems to be a stone pyramid. Not as large as the ones in the Silverblue but a moderate size.

"Well ladies, what do you think of Thunder Hollow?" Fury asked. 

"This is truly amazing! I've never seen such precision and control over a dreamscape before! How do you do this?" Luna asked.

"Well, sleeping is also a form of meditation for us Speed Shifters. As we nap during the day or sleep through the night, we have complete control over our minds as we are simultaneously dreaming and forming a domain to host our innermost thoughts through meditation. Long story short, I can basically walk around in my head at my leisure." Fury explained. The princesses were amazed at how controlled Fury was over his mind, they had never seen such power demonstrated by him.

"This is a beautiful sight to behold, but we want to see the real you. The funny you, the wacky you, the you we see all the time." Lauren said. Fury understood and gave a nod.

"Oh okay, all I have to do is let go of my grip on my mind and just let things happen." As soon as he said that, the world started to warp and twist. Bright colors shined and lightning flew as his dreamscape melted and changed.

"Hang on…" He said cheekily as the real inner thoughts of Fury went crazy.

The princesses were surprised. While Luna didn't think it was on the level as Pinkie's insanity, she was still awed at Fury's imagination.

They saw huge temples, mazes for roads, weird freakish monsters including large kangaroos. Everything around them was wild and untamed, but they had expected nothing less from him.

"Welcome to my imagination! This place has been a part of me since I was a kid, and it feels great to be back!" Fury said excitedly. "But first, how about a tour?"

He snapped his claws and the ground began to shake, giant pillars rising from the ground. The princesses were a little distressed at the rapidly changing landscape, but werewere soon calmed by the sight of sails and a mast as Fury had spawned a giant pirate ship. 

"Wow, I didn't know you even knew about pirates being that you're so landlocked." Cadence said.

"Well not these days but back in the olden days, some Speed Shifters and other felines owned some cities by the sea. Never been there so it might be inaccurate. But the stories seemed cool, and that's all that matters to me." Fury said. "I even heard rumors of cats who walked on two legs up to the north across the sea. But enough talk, let's get this ship moving!"

A loud horn sounded as the sails expanded and the ship began to move, Fury taking the helm as he piloted the craft through his imaginary world. 

"All paws and hooves on deck! Pirates on the starboard! Pirates on the starboard!" Fury said, pointing to a ship. "Our job is to bring these crooks to justice. We're going in! Raise the sails!"

…

"Oh right, you guys probably never sailed one. Well neither have I but that's beside the point. Hang on, let me handle this." Fury said as jumped down and grabbed one side of his face. He pulled hard and in a flash of red light, he duplicated himself. The princesses were shocked.

"Hey me!" One Fury said.

"Hey other me!" Said the other. "Need some help fighting off that ship?"

"Do I ever! Get the crew ready, we'll need all paws on deck!" The original shouted. "And make it look good, my girlfriend's here." 

"You got it, Fury!" the other Fury said. He then started to duplicate himself over and over. Two, four, six, ten, fifteen. Before they knew it, a whole crew of Night Furys were standing there.

"At your service, Captain!" The crew shouted.

"Alright all of you, man the cannons! Raise the sails! Prepare for battle!" Said the original.

"Yes sir!" They said in unison, scattering around the ship and preparing for battle.

"This is crazy, but also very funny!" Celestia chuckled. "Who is on the other ship anyway?" 

"The one thing that bugs me, even in my imagination… The Chocolateers!" Fury shouted. Just then, the ship's crew came into view. Many ponies and Speed Shifters made of chocolate sat on the cannons and in the crow's nest. And then came the fearsome captain of the opposing ship, Captain Choccy Chip. 

"Well well, if it isn't my old nemesis." Fury said.

"Likewise. Long time no see! I hope you've been training cause I'm about to take every single thing you have!" The pirate said.

"You got that, Captain Choccy Chip! It's me who will take all your chocolate and bring it to whoever rightfully deserves it!" Fury said.

"Including yourself." Cadence said bluntly.

"That's the spirit, Cady! Fire the cannons!" And so, the battle began. Balls of fire and chocolate were fired back and forth, pirates boarding either ship to continue the battle. The princesses couldn't help but laugh at how crazy the battle was, Fury truly had a crazy imagination. Cadence took to his side to see the action.

"Why are you firing fireballs at them?" She asked. "I didn't even know you could do fireballs."

"There's nothing more terrifying than the threat of being melted into a chocolate puddle, Cadence." Fury replied. "And besides, in my imagination I can have any power I want."

The fireballs were pointed straight to the chocolate supplies.

"No!!! My precious chocolate!" the pirate captain cried out. "I can't even move!"

"Awww, chill out. Hot chocolate is the best!" Fury said. "You just have bad taste. Just as bad as your ship!"

"Captain, the chocolate is gumming up the cannons!" One of the Furys said. "We won't be able to fire without it blowing up in our faces!"

"Darn, he must be using fresh chocolate from the freezer this time! Once it hardens, it becomes the most solid thing out here." Captain Fury complained. Then, Cadence got an idea.

"Don't worry, Captain Fury, you'll see another day with me around! You almost forgot, I love chocolate!" Cadence said as she flew over to one of the blocked up cannons and began to eat away the hardened candy. 

Choccy Chip looked in shock as even he never ate chocolate that voraciously. 

"And don't leave me out!" Celestia said. "I have a sweet tooth myself!" The princess of the sun was about to eat the chocolate but not before using her powers to heat up the chocolate into fudge and proceeded to eat it all up.

"Dang you ladies really do crave chocolate!" Fury laughed. 

Once they had finished with the cannons, Fury was ready. Time to invade the enemy's ship.

"Alright, here we go. Everyone, prepare to board the enemy ship!" He barked. His personal crew saluted and readied many planks that stretched far across to the other ship. 

"C'mon ladies, you too! I'll need all the help I can get!" 

Faust nodded. "Just like in my stories, we must be brave, we must be fierce. And most of all, we must crave the spoils of war!" She said, thinking of the chocolate. "Come forth my daughters and Cadence. To the chocolate!"

With the planks being all placed, Fury and the princesses charged forward. In front of them were a whole bunch of ragged looking brownish grunts. A lot with eyepatches and scars. But Fury and the princesses were not afraid. They had fought worse.

"It's on now! Nom!"  Fury called out as he bit into one of the pirates and pulled off an ear, munching on it like he wasn't in the middle of a battle.

"Mmmm! Milk chocolate, my favorite!" Fury said, continuing to nibble. 

"Wait, are all these enemies… chocolate?" Luna asked, noticing the enemies.

"Yes indeed! They are actually quite scrumptious. Each one has different flavors, like dark chocolate, hazelnut chocolate, chocolate and vanilla, chocolate with strawberry…"

"Say no more, my love. You're making me hungry just saying that!" Luna giggled. 

"Gotcha now, you big blueberry!" said one of the Cholateer crew about to stab her with his licorice staff.

Luna simply grabbed his staff with her magic, twirled the staff and him around, and knocked him into the mast. Before he got up, unusually for an equine, Luna took a bite out of the chocolate figure's neck.

"Mmmm, tastes like… blueberry?" Luna said, amused. "I suppose that is what they call projection."

Meanwhile all the other princesses were facing down the others.

"Aww man, I could have thought of some weapons for you guys! My bad!" Fury said as he began to modify his friends.

"Hey Cadence, you told me you like sci-fi movies! Well, check out your new space suit!" Cadence then began to glow as her form was changed, a metal suit with a custom pink and blue paint job forming around her. 

"Celestia, you need some heavy solar armor!" Celestia was in a heavy suit of armor that covered her whole body. It also had an outer garment covered with solar symbols and even a quote on it saying "Praise the Sun".

"Hey Lauren, you get the special treatment! Say hello to the Giant Cheez-O-Matic 6000!" A flash of yellow light appeared over Lauren's back before a giant cannon with hoses and buckets of cheese wedges appeared on her back with a helmet to boot. 

"And finally you, my lovely Moonpie, shall have the worthiest suit of them all! The Grand Armor of the Moon!" Fury said, blue wisps of energy floating around Luna as blue armor covered her head to hoof. Spikes grew from the armor around her horn and her wings were given struts for stable flight. Even her cutie mark got an upgrade, now being a shining full moon instead of its usual crescent. 

"Behold the Princess of the Night!" Fury cried out. "Go forth and slay thine sweet foes!"

Luna agreed and flew and charged at her foes, zapping them, smashing them. She was super motivated.

"I must admit, I am a little jealous of Luna's outfit." Celestia admitted. 

"When it comes to those you love romantically, you give them the best." Cadence said, using her new space suit to hover over some of the pirates and slam into them with her new thrusters.

"You bet it! Now, you guys take care of the crew! Me and Lauren are going after the captain." Fury said.

Lauren flew by Fury. "Let me guess. This suit gives me cheese powers."

"Yep! Have to be fair to one of the other great foods!" Fury said. "Use that cannon and buckets! Oh, and you have to call out your moves like one of those super overly dramatic action heros. Sorry, it's what I thought fit you best."

"You know me well. I was always a fan of those heroes before you were born and have even written stories about three little girls myself. But that's not important. Let me see what I can do!" Faust said.

Ten grunts were coming at them.

"Alright, here we go! Call out your first move!" Fury said. 

"Molten Cheddar Surprise!" She shot gooey hot cheesy liquid right at five of the grunts turning them instantly into chocolate sludge. 

"Next move… Shredded Swiss Tsunami!" 

The cannon shot out again but this time it was less of a deadly hose and more like a machine gun cutting away at the rampaging grunts.

"Alright! Now it's my turn! Terra-Lightning Blitz!" Fury called out. 

Fury's paw had some reddish lightning. He smashed his paw onto the deck spreading electrical beams all over to the enemy. All the bad guys were cooked into oblivion and became molten chocolate.

"Rest in peace, my enemies. You shall make a nice meal." Fury said. Then, the captain made his appearance at the front of the ship. But he wasn't there to fight… 

"Sweet molten fondue! Abandon ship, abandon ship! A jelly swirl be on the horizon, maties!" He called out. His entire crew then began to leave the ship in droves, ending the battle with screams of terror. The princesses were confused, what was a jelly swirl?

"Uh oh, a jelly swirl?! Where did that come from?" Fury exclaimed, looking just as distressed.

"What's a jelly swirl?" Cadence asked. Fury just grabbed them and pulled them together as he directed their attention to… 

"That thing!" Fury saud

They saw a huge whirlpool somewhat close by. But the size was not the most amazing feature. It was what appeared to be a thick purple liquid. 

"Oh no! We have to leave immediately! Let's take our two ships and leave before we get stuck in that thing!" Cadence said.

Fury simply did nothing. 

"Fury, aren't you going to help us?" Luna asked.

"We're too close! It's no use trying to get out, the most we can do is hang OOOOON!" Fury said as their ship was being sucked in. "WE MUST EMBRACE OUR FATE!!! WE SHALL BE BURIED IN A TOMB OF JELLY AND WE CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT IT!"

The ship was being pulled closer and closer until… boom! The ship collapsed leaving the victims in the whirlpool of jelly.

"This can't be how I go out! Not like this!" Fury said in fake concern. The princesses took note of this as they all fell in and began to spin with the whirlpool, progressively going faster and faster until they were at dizzying speeds. 

"AHHHHHHH!!!!!" Everyone cried out as spun so quickly, they got shot out like a cannon. Right towards what looked like a giant reddish pink island. 

"Oh this is gonna be painful." Cadence said. The five of them flew down towards the island at high speed, all expecting to hit the ground hard and be left bruised. 

But it was not, for they landed on something soft and fairly wobbly. 

"What the?" Cadence asked. "What the heck did we land on?"

"Oh nothing much, except a big mountain of jelly!" Fury said.

"What?!" Luna said. "We are on actual jelly?! And it is as tall as Canterlot is from the sea?!"

"Bingo! But there is one caveat to this thing…" Fury started.

"What is it?" Celestia asked. Fury tried to stand up, but as soon as he did so, the ground below began to wobble and he fell back down as he laughed.

"The ground is pretty wobbly, and it's kinda silly when you try to walk in it." He chuckled.

"Hmmm?" Faust walked one step.

"Bacaw!" She heard the sound of a chicken.

She walked another step. She heard yodeling.

"What in the world is your imagination, fuzzball?!" Cadence laughed. Fury shrugged and chuckled.

"That's just who I am on the inside… Coo-coo crazy!" Just then, his eyes spun in his head and a coo coo bird popped in and out of his mouth like a coo coo clock. 

"You're telling me." Cadence said, chuckling. "So if I keep walking I will hear even more weird noises? What's next? A saxophone song with an elephant singing?"

"Hehe, nope. An elephant using its trunk like a trumpet." Fury corrected. 

Cadence walked multiple steps from one place to another.

And she heard the tune of the Cloudsdale Anthem with elephant noises. She completely lost it and fell over, impacting the jelly and making the entire mountain jiggle under them. 

"Whoa! Is this like a volcano or something?!" Cadence asked. "Is something gonna happen?"

"Nah, it's just the mountain jiggling around. But I have a certain feeling my imagination is about to change things up." Fury said. Just as the mini quake stopped, the mountain began to form a slope on one side. The small slope looped and curled a few times and stopped as the now red slide was made.

"Hey look, my imagination gave us a way out of here." Fury said, his demeanor turning cheeky. "Last one to the end has pudgy flanks!"

"I certainly do not wish to be pudgy like you, Celestia!" Luna said. "Here I come!" She slid down after her lover.

"Oh, you did not just say that!" Celestia bellowed. "Get your tail back here, Lulu!"

Celestia then dove after them. Lastly were Cadence and Lauren, both giving each other competitive looks.

"Sorry, Lauren, I've got a reputation to maintain. Cowabunga!" Cadence called out as she made the jump. 

"Oh yeah!? Well you'd better watch out for me!" Faust said as she slid down the slide.

At a rapid pace, they slid down quickly almost as fast as a Speed Shifter running.

"Woohoo! This is awesome! But it's not over yet, here we go!" The slide made many loops and turns until they all were sliding down a tunnel and fell into a white room that looked quite futuristic. Fury was the first to make contact and stood tall in victory.

"Aw yeah, I'm the best! First place!" He boasted, but he would soon remember that he wasn't the only one coming through that tunnel. 

"Aren't you forgetting us!?" Faust asked as the princesses were rapidly coming into contact with Fury.

"Uh oh…" 

Luna leaped over Fury when she got close enough and she was in the lead.

"Ha ha! I am in first place!" 

Fury smirked though. "I don't know if I would be so confident though. You have a few… fun surprises ahead."

"And what exactly are those surprises?"  Celestia asked, her mother and Cadence following behind her as they entered the room.

"Let me show you. So you know how in some of those cartoon movies the characters never seem to get hurt and bend the laws of physics and reality itself?" Fury asked them, getting nods in return.

"Well… let's just say that in my imagination, those physically impossible moves and reality bending alterations can co-exist." Fury said, snapping his claws. Then, out of the blue, a section of the ceiling came down and flattened him with a cartoonish… 

Splat! 

"Fury!" Luna said. "Oh no, you've become a Speed Shifter pancake!"

But then Fury returned to normal.

"Nope! In this world, this stuff only happens for a few seconds and then you're back to normal! Well at least until the next thing happens."

And just as he said that, a hammer on a robotic arm came swinging out of the wall and hit him straight in the face. His face appeared flattened for a few seconds before popping back into shape.

"See? I'm fine. And since you all are here too, those rules can apply to you!" Fury snapped his claws again and a pan flew out of the ground, into his awaiting paw.

"Hey Tia, hold still!" He quickly recoiled back and swung the pan into her face. The pan hit her with a sizable amount of force, caving her head in as if she was made of rubber. 

"Ouch! That hur- Wait, now I'm a pancake too!" Celestia said.

"And I would say it is an improvement sister." Luna said snarkily.

"Hey, you're not safe here either, sweetheart. I show no partiality. Take this!" Fury moved his paw forward and a section of the wall behind him came flying towards Luna, hitting her and squishing her flat against the opposite wall. The section of the wall moved and she looked like a black and blue pancake. 

"Awww, you two look just like each other!" Fury said, laughing out loud.

Luna looked really grumpy. Celestia simply asked.

"Is this supposed to be an amusement park or a torture chamber?" 

"I'd say an amusement park. As in it amuses me just like a whoopee cushion or a bucket of water makes me amused." Fury said. "Speaking of which, let's give you ladies a break from pancake hour."

All the princesses sighed in relief.

"Because it's time for the next fun activity!"

"Oh no." Cadence said.

"Ever been to one of Applejack's square dances?" Fury asked. "I used to think they were quite well square."

"Boo!" Cadence called out in response to the lame joke.

"But as I learned you get spin yer partner round and round!" Fury magically got on a cowboy hat. Ready for the water slide square dance?!" Fury said showing a small whirlpool that will make everyone spin.

"Really, Fury? More spinning? After going into that big whirlpool?!" Faust inquired.

"You can always tap out and call yourself chicken, is that you? You do have the color and the wings, all you need is a beak."

Faust stiffened her resolve. She was the one who always told stories, even scary ones. No way would she be called a chicken, especially not by Fury!

"Challenge accepted!" Faust said. "Who will be my partner?!"

"I'll do it!" Fury said casually. "I'd like to see how you can move." 

"Very well!" Faust said. Celestia, Luna and Cadence chose each other.

As they spun around, they kept spinning and spinning and spinning. Each one daring the other to go faster and faster. 

"Is it just me or do I see stars?" Celestia said.

"Yep! This is part of the fun! Can you survive the dizziness?!" Fury dared.

"As if I'll let myself be defeated by you, Fury. Game on!" Celestia retorted as they pushed their limits. As they spun, Fury started to lose his balance and began to spin out of control until he looked like a blurry tornado. 

"I'm spinning!!!!!" Fury said

"What's gonna happen?!?" Faust asked.

The tornado all of a sudden stopped flinging both Faust and Fury against each wall like a ping pong table even with sounds accompanying them.

"Take cover!" Luna said as her mother was about to crash into her. Both of them crashed into the rest of the crowd and blew through the wall, landing on a bridge high above a moonlit roadway. 

"Ugh. Whoa, where are we now? At least we're on dry land!" Faust asked.

"One of my personal places. This bridge is a place that I go to contemplate things, one of the less silly and more serious things within my mind." Fury explained, squeezing out of the pile and leaning up against the side overlooking the road. 

The princesses became more quiet. They felt a certain tranquility with all the sounds of urban life. 

"Fury?" Luna asked. "Is this where you go to meditate?"

"Less meditation, more thinking. More importantly, I form this location within my head whenever I feel like thinking about my speed. Come look over here and tell me what you see." Fury said. The four princesses walked over and leaned on the side. Looking over the side they saw speeding lights racing along what looked like a massive highway, split into two lanes coming towards and going away from them.

"I see a bunch of speeding lights. I understand why this is happening, but why do you think of this whenever you want to think of your speed?" Cadence asked. Fury sighed and became serious.

"Because I want to remind myself of home. Ever since I moved to Equestria, I've basically been in my own league. Barely anypony can keep up with me now, I just miss the feeling of racing with my kind and having someone else who can keep up with me en masse. Racing at high speed in a big group was one of the charms of home for me. And if you look close at who's down there, you can see what I usually think about."

They looked down. And what they saw amazed them. Multiple speed shifters of multiple colors racing back and forth. Green, blue, purple, orange and of course red.

"That's right, back in the day I used to race all these shifters. My best friend Jade and I would keep on going for hours and hours. But… it's all done now. That was a bygone age."

They saw Fury looked a little disappointed. Then Luna spoke up.

"Well, then, you'll just have to race some others. Including some princesses." Luna said with concurring nods from the others.

"What do you mean?" 

"Fury, do you think Speed Shifters are the only ones blessed with speed? No. No. We equines have taken great pride in our racing prowess." Celestia said. "Me and Luna used to race all the time, to which I always won."

Luna was unamused by that.

"But it is one of Equestria's great traditions that we run. And we run and we run like the lightning above us." Celestia continued. "And we equines still can be quite a challenge so don't underestimate us."

"I won't. But are you sure about that? I mean, I'm not exactly in a league where most creatures can keep up." Fury said, pointing out a red light moving faster than the rest. The scenery changed to where ponies were racing along the roads and the red light turned into Fury, easily dashing past them to add to his point. 

"As you can see, I am quite a challenge. I have energy that even most Speed Shifters don't have and most ponies definitely don't have. Do you think you can go against me with all that energy?" Fury asked, legitimately curious.

"Well, I am the mother of Celestia and Luna, and many call me the Princess of Imagination. So I can imagine that yes, we can give you a good challenge." Faust said.

Celestia and Luna nodded. 

Celestia spoke up. "Remember, as leader of Equestria, it was important to be vigorous in exercise. And speed and power. Same for my sister."

"Ohhh, so that's why you two have legs built like toothpicks. Ha!"

Luna looked unamused but Celestia chuckled. "Yes. All for the purpose of speed traditionally to ram an opponent with a lance back in the old days. But sadly we did not have a mouth like a motor back then." 

"Oh ha ha, very funny, marshmallow." Fury huffed. 

"Likewise, burnt bread." Luna shot back.

Before more roasts kept on going, Faust interrupted. "Ahem! Anyway, we have no problem with keeping up with you. If you wish to test that fact, please do."

Fury smirked at the challenge and felt his inner speed demon awaken. He was beginning to like Celestia and Luna's mother, she could be stern and funny all at the same time, she was like a pony version of him.

"Well, I guess I could race the four of you…" Fury snapped his claws and the landscape changed to a city street, five lanes wide and a set of traffic lights above them with ethereal pony figures cheering from the sidewalk. 

Even Luna was surprised by how much he could change in his dream world. She had seen ponies dreaming lucidly and being able to control how the dream goes, but completely changed landscapes at the snap of his claws? That was something she had never seen. 

"So, you wanna prove you can stand against me? Well as these fans are seeing, let's put that to the test." Fury said. They all turned forward and saw a flag mare ready to start the race. The pony stood with a rather seductive stance, as if it was one of the underground kart races taking place. Then, the mare shifted forms and took the shape of Luna herself. 

Cadence chuckled. "You made the flag mare your own girlfriend, really?"

"Hey, can you blame me? She is pretty hot." 

Luna blushed at this. But she shook her head. "Well that is a nice compliment, but don't think that that will make me go easy on you!"

"Never expected you to!" Fury shot back. The dream Luna raised her wings, signifying the race was about to start. The street light turned yellow as they all prepared themselves to take off. The dream Luna looked at them all, seeing if they were ready and stretched her wings to their max.

Fury breathed softly as he readied his power, red lights lining his body as he charged up. Dream Luna began to let her wings fall and once they hit the floor, the light turned green and the race was on!

Night Fury burned out on the start, taking an early lead and trailing smoke behind him as he "Burned Rubber".

"Hasta la vista, ladies!" Fury yelled out, a red lightning contrail replacing the smoke as he gained traction. 

"We'll see about that. Let's show him!" Cadence said. "He forgets he used to have to escape from me at my wedding!"

They all raced quickly forward, taking flight as they all raced down the road. Fury lit up the road in front of him with his neon lights, the streets briefly glowing red as he raced ahead. He then looked behind him and saw that the princesses were catching up to him, slowly coming side by side with him in a five way drag race.

"Well well, looks like you're not as fast as you boast." Celestia spoke, but Fury didn't mind her.

"That's the thing, this isn't just a straight drag race! It's a street race! And it's not the straights that you have to worry about, it's the turns that'll get ya!" Fury called out, pointing ahead to a big neon arrow that pointed left.

Fury slowed down significantly and got behind the racing royalty, turning sideways and beginning his signature drifting move. Smoke billowed from him as his paws skidded across the street, loud screeching noises echoing back and forth across the buildings as he took the turn without losing his speed. 

"It took me awhile to get that move down. But now I am an expert at turning! Can you do that while being speedy?!" Fury challenged.

It seems Celestia and Luna struggled a bit on that turn. But it seems Cadence and Faust were more skilled at turning.

"I've been training too! And I used to race when I was a pegasus all the time!" Cadence said.

"And for me, I just have a lot of experience with this!" Faust said

Those two were catching up with Fury now. Celestia and Luna finally made the turn. 

"Not today! You wanna follow my lead, let's go off the radar! Time to kill the lights!" Fury said confidently as his neon lights and contrail disappeared and he was lost in the shadows of the streets. 

"Hey where did Fury go?!" Cadence asked. "I can't see him!"

Celestia thought about this. "It does not matter if we can't see him. All we must do is get to the finish line. And besides we will be able to hear his speed and breath and possible boasting."

So they kept speeding ahead. It was a longer track than usual. Fury seemed to be making this race a bigger challenge than usual. They made two more turns and we're coming up to a hairpin turn when a change in the atmosphere was sensed by them all.

"I think he's getting close, I can feel it!" Cadence said. Just as she did, Fury popped out from a side alley and lit himself back up. The red light caught the pink alicorn off guard and she wobbled a bit in mid air before correcting her trajectory.

"I'm back baby! You guys better get ready, because this race is about to get into my territory!" 

"What are you talking about?!" Cadence asked.

"What I mean is, you're gonna have to do some jumping and ducking obstacles. Keep your eyes peeled!" Fury said. "Welcome to the Jungle!"

The race course started to have more greenery and they could see a few logs on the ground and other tripping hazards that would really slow them down.

"And to add to the list, I'm turning the lights out! I don't need 'em anyway!" Fury said, turning his lights off.

"Ugh, it's so dark! But Fury can't be doing better than us in the dark, right?" Cadence inquired.

"Sorry, Cadence, but he was born for this! What's the one thing that cats like him have in common?" Celestia asked her. Cadence dodged a tree and thought about the question, then she came to an answer.

"Oh right, night vision! I should have known! Well he has an advantage in that department." 

"Well, except for one." Luna said. "And that would be me. I have excellent night vision. I don't have to be as careful." Luna said easily jumping and flying from obstacles.

"Fury! Do you really think you were the only one adept at the night. Well I am the ruler of the night!" Luna said.

"Not on my watch!" Fury said, speeding up. A small sonic wave pulsed from behind him as his speed increased. Not so fast that he broke the sound barrier, but fast enough to make a small blast. 

"I will not let you do this! I will show you how fast I can be when I want to!" Luna said, chasing him down. The other three princesses were a few feet behind them, dodging branches and sharp plants until they were greeted by an open field with a dirt road.

"Wide open space, perfect! Now I can really open it up!" Fury said to himself as he went even faster, his aura becoming brighter as he ran. 

This was his chance! His way to run as much as he wanted. No obstacles. No troubles. He could speed up as much as he wanted.

But as heard the hoofsteps from behind, he realized that advantage was not unique to him.

"Uh oh. Looks like they are finally catching up! Better use more reserve power!" Fury directed the power to his legs and pushed harder, his aura burning bright like a shooting start as he raced through the open field with his powers whirring. The wind blasted his face as he ran, whistling and whooshing flooding his ears as he began to increase the gap. 

"Ah yes this is the experience I was always dying for!" Fury said. "Pure adrenaline! Of course now I have to hurry to the finish line or this boy will be outta gas."

Luckily for Fury, he finally saw the finish line.

"How are we going to catch up to him?!" Cadence asked.

Faust said, "Use your imagination!"

Cadence used her memories for some ideas. She did remember an ancient pony princess technique where the stallion would throw the princess as quickly as possible. And though there was no Shining Armor, the idea could still apply 

"Aunt Tia! How about you throw me like a lance right past Fury!" Cadence said.

Celestia smiled. "With pleasure, my niece! Come over here!" Luna and Faust helped Cadence up to Celestia and Celestia braced herself and…

WOOSH

Cadence flew up above her aunt and shot straight towards the feline in front of her. Fury had no idea she was catching up until a dust cloud and a pink blue filled his vision.

"See ya later, kitty cat!" She called out. Fury felt a vein pop in his head, he was not happy. At this point, all of his rational thinking went out the window as he went full speed demon.

"Oh no you don't! This is my race, and I'm not gonna let some wannabe love doctor take what's mine!" He said as he floored the figurative throttle and blasted after Cadence. 

At this point, Fury was using every bit of his power. He admitted his body was feeling worn out but that didn't matter. He was going to go past the princesses no matter what.

Cadence now realized she was in a troublesome position. Fury was running at a speed she had usually not seen. Now Cadence knew what it was like when she chased him down. Fury's body pulsed red, building up a charge that he didn't know he was building. His vision warped and turned as he went faster and faster until… he heard a ping in his ear and the stress of his power release.

Fury was still running at speed, but now it felt as if he wasn't even trying hard at all. Luke the stress of his running just instantly dissipated. Fury looked ahead to the leading Cadence and the princesses behind him, he felt as if he could dust them with no problem. And that's exactly what he did. 

"Woohoo! I feel alive! I feel awake like I never have before!" Fury yelled. He noticed his black fur glowed a hot red and his usually gray birthmark went a bright white.

"What in Equestria is going on with him?!" Luna asked.

"I think, my daughter, he has reached the next level." Faust said.

"Don't stop me now! Cause I'm havin' a good time!" Fury said as he dashed forward. A sonic boom thundered behind him, shattering the dirt surface and sending a visible shockwave pulsing behind him.

It almost knocked the princesses over. And as for Cadence, he finally caught up with her. 

"Long time no see, eh Cadence?" He said smugly. 

"Yeah. And you look different." Cadence admitted. 

"Yeah, because I'm done playing around! So watch this!"

He sped up again as quickly as possible, crackles of electric charge billowing from his body as he rattled the road, his powers whirred like never before. He was going so fast that he was almost pure energy, racing towards his goal as fast as he could until… 

"He did it!" Faust said. "He made it past the finish line!"

"I have not seen a power like that in millennia." Celesia said. "I guess dreams have the potential to show what powers one can truly have." 

Then a white light appeared down the path, an almost blinding entity as Fury continued to race towards it. The dreamscape began to warp one last time, the previously visible forest disappearing behind them.

"What's happening now?" Celestia asked.

"He is beginning to awaken. The spell we cast didn't last forever, and I suspect the amount of passive energy he just expelled managed to break the hold on our minds." Luna answered. 

"Does that mean we're going to wake up?" Cadence asked. "It's a shame, it was so fun in here."

"Perhaps we shall add this to our secret society, a way to relax and have fun when options in the waking world have been exhausted?" Luna suggested, getting her mother's attention.

"Oooh, a secret society? Pray tell, who came to the idea of such a thing?" Faust asked.

"Night Fury did. We came to a unanimous decision along with me, Luna, Cadence, and Fury's mother to form this society. We made it as a way to let out our inner silliness and to lay back once in a while. We have been forever grateful that he came up with the idea as it has actively made our lives less dull." Celestia explained. 

The world was starting to whiten now.

"I am glad to see you all come up with such an imaginative idea." Faust said. "I am proud of all you troublemakers." She said with a smile. "Well, I guess it's time to go back to the real world."

Everything glowed a bright white then pure black.

-

Luna opened her eyes and let out a yawn, the sleeping spell finally wearing off. Her fellow followed suit as they all returned to the waking world. But as somewhat expected, Fury resisted the spell's effects and continued to snooze. Although, now he was glowing the same colors as he was in his dreamscape as he slept. 

"He still has those colors." Celestia remarked. "So it didn't just happen in the dream world?"

"He must have mustered up so much energy that the effects happened out here." Cadence commented. "But, if that's the case… then do you think he broke past his limits in the real world as well?" 

"When one dreams, it often has effects in the real world too." Luna said. "I have had many powers starting out from simply a slumber."

"Amazing!" Cadence admitted. She then looked at the snoozing feline. "Aww, look at how cute he looks. He's so adorable!"

"Indeed. My lightning bug is very adorable. It is for me, his greatest skill." Luna gave him a kiss on the head, prompting him to roll over onto his back and expose his underside. 

"I think I know what this calls for." Celestia said.

"Is it… a belly rub?" Faust asked.

"Are you sure we should disturb him? He seems to be snoozing well." Cadence said.

"Aww, have you lost your appetite for mischief? Now that's a shame." Luna said sarcastically. 

"It's just… after a whole bunch of activity in that sleep I don't know if I would want to disturb it. And anyways, what if he goes bonkers on me?" Cadence said.

"Cadence, my grand niece, you think too hard. Sometimes you must simply go with it. Especially when you see an unrubbed belly. Whenever you see a cat's belly exposed, you must fulfill the deed!" Faust wisely instructed Cadence. "Unless you are a chicken."

"Um, excuse you? No great aunt of mine calls me chicken!" Cadence said, moving over to Night Fury. She looked at him with almost child-like curiosity, wondering how he'd react. Then she raised her hoof up to his belly and began to rub. Fury hummed quietly as she made contact, his ears seemingly dancing on his head in sleepy delight. 

"Oh yeah. Yeah! Yeah, that's the spot! I like that!" Fury said in sleep.

All of the princesses chuckled at this. Fury was, despite being a fierce predator, he was still like any feline. Loving his belly to be scratched.

"He's so adorable. I could just nuzzle and snuggle him!" Cadence said.

"Well, why not? You're already treating him like a giant pet, why not give him more love? That is what you're known for." Celestia spoke. 

Cadence's heart gained resolve and determination.

"Very well! I shall do so! Behold the petting prowess of the princess of love!" Cadence said. She then got low and laid back down next to him, wrapping her hooves around him and nuzzling his snout. Fury began to purr like usual, vibrating as he curled up with her.

"Awww, you two look so cute together! How about I get a turn? I want to get to know my son-in-law." Lauren said with a motherly voice. 

Cadence nodded. "Go for it."

Faust was ready. She looked with eagerness. She gave him a belly rub and caressed his forehead. And even booped his snout. Just like she would with a pet.

"I see why you love him so much, Luna. He is fierce and cute all at the same time. I look forward to embracing him within our family." Faust said, wrapping him under her wing. Luna was happy her mother approved of her lover, she truly felt as if he was a part of who she was and what she wanted.

"I'm glad you see him the way I do, mother. He has given me much hope in my future and I don't intend on letting him get away from me." Luna said. Just then, Fury began to wake up and let out a yawn, surprising Lauren with his rather large gape and sharp teeth.

"Wow, he has some big teeth. I've never seen such a terrifying amount of chompers ever."  Faust said with surprise. 

"Heh, just one of the perks of being me. You can surprise even the biggest creatures with just a smile." Fury said simply. "I had a good rest. It felt like someone was massaging me. And wait… why are you guys so close, hmmm? Hoping to use me as a pillow eh?" Fury said, chuckling.

"As much as that would be enticing, no. We're just happy you're back to normal. You're back to laughing like you used to."

Even Fury didn't notice at first. But he had to admit he felt much less stressed than he did these past days.

"Yeah I guess so. I do feel better! And I have you ladies to thank for that." Fury said. "And um… I'm sorry if I blew up at you guys. I didn't realize how far I was going. I never wanted to hurt you all."

"Hey, no more feeling negative! You are to be happy and joyful in our presence!" Luna said, grabbing his face and coming nose to nose with him. 

"How can I be negative when I have my ray of moonlight right in front of me." Fury said as he went in to give her a peck.

Luna went further and made it into a full blown kiss. They held the kiss for several seconds, completely ignoring who was around them as they passionately made out. Once they separated and had a little giggle, Fury looked at Lauren and began to panic. Did he really just make out in front of Luna's mother with no remorse!? 

"Uh, well- uh… Sorry, ma'am. I might have been a little too forward there. I-I was just a bit caught up in the heat of the uh… moment." Fury said embarrassed. Lauren stayed quiet for the moment and began to move towards him, Fury backing up in fear until he was pinned against Celestia's side and unknowingly holding her for support as if she would save her. 

"Young speed shifter, I see you have taken an interest in my daughter very much. Do you treat her like a princess?" Faust asked.

"Y-yes!" He squeaked. 

"Do you love her with every fiber of your being, Fury?"

"Yes…" He replied, starting to get quiet.

"You have shown me that your love for her shows no bounds, no matter who sees you. Including me. Now, I must ask you the age-old question… What are your intentions with my daughter?" Faust asked.

Fury froze up, almost shivering in fear at what he thought would be the end of his life. He got so scared that he let out a high pitched squeak and transformed into a hedgehog, curling up into a ball and sharpening his spikes with a slight… 

Shing! 

"Well? Are you going to just stand there, all rolled up or will you answer my question?" Faust asked.

Fury was still scared and didn't say anything. Faust now realized that she may not have made it clear that she was just messing with him.

"Oh dear, have I gone too far? I was just messing with him." She said, looking at the shivering spike ball.

"You may have been joking, mother, but you do tend to have a certain amount of smoldering intensity when speaking. Even if it was a joke, he didn't see it that way. He is still rather new to having a relationship after all." Celestia said, stroking the shaking ball of spines with a golden clad hoof in an effort to calm his nerves. 

Faust softened a bit and caressed the hedgehog lightly. "Fury, I didn't mean to scare you. I already knew you were worthy of my daughter's love. I trust you like no one else. And I won't vaporize you just for kissing your girlfriend. What kind of mother would I be then?" Faust said. "So how about you transform back, my future son in law?"

Fury was still shaking. All balled up. But over time he opened up. And then he transformed back to normal.

"That's more like it!" Faust said. "Now, let me see you smile." 

Fury slowly smiled with his teeth exposed. It was a bit awkward. 

"Hmmm… more of an awkward grin than a smile. Let's see if we can change that." 

Lauren then scooped Fury up and held him in her forelegs, resting her head on top of his. Fury looked up at her and wore a confused look for a few seconds before relaxing into the hold and smiled fully.

"There we go, feeling better?" She asked.

"Yeah, much better." Fury hummed. "But wait, we still have to deal with Pyro Flare and Tirek, they said they'd be back. What should we do about that?"

The princesses all took a moment to think about the situation. They knew that the two would return more powerful to combat them and to attempt to take over Equestria once more, they had to do something about it. Then, Lauren spoke up. 

"We will deal with them when the time comes. They may still be a threat, but they have been dealt with for now. They may return tomorrow or a few months from now, but we now have time to plan and revise our strategy." Lauren explained, getting approval from the surrounding area.

"Mother is right, we have the time to get together and think of how to defend ourselves against them once they return. We must take advantage of the time we have bought for ourselves." Luna said.

"Auntie Luna is right, we can put our heads together and think of a way to deal with them for good. But, the only way we can do that is if everypony is in the right state of mind. And in my honest opinion, Fury needs to relax and re-center himself." Cadence said.

Fury was almost taken aback at the suggestion of not immediately going back to working on defending Equestria, but Celestia spoke up before he could share his objections. 

"I agree with Cadence, you need to decompress from all of that stress you have bottled up so you can function efficiently. It's no use trying to think of a plan when you can't focus on what you need to." Celestia suggested. Fury wanted to object and say he was okay, but she made a fair point. He was still in a bit of stress from having to go up against Tirek and Pyro Flare, he did need to decompress and relieve his stress.

"Yeah, you're right. I am still a little scattered from the fight and my inner demon coming out. I really need to relax." Fury admitted. The princesses were glad he was able to identify his faults and accept them.

"Good, you see that you have to reorientate your train of thought before we do anything. And I have just the thing." Celestia spoke as she gave a motherly smile and led the group to another part of the castle to help Fury destress.
> Chapter 37: Rest And Revision
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Night Fury, he was curious what the other princesses had in mind when they mentioned destress. He was imagining different ideas it could be from pranks, to tag, and strangely, eating contests.

"So, you ladies gonna keep hiding your plans from me or what?" Fury asked with eagerness.

"Oh be patient, will you? Seriously, with all of the meditation you Speed Shifters do, I'd expect you to have astounding amounts of patience." Celestia said.

"Hey, being eager is what makes me… Me! So have some respect for the fact that you still have me around, old timer."

Celestia rolled her eyes. "Yes, we respect that fact, wildcat. The other princesses are getting the surprise set up as we speak. Trust me that it will be stunning."

"Considering who I'm speaking to, I expect to be lifted up on Cloud 9 when I see this."

Suddenly Fury heard the doors open. Faust, Cadence and Luna finally came in. They both had eager proud smiles.

"We are ready! The moment is at hoof." Luna said. "I hope you will attend, lightning bug."

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't going to, Moonpie." Fury let out an exaggerated sigh. "Well, let's see what you guys think will calm my nerves."

And so Fury followed the other princesses to see what this surprise they have in store is.

They kept on walking through Canterlot. Cadence pointed at a giant red and white tent.

"Behold! The Circus of Fun and Mayhem! Here you will encounter the goofiest and silliest things ever. From trampolines, to breathing fire out of nostrils and more." Cadence said. "I should point out Pinkie Pie had some help in making this circus. I hope that won't scare you."

Fury was amazed, he had never seen a circus tent or even been to a circus in general. He had no idea this was his fate and he was left stunned.

"How in the name of Luna's flanks did you do this?! Isn't the whole city in lockdown because of Tirek and Pyro?"

"This circus has been here since Canterlot's founding. It's helped ponies through many crises. And has given everyone both young and old a thrill ride even in times of invasion. The circus members are quite tough and are former Canterlot guards too, so they know how to be tough." Luna explained. Fury looked up to the giant tent and stared, he was internally battling his own conscience to accept the help as he had problems with asking for such in the past. This would be his first time going to a circus and he had no idea what to expect, but in order to get over his stress, he had to take the chance.

"Alright, let's head inside and see this circus. First time I'll be seeing one too." He said, walking with the princesses in tow through the entrance and into the tent. They walked through a dark tunnel, hearing distant horns and laughing as they got closer to the inside. 

As the light from the inner chamber lit up their eyes, they were greeted with an array of wild and untamed show props that zipped and zoomed back and forth. Ponies with colorful makeup bounced and sprang every which way, some coming close to the five of them and laughing in their faces. Fury was so off put by the at first creepy looking 'Clowns' and let out a squeak of fear before backing up and cowering beneath Celestia's underside for protection. 

"Heh, it seems you have quite a liking for clowns do you not?" Celestia asked. 

"Yeah, they're just trying to amuse you!" Cadence said to the shaking Fury. 

Fury felt something touch his tail, making his eyes widen and his fear rise. Lo and behold a clown with a big red nose was right behind him with a hoof on his slack tail. 

"Why hello buddy! You havin' fun in the Land of Amusement don't be shy woohoohoohoo!" The clown said. Fury however, didn't find this greeting funny as he got so scared that he turned into a chicken and ran around as if he had no head, clucking like crazy. 

"Get away from me you crazy big nosed psychos!" Fury said.

Luckily the clown seemed to be back in the circus area away from him.

"Is this what you ladies consider amusing?" Fury asked. "These guys who look like they have a bad case of allergies?"

The others laughed.

"Oh Fury, everyone is scared of clowns at first. Especially children. But you grow to learn their amusements over time." Faust said. "Tell you what, how about you walk with me and I'll show you a good place to observe so you may see these balls of fun in their full glory."?" 

Fury didn't respond to the alicorn's offer, only letting out some quiet clucks of nervousness as he looked back at the main area. 

"Just come with us, scaredy cat!" Cadence said, dragging Fury to a special area reserved for royalty.

Fury saw the clowns riding unicycles. Sometimes on a tightrope and even jumping through fire rings. It seemed that the clowns were fighting each other as well with pie throwing. Fury just stayed silent as he was dragged along, his form shifting back to his normal self as he got a good look at  the weird and slightly frightening action. 

"Well, Fury, are you impressed by the skills of this army of clowns?" Cadence asked.

"I know I'm supposed to be impressed. And I kind of am. But they still look like  crazy serial killers waging gang warfare on each other." Fury said.

Cadence smirked. "You are a very poetic feline. But you need to relax, this is supposed to be fun! Trust me, all those heebie jeebies will be completely gone once you get to know the show."

"Wait, what do you mean 'know the show'?" Fury asked, confused.

"Well, Lightning Bug," Luna said. "One of the most classic ways to show the wonders of clowns is through a little… audience participation. It is what made me like them. At one time, we were all just like you. Afraid of the makeup and shivering like we had frostbite when they got close."

Fury was terrified at these words. "Wait when you say audience participation, you don't mean…?"

Suddenly a loud voice came out of nowhere.

"LADIES AND GENTLECOLTS! WE HAVE AT OUR GRAND CIRCUS A NEW VISITOR!" Lights shined onto Fury. "Our great ambassador needs a helping hoof into understanding the show we provide! Shall we give him a bit of fun?!"

"Yeahhhh!" The audience shouted, including the princesses.

"Then let's give it to him!" 

All of a sudden some acrobatic clowns came to Fury and put a clown nose on him and some white powder on his face.

"Hey, let me go! This goes against my rights!" Fury said to the princesses.

"Fury, have you ever been shot out of a cannon before?" Celestia asked.

"No, and I never intended to, you giant goose!"

"Well today you shall know!" said one of the clowns. "Send him to the Big One!!!!"

An army of clowns grabbed Fury and took him to a big cannon where a pink earth pony was waiting.

"Wait a minute… Pinkie!?!" Fury called out. 

"Yepperoni! A lot of ponies don't realize I'm also a part time clown. It's always fun to make others smile with our big goofy outfits and antics!" Pinkie said.

"Huh, I guess I should have expected that. But that's besides the point! I never asked for this! Those royal weirdos said that they were gonna help me calm my nerves, not send me to the insane asylum!"

"You'll be real calm after this whole ordeal is done. That I can promise!" Pinkie said. "But enough talk.  Alright fellas… Load him in!"

The clowns took the reluctant Speed Shifter and stuffed him into what turned out to be Pinkie's Party Cannon. Pinkie lit the fuse.

"Prepare to go on a magical mystical journey of fun and wonder in 3… 2… 1… NOW!"

BOOM!

Fury burst out of the cannon at a speed approaching the speed of sound. 

His first destination was a bunch of trampolines and springs. He also had to avoid the cannon balls that flew around him.

"Whoa! Oof! Oof!" Fury sprang and bounced all over the place, much to the amusement of the crowd. His legs flailed and waved around as he bounced out of his own control, making one final bounce upward until he stood on a hard surface that allowed him to catch his breath.

Fury finally reached a platform in the air. He breathed a sigh of relief. "At least it's over."

But he spoke too soon. Pinkie sprang up out of nowhere with some other clowns and grabbed him.

"Get ready for Part II everypony!" Pinkie called out. The clowns threw him into a tight wire, watching as he wobbled in an attempt to keep his balance. The spotlights on the ground pointed up to the feline above, catching everyone's eyes as he stood in the high wire.

"Oh by the gods, why?!" Fury cried out. "Luckily I've been through this before. I just gotta breathe in and breathe out as Dad always said."

Fury kept on walking, narrowly avoiding the cannon balls and the occasional pie. Fury looked down and saw his girlfriend looking up at him in awe, he could tell she was at least impressed at how adaptive he was with all of this chaos. Then, Fury felt a new level of confidence. His fear dissipated and his mind went clear, as if knowing who was watching the show gave him the confidence to keep going.

Fury then began to smile confidently as he decided to go with the flow and leave his fear behind. 

"Hey Pinkie, give me a giant beach ball! I'm gonna do a balance act!"

"Oooh, looks like we have a daring one here folks! Well here ya go!" Pinkie threw a beach ball at Fury and Fury balanced it on his nose. He held onto the ball, carefully adjusting his weight to help his balance. He then decided to take it up a notch and began to rise up onto his back legs, holding his forelimbs to his chest as he walked slowly forward.

The crowd was going wild with excitement at his walking on two legs.

"All hail Night Fury the Magnificent!" said one onlooker. Everyone repeated how magnificent he looked. 

Fury felt like he was the best clown around. But he wasn't done.

"Oh, you think that's good?! Watch this!" Fury extended the claws on his hind legs and gripped the wire tight. He also moved the beach ball down to his tail, allowing him to do the impossible…

"Sweet Celestia, he's walking the high wire upside down!"

The crowd didn't cry in excitement this time, for they were tense, worrying he might fall. For a moment there was silence.

"Whoaaaa!" Fury cried out. 

The crowd screamed for him to be alright and to not fall.

"Don't worry folks I was just yanking your chains! I'm in 100% control!"

The crowd now was even more excited by Fury the Magnificent's feats. Fury flipped back over and decided to move into his next move.

"Hey, leotard girls! How about some crossbar action?" He called to the acrobats on the other side.

"You got it, Fury! Alright girls, you know what to do! Let's not disappoint the audience!" The acrobats climbed and jumped their way over to Fury, forming a pyramid of which he was at the bottom of.

"Alright big guy, get ready to jump and grab!"

"You got it! We'll go in… Say it with me folks, on the count of three!" He said addressing the audience.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"ONE! DO IT!"

Fury ran forward to build up some speed. It was a bit tough with so many athletes on him but he saw it as a challenge. At the very last moment, he jumped and let all of the acrobats fall with him as the two crossbars swang up to them while the spotlights tracked their descent.

Fury was normally not one for these types of high altitude acrobatic stunts, but he felt like he was a natural. Everyone else sure thought so.

"Yes, my Lightning Bug, go forth and prove your worthiness!" Luna said enthusiastically to which Faust and Celestia looked amused at her enthusiasm.

Just then, the acrobats and Fury grabbed onto the flying crossbars and began to swing. Fury took the chance to show off his athletics and flipped at the height of the swing before switching to the other bar. He then looked down and saw the clowns below setting up for their comedy act and decided to join in.

"Alright ladies, this is my stop! Time for a little comedy!" Fury called out. The acrobats nodded to him and sent him flying, almost hitting the top most part of the tent before plummeting to the ground. He saw a big ball that the clowns were balancing on and decided that he would kick off the comedy with a little surprise landing.

"Geronimo!!!" He let go and fell swiftly onto the ball. And when he did so, he bounced up and down on the ball. He was, after some initial struggles, able to keep his balance on the ball. The other clowns were surprised, they had never seen such a skilled landing before.

"Oh hey guys, how about we kick this comedy act off?" He said.

He decided to roll the ball with himself guiding the ball. The crowd was eager at this new clown. It was not everyday someone new could be so skilled in these stunts. Fury saw some other clowns also rolling balls. He had a mischievous grin as he converged on the others' balls.

"Here I come! Cannon ball!" Fury cried out as he made contact with the other giant beach balls. To make it even more intense he glowed with some of his energy as he collided with his targets and…

BOOM! BZZZZZ!

The giant balls ricochet back and forth in the ground, catching all of the clowns in a pinball frenzy as Fury's energy propelled the balls in a multi-colored bumper ball bash. Once the balls seized movement, all of the clowns converged on Fury, continuing the act.

Two mares linked legs and flipped around him, eventually grabbing him and flinging him into a pile of hay. Nothing but his rear end sticking out of the pile to much of the crowd's amusement.

"Oh, I see you're amused eh?" Fury said as he slapped his rear end. He then jumped up and leaped on to the haystack with all his red energy.

The crowd was going wild. 

"Ladies and gentlecolts!" Fury said. "I have given you quite a treat today! I never thought I'd have so much fun. But I need a reward. A reward for all my stunts I have risked for you and I think you know what a big boy like me wants!" He said pointing to his mouth.

"Oh, are you hungry, big guy?" Pinkie said, popping out of her cannon. "Well, do I have a treat for you! But I can't do it alone, I'm gonna need some help. Oh, Cheese Sandwich~"

Suddenly, a mysterious stallion emerged from the shadows.

"Well, Boneless, the people have spoken. Am I to deny our champion his just rewards? No. No I shall not! Behold Fury, you shall have your grilled cheese sandwiches!" He said as he lit his own giant cannon right at Fury's face.

BOOM!

A slew of grilled cheese sandwiches came right toward Night Fury. Fury had to act fast.

"Alright, time to show these clowns how us Speed Shifters get down in funky town!"

Fury jumped up and caught the first sandwich in his mouth, munching on it like he wasn't even trying.

"Mmmm! Colby Jack, not bad!" Then, he went to the next one. He jumped up high and caught it, flipping over and landing on all fours.

"Oooh, a Mexicolt 6 blend! How exotic!" Fury said, turning his attention to a batch of three headed towards him.

He did a front flip to catch the first…

"Nice, cheddar cheese!"

Then a side flip for the second…

"Delicious! Monterey Jack!"

And finally a barrel roll to catch the final one.

"And some perfectly melted swiss, talk about tasty!"

"And that's all folks! We have a perfectly cheesy cat here today!" Cheese Sandwich said. The audience laughed at this.

"Thank you very much Cheese Sandwich!" Pinkie said. "And now for the final touch a bit of dessert! Fury, you ready?!"

"I was born ready!" Fury said.

Pinkie launched a pie filled with grapes first to Fury's delight.

"Got it!" He said as he jumped up and caught it with a big purple splatter.

"Mmmm, so tasty! Next one please!"

"Up next! Strawberry Shortcake! Said to be popular in some far away lands!" Pinkie lobbed it at him in a high arc.

"Gotta gain some height for this one…" He said to himself as he transformed into a kangaroo. "Alley Oop!"

He bounced up high and grabbed the cake, eating it in one hire.

"Yum, it's super sweet! Alright, make this next one a challenge, Pinkie!" 

"Roger that, kitty cat!" Pinkie aimed her cannon to the left, right towards the private box where Luna was.

"Alright, Fury, next up is a blueberry pie. Let's see if you can catch this pie before it hits your Moonpie!" Pinkie said as she ripped the launch cord and sent the pie flying towards the private box.

"Oh no, my sweet Night Fury, save me!" Luna said in pretend trouble.

For Fury, he was determined not to let a good pie get away from him. He jumped up using all his energy to get to the pie.

His mouth was opened and the pie went straight into his mouth. He could taste the blueberry. He had successfully saved Luna and most of all his own appetite.

"Well that's all folks!" Pinkie cried out. 'What did you think of the food, Mr. Fury?"

"Totally tasty! I'd have to say those were the best foods I've tasted Pie far!" Fury joked, a classic rim shot accenting the pun.

"Ha ha ha ha! You're as skilled at tricks and eating as you are with your jokes!" Pinkie said. "Everypony give our Ambassador an applause!"

Everyone cheered for Night Fury. "Woohoo! Go Fury the Magnificent!"

Fury felt like the king today. And to think he was worried at first. He decided to give a few words.

"Everyone I just have to say, I was not expecting to enjoy this. I mean you guys, no offense, have big red noses that look like you got a bad case of allergies."

The clowns and the audience laughed at this. "Yeah, we can be pretty scary." Pinkie admitted.

"But! But… you guys have proven how much work and skill goes into entertainment! And that I can surely respect! Not to mention the delicious foods! So the princesses might have been rather mischievous today, but I'm always down for some good natured fun!" Fury said, looking at the princesses.

"And just so you know, I wouldn't have cared if I missed and that pie hit your face, Moonpie."

The audience awwed as Luna blushed and smiled at this. Faust was thankful that Luna had such a charming coltfriend.

"I see that you two have a very blessed relationship, I wonder what it would be like if Tia was the one who fell for you?" Faust pondered aloud.

"Eh, she isn't for me. And besides, I can't imagine having a girlfriend with toothpick legs and practically a sword for a horn." 

The crowd gasped at his daring statement.

"You seem to be in a spicy mood, Mr. Fury!" Pinkie said. "Shall I send you up to the princesses with my cannon?" 

"Fire away!" Fury said as he jumped into one Pinkie's cannon.

"Oh, and Pinkie… mind if you point it right at Princess Sunbutt? I just wanna prove a point." Fury said, smirking.

"If you insist!" Pinkie said. "Fire away!"

BOOM!

Fury was shot up into the air and right towards Princess Celestia.

"What the-?"

The black cat collided directly with Celestia causing them to roll around a bit.

When they finally stopped, Celestia felt dizzy.

"Ughhhhhh…" Celestia groaned.

"Ya see folks? She's so much bigger than me, I landed directly on her and I've got no scratches on me! Talk about a giant living cushion! Ha! Thanks for catching my fall."

The crowd though trying to resist laughing, Fury could tell there were chuckles and a few who could not resist.

"My my Fury, you sure like to be silly, do you not?" Faust said, walking to him.

"If your daughter wasn't such a prime target to rip on constantly, maybe I'd be more mellow. Either way, she's a big target whether she likes it or not. And now that I've met you, I see where she gets it from. Isn't that right, mega marshmallow 2.0?"

The crowd gasped once more, looking in anticipation.

Faust was simply silent and gave a soft smile.

"You are quite brave to say such things. But you do know there are consequences to saying such things, right?" Faust asked with a smirk. Celestia also appeared the same.

"What are you ladies going to do about it, hmmmm?" Fury dared them. "All of your old tricks don't work on me anymore, I'm a lot tougher than I was before. Is there anything you can do now? And besides, Lauren, you barely know me as is."

Faust chuckled at this.

"Oh believe me Fury, I already know you well enough to know all your tricks. And besides you could say the same thing about me." Faust said. "I've lived longer than you have, boy. I know what mischievous tricksters like you like to do."

Fury looked unfazed, he didn't see this as much to worry about in the long term. He wasn't the same as he was before. He was more powerful, he wasn't as gullible, and most importantly… he knew they couldn't just pull the age old trick of just tickling him because he had learned to resist it.

"Well, I'm sorry Faust. But if you think I'll fall for the same old tickling trap my mom and your daughters kept doing to me, then you're just being set up to be disappointed." Fury said with a smirk. "If you want to tickle me again, be my guest. I can surely outrun you marshmallows."

Faust and Celestia nodded. 

Celestia commented. "It looks like you didn't fall for our bluff. You have gotten wiser as well it seems. But I cannot just let you get away with your motor mouth. I will find a way to make you submit." Celestia pondered.

"Go ahead and try. These ponies got to see me in a show, let's see if you can put on a better act."

Celestia kept thinking. Then her mother had a "Eureka" moment.

"You might not fear me or Celestia combined. But I know of one pony who has always been your conqueror." Faust said with a smirk.

"You talking about Sombra, cause he's just a bad joke to me." Fury said not batting an eye.

Faust shook her head. "No. I am talking about your dear love. Your Moonpie. Luna." Faust turned to Luna. "What do you think, Luna? He has been trashing me a bit. Mind if you teach him a lesson for your mother."

Luna had an evil smile. "With pleasure, mother." She walked to Fury. "So Fury, do you think you can really get away with your roasts unscathed?"

"What exactly do you have in mind this time?" Fury asked. Luna gave him a sly grin as she ignited her magic. Her form began to shift and change as she flew to the center of the tent, and in a bright flash… Fury had his jaw hanging open as he looked up at the overarching figure that now cast a shadow above him.

"Remember, Fury, you're not the only one with the ability of transformation." Luna said as she revealed her form as a giant kangaroo. But it was different in that she was even taller. Her legs looked stronger. She seemed like a more powerful form than what Fury was familiar with. Giant kangaroos were some of the few creatures that could match Fury.

"Aww…. Scrap." He moaned. Luna picked him up and placed him on her muzzle, her big eyes looking down on him with a mischievous glint.

"Uh… you don't scare me!" Fury said in vain.

"Oh well, I don't wish to scare you. I simply want to snuggle with you!" Luna said, hugging him very deeply. It was a sort of bear hug.

On one paw, Fury felt uncomfortable at this tight hug. It seems Luna developed strength from before. But on the other paw, he did love the warm feeling of being hugged by his girlfriend. The crowd awwwed at the cute sight of affection, but there was more to come.

"You seem a bit tense, Fury. Perhaps what you need is a masseuse!" Luna laid Fury on her knees. And decided to knead all the tight areas in Fury.

"Ooh! Aaah! Gaaah! Ahhh!" Fury said feeling both pressure, embarrassment and relief all combined into one. 

"Okay, this isn't so bad. I was feeling a bit tight in the back anyway."

Pinkie giggled at this. 

"Awwww, it looks like even if you resist you are enjoying yourself, Fury the Magnificent! It must be because you love her so much that you can't resist!"

"Yeah… pretty much. I can't seem to feel embarrassed by this at all. Did you two think that a little massage by my girlfriend would be embarrassing?" He said to the three princesses down below.

"Maybe a little." Faust said. "But I figured you would grow to enjoy it since she is your One True Love. And it seems like with many things I was right!"

"Well, you weren't the first one to show me that was possible. Isn't that right, Cady?"

Cadence chuckled. "Yep! I remember well. You used to be uncomfortable with all the touching and feeling. You thought you were too cool for snuggles. I even had to teach you the proper cuddle techniques with some video tapes! But now you seem to know better." Cadence admitted. "And for that, I give you a Medal of Affection." She said, giving a heart shaped medal to him.

"Awesome! It almost feels like an early birthday present! By the way, I'll make sure to pay you back for those cuddles someday. Just you wait."

"That sounds like a challenge." Cadence said with a smirk. "I will be ready for whatever you throw at me."

"Aww, how sweet! Look at that folks! Could you ever imagine that a single cat could have such a huge effect on the most powerful beings in Equestria! Give em a round of applause!" Pinkie commanded.

The crowd seemed to love both the strong romantic feelings with Luna and strong camaraderie with Cadence. It was a fun time for all.

"Well folks, this circus time was better than I thought. I guess if I face killer clowns, I won't be as scared now!" Fury joked. "But now I think it's time for me to make my departure! See you later, you silly ponies!"

The crowd applauded the feline as he and his royal group took their leave and waved to the masses. Fury had to admit, he did feel more relaxed and relieved of his stress. He didn't think that something as chaotic as a circus show would calm his nerves, but being the adrenaline junkie he is, he could see why the princesses would have thought to bring him here. Perhaps they knew more about him than he knew about himself.

Suddenly he heard Cadence chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Celestia asked her.

"Oh nothing. I'm just thinking of how interesting all of this is. Fury can go through swamps and caves and face monsters, but clowns of all things were what made him feel uneasy." Cadence said, chuckling.

Fury laughed back. "Hey, what can I say? Is painting your face white and putting big noses on supposed to be kid friendly? They look more like elite raiders from our village if you ask me. The elders used to give me nightmares about them." He shuddered.

"I can see where that could be seen as a concern. Many parents have come to me during my night court to discuss their child's terrifying nightmares and why I haven't done anything." Luna said. "It is harder than it might seem for a princess of the night to navigate dreams. Fury's dream was a notable exception."

"I aim to please." Fury boasted. "That's why I'm the best of the best. The complete control of my power scares even the baddest underground beaters."

"Of course if we had not sung that song," Faust said. "You would have been in such a grumpy mood, it would have been hard to navigate your dreams."

"Okay, fair enough. But you gotta admit my powers with dreams are pretty powerful." Fury said.

Celestia nodded. "It must be that emperor and all the meditation you do. I hope he is doing well."

"Probably so, but I have to say even he can't understand my power like I do. Like how my birthmark means more than just my position as an All Powerful, but what I represent." Fury said.

"In the past, many All Powerfuls had a mark to signify their position. High Tide, The Ocean Master, had a pattern of waves running down his back. Ground Break, The Terraformer, had rocks and leaves running down her legs. Every All Powerful had their distinct markings. But did you know that those very same marks could identify what they represent in nature?"

The princesses were intrigued by Fury's knowledge of his past predecessors. They continued to listen as they walked.

"As the record stands today, it was believed that after Emperor Snowdrift created our species and became the very first All Powerful, the forces of nature connected with him and gave birth to the line of Speed Shifters that would take his place in the prophecy. And as of that connection, many that came after the emperor were given their distinct mark by that ancient force and were guided along the path that their marks represented." 

"As mentioned before, High Tide had patterns of waves running down his back. But, it was also the mark of what he represented. His mentality was calm and smooth, his ability to adapt and go with the flow being what he was most famously known for. Hence why the forces of nature gave him the waves as his mark, as his calm demeanor and the flow-like state he could achieve, much like the ocean he adored and loved to play in as a cub, made him destined to become a master of controlling water and the waves."

"And likewise, Ground Break was a Shifter who developed nature and life from nothing. From even inhospitable soil she made into beautiful forests. And she was likewise a nurturing motherly Speed Shifter using her powers and her personality to transform others into better forms of themselves." Fury said. "There are so many others too. But that's for another time."

Luna then approached him. "And what about you, Night Fury? What would your mark represent?" 

"Mine? The fast and unpredictable power of lightning! Think about it. Lightning is a force that can't be predicted. Sometimes striking in the same spot multiple times or striking multiple areas. Lightning can be spaced out and slow, but can instantly change its attack speed and strike multiple times in a fraction of a second. Lightning does not have rules, it does what it wants. When faced with an obstacle, it can either quickly redirect and change course in the blink of an eye… Or it can make its own way through and punch paths into the earth!" He said, slamming his paw onto the earth.

"I could tell you had those characteristics about you even before I saw your mark." Cadence said. "Ever since you tried to hog all of my cake I could tell you were someone with lightning fast reflexes and a strong desire to get what you want, especially something to munch on."

"Oh ha ha, very hilarious, Cadenza. But didn't you tell me that when you got your cutie mark, you started flaunting it like you were the hottest thing on the planet? And didn't you also tell me that you even tried to beef up your… assets to fulfill your supposed 'Destiny'?"

Celestia and Luna chuckled at this, while Faust was curious about her grandniece's hijinks.

"What in the world does Fury mean, Cadence?" she said, curious.

"Fury! You were supposed to keep that a secret from others! I don't want others to know about that embarrassing point in my life!" Cadence whined.

"Hey, you like to bring up that cake incident all the time. I think it's fair to return the favor." Fury said mischievously. "And to answer your question, Faust, let's just say she wanted to make herself look more attractive, namely by transforming her body parts to be a bit more… eye catching." Fury chuckled.

"You little! Knock it off!" Cadence said, genuinely embarrassed. "I was young okay?! I was still trying to prove myself!"

"Aw c'mon, Cady, you can admit that your love train needed a bigger… caboose."

"And your noggin needs a bigger brain!" Cadence shot back.

"Oh burn!" Fury said sarcastically. "Maybe I do, but at least I didn't have a need to have a… How should I say this… Rear heavy build to get someone to notice me. Ain't that right, jelly tush?"

Cadence was blushing red in both embarrassment and rage. "Well, Shining Armor seems to appreciate my physique! He always says how beautiful I look! And he is more of a gentlecolt than you'll ever be!" She shot back.

"Uh oh, baby needs her bottle. Or do you prefer it straight from someone else's nethers, considering you're so much of a suck up?" Fury said, roasting her.

"Is he always this… how should we say… spicy with his words?" Faust asked Celestia.

"Nearly every day, but we know and love him for it… Mostly." Celestia responded with a sheepish grin.

Cadence was still a little grumpy. "I'll teach you a lesson for this one day, just you wait!" She grumbled.

"I just hope it isn't too long. I don't want to have to visit you in a retirement home eating mushy peas and watching game shows." Fury said.

"Ah thank you, Fury!" Luna said. "I always hated those shows Cadence would show me!" She shuddered at the thought. 

"Yeah you're way cooler, Moonpie!" Fury said as he got closer to her. "We creatures of the night have better taste anyways."

At this point, Cadence was fuming. Her eyes twitched in anger and steam practically wafted from her nose as she looked on at the two. 

"You… are so gonna get it. I am gonna get you so good, you'll be weeping like a puppy." She snorted.

"Yeah, at least we aren't yapping like a bitter old dog!" Fury shot back.

"Oh snap!" Luna said in an unusually modern slang. "You have just gotten served, niece!"

"Oh that's it! You're so dead, whiskers!" Cadence said, grabbing onto him and teleporting away.

"Do you think she'll actually kill him?" Faust asked.

"No, I could see a bit of a smile on her face. I could tell she was intrigued by his savage comebacks. At the most, I'd say she'll show him that he hasn't gotten as resistant to tickling as he thinks." Celestia said.

"I suggest we follow them, this may get interesting." Luna said. Celestia and Lauren nodded in agreement to her suggestion and followed the two others to wherever they went.

-

Fury looked around. "Eh, where the heck am I?" He said looking around at the dark room.

"Oh Fury, you are in my lair now…" said a voice from the shadows.

"Oh come on, Cady, you can't really be that butthurt about those comments. And besides, you set yourself up for that, not me!" Fury said, still sounding smug.

"Oh Fury, I don't know if I would be so cocky if I were you. Especially since you are trapped!" Cadence said.

"Trapped? What do you mean?" All of a sudden a bunch of chains snuck up on Fury's limbs like snakes.

"What the- Hey! What's the big idea!?" Fury called out. Just then, Cadence emerged from the darkness with a dark look on her face.

"You think I am just a bunch of sunshine and rainbows, you think I'm just a goody two shoes. But I have a hidden side… A dark side that is filled with fury and wrath." She said in an unusually dark voice. "And you Fury, have the honor of being one of the few to witness Mi Amore Cadenza's wrath!" She said while rubbing her hooves.

Fury didn't seem that scared. He had seen and heard a lot of nice ponies and Speed Shifters alike claim that they were secretly very dangerous and it came to only be an empty threat. He wasn't too worried about what would happen. He then sensed another presence in the dark room. Looking around, his night vision picked up Luna, Celestia and Lauren sitting on the sidelines.

"And I am not alone." Cadence said. "For with me are witnesses to my tickle torture."

Fury scoffed. "Go ahead! Let em watch how unaffected I will be!"

Cadence chuckled. "Oh Fury, I have a terrible secret. I have been holding back my tickle prowess. You have no idea what tickles combined with alicorn magic is like. Have you forgotten that I used to be a foalsitter before I became a princess, this is what I'm an expert at." 

Celestia was curious. "Are you talking about what you have done with Twilight?"

Cadence nodded. "Even if Twilight always tried to read even past her bedtime or instead of going outside, a few of my tickles always made sure she knew her place." Cadence said with dread.

Fury was getting a little nervous now. He looked to Luna whom he motioned to come within earshot.

"Uh hey Moonpie, you wouldn't mind loosening these chains before things go south would you?" He whispered. "I'm your one true love after all!"

"I must apologize, my love. I believe I am out of my jurisdiction here. I am no longer in control of what happens to you, you must endure the brunt of it all. Though I do wish you luck with this event." She said, giving him a kiss on the cheek before returning to the sidelines.

"Gee thanks." Fury gulped, though he did appreciate the kiss. 

"Well, I suppose you at least have some hope now that your love has given you her support. But unfortunately, that hope will be slowly stripped away as I bring you to your knees. Are you prepared for this?" Cadence asked, getting very close to him.

Fury didn't feel prepared. He felt like fleeing with great lightning-like speed. But unlike lightning, he can't escape or strike somewhere else for he was immobilized. 

Nevertheless he put up a cocky smirk. "Yeah, I'm prepared! I'm more prepared than you can imagine! Bring it on, Love Butt!"

Cadence saw that despite his words, he was wavering. Underneath that usual grin, was a face of fear. And she would expose it.

"If you insist, Fury the Magnificent!" She closed her eyes, activated her horn, and rubbed her hooves. Fury was reminded of how speed shifters sometimes used this technique to unleash their power. What was she unleashing?

"Come on, you gonna do something? We more busy cats have things to do." Fury said bluntly.

"Very well. I will show you." Her eyes opened, glowing white as well as her hooves. "Just remember you were the one who asked!"

She struck the restrained cat's stomach with her hooves and gave it strong bellyrubs. 

Fury never felt such an odd sensation. He felt tingly and like someone rubbed their hoof on a rug and touched him. 

"Wh-whoa! Wh-what the heck are you doing?" Fury asked, his neck fur sticking up like a lion.

"Simple. I'm letting you know that you Speed Shifters aren't the only energy loving creatures. We ponies have some too? You enjoying it?" She said with an innocent smile.

"It isn't exactly bad, but it isn't really pleasant either." Fury admitted.. "You ponies have a weird energy. It's as odd as mixing ice cream with sour cream. I just don't get it!"

"Well get this, I'm just warming up." Cadence said. "I was only giving you a demonstration. But now we enter… phase 2." She said as she put her hooves above Fury's armpits.

"Oh look, it seems I have left out those areas. I wonder what will happen?" She said with a smirk.

Fury was astonished by her fiendishness. "You wouldn't!"

"You sure about that? Because if I could do those things you said as a teen, then who's to say I wouldn't do even more now?! Behold your judgment has arrived!" 

Cadence struck her hooves into Fury's armpits. Fury kept his mouth closed. He did not want to admit her victory.

I'm trying… so… hard… I can't let her… w-w-w-wahahahah-win!

Fury held himself together pretty well, even though he was practically losing it on the inside. Cadence saw that he wasn't budging and was slightly disappointed, she hadn't thought he could resist. Though she had to admit that she wasn't hitting his really sensitive spots just to give him a bit of leeway.

"So Fury, you seem to be quite persistent. I will grant you that. But… I don't know if I got the sweet spot just yet. Hmmmm. Ohhhhhh, lookie here! I missed out." Cadence said, pointing to his belly and sides.

Fury gulped. He knew she was planning. He had just eaten all that pie too!

"Come on Cadence, can't you let me off the hook? I just ate!" Fury pleaded.

"Oh, Fury. Tsk tsk. That makes it even better! Now you're really gonna feel my energy with all that blood digesting food in that plump stomach of yours!" Cadence said, activating her powers. 

"In 3… 2… 1!"

Zap!

Cadence's powers buzzed against Fury's belly, causing him to shut his eyes tight to try and resist laughing. His body felt like it was getting attacked from all over, nothing being held back as Cadence poked and prodded at him with no mercy in sight.

"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!" Fury tried to resist. He tried to keep silent. He tried. "I… won't… sub… miiiiiii-"

Then Cadence gave an unexpected boop on his snout. It finally made him give in.

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" His laugh was so loud, it felt like trumpets sounding off. He wiggled and squirmed against his restraints, trying to get away from this terrible tickly torture.

"Now Fury, if you say… 'Cadence is the prettiest, I'm a butt and I am sorry for being so dumb.', then I will release you from this tickle torture. What do you say?" Cadence proposed.

Fury heard this proposal and ran it through his head. He was not going to be called a butt in front of his girlfriend, her sister, and her mother all at the same time. Not while he was still breathing! 

Fury stopped laughing, the effects of Cadence's energy now having no effect on his emotions as his smile disappeared and the room fell silent. Cadence looked up at her captured friend and was displeased with how he stopped laughing.

"Oh, did you suddenly get a burst of resistance? Well let's see how long that lasts when I turn up the power!" She said, increasing the power of the energy and going for another run. But still, Fury remained silent.

Cadence held a confident face towards him, but on the inside, she was beginning to regret that proposal and fearing that she may have ticked him off.

"Okay, that's new. What's the deal, whiskers? You got something to say?" She asked him. He didn't say a word. Instead, he moved his gaze slowly towards the other royals on the sidelines. Giving them a half lidded, deathly look. And after a few seconds of silent glaring, his eyes turned to slits and the light above shot out.

"W-what in the world is going on?" Celestia asked. 

"I-I don't know! Fury is acting very strange! He usually doesn't act like this!" Cadence said. "A-are you alright?" She asked, letting go.

Then, the bulb flickered back on and to everyone's surprise… the chains had disappeared from their original spot, the previously captured Speed Shifter nowhere to be seen.

"What the- Where did he go?" Cadence asked, looking around for him. The room stayed silent, the shadows making it hard to point him out. If he was even there.

Then, the bulb above started to flicker again. Its color turning from a calm yellowish shade to a deep red that increasingly got brighter and brighter before blowing out and showering sparks on the concrete floor. At this point, Cadence was showing signs of fear, she wasn't sure what was going on.

"W-where is he? It's too dark for me to see." Cadence said. Then, a sign of life was spotted in the middle of the room. But it wasn't a sign that brought hope, more so fear than anything. Fury's body began to glow his usual red, the light creeping up his legs and over his sides until he lit up with a red outline that made him look less like a living thing, but some demonic cultivation of the underworld.  

The chains that bound him up began to rise, glowing the same red that he did as they wrapped around him and hovering next to his face. The sparks of his energy crackled and popped along the metal links, making it look like if someone got hit with them, they'd be left in excruciating pain.

"F-Fury?!" Cadence said in fear. "W-what is going on?! How did you even get like this?!"

"Yeah… remember when you said that I was more powerful now that I broke past my limits? That's what you're seeing. While I was still snoozing, I did a quick little chat with the emperor on what that blast meant. And he told me that that blast… was me unlocking something called 'My purest form'. Apparently, when I was racing all of you and I had that blast of energy, I had secretly burst through my body's blocked chakra and unlocked my ultimate power. And right now, just so you know, this is only a fraction of my power."

"Only a fraction?" Cadence asked, surprised. "Oh my goodness. You've unlocked your potential."

"And you know what the funny thing is?" Fury asked. "You, with your little tickle sessions, helped me unleash the pure form!"

"Wait what?!" Cadence said.

"Yep! When you gave me that weird energy? I felt strange. But it felt familiar and it felt like it activated something within me. My body understood what to do. How to use my power to resist yours. You gave me a little sample I learned from it. And I've become something even more powerful! I've been trying to master this technique for a while. But you made me understand!" Fury said with a loud voice.

He stood there, lighting up the dark with his power. His eyes began to turn into pure energy as he began to levitate with his own energy, the red glow crackling below him and holding him up.

The princesses' jaws dropped as they witnessed what looked like a deity rising. Even the chains Cadence placed up seemed to be his tool rather than something to imprison him.

"My goodness." Celestia said. "I don't think I've seen power this potent."

Faust was less surprised. "I have. In my lifetime, I've seen power just like this. Power that is beyond this dimension. I never thought anyone could master it though."

"Oh? Then I guess you're seeing history being made, dear Faust. No one calls me out like that and gets away with it… not while I'm still breathing."

"How can you do anything though?" Celestia asked. "You're still in chains. Are you really able to do anything to her?"

"Oh you think I'm still tied up, sunny? Nice try." Fury said, the chains turning red around his body. The heat of his energy increased almost instantly, so much in fact, that the chains turned to molten metal and began dripping down his body. Though he didn't feel a thing, for it only felt like water dripping off of him in this state.

"I feel so alive now!" Fury cried out. 

Cadence just seconds ago was play-torturing Fury, but now she was shaking. She couldn't believe someone melted chains as strong as those.

"Well, Cadence, I feel bad for those toys you call chains. But they're all gone now." Fury said with a smirk.

"Uh y-you have no hard feelings, right?" Cadence asked. "I was just playing around." She said while backing up from Fury.

"Oh please, you're not worth the effort to kill anyway. My plan is to put you through the same torture you tried to put me through. You know what they say, what you put out into the universe will eventually come back to haunt you."

Cadence gulped at this as she backed up to a wall. She was trapped.

"Well, niece, it was nice knowing you." Luna said with Celestia and Faust nodding.

"Wait, you can't do the same thing to me!" Cadence said. "You melted those chains! That means I can escape right outta here!" She said as she looked at the door.

"Ah ah ah… not so fast." Fury said, extending his paw. Just then, rods of lightning came out of the wall behind her, moving like snakes as they extended past Cadence and began to wrap around her. The electric rods snagged her and held her in place, binding her legs and wings.

Cadence couldn't move anymore, her motor functions completely shut down by Night Fury. But she still had one last thing she could try.

"So you binded my legs and wings to keep me from moving… smart. But you forgot that I have a horn as well-"

"No I didn't." Fury said, shutting her up. He then snapped his claws and summoned a small electric ball between his toes, grabbing at it and flicking it directly at Cadence's horn.

The princess of love shook around and felt spasms through her body. "Whoaaaaaa!!! What the heck is this feeling?"

"Feels weird eh?" Fury asked. "Now you know how I felt when you did that energy hoof thing to me. Feels nice, huh?' Fury said with a smirk.

Cadence didn't answer and just kept vibrating. She felt strange like she was being tickled at a super speed. She tried to hold back her laughter.

Luckily the energy ended. 

"Oh thank goodness. Wait… my horn isn't working anymore!"

"Yep. That would have been a threat to my plans. You're lucky I didn't use more of my power. Ever since Twilight started bugging me about pony anatomy, she made it clear to me that your horns aren't just a sensitive spot… they're a hardened extension of your brains. Any more static electricity, and you would have to say hello to the possibility of damaged nerves, paralysis and brain damage."

Fury then had a seemingly innocent smile. "Luckily for you, I'm a nice guy. So I'm only gonna you know, give you the tickle torture that you gave to me."

Cadence shuddered. "Oh great."

Fury kept on going. "But wait… there's more! You can avoid this wrath if you admit that I'm the coolest cat around, you have a big butt and that Luna is the best princess of all. Fair deal, eh?"

Cadence shook her head. "Sorry Fury, but I have too much dignity as a princess to do that. You resisted confession and so will I!"

"So I am nothing but a pawn to you, niece?" Luna said, now closer to her than before.

"W-what? No! I never said that!" Cadence said.

"Then why can't you admit that about me?" Luna asked.

"I mean uh… well you see, um… Celestia is usually considered a little more um… important in terms of politics and power, not you're not great in your own way! I'm just saying, you are um…"

"A secondary princess to Celestia?" Faust asked.

"I would have never seen my sister in such a light. But you do?" Celestia said. Cadence now realized that with her careless words that she would have much more to worry about than just a little tickling.

"Well… I um…"

Fury spoke up. "Looks like I have all the info I need. I think, Princess of Love, needs a good little lesson in etiquette as you put it. And I'll be the one to teach you!" Fury said as he rubbed paws together, producing more energy.

"Oh no." Cadence muttered.

Then it happened just like before. Fury struck Cadence's stomach and sides making her feel funny.

"N-n-no! I I-I don't feel anything!" She said trying to resist laughing and betraying her dignity. "You can't make me laugh! I, heh, am stronger than that."

"Then I guess I shouldn't try this alone. Ladies~."

Celestia, Luna and Faust all came up to Cadence with eager smiles. They were all ready.

"Wait a second. You were laughing a moment ago at Fury's torture! And now you're turning on me?" Cadence asked.

"Yes. You made one fatal mistake, Cadence." Luna said. "You propped up my sister too much. And now we will return the favor."

"Nothing personal, niece. Just have to teach you some manners. The hard way." Celestia said, although she had a face that screamed mischief.

"Well, I guess the tables have turned on you. Anyway… let's get her!"

'Yeah!!!" They all cried like banshees.

Their hooves all charged up, they struck at her stomach.

Cadence had a face of confusion and despair. It looked like Fluttershy on a roller coaster.

"Come on, let me go!!!" Cadence said.

"Not until you say the line!" Fury said smugly. "Or we can do this all day."

Fury poked at her underside, making her laugh and squeak.

"Eee! No, not thehehehere! That tihihihikles!"

"So you finally laugh. Heh, even alicorns have their soft spot." Fury said. "I can do this all day!"

"Ah ha ha ha I can't take it!" Cadence said.

"Then lay down your pride and fess up!" Fury said. "You know the magic words."

Cadence wanted so badly to zap him in the face now. But she knew she couldn't and she was helpless. She knew well that there was only one way to escape this horrible torture.

"Okay! Fine! You're the coolest cat around. You're cooler than I can ever hope to be! Luna is the best princess and she could kick my butt any day! And I'm sorry for saying that thing about Luna being secondary! Ha ha ha! There I said it!" Cadence said at the end of her energy.

"There's the pot of gold we're looking for! Alright girls, let her go." Fury said, the other princesses following his lead and letting Cadence go. Fury snapped his claws and retracted his energy, releasing his homemade restraints and letting the disabling energy around her horn dissipate. 

Fury then picked her up and hugged her tight, coming face to face with her. "There she is, smiling and giggling like there's no tomorrow. You're so adorable like this."

Cadence opened her eyes and let out a sigh of relief before speaking. "I could say the same about you, you know that? You really are like a little brother. You can be cheeky and childish most of the time. But when push comes to shove, you step in and care for those who did the same for you. You're like a caring, funny, lovable, cuddle buddy."

"Really? I never thought I was good at the whole 'Cuddle Buddy' thing." Fury said.

"Well I for one think you are a great cuddling companion, my Lightning Bug." Luna said while hugging him.

"That is a true face, Ambassador." Celestia said with a hug.

"Ah, I see he's like a teddy bear. Let me in." Faust said while giving him a deep hug.

"Oof!" Fury said. "I guess ponies really do find me like a plushie. Just like mom. And weirdly enough, Rarity as well. I would have thought my more… 'Rough and Tumble' type attitude would make her think differently, but it seems I'm not as 'Uncouth' to her as I thought." Fury chuckled.

The other princesses giggled. "Your uncouthness gives you a certain charm." Luna said. "It makes you attractive."

After a long hug they finally let go.

"Boy, that was quite a stunning display of zaniness." Faust said. "What time is it?"

Fury walked up to the window. He saw the stars and moon now. 

"Looks like we've been at it for a few hours. From the way the stars look, I'd say…" Fury held his paw up and aligned it with the stars. "About 8:00 pm."

The princesses were baffled by Fury's ability to tell the time without looking at a clock, Celestia being the first to speak up on the matter.

"How can you tell what time it is just by the stars and your paw?" She asked, walking over to the window next to him.

"Remember when I said in my dream world that back in the day, some Speed Shifters ruled over civilizations next to water? Well, we actually sailed there to begin with to start said civilizations. The more experienced sailors held their paws up to the stars and aligned them with certain constellations to tell the time, what direction they were going, and even where they had been."

"Amazing." Luna said, particularly fascinated. "Even I did not know this. No wonder why Speed Shifters can be found in so many places." Luna said.

"We're a resourceful race. We do what we can to survive and find cool new areas and treasures." Fury said. "Especially pretty blue alicorns."

Luna blushed. "And I see Speed Shifters also are blessed with techniques of charm."

"We catch our prey in unique ways. Who's to say we don't do the same for our hot mates?" He purred, getting Luna to start fanning herself in arousal.

"Oh my…" She said breathlessly.

The other princesses smiled at this. Especially Cadence. She loved the charm those two were showing.

"If only Shining could be that smooth." Cadence said chuckled.

"Not everyone was born to be suave and charming." Fury said. "But I think of myself as just someone who has fun. If Shining had more fun maybe he'd be more suave." 

Then Faust yawned. "Well, I think I'm ready to go to sleep. I suppose since I am here I can sleep at your palace. Would that be alright, Celestia?"

"Mother, please. Must you ask for permission to sleep in what you passed down to us? You are just as entitled to a comfortable room within this castle as Luna and I are. You have no need to feel uncomfortable within our midst." Celestia reassured her. Lauren felt safe knowing that she had raised such caring and strong daughters, she had truly given birth to well established rulers.

"I'll be sleeping in the castle as well. I asked Shining Armor for a few favors to keep my house in Ponyville on lockdown while I'm away. My parents don't see the need to evacuate, but I won't force them to do so if they don't see it necessary." Fury said.

"Ah, good I see you have some good persuasion skills too, ambassador." Celestia said. "Well I can send a train for you to get to Ponyville if need be. There's a special ride for the nighttime."

"Nah, I think I'll stay here. You did tell me that it would be a logical decision to get somewhere safer for the time being. And besides, I have something important to do." Fury said.

"What would that be, Lightning Bug?" Luna asked. "Let me guess, more meditation?"

"Nope. Sleep. But I can't do it alone. It gets a little lonesome. So I need some help getting to sleep." He said with a smirk.

"Um, do you need some sleeping pills?" Luna asked obliviously.

"Oh Moonpie, not like that! I'm pretty sure Cadence understands what I'm trying to say…" He gave a look to the Princess of Love and she immediately understood.

"Ah I see. You sly dog- uh… cat." Cadence then turned to Luna. "Basically he wants to sleep in the same bed with you Luna."

"I see." Luna said calmly. 

…

"Wait what?!" Luna suddenly realized what he asked. "Are you joking, lightning bug? Trying to play a joke on me?" Luna asked with cheeks as bright as a ruby. Fury stayed silent and grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Y-you are serious. I get… to be by your side… at night?" Luna said with a hint of excitement in her eyes.

"What do you think I mean Luna?" Fury asked.

Luna was more excited than ever. "W-would that be alright with you mother?" Luna asked Faust.

Faust nodded. "You two have a good time, alright?"

Then Luna jumped to Fury and gave the tightest hug ever. "Yes yes I would love to be with you tonight!" Luna said with glee. Fury however couldn't speak, her tight grip only allowing his voice box to emit strains of effort and his face to turn almost as blue as her own fur.

"Th-that's great L-Luna." Fury said. "But do you mind not trying to turn me into a giant pancake?"

Luna immediately realized her mistake and let him go instantly. "Oh um… my apologies. I was just very… excited."

"Ugh…" Fury said, getting up. He stood on wobbly paws as his vision was still returning to normal and his lungs were recovering while his dizzy head spun. "It's all fine. That just means you're enthusiastic. Just like I am for fish and cake." Then Fury had a look of eagerness. "But enough talk! Let's get to the tower right now!"

"Agreed, Ambassador. Let's make haste!" Luna said.

"Race you there?" He asked. 

"You are on!" Luna replied as they both took off from the room.

"See ya later ladies!" Fury said.

They all waved to them. "Have fun!" Lauren said. "My little girl is growing up." She said with a small tear.

Everyone was overjoyed at this. It seemed like all the problems of the past were washed away.

At least for now.

–

"Gahhhhhh!!!!" 

"Hold still, Pyro! I'm trying to help you!" Tirek said as he wrapped up her wound on her leg with wrapping. 

Tirek and Pyro had barely escaped what could only be described as a merciless beating from the ambassador, the Speed Shifter being the one getting most of the injuries. Pyro was both mentally and physically broken at this point, having had to endure being beaten within an inch of her life before making the call to come back later and try again. Her wounds were great and painful, massive gashes and dried blood running along her body and a completely broken leg that Tirek was now splintering to help it heal.

"You should be thankful you're even alive. If I wasn't there, you would be dead from your injuries." Tirek said. Pyro said nothing, not daring to speak a word on the previous events of the day as he mind flashed with images of Night Fury's devilish face and his dark aura infecting her thoughts as she was haunted by the fact that she could have died within seconds.

"If you would not have provoked Fury to anger, we could have had a chance! But instead you Speed Shifters always like to make it personal. For me, I just get the job done." Tirek said now with a heated rod of metal. "Hold still." He stuck it into Pyro's wound.

"GAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" It was one of the most horrifying sounds Tirek had ever heard and that was saying a lot from him in his own battles. "Let me go already!" Pyro roared with rage.

"Alright alright, I was just cauterizing the wound so the bleeding will stop! Goodness, you females have such an infectious sense of entitlement and drama."

She was not pleased at that statement. She grabbed his neck and stared right into his eyes.

"I have every right to be furious! I have just lost against that inexperienced pony lover! I have been training my whole life. And I get beaten down like a kitten!" She looked away from him. "Maybe if you were stronger, then we would have been able to defeat him!"

Tirek facepalmed. "Again, full of entitlement! Listen, we clearly didn't do this the right way. We were too cocky. Too blunt. We underestimated how powerful that Fury could be. We are going to have to be far more cautious to take him down. He probably is almost as powerful as the princesses at this point."

"Then what would you have us do?" Pyro asked in desperation. "You seem like such an expert at this."

"I don't know! Alright? I don't know. We just have to find a solution later on. I'm sure he has some sort of weakness. Somehow." Tirek said, looking away.

"Hmph." Pyro said, looking away. "If only he were one of us. If I had raised him, I would have taught him to hate ponykind with all his might! We could have been conquerors then! But instead those two Obsidian and that Black Ice had to teach him to be weak minded. It is absurd."

"Look! Will you just be silent!? My brother betrayed me for those ponies and you don't see me whining. All we can do now is just rest and find out what to do next. So stop your whining." Tirek scolded her.

Pyro huffed. "Fine, but I will not be happy about it. Humph, such a waste of space that ambassador. He should have committed-"

"Woah woah! What is wrong with you?! I'm comfortable wishing harm upon my enemies but that's going too far, even for me! Us Centaurs have our standards too. After all, why kill them when you can enslave them?"

"Whatever. It doesn't matter. I just can't wait to have these wounds heal. They'd better be quick."  She said, looking away.

"Wow, I have never met such an impatient creature in my life. For a species that was born by the forces of nature and ruled over this very land before even ponies, you sure have fallen from grace. At this point, the ambassador looks to be more of a visionary than you'll ever be. Perhaps this whole 'Taking over the world' thing may be a futile effort…" Tirek pondered.

"How… dare you reconsider your actions! You have come as far as sucking the power from hundreds of ponies and you think he is a visionary?!" Pyro argued.

"Okay, you're right! Sheesh…" Tirek said. He continued to sit in thought about what he had said. While Pyro was right about them coming so far now and it being a disgraceful act to reconsider his actions against the pony race, he also couldn't help thinking about what if he hadn't followed in his father's hoofsteps and went by his brother's ways. What if he went and surrendered to the princesses and apologized for his actions? What if he had taken the time to think before he acted? What if he had come peacefully and spoke his words instead of acting on impulse?

No! What am I saying?! I don't regret my actions! I am the true ruler of Equestria! And I will not let those ponies and their kittens beat me!

He said to himself as he continued to sit in silence, attempting to find another suitable plan to take down the princesses and the ambassador.

"One day we'll take that Fury down. All the pain he put me through, I will unleash on him. Just you wait Fury…" Tirek heard her say before she collapsed onto the ground. She was asleep.

For Tirek, he had to come up with some solutions. He was not sure what to do with Fury. But by their ancestors he would come up with something.

"Just you wait."
> Chapter 38: Canterlot Affairs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun rose slowly and smoothly over Canterlot, rays of light shining through the windows of high level apartments and towers to welcome in the new day. But like most things in life, not everything runs at the same pace. Which is a more factual statement when considering a certain couple that still lay asleep within Canterlot Castle.

The black predator and the dark blue princess were huddled up together in each others' arms. They looked quite at ease. But one of them had to wake up eventually. Certainly not the princess of the night who hated the morning light but instead her catlike lover, Night Fury. He was more accustomed to waking up early as his kind was known for burning the early morning oil that most would leave till later in the morning. He looked out the window in pause, taking in the early morning light as he thought about his day.

Looks about 7:00 am, the perfect time to get ready. But I'm gonna have to be quiet too, I've got a girlfriend now. I can't just sloppily rock her awake like I would have done if I was alone. 

While the energetic Shifter appreciated being so close to his girlfriend, he also cursed how the sleeping Luna had him in a tight grip. Her four limbs wrapped around him, he would have to remove each one carefully.

Fury started with her front legs. Being an alicorn she was quite muscular which made it hard for him to move without his powers. But he managed to do so. And now onto her lower limbs.

Oh great, this is gonna be even harder.

He bemoaned that the lower limbs were in an even tighter grip and they were farther away from his arms. He really had to stretch to reach them while also wringing his own lower limbs to move them. He desperately prayed that she would not wake up, as he heard of how furious the Princess of Night could be without all of her sleep. Then, he got an idea.

Wait, why am I going through all of this stealthy rigamarole when I'm a Speed Shifter? I can just transform into something small and get out that way! Sometimes I'm amazed at how oblivious I can be with my senses.

After some contemplation, he placed his bets on a slug. After all their slimy bodies would help him slip through Luna's tight grip. 

As he transformed, he was still in her grip and he was unfortunately quite long for a sea slug. He was still too tired to use his full energy to shrink himself. But for Fury, he was fine with that. 

With his gooey body at his disposal, he was ready to slip by to freedom.

"Here I go!" The large black slug whispered to himself.

He used his full effort to slip past her first leg. After a whole minute he finally got past. 

The second leg was the same though it had a somewhat stronger grip, so it took him a full two minutes to get close to escaping.

"Yes, I'm almost there!" He whispered in triumph.

But the gods must have had a sick sense of humor for him, for just as he was about to leave, Luna all of a sudden rolled toward Fury, placing all her body weight on him.

Gah! So close! He said to himself, resisting the urge to yell in frustration.

Fury now was trapped under Luna's whole body. He had to admit, despite the pressure, it did feel kind of nice feeling Luna's warmth. 

Fury shook his head though. "Wait a sec, I like being close to her, but I cannot let that be an excuse to skip my morning run! What kind of Speed Shifter would I be then?!" He whispered. He continued to squirm against the pressure, moving slowly but surely until he came out from under her and next to her belly.

"Okay, I'm getting closer. I just have to do as Amethyst said and suck it up and get right ahead." Fury said, slipping under her soft stomach. He found it harder to inch ahead with all the weight of an alicorn on top of him. Luna might be smaller than Celestia but she was no lightweight.

"Ugh! This is so hard! Come on boy, you just gotta get to the end…" Fury said. He squeezed and squirmed against the soft fur of his lover's underside, trying as hard as he could to not wake her. But unknown to him, she was about to do it before he could cause her to.

Luna began to slowly shift, her body rubbing against Fury's smooth back as she began to awaken. She let out a stretch of morning pain and laid flat on her stomach, completely unaware that her boyfriend was under her.

"Eeeeeeeeeehhhh!" Fury squealed quietly, feeling even more pressure than before.

"Oh, morning already?" Luna grumbled to herself. "I wish my sister could understand that I desire more sleep!" She said, sighing into the pillow. 

"I want to sleep more. I have to reposition. I feel uncomfortable." Luna said as she shifted her body to the left, much to Fury's even greater dismay.

"Ohhhhhhhh. Whyyyyy…" He said quietly. He was even more surprised that she couldn't hear him.

Luna finally settled down. She felt comfortable again. And yet, she felt like something was missing or more accurately… someone.

"Oh that lightning bug, He always goes from place to place. Probably wants one of my moonpies. Hmmm, moonpies. Yes, that sounds delicious…"

The utterance of moonpies made her hungry. Her stomach rumbled and Fury was at the receiving end of the shock.

"Ahhhhhh!!! And I thought Sunbutt had a big appetite!" Fury said. "This is worse than an earthquake. But I can't get out…!"

Luna however, was none the wiser of his current predicament. 

"Oh my! I must be hungrier than I thought if that's the noise coming from my stomach. Maybe I should go get some food… Ohhh, but I don't want to leave this comfortable bed." She whined, nuzzling the pillow between her forelimbs.

"That Luna, She's hungry but she won't listen to her stomach's desires?!" Fury asked, baffled at the choice between sleep and food. For him, he would always pick food, even at the worst possible times.

He finally decided to give up his hope of a stealthy escape and tried to get her attention.

"Moonpie! Hey Moonpie, I'm under here!" Fury called out. Luna's ears flicked to the distant noise as her head turned around to try and find the source.

"Lightning Bug? Where are you?" She asked, her stomach growling a second time. Fury's body was shaken up again and his head was rattled almost to the point of being dizzy.

"Ughhh… I'm under your earthquake of a belly." He said weakly, his head a little rattled.

Being shocked at this, she raised her torso up finally giving the poor slug some much needed room. She finally saw a large black slug.

"You were under me the whole time?!" She asked bewildered.

"Yeah, I know, it's weird. I was just trying to get my day started early without waking you, so I transformed into a slug to try to squeeze my way out. Unfortunately, you turned over on me and trapped me under you."

Luna was horrified. She didn't realize she could do so much in her sleep until now.

"By the stars, are you alright!? I didn't break any bones, did I?! I am so sorry. I will fix you up!" Luna said in a panic while grabbing Fury and investigating.

"Luna, I'm a slug! I don't have bones! At least not in this form. And I'm fine! Well, mostly. Your stomach made it like a giant earthquake under there." Fury moaned.

Luna placed him back and blushed. "Yes, well, you see it is my daily ritual to have a bunch of moonpies in the morning. That and all of that circus action made me forget to eat." Luna admitted.

"Yeah, I can tell. My mom always says my stomach growls a lot. But wow, yours is like a giant monster!" Fury said. Luna's blush deepened as he commented on her appetite. She had to admit that she had a hidden foodie side to her, but she mostly suppressed it to keep herself from falling into an irreversible craze like her sister.

"Well for me, moonpies are the only thing that makes mornings actually pleasant to deal with. Without them, I don't know where I would be." Luna said, her mouth watering at the thought.

"Heh, look at that. The Princess of the Night has an underlying appetite. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to be just like me." Fury said, transforming back to his original form and giving her a half lidded smile.

Luna rolled her eyes. "Very funny lightning bug. But even I have my limits. I do not eat nearly as much as you do at breakfast."

Fury chuckled. "You should take that as a compliment. Whoever eats the most is the one who loves food the most. Your moonpies or my fish? A challenge for the ages!"

"Oh dear, don't tempt me. I'm already as hungry right now as is. Although, speaking of breakfast, why do you always choose fish?" Luna asked, showing genuine curiosity.

"Well, it kinda stems from the actual lack of choice we had back home. While we did have a few hunting trips for different prey, we only used them for material commodities like wild boar for their tusks and the occasional bull in a pasture for leather. Believe it or not, and brace yourself for this one, babe… I don't know what eggs or pancakes taste like." He admitted.

Luna gasped in what looked like horror. "You do not know the succulent taste of a pancake?! How is that possible?! And not even an omelet has crossed your lips?!"

"Yeaaaah… Not many of the stuff you guys cook, we Speed Shifters had the opportunity to discover." Fury said with a blush. Luna was shocked, her one true love had never tasted the sweet taste of buttered pancakes with syrup or the savory mix of flavors that an omelet holds.

"Your people must truly be in poverty if they do not know the food of joy! Fury, I must show you the way!" Luna declared. She charged her horn and teleported away in a blue flash. Fury was left on the bed confused before he was spooked by the random appearance of her in her closet.

"Hurry, my love! We must prepare ourselves for the day so that I may treat you to the wonderful world of breakfast foods!" Luna said, grabbing a toothbrush and toothpaste.

"Okay okay, I'm coming. Let's get this don- yikes!" Fury yelped as he was yanked by the tail into Luna's personal walk-in bathroom to wash up and get ready for the day as quickly as possible.

I just wanted to go for a run…

–

"Good morning, you two! I hope you are ready for some of my renowned pancakes! Filled with exotic syrup and even some chocolate bits." Celestia said enthusiastically to her niece and mother who shared her sentiment.

"I can't wait to chow down!" Cadence said.

"Now before we go, I want to see Luna and Fury. They're a little late it seems."

"Can you really blame them, auntie? Fury is a cat who loves to sleep in and Auntie Luna just doesn't like the day in general, I'm not surprised they're not here because they're probably sleeping in." Cadence said, her smug expression being at its most prevalent.

"Well I wish they came, I put my heart and soul into making these taste absolutely delicious!" Celestia said in an unusually whiny voice. Just then, the two nocturnal creatures of the night came in fast. Fury being the fastest, he drifted around the table until he came to a stop at Cadence's side. 

"We have come forth for an important assignment! Hear ye! Hear ye!" Luna cried out loudly.

"Yeah I don't think you spoke loudly enough." Fury said sarcastically.

"You're right." She said naively. "Ahem. "We have come forth for an important assignment!!! Hear ye!!!" She said even more loudly.

"Sweet mother of Faust, I was kidding!" Fury said in vain of who was present. "Who even is her mother anyways?" 

Ignoring Fury's remarks, Cadence asked, "Alright, alright, Auntie. What's the news?"

"It has been brought to my attention that even through his long life, my poor baby Lightning Bug has never had the luxury of tasting the beauty that is eggs and pancakes!"

Everyone had different reactions. Cadence was confused, Faust was curious, but the most noticeable was Celestia.

"I-is it possible for a creature to not know the true meaning of flavor?! What is the dreadful society we live in?! I have failed you, Fury!" Celestia cried, practically leaping at him and hugging him close as if she had seen him nearly killed.

"Oh come on, it can't be that big of a deal!" Fury protested. But that only made things worse.

"Not a big deal?! NOT A BIG DEAL?!" She said in a rare Royal Canterlot voice.

"It is an atrocity that you have not been exposed to such joy and beauty as the taste of omelets and pancakes! At least tell me you've had syrup!" Celestia screamed at the top of her lungs.

Fury cringed as he opened his mouth again to speak. "Uhhh… what's syrup? Is that some sort of cheese?"

The other princesses gasped, this time in an unmistakable collection of shock. They never knew Fury could say the exact wrong thing at the wrong time. He was not known for having discipline with his remarks, but even he should know better than to ask this to the desert loving princess like Celestia.

"What is this horror? What is this great societal problem where our own guest knows not of such sugary sweet delights?! Ahhhhhhh!!!!" Celestia cried in agony.

"Whoa princess, chill out! My eardrums won't exist anymore at this rate!" Fury said to Celestia. The other princesses gathered around to hold Celestia and calm her down, Cadence using a calming spell normally used for arguing couples.

"What in the name of Luna's mane is going on?! I'll admit that I don't know much about pony culture, but what in the flying feather is this?!" Fury called out in genuine confusion with a tint of fear.

Faust gave a sheepish grin. "Let's just say, my daughter has strong opinions on sweets. Everyone loves them, but only Celestia loves it like one of her children."

"Well, that was a major surprise! And not a good one! Seriously, this is starting to scare me!" Fury said.

Celestia though was silent for now at least.

"Um auntie, are you okay?" Cadence asked.

"...a little more."

Everyone sighed in relief.

"But injustice is still being done as we speak." Celestia said and then she spoke up. "Ambassador Night Fury, we must solve this issue! You shall have syrup, pancakes and eggs right now! Your tongue must understand! I will not let you leave till you are fully satisfied!"

The Princess of the Sun then teleported away quickly. Fury was left stunned with all of the craziness he had just experienced, even he didn't think this was funny.

He stayed silent for a moment before speaking his mind. "What the-"

"Fury! Language!" Luna warned. 

Cadence whispered. "Just agree to eat the food. She's not herself. And maybe she'll be sane again."

Fury asked. "Okay, but I hope this syrup does not give me the feeling those hay burgers gave me."

Celestia then shot into the kitchen with the speed of a cheetah. The other princesses and Fury heard mincing, mashing, stirring and burning.

"Am I wrong for thinking that after me technically 'Offending' her, that she may or may not try to poison me?" Fury said, with a crooked face.

"As her younger sister, who knows her inside and out, I can safely say no you are not wrong." Luna said to her. "And everypony says she's the calm and wise one." She whispered grumbling.

–

A few minutes later…

Princess Celestia came back into the dining room, walking proudly with five plates for each of them balancing on her wings and head as a way to passive- aggressively show off.

"Hello, everyone. I have come with gifts of joy! I have made the best possible meals I could muster! Well besides cake, but that is another story. Prepare yourself for a culinary delight!" Celestia said while giving a little spin before continuing for no reason.

She passed around the plates with grace, one after the other. Going around the table, she let the plates slide smoothly off her without incident before stopping at Fury. She stood tall behind him, placing his plate down before lowering herself down to his shoulder with a caring smile.

"Now, I want you to look at what is before you. Doesn't it look scrumptious?" She asked. Fury looked at the plate with scrambled eggs and pancakes with syrup and a pat of butter on top. As he looked at the plate, he couldn't help that his eyes seemed to glisten while seeing what looked admittedly very delicious. His mouth watered at the sight, licking his lips at the food.

"It looks good, doesn't it? So much sweet syrup drizzled upon the pancakes, the savory looking eggs that are seasoned to perfection, the wonderful aroma that makes your mouth water…" She listed in a hush voice. 

"Oh, stop teasing him, Tia. Any more drool from him, and this place will be flooded." Lauren chuckled.

Fury stared at the mysterious food before him. "I have to admit, I thought eating eggs was for lizards. And I expected pancakes to… you know, actually resemble cakes. But you know what, if the Crystal Empire taught me anything, it's that anything can be good. So let's see if this food passes the Speed Shifter Food Ranking." He said the last part in a pretend fancy Prench accent.

Fury then proceeded to pierce the pancake before him with his fork. He inspected the piece of pancake closely, watching the syrup ooze on it for a second before eating it. He chewed on it slowly, the soft texture being a pleasant surprise. Then his taste buds hit the syrup… and his eyes went wide, as big as saucers.

He felt as if he was transported to another world. A world where nothing went wrong and everything was right. He now knew why Celestia felt the way she did.

The other princesses on the other hand were worried. Fury just stood there with a blank stare for ten seconds.

"Um Fury? Are you still there?" Faust asked.

"Oh no, have I failed the pancakes?! I am a disgrace! I deserve not to be called princess! I-"

"THIS IS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER TASTED!" Fury finally cried out almost as if tears were coming out of him. "This… this is a masterpiece. The succulent flavor. The syrup, whatever that is. The soft texture." Fury said in delight. 

"Now, what about these eggs? I've never seen eggs like these." He said. "Where's the white stuff? Why does it all look just like the yolk?"

Celestia smiled. "It's complicated. I'll just say that it is as fluffy as a pancake but with a savory flavor instead. Also I added some cheese on it with some salt and pepper."

Fury liked the sound of that. "Well then, let's see what this egg pancake is like then!" He said, gobbling up the omelete.

"Wow!" Fury said while still chewing. "I never had this before! I thought eggs were only what desperate wilderness survivors would eat, but they must have no idea what they're doing if this is what eggs can turn into! Mmmm, totally a 10/10 tastylicious!"

Then, Fury got an idea. "Wait! I can add to this, I can make it even better! Back in a flash!" 

He took off quickly and left the room. In three red flashes, the pancakes on his plate were topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and cherry on top.

"Ta da!" Fury said, presenting his creation to the princesses. "What do you think ladies? Pretty genius eh?"

Celestia salivated at the sight. But she restrained herself for the only way to find out if it was good was to eat it. Fury took note of this with his sharp senses and brought it to her attention.

"I see that to think my creativity looks tasty. Why don't we share it?" He suggested.

He took his nail and sliced the pancake delight in half.

'Uh Fury, you know you could have used a knife right? Your claw's all dirty." Cadence said.

"Where's the fun in that? Besides…" Fury slurped his paw of the cream. "...it was never dirty. It was just food waiting to be consumed."

Luna and Cadence rolled their eyes in amusement, but Celestia looked focused as if her life depended on this moment.

"Well, then in the name of the Sun, I shall judge thee!" Cadence levitated a knife, cut the pancakes into quarters, and pierced her fork. She was ready for the taste. Celestia, Luna and Fury did the same and we're ready to see what had been created.

And after examining what was before then, they all dove in.

The princesses slowly ate the pancake, taking in all the flavor, even the subtle ones. The fluffy whipped cream, the sweet sprinkles, the oozing syrup. It tasted like what a sugar rush felt like.

Celestia got up.

"Fury, I have thoroughly analyzed this cake specimen and what I have to say is…"

Please like it! Please like it! Please like it!

"-in my humble opinion, is one of the finest achievements that Canterlot has ever seen. Absolutely amazing. I cannot comprehend how delicious this is, you have truly created a masterpiece. And I'm sure my fellow royals will agree." Celestia said.

"I have to agree, it tastes amazing! The soft pancake, the puffy whipped cream, the sweet but small sprinkles. It's all just amazing!" Luna said.

"Fury, I'm gonna be honest with you. It tastes like my childhood, filled with cheer and happiness with no dark spots in sight. It's like the best sugary rush with none of the negatives! It's like I'm a filly again!" Cadence added. Celestia agreed wholeheartedly.

"I knew cooking with mom made it all things worthwhile." 

Fury said, thinking back to when he used to help his mother cook dinner and special treats.

"Your mother seems to have passed down some real talent, even if it hasn't shown through much." Lauren commented, still llicking the syrup on her lips.

"Well, she is the one who ran the house for the majority of my childhood, but I ended up spending more time with my dad. To me, he was the one who understood me the most. My fiery personality, my love of adrenaline, the thrill of freedom, the excitement of exploring ruins and caves. He showed me the way through it all."  Fury said.

He then thought back to his village and how it would be doing now. 

"Although, it does make me wonder how my home is doing now. And how my old friends and relatives are. It's been a while since I've been gone and everyone there probably thinks I'm dead or got kidnapped by the same ones who took my parents. I realize now that I didn't tell them that I was gone and they have no idea that me or my parents are still alive. But I can't go back now, it just seems too soon to go back. If only there was a way for me to get through to them from here… And if someone back home does believe that we're still alive, I wish they'd give me a sign." Fury said, reminiscing.

The other princesses looked upon him with sympathy. Especially Celestia, who knows what it was like to not see one close to you for a while and Luna, who was taken away from Equestria. 

"I understand how you feel, Fury." Celestia said with sympathy. "But I'm sure even if it is a long time, with your dedication, you'll make it for sure."

Luna nodded. "Fear not Fury. You have grown so much since we last saw you. And those speed shifters will understand that too one way or another."

Fury felt happy that he felt seen, that his problems were just as important to them as they were to himself. It felt like he had all of the support in the world under him.

Just then, he heard something in the distance. "Wait… what is that?"

"What do you hear?" Celestia asked. Fury stayed silent as his ears twitched in every direction, eventually falling east as he silently got up and followed the sound.

Flapping? Did some bat get trapped inside?

From the flapping noises, he could tell it was not as small as a canary. But definitely not as tall as an eagle. He didn't fear it either way. He finally was ready to see what it was. He had his paws ready to catch it.

"Come to Daddy." He whispered.

He was then greeted by what looked like fire. It swiftly was about to fly into him when he dodged. 

"What kind of bird is that? A sort of fiery bird thing?" Fury asked.

"My goodness. Is it really you… Philomena?" Celestia asked in surprise.

Philomena looked at Celestia and after a brief silence, she flew toward the princess. Celestia placed her front leg up to give it a place to perch.

"Wait, you know what this crazy thing is?" Fury asked.

"Yeah, because bio-electric jaguars with super speed aren't crazy at all." Cadence said jokingly.

Celestia chuckled at her niece's joke before speaking. "Jokes aside, this is Philomena. She is a phoenix and by extension, my old pet. Isn't that right, girl?"

"Arawkk." The phoenix replied as she nuzzled her former owner's neck.

"Ah, you are lovely, aren't you?" Celestia said before getting back to it. "In case you don't know, a phoenix dies in adulthood. She died earlier."

"Wait, what the-? So is she a ghost or something?" Fury asked, confused.

"Nope. After she disintegrated into a pile of ash, the pile of ash reformed, turning her from a frail sickly bird to a beautiful majestic creature. There are fewer phoenixes left these days than before. I decided I would release her in the hope of rejuvenating their population. I didn't need her as a pet since I was focusing more on rehabilitating my sister back to Equestria." Celestia said. "And yet she came back to me didn't you girl? Missed me, sweetie?"

Philomena nodded and kept on nuzzling the sun princess. 

But then it stopped and seemed to have a serious expression.

"Is something wrong, Philomena?" Celestia asked. Philomena shook her head and gestured to a scroll that was strapped around her back.

"Hmmm, a scroll? Ah, I see. It must be a message to me. Very good my dear." She said as she fed the phoenix some of her pancake as a reward.

"A message?" Cadence asked. "What's it about?"

Celestia took a look at the scroll, inspecting it throughout. That was when she noticed the stamp holding it together. It was the usual candle wax stamp that she would usually hold her scrolls together with, but instead of a horseshoe marking… It was a paw print.

"Fury, come over here! I need your eyes." Celestia said.

Fury came up to her. "Okay, what is it?"

"This paw mark, I'm assuming this means it's from a feline. Would this happen to be your old village?" Celestia asked.

Fury inspected the claw mark to see the details like how many toes, the symbols above like lightning, to see if it was his village's.

"This is my village's insignia! Wow, Philomena, you must have flown a long way to get here considering how far the valley is from here." 

"Are you going to read it, kid?" Faust asked.

"I guess I should. It clearly is a message meant for me." Celestia said, opening the letter. The scroll was now open and she read from it aloud.

Dear Night Fury/Obsidian/Black Ice of Thunder Hollow,

To whomever receives this message, just know that you are missed back home. Relatives and friends alike miss you wholeheartedly and are wishing for your safe passage back home. Whether you are alive or otherwise, just know that we all love you and are wishing you well. To Black Ice and Obsidian, please tell me that Night Fury is with you. He has been a part of my life for too long for him to have passed on now. And to Night Fury, if you are alive, I am here. We are here. You may not agree with how this message is written based on how you've been treated in the past. But just know that at least one of us is here rooting for your survival. Please, if you are still alive, return a message to the phoenix that I have sent and let it be delivered to me. At least do me the courtesy of letting me breathe easily knowing that you, your parents, or even both of you are still alive and well.

Your long time friend,
Jade.

Fury was surprised at first. It had been so long away from home, that he sometimes forgot it existed. But he knew well of his friend Jade who always had fun with him in games and exploration. Though Jade was the voice of reason and back then more talented, popular and more sophisticated. But even when Fury embarrassed himself Jade was always by his side. 

"Wow. It's been such a long time. It figures Jade would never forget me, he always tried to keep me outta trouble." Fury said. "But now he wants to know what my status is…"

"Night Fury, I believe I can speak for all of us when I say we would completely understand if you would rather not return the message. Like it is written in this letter, your past treatment has been insulting and purely agonizing for your mental state. It would be of no offense if you want to hold that grudge." Celestia said, the other princesses and Philomena nodding along.

"No. He deserves to know that we're all still alive. The rest of the village may be on my personal hit list for that day, but he is not one of them. And besides, it's on me that I didn't tell anyone that I left. He at least deserves to know that I am still walking and breathing. At least that much." Fury said calmly.

"Cadence, grab me a scroll and quill. I've got some things to set right." He asked.

Cadence handed him a scroll and he was ready to write his thoughts.

Hey Jade, how's it going? Have you been bored without trying to stop me going into another forbidden cave and seeing a hungry dragon? Ah, I remember those times.

But anyways, I'm doing alright. Not just me, but my folks as well. My mom and dad are both fine and we've all been living comfortably in a nice mansion. My mom certainly thinks it's nice since she won't shut up about it. My dad has been putting himself to work as well, like he always does. Taking up deliveries and hauling heavy loads as he would. As for me, well I'm trying to show the rest of the world how Speed Shifters actually are. I've been in Equestria for almost a year now and things are going well. I've made friends with ponies, made allies with foreign dignitaries, saved the world a few times, and I've even managed to make a princess my girlfriend! I know that sounds ridiculous and you probably think it's one of my tall tales, but it's real, if you ever come by, I'll prove it! Anyway, things are going well for me now and I love it here. And just to give you a heads-up for the future, I will be returning home. But not too soon, I want to give it time before I feel comfortable with even setting a paw back in the valley. But I will come back home, just give me some time. I hope things are going well for you and that you're getting along well without me around. I promise we'll get back together soon, things just have to be in the right alignment for it to happen.

I'll be back soon. Promise.

Your friend,
Night Fury.

PS: And if you're wondering, yes, I did pull that stunt on you and your girlfriend that night with those bags of old fish. Just know you asked for it after bragging about how cool you were.

Fury stopped writing and looked at the scroll, he was happy that he was finally able to speak to someone back home. It felt good having linked back up with someone who he was glad hadn't forgotten about him. 

He walked over to Philomena and placed the rolled up scroll in the harness she had on. Then, he let her switch to his foreleg for a perch.

"Philomena, thank you. You've allowed me to finally make contact with the one who drove me to become who I am. You have truly done me a service with your long flight from my home." Fury said with a smile.

"Arawk!" The phoenix responded while giving a salute that Celestia trained her to do. She then rummaged through her wing and plucked a feather from it, placing it behind his ear and nuzzling his neck.

"Thank you, Philomena. It's beautiful." He said, grateful for the gift. "Well, I guess I should send you on your way. It's been nice seeing you, maybe you can come back to visit sometime."

"Arawk!" She cawed, taking off and flying away with grace.

"Bye Philomena, fly safe!" Fury waved to her, as did the other princesses.

Celestia came up to him. "Philomena took a liking to you, I see."

"Maybe that's what happens when you transform into different animals. You get a sense of animal magnetism." He said, chuckling. "And speaking of transformations…"

He grabbed the feather that Philomena gave him and focused on it, the fiery feather glowing as he did. As he became more pure energy, the feather merged with him as he changed form. Red flames circled around him as he slowly grew wings, tail feathers replacing his usual tail as he floated in the air. As he spread his wings, he let out a strong caw and let his form solidify as he let his aura shine through his red, orange and yellow feathers in his new phoenix form.

"Well, this is pretty cool if I do say so myself. The best bird form I've been in for sure." Fury said.

Celestia was amazed. "My goodness, Fury, you look almost like Philomena. You even have her colors!"

"I guess I do. But Speed Shifters don't change color when transforming. I guess there's an exception for me as an All Powerful. I feel strong, fast, and powerful. I guess the only difference between me and Philomena is that she's a girl." Fury said as he floated down and perched on Celestia's back.

"Well, I can tell you're a bit larger and more muscular than her. So that I can understand. It must be interesting being a phoenix." Celestia said.

"It feels so weird yet so awesome! I feel like I can do anything! Wait… can I…?" Fury took a deep breath in and with a big effort, blew out a flamethrower from his beak that almost grazed the tip of Cadence's horn.

"Woa-hoah! Personal flamethrower breath?! Now that is awesome, cha-ching!" Fury said, pumping a wing in triumph.

"Yeah, says the guy who shot fire right at my horn." Cadence said, annoyed though unharmed. "I'm starting to see why your friend had to supervise you. I feel sorry for him."

"Do I really need to bring up your old teenage years again, lollipop mane?" 

"Uh no no no! Never mind! I'll take it back!" Cadence said in fear.

"Heh, that's what I thought." Fury said smugly. "So Moonpie, how do you like my new fiery personality?" He joked.

"Hmmmm." Luna said. "It is interesting, for sure, but…"

"But what…"

"It's so bright! So fiery! It reminds me of my sister in summer! I'm not quite used to it." Luna said.

Fury chuckled. "Ah, I see that you don't like fire and light. Well, don't worry. I have another form that you may take a more favorable liking to."

He focused his energy once again and changed his form, his body becoming more bulky and his eyes becoming rounder as he turned into a white snowy owl.

"Hoo! Hoo!" He hooted, flapping his wings a bit.

Luna's eyes widened instantly. She had a look of childlike wonder. "By the stars! You look so beautiful! Let me feel you!" She said as she ran to the owl for a hug.

She ruffled his feathers as she felt his fluffy body. She had a special place in her heart for owls, her love for them coming from her time after her banishment when she was still adjusting to the world. She called owls 'The phoenixes of the night' with their silent flight and beautiful looks.

"You're so fluffy! It's like I'm hugging a plushie!" She said.

"Aww, thanks! And that's not even the coolest part, check this out." Luna stepped back to allow Fury to do his thing, watching him shift his orientation on her sister's back and do what she thought was the most amazing part of owls. Turning his head completely backwards to look at her.

"Look at that! I've got a swivel head!" Fury said. "And look at my wide eyes, searching for my next meal!" 

"Ah it seems you've done your research on owls. The superior bird." Luna said, turning smugly to Celestia

"I believe you have that wrong, sister. The phoenix is a much better bird than the owl, but I will give you the fact that they have swiveling heads." She said with somewhat of a forced smile. Fury snickered as he flew away from the now distracted sisters and landed on Lauren's back.

"I'm guessing that this was something coming from their childhood?" He asked with a smile.

"Yeah. They almost always had opposite preferences. Dark vs light. Somber vs cheerful music. Tragedies vs comedies. And of course, which type of animal was better." Lauren chuckled.

"Gee, they're still arguing about that even after thousands of years?" Cadence asked.

"Well as they say, you never completely grow up. You're still a child even with all the experience you have. Just ask me." Faust said. 

"Or Fury." Cadence jabbed.

"Heh, I'll take that. And besides, my parents told me basically the same thing. The ones who let life pass them by grow up. But the ones who live life to the fullest, only grow older." Fury said.

"Very true." Faust said. "That what I told those two before they had become adults. Just keep those words in your heart."

"I agree, that's the true way that you should live your life." Fury said. He then stopped as he heard something else.

"Hang on, I'm picking up something else!" He called out, getting everyone's attention. 

"Is Philomena back already? She must have really liked you." Celestia joked, but Fury didn't laugh.

"No, no flapping this time. Sounds like a pony, and they're coming this way." Fury said. Just then, someone came through the doors. The pony was a mare, a white coat similar to Celestia's and a black mane tied up in two buns. She wore semi-circle glasses and seemed to be wearing a sort of collar with red fabric in a wavy pattern. She held a clipboard in heroic foreleg as she looked up at the royals before her.

"Ah, good morning, your highnesses. I see you've gotten a jump on the day. The mare said, showing a smile.

"Yes, Raven. But I have some guests that I'd like you to meet first." Celestia said, gesturing to her mother and Night Fury who was looking away. As soon as Raven looked at Lauren, she gasped. She had also heard the tale of the legendary Fausticorn, the mother of Celestia and Luna. The rumors of her return were engraved in her mind as of late, but she had never thought that she would actually return.

"Oh… my goodness. Y-your majesty, it's such an honor to witness your return. May I just say that you have raised two wonderful daughters." Raven stuttered, her amazement at an all time high. Lauren chuckled at the secretary's emotional overload.

"Thank you, Ms. Inkwell. I agree that they have truly grown over the years and have made the world a great place. But I am not the only one that has made an impact on the world, as there is another who has done much more. Raven Inkwell, I'd like to introduce ambassador Night Fury." 

Night Fury heard his name and turned his head backwards, addressing the secretary of the sun goddess.

Raven was confused. "Um… Not to be rude, your highnesses, but that is just an owl."

"Yes! And I'm also Night Fury."

Raven's eyes widened. "D-did that owl just talk?"

"Uh yeah, I'm Night Fury. I transformed into an owl. Does it ring a bell?"  He asked, unamused.

"Ohhhhh. Right, I forgot. The memo told me you had some shapeshifting abilities. My apologies. I am happy to meet you, Mr. Ambassador." She said with a bow.

"Eh, just call me Night Fury." He said flying to her as he transformed back to normal. Raven took a step back once she saw how burly he was. She had heard that he had some decent muscles, but he looked built in person.

"O-oh my…" She said, her face going a slight pink.

"Heh, hey princess. I think your secretary is a bit distracted by me." Fury chuckled.

Raven looked away immediately, blushing ever harder.

"Well, she has always liked the dark and mysterious types." Celestia said, amused.

"Um… c-can we get back to the issue at hand, handso- I mean, Mr. Fury." She said, embarrassed.

"Ah, so you do like me." Fury said. "I appreciate it, but I'm taken by the lunar goddess."

Raven paused at the statement and looked back to the lunar princess, getting a nod of affirmation in return to solidify his words.

"I- I see. You are one lucky princess, your highness. I congratulate you." Raven said.

Luna smiled. "Thank you, and I am sure that a hard worker like you will have your own very special somepony oneday."

Raven nodded.

"So what are you here for anyways?" Cadence asked, getting back to the point.

All of a sudden she went from nervous to straight laced.

"Well, I have come to inform you all that there are a few things that need to be addressed. Princess Celestia, your court will be lighter than usual. Most of the delegates that would be pushing the limits of your schedule are preoccupied with maintaining the calm after the invasion. Princess Luna, a few guards made it a point that I inform you of the currently deteriorating barracks which could use a thorough rework."

Celestia was relieved at having less time for the boring and inauthentic diplomats. She would have more time for more important affairs.

Luna on the other hoof, had a serious expression on her face. She remembered when her guards were slain. And she always wondered what could have been done to save them. She was quite pleased to hear this proposal.

"I find this proposal appropriate. We must defend against another of these calamities befalling our way of life. I will have the castle's personal construction crew have a look at the barracks and evaluate the situation." Luna said, getting a nod from Raven as she continued.

"Princess Cadence, your husband has sent a message through that he has received the delivery of new guard armor and spears from the forge. Also, he says he loves you and misses you." Raven said with a smile.

Cadence smiled. "That is good. It's about time they arrived. And I knew he would say that. My Shining is truly the most wonderful stallion in the world." She said in a bit of a daze.

Night Fury however, was slowly sneaking away to get away from the boring princess business, either in terms of politics or sapiness. He had no plan on sticking around for whatever snooze fest jobs that were about to go down.

Maybe I can finally go for that morning- well, now a mid noon run finally. Fury said to himself.

Fury went into a hallway, saw a window and decided to fly out, transforming into a phoenix to do so.

He soared over Canterlot, surprised at how strong a phoenix was. Of course, he didn't want to be a phoenix too long. It took a lot of energy and he wanted to save it for running as fast as possible. 

He spotted an open street to start his run and went for a dive, pulling up and tucking into a roll as he transformed back and landed on all fours. He pulled his head up and looked around, the streets were busy but not its usual hustle and bustle.

Perfect, I can stretch my legs and maybe show off a bit. Hopefully that Raven isn't a hard case and somehow appears in front of me to tell me off.

"Ambassador!!!" said a sadly familiar voice.

Well at least she isn't in front of me. He said looking behind to see a surprisingly fast Raven speeding as quickly as possible to catch up to him.

"You… haven't listened… to my report yet!" She said, panting as she slowed to a stop.

"I'll do it later! I just wanna run right now." Fury responded. 

"You can do that later! It's very unbecoming of an ambassador to not listen to news as quickly as possible." She responded.

I think I found Twilight's twin sister. I'm sure these two would just love to talk about how fun their schedules are. Even at my expense.

"Well, too bad. I may be an ambassador, but I'm not like everypony else. Deal with it." Fury huffed, burning out in Raven's face before taking off.

"You will listen to my message!" Raven cried out.

"Yeah, later!" Fury called out.

Fury was finally free. He felt the urge and excitement of dashing on the roads. Seeing all the cool shops, statues and buildings fly by driving his adrenaline sky high. 

Now this is fun. I've never really raced through a city before, let alone on paved roads at all.

For Fury, running through a city was more tricky being that it was a narrower space and there were obstacles in the way. But he also found it thrilling to have to avoid obstacles and test his reaction time.

As Fury ran, he saw some kids on a trampoline. It was by some apartments with slanted roofs. He had an idea.

He leaped in the center away from the foals. The foals were surprised but then amused as he kept bouncing and bouncing till he finally got to the roofs.

"Thanks kids! See ya later!" Fury said as the children cheered him on while he bounced out and raced away.

Fury smiled at the sweet moment, he felt like a sort of cool uncle. Though he didn't have a niece of his own, the relationships he's made with kids like the CMC were pretty close. His powers echoed through the city like a wailing ghost, grabbing the attention of any and everypony that he passed by. As he skidded around another turn, he pushed his speed to the limit.

He saw his surroundings blur more and more as he raced forward, the wind howling in his ears. Then, he saw an unfamiliar face. And to his immediate horror, it was directly in his way.

Sweet Celestia, who's that?!

He managed to pick up a surprised squeal from up ahead, giving him the impression that it was a girl. Now knowing he was dealing with somepony with a more fragile frame, he knew he had to put the brakes on.

"Get out of the way!!!" Fury cried out. He pushed all of his weight into the floor and attempted to stop, smoke and screeching bellowing from him. Luckily he stopped before he crashed into her.

"So sorry about that, miss! You alright?" He asked the unicorn mare. 

"Ah do not worry, mon ami. I am quite alright. I was simply curious about what I was witnessing, I would have teleported out of the way. I should apologize to you for just standing here instead of moving like normal ponies." The mare said with a bow.

Fury noticed the mare was unlike others. Her coat was snow white and her mane was a light pink. Her body shape was similar to Cadence, but she was slightly taller and slimmer. Her eyes were a purple color and she wore a small smile despite the fact that she was nearly run down at sonic speed.

"Do I recognize you? You seem… familiar." Fury said with his paw on his jaw.

The graceful unicorn simply giggled. "You may not know me personally, but you do know my husband."

"Husband?" Fury asked. Just then, a familiar face walked out of a clothing store and began to speak.

"Are you okay, darling? I could have sworn I heard rubber skidding on pavement, is there a cart race going on that I wasn't aware of?"

Fleur de Lis smiled. "Oh don't worry, mon cheri. I'm quite alright. No damage has been incurred." She said leaving out the incident for the sake of politeness.

"Ah good good. These streets of Canterlot. I swear they need more room so that these incidents don't happen again." Fancy Pants said.

All of a sudden he noticed the black feline. "Wait a second, is that… Ambassador Night Fury of Thunder Hollow?!" He said with surprise.

"Fancy Pants?! This is your wife?" Fury asked with the same level of shock. "And please, no need to use my full title. We aren't at a summit or fancy party, I am but a humble cat in public."

Fancy Pants gave a jolly laugh. "Ha ha ha, still just as open as ever. A break from my haughty acquaintances. It's great to see you. How have you been and have you been up to anything?"

Fury shrugged. "Let's just say it's mixed. Some good, some bad, just the life of an ambassador. And now that I'm getting a better look, I think I know who your wife is. Back in a flash, you two." 

He dashed off again making Fancy Pants jump a bit.

"Wow, that young fellow can make our best runners look like turtles!" The stallion remarked. His wife nodded, knowing that fact firsthoof. Fury then returned with a colorful magazine and compared the covers to the mare in front of him.

"Wait… Now I recognize you! You're Fleur De Lis, Canterlot's top supermodel! My friend Rarity raves on about your recent Coltifornia show." Fury said, opening the magazine and pointing to her show photos.

Fleur nodded. "That is correct. Most ponies in Canterlot would recognize me over their own cousins. I was surprised that you were unaware at first."

"Eh, modeling isn't really my thing. I usually stick to sports and speed. My more athletic build being one of the more… prominent clues of that fact when ponies see me." Fury said. Fleur gave him a quick look over and smiled.

"You know, with your looks, you could be just as good a model as me." She said. Fury was taken aback by the comment, he never saw himself as a model.

"Aww, come on. I'm no model, my looks aren't that big of a deal anyway." He said sheepishly.

Fleur shook her head. "I hate to be so blunt, but have you looked in a mirror? Have you not noticed the muscles you have? The shiny black coat of yours? And that exquisite jawline." She said, grabbing his mandible.

"Uh, are you coming on to me? I'm taken. And so are you." Fury said worriedly.

This got out a hard laugh from Fancy Pants.

"My wife does that with everyone. She likes to feel things and examine them. She doesn't have much sense of personal space." He chuckled a little at Fleur's expense.

"Oh very funny, Fancy. But long tangents aside," she said, rolling her eyes. "I cannot believe you are truly ugly or even average looking. Surely some females have taken notice of you. I am sure even those who are not the Princess of the Night find you to have a certain appeal to you."

"Well…" Before Fury could deny it, a flock of mares came walking by and began gawking at him.

"Hey there, hot stuff~. You're lucky you're already taken, because we'd love to show you what we can do." One more said, causing the rest of the group to giggle uncontrollably. Night Fury blushed a harsh red that matches his eyes, he had never heard something like that in reference to him.

"Now that, Fury, is real flirting." Fleur remarked.

"Yeah, I can see that!" Fury said, unsure of what to do.

Fury took a deep breath before continuing on. "Look ladies, you're pretty and all-"

"You heard that Scarlet?! He called me pretty!"

"No you idiot, he was clearly talking about me!"

Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Fury said to himself.

"But, you have to understand. I'm only loyal to one and one mare alone. Her name is Luna. And I will not break that trust. It goes against the honor that Speed Shifters were taught in childhood." Fury said firmly. 

The mares either had a look of jealousy, sadness or continual lust. Fury had to think of something to satisfy them.

"But if you just want some autographs, then I'd be happy to provide. Go get yourself some items and I'll draw my name in it Speed Shifter style!" 

Every mare seemed to squeal in excitement as they handed him their purses, hats, old dolls and so on. 

Wow these ladies will do anything for my autograph. I don't know if that's cute or creepy. Maybe both.

"Alright, just hold them out and watch the magic happen." Fury said, the mares obliging to his request and holding their selected items out. Fury focused his energy into his paws, a charge surging into his exposed claws as they glowed red. Rearing back in his hind legs he extended his forelegs and zapped each item, engraving them with his name and a signature paw print with two lightning strikes crossing through them.

"There! Now you have some fancy new stuff to show off that you manage to meet the legend himself!" Fury said confidently.

"Oh my Celestia! We are so lucky!"

The mares said, finally fully satisfied as they happily trotted away with their new custom merch. 

"Hoo, it's finally over! I have faced many terrors in my lifetime. But none comes close to the horrors of fangirls." He said in disgust.

"Now you must understand how I feel." Fleur de Lis said. 

"Oh yeah, definitely! I can only imagine how crazy stallions must get when they see you. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if one of them decided to propose to you in public without warning!" Fury chuckled.

"That… they did. But thankfully, I found the right stallion to hold them off." Fleur cooed, brushing up against her lover.

"And that's a major step up, take that and run with it for as long as you can." Fury said. 

Then, a voice called out to him that drove him near insane.

"Finally! I've been looking all over for you, ambassador!" Said Raven, making her way towards him.

"Oh for heavens' sake. That persistent little bug just can't leave well enough alone. Sorry for the quick exit, but this one… I cannot deal with right now." Fury said as he charged up and began to do doughnuts around the couple, creating a smoke screen that covered his exit as he raced down a side alley and disappeared into the blackness.

"Fury, you get back here this instant!!!" Raven called out.

The illustrious couple just looked at the event with a mix of both confusion.

"Do you think that's another of his fangirls?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Mmm, in some ways. I would say she is a fangirl, in the sense she wants Fury to do what she wants. But she is far more persistent than those others for sure." Fleur commented as she went close to her husband.

– 

Later on…

Fury was happily cruising along the city streets, passing by stores and ponies that he greeted along the way. Finally having gotten away from Raven, he was free to stride along without interruptions. Making a right turn onto a stone path, he had pulled into the castle gardens. He looked around at the beautiful array of flowers, even stopping to smell a few and take in their aroma. His mother sure would love this.

He thought to himself as he kept going. He then saw a set of double doors that were painted in a familiar combination of blue and black.

Hmm, that must be the door that leads to Luna's part of the castle. I wonder how that barracks revamp is going, maybe I can pop in and see if I can help out.

Fury stepped inside and began his trek to the lunar guard's barracks.

As he entered, he noticed how dark it was in Luna's part of the castle compared to Celestia's. There was very little light shining through and most of the curtains were drawn closed. Just enough for it to have some visibility and not be a complete safety hazard for normal ponies, but not so much that it was like the sun was shining right through. Fury wasn't surprised that his girlfriend wasn't as much of a fan of the day as he was, being the Princess of the Night and all. 

He then heard somepony speaking along with some hammering and scraping.

"Keep it up, everypony. Her Majesty wants this place up to code by sunset, so let's make sure we do things right." A feminine voice commanded. Fury figures he was close to his destination and sped his pace up slightly, turning a corner and seeing the doors open to the barracks. Outside stood a strong looking thestral mare, cladded in dark blue armor. Alongside her stood Luna herself, most likely overseeing the revamp of the barracks. The princess was silent but clearly took this extremely seriously.

Fury decided to walk up to her and take a look inside. 

"Wow, these guards sure have cool armor. I guess you trained them well." He said.

The commander looked back in a bit of shock. "You! Don't you know that civilians aren't allowed in here?"

Luna calmed her worries down. "At ease, commander. Fury will not interrupt anything. And besides, he is not quite a civilian with how he has defeated some of Equestria's threats."

The commander nodded and her face softened. "My apologies, sir. Please proceed."

Fury took a look inside and was surprised at what he saw. Multiple thestrals were replacing tiles, cleaning lockers, changing lights and repainting the walls. Fury was impressed, but was a little disappointed at the slow process.

"Y'know, these guards are majorly slow. Clunky, sloppy, distracted. And that's coming from someone who gets distracted easily by the most mundane things." Fury said bluntly, not pulling any punches.

The commander looked at him. "You little… Who do you think you are?! This process is effective."

"So? You're doing it the wrong way. It would be so much easier if you used rollers instead of paint brushes, went two by two with the tiles instead of one by one, and didn't have those bulky lampshade lights and traded them for some fluorescent lights. There's a difference between restoring and revamping. Nothing here is ever gonna improve if you use the same old stuff that you know is gonna be run down in a few months every time."

The commander was still offended but she seemed to be flustered. "Well… it builds up discipline and the ability to embrace tradition! They are forced to be precise and to work harder instead of taking the easy way out!"

Fury rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, because battles are won by using the least effective ways possible. See, this is exactly why this place is gonna be useless after you eventually run out the supply of these lights, tiles and paint. You'll just end up with an abandoned room that you can't keep restoring over and over. Discipline is a good factor, I'll give you that one. But what's the point in constantly teaching the same lesson over and over when the world is evolving around you?"

"You can't constantly trust tradition to be your guide, you have to go with the times. Otherwise, you'll just end up with out of date tactics that'll bring you down in the long run. I mean, think about it. What do you think the world would look like if the main governmental front was still run by the same ponies who were born in a time when unicorn and pegasus supremacy was still a thing?" Fury explained.

The commander was at a loss for words. She could only respond with vitriol. "But it's part of tradition! You just don't get it because you don't know our ways, you predatory menace!!!"

After the commander said that, everyone froze. The guards stopped work to lock back at her like she was crazy, even they wouldn't have said that. And in the presence of their princess who was also the ambassador's lover?! 

"Commander Frosty Blizzard, are you insane?!" One of the guards yelled out. "I may be under your command, but in no way will I stand for the disrespect of the ambassador! And do any of us need to remind you that this very feline is not only a friend of the princesses, but the lover of our princess?!"

"Yeah, commander. We may have been taught to be honest with who we speak to, but even we wouldn't go as far as talking down to another species! In my honest opinion, you should consider yourself lucky he hasn't tried to kill you!" Said another.

"Now Now, Everyone, I don't need to do that." Fury said. "She's already proven how much of a clown she is. The only thing I need to give her is a wig and a big red nose."

Blizzard was furious. She turned to Princess Luna. "Your highness, say something to him! He is dishonoring your guards' traditions! And has turned my soldiers against your humble servant!"

"Oh, I will. But I believe it will not be what you expect." Luna said sternly. She walked up to Fury, held his head up to hers, and dove in for a kiss. Fury went wide eyed for a second at the surprise kiss, but he soon allowed himself to fall in. But not before giving a wink and a smile to the guards working on the barracks.

"Wow. For being the princess of the night, your kisses are hotter than fire, babe!" He said flirtatiously.

"I save my passion for the right moments, Lightning Bug." Luna said with a smirk.

The commander was in shock. "But- but- but- but- but-"

"Hey, Frostbite, having some engine trouble?" Fury shot out.

"Gahhhh! Princess! I have been a loyal follower of you, you cannot choose this foreigner over your own loyal servant! Does my service mean nothing?" The commander asked.

"I am not being partial to him or you. Fury has given some advice. And your response was to act like a whiny filly. Instead of thinking about it, or simply ignoring it, you decided to cause a ruckus. You focus so much on unimportant details, you forget the most basic of courtesy. For shame." Luna shook her head. 

"Not to mention that your ego is as 'bout as big as that melon you have for a head." Fury said. "All that room, and you can still hear an echo when you knock on it."

"Grrrrr… Fine. Forget I said anything! Soldiers, get back to work! Ignore this conversation ever happened!" Frost said, trying to forget about Fury's words.

"No, I don't think they will." Fury said. "Now, I may not be the one who is in charge of maintaining the guard and calling the shots, but what I can do is advise one such figure to call those shots. And in my opinion, I believe a discharge is in order. Am I right, your highness?" 

Frost turned to the one she dreaded most. The princess of the night who was glaring at her.

"Your majesty?" She said with an unintentional squeak.

Luna had a look of judgment on her face. "I believe he is correct, a discharge is in order…"

Frost went as pale as snow at that notion…

"But, I will put it up to a vote for the sake of fairness."

But immediately took on a smug smirk at that statement, thinking that her loyal guards would instantly take her side.

"Now, by the show of hooves and paws… who thinks that Commander Frost should not be discharged?"

Everything was silent. Not one hoof or paw was up. This made Frost worry. But she told herself maybe they just didn't want to commit to any decision yet. Surely they'll make the right choice this time!

"Now who thinks that Commander Frost should be discharged?" Luna asked.

And in that instant, everyone put up their forelimbs in support of the second option. One thestral guard even flopping on her back and putting up all fours in spite.

"W-what? Don't you know how immature a joke is at this time?! Be serious!" The Commander yelled.

All the soldiers remained silent.

"Y-you're serious? But why? Have I not guided you thick and thin?! Have I not been a mother to you all?! Have I not led you to self betterment?! And this is how you repay me?!" She said with rage.

"Oh no, you did do all of that for us. And we thank you for it, but no one gets to be rude to this fine feline and just expects us to brush it off. Honor is not something you can be trained to be given, it is earned. And through all of the battles he has been through to even have the privilege to stand here before us is worthy enough." said one of her formerly loyal soldiers.

"And let us not lie to ourselves!" Said the mare in the back. "You make us live in miserable conditions! The food is barely food! The showers don't work properly! And you won't even let us write to our families! All for your so-called discipline that is really just an excuse to be lazy, do nothing and expect others to do all the work! We have all tried to muster through, but now enough is enough!" She said, stomping her hooves.

"Aww, you guys. I think the little snowflake here is about to have a temper tantrum. Ha!" Fury pointed to the red hot chili pepper that was their former commander.

"Oooh, you sneaky, two timing, lazy, reject, son of a-"

"SILENCE, YOU!!!" Luna said with a thundering voice, which made Frost yelp in fear. 

"You have failed as a commander! You have failed as a decent soldier with honor! All your great achievements in the past have been negated for your treatment of Fury and even the guards you were assigned to watch over! For this offense, you shall be transferred to Dodge City!" Luna declared.

"Wait what?! You can't send me to that accursed place! There is nothing to do there but to supervise a bunch of drunk bums, hobos and gamblers! There is no honor being there! I will be disgraced in history for this!" Frosty said.

"Well, deal with it! Or else I'll cripple you and send you out there on wheels." Fury snarled.

"Do you dare test him, Frost?" Luna asked.

Frost swiftly shook her head. "No… alright I will leave, Your Highness."

"Oh no no, you're not leaving yet. I've got some stuff that I want to teach you for the foreseeable future!" Fury said, almost sounding like he was about to go insane. He slowly walked towards her, grabbed her right foreleg, and clenched his paw. Hard. An audible cracking could be heard from the thestral's bones as she screeched in pain.

"You honestly thought I would let you go without making an example out of you? No. You're too cute to go to Dodge City, you need a couple of scars to fit in there. Just so you can fit in with the scars your recruits have had." He said coldly, pointing to the guards who have even had their ears cut up by her. She was dazed and Fury proceeded to grab her wings and twist them, bending the frame and leaving her flightless. She dropped to the ground in agony, not being able to do anything but whimper in pain as Fury stared down at her broken and bashed body with a smile.

"And now for the grand finale! You like tearing your recruits' ears off, eh? Well they can't hog up all the fun! Time for you to have it too!" He said, opening his jaw.

"I'm sorry! They were not learning! I had to teach them not to bumble around! You have to understaAAAAAAAA-"

She felt unbelievable pain. Her formerly large ears were now incredibly small and red with blood. Same could be said for Fury's teeth, red like his eyes and dripping with her blood. At this point, her pain had gotten the attention of others and they were coming towards the barracks to investigate.

"Now, we have a decent look for you. You fit in just fine with your new scars and broken leg. Oh, and it sounds like there's a couple of ponies here to check out your new look. Make yourself look good, if you can even do that anymore." Fury said as he slipped into the shadows to watch the show from afar.

She was stricken with a mix of pain and shock. She felt totally helpless. She looked at her former soldiers who had stone cold faces. She looked at Luna who simply stared harshly at her.

"Princess?" She said weakly. "How c-could you harbor such a… violent creature into our land? He has nothing but his own bloodlust to guide him."

Luna finally replied. "He has a taste for blood, true. But he also has an even greater taste for justice. Something that has been lacking these days. Something you seemed to have forgotten. You might have fought in battles, but you show no compassion for your troops. Perhaps Dodge City will purify your heart or if not at least take you down off of your throne of ego." Luna said sternly.

Just then, Celestia, Cadence and surprisingly, Shining Armor showed up to the scene. Having heard the cries of pain, they all decided to see what was what. Fury sat in the shadows patiently, watching as the scene unfolded with no regrets of his decisions, regardless of what consequences might be in store.

"Commander Frost, what happened?! Are you alright?!" Shining asked. "Do you need medical attention?!"

"She will not need it." Said a stone cold princess. "The wounds are deep enough to affect her permanently. At least physically. Besides, she asked for it."

Cadence and Shining Armor were confused at this.

"What do you mean? Has she done something wrong?" Cadence asked.

"Yes. She thought it would be a good idea to talk down to the ambassador because of his species and his lack of awareness of our traditions just because he made a few comments on the speed at which my other guards were working and how to improve the barracks. Therefore, she suffered the consequences of getting dishonorably discharged from my guard, sent away to Dodge City, and crippled by the ambassador himself."

Shining Armor understood what she meant. He always knew her to be effective but strict and even cruel. It seems Fury will tolerate no one, even war heroes if he finds them without honor.

"Sir, you cannot let this stand!" She finally spoke up. "The princess has been influenced by this foreigner! Shining Armor, you respect traditions right? Then defend me and defend the old ways that will always work!" She pleaded with him.

Shining Armor was silent, pondering what to say. He idly looked to his right and was surprised to see the accused feline himself, standing there with his red eyes staring at him from the shadows. He was surprised that nopony else could see the dim but noticeable glow, but perhaps that was one of the skills the ambassador possessed as he was a being of stealth. Night Fury gave him a look, simple and straightforward. 

He then looked back at her. "To answer your question, Frost… Yes, I am a respecter of the old ways. Of the conventional ways. Of the traditions of Canterlot. Not just me, but the whole Sparkle family abides by these too. Usually, I support the status quo…"

The thestral was pleased. "So you know why you must turn in Fury-" 

"But…" Shining Interrupted. "We also hold ourselves to a code of respect and conduct. We show respect to those who respect us, we act as we should in the presence of figures of importance, we allow the opinions of others to be heard, we treat others how we ourselves want to be treated. And you, Commander… have done none of those things. In fact, it is my fault that I did not discharge you earlier for your actions against your soldiers. I was too focused on your prestige and not on your effectiveness. But I'm fixing that now."

Commander Frost was appalled, how could the captain of the guard side with those who hadn't earned their place in the world like she had? He continued to speak.

"I shall oversee the discharge of your services from this post and your transfer to Dodge City. I will also be taking it upon myself to watch over the revamping of the Lunar Guard barracks. They will not live in these horrible conditions anymore. They will be trained in a good and honorable manner. Do I make myself clear?" He said in a voice that intimidated her.

She was about to defend herself but then her wiser self realized she had lost and there was no point in trying to keep her pride.

"Y-yes sir." She said in defeat.

"Guards! Prepare transportation for her." Shining said. "You are dismissed, Frost. Go think about what you've done and leave when your means of transportation have been prepared."

She looked down and went out of her former soldiers' barracks presumably back to her own special barracks to prepare for her trip to Dodge City. He then looked back over to the spot in the shadows and spoke.

"So you decided to let things play themselves out, huh?" He asked. Out from the shadows stepped the ambassador, a straight face held on his witnessing of the events.

"Better to let things play out after I've done my part than try to put more fuel on the fire with my words that may have put me in a bad spot." Fury said simply.

"Sweet mother of Equestria, I didn't even know you were there!" Cadence said in shock. 

"Just one of the things us Speed Shifters are good at. Surveying from the shadows and hiding in plain sight." Fury said.

"I could tell by your expression that you were expecting just as much flame for your actions as gratitude and praise." Shining pointed out, getting a nod of affirmation from the feline.

"Despite the fact that I was, believe it or not, heavily reducing my primal urges. I would have expected nothing less than some pushback for my more… aggressive punishment. I wouldn't have even been surprised if I got more than just a talk." Fury said. This statement in such a nonchalant way was surprising to the beings present. Would he really not have resisted if he was subjected to punishment in the more 'Extreme' sense? Was he just… expecting them to go to the most aggressive solution just because of his violent tendencies? Despite having shown that he can do without?

Shining spoke up. "I must admit I was a bit shocked at first. I was tempted to give you a good talking to. But the fact that Luna was so adamant on her treatment and your eyes, it made me realize what kind of thestral she was. When I saw your eyes, I saw someone who had no regrets and felt just in his actions. I trust you Fury as well as the princess. You did something I as commander should have done long ago."

"But, that begs the question… Fury, would you really have been nonresistant if we took… extreme measures to reprimand you?" Cadence asked, almost sounding concerned.

"It's true. You ponies take violence against your kind seriously, don't you? If what I did to the former commander was enough to warrant such a response… What's to argue about? You protect what you hold dear and I get the punishment I deserve, no matter if it's mentally scarring, physically scarring, or even fatal. All's fair when protecting your own, right?" He said, no trace of fear or anger in his voice.

Everyone was surprised at this philosophy. He was so level headed about it too. 

But for Shining Armor he simply smiled. "Agreed. You and I may be different but I think our code of honor is the same. And we do not care what happens to us as long as we do what is just." He said, reaching his hoof out.

"You're not as lame as I thought." Fury said with a smile as he shook his hoof firmly.

Cadence though, was not as pleased with this. "You're kidding me! Fury, do you know what you just said?! That you would be willing to die just like that?! How is that honorable?!"

Celestia nodded. "I too find it a bit… disagreeable."

"If I were to step over the line in terms of what you see as 'Acceptable behavior', why should I complain when you take action in the way you see fit. I'm not from this nation and I have no say in how you ponies react to my behavior in the slightest. What's to debate about when how you associate certain punishments to certain crimes is completely different from mine? All's fair when you're a guest in another realm and have no jurisdiction in how you're treated."

Celestia and Cadence started to understand more but were at a loss for words until Luna spoke up.

"Sister and niece, I know this way sounds odd. But I believe it to be honorable. Fury will fight for what is right while also respecting our own ideas of justice. I believe this is honorable." Luna said with resolve.

Celestia finally spoke up. "I see. I understand now. You are more concerned with living with honor than with escaping punishment. To be honest Fury, I can understand that. I, as a princess, have to do both sometimes for what is unpopular but have the courage to accept my fate. You, Fury, are truly noble. I see why you are the Chosen One."

"I… I can't be okay with this. I just… Why would you be so comfortable with dying? Especially when it could be at the hooves of one of us?! How can you say you wouldn't care if even your one true love was the one who ended you?" Cadence asked, completely down in the dumps in terms of her understanding of what was said.

Fury smiled. "Because I would know that I died with honor. That I chose not to live as a coward, but die a hero. We Speed Shifters take honor as higher than death. Well, I used to be different when I was younger. I used to be scared to fight and always wanted to choose my life over honor. But I learned from those times. I fight and die with pride. That is my answer. And as a princess, I'm sure you understand that that is necessary at times."

Cadence was stunned. She would have never thought of something like the death of Night Fury by her own judgment to be something to think about, but it was a thought she had to bear nonetheless.

"The Cockatrice fight back in Ponyville… You thanked everyone at the venue, even when they wanted you dead… Even when you technically did die because of the petrification… you didn't care. This… this changes everything." Cadence thought aloud, walking up to her feline friend.

"Fury, I completely understand why you would be unmoved if you were subjected to punishment that you have no right to object to… But, I just can't be okay with the fact that you wouldn't care if it even were me to ultimately strike you down. I was the one who ultimately brought you to this point with that invitation, I was the one who heard your unspoken cries of anguish and responded to them, I was the one who encouraged you to bring yourself back from the brink of suicide! I just… can't bring myself to be okay knowing this."

Fury had a softer expression and put his paw on her shoulder. "Cadence, listen to me. I know you care for me a lot. And you are worried about these things happening. But I will assure you, I will not hold any grudge against you for that. Especially since you are so caring. And anyways, even if I say I'm prepared to be punished, I still do my best to avoid the worst. I don't think I'll be put into that type of mess anytime soon. So don't worry about it. After all, I knew Luna was already on my side, so it wasn't a complete risk for me. I'm good at calculating odds. Does that relieve you a bit more?"

Cadence stayed silent for a few seconds, then looking into Fury's caring eyes that she knew wouldn't turn her wrong.

"I… I guess so. You are someone I don't fully understand… But I know I can trust your instinct." She said with a small smile.

"Atta girl! There's nothing to worry about." Fury said. 

He then stretched a bit. "Wow, I wasn't expecting all this to be honest today. I was just going for a run, heh."

Shining nodded. "Yep, me neither. Today I got some work to do on these barracks."

"Hey, why don't I lend a paw? I could use something to pass the time anyway."

"Well, I could use some help. Okay. We'll work on this together in a few minutes." Shining said as he walked away it got his bearings.

Cadence was curious about something though. "Say, I was wondering, Fury. If you were on your afternoon run, how did you end up here? This isn't on your normal route and it's not easy to run to. Were you always intending to go here?"

"Well, for one, I just wanted to pop in and see what's up with the revamp. And two, I was trying to get away from AvenRay Well Inksay." Fury said, speaking in Latin.

"Huh?" Cadence said.

"He's talking about Raven Inkwell, my advisor." Celestia said. "I didn't know you had that talent with words."

"Latin isn't that hard of a language. But I didn't read it to learn how to speak it. Yuck, such a boring waste of time! Twilight always makes me learn this boring formal stuff!" Fury said.

"Be careful with your words, Lightning Bug. You should count yourself lucky she isn't here to catch that." Luna said with a smirk.

"Oh please! Even if she was nearby, what's that know-it-all, grape with legs gonna do about it? Lecture me to death!? Jokes on her, I already died many times listening to my mom say all that." Fury said.

Then Cadence spoke up, getting back to Raven. "Hold on a moment. Now that I think about it, weren't you supposed to hear what Raven was going to say to you? No wonder why you're here! You tried to hide from her and ended up here!"

"Shh! Not so loud! You giant, pink, cough drop!" Fury said. "I'm doing it later! But she won't take no for an answer."

Cadence had a mischievous smile. "Oh I'm so sorry, Fury! I did not know you were trying to procrastinate! I am very sorry about that!" She said loudly.

Fury pouted. "Hey, it's not that bad! I just wanted a morning run till she ruined my schedule! Wait… why am I talking so loud?" Fury said, realizing he fell into Cadence's trap.

"There you are, you little sneak!" said a not so amused looking Raven. "You shall hear my words starting now!"

"Not while I can still avoid you, short stack! Scoot it or lose it time!" He said jumping out a window high up.

"I will get you!" Raven cried out.

"Raven, let it go." Celestia sighed. 

"I cannot! He must obey the call to duty! And that is now!" She said, drinking an energy potion to make her go more quickly. She dashed out the door and continued her quest for him.

"Oh for crying out loud…" Celestia said. "She may be the best advisor I've had, but she can be just as obnoxious as she is helpful. Come on princesses, we have to rescue Fury!"

The princesses nodded and flew off. Just then, Shining Armor returned with a load of tiles, paint and lights.

"Hey Fury, I got the stuff ready. You can help me now." Shining said. But looking around, he saw no one. "Uh Fury? princesses?" He said, looking around. Sighing, he accepted his fate. "I can never get a steady schedule these days."

-

Fury dove through the air like a bullet, the air whipping around his body like a hurricane before he eventually crashed down on something soft. Looking down, he saw that he had landed in a patch of lilies that cushioned his fall.

"Phew, finally got away from that pint-sized nuisance. Hopefully I can actually get something done today without that one pushing herself towards me." Fury said as he climbed out of the lily patch and onto the stone road nearby.

He breathed in the pleasant aroma of the lilies. "Ah, time to feel the wind again!" He said as he dashed off once again. He took it easy through the garden so as to not uproot any of the flowers that he could only imagine were planted with immense care from the gardeners to please the royal sisters. 

The wind in his fur felt good, almost as if he was being introduced to the freedom of running for the first time in his life. But, to his chagrin, that sense of freedom would not last long as a piercing shriek pulled him away from his carefree state.

"Fury!!!! You cannot escape me! I'll chase you to the ends of the earth!"

"Oh for the love of all things dark and light, go away!" Fury called out as he floored it and left his previous position covered in smoke.

"How did she get here so quickly?! She wasn't this fast before!" Fury said. Then he remembered she had a potion with her. It had a lightning symbol on the bottle which he assumed meant it gave high speed. Now he knew he couldn't just give 40% effort to escape, he'd have to go all out now.

Oh great, now I have to deal with this one trying to mimic my powers?! Ugh! Alright, time to push it!

Fury closed his eyes, focused and he became a ball of red energy and dashed through the streets.

Okay Fury, you just have to stay out of sight and stay out of reach. If it's a potion that small, it'll probably wear off in a few minutes. I just gotta stay ahead. But seriously, what was Celestia thinking when she hired this lunatic?! At this point, she owes me a rescue from this craziness!

"You think you're the only one who can go at super levels of speed?!" Raven said. 

Fury looked behind and saw a purple ball of energy. Unfortunately, the potion also seemed to replicate Shifter energy. She'll catch up to him eventually. He had to think fast.

Wait a minute… that's it! She may be fast, but she can't climb like I can!

Fury saw a wall approaching fast ahead of him and took his chance. Jumping up, he extended his claws and grabbed onto an external fire escape, leaping from rail to rail as he left Raven behind and went for the roofs.

"Don't think you're safe upon the roofs of Canterlot for long, I was born in this city! I know all of the paths around this place! Ponies have tried to escape the Princess's summons and have all failed. You'll be next!" She called out to him, though remaining glued to the ground as Fury finally made his way to the top of the roof and took a breather.

"I… am so going to hold this against Celestia! That overgrown snowball is gonna owe me big!" Fury said with deep breaths. 

Fury did not like this situation. He was using way more energy than wanted to use. It was one thing running from slower ponies but since she decided to cheat with the potion he had to use more energy to escape her.

"Dang, what is up with her? I almost respect how determined or should I say desperate for me to listen to her." Fury admitted. "But it won't matter. I'm safe up here for now. I can recover my energy." 

Just then, another voice popped in.

"Night Fury…"

"I swear to the gods, you discolored albino giraffe! If the next words out of your mouth aren't 'I give up', I will personally show you what it means to get on my bad side! So try your luck!" Fury yelled.

"My goodness, even Sombra was not that creative in name calling." Said an amused regal voice.

"Wait, Celestia?" He turned around to see it was other than the Princess of the Sun herself with her sister and niece in tow. "Luna? Cadence? What are you ladies doing here?" He squinted at them. "Lemme guess, here to make me listen to her speech, right, Cadence the Quiet?!" Fury said to Cadence in particular who ratted him out to Raven.

"Woah woah, easy! I may have been messing with you before, but I don't want you to blow a blood vessel. I didn't think she would actually catch up with you!" Cadence said.

"I tried to stop her, but she has a will of her own." Celestia said.

"Hmm just for today, Celestia, I will put off the sunbutt jokes for you at least trying to stop her." Fury said. "But you, lovebutt, guess what? She has a speed potion that makes her as quick as me! I expected nothing less from that persistent, insufferable twit!" Fury huffed, a vein pulsating in his jet black head. 

"I'm sorry! I never knew her that well! And potions like that are very expensive! What kind of pony would spend 350 bits on that just to be able to chase someone down?" Cadence said.

"Well I guess her, apparently!" Fury said. He took a deep breath. "But at least I have finally gotten some shelter. Hopefully the effects will wear off soon." Fury said before sighing again. "All I wanted was a peaceful run around town to ease my mind from all the drama with Tirek and Pyro." 

Just then, a nearby access door burst open and a roughed up Raven stood there panting. Fury saw her and immediately was ticked off, clenching one of his paws in annoyance before drawing his claws. 

"Woah, calm down, Fury. Easy… easy…" Cadence said, trying to relieve him.

"No good ambassador is so lazy and persistent on avoiding responsibility that they can't deal with some news. And besides, you could use some etiquette lessons. And possibly some anger management therapy." She mumbled that last part. "Didn't your mother teach you any manners?"

"Yeah, she did. And she also took me away from playing with friends to work on her projects like shopping for rugs! And I always said to myself I would never go through that again!" Fury said. "This can wait until later and I will die on that hill!"

"Can't you just hear it now to get it over with?!" Raven said with equal defensiveness. At that moment, Fury went over the edge and decided to set her straight.

"Yeah, but it's not as much about the breaktime as much as it is the principle! And that is you do not mess with a Speed Shifter's morning run! I do things on my own time!" Fury said. 

"Alright, I'm going to say this once and only once. What in your pathetic life prompted you to bug me all day just for some irrelevant news? What drove you as far as to use a potion just to push me over the edge? What in your nonexistent, depressing, disappointment of a life told you that you'd be anything more than a nuisance to the rest of the world and that you ever amount to anything?"

Celestia decided to step in to try and defuse the situation. "Alright, you two, let's be done with thi-" 

"No." Raven said pointedly. "I'll tell you what prompted me. I am the advisor to Her Royal Highness! My ancestors served Celestia for centuries. To me, duty is more important than even life itself. And it's especially more important than a stupid morning run. You would know that if you were to wake up early like I do everyday!"

Fury chuckled darkly as he gave Raven a chilling look. "My people ruled over this land long before a mistake like you was ever considered to be a good idea to exist. You have no right to put me at fault if you don't understand who gave you the land you have under your hooves. We let you have all of this. And as one of the All Powerfuls, I could take it right back. My people were here before you… My people were the ones to bring this land to its glory. We own you."

Raven was flabbergasted by his remarks. A mistake? Her? 

"You little…. Hmph! I am one of the most respected ponies in Canterlot! Everyone respects my duty and my discipline! You are not a child, an adult has duties to maintain even if he does not wish to do them! I didn't want to spend my whole day searching for you but I know what duty is!"

"Duty! You always say the word duty as if you think I don't have any sense of responsibility! I'm responsible when I need to be not so I can brag to others how much better I am than others! We speed shifters at least the best ones know when to relax and when to go into action, unlike you!" Fury shot back.

Celestia, Luna and Cadence were worried. This argument had gotten out of control. They didn't expect something so seemingly comedic to be rooted in such feelings of bitterness and conflict of values.

"Alright that's enough, for real." Cadence said. "You are both acting like children! You two need to calm down!"

"As soon as he admits that we ponies have a better sense of duty and responsibilities, then I'll retract!" Raven said snootily.

"Oh please, the only thing you ponies have a better sense of is entitlement! You stick your pretty little muzzles up in pride as if you have something to prove to those who don't have the luxury of even speaking to you! We Speed Shifters gave you this land with no resistance, and yet you spit all over your sacred land as if it's beneath you to acknowledge the fact that we were the ones who gave you the comfort of living in relative ease." Fury argued.

"We have grave sights, ancient buildings, memorials to greater beings all over this land! But yet you disregard the importance of those who came before you by building over the ground that our greatest heroes lay to rest!" Fury pointed out.

"Speed Shifters did great things in the past, but that was back then! Now we ponies are the ones who have to make sure things don't go into chaos! You should give us some credit too because you clearly have no gratitude for what ponies have done for the world!" Raven replied in fury. "Maybe there's a reason why we ponies are the new rulers."" 

"And there's also a reason why I haven't killed you yet, so be grateful for that!" Fury shot back.

Then they heard a loud thundering noise.

"CEASE YOUR ARGUING AT ONCE!" Celestia commanded. They both became silent.

"You two have failed to be civil toward one another!"

She turned to Raven. "Raven I ordered you to let Fury go and you would not listen! I am the Princess and I say that no meeting is more important than breaking our trust with our ally!"

And then she turned to Fury. "And you, Fury! You should know better than to let a small disagreement over running get to you! Much less to threaten her! And no less to insult ponykind itself! She might be very strict but that is no excuse to vent like you had just done."

"You two act more like eight year old fillies than professional adults! Your parents would be ashamed of your conduct!" Celestia said in anger. 

At this point, both of them were stunned. But while Raven stood in shock, Night Fury began to mentally collapse. Her words echoed through his mind like a shockwave, flashes of his brutal past of hearing exactly the same thing from his own kind rattled his inner thoughts. Fury did not move, he didn't speak. All he could do was internally cry as Celestia's commanding tone rattled his mind and brought back the heinous actions that were taken against him for his failures in times past.

"What a coward! He quivered in front of the Cragodile!"

"You're a disgrace to the village!"

"Your parents should have given you up as soon as you were born!"

"I can't imagine the mental state of your parents having to deal with such a disappointment!"

"All you do is goof off, and run away from enemies! A troublemaker AND a coward!"

"You have no place in this life. Your mother should have let you go before you were born, it probably would have saved her the stress of having to deal with a waste of flesh like you!"

Fury stood still for what felt like forever, not coming back with a counter or even a joke. He was just… broken. Like the final nail in the coffin was driven in. First he had been called names and disgraced by his own kind, and now the ponies who brought him in were doing it as well.

"So… I got no one, huh…?"

"Fury. I-" Celestia said.

"Everyone thinks I'm a disgrace. Speed Shifters and Ponies. Yep. Nothing new. Same old thing. I'm a failure. I'm just a troublemaker. That's what they always say." He muttered, looking down. "It's all over. First I get told that I'm a disgrace to my parents and that I should be ashamed by my own kind, and now I'm being told the exact same thing now."

"You're right. My parents would be ashamed. And now that I've been told the same thing from both sides… I don't think there's any coming back now. I've failed, and that's that. I failed to be a good son, I failed at being a good ambassador… Heh, I wouldn't even be surprised if I'm the next few days, I lose my relationship as well." He said in a shattered voice, completely void of any joking or happiness.

Night Fury looked down in despair. Even Raven looked sad. Same for the princesses including Celestia, they didn't predict this attitude shift. He looked so meek.

Raven was the first to speak up. "Fury, you know I don't hold anything against you. I just went a bit too far. And I'm sorry-"

"It's not you who should be sorry." Fury interrupted her. "It's me."

"Fury…" Luna said.

"Stop, Luna… Celestia's right. I stepped over the line and I got what was coming to me… no matter how many bad memories come back and how broken it leaves me." Fury squeaked. At that moment, everyone around could swear they could hear quiet sniffling.

Celestia was shocked. Did he just… shed a tear?

Has he really been struck by grief by my words that much? I didn't mean to make him feel so dreadful. Does he really think of himself as a failure? He is not!

Celestia spoke up. "Fury, please, you are not a disgrace. You are a talented speed shifter who is flawed but is a great creature overall. Please don't of yourself like that."

"Can you just not speak?" Fury jumped in. "I… I can't even look at you right now. Just… just leave me alone."

Fury said, walking away. 

"Where are you going?" Cadence asked.

"For a walk." Fury said succinctly as he looked down to the street.

"Come on Fury! We can talk about this!" 

"We've already talked enough, Cadenza! Just let me be for a minute."  Fury said, finally disappearing out of sight.

"But Fury…"

"Let him be." Luna said. "He needs time to himself. I know if I got angry, I would not want to talk now. I would just end up more aggravated by the second. He just needs to be alone."

Cadence reluctantly agreed to leave him be.

Raven had a look of guilt. "Princesses, I am so sorry for what I have done. I just thought… I was doing my duty. I wanted him to learn responsibility but… I went too far."

"Indeed, you have!" Luna said accusingly. "You have no idea how Speed Shifters live their lives! And you think Fury was just a lazy slacker!? But he was not! He was a hero who just wanted to do things his own way! Like me… I am ashamed of you-"

Celestia interrupted her. "Alright that is enough, sister. She's learned her lesson. If anything, I should be the one who is ashamed. I tried to get him to step back and take a breath, when in reality, I brought back the most horrid memories from his past. He was already in enough pain having to deal with the fact that his own kind turned on him, and now I've added onto that by doing just the same."

"Auntie, you had good intentions. Things were getting personal and you had to step in. Nopony is going to hold that against you." Cadence said. But the elder princess disagreed.

"But did I have to get just as personal to get it to stop? You saw how devastated he was when he heard me, he looked completely shattered. His world view cracked open and swallowed his ambitions whole. He truly believed that we were his saving grace, that we saved him from a life of misery. You said it yourself, you were basically the driving factor in saving him from succumbing to his inner depression and ending his life. We saved him from the nightmare that was his current home life, and the only thing I managed to do is bring back those terrible memories." Celestia said, lamenting over the fact that she managed to go so far as to make Fury cry.

Luna spoke up. "Perhaps, this is similar to what happened when he was preparing to take on Tirek and Pyro Flare. His inner demons clouded his judgment and his nightmare-ish memories of his home only drove those demons deeper. That is probably why he went as far as to break Pyro's leg and practically cripple her. He thought that if he let this slide, he would be regarded as just another failure to us as he was to his own kind. He was so scared of not holding his responsibility to protect Equestria alongside us that he sacrificed his own mental wellbeing just to do his part." Luna said somberly.

"It would also explain why he was so adamant on not resting until they were both defeated. He didn't want to crack a single joke, he didn't want to go one second without planning to take them both out because he felt as if he had no choice but to sacrifice what mental stability he had to keep his promises. All of this just because of one simple mistake. All of this mental stress just because he was basically cast out for his inexperience." Cadence added.

Celestia nodded. 

Luna spoke again. "I know how he feels. Being an outcast among his people just like I was. Feeling you need to do anything to get people to acknowledge you. I used to be the meek one. The one no one cared about. The inferior sister. And that is why I made a deal with a sorcerer for greater power and turned into Nightmare Moon. I let rage seethe through me to be able to crush my foes. Yes, I know very well how that feels." Luna said. "And I don't want him to go through that again."

"Then I suppose it's time we go find him." Raven spoke up. "And I will accompany you. I have to apologize for how much I said to him. It's only fair that I make things right before they become irreversible. Princess Celestia, may we do so?"

Princess Celestia nodded slowly. "Yes, we shall. But we must be careful with our words. And if he is too angry, back off. We must not cause him to be temperamental. And Luna, since you understand Fury, make sure Raven does not say anything too aggravating."

Luna nodded and Raven bowed as they went down to the streets. Celestia and Cadence follow up later after exchanging a few words, now all they had to do was predict where he would be.

-

They searched high, they searched low. They even asked around for a few leads from the nobility. Few actually knew where he was, mostly because of how fast he flew by. But for those who managed to keep an eye on him, they managed to get a solid path to follow that eventually led back to the castle. Specifically, at the top of Luna's balcony.

Luna was not at all surprised that he would be there. Not just because it was the living quarters of his lover, but also because it had a great view of the city and park with trees. A perfect place to get away from the stresses of life.

Luna led the other princesses to the top of the tower. And lo and behold, Fury was there. They saw him quiet and lying down, looking out to the city skyline.

"Who should talk to him first?" Cadence whispered.

"Let me talk to him." Luna said. "I think I can sooth things a bit."

The other princesses nodded. Luna walked up to him. She noticed his ears flicked in her direction as she approached. He knew they were there but he said nothing. Luna swallowed as she thought of what to say.

"I see you enjoy my viewing area well. It is indeed relaxing and puts one at ease." Luna said, sitting next to him.

"It's nice. Almost reminds me of the hills back home. You had a good view of town, beautiful treeline, and you could see far into the valley for miles. The only difference being that those were natural hills and this is an artificially built tower." He said, almost monotone in his speech.

"Mmm, true." Luna agreed. Then there came another uncomfortable silence. Luna sighed at the fact that she, the Princess of the Night and the lover of the feline next to her, couldn't even muster up the courage to speak to him. It was like they had just met all over again. She collected her thoughts and began to speak.

"Night Fury… I can't imagine how shattered you felt after hearing my sister's words. All of those horrid memories flooding back in, the feeling that now both sides were against you… I sympathize with you wholeheartedly." Luna spoke. 

"Luna, this is nothing for you to worry about. You're not the one who disgraced oneself. I appreciate the help, but this is a me problem." Fury said, not looking in her direction.

"While it is true that you went over the line, I believe that it was no place to get just as personal to set you straight as you did with Raven." Luna said, shooting a disapproving look to her sister who seemed to shrink slightly. Fury's good hearing could hear her movements and everyone else's, so he just sighed.

"You picked the wrong cat to pull the 'Hide around the corner and watch the drama' trick, you three. Just come on out."

Celestia, Cadence and Raven walked out, a bit nervous of what to say.

"It's um… a beautiful evening, isn't it?" Celestia said unsure how to start the conversation.

"Save the pleasantries, your highness. You know why you're here." Fury snapped, while still sounding calm. Celestia had heard this attitude before when she got in trouble with her mother.

She sighed. "Right to the point with me, huh? Well, yes. And I do want to say I am sorry for what I have said. And for letting my advisor go too far. I did not intend for it to get this personal. I would just like us to forget this happened and move on."

"Hard to move on when the most poisonous memories of my past were brought back to me from the very pony who brought me into this world with open arms, don't you think?" Fury reminded her.

Celestia looked guilty. "Yes. Yes it is. But I am very sorry and I promise not to say such things again. Even if you were quite argumentative toward Raven, I crossed a major line."

"Crossed? Heh, more like leapt." Fury spat out.

"Fury…" Cadence pleaded. "I know you're still conflicted in your head, but you need to let go. Both for you and us."

"You didn't seem to want to “let things go” when you sold me out, snitch!" Fury said.

"I thought it was a funny situation! And besides, you technically were slacking off even if Raven went too far in her actions." Cadence said

"Ohhh! So first my parents should be ashamed of me, now I'm a slacker? Yeah, thanks for the morale boost."

Luna gave the two an annoyed look. The two were clearly making it worse. She shook her head.

"Fury, please. Don't take this the wrong way, we just want to help you. And… you weren't actually serious when you said that you wouldn't be surprised if I decided to… separate from you, were you?"

"You're thinking of a break-up, sweetheart. And well, I don't know. Maybe you would. Maybe it would turn out everyone would have their limits with me and I would just have to accept living alone." Fury said.

Luna was angry at this. "Well I would certainly not allow that!" She said, slamming her hoof on the ground. "Fury, you are a noble creature. I believe in you and your ability to improve. You have come so far to make your life happen in Equestria and to have me be your lover. Sure, you can maybe go overboard a few times, but you've shown you can improve that. And do you truly think a little argument would make me, as you said, break up with you?"

Luna stood him up and made him look into her eyes."You listen to me. I shall always love and cherish you. And nothing you do will change that! You are a good feline and that I am confident in."

Fury looked long into her dark blue eyes, captivated by how they seemed to glisten as the evening turned to night. He took some time to think of all that he has done in the past. King Sombra, Blueblood, Moonbeam… he fought through all of that to be where he was today. He had to hand it to himself, he went to the ends of the earth to be in Equestria and in a relationship with Luna. He couldn't let that all float away from him now, and he knew she would either without a fight.

He finally had a smile. "Thanks, Luna, I think I get what you're saying. I guess I'm so worried about me losing respect and love from others like in my village, that I forgot, I don't need to be worried about that. I'll be okay and I'll keep improving, especially with a moonpie by my side." He said with a smirk.

Luna blushed. "Oh you didn't have to, you old charmer."

"Hmm, you're right. I didn't. All I had to do was this." Fury said, pulling her in for the best kiss he could muster.

The two had the most passionate kiss together in a long time. It was a relief for the other three to finally see him happy again.

"Fury..." Raven hesitantly said, trying to get his attention.

"Oh, just let him be. He's clearly a little… preoccupied." Cadence said with a giggle. Just then, a new face popped in and was surprised by the moonlit scene before her.

"Well well well, it looks like you two are making out in the moonlight." Lauren said. The two lovers both let out a gasp of surprise and opened their eyes to see Lauren standing there smiling. Luna just stood frozen while Fury transformed into something small, practically disappearing from sight.

"Y-you must have been seeing something! I was simply um… feeling passionate about my duty as princess of the night!"

"Wow, great lie." Fury whispered.

Lauren simply laughed. "Oh love. It makes us say the silliest things. And Fury, did you not think I wouldn't know an average critter from you?" 

Night Fury, in an effort to disappear from sight, turned into a small creature called a Moth. Six legs, black wings, red eyes, and a fluffy ring of fur around his neck. Not wanting to be exposed, he tried to play along with his form and tried to act like a moth by flying over to a lamp in Luna's room, attempting to play on the moth's love for bright lights.

Lauren had a naughty smile. "Hmmm, those are some pretty moths you have there, Luna. I think I would like to take a look." She said, flying to the lamp. 

"You know, when I was young, I used to catch fireflies. It was fun. And sometimes there was a rare one that would glow blue not yellow, different from the others. And likewise, I think there is one very unique moth here." She said, looking at the moths by the lamp. "Isn't that right, you?!" She said as she caught a black both in her hooves.

"Gah! How did you know?! The other moths were black too!" Fury called out.

"You might have looked like one in color. But you definitely didn't move like one, going around in a perfect circle, almost like you were going on another flying session." Faust said with a smirk. "Also you're still a little too big. You still have not mastered shrinking down to the correct size for the creatures you turn into."

"Doh!" Fury exclaimed. "I guess the gig is up." Fury said, flying out of Lauren's hoof and transforming back to his usual self.

"I guess I can't blame you for the size, but maybe you should learn not to race everywhere." Faust said.

"Narcissist." Fury huffed. "You're one to talk for someone who always tells crazy stories and draws everywhere." Fury said, sticking his tongue out like a child.

"Touche." Lauren replied. "But it is nice to see you all getting along again."

"Wait, you knew what was going on with us?" Celestia said, a bit embarrassed.

"I was watching from a distance. And I must say, I am very proud of how Luna resolved things."

"Thank you, mother." Luna said, bowing slightly.

"But I am a little disappointed in how you two did it." Faust said, looking at Celestia and Cadence.

"Sorry…" said both of them in shame.

"Ha ha, you two got in trouble." Fury said, truly sounding like a little brother.

"Please forgive me, your majesties." Raven said. "Everyone can make mistakes, even them."

Faust had another smirk. "Hmmm, you said everyone, Raven. Would that not include you too?"

Raven looked down. "Y-yes. Yes it would, madam."

"Oooh, somepony's in trouble…" Fury said, pushing his little brother antics even further.

"That's right, Fury. I do mean everyone. She needs to know others' limits better. But we all can learn that too. Right, Fury?" She said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep! That's right- Oh you were talking about me this time." Fury said. "Yeah I could have been more diplomatic about that."

"Now remember, you two! What do we say when we do something wrong?" Lauren said to Raven and Fury as if they were in a classroom.

"Yeah yeah I get it." Fury said. "I'm doing it."

Fury and Raven approached each other.

"Sorry about saying your family was a disgrace. I'm sure they're very proud of- Ugh!" Fury recoiled, almost gagging. 

"Oh come on, don't be so dramatic! Just get it out." Cadence encouraged. Fury tried to open his mouth, but he couldn't. It was like he was fighting himself to say it. At that moment, a second version of Fury started to materialize. Sprouting out of his neck was a holographic red Speed Shifter with pure black pools for eyes and red slits. The exact opposite color scheme of Night Fury.

"Fury doesn't apologize to her, Fury must show dominance over her!" The second one spoke in a raspy, gollem-like voice.

"Oh come on, just let me say it!" The original pouted, trying to get the other to stay down.

"By the gods! He's so conflicted about apologizing to Raven that his mind created a split personality!" Luna pointed out. 

"Look, I made a mistake and I want to make it right. Is that a crime?" Fury asked.

"To Fury? It is! Fury doesn't apologize for anything. And besides, Fury doesn't apologize to that mare with that silly bun!" The red copy sneered.

"How rude!" Raven scoffed. 

"He can't help it, Raven! These two heads of his are completely different! One, the original, who is kind and caring. The other, his inner grievances and bitterness pulling back on any sort of positive vibes. He is quite literally, fighting himself to apologize to you." Luna said. 

"How do you know so much?" Cadence said.

"Well, when I started dabbling with Nightmare powers, Nightmare Moon became another side of me. She and my compassionate side fought each other for months until I finally lost to my dark self." Luna said. 

"Yikes," said Cadence. "You don't think that will happen to Fury, right?"

"This is mild compared to what I dealt with, but we must help him fight back!" Luna said. "I do not know what would cause him to have this other side but I assume it comes from being a Speed Shifter as well as an All Powerful. So maybe our solution will have to do with spells, meditation and incantations like before." Luna theorized.

"Or… you could just force him back into himself." Raven spoke up. "While I do agree that using the techniques that Night Fury has made known to you all would be a good solution, perhaps it is much simpler than using an incantation? Maybe we just have to get the two half's back to one singular entity?"

Luna seemed to find merit in that solution. "Hmmm, you make a good point, Raven Inkwell. It would definitely be less time consuming for sure. But we would have much of our power to force him back. But it can be done."  

"Well, we better get to it and fast! Because his double is starting to grow legs!" Cadence pointed out, Night Fury's other half very much growing farther apart and more independent from the original's body.

"Ugh, what the heck are you, evil me?! This is like out of some horror movie Spike shows me when Twilight isn't around!" Fury said.

"Only horrible to you! For Fury, I-I will be free! And Fury sssshall fulfill his role as All Powerful and make Canterlot his new capital! And you'll all be Fury's slaves! Nya ha ha!" Said the evil double.

"Not as long as I'm still in control! Get back in here!" Said the original, transforming his own good half into an octopus, and trying to pull his evil double back in with his tentacles. "Uh girls, I could use a couple extra hooves here!"

The four alicorns and Raven used all their magic to resist holding the evil Fury back. It delayed him but he was still quite strong.

"Nya ha ha! Do you think Fury will be done in by your fairy magic? No! Fury is strong! Fury will be free!"

"Stop calling yourself Fury! I'm the only Fury around here! And I don't talk in the third person!" The original said.

The princesses found the evil self quite persistent and it seems he is partially resistant to pony magic. They needed something to really tighten him.

"Do you have another idea, Raven?" Cadence asked. "We could use one now! We can't force him in at this rate."

Raven thought to herself what to do. She remembered all the missions adventurers in the name of Celestia embarked on. She remembered some similar situations with creatures. Then, she came up with an idea.

"Wait, if this thing is somewhat like Night Fury, maybe he has the same weaknesses as the original! Quick, what's the one thing that makes Night Fury lose his focus? Something that makes him unable to resist any force put on him?" Raven asked. At that statement, Night Fury blushed in embarrassment. He knew what the answer was, but he just didn't want to admit it.

"Come on, Raven! Isn't there something else you can try?" Fury begged.

She simply shook her head. "This is how it was meant to be." She said, rubbing her hooves with a creepy smile. "Besides, this is my chance to get even with you."

Cadence immediately knew what was happening and smiled. "Well, if you're going to do the special treatment, you'd better hurry up and do the deed." She said.

"With pleasure!" Raven charged in like a bull to where Evil Fury was. 

"Hey, what are you doing here, bookworm? Fury is busy trying to be free!" The evil double snarled.

"Oh, just a little tender loving." She said, using magic to hold his tail.

"W-why are you holding my tail like that?" Evil Fury said, forgetting to use the third person out of fear.

"You know why..."

"No no no! I beg you to not do it! Your hair is actually nice! Your father was a great guy! Just don't-"

"Tickle time!" She quickly rubbed and caressed the tail, causing him and good Fury to both burst out in laughter.

"Nya ha ha ha ha! No no! Come on, ya can't do this! I am an All Powerful, nya ha ha ha ha!" The evil twin said.

"Hahahaha! You think you have the worst of it!? I'm getting it too!" The original squealed. At that point, the evil twin began to give way and began being absorbed back into the original's body.

"Nya ha ha! No Fury, wait! We can conquer the Canterlot together! We can make the whole city our running ground! Nya ha ha, we can even keep Luna as the only pony left! Just let me-!"

"Ha ha nope!" He said pushing the last of his evil self in.

As soon as he did, a burst of red light filled up the whole of Canterlot. 

After the light subsided. Everything seemed normal. Especially Night Fury's laughing being one single sound instead of two separate noises.

"Fury!" Luna said. "Are you back to normal?"

"Hehehe, I think so." Fury said, feeling himself over. "I'm glad I'm not being tickled anymore." He said with a sigh of relief.

"Actually, I don't think he's all there." Raven said. "Perhaps I should test it to confirm." 

Fury's eyes shrank to pinpricks as he heard her and began to panic. "Wait wait wait, don't-"

"Come here you!" Raven said deviously, diving on him and continuing her vengeance. 

"Bahahahaha, you crazy mare! I already suffered enough, ha ha ha ha! Celestia, can't you give me a paw here!?" He called out, looking for a shining light to save him.

"Oh, those are some nice stars aren't they Luna?" Celestia said seemingly ignoring his pleas.

"Indeed, sister, I swear I heard something though." Luna said, playing along in her lover's tickle torture.

"You traitors! Alright, when nopony else will help you, you've just gotta do it yourself!" Fury said, flexing his legs and pushing Raven off of him. He then pinned her on her back and looked down at her.

"Hmmm… you seem to be a well organized and strong mare. Let's see if I can break you." Fury said, turning the tables on her and experimenting with her weak spots. "Let's see, how about we start with your collarbone." He said, striking it.

All of sudden a high shriek filled the air followed by her own laughter. Fury almost felt sorry since she was like a little doll compared to the alicorns. But then he remembered her tickling him and went even harder.

"Hee hee heee ha ha ha ha! I'm sorry, ambassador! I was going to let go eventually!" She said, not even putting up any resistance.

"I know, you just did right now!" He said moving on to her neck. "Wow, you smaller ponies are a lot less resistant to this stuff."

"Oh come on! Ha ha ha!" She said, tearing up a bit. "Even I didn't tickle your neck!"

"Because you didn't get the chance to." Fury said.

"Princesses, can you tell him to stop!?"

But the princesses seemed to be seemingly ignoring cries too. She was without hope.

"Please Fury ha ha. Tell me what I must do for you to show mercy!"  Raven squealed. Fury took her statement and let up for a moment.

"Okay then. First, I want you to apologize again to me for how you reacted to me wanting to go for a run." Fury said.

"Okay, I'm sorry that I pursued you all over Canterlot to tell you what I wanted to say." Raven said, still recovering.

"Good. And second, I want you to apologize to your princess for putting her through so much trouble just to get you off my back." He directed her attention to the princesses on the balcony who finally turned around after hearing his statement.

"I apologize to you, for being stubborn and not obeying your wiser judgment. And I should not have wasted time on such an unimportant task." Raven said.

"Good girl." Fury said. "And one last thing before I release you…"

"Go ahead. I am prepared."

"I want you to admit… I am the best tickler here. And you are just a victim of my genius." Fury said.

Raven looked at him blankly. "Seriously? You really are a child inside."

"Yep! And that's why I'm gonna tickle you if you don't answer…"

"Okay fine! You're the best tickler and I'm a victim of your great almighty genius! All hail Fury, master of pranks!" Raven said desperately.

"See, was that so hard?" He said finally getting off of her. For Raven, she was still catching her breath. 

"You really needed that to boost your ego, didn't you?" She asked. Fury gave her a side eye and laughed.

"Hey, at least I can be humble. Unlike a certain blue pegasus Wonderbolt that I know…" He chuckled.

"Ugh, I can at least agree with you on that." Raven said, remembering how much Dash boasted of herself.

Faust couldn't resist laughing. "Oh Night Fury, Tia was right. You really are a little brother. You're cheeky, energetic, funny, goofy. And most of all, you have just about the same level of maturity as a colt in an arcade. At least, sometimes."

"Well I'd rather be that, than to be some boring rule stickler like Miss Harshwinny. I don't care what those other villagers thought of me. I ain't budging." Fury said, crossing his forelimbs.

Luna went close to him. "And I wouldn't have it any other way, Lightning Bug." She said, kissing him.

Fury was the one who blushed now. He was so thankful to have such a loving lady in his life.

"Heh, I hit the jackpot." Fury said.

Everyone was happy for them. It was a crazy time but they sorted it out.

"So… would you like to hear my announcement now, Fury?" Raven asked.

Everyone looked at her.

"Really?" Cadence asked.

"Easy, Cadence. I think after all of this drama, we should give her the benefit of the doubt and listen. Even I have to admit that." Fury said.

"Really? But don't you want your run?" She asked.

"Nah, the whole split personality thing was equal to three whole days of running. I think I need a break. I'll even take a boring announcement over that." He said.

"Oh thanks- Hey!" Raven said unamused to Fury's own amusement. "But since you accept…"

Raven cleared her throat while reading a scroll.

"Mr. Night Fury, Most Honorable Ambassador of the Lands of Thunder Hollow and its territories-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know who I am. Can we get on with the message?" Fury moaned.

"Uh, right." Raven said awkwardly. She seemed to be a little nervous. 

"Did a cat get your tongue?" Cadence asked.

"It's a bit… unorthodox for ponies to speak like um… yaks."

"Yaks?" Fury said, a lot confused. Speed Shifters and Yaks had their dealings in the past during what they called 'The Great Migration' after Speed Shifters had spread out across Equestria and beyond when the Windagos were defeated and the snow melted enough to allow them to leave. "Raven, who sent that letter?"

Raven took a closer look at the signature. "It was sent by one… Prince Rutherford?" 

Celestia seemed to recognize him. "Ah that fellow. Heh, quite a perfectionist if I do say so myself. Definitely filled with honor and pride, for better or worse."

"I remember hearing about the Yaks in school back home." Fury said, calling back to his middle school days. "After the defeat of the Windagos, the Speed Shifters of old took part in what we call 'The Great Migration'. It was basically the time that Speed Shifters spread out across Equestria and beyond after the snowstorms dissipated. I think I remember hearing that a collection of them went up to the frozen north near the Crystal Empire and made first contact with the Yaks in their early days."

Cadence was now curious. "Did they get along well? Or was it hostile? Or just neutral? I met a yak once as a filly. I know how stubborn they can be."

"Hard to say. Most of the Speed Shifters that did end up in the frozen north were said to have kept their distance, only coming out of 'hiding' every once in a while to accept trade deals from the Crystal Empire when your mom still knew about us. For all I know, they could still be up there. The only difference being that a different generation of that tribe is probably thriving up there after the elder Shifters passed on. Isn't that right, Lauren?" Fury said, looking up at her.

Lauren nodded. "Agreed, I may be old but even I don't know what happened with the Northern Speed Shifters. I remember speaking to Queen Amore about their relations with her and even she said that once they settled down, they didn't appear as much as they used to."

Fury was genuinely curious. Who were these Northerners? Did they have a glorious city like the Silver Blue? Or were they more of small village people like Thunder Hollow? He even heard rumors they could speak the language of Windagos. What were these lost legendary Shifters like?

Now, he had to find out what's up. "Raven, let me see that letter. I'm a bit rusty with how yaks speak, but if my middle school days taught me anything, it's how to interpret different languages."

"Okay. But just know it's a bit… dramatic." 

"Eh, that's what my teacher said. But I had a crazy mom and aunt. I think I know what dramatic means." Fury said, taking the letter and reading it.

"WE SEEK HELP FROM YOU! YAKS HAVE HEARD YOUR EXPLOITS AGAINST LORD SOMBRA, AND YOUR GREAT FIGHTS FOR YOUR HONOR! WE EVEN HAVE HEARD OF YOUR MUSEUM OF SPEED SHIFTERS!"

"Wow, I can already hear the hollering." Fury said, continuing to read.

"YAKS THEREFORE REQUEST AID FROM YOU! WE HAVE HAD HEARD RUMORS OF SPEED SHIFTERS IN THIS AREA! THEY ARE STRANGE. THEY HAVE BLUE EYES AND THINK WHITE COAT! SOME HAVE SAID THEY CAN EVEN LOOK BLUE OR CLEAR LIKE WINDIGOS!"

"Oh boy, I like where this is going." Fury said with a big smile.

"WE ASK YOU FIND THESE OUT! WE YAKS WISH TO HAVE A FELLOW SPEED SHIFTER DO RESEARCH! YOU ARE MORE FAMILIAR THAN US YAKS! WE WILL MEET THEM AFTER YOU! WE ALSO REQUEST THAT YOU BRING ELEMENTS OF HARMONY AND PINK PONY PRINCESS WITH YOU FOR PROTECTION! WE MAY BE BIG, BUT YAKS ARE VERY UNDER EQUIPPED TO FIGHT OTHER SPEED SHIFTERS!"

"Wait, fight Speed Shifters?" Celestia asked. "I'm not sure if we would want to get into some diplomatic trouble with these mysterious North Shifters, as I like to call them."

"Maybe he's just saying, if." Raven clarified. "As long as we don't anger anyone we should be fine."

"That's good and all but we have to address something. Pink pony princess? Really?" Cadence moaned. Fury instantly burst out laughing at that statement.

"School never spoke of the wisdom of yaks. But only the truly wise could describe you so well, Pink Pony Princess." Fury said.

"Yeah, really wise to not even refer to me by name. But you seem to be lucky for them to use your name." Cadence said, still annoyed.

"Oh please, Cadence. The only time you'll get respect out of me is when you're not being a prime target to completely rip on." Fury laughed. "And besides, they must think I'm way better than you if they call me by my name."

"Why you…"

"Let it go, Cadence." Celestia said. "Okay, Fury, get back to reading it."

"Ugh, yes mom." Fury joked.

Celestia was about to respond but realized it was a waste of time and said nothing.

"RUTHERFORD DEMAND REQUESTS YOU COME IN THREE DAYS! WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT THESE SHIFTERS! WE WOULD BE SAD AND OR MAD IF YOU DO NOT COME DURING THAT TIME!"

"Three days!? Aw man, I would have to miss my birthday if I abided by that request." Fury moaned, sounding sad.

"That's horrible!" Raven said.

"Oh, you poor thing." Cadence added with sympathy.

"I am truly sorry about that, Lightning Bug." Luna said. "Maybe we could get the Mane Six to negotiate an extension." 

"Nah, yaks can be real messes if you don't be friendly with them. At least if what my teachers said about them was true. I guess being an ambassador is more burdensome than it looks. Well, I guess my birthday is a no-go." Fury sighed. But little did he know, somepony who cared too much to let that slide was nearby.

"What… did… you… just… say?" A voice spoke.

Fury and the others looked around to see the source of the voice.

"Huh? Who's there?" Fury asked. Just then, a large pink cannonball tackled him to the ground. Looking up, he saw the face of a familiar earth pony party planner.

"What did you just say?!" Pinkie Pie asked.

"What the- Pinkie!? How did you even get here?!" 

"That doesn't matter, answer the question!" She said, shaking him a bit.

"Um… I said that my birthday is a no-go? It's not that big of a deal. I'm an adult anyways…"

"SILENCE! You are never too old to have a birthday party! And you will NOT miss this party!" Pinkie said. "What in your right mind told you that you could miss out on that?!"

"Uh… this letter I got from the yaks up in the frozen north." Fury said, slightly intimidated, holding up the letter.

She swiped the letter from his grip rather roughly, reading it in its entirety with speed almost rivaling Twilight when she got her hooves on a new Daring Do issue.

"That's all?" Pinkie said plainly, completely changing her attitude. This caught Night Fury off guard as he was still recovering from practically getting bulldozed by her earlier.

"Huh?"

"That's the supposed tiny reason why you cannot have a birthday party?!" Pinkie stomped the ground with the force of an elephant. "Well I say horseapples to that!"

"Miss Pinkie!" Raven said, surprised by her vulgarity.

"A birthday is meant as a day of joy! I will not, on my party cannon, let you go without a super duper party! If you're going to the land of the really icey place, you're not leaving until your birthday has been celebrated! Not while I still have my Pinkie sense!"

Raven interrupted. "Um… Pinkie Pie, that might interrupt our schedule. We don't want to be late. We just have to deal with it."

"Excuse me, but since when is he on your schedule? He's not one of the royal sisters, since when does he have to abide by your word?" Pinkie questioned her. Raven was taken aback by her stern tone, she had never had somepony question her authority before. Especially not her. After all she was the advisor to Celestia herself!

"Um well… I am…"

"It doesn't matter who you are. No one is exempt from the Sacred Laws of Merrygoing! Fury, we will have this party right in your new home, Ponyville." Pinkie said.

Her face then softened. "Besides, after all the stress of what's been going on don't you think you deserve a nice birthday? I don't know if you celebrate birthdays in your village, but where I'm from, I don't let anyone get away with a boring birthday. If you think you saw fun before, you ain't seen nothing yet. You deserve to be happy. And even more importantly, your parents deserve to see you happy. After all they've seen you struggle through, I'd say they deserve to see you at your best."

"If I say, no?" Fury asked out of curiosity.

"Oh believe me, you won't. I have ways to make others agree to the parties they are due for." Pinkie said.

Fury did not want to test Pinkie Pie.

"Um, what do you think, Tia? You think I can have a birthday before I go?" Fury asked.

Celestia thought about this for a moment. She had to think carefully of how to fit this all in the schedule. 

"Sire, this yak meeting is more important. Pinkie can put it off later." Raven said.

Celestia still pondered. Just then, Luna and Cadence decided to give their input. 

"Tia, we should allow him this party. After all of the stress of having to deal with big diplomatic and tyranny problems, he deserves the rest." Luna whispered.

"And I think the same." Cadence added. "Besides, this would be his first Equestria style birthday party ever! He would get to see the wonder that is pony parties. And to top it all off, he has the best party planner in Equestria to boot. If anything, he at least should get this from us as a way to fully apologize for our shortcomings in that argument we had earlier." 

Celestia had to admit that those were both insanely good reasons. He had truly been under a lot of stress with the current threat of Tirek and Pyro Flare coming back for a second round, possibly with a better plan that could stretch him to his limits. He also hadn't experienced a birthday party in Equestria before, let alone that same party being planned by the most renowned party planner to ever grace the planet.

Celestia nodded. "Very well. You may celebrate. Pinkie Pie, do you promise to give him a party like no other?"

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" Pinkie said, doing her signature Pinkie Promise.

"There ya go, Night Fury. You've been sworn in for the best party ever! And just so you know, when Pinkie makes a Pinkie Promise, she holds that to the end of Equestria." Cadence said.

"I don't wanna know what that last part of that promise means," Fury admitted, a little disturbed. "But I know one thing, I cannot wait to have that party! This is gonna be the best party ever, no doubt. Everypony in town will know and I'll be the star of it all! This is gonna be insane!"

Pinkie was literally bouncing with jubilance.

"Oh, just plain insanity won't cut it. It will be super duper mega insane, I tell ya!" Pinkie said. 

Pinkie then turned serious. "And that means I have to start ordering supplies right now! I must depart. When you see me again, you will not be the same." Then Pinkie jumped off the ledge.

Fury was about to run after her but Luna stopped. "Do not fear, she will be fine. The laws of nature don't apply to her."

Fury chuckled. "I can tell."

The feline then yawned. "I'd better get some sleep. Today's been quite a day. Quite a lot of drama." Fury chuckled. "Oh, and Raven?"

"Yes?"

Fury smiled. "You gave me a run for my money. Not bad for an advisor."

Raven smiled back. "Well, when you're in Canterlot, a lot of crazy things happen. And I am prepared for them."

Fury nodded. "Well, Imma get to sleep. I gotta be ready to do some exercise and help Shining- Oh shoot! I forgot to help him with the barracks! I need to leave now!"

"Woah, easy fuzzball! I knew when we went on that chase through Canterlot that he'd be left high and dry. So I asked some of the other guards to help him while we were gone." Cadence told him, getting a relieved sigh in return.

"Phew, that's good. One less thing I have to worry about. Otherwise than that, I think I'll be heading back to Ponyville tomorrow. I want to see how everyone is doing, and I do owe my parents a visit. I haven't really talked to them ever since we found out about Pyro." Fury recalled.

Celestia nodded. "Very well. It was nice to see you in Canterlot despite some issues. I hope you have good travels."

"It's always a treat so see you guys, no matter the drama. Whether it's dealing with a centaur sorcerer and a rogue Speed Shifter, or just some personal issues. It's always an adventure with you three, it seems." Fury chuckled, getting up to head off to bed.

"Same for you, lightning bug. Same for you." Luna said. "Sweet dreams."

"I know you'll make sure that happens…" Fury said, taking a long pause before saying…

"Woona. Ha ha ha ha!" And just like that, he took off laughing.

"I told you not to call me that!" Luna roared as he leaped and ran away while the other princesses were laughing.

-

Meanwhile, in another part of Equestria…

Tirek and Pyro Flare strolled through a cold forest through the night. While Tirek strode tall and true with just a few bruises, Pyro was left limping with a makeshift cast and a few bandages around her head. After the brutal thrashing she got from the ambassador, her head ached and her leg felt almost non-existent with how broken it was. The bone was somewhat intact from the time she had let it heal, but the excruciating pain of Fury's aura still coursing through her slightly made the pain worse.

With every step, she wobbled along. With every slight head movement, her head pounded. And in general, every part of her body was crying out in agony.

"Curse that disgrace of Speed Shifters. I hope we grind his bones to feed the Cragodiles! Gahhh!"

"You've been complaining for two hours! Keep your whining to yourself." Tirek said. "I'm trying to think of what our next move should be."

She simply turned away.

"You have other Shifters at your village, right? Why not use them?" Tirek suggested.

"No. The leader of the Speed Shifters does not want to risk his soldiers in an invasion. Basically, when I advised him to take 9ver Canterlot, he agreed but only if I went ahead to do enough damage first. Then he would send the rest of the soldiers." She explained rather unpleasantly. "Hmph, that little cowardly pampered prince, sending me away with nothing." She scolded him.

"Perhaps that's not the only reason that he didn't send any soldiers along with you." Tirek said. "I have to ask, did this leader know of the ambassador's destiny? Was he aware of the power he held?"

"Yes. We Shadow Shifters suspected he could be a candidate for a while. He had the physique that matched the All Powerful prophecy. And once we heard of his feats in battle including Sombra, the criminal known as Green Bits and especially his slaying of Moon Beam, we knew he was an All Powerful. Not just me but all of the leaders of the Shadow Shifter tribe. Not to mention that he was said to bear the mark of The Raging Storm, the next generation of the All Powerfuls." She explained. "What does that have to do with my leader?"

"Well, it could be possible he sent you as a guinea pig. To test whether he should fight or not. And considering how battered you got, I think we know that answer to that."

She growled.

"So you're saying… that the entire reason I was sent out here to be battered, bruised, and broken… was just because he was using me as bait on a line?!"

"Yes. And considering how you act, I don't blame him for not being worried about your fate." Tirek said with a smirk.

"GAHHHH!!!" She roared in rage. "That cowardly brat! This is how I get repaid for all the work I've done for the Shadow Shifters!? I have led raids, espionage missions before he was born! And this is how I get repaid!?" Pyro said while punching a random tree. "I'm just trying to get us Shadow Shifters to finally do something instead of playing games and getting drunk." She said, thinking of her young leader.

"Well, it looks like I'm not the only one who's beginning to reconsider changing sides." Tirek said.

"I have never changed sides! I have always been loyal to the Speed Shifter cause, that we would regain our glory! It's those leaders who want to be overly cautious that are the unloyal ones!" She said.

"Technically that is changing sides." Tirek said.

"Raaggh! Whatever, when the time comes, I will have my revenge!" Pyro declared, but not before her injuries made themselves known once more. "Ow! But for now, I shall let my wounds heal before I go anywhere."

"Finally, a sane sentence out of your mouth." Tirek said. "We'll camp here for now. I'll be on watch. You go to sleep. And if you complain one more time, I'll make you wish you were never born."

you to aid in my survival!" Pyro said, spitting in his general direction before walking away.

That stupid girl, every word that comes out of her mouth makes me want to get rid of her… and turning over to the ambassador's side seem more enticing, as much as that makes me ache inside. But I do need her around. 

Tirek kept thinking. He knew right now the two of them alone could not overcome Fury. As much as hated to agree with Pyro, he did wish there were creatures to help fight Fury. And as much as he regretted it, he also thought about what would happen if he converted over.

He absolutely hated the thought of turning over years of hard work and tireless efforts to uphold his father's wish just to conform to the ponies that he dreaded and abhorred. But, he had to admit that the ambassador showed great strength with his ability to persuade and use his power. His non bias towards anyone who threatened his way of life was slightly admirable and his diplomacy was that of many of the centaur dignitaries that he had seen in his early life. 

If it were not for his love of ponies, I would probably take him over her. But I have to somewhat give him credit for his devotion to his cause. 

Of course, Tirek knew that was not going to happen now, especially with that violent entrance into Canterlot. The centaur was still unsure of what to do exactly. But he knew one day all this struggling will be worth it. He knows one day he will rule over the ponies. With or without Pyro.
> Chapter 39: Best Birthday Ever!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a nice cool morning in Ponyville, birds sang and roosters crowed to bring in the morning. Everyone was quite eager even the grumpier ones had a bit of a smile because they heard that there will be a great event today.

And no one was more excited than Night Fury. As soon as his ears caught the crow of a roster, his eyes shot open and he practically jumped clear out of bed. His day was here, his special day… his birthday. He immediately went to his bedroom window and let out a triumphant yell.

"Good morning Ponyville!" 

Fury was getting anxious. He even dreamed about how awesome this party would be. He had a feeling Luna was to thank for that. 

But he had an unfortunate revelation. He realized he would have to wait until noon according to what Pinkie said. He realized this would be harder to endure than when the Emperor made him memorize all the ancient Speed Shifter cities ever known.

"Man, that's gonna be a major test. But, I'm willing to wait it out for all eternity if I have to! I might as well get moving and enjoy the day while I have it."

After getting washed up and groomed, he was finally ready to go into town. 

He was about to say goodbye to his parents, but he remembered they were gone for a few hours to buy some gifts for him. His mother forced her husband to buy many many gifts even though Fury only asked for one. But knowing her, she wouldn't rest until he was happily enjoying his special day.

Fury opened the door to his villa and took a deep breath, taking in the fresh morning air. Looking over the horizon, he saw that the sun was still rising and the sky was still slightly orange. But he knew that he wasn't too early as he could see that some ponies were already wide awake from his vantage point over the town.

Well, time to seize the day!

Fury charged himself up and raced into town, leaving a red trail in his wake before slowing down to a walking pace as he strolled through Ponyville. All around him, he could see ponies going to work and setting up shop for the day, getting ready for another fine day's work.

But unlike any other day, those ponies had a few extra words to spill.

First, he walked by the flower stand where the flower girl trio would set up.

"Happy birthday, Fury!" Said Roseluck, the other two giving him loving waves.

"Thank you ladies!" Fury said. Next, he walked past Miss Cheerilee.

"Happy birthday, Night Fury! I hope your day is as bright as you are!"

"Thanks, but it can't be as bright as you are today." He said with a wink.

"Oh you…" She said with a blush.

Then, he passed by Zecora.

"It brings me a smile, end to end. To say happy birthday to you, my feline friend." She said, her usual rhymes singing to him.

"Hehe, punctual as always, Zecora. Thanks!"

He kept on going. Waving his paw to other ponies as he passed by them and thanked anyone who wished him well. 

He decided to have some tea. He sat down at a table outside the Ponyville Cafe When he finally got the tea, he was about to drink when he heard something.

All of a sudden he heard the sounds of wheels on dirt. Was it…a scooter? Coming right at him. Oh no.

"Gosh dang it, Scootaloo, I told you we shoulda stuck to country dancing!" Apple Bloom, sitting on a cart alongside a nervous Sweetie Belle. 

"No way! Maybe when I'm old and hopeless! But I'm gonna make this jump now! Fury will be so awestruck! I bet he does this stuff all the time!" Scootaloo said.

"Ahhhhhh! Why do I let you two talk me into this stuff?!" Sweetie Belle yelled in horror.

Fury was able to hear this conversation. Scootaloo was approaching a ramp with a lake in the middle. Despite how crazy and dangerous this stunt looked, he just left it alone and sipped his tea.

Can't do anything about it, they'll figure out the consequences of their actions soon enough.

Splash!

The three swam out of the water. 

"Hmmm, that was okay, but I need a little more speed. Let's try that again." Scootaloo said.

"Nope, I'm out of here! You're lucky my sister didn't see this!" Sweetie Belle said, taking off as soon as her hooves made contact with solid ground. Apple Bloom followed suit.

"Pegasi and their crazy ideas. Attaching a cart to a scooter" Applebloom mumbled. "Why can't they do something good, like gathering honey from beehives?"

"You're missing the point." Sweetie yelled, still shivering. 

They all stopped arguing when they heard the laughter of a certain resident ambassador.

"Ha ha ha ha! I guess kids are the same across-the-board. Just loud and argumentative." 

The three Cutie Mark Crusaders looked embarrassed. 

"But to be honest, I really can't criticize you three when I was just the same at your age." Fury chuckled.

"Wait, you did?!" The three asked in surprise.

"You bet I did! I was just as loud and aggressive back then like you three are now. I would start fights for practically no reason. I remember when I fought with my best friend over a piece of cake at his 10th birthday party!"

"No way!" Scootaloo said. "Who won?!"

"Now now young lady, I have to lead up to it. Well basically me and him slid with pots on a small mountain slope. Normally Jade would always say how stupid I was for even thinking that. But for that day, he was determined to prove the cake was his. And so he accepted." Fury said.

He noticed the CMC were hooked, especially the daredevil Scootaloo. 

"And so we raced down the slope, throwing snowballs to make sure we stopped each others' progress. Jade was nice but he was a bit smug, thinking he was the most skilled at fighting." Fury said. "I could tell by his cocky expression. He was in the lead but I couldn't let him have satisfaction. I had a diabolical idea."

The three fillies looked at him with all the attention they had to give, clearly enticed by the story being told.

"I decided that I was gonna give him a bit of a trip up. So I used my tail to snag his pot and flip him over! His pot shattered and he fell into the snow, gradually rolling into a snow boulder that grew bigger and bigger. And just a reminder, I was still a kid, so my powers were still a blank area at the time. So as he rolled over and over, I sped down the hill as fast as I could, letting him roll away into a tree where he crashed down and turned that snow boulder into a snow drift that he got stuck in."

Scootaloo smiled with awe, Apple Bloom's jaw dropped and Sweetie had a look of shock on her face.

"When I got to the bottom, everyone at the party cheered for me. They lifted me above their heads and cheered my name over and over, it was like I had just won the battle to end all battles! And at the end of it all, I got that slice of cake before he did and I've never let him live it down since." Fury said.

"Whoa!" the three fillies said.

"That… was… the greatest story ever told!" Scootaloo said. "Uh… besides Rainbow getting her cutie mark of course."

"I never knew you had such a wild childhood, Night Fury!" Sweetie Belle said.

"Hey, when you live in a forest like I did, you get used to anything happening around you." Fury chuckled.

"Man, I wish I lived in the forest like you." Scootaloo said. "I could have cool adventures just like my parents when they catch wild beasts! Instead I have to still be stuck with schoolwork and her highness Diamond Tiara." 

Fury patted her on the shoulder. "Well just so you know, I had a bunch of bullies back then too, especially one in particular. Always underestimating me, Always putting my abilities down. I wasn't quite as strong as I was now." Fury explained. "But let me tell you kids, stick together. And don't listen to any of those blockheads. We got determination and the desire to improve. Way better than their natural talent they brag about. You got that, sport?"

Scootaloo nodded. "You got it. I won't let her get the best of us!"

Fury nodded. "Excellent. And you probably know this, sport. But listen to Rainbow Dash, she might be a bit cocky but she knows how to go fast. I've raced her a lot. And she'll take good care of you. I'll give her a vote of confidence for you."

"Awesome!" Scootaloo said. "We'll see you later, Fury!"

Applebloom and Scootaloo left arguing over which activity to do next. Sweetie Belle was about to follow them but not before Fury advised her.

"And Sweetie, knowing from personal experience, make sure you keep an eye on them. People like me and those two can get a bit wild. I needed someone like Jade or Twilight to tone me down. Make sure you don't let them get into too much trouble. Just a little." He said with a wink.

"Yes, Fury! I'll keep an eye on them! Bye, and happy birthday!" Sweetie went away.

"Those three, they're gonna be an interesting group when they're fully grown." Fury said to himself as he decided to take his leave and continue his walk around town. He moved along the border of Ponyville and decided to hang around the train station, nothing too exciting but not too boring either. 

Fury always found it interesting how ponies managed to make steam power such a staple of their society, steam trains rolling along the tracks smoothly and fast like no other machine he had ever seen. He climbed up a tree near the tracks and sat on a branch, looking left and right idly as if he was doing some trainspotting. Just then, he heard the whistle of a train he knew too well.

"Oh here it comes! The coolest of them all!" Fury said with enthusiasm, he knew exactly what train it was. A Royal Train. Nothing could beat its size, its decoration or its colors. It figures it was bigger than other trains for it had thick armor to protect the princesses from attack from would-be troublemakers.

The large engine flooded the station with fresh steam, coming to a halt directly on the platform with relative ease thanks to the well built brakes. The doors to the coaches opened and one of the royal guards, which happened to be Shining Armor, stepped out to announce the arrival of the royalty on board.

"Their Royal Highnesses have come to grace you with their presence! Princess Celestia of the Sun! Princess Luna of the Night! And of course Princess Cadence… of Love." He said the last part with a bit of tenderness which Fury was amused by. The ponies on the platform cheered for the princesses as they exited the coach with grace, idly waving to their subjects as they would while making their way off the platform. 

Fury watched as they walked across the platform and towards him, finding it funny how ponies went crazy at just the sight of them. He decided to get a little cheeky by dropping his tail below the leaves of the tree, allowing for just enough to be visible to them while the rest of him stayed hidden in an attempt to get some attention and birthday wishes. 

The princesses proceeded to walk away from the crowd at the station and towards the town when they noticed a few ponies staring at what looked to be a small black tail dangling from a tree.

"Hmmm, how unusual. I've never seen a black vine before, let alone in a tree of this species." Luna spoke, looking oblong at the strange black appendage.

"You're right, that is pretty strange. No tree I've studied or seen has had black vines before, perhaps the unique climate around the area caused this?" Celestia added.

Fury just quietly chuckled at their confusion, not wanting to give himself away.

"Twilight might be interested in this brand new undiscovered vine. Perhaps I will collect it for her research." Cadence said, walking up to the vine.

All of a sudden, Fury felt some magic grad ahold of his tail. 

"I think… I have been had." Fury said to himself.

Yank!

"Yow!" Fury yelled out, scaring Cadence into releasing her grip.

"Oh my, a screaming vine!" Luna said. "Very impressive. Even in the dream world, I have never seen such peculiarities. Let me hear it again!" Luna said, grabbing the "vine" with her own magic.

Yank! Yank! Yank!

"Oof! Gosh! Yow!" Fury yelled with even more pain from Luna's stronger magic.

"Ooh, it even makes different noises!" Luna said with excitement. Celestia was thrown off at the strange noises and looked closer at the tree. To her slight surprise, she saw something else through the leaves. Attached to the "vine" was a pair of hind legs, and attached to that was a plump body, front legs, neck, and head. All colored in black.

"Well this is a peculiar development." Celestia said. "There seems to be something else in this tree. It seems like a stray cat. The poor thing must be so scared to come down, let us help it." She said, breathing in, ready to use her full energy.

The hardest yank of them all came to the black cat in the tree. Fury could not take it anymore. His tail had endured enough tribulations as he fell out of the tree and into the open light.

"Woooahhh, oof!" He landed in a hard thump and kicked up some dust. His cheeky plan had gone south.

"Well would you look at that! That isn't a stray cat, it's a birthday cat!" Cadence replied.

"Ah our beloved guest of honor, Night Fury himself!" Luna said.

"Happy birthday!" All three princesses cheered.

Fury slowly got up. "Gee, thanks. You ponies sure know how to treat your birthday subject." He said, trying to massage his tail. 

"Aww, did we ruin your little plan? Oh you poor thing, you must feel so terrible! Poor little baby!" Luna cooed, snatching him up and snuggling him.

"Ha ha, very funny, Moonpie." Fury moaned. Luna just giggled and kissed him.

"Happy birthday, my little Lightning Bug!" 

Fury gave a smile. "Ah, I can't stay mad at you, sweetie! Thanks! I wouldn't have expected any less from you ladies."

Celestia laughed. "But to be fair, you would have done the same thing if it were mine or Cadence's birthday party."

Fury gave a cheeky grin. "You got that one right! In fact, I will learn from today so that I might have my vengeance on you ladies next time." 

Just then, a multitude of footsteps could be heard approaching. Looking around, Fury saw Fluttershy, Rarity and his parents making their way towards him.

"There's the birthday boy!" Fluttershy said, giving him a hug. 

"Thanks Flutters, I appreciate it!" Fury chuckled.

"There's my special boy! Happy birthday sweetie!" Black ice said, kissing him on the cheek.

Rarity giggled "Oh my, it looks like someone is very popular today."

"Yeah, that's for sure. Okay mom, you can stop pecking me on the cheek now, thank you!" Fury said.

"Ohh, but it's just been so long since we celebrated your last birthday. I want to cherish this." She said, nuzzling him.

"There's my boy!" Obsidian said. "It's your special day, champ. How do you feel?"

"Oh it feels refreshing!" Fury said, stretching his arms. "Canterlot has cool sites, but this place is closer to nature. Our kind of place. Not as busy, or crowded. And the ponies are more laid back too. Well most of them." Fury said with a chuckle.

"Even I would agree with that." Rarity said. "Canterlot is fabulous but if I stayed there forever, I would have gone insane. The relaxed nature of Ponyville is good for both comfort and creativity."

"That's saying something! Well, at least coming from a pony who faints at the sight of a summer hat being worn at the wrong angle." Fury jabbed.

"Hmph!" Rarity pointed her snout up. "Some creatures just don't understand how every little detail counts for an artiste."

"Like how you have a bit of spinach stuck in your teeth?" Fury deadpanned.

"Wait… Oh heavens!" She pulled out a pocket mirror and was surprised to see that he was right. She proceeded to quickly lick it up as ladylike as she could. "You got me that time, darling. But next time, you'll be the one embarrassed in a fancy restaurant. Hmph!" 

Fury chuckled at the idea of the presentation being some sort of competition for her. But he had other things to think of.

"Moving on from the drama queen's tirade, I've got plans today! Pinkie told me yesterday that tons of little surprises around town will be waiting for me when I pass by. She also told me that they're not going to be made by who I might expect, so that'll be new." Fury said.

"Well, that does sum up Pinkie. Always doing the unexpected. I do wonder who it will be?" Fluttershy pondered.

"Well, I'm gonna go around town and find out! I'll catch you guys later. Heh, if you can keep up!" Fury laughed as he revved up, kicked up a hefty dust cloud which happened to be aimed at his mother, and took off back towards town.

She coughed for some time before the dust cleared up. 

"Oh that Fury. Even when he is older, he's still young deep down." She said shaking her head but with a smile.

"Aren't we all, dear? Well, more me that you but still…" Obsidian chuckled.

"Are you calling me old?!" Black ice shot back.

"No no, not at all… I'm just saying despite how young you look, you have the attitude of an 80 year old. You darn whipper-snappers keep off my property!" Obsidian mocked, using an older sounding voice to emphasize his point.

"Oh really? Well you have the attitude of a 14 year old! I can see why Fury likes to always be late and sneak out at night!" Black Ice shot back.

"I'm sorry, Black Ice. But as the oldest pony out of my six friends and your son, I have to say that you do fit that description, darling." Rarity said.

All Black Ice could do was just huff a disgruntled sigh as she was put on blast for her attitude. She couldn't actually act that old, could she?

–

Meanwhile, in the streets of Ponyville…

The residents of Ponyville saw a swift red aura slipping through the streets. They knew him long enough to know who it was. They greeted him as he passed by. 

"Happy birthday, big guy!" said Cloudchaser as he flew by the cloud she was sitting on.

"Today's your special day, Night Fury! Go out and enjoy it." Mayor Mare said as he passed town hall.

"I may be a grump sometimes, but even I have to say it. Happy birthday, champ!" said Crankydoodle, a grumpy but nice donkey Fury had met not too long ago.

All the while, Fury waved and gave his thanks to all he raced by. This was very different from what he was used to, but he was getting used to it all the same.

But he had no time to chat. He wanted to find the hidden party planner.

Alright, Pinkie said my first clue was that the first surprise was music related. And I know only two musical roommates in Ponyville with those talents! Time to make a visit!

He quickly looked at his map and made a run for DJ Pon3 and Octavia's house which doubled as a place to request musical events. This would be the first time he would be meeting the two outside of their performances as he had never met them off stage.

He made his way up a dirt path to where he saw the peculiar house. Bushes around the house were shaped like musical notes, the pattern of the path below his paws looking like a music sheet. The door was shaped like a cello and the paint was split in two. On one side, neon blue was painted across the house with the occasional purple stone to accent the walls and dark brown hay for a roof. That was most likely DJ Pon3's side. On the other were more mellow colors. brown, black, a bit of yellow. Most definitely Octavia's side. 

As he approached the door, he noticed a sign on the door that was colored in his signature look, black and red.

Follow the signs around the back. We'll be waiting for you, birthday boy. 

Much love, 
Octavia and Vinyl.

Fury scrunched up his muzzle in confusion. Who was Vinyl? Maybe a friend of DJ Pon3? Either way, he had a surprise waiting for him and he wasn't gonna delay any longer. He looked to the left and saw an arrow pointing along a stone path that led behind the house.

He walked up to the rear door and knocked. 

knock, knock, knock.

After a few seconds, the door opened revealing a gray earth pony with black hair. 

"Oh hello sir! Just the guest we expected!" Octavia said with a bow. "Please make yourself at home."

"Thanks Octavia. And just call me Fury, we're not on stage." He said as he went inside. Just like the outside, the inside was split in two. On one side, many classical themed accessories and instruments lay on display. The other, plastered with neon posters and lights with a DJ turntable and subwoofers to boot. Right now, he and Octavia were the only ones seemingly in the house.

"Quite a place you got here." He said looking at both sides. "I knew you and DJ-Pon3 were roommates but I never thought one could go as far as to split it literally in half!" 

Octavia chuckled. "Well, we fought for a while on the interior when we owned the house whether to be more classical or more techno. But we finally agreed to just have two sides. One for her. And for me." 

"Cool! But I have to ask… I saw on the sign somepony named Vinyl was here. He or she a friend of yours?" Fury asked.

"Why yes she is. Not just my best friend but also my business partner and roommate." Octavia said. 

"Roommate? So there's three of you?" He asked, his ears flopping over in a very odd way to express his confusion.

Octavia then had a look of worry. 

"Oh no. I might have said too much." Octavia said, shifting nervously.

"About what?"

"Um I mean… like you said, good sir, there are three of us. Vinyl, me and DJ-Phon3… I mean DJ-Pon3-"

"Up up up, stop right there. I can tell you're lying. Besides, only two beds, only two parts. Unless this mysterious Vinyl is in the attic, I think there are only two of you eccentrics." Fury interrupted, a smile growing on his face. Octavia sighed and let out a small chuckle.

"Okay, you got me. It's just that Vinyl made me promise not to let it slip to somepony out of caution of them leaking the secret. Which is why we get almost no visitors or go out in public besides our separate performances." She admitted, almost looking disappointed.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it. We all slip up about things sometimes, and that you just did is one of them. I'm sure you can clear things up when she shows up." Fury said with a caring tone. "And don't worry, your secret is safe with me." He said with a wink.

"Let's hope Vinyl is the same way, because here she comes." Octavia said, pointing through the window to a white unicorn with blue hair approaching the front door.

They heard the door unlocking.

"Awww, chill out." Fury said. "As long as you don't tell her, she won't know. Besides, she's mute so she can't scream at you like my mom does."

"Uh y-yes. Of course." Octavia said. They both saw the doorknob turn and in came DJ Pon3. She stepped into the main room with her usual goggles on her face and headphones resting on her ears. She flopped on the couch.

"Ugh! Signing autographs can be a real hassle! All the ponies I have to keep quiet around are insane! So, is he on his way ye-" She turned her face to Octavia, only to see her accompanied by the ambassador himself

...

Silence penetrated the atmosphere like a sword through a soldier. Vinyl and Fury stared into each other in silence. Fury's jaw dropped at hearing what he just heard.

DJ Pon3 can talk?! I thought she was mute! 

Fury said to himself in shock as his jaw hung low.

Oh no! My secret is out. 

Vinyl screamed internally as well as Fury in confusion. 

"Whaaaaaa-"  Fury's jaw gaped as he was completely stunned by the new information that was flooding his mind. 

"Octavia, what is he doing here?!" Vinyl asked, knowing the gig was up. "Don't you know I have a secret to keep?!"

"Uh… He showed up earlier than expected. I couldn't just make him stay outside!" 

"Yeah, you coulda let him out there for five minutes!" Vinyl yelled. "I have fans that would wait hours to take a picture with me!"

Octavia then was angered too. "Well, it's not my fault you didn't bother to look at what was going on inside before opening your big mouth for five seconds!" Octavia shot back. "And besides, you know good and well what day it is!"

"You listen here, Miss Fru Fru-"

"Okay okay ladies, chill out!" Fury said, having a belly laugh. "Ha ha ha, you sound like me and my mom arguing over staying up late!" Fury then walked to Vinyl.

"Look, if you have any grievances, take it up with me. I was here when I shouldn't have been and I heard something that I shouldn't have. I'm kind of an impatient guy. If you want, I'll leave and come back later. I'll keep your secret to my grave. It may be my birthday, but I'm not someone to intrude into personal lives." Fury said, beginning to leave.

"Wait!" 

Fury turned around.

"Look, I'm sorry to both of you. Please come on in, uh Fury was it? Since you already know, we might as well talk now about our plans." Vinyl said.

Fury went back inside. "Awesome! I was hoping that I wasn't coming here for nothing! So, Pinkie told me you've got my first surprise for me?"

Vinyl had a smile on her face. "Oh you betcha, bro! You will not believe how cool this is gonna be!"

"I believe I lost some sleep hearing what Vinyl was doing these past three nights." Octavia said. "Apparently some ponies can't wait till morning." 

"Oh come on Tavi! You know how genius doesn't listen to little obstacles like sleep." She said, with the last word in an Octavia like accent.

"See Vinyl, you speak by language! Night is a time when the cool stuff happens! And wait, Tavi?"

Fury just laughed at the funny nickname. "Hahaha! Tavi!? That's so adorable! Ha ha!"

Octavia blushed. "Vinyl, I told you not to call me that! I am a professional violinist at Canterlot! Not some little filly!"

"Now we're even when it comes to secrets, Tavi Wavi." Vinyl said in a baby language.

"Dang, and I thought I was savage." Fury said. "I can't believe I'm saying this, Vinyl, you're even cooler than I once thought. If you actually did some talking, maybe some jokes, your fans would love you even more!"

Vinyl then looked more serious.

"Sorry, kitty cat, but my reputation is already sealed. I let my sick beats do the talking. Unlike Miss Classical over here who lets her music knock ponies out."

"Ha! Octavia's music is full of lullabies." Fury said, sounding as immature as ever to Octavia's unamusement.

"Oh, how witty. Like I haven't heard that oh so insightful critique before." Octavia said, rolling her eyes. "You two surely were made for each other."

"Hehe… Hey Vinyl, look. It's a snooze fest with legs." Fury chuckled.

"Yeah, maybe she should add a pajama outfit and a night cap to her act." Vinyl laughed.

"Oooh, I'm going to get my revenge on you two! Especially you, Night Fury. I'll have to figure out your weakness before you leave." Octavia snorted. "But first, we have a birthday to celebrate."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! So, do you fine ladies mind telling me about this secret surprise?" He said, whispering the last part. Octavia and Vinyl smiled at each other now that they were about to reveal the surprise they had for him.

"Why, yes, Mr. Fury. We offer you a divine musical experience for you today!" Octavia said unusually excited. "Follow us, Ambassador and you shall see true glory!" Octavia ran to the backyard.

"Is she always this cheesy?" Fury asked. "She sounds like those opera ponies Twilight and Rarity gush over."

"Either that or boring. But when she is this poetic, you know it's something great." Vinyl now had a big smile. "And believe you're gonna be blown away. Literally!" She and Fury went to the backyard.

When Fury walked outside, Octavia unleashed the curtain. 

Fury's jaw dropped as he saw the curtains draw back to reveal a stage with both classical instruments and a DJ turntable with subwoofers on top.

"Um, what am I looking at? Did you guys get your instruments mixed up?"

Octavia and Vinyl both laughed. 

"Oh you silly kitty." Vinyl said. "Nope. This… This here is true art." She said walking up to the machine. Octavia did the same. They both stood at their respective positions and nodded to each other before prepping their song.

"You ready to party, Octavia?" Vinyl asked.

Octavia smiled confidently. "Let's make music."

A smooth beat began to play as they both started to play, Vinyl with her beats and Octavia with her violin, the sound immediately catching Fury's attention.



🎶Life moves so fast…🎶
  (Yeah yeah yeah yeah)

🎶Let's take our foot up off the gas…🎶
  (Yeah yeah yeah yeah)

🎶Slow down the motor and relax! Have fun, be wild, and love…🎶

🎶Soaking all the little things up!🎶

🎶I just wanna make you smile for me, smi-ile for me!🎶

🎶All I wanna do is make ya-ya-ya-ya…🎶

🎶Make you smile for me, smi-ile for me! Everything is better when ya-ya-ya-ya…🎶

🎶Smi-i-ile! Smi-i-ile!🎶
  (All I wanna do is make ya-ya-ya-ya…)

🎶Smi-i-ile! Smi-i-ile!🎶
(When I do, I do it with ya-ya-ya-ya…)

Fury was completely captivated by the bold music that the two played, so much so that he had to dance to it.

"It looks like our guest enjoys this very much." Octavia said.

"Hey, Fury, you think this will do well for your party?!" Vinyl asked.

"This'll do way better than just that! I love it! Man, if only I could take music like this with me every day!" Fury said.

"Say no more pal! I got just the thing for you." Vinyl jumped and galloped to him. She took out a pair of headphones and put them on Fury's head.

"Woah, what are these?" He asked with some fascination.

"Just the greatest invention known to ponykind. Headphones!" Vinyl said. "Brace yourself."

"For wha- Whoa!" The music felt more amazing. It was so close and personal. He started to dance around and headbanging to the music. "Awesome!"

"Now you understand true sublimity." Vinyl said. "Gotta get that music all in your ears, ya know?"

Vinyl that turned off the music on a rectangle she held in her magic. "This device will help you flip through songs, play and pause songs, as well as helping you to stay cool when listening to them. I have plenty of these things around. And since you appreciate true art unlike some ponies… You get this stuff half off! But only this time."

"I'm okay with that, stuff as good as this doesn't come cheap! And besides, I'll be able to get replacements if I have to anyway now that I know these exist." Fury said excitedly, giving her bits.

"But, these headphones don't really fit my style. Let's see if a little Speed Shifter energy can turn the tides." Fury said. He took the headphones off his ears and ignited one of his paws. He looked at the currently white and blue headphones with a bit of distaste, but he was about to fix that. With one touch, the color of the device completely changed. Going from white and blue to red and black. They had the opposite color scheme of his body, but they looked amazing. And to add to the personal touches, he added a black lightning strike mark on each side to mimic his birthmark.

"Whoa, that's pretty rad! How did you do that?!"

"Ah, just one of the perks of being a Speed Shifter." Fury said.

Octavia showed interest. "Wait you make this any color? If so, I would like my headphones to be more brownish like wood."

"Ah ah ah, sorry sweetie. Just like your friend, my services aren't free." Fury said cheekily, reiterating what he was told earlier. 

"Ah, of course," Vinyl said, getting some bits. "Here you go, Fury."

"Okay. Here we go!"

Fury used his energy to change the colors from white to brown. It had a design of oak wood. Fitting for a more traditional mare who dealt with wooden instruments.

"My word! It is glorious! Thank you so much! I guess I can forgive your snide comments today." Octavia said.

"I wouldn't count on that. Now that we've gotten to know each other a little bit, I can loosen up a bit. And trust me, when I get comfortable with a new friend, they don't exactly get a very courteous or polite companion. Go find Twilight or Rarity if you want one of those."

Octavia sighed. "Oh great, as if Vinyl wasn't hard enough to deal with."

Vinyl laughed "Sorry, girl! That's just how life is!"

Fury then looked at Vinyl. "And by the way Vinyl, don't think I'm just referring to Octavia. You are also fair game. Just like with your weird purple shades that make you look like an alien. Beep boop, take me to your radical leader!"

"It's not weird! It's the raddest thing ever! Who wants to see someone's boring eyes?! It gives a sense of mystery! Who is that mare? That's what it's all about."

"And the answer to that would be an alien! Better not show those around Lyra!" Fury replied. This time, it was Octavia's turn to laugh at his jokes.

"I guess you're not as innocent as I thought you were." Vinyl said.

"Well, that's what you get for being friends with me. Ain't no one getting special treatment." Fury said, pulling out his clue map. "Okay, next stop is… Bon Bon's Bountiful Candy Cove?"

Fury licked his lips at that. If there was one thing Ponyville made that was tasty, it was candy. Taffy? Chocolate? Bon bons? He had to find out.

"Well, I'd like to stay and roast both of you more. But I gotta dash. But seriously, thanks for the music, girls! I look forward to it!" Fury said. "Bye!"

He dashed off to which the musicians waved at him.

"My glasses don't look alien-like, right, Tavi?" Vinyl asked.

"They're not that alien-like… compared to all of the equipment you lug around." Octavia said with a smirk.

"Whatever! I'm gonna do some practice!" Vinyl said walking away.

–

As Fury ran through town with his new headphones on, listening to the most odd but catchy beats he had never heard before, he wondered what Bon Bon and Lyra had in store. He had met up with the two on his second day in town, coming to their candy shop to try out some of their amazing sweets. They were much less secretive than Octavia and Vinyl. Besides Sugarcube Corner, he frequently went there to grab the occasional set of chocolate or pack of gummy bears for a snack. To the point where he was considered a regular.

As he came up to the shop, he removed his recently acquired headphones, paused the music with the device he was given, and went inside the door to the shop with a bell ringing upon entry.

"Yoo-hoo! Lyra, Bon Bon, you here?" Fury called out.

"In a minute!" Said a squeaky voice. The voice was from Bon Bon. Fury never understood why she had so many voices. Was she an actor?

Bon Bon finally arrived. "Oh hey there Fury. How are you?" She looked a little worn out, probably from making candy.

"Uh, pretty good. Pinkie gave me this clue map to lead me around town to my birthday surprises. You're the next stop, so whatcha got?"

"Okay, do I have a treat for you." Bon Bon said. "Feast your eyes on this statue!"

She unveiled a curtain to reveal a sculpture of a blue Cragodile. 

"This was made from a mixture of hundreds of blueberries and raspberries combined! It took a whole week to get the sculpting and sugar ratio just right, but it was worth it! What do you think?"

"It looks great but looks can be deceiving! There is only one true test." He approached the statue, took a deep breath and licked its neck like a cat drinking from a water bowl. He kept on licking it.

"So I assume you like it?" Bon Bon asked. "Ahem?"

"Bon Bon, you hit it right out of the park with this one! This is even better than the Canterlot's candy! You know how to do it!" Fury said to her pleasure. "Maybe I'll have another lick…"

"Sorry, ambassador." Bon Bon put the curtain back on. "But this is meant for the right time. You can have the rest for the actual ceremony. Patience is a virtue."

"Awww, but it's so good!" He whined.

"Try having it now and see how your belly feels when you go to the party with nothing left." Bon Bon said. "You have no idea how hard it was for me to make this. All the grueling days, all the hard work, all the times I had to keep my roommate from having one little lick. And I am not going to let you waste it in one sitting."

Fury wanted to object to the statement, but he knew she was right. Bon Bon smiled at his pouty face and embraced him. 

"Oh, don't beat yourself up about it. It'll still be as tasty later as it is now." She reassured him.

"Okay I'll be a good boy and wait my turn." Fury said. "Well, as long as it will be here then, I'll be fine."

"Good. Now, your next stop is Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie and some of your other friends will be there to show you the rest of the treats."

"As if this statue of solid candy wasn't enough, I got another treat from Pinkie herself! Well I'm leaving! See you at the party!" Fury said, rushing out to head to Sugarcube Corner.

Bon Bon had a sigh of relief. "No one has any patience these days. Right, Lyra?!" She said throwing her wooden spoon at Lyra who ran away from the sculpture.

"Eeek!" She squealed as she scampered away and left Bon Bon to sigh in annoyance.

-

Fury ripped through the streets and slid into Sugarcube Corner. He opened the wooden doors to the shop and made his entrance.

"Birthday boy's here!"

All of a sudden a pink blur came racing from the kitchen toward him and constricted him.

"Hi there Fury! I was getting so excited! I can't wait to show the candy I have! I bet you were waiting for forever because I know I was! This party is a party I have sword that I would make great and I shall not fail y-"

"Pinkie, let him go!" Mr. Cake said.

Pinkie let the surprised Speed Shifter go. "Whoops, got a little excited there."

"Yeah, that's for sure." Fury said with a chuckle. "But whatever, I understand. Today is a big day for both of us. I can't imagine having to plan all of this just for me. So, where's everypony else?"

It was empty in the building, an oddity for a normally busy place like this.

"They're out getting presents and other things for your party! But for now, you've got some birthday snacks to test out." Pinkie said, leading him to the back where all of the goods were. Once inside, Fury was greeted with the most variety he had ever seen in regards to sweet treats. Cupcakes, Apple Fritters, Candy Canes, Fruit Punch… And to top it all off, a six layer birthday cake under a tarp for the big reveal at his party.

Fury was salivating at this point. Bon Bon might have one tasty work of art. But Pinkie went with quantity and variety, as should be expected from Pinkie. He had a hard time picking which one to go for. But he was eyeing the tarp wondering what was under it.

"Very nice, Pinkie. Very nice tarp too. Maybe if I just examine it…."

"Woah, easy big guy!" Pinkie said, stepping in front of him. "I may be a baker, but this big baby is reserved for the party. You and your tummy will have to wait."

"Aww, rats! First, Bon Bon's candy Cragodile statue and now this?! Ugh! Ya know, for a birthday party, the rules are pretty strict." Fury said.

Pinkie chuckled. "Oh Fury. Parties are one of the most special times ever for a pony. I might be as different from Bon Bon as a melon is from an onion, but we both abide by a code of satisfaction. We both know delayed satisfaction is the best satisfaction. The yearning, the smells, the feeling of not being able to eat it yet! Once you finally do it, then you shall feel truly at peace!"

"You know that's not helping me. I'm even more impatient now!" Fury said, salivating and his stomach grumbling.

"That's the point! The entire point of holding the best stuff for last is to make you want it that much more! Once you get to the party, it'll taste better than it would have beforehoof." Pinkie explained. "But enough talk, let's see what you think of the treats I made!"

Before the famished Shifter could say anything, Pinkie brought him various baskets of treats he saw before.

"Alright, big boy. Time for your appetizers. Select your food!" 

Fury sighed in relief. Pinkie was not cruel enough to leave him hanging. But there were so many choices. He had to think.

After thirty seconds of hard thought, he spoke. "Hmmm… I'll try… the Candy Canes first. I've never actually had one before." Fury said. He took in his paw one of the curved sugary sticks and licked it. The sweetness of the striped candy danced on his tongue like a firework, popping with flavor.

"Mmmm! That's really good! It's like a really thin popsicle. But it doesn't melt and it doesn't give me a brain freeze." Fury said, continuing to lick at the candy cane.

"I know that brain freeze feeling way too often! It makes me go all over the place! Mr and Mrs. Cake had to calm me down before I destroyed any glass." Pinkie said.

"Heh, I can only imagine how that looked!" Fury laughed. After finishing off the candy cane with a final lick and a crunch, he took another moment to look for his next test. After a few seconds, he went for the cupcakes. 

He took out a cupcake with red icing and ate it. The sweetness and texture was like nothing he had ever tasted. He had to admit, it was better than his mom's cupcakes.

"Wow, this cupcake is way sweeter than the ones my mom used to make! Did you use buttercream instead of whipped cream?" Fury asked.

"I did! How did you know?"

"My mom always used whipped cream for her cupcakes and they never were really that sweet. But to be honest, I'm not surprised she did use it. I mean, can you imagine the chaos that would come from a Speed Shifter cub on a sugar rush?" Fury laughed.

Pinkie Pie giggled at the thought of a red blur just speeding around on a sugar high. "Hehehehehe, don't worry. Your worst sugar rush was probably still better than my best. Isn't that right, Mrs. Cake?"

Mrs. Cake cringed. "The carnage… Oh the carnage."

"Wow. Was it really that much?" Fury chuckled.

"Imagine a pink tornado bouncing off the walls after having one too many licks of icing." Pinkie said. Fury thought about how that would look and could only go wide eyed at what his imagination came up with.

"Oof, talk about a tough day." Fury said with a crooked smile. He finished off his cupcake and went for the apple fritters next. Picking up one, he tossed it into his mouth and was treated to a warm surprise. The crunchy crust and the gooeyness of the apple filling made him hum with delight as it warmed up his belly.

"Mmmm… it's so warm and gooey. It makes me feel all fuzzy on the inside." He giggled, doing a little happy dance.

"That's the spirit!" Pinkie said, dancing alongside him. "How can one resist celebrating such delights?"

"Exactly! You know what, Pinkie? You're one of the coolest ponies around!" Fury said.

"Oh silly, Ponies are warm blooded!"

"No I meant- you know what? Never mind. What matters is the culinary delights." But then Fury remembered. "But I think I'm gonna stop before I get stuffed! I've got one more place to go, don't I?"

"Yeppers! Your last stop is on the edge of Ponyville to check out the games that are planned for the party. After that, it's a sprint to Town Hall for the grand finale!" Pinkie cheered. "And by the way, a certain crystal couple is in charge of that."

"Ahh, I gotcha." Fury said, winking at her. Pinkie then took a cup and dunked it in the fruit punch before putting a top on it.

"Here, take some fruit punch for the road!"

"Thanks, I'll probably need it after all the craziness of the party I'll go through." Fury said.

"And you would be right about that, my little rookie in partying." She said, patting his shoulder. "Just remember, do not fear. But embrace the random!"

"I'll take that to heart! Later Pinkie!" Fury said, bursting away fast from the fruit punch he had.

"See you at the party!" Pinkie called out with a huge grin.

-

At this point, the sun was almost at high noon. The time of the party. Fury was more excited than ever to have his birthday party, Ponyville style! He raced along the dirt roads to the outskirts of Ponyville in a hurry, only being able to imagine what games he would have at his party.

Oh boy, this is just so exciting! I wonder what's in store for me? Well, only one way to find out!

He said to himself as he picked up speed and ripped up the ground on his way to his final surprise.

Meanwhile Twilight, Shining Armor, Cadence, Rainbow Dash and the royal sisters all stood in wait for the special guest.

"I wonder how he's taking all of this. Finally feeling free for once in his life. His parents are safe and sound, he's gotten over his inner demons, all of his regrets are gone… he's come so far to be here." Twilight said.

"You are correct, Twilight. He has gone through so much just to have this happen in his life. I have no doubts that he will take it with grace." Celestia added.

"I just hope he isn't late for the party, he's got so much to look forward to." Shining said.

"Well it looks like you won't have to worry about that because here he comes!" Rainbow Dash said from the air. Within seconds, a red blur crested the hill and jumped into the air for a backflip.

"Woohoo!" Fury called out as he landed the backflip and fired away towards the group. His red eyes and trail burned brighter than ever, his paws kicking up dust like a tornado. As he got close, he turned hard and circled the group a few times before stopping.

"I'm going to assume you're very pleased today." Cadence said.

"You think?! I'm having the time of my life! I've got these new headphones from DJ Pon3, Bon Bon's candy Cragodile statue looks and tastes amazing, Pinkie's treats are as delicious as ever… and to top it all off, I'm jacked up on an adrenaline rush that's too crazy to explain! Hoo hoo wee!" Fury said, practically buzzing with energy.

Everyone had a chuckle. 

"Okay okay settle down." Twilight said. "There's still a lot more stuff to do on our schedule. Just make sure you don't break anything."

"If I do break something, it'll probably be my own sanity. And forget the schedule, nerd! I've got my own personal timeline, and it doesn't involve you and your egghead calculations." Fury said nonchalantly.

"Sorry, Twi, but he's got a point. You gotta go with the flow!" Rainbow said, waving her arm like the wind.

"You said it, Rainbow! I'm gonna make this the time of my life!" Fury cheered. "Now, what's in store for me this time?"

"Perhaps you should ask the pony with the schedule." Cadence said with a smug expression.

Fury realized he fell right into a trap. He reluctantly agreed.

"You got me this time, egghead. Fine. What's next?"

"Thank you." Twilight said with a smirk. She then cleared her throat while looking at a scroll.

"Okay, so we have some games we will do before opening your presents. Some of the games include traditional pony activities like horseshoe throwing, an eight legged race, obstacle courses and… breathing fire?! I didn't add this one!"

"We can only wonder…" Fury said innocently as he discreetly spat out a quill he had in his mouth. Cadence gave him a knowing grin while he quietly shushed her.

"Don't worry, Twi." Shining said. "As long as we keep a careful eye on things, nothing will go wrong. Guards do stuff like that all the time."

"Okay." Twilight said. "There could be more games if we have time but those are the big ones. After we get worn out with games you can finally open your presents. And then we will clean up. Then we will take a walk. And then…"

"Snoooooore!" Fury moaned out loud at the stuff irrelevant to having fun.

"I think we understand, Twilight." Luna said. "But thank you for the information for my love's birthday."

"No pony truly appreciates order and careful calculations." Twilight muttered. "Alright, first on the list… the eight legged race!"

"So what, do I turn into a spider and race along a dirt track or somethin'?" Fury asked.

"Nope! Not even close!" Rainbow said. "You'll tie your legs to another pony with rope. That's why they call it a spider race. Yeah, weird, I thought the same thing when I moved to Ponyville."

Fury was confused. "What kind of game is that? That sounds like it would be suffering to move around! Why would someone restrict one's movement for a race?"

"That's the point." Shining said. "It's all about trusting your partner and coordinating with each other to win. It's like having a relationship but a whole lot less stressful."

"You can say that again." Fury agreed, the two completely unaware of the two princesses behind him and Shining.

"Can you repeat that for me?" Cadence and Luna asked at the same time.

They both looked fearful. 

"Um, it was nothing, Moonpie." Fury said.

"Y-yeah totally just how awesome and not stressful relationships usually are!" Shining said.

"Oh really?" Cadence asked. "Well if it is so stressful maybe I will not be your partner for the race."

Luna nodded. "Same for Night Fury. I'll go with someone else."

"Not like I really care that much anyway." Fury said casually.

Shining had a different reaction. "No no no! Cadence, you and I are always in sync! I don't know if I can do this without you!" 

"You pony husbands are pathetic, so much drama and emotion." Fury said. "Hey Twi, you and me?" 

Twilight was surprised. "Really? You'd be interested in teaming up with me?"

"It's either your clutz of a brother, the blue speed freak or giraffe legs over there. I'm not exactly picking random here." Fury said, causing Celestia, Rainbow Dash and Shining Armor to flick their sight over to him and glare.

Twilight smiled. "I admire your selection choices. Very well, let's do it."

Shining got frustrated that Twilight is now not an option. "Oh come on! Can't I have a pony that I know well!?"

"You know Celestia well, why not her? And besides, you both are snow white and are emotional. You're the perfect team." Fury laughed, pulling no punches.

"That has nothing to do with spider racing! How am I supposed to do this with someone as tall as her?" Shining said.

"Well, commander, I'm sure you have had battles with less than ideal odds." Celestia said. "Perhaps you can be victorious here and now despite the obstacles."

"Well when you put it that way…. I'm with Celestia! We'll attain glory from being the winners of this competition!"

"Then it's settled! Celestia and Shining vs Cadence and Luna vs me and Twilight. Sorry, Rainbow Dash, looks like you're the odd one out." Fury said, but the blue pegasus shrugged it off.

"I never liked this game that much anyways. Teamwork is nice but not when your movement depends on your teammate. I'll just be the referee today." Rainbow said.

"Alright then. Twilight, tie us up!" 

Twilight got the ropes and gave them to all the teams. She tied the legs together, making them quite close.

"Whoa, I dont think I'll be used to this." Fury said.

"Don't worry, you'll get comfortable soon enough. I'm not scary to you, am I?" Twilight asked cheekily.

"Yeah, really frightening." Fury said, annoyed at being the one roasted now. "But I will get used to this like you said. Especially more than those two." He pointed to Shining and Celestia awkwardly stumbling around.

"Wrong way, princess! Wrong way! Ow, my hoof!"

"Oh sorry, I forget my own strength sometimes."

Twilight cringed at the duo. "I see what you mean."

Then they heard a loud whistle noise from Rainbow Dash.

"Okay, everyone! Enough chit chat! Get in your spots and be ready for the race."

After awkwardly navigating themselves the contestants finally made it while Rainbow Dash explained the rules.

"Okay, here are the rules of the game! You have to coordinate with your teammate to make it to the finish line. No shortcuts, no cheeky tricks… I'm looking at you, fish breath!"

"Hey!" Fury huffed.

"And no splitting off from your teammate at all! Loyalty is what this race is all about after all!"

Rainbow then had something resembling a small cannon and pointed it in the air.

"On your mark… get set…"

BOOM!

"GO!"

A burst of magic shot out of her device. The three teams took off from the line and began to make their way down the track. Celestia and Shining Armor were left behind as their height difference and lack of coordination held them back significantly. Twilight and Fury took second place ast they started off at a slow but brisk walking pace, mostly to help the black feline get into rhythm. And lastly, Cadence and Luna were up ahead in first. They took on a slow trot at first but they seemed to be picking up the pace rather well.

"Those lucky two. Both being fully alicorns and being in sync with each other." Fury said, annoyed. "They already have an advantage!"

"Do you have any ideas what to- grrr, do?" Twilight said, struggling to move.

"We're just gonna have to watch our steps. It's a steady rhythm. One, two, one, two, one, two. All we have to do is pick up the pace and keep the rhythm."

"Okay I'll try." Twilight tried to do so but had a hard time.

"Hold on!" Fury said. "How about you think of a song, and try to march to the beat!"

"I… don't listen to a lot of songs." Twilight said, blushing in embarrassment.

"Figures." Fury thought what to do. Then an idea came up. "Wait, how about you listen to this."

Fury then sang a bit of the song he heard at Vinyl and Octavia's place.

🎶Life moves so fast…🎶
  (Yeah yeah yeah yeah)

🎶Let's take our foot up off the gas…🎶
  (Yeah yeah yeah yeah)

🎶Slow down the motor and relax! Have fun, be wild, and love…🎶

🎶Soaking all the little things up!🎶

Twilight liked the song and the beat of it. Eventually she was not worried and just stepped to the beat.

Now the two were finally moving ahead. They were finally closing in on Cadence and Luna.

"Hey, Moonpie! You missed me sweetheart?" Fury asked.

Luna and Cadence looked a bit shocked they caught up so quickly.

"Well, it seems we finally have some worthy competition." Luna commented.

"Yep. I shouldn't be surprised with your talents. But now the real challenge begins!" Cadence turned to Luna. "Let's gallop like we're fighting Sombra!"

"With pleasure." Luna said. The two ran faster leaving a path of dirt.

"We have to match their speed, Fury!" Twilight said.

"Yeah, let's hurry!"

Fury kept humming his song. And the two were still going quickly. But they feel like they might never be able to quite catch up to the two, they seemed to be too far ahead. 

"We're never gonna catch up to them." Fury said. "Big alicorns have all the advantage with their long legs!"

Twilight while struggling had an idea. "Fury, you sure you can't use some of your speed magic?"

Fury looked a little nervous. "I dunno, I'm tied to you. I don't know if that would actually make things worse."

"Hold on… Is it possible you could transfer some of your energy to me?" Twilight asked. "Then we could both be in sync!"

Fury admitted she had a point. "Maybe but shifter energy can be really intense. I can only give you a little, maybe 30 seconds worth or your body will be scarred for life. We have to catch up within that time! You sure you're up for this?" He asked, unusually cautious.

Now Twilight looked a little nervous. Was this really a good idea? But somehow she felt the feeling of competition and she felt she owed Fury assistance for helping her to move in sync.

"You know what, Fury? I think we'll do just fine. I've trained for activities like this." Twilight said with confidence, her horn glowing, ready to absorb some of his energy.

"Well then, here we go! Get ready to feel electrified!"

Suddenly, a red aura enveloped around Fury. Twilight could feel how tingly his aura felt. She wondered how she would feel from absorbing this weird energy.

After taking a deep breath she absorbed his energy. And then…

Her cutie mark, mane and tail all glowed brightly. Her eyes turned a bright red.

Twilight breathed in heavily from all the energy surging through her. Was this what it was like to be a Speed Shifter?

"You okay, Twi?"

"Y-yeah. Let's do this! We don't have much time!" She responded while speeding up.

The two pushed harder as they increased their speed, eventually coming up close behind the leaders.

"Um, auntie? You aren't giving me any illusions right?" Cadence asked.

"No? Why do you ask?"

"Look behind us."

Luna did so and her jaw dropped at the sight speeding by. Both were surprised at not just Fury but even Twilight glowing red.

"I- is Twilight using Fury's energy?!" Luna asked, shocked.

"I guess so! But it doesn't matter, we're still approaching the finish line!"

They saw the red blur closing close to them.

"How does it feel to be like a Shifter, Twiley?" Fury asked.

"Let's just say I don't wanna do this again!" Twilight said, feeling the energy surge through her. "I can't hold for much longer! And they're getting close to the finish line!"

Fury had an idea. "Okay, my turn to be the crazy one. We're gonna have to jump while you still have that energy!"

"I'm not really good at that…"

"Just think of how I sometimes pounce on targets or enemies! You just gotta lean down on your back legs, like a jaguar and pounce on your prey! In this case the finish line! You got that?"

"Okay. Well here goes nothing." Twilight looked at Fury's posture with his back legs. She looked at her goal, the finish line.

"On my mark!" Fury said. "Three… two… one!"

Woosh!

From Rainbow's perspective as well as Celestia and Shining, they thought she saw a glowing red mortar shot bursting forward. The dirt of the race track blew away. They went almost at the speed of sound. 

"We're almost there!" Cadence said.

"Maybe this will teach my beloved for his words." Luna said "Wait. What was- 

Woosh!

Just as the two alicorns were about to touch the finish line, a red meteor-like substance burst through the finish line's ribbon. When it landed, it formed a small dust cloud and a slight rumble.

After the dust cleared, it revealed the two contestants Twilight and Night Fury, now no longer glowing.

"What was…"  Cadence asked.

"...that?" And Luna finished.

Tweet!

"Well, I don't really know what happened! But Fury and Twilight won!"

Fury was quite excited. He dusted himself off to cheer.

"Heck yeah, we totally defeated you guys! I never thought I'd say this but Twilight officially graduated from the school of coolness! How does it feel like to be a Speed Shifter?!"

"Ugh, I'm never doing that again." Twilight said completely exhausted from all of the energy she endured. "Why did I let myself do that?!"

"Oookay, I'll leave you to recover." Fury replied, cutting the ropes with a claw and standing up to dust himself off. 

"I must admit, I hadn't expected you nor Twilight to take us over for the lead at such a time." Luna said.

"Aww, it was nothing. I just gave her a few tips on how to be like me!" Fury said. "Now, you guys said I had some presents waiting for me?"

"Well it wouldn't be a birthday without presents." Cadence said. "But you sure you don't wanna take a break? That was a lot of stuff you did."

"My break will be in the form of seeing some awesome gifts that my friends generously gave me!" Fury said. "If I wait one more moment I might die. Let's get over there!" 

Fury sped to where the party will be. With every step he took, the adrenaline piled onto him, pulsing through his veins as he raced through town. But with the adrenaline rush, he began to leave his friends behind.

"Wait for us!" Shining said.

Cadence was about to follow but saw Twilight. "You gonna be okay?"

"I'll manage. But for now, all I want to see is my friend finally feeling better than he was before this. Seeing him running happily without a care in the world and surrounded by the ones who took him in at his lowest point is all I care about. It's why I did something so crazy like absorb his energy."

"Oh Twilight, always doing things for others. Just try not to do this too often." Cadence said.

"You don't have to tell me twice."

"Here, ride on my back." Cadence said 

"Thanks."

Of course Twilight knew the other reason. She wanted to know the mysterious adrenaline that Speed Shifters had. And even if it was painful, she does not regret knowing it.

-

Ponies from all over town gathered around Town Hall. Friends old and young, mares and stallions, adults and kids were waiting patiently for the guest of honor. Tables, streamers, balloons and snacks were all set up around the Town Hall to celebrate the birthday of Night Fury, no liberties having been taken for that authentic feel. At the forefront of this crowd was the rest of the Mane Six, most importantly Pinkie Pie. She was ecstatic about bringing in Fury's birthday party and celebrating her new friend, it was a dream come true for her to see him like this.

"Is he almost here yet?" Spike asked.

"He should be here soon with the princesses, Rainbow Dash and Shining Armor tailing him. I have no doubt he'll make it." Rarity answered.

"Gosh Pinkie, ys did all of this just for him? Not even I could have pulled a shindig off like this!" Applejack said.

"It's all a part of the plan, AJ! Once he gets here and sees all of us waiting for him, he'll have nothing else to do but enjoy it!" Pinkie cheered, bouncing in place.

"Night Fury is a true treasure to us all. No matter if any of us have met him or just passed him by, he will be just as special to us as anything else we hold dear." Mayor Mare said to the crowd. 

Just then, the silence was broken by a sonic boom that caught their attention. As they all turned around, they saw none other than Fury himself racing through the midday sun towards his birthday party. Following a few feet behind him were Rainbow Dash, Shining Armor and the princesses who took some shortcuts to keep up. One at a close enough range, Fury skidded to a stop in front of the crowd and was shocked by how many creatures he saw waiting for him.

"Dang, I knew I made some friends. But I forgot how many creatures want to come to my party! Thanks everybody! How y'all doing?!"

Everyone cheered for him.

"Great!" 

Fury had to cover his ears a bit. "I guess that answers my question."

Pinkie then jumped to him. "You're not gonna believe what we have for you! Come on!" She dragged the feline right to the main area of the party. Tables stood on either side of him with treats galore and games were set up all over the place. And to top it all off, Vinyl and Octavia were set up next to his presents with the music, Bon Bon with her saccharine sculpture and the cake with the sheet over it that Pinkie had prepared for him. A feast for the eyes.

"Now before you taste the sweet goodies and open your presents, you gotta do the rest of the games first!" Pinkie said. "Twily said we got three more games to go!"

"Really? Well, bring it on! What's first?" Fury asked. Pinkie giggled as she brought him to the first game.

"First up, The Dizzy Horseshoe Toss!"

"Okay I think it's obvious what tossing a horseshoe entails. But what's up with being dizzy?" Fury asked.

"That's the fun part! Before you get to throw your horseshoe, you get spun around really fast until you're really dizzy. The challenge is to see if you've got the skill to get it as close to that stake in the ground as possible."

"Fine by me. I always like to give myself a challenge. Let's do this!" Fury said.

After all the contestants were in position, Pinkie called up the first one.

"Alright everypony, the game is on! First up we have… Lyra Heartstrings!"

"Alright! Watch this, Fury. I'm about to show you what this game is all about." The turquoise unicorn said as she was held by the forelegs and spun wildly in a circle.

"Round and round and round you go. where you stop, nopony knows!" The crowd chanted.

She spun around quickly and after stopping, threw her horseshoe three feet away from the target.

After her was Applejack, Big Macintosh and Night Fury. 

"And here we have it! Lyra, four feet away! Night Fury, two feet away! Applejack, one foot away and Big Macintosh right on the mark!" Pinkie said.

"Eeyup!"

"Aw shoot. I might be good at running but I guess throwing while dizzy is a skill!" Fury said.

"You did pretty well for a rookie! A lot of the time they'd hit another target! Like me… Bon Bon still hasn't forgiven me for that." Lyra said. "By the way if you ever have any secret society guys come after you, just use these babies and they'll be helpless!"

"Uh… thanks for the advice." Fury said as the next game was announced.

"Okay! Up next is… The Obstacle Course!" Twilight said.

"Now that's my type of game. Let's get in there!" Fury said. He got up to the starting line and noticed he was going up against Shining Armor, Octavia and surprisingly, Cadence.

"Wait wait wait. Octavia? You?" Fury asked.

"But of course." Octavia replied. "I may be one of the more… posh ponies that live in this town, but I don't back away from a good game! After all, running and jumping is an art in the same way as music!"

"Well I'll be! And Cadence, you too? You sure those lanky legs won't trip you up?" Fury joked.

"Real funny, Fury. I've been doing these obstacle courses when you were still in your mom's belly! I'm not gonna let all of my training go to waste today!"

"Doesn't that just mean you're… out of your element?" Fury asked.

"You shouldn't have said that." Shining said. "You've unleashed a monster."

"And she's looking right back at one! Don't forget, I was the top tree climber and dirt track racer as a kid. This stuff is within my skill set without a doubt." Fury boasted, puffing his chest out.

"Well then, I guess there's only one way to find out!" Cadence said. "Announcer, get the game ready!"

"Alright, one lap! On your mark… get set… go!!!!"

All four of them had to struggle to get ahead on the first turns. But a problem came when the first obstacle in the form of branches and logs on the ground came up. 

Surprisingly, Octavia seemed very composed and calm and jumped with grace. Shining jumped more fiercely, using his previous guard training to guide him. Cadence bumped into one log after the other, she was less than enthusiastic about it and was continuing to struggle. Fury was more perceptive of the obstacles ahead and reminded himself of all the times he ran through the forest for fun with Jade. He had a big smile on his face. He was in his element. He knew Cadence might have more experience but she was not one with the woods like him.

Jumping from log to log, he made his way through the course with ease. Even cracking some of the bigger ones with his surprisingly heavy force on landing, shocking even Celestia and Luna with how much weight he could put into his movements.

So far it seemed like Fury had to hold the lead only a little more and he would win!

"You seem quite happy, Mr Ambassador." A posh voice said beside him. Fury looked to his left and saw Octavia matching him in speed.

"Well I have to admit I'm impressed. Being able to beat a princess and the commander of the royal guards himself." Fury said.

"It's all in the rhythm. Running is just like a song in that way."

"Good for you. But now this song is about to play for me. Sorry Tavi, you're not gonna win against the Champion of the Woods!" He sneered.

"We'll see about that!"

Fury and Octavia both ran through the  fake woods. Jumping, ducking, even parkouring when required. Both of them showed extreme skill in navigating the obstacle course, holding nothing back when it came to taking home the win. But as the turns and curves filed out into a straightaway, everyone knew the outcome of this challenge immediately.

"Sorry madam, but it's time for the final movement of this symphony!" Fury said as he did what he did best and left her in the dust.

"No!!!!" The gray earth pony cried.

Fury went as fast as possible. Ocatavia might have been a passionate runner but he knew she was not born or breathed the air of the forest like him. Not to mention that he was built for running, with or without his powers. And with that knowledge in her head, she knew that there was no shame in letting him take the win as he crossed the finish line in first place.

"Fury wins!!!" Twilight called out. The crowd cheered for the Speed Shifter's triumph.

"That was awesome, Fury!" Rainbow said to him. "You really showed your skill!"

"Yep! I was born for this. I might not be able to spin around and throw a horseshoe, but I can certainly jump and run!" Fury said.

"Well done, Fury. I suppose even with my graceful stepping and athletic build, there was no beating the one who grew up with this type of challenge." Octavia said, bowing humbly in respect. "And besides, it's your birthday. I would be beside myself if I just took first place away from you on your special day."

"Aww don't worry, it's all in good fun. And anyways you gave a great challenge. Maybe not as much as Jade or ugh… Amethyst but definitely you were awesome. Way cooler than I thought originally, and definitely cooler than lovebutt." 

"Hey!" Cadence called out from afar.

"The next game is… The Swimming Contest!" Twilight said. Fury wore a frown as he knew that swimming wasn't his best thing. As a matter of fact, he had only swam once as a child before giving up entirely.

"What's the matter, big guy?" Vinyl asked, walking up to him.

"The thing is… I've only swam once as a kid and that's it! I never really learned how to swim that well and this isn't exactly helping." Fury said.

"What? How can you not swim? Aren't you supposed to be some jaguar type dude?" Vinyl asked.

"Yeah, kinda. But we're not exactly known for our ability to swim, especially not me. As Spike would say, I put all my points into running and to a lesser extent, transformation. To be honest, I've never been swimming in my default form in forever! While us Speed Shifters can easily swim in different forms because of our internal instincts basically teaching us how as soon as we transform, we have to learn the skill ourselves in our default form. And I certainly did not." Fury explained.

"He is correct." Black Ice added. "Neither I nor Obsidian could get him to learn how to swim after his first attempt. He basically just… gave up."

"It's a shame, we always found water to be nice and relaxing." Obsidian said. "A way to cool off after running."

"Good for you guys. Not for me. To me swimming is just a lamer form of exercise that forces you to slow down. None of the freedom of the land. I am a proud landlubber!" Fury said.

"Well sweetie, now is the time to get over those thoughts! And besides, you wouldn't want to admit you're lacking in something on your own birthday, would you?" Black Ice asked.

Fury hated to admit it. But he knew she was right. He knew he had no choice now. He didn't want to be a party pooper.

"I hate it when I agree with you." Fury said. "Fine, I'll endure this blackmail on me."

"Excellent! That's my boy!" His mother said, rubbing his head. "You may grow to love the water and the cool feel! A nice break from the hot jungle." Black Ice said. 

No wonder why she likes water so much. Ice is after all frozen water. Fury said to himself.

They proceeded to walk over to a custom made pool that was filled with clear blue water that shimmered in the midday sun.

"Ladies and gentlecolts! Get ready for the third game! Our contestants for this game are  going to swim through this pool, both above and below the surface, to see who has the best swimming ability!"

Great. Underwater too. Just my luck.

"This game will include Fury, Rainbow Dash, DJPon3, Roseluck and Spike."

"Spike? You're competing?" Rainbow asked. "Aren't you a little young?"

"There's no age restriction. And besides we dragons have sleek, waterproof bodies. I sometimes like to find a few pearls under lakes. Besides, what better way to impress… the fine lady herself." Spike said lovestruck over Rarity.

"Hey, I can't blame you. I've got one of my own anyway." Fury said, looking over to a certain nocturnal princess who smiled back at him.

"Alright everypony. The game will now begin!" Twilight said. 

Alright Fury, get yourself together. It's just a little bit of swimming, what's to be afraid of? You just have to… try and do something you never learned how to do in a competition. No pressure.

"On your mark, get set… go!" 

Everyone was up and ready to swim. For Fury it was a bit of a weird feeling. He knew how to swim but it felt so strange. He felt slow.

And it didn't help so far that Rainbow Dash was an athlete and could outpace him easily. Fury struggled to find a good stride, paddling weakly along the surface.

"Uh… Fury, are you okay?" Twilight asked, having noticed him struggling.

"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just… ugh, a little out of practice is all." Fury said, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"It's okay we can all be out of our element. Maybe you just have to learn from those doing better than you."

Wait, she has a point. 

He saw all Rainbow, Roseluck and Vinyl and even Spike swimming well. He saw their breaststrokes and how they swam. 

"Let's see so if I just lightly tread the water like them…" Fury then swam but felt like he wasn't pushing enough water. He then noticed how Spike had his fingers closed, allowing him to swim greater distance.

Fury kept track of them and started to get the hang of it. He was now using his sheer will to get to the others. He was catching up now.

"This might not be as bad as I thought." Fury said to himself.

But then came the next challenge. There was a barrier that could only be crossed by going…

"Underwater." Fury gulped at this.

But he remembered what Twilight said and kept track of the others. How they breathed in, how they shifted their heads to go down. Fury saw them and understood the method a bit better.

"Looks like I have to take a deep breath."

He remembered back to what his parents taught him about holding his breath, making sure nothing got up his nose. And went right down. There was a certain fear in his mind of being in a state he could not breathe for sometime. He wanted to go back up, but he knew that would only take him longer. He might as well get this over with now.

He saw a hole which seemed to lead through a homemade tunnel and proceeded to go through it. He saw the other ponies swimming too. He saw the tail of Roseluck up ahead of him and increased his efforts to pass her, coming up on her left side before passing by and switching to the right when he passed Vinyl. 

Hey, this isn't so bad… But I'd better get some air now. 

He was finally out of the tunnel. And swam like a bullet to the surface.

Finally in the air, he took a deep breath and felt relief that he was back up but he knew he still had to catch up to the best of them all. Rainbow Dash.

"Hey guys, look! The black superspeed submarine has finally surfaced." Pinkie joked. 

"Oh ha ha, a whole lot of talk for a walking piece of cotton candy!" Fury shot back, eliciting an 'Oooooh!' from the crowd.

"Wait, I'm cotton candy?!" She took a bite of her tail. 'Huh, I guess I am."

"Wait what?" Fury asked himself. "Never mind her! I gotta catch up to Rainbow!"

Fury went quickly to catch up with her. He did a usual doggy paddle across the surface, which actually was a lot easier now that he was bigger and having worked out more. Ponies cheered for him as he splashed along the surface, some giving him the occasional high hoof to congratulate him on his position. Even Luna gave him a few small but affectionate ear scratches as he swam by.

"Triumph over thine foe, lightning bug." She whispered to him.

"I'll knock 'em right outta the water." Fury smiled.

Meanwhile Rainbow was quite satisfied with her progress. She was getting close to the finish line albeit with a few obstacles. She took a glance behind her and saw a green hue under the water, most likely Spike and Night Fury on the surface paddling towards her.

"Not bad. I didn't expect those two to get so far. But it'll take a lot more to catch up to me!" Rainbow said before she swam even harder.

Spike finally came up for air, popping up next to the black feline.

"I will win this for my lady!" Spike said.

After their brief relief they both swam as quickly as possible to pass up Rainbow Dash. Fury was starting to get tired as he slowed down, trying to think of a way to keep up the pace. Then, he got an idea.

Wait, I've been using just four of my appendages all this time. I have a fifth that can boost me to victory just as easily as transforming would.

Fury thought to himself as he looked at his tail and began to spin it around, quickly stirring up the water and using it as a propeller.

"Woo hoo!" Fury called out as he got closer to the purple dragon ahead of him.

"What was tha-" 

Splash!

After Spike recovered, his jaw dropped at the sight of Fury accelerating at a high speed to his target like an airboat.

"That was awesome! I mean… I gotta speed up!" 

Meanwhile for Fury, he was closing in on his foe. He slowed down a bit to give her a few words.

"Hey Rainbow, feeling lonely yet? Need someone to talk to?" He asked, spooking the blue pegasus as she got a clear look at his new strategy.

"You're using your tail as a propeller?! I swear, you're crazier than Pinkie sometimes."

"I take that as a compliment." Fury said, smirking with a certain cheekiness.

"Well it doesn't matter because now it's time for the final obstacle course!"

This time there are some hoops above the water along with some cannon balls (non-hazardous, of course) that will disqualify those who touch them.

"Woah. Jumping through hoops while dodging cannonballs?! Talk about a major jump in difficulty!" Fury said, but he wore a confident face. "No matter, I can adapt to the challenge ahead. Just watch and learn!"

He dove under the water and disappeared from sight for a moment, leaving some suspense as he sat underneath the surface. Using his tail, he sped up the spinning and used the extra propulsion to leap clear out of the water and through the first hoop.

"Take that! Next one!"

He is about to do the same action again but he heard something first. 

"Take cover!" Shining cried out from the crowd.

Fury dodged the cannons above the water but he also had to avoid the imitation mines that were attracted to his energy.

"Gee, how great! Whatever, just wait for a pattern to show up…"

Fury saw the cannonfire go in a certain pattern.

Just as soon as a cannon was shot he jumped into the next hoop.

"I'm almost there! Looks like I'm catching up to Rainbow. I just have to finish this last stupid ring. I'm sure it's nothing worse than the last one."

But he was wrong. It turned out he saw a fin. 

"No… are you serious?!"

"Don't worry, it's just a dolphin. But if it touches you, you lose!" Twilight explained.

"I'm so relieved!" Fury said sarcastically, swimming frantically from the dolphin. The playful porpoise didn't see his fear as anything to be concerned about, it just wanted to play. As Fury reached the final hoop, the dolphin behind him made a few clicks of excitement in regards to finally getting to play with a new friend. But that wasn't the case.

"Okay Fury, just dive down and jump." He said to himself, taking one final deep breath. "Let's do this!"

"One… Two… THREE!" Fury said, just narrowly avoiding the playful but dreaded sea creature. He accidentally bumped into the part of the hoop but he got his body and he was free.

"How are you doing now, Rainbow!?"

"Grrrrr!"

Fury's jump allowed him to catch up to her. And eventually surpass her. He kept on swimming pretending he was a torpedo, like in those war comics Spike read. Going as quickly as possible. And…

"We have a winner!" Twilight announced. "Congratulations Night Fury of Thunder Hollow!"

Fury leapt out of the water and landed on solid ground while dripping with water, finally feeling better about his ability to swim as the crowd cheered him on.

"Nicely done, Fury! You managed to beat Rainbow Dash out." Twilight said.

"Twilight is right. You managed to get over your conflicted feelings about swimming and come out on top. I'm so proud of you sweetie!" Black Ice said.

"I must agree with your mother, Lightning Bug. You truly improved as time went on. You should be proud." Luna added.

"And I am proud, Luna. This was what I really needed to get my bearings, just a little friendly competition! And now, I get to do the best part." Fury said, a mischievous smile on his face.

"And what's that?" Cadence popped in. Fury took a large breath, standing tall on his paws before he let loose and rapidly shook all of the water off of him and onto everyone else.

"Ahhhh! Fury!" Twilight said

"My dress… ruined!" screamed Rarity.

"So cold!" Fluttershy shivered

"Hey look, I look like a wet llama now!" Pinkie said, giggling.

All of those around were wet, dripping with water that had come off the now dry Speed Shifter. It turned out that Speed Shifter fur retains a lot of water. Even so, he did not feel bad in the slightest as he laughed his heart out.

"Hahhahahahahaha! Nothing like the classic wet dog shake off!" Fury laughed.

"Ya know I train Winona NOT to do that around ponies." Applejack said, a bit annoyed that her new hat got wet.

"Well I'm not Winona, cowpoke! I'm Night Fury, a dry and now amused Speed Shifter." Fury said while he started moonwalking in style.

"You've been hit by… you got soaked by… A Smooth Criminal!" Fury said while laughing.

Meanwhile the others got out.

"Well I gotta admit you did pretty great." Rainbow said. "I gotta try that technique sometime."

"It's not easy but you'll get the hang of it."

Then Spike came. "Well I didn't win, but at least I got closer than I thought! Sorry, you two!" He said to Vinyl who had a blank expression and Roseluck who was crying at her failure as usual.

"So can we go with the presents now?!" Fury said. Pinkie practically activated like a party robot and leapt into action at the sound of presents.

"Of course, a birthday party isn't a birthday party without presents! Come on!" Pinkie said, leading Fury and the others over to the massive stock of presents. Fury was amazed at the mountain of presents that sat before him, ponies from all over town must have brought him something.

"Behold, we bring gifts! Go forth and open them!" Pinkie said.

"Oh boy! These are big boxes!" Fury said, having never seen such large boxes before. He took a look at the first one and read the tag. 

"To Fury, from Rainbow Dash. I'm expecting something awesome from this one, RD!" He took out his claws and jumped to slash the wrappers and box. And what it revealed blew his mind.

"By the emperor's claws…"

He saw a black vehicle with red stripes in the form of flames. It had four huge exhaust ports and even those looked cool. It looks less bulky and more slick. Not the most durable perhaps but probably one of the fastest. The wheels also looked cool, colored a hot red with white writing on the tires.

"What… in the world… am I looking at?" Fury said with shock.

"Let a fellow speed junkie explain." Rainbow said. "This is what we ponies call a kart. You sit in the front and you drive quickly in it! Woosh!" 

"Woah, cool! But, one question… what's this giant silver thing in the back? And what are those tubes?" Fury asked. 

"That is an engine. It turns liquid called fuel into motion. And all that gas comes out these exhaust pipes. Imagine a carriage but quick and actually cool! You can actually race others in these and paint them to look like your style! Not to mention you can modify it to your liking by purchasing different parts from certain shops. And we figured this style works for you. So you understand now?" Twilight asked.

"You guys are amazing! I love it!" Fury said as he hopped into the driver's seat. "So, how does this thing actually work?"

"Let me show you how to work this baby." Rainbow said, standing next to him and his new ride. "That's the steering wheel, that's so you can turn left and right. And you see those two pedals on the floor? The one on the left is the brake and the one on the right is the throttle."

Fury looked down to where his paws were sitting and noticed the two pedals. But he also noticed a third that protruded out next to the brake. 

"Hey, what's that one?" Fury asked.

"Oh, that's just the dead pedal. You just rest your paw on it whenever you're not using the brake so you don't leave pressure on it and wear the brakes out." Rainbow explained.

"Now, you can see a few switches down there. That one controls the headlights…" She said, pointing to a switch with a lightbulb on it.

"That's the transfer switch. That allows you to switch between two wheel power and four wheel power…" She then pointed to a switch with labels that said '2WD' and '4WD'.

"Woah! So it's like if I only used two legs and switched to four legs for more power and traction?" He asked.

"You bet! And to top it all off, that's the starter button that fires the engine up and switches the electric power on that'll light up those gauges. Those tell you how high the engine is revving, how fast you're going, the engine temperature and how much fuel you have. And the headlights will pop up."

"Wow, that's a lot to keep track of." Fury said, a little nervous with the new information.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it as you learn about it. But enough of me sounding like Twilight…"

"Hey!" The purple alicorn called out.

"Just press that button and fire her up!"

Fury nodded, excited at this device. "Here we go!"

Boop.

The engine started and rumbled with power, the gauges lighting up just like the blue pegasus said. Fury tensed up at first, but he got used to the feeling.

"So that's what it's like. It's like riding a Cragodile but less dangerous." Fury said. "Okay, next step. How exactly do I get it moving?"

"So, luckily since you're a beginner, this cart uses an automatic transmission. So all you have to do is hold down the brake and push that D button, which is Drive. If you need to stop, press down on the break like your life depended on it. And if you want to keep the thing in place after you're done riding it, press the P button to put it in Park. That'll automatically lock the wheels up so it won't move." Twilight explained.

"Okay, good to know. But what's that N button for?" Fury asked.

"That's Neutral. That disengages the connection between the engine and the driveshaft and allows you to move the kart freely of its power source. But you'll only need it if you run out of fuel and need to get it somewhere that has some or need to move it around without the engine." 

"I dont think I'll be that desperate." Fury said. "I'll keep my fuel about me. And what is this R? Is this Run as in go very fast?"

Twilight let out a giggle at that. "No, that's the Reverse button. That switches the direction of the driveshaft and allows the cart to move backwards, although the speed in that gear has been limited with magic. Us ponies learned that the hard way when we made the first few generations of these carts." 

"Okay, I think I'm ready to get this baby moving!" Fury said. He proceeded to press the brake and push the D button, hearing the audible click of the gearbox shifting gears.

"Now Fury, this is your first time operating a kart like this, let alone of this power. So I recommend you ease up on the gas and take a few slow laps around town ha-" Before Twilight could finish, Fury floored the gas and pushed the engine to redline while kicking up dust. The black Speed Shifter disappeared from sight and left the party with just the sound of the four stroke engine revving high as it got further away.

"Uh… I think you lost him when you said 'Slow'." Rainbow Dash said.

"Thank you for your input, Rainbow." Twilight said. "Well, now that he's taken his new kart for a joyride, we might as well get a view on where he is before something bad happens."

Twilight lit her horn and projected a screen that immediately locked onto Fury's position, which happened to be him racing through the town at high speed with his new set of wheels. She also piped the sound through the screen and all of them got the sounds of a four stroke engine revving at high and the gears shifting smoothly.

"Well, at least he's driving on the large main streets. So far he seems to be safe." Twilight said with relief.

"He also seems to be on an adrenaline rush, look at his face." Rarity piped up. Fury's face was wide eyed, the veins and in his paws visible as he gripped the steering wheel for dear life while flooring the gas.

"Hey, that's how I look when I have a bunch of candy!" Pinkie said.

"Do you think he's scared?" Fluttershy wondered aloud.

"I believe he is having a moment of pure shock." Celestia spoke up. "This is the first time he has ever gone this fast while in the open air that wasn't under his own power. He's currently in a state of shock that this machine made by us could be nearly as fast as him, his body working autonomously of his mind to keep him from crashing as the adrenaline clouds his judgment and temporarily blinds him from the outside world as everything he's ever known is rewritten an twisted into a new reality."

"Very poetic, dear sister of mine." Luna said with some worry. "I hope Fury will be safe."

"And we'd better make sure of that! Those of us who can fly should follow after him, ready to catch him if he goes out of control." Twilight said. "Come on! Let's go!"

Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Cadence and the Royal Sisters flew to his approximate location and also by hearing the noises of the kart and excitement. As they closed in on his location, they saw that he was getting close to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Oh my… I hope he won't crash." Fluttershy said with worry.

Fury, on the other hoof, was completely oblivious to the fact that he had an aerial escort behind him. He just gripped the wheel and drove. He took notice of the more muddy trails that lead through the orchard and decided that he would need more traction.

Okay, time to see if that transfer switch really works.

He looked down at the dash and flipped the switch. In an instant, he felt the force of the engine switch from the rear wheels to all four. The kart jerked a bit as the power was sent to all four wheels, but Night Fury kept it under control.

"Looks like he flipped the transfer switch. He's going for the trails between the trees." Rainbow Dash said, guiding everyone else down to around his level as he rode through at a decent speed.

They saw Fury drive down the rough dirt road, the suspension getting quite the workout on the rougher terrain. Fury seemed to have let up on the gas a little, casually cruising through the orchard with one paw on the wheel and the other hanging off the side as he rolled through the muddy trails at a comfortable pace.

"Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this. This isn't so bad. Nice sun, nice seat and nice wind." Fury took a deep whiff of the air through his nose. "Ah, gotta admit them their apple trees really take the cake! Yee haw!" Fury said, imitating Applejack.

"That was a terrible accent, thank goodness Applejack didn't see it." Cadence said.

"Whatever the case, he seems to be under control." Twilight said, sounding confident.

Those words would cause karma to strike prematurely as Fury noticed a small red button on the side of the steering wheel.

"Huh, what does this button do?" Fury asked. Rainbow Dash instantly recognized the button from the air and panicked.

"Uh oh…"

"Uh oh what?" Twilight asked. The blue pegasus was wide eyed and silent for a moment before saying…

"I forgot to tell him about the turbo boost." That statement got the attention of all that were flying around her. Especially Twilight, who immediately started panicking.

"Are you kidding me, Rainbow?!" Twilight called out. 

"Hey, don't get on my case! It was your design specifications that you gave to the shop we got it from!" Rainbow Dash defended herself. Just as the purple alicorn was about to make a move, Fury decided to finally find out what that mysterious button did.

"Well, here goes nothing." He said. He pressed the button and heard a loud hiss from under the floor. 

"Huh, maybe that was just an extra exhaust pipe. But what kind of kart would have a button operated exhaust-" Just as he finished speaking, the engine of his kart went crazy. Revving higher than ever as four sets of flames shot out of the exhaust pipes and his kart took off.

"Whoaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

"We can talk about whose fault it was later, we need to chase him down!" Luna said.

"Right!" Rainbow and Twilight said as they followed Fury.

Fury ripped through the orchard at high speed, the wind holding him back in his seat as he accelerated. Despite all of the chaos that came from the turbo boost, he remained calm and controlled his emotions.

Okay Fury, you're doing good. Just keep your cool and control the kart.

The small boost soon dissipated and the flames disappeared as he kept the wheels straight and the gas floored. He noticed a turn up ahead of him and had to act fast if he wanted to keep himself going. Using his strength, he yanked the steering wheel to one side. The kart turned sideways as it skidded along the path, dirt and mud flying from under the wheels. As he got close to the turn, he pumped the gas and got the kart to drift around the turn in the exact same manner as he would have if he was running.

Wow, that was a little too close. And yet… I feel thrilled! I feel alive! For being a vehicle, I feel like this vehicle is an extension of me.

Fury was amazed at what glorious ride he had, it was one thing to run like he had since his childhood. He was used to that. But having to learn how to drive this vehicle and keep it under control was like learning how to walk, run and speed shift all over again.

Just then, his ears flicked back. He was picking up the sound of flapping wings, but they weren't from a bird. With the sound of heavier force and gusts of wind that he could feel above him, he could tell it wasn't a something… but a someone, multiple someones in fact.

"Twilight, Rainbow, I can hear you guys above me. And don't think I can't hear you too, Moonpie. Oh and the other two." He said with Cadence unamused at his dismissal of herself.

"Is that so? Well we heard you go several miles per hour while going into Sweet Apple Acres!!! Did you not hear me when I said take it slow?!" Twilight asked him.

"I don't do slow, brainiac! Speed is everything! And I'm especially not slowing down for a nerd who can't keep up!"

Before Twilight said anything else, Cadence intervened.

"Okay, that's enough you two. Listen, what matters is that Fury is alright."

"But Cadence-"

"Although I will say, Fury, you could have at least tried to understand the vehicle before driving it that fast. Did you think you knew the vehicle?" Cadence added.

Fury was quiet at first. But then he spoke.

"Yeah. Yeah I did."

"But you never even rode it before." Fluttershy said.

"No but I know what going fast is like. You see, ever since I was a cub, I knew there was a joy to running. I wasn't great at it at first, but I loved it and got better and better. And while I'm riding instead of running, it's the same concept. After all, like a kart, I know I have to slow down to make a turn." Fury explained.

"Heh, sounds like me." Rainbow said. "You just know it. Know the thrill."

"Yeah, that is true. Though I gotta say I'm sorry, Twilight for my attitude. I was a little jumpy from all the riding. I won't be that crazy next time. Just a little." Fury said with a chuckle.

The others looked with amazement. Even Twilight was fascinated at his mindset. What is it about these Speed Shifters?

"Well I guess as long as you're safe. Just make sure you learn your lesson. Let's get going." Twilight said, wanting to save questions about Speed Shifter psychology for later.

They rode through Sweet Apple Acres and eventually returned to the party, Night Fury following behind the group as he skidded to a stop next to the rest of his presents.

"So, what other secret treasures do we have here?" Fury asked as he unsheathed his claws and looked for his next gift. "To Night Fury, from Cadence. Oooh, this should be good."

He slashed the wrapping, opened the box and the gift turned out to be…

"Whoa! Is this a statue of the Emperor fighting a Windigo?!" He said, impressed at the dynamic pose of the blue crystal sculpture. "And it's made of crystals?!"

"The best sapphire in the Crystal Empire." Cadence said. "These are quite rare and would normally be used for royal buildings. But for you, we figured you were worth it."

"I Love it! I'm gonna put this in the backyard when I get the chance." Fury said excitedly. "Okay, on to the next one."

He then noticed a very strangely shaped present with all types of colors. Unlike the straightforward sculpture, this gift was crooked and misshapen almost as if a newborn made it. He was confused as to how such a misshapen thing could exist, at least until he saw who it was from.

"Huh, no wonder this one is so weirdly shaped, it's from Discord." Fury said. "Speaking of which, where is that giant floating lizard?"

Then he felt the ground beneath him shake. All of a sudden, a large candy cane rose up from the ground like a huge column. Then the curved end turned around and revealed a familiar face.

"Oh, were you looking for little old me? How wholesome!" Discord said with fake tears.

Fury held on until it stopped growing and looked down to see that he was a good couple of feet off the ground before confronting the chaos god.

"Yeah, yeah, real creative, snake head. What took you so long to show up?" Fury asked as he slid down to the ground.

The draconequus turned back to normal and answered. "Oh you know, just some chores. Had to teach a certain waiter from a fancy restaurant about how to have good manners. And he just kicked me out. I just wanted to improve the architecture. No one appreciates the beauty of banana columns" Discord said with sadness.

"Oh you poor persecuted visionary. What would the world do without your genius?" Fury said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, let's just see what your crazy butt got me." Fury said as he tore open the weird gift. The wrapping seemed to disintegrate as soon as he touched it, progressively getting thinner and thinner until a small red metal glove with what looked like a stone inside was revealed.

"What's this?" Fury asked, picking it up.

"That, my furry friend, is a Warp Topaz. I made it myself. Just a fun thing to wear. Not too impressive. Just nice to show off to your friends." Discord said with a cheeky grin.

"Cut the modesty, Discord. I know you never give this to me just to wear it like an earring. What does this thing actually do?" 

Discord chuckled. "Let's just say… it'll take you places."

"Okay, care to elaborate?"

"Where's the fun in that? Instead of me spoiling the surprise, how about you use it yourself? Just focus on a special place you've visited before." Discord said. Fury wanted an explanation, but decided to just wing it. Even if he didn't want to admit it to Discord, he did find the unexpected more fun.

He put the glove on his right paw and realized it was a perfect fit, no loose ends anywhere. He held it out and focused on a place to go, The Crystal Empire being his location of choice. The Warp Topaz began to glow red, coating the glove with his energy as he held his paw up, created an energy ball and threw it out.

Once at a good enough distance, the ball of energy burst open in the middle of the crowd that formed a portal that no doubt led to the Crystal Empire. At that moment, Fury realized what he had been given.

"Sweet mother of Equestria… This thing creates portals to wherever I can think of." Fury said in shock.

"Impressive. Is it not?" Discord said in tourist clothing. "I can show you the world, shining, shimmering, splendid!"

"Wait, so this makes it so I can teleport anywhere?'" Fury said.

"Just like a unicorn. You might find it quite handy. But there are a few rules, a few provisos, ya know?" He said looking like a lawyer. "You can only teleport to places you already know and have been to. Also you can only use it once per day." Discord explained. "And also it has a tendency sometimes to… unexpected places near where you envision. Always close but never exactly where you think it will."

"Well let's fix that, shall we?" Fury said. He gripped the Topaz with his other paw and ripped it out of its holding. Using his energy, he held the jewel tightly and lit it up. Electricity sparked and red light flooded the crowd's eyes as he modified the Warp Topaz. 

Once done, he placed it back where it belonged, sporting a brand new permanent red color instead of the previous orange.

"There. I broke the teleportation limit and changed its magical signature to not only be directly linked to my memories so I don't have to focus as hard on the location, I also completely eliminated the randomizer that your magic produced to increase the accuracy. You see, Twilight isn't the only one who has a way with energy." Fury said with a smug grin.

"And just so you know, the emperor sends his regards."

"But, but, but, but…" Discord stammered, completely baffled by the power exhibited by him. "Gah, you tricky little cheater. You've got no respect for ways of chaos."

Fury just laughed at him.

"Do you even comprehend who you are standing in front of? I represent the chaos of lightning! No rules… no set path… no limit to my potential. I am what lies between life and death, calm and crazy, the known and the unknown. I am Night Fury, All Powerful Speed Shifter, one of the living gods that stand on your society besides the rulers that care for all life as we know it. Nothing is out of my reach… not even the God of Chaos."

Discord looked away. "Hmph, whatever. I have others that are more fun to play with then you! Enjoy your gifts, Mr. Chaotic! I'll go to my dimension where things are more fun!" He said as he snapped out of normal existence. Fury just chuckled and looked at the crowd.

"You see, everypony? He's just jealous that I've bested him in what he's held to his title for eons… Asserting Dominance. I know how you all see me. A saint that will guide Equestria to a bright future, one of a very limited few that hold powers that resemble something close or even better than the goddesses that rule this land and others beyond with grace and poise. I've even heard some of you see me as a living god just like them. Well let's set the bar here. I may not see myself the same way that some of you do, but I know how and why."

"You all think of me as one of the few in the world that holds a modest tone towards others in regards to status and power. And you are right in some ways, for I'm not one to put myself above others, I prefer to be casual. However I will always stand up for myself and others whether they like it or not. If someone has some stupid rules, I'm not letting it pass. Even with the chief at my village, I didn't hesitate to say if he made a stupid decision. My All Powerful status is not to denigrate others, but to protect others. Oh, and to party like crazy with folks!" Fury said.

The crowd was almost teary eyed at the beautiful speech from the feline. All except Pinkie Pie and Rarity who were rightfully balling their eyes out at his beautiful words. He stood tall as his words sank in, all clearly inspired by his dedication to his cause.

"It looks like I struck a chord. Maybe I'm better at this speech than I thought. Okay, enough sappiness! Let's get on with the party folks!" Fury yelled out. 

The mood changed to jovial again. They all cheered.

"Yeah!!!!"

Over the next few hours, the party raged on. Music blasted through the subwoofers of DJ Pon3, presents were ripped apart and revealed to hold great treasures, ponies laughed and played like there was no tomorrow. But most of all, Fury was at his peak when it came to his ever changing life.

Now, more than ever, was the point of no return. The one thing that sealed the deal, the only thing that would bring the best of the best emotions out of any creature to exist. The Happy Birthday song. Ponies gathered around the main table where Fury stood at the head, ready to hear the sweet sound of friends and family singing happy birthday along with finally receiving his special birthday cake. There was even an orchestra out here including Octavia.

"And now may I have your attention?!" Pinkie proclaimed. "Let's give our buddy a treat for the ears!"

Everypony became silent for a moment. Fury wondered exotic pony tradition these guests had in mind for him.

First the trumpets began to play, followed by the flutes, bass drums, tubas, and cymbals. And then came singing. 



🎶Happy Birthday to you!🎶

🎶Happy Birthday to you!🎶

🎶Happy Birthday, dear Night Fury!🎶

🎶Happy Birthday to… You!!!🎶

Then a large table with wheels rolled quickly to the surprised Speed Shifter. Removing the tarp on top revealed a huge white cake with an assortment of rainbow colored dollops of icing, small figurines of him, his friends and the princesses decorated each layer of the cake.

"Woah! Talk about huge!" Fury said, amazed by the giant cake.

"Blow out the candles!" Pinkie cried out.

"Wait what?"

"Hurry, just do it!"

He blew them quickly, thinking it was an emergency. But it turned out everyone was cheering instead. He figured it was another of those exotic pony customs.

"Happy Birthday, Fury!" Pinkie said. "Now your patience has been rewarded. So eat up!"

Fury was now witnessing the beautiful delicious cake. He had people sing him a great song. He had great gifts. And all that was left was for him to dig in.

Fury smiled. "With pleasure, Pinkie." 

He grabbed the biggest slice he could grab and took a bite. Within seconds, his world lit up with different flavors, textures and emotions that felt amazing.

"Mmmm! This is delicious! You guys have got to try this! Come on and have a bite!" Fury said. "And limit yourself, sunbutt!"

Everyone came in to eat and all had a delectable experience. But not Rarity and Cadence.

"What's the matter, you two? Cakephobia?" Fury joked.

"No it's just we are on a diet. And we will abstain from today." Rarity explained.

"Yeah, maybe we'll eat cake another day." Cadence added.

Fury shook his head. "Ugh, you two are such prudes! Come on, you can't really be that worried about showing a little pudge? I mean, look at me, I don't exactly have the tightest body myself but I don't mind." Fury said, picking up two slices of his cake. 

"Besides, it's a festive occasion! Of course you're gonna eat sweets! It's just wrong to deny yourself a good time because of your body image. Now, take these slices of cake and enjoy yourselves, ladies."

"Eh, we'll think about i-" Cadence said.

"Too late!" Fury threw the two slices at their mouths. At first shocked, they started to like the cake.

"The texture, the flavor. It is so utterly divine!" Rarity said as she gulped down (elegantly) the slice of cake. "I must have more!"  Rarity said, running to the cake. 

"Eh, I guess I can have some sugar fun today." She said, also eating cake.

"Now that's what I'm talking about." Fury said. He then heard hoofsteps behind him and immediately changed directions to get in front of a certain solar goddess who was getting a bit too close to his cake.

"Nice try, sunbutt. But my ears are too powerful to let your cake addicted gullet slide past me. You already had more cake than five ponies combined." Fury chuckled.

"Do not underestimate me, young one. This cake is delicious and I am not willing to leave until I have become satisfied. Move away so I may consume it." Celestia said with an authoritative voice.

"Yeah, I don't think so. Sweetheart… " Fury cried out.

"My apologies, sister. But I must stop you." Then all of a sudden, Luna appeared, pouncing on her sister and holding her in a chokehold.

"Luna, if you know what is good for you, let me go!" Celestia said, desperately eyeing the cake.

"What is good for me is making sure my lover has some cake to spare by the end of the day. Your stomach has no power over my actions." Luna stated.

"Thanks for the assist, sweetie." Fury said, kissing her on the cheek as Celestia was struggling to get loose.

Fury then saw Twilight enjoying herself when he walked over.

"Well well well, if it isn't the egghead finally letting loose for once. Perhaps I should tell the scientists in Canterlot to preserve this version of you, we most likely won't see this for eons." He joked.

Twilight rolled her eyes yet chuckled. "Well, even someone as high strung as myself can enjoy a party. I must say this was quite fun. And even a bit educational for me."

"Really? You sure those brain waves of yours weren't scrambled in the chaos of my birthday? You could be a zombie! OoOoOoOo…"

"Really funny. I'm sure Spike would love those jokes too." Twilight said annoyed. "But seriously, I've learned more about how Speed Shifters are attached to speed and the world beyond. Our scientists have struggled to understand the strange energies that drive the magic of our world. And you are in tune. You are fascinating."

Fury chuckled. "I guess that explains why those yaks want info about us Shifters. We aren't exactly normal creatures. And believe it or not I'm still learning too. Even me unrandomizing Discords gizmo, I didn't know about its energy but I felt and knew what to do like that chaotic energy was talking to me."

"I see." Twilight said. "After today, do you think you'll be ready to face the yaks and learn more of these mysterious ice Speed Shifters?"

"I guess so. But there is one thing that I've always wondered about… can ponies be just as ticklish as I am?" Fury said with a mischievous smile.

Twilight's jaw dropped. "We were just having a serious conversation about your people!"

"And we still are! I honestly had that question for a long time!"

"You're something else." Twilight said, shaking her head. "Well I'm sure someone like Pinkie can answer that question."

"The problem is she's having fun with the other guests. But you're close by and having nothing to do. So how about I help you with that?" 

"Oh shoot." Twilight tried to fly away but Fury pounced on her before she did so.

"No! Let me go!" She cried.

"Ah I see you have a little bit of a pudge in that belly. Must be all the hayburgers. Maybe I'll help you with that problem." Fury said as he got his paws out and tickled her stomach.

"Ah ha ha ha ha! I thought being an alicorn would make me immune from this stuff! Ha ha ha ha!"

"No one can resist a good tickle, not even a goddess. I've overpowered you and I have the ultimate control, nothing can stop me now!"

"Oh yeah? What about power in numbers? You do realize that I'm not the only one who knows your weakness, right?"

Fury looked nervous. "Heh, heh, you're just bluffing. I have no weak spots."

"Oh really? Then what if I did this!" She said using her magic to tickle his underside.

"Whoa whoa wa ha ha ha  ha! Stop it!"

"Now who is the ticklemaster, All Powerful!? ha ha!" 

Fury and Twilight were both laughing and being tickled. The question was who would let up first.

"Come on Twi, you're just one pony. Regardless of your alicorn power, nopony can just go at it alone."

"Then what if someone else comes along?" said a voice behind them that made him freeze up.

"Cadence!" 

"Uh oh." Fury said.

"So you thought you could be your boastful self without some consequences? Well, Fury, are you ready to face two opponents because here I come!" Cadence jumped at Fury.

"No no no no no, get away!" 

slam!

Cadence proceeded to tickle him at his weak points.

"Curses! Foiled again!"

"Well, ambassador, do you yield? Or must I tickle you even more?"

Fury was in an uproar.

"Ah ha ha ha! Okay okay you win! Just let me go, you two! Ah ha ha!"

Cadence and Twilight had a look of satisfaction and finally released him. Fury sat up and caught his breath, letting his body catch up. But instead of accepting defeat, he held his head up and revealed one of his eyes was lit up.

"I'm not going d-down that e-e-easily. An entity s-such as myself doesn't back down." He said, his voice glitching like a broken robot.

"Well Twilight, looks like we've got a boss battle to get through." Cadence said.

"Okay, let's do this!" Twilight added. But before they could get to the boss fight, another entity stepped in.

"I doubt that will be necessary." Said Luna, sitting next to Fury. "I can get him to repent."

She reached out and grabbed him, pulling him in and getting eye to eye with him. And with one fell swoop, she unleashed her own attack. A rapid fire kissing barrage.

"Ah no, not the kisses! I can't win with all this affection!" Fury said.

Cadence had a smile of pride. "Yes, it looks like my secret advice to Luna worked. No stallion can resist the secret Kissing Barrage technique! Just ask Shining."

"True, but let's not get distracted. Let's get revenge on him!" Twilight said with Cadence agreeing.

These two went in for the offensive, practically jumping on him and hugging him tightly. The mix of his girlfriend's affectionate kisses and his friends' hugs was too much for him, his face went red and he was left defenseless to their attacks.

"Ha ha! This was supposed to be my comeback! Ha ha ha!" He wanted to get up but his body was telling him to submit to the goddess of the night's affection.

"Well, my Lightning Bug, do you wish to surrender or face further humiliation? It is your choice, my dear. Perhaps I should kiss your little toes too…"

"Not there, that's so sensitive!" He said while laughing out loud. 

"You asked for it, brave soul." She barraged his toes with kisses. Even just the littlest kiss made him tingly. And he could not contain his laughter.

"What if I used my magic to enhance the sensation? Get ready for a rapid fire volley of kiss-"

"Okay okay, I surrender! I can't take it anymore!"

Luna understood his grievances and stopped her barrage, Cadence and Twilight releasing their grip. Luna then just held him close to her as he calmed down and stopped laughing.

"Hmph! Why do I always have to get teased?" Fury huffed, puffing his cheeks out in embarrassment and frustration.

"Well Fury, if you started a battle, just expect the other opponent to see it to the end." Cadence said. "In this case your end."

Fury grumbled in defeat as he saw Cadence and Twilight's smug victory faces. 

Luna however, did not let this slide. "Now now, no grumpy faces will be present when I'm around. Especially on your birthday."

Luna said, giving him a peck on the cheek, far milder than what she was giving Fury a few seconds ago.

Fury's face immediately lit up. "With you, Moonpie? How can I?" He said, giving her a kiss.

Fury then laughed hard. "But you know what I still kinda won."

Twilight was confused. "But you just surrendered."

Fury smirked. "My test was to see if you were ticklish as I am. And my hypothesis was correct, so I still won. Maybe not bonus points but still a victory." Fury said, sticking his tongue out.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Fury, are you ever going to stop being so childish?"

"Nope, I plan on keeping my youth as long as I can. Unlike marshmallow butt and her wine aged mother."

Cadence chuckled. "I see that respecting your elders is not something you will have either."

Fury smiled. "Hey, I respect them plenty. I just make sure no one thinks they're too high up to be my prey."

Twilight shook her head but still smiled. "You know what, Fury? You might be childish and fairly annoying. But I would never have so much fun without you. I hope you never change. Well at least not too much."

"Glad to hear it. Just be ready when I decide to go all out for revenge, bookworm." Fury said with a sinister smile. But Fury's expression changed.

"Now do we have a party or not?! Let's get back right in there!" Fury said.

"I just hope Celestia didn't eat all the cake." Cadence said.

"Oh don't worry, I've got it covered." Fury said, rubbing two of his toes together to create some energy before flicking it backwards. The small spark surprisingly managed to hit Celestia, who was just about to make another heist attempt, right in the flank and make her whinny in shock (No pun intended).

"Gahhhh! Come on, just one more bite or maybe two…" Celestia said, trying to reach for more.

"No! Bad Tia, bad!" Luna said while taking away her last slice.

"Sorry, Princess Celestia, but you have to moderate yourself and allow others to have the rest." Twilight said.

"And Twily calls me immature. At least I know how to share." Fury said with a laugh.

Cadence and Luna had a good laugh with that. Even Twilight suppressed a small chuckle.

"You will rue the day you denied me my cake, Night Fury! You will rue it!" Celestia declared, but Fury just brushed it off.

"Yeah yeah, keep making excuses. Now do all of us a favor and keep yourself from packing more plump on your rump, sweetheart." Fury said.

Before the furious princess could make a retort, everypony heard a microphone ping. They looked to see Pinkie with a loud speaker.

"Alright everyone, we've had our sweets. But you know what's even sweeter than the sweetest sweets? A friendly or romantic dance! So grab your partners and get ready to boogie! Especially you, birthday boy, you're gonna be moonwalking with the moon princess!"

Fury was not expecting this. And yet his heart was thrilled. A dance with his fillyfriend.

His parents seemed to be excited for sure.

"You go for it, tiger!" Obsidian said.

"Remember the dance moves I taught you!" Black Ice added.

Fury was more confident than ever.

"Well, my lady, shall we?"

Luna bowed. "With pleasure, my handsome runner of the night."

The energetic music stopped and was replaced with some romantic tunes. Everyone grabbed their partners and made their way to the dance floor for a little tango, Luna and Fury being among them. They got up on their hind legs and began to swing, going back and forth with the rest of the crowd to the sweet music being played.

"This has to be the best day I've ever lived. Nothing could ever compare to how I'm feeling right now. Well, at least anything but the first time I laid eyes on you." Fury said, his voice soft and low

Luna smiled. "Oh, you charmer. I remember when we went to sneak a slice of Cadence's cake like we were children. And even after several months, you're still that mischievous speed shifter I grew to love. I hope you will be with me forever."

"As if there was any other pony that could match the beauty of the one dancing with me right now." Fury hummed. He looked over to the edge of the dance floor and saw Celestia by herself, just idly swaying to the music with no partner. Fury decided to make her day and give her a chance.

"Hey, looks like the sun needs a little boost. You don't mind if I go over the horizon, do you?" Fury asked. Luna looked over and saw her lonely sister on the sidelines.

"Go ahead. But don't get too comfortable, I'm still your lover." She chuckled. Fury smiled as he let her go and went over to the sun goddess.

Celestia smiled. "You owe me another cake tomorrow."

Fury rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, I will. Gee, I never knew the goddess of the sun could be such a glutton. Especially since you basically have no pudge on your underside."

Celestia wanted to make a comeback but decided since he would give her what she wanted, she simply did her task.

As the sun got smaller, shadow enveloped the whole of the dance floor. All of a sudden, glowbugs flew and lit up the scene. He had to thank Fluttershy for that later.

Fury then proceeded to treat Celestia to his best dancing, giving her the occasional twirl and leaning catch as they went about their way.

"Giving me a little entertainment?" Celestia asked.

"Hey, you're the one who did this cool moon trick. I think you earned a bit." Fury said.

"Ahem. Are you done, Fury?" Luna asked a little unamused.

"Oh dear…" Fury squeaked, daring not to face the one who was casting a shadow over him under the moonlight.

"You're mine!" She said, giving him a deep kiss. "Do you understand me?"

Fury smiled. "You fell right for my trap sweetheart." And then he kissed her right back.

"Oh bother and drat, I wanted my dance as well!" Celestia whined.

"Well, he's my mate! So go get your own, you loner." Luna huffed.

"Ladies ladies! Let's settle this like adults. Well, an adult and two multi-millenia old rulers. I think I can get you both what you want." Fury said. He took a few steps back and focused on his energy, glowing a hot red as he projected something off of his body. That thing being a holographic double of himself.

"Hey, hologram me, you think you can take one while I dance with the other?" He asked.

"You got it, Fury!" Said the hologram.

"Thanks, Fury!" Replied the original, hi-fiving the other.

The two Royals Sisters were both confused. But before they could say anything, the two felines came to them.

"Shall I, Moon Pie?" Asked the original.

"You ready to get it going, Tia?" Said the hologram.

The two looked at each other. Then shrugged their shoulders. 

"Why not?" They both said, accepting the strange fellow they were dancing with.

And so the two pairs danced on. A true day of joy. 

Everypony and Fury knew they were going to be dealing with a big adventure, perhaps bigger than any other before.

But for now, they decided to be thankful for what happened today. Especially Night Fury, feeling like the luckiest creature on the planet to have gotten a chance to celebrate his birthday with the ones he cared for the most. But his journey was not over, as he had an important trip to make that could possibly alter not only the relationship between Yaks and Speed Shifters, but the entirety of Equestria as a whole.
> Chapter 40: New Friends In The Frozen North
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day was early into its cycle and things were going smoothly. The sun was shining, no clouds blocking the view. And most importantly, the Friendship Express was running right on time. After a successful birthday party and a nice bit of relaxation, the Mane Six and Night Fury were all ready to take on the next challenge on their schedule. And that thing was meeting with Princess Cadence to discuss the plan for them accompanying Night Fury to the frozen north in order to not only form somewhat of an alliance with the Yaks, but figure out what the deal was with a relatively unknown tribe of northern Speed Shifters living up there.

The train ride smoothly threw the mountains, passing through tunnels and over bridges as it ran its route up to the Crystal Empire. Inside the coach, the Mane Six and Night Fury were preparing for the cold trip up north. Some with more to carry than others as Fury hadn't packed any warm clothes.

"I still don't understand why you insisted on bringing no clothes with you, Fury. I can't imagine having nothing to keep you covered in the cold of the north!" Rarity said, completely appalled by Fury's lack of attire. The black feline, however, just shrugged it off.

"Eh, I don't need 'em. It would be unnecessary weight anyway. And besides, I've finally stopped shedding fur and my winter coat has grown in. It'll hold up." Fury said. "And that's a lot of talk you're making when you have 13 different sets of scarfs and snow boots, Ms. Only Bringing The Essentials." 

Rarity huffed at such a blasphemous statement. "They are essential! I want to show the yaks the most gorgeous of pony fashion! I-I simply want to show them our various wonders of fashion!"

"By that you mean your fashion. Already trying to show off and sell your wares, eh? Come on Rares, have a little patience, will you? We're just here to make an alliance." Fury reminded the fashionista.

"Yeah, he's gotta point there, sugarcube. Finally, someone is a little frugal." Applejack added with a chuckle. The white unicorn just huffed and sat back with her cheeks puffed out. How dare her own friends tarnish her method of distribution!

Twilight then turned her attention to Fury. "Well Fury, looks like you've got a diplomatic trip ahead of you. You sure you aren't nervous?"

"Pfft, please! This'll be no problem, I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse back in Canterlot, a lot worse. Dealing with the Yaks won't be easy, but you guys are coming along for the ride. At least I won't be out here alone." Fury said, a smile on his face.

"You got that right, sugarcube! We'll stick together."

"And even eat those yaks' yummy food!" Pinkie said with excitement.

Twilight still had a serious expression though. 

"Alright, I want everyone to be on their best behavior. This isn't just something we can be casual about, we have to hold somewhat of a discipline to ourselves."

"Yeah yeah, egghead. We get it, this isn't supposed to be fun. But you can't plan for everything in life. Do we need to remind you of the 'Yearly Schedule'?" Rainbow said.

"I-I have no idea what you mean…" Twilight said nervously.

"Exactly. You can't admit that you didn't try to predict the universe like it was some kind of foretold prophecy of future events. It's all a part of the Twilight Chronicles. The tales of the epic heroine as she fights against the dreaded tardy creatures." Fury said snidely.

Rainbow and Pinkie both laughed with even the others chuckling.

"Oh ha ha, very funny. But at least I don't snooze every hour of the day without a care in the world about important events!" Twilight shot back.

"Hey, I haven't been late to one of them ever since I got my ambassador title! And besides, I'm a cat. It's in my DNA to snooze for hours on end, ever since the first Saber Tooth Tiger. My feline brothers and sisters have napped for eons before you ponies existed, and you never see us being late." Fury said, looking somewhat proud of himself.

"Okay, okay. I see your point. I'm sorry." Twilight said. "All I'm advising is you will try to stay diplomatic with the yaks. They can be a bit… pushy sometimes. And when they get mad… Well, they get mad."

"Listen, I might be a laid back jokester, but even I know how to be diplomatic. I learned my lesson from making a public remark about our chief's nose. That was… not pleasant." Fury said, remembering how the chief punished him. "Look, I'll be cool and chill like the ice. These furry guys will be our pals, no problemo."

"Well, we're about to get started with that journey. Crystal Empire, coming in hot!" Rainbow called from outside the window.

After a few minutes, the train finally stopped at the Crystal Empire. Cadence was waiting for them to arrive. Fury was the first to make himself known as he stepped only a few feet out of the carriage before every mare glued their gazes on him and made their comments.

"Oh my Celestia, I thought he would never return!"

"I wonder if he thinks amethyst or sapphire is prettier."

"Look at that smooth fur and bright smile!"

"Hey there, tough guy. Looking good today!"

"Don't forget, you've got options if you want somepony fun~."

Fury was completely stunned at the very forward comments and turned red. He knew he was already taken, but he couldn't help the feeling of how sharp these Equestrian girls were when flirting.

Gee, I didn't know ponies were this crazy over me. I guess it helps that I was the one who slew Sombra.

"Sign my autograph!" A pony came in close.

"Sign my forehead!"

"Sign my leg~." Another said.

"Cadence… Help!" Fury called out. "I'm drowning in a sea of mares with needs!"

Then all of a sudden, a bouncing ball appeared. A bit odd, Fury thought.
But then he saw the mares no longer gazing at him but this ball.

"Mine!"

"No, it's mine!"

"It's so round."

Fury then knew what to do. "You want this, ladies? Go get it!" He said lobbing it as far as possible into the city. The horde of fangirls immediately dashed towards the ball and finally left the feline, who was now laying on his back, alone. 

The Princess of Love stood over him and gazed down at the disoriented face of Night Fury.

"Sorry for the… less than normal meeting. I had to settle a lover's quarrel." Cadence said.

"Eh, whatever. Crazy stuff happens all the time. But that spell! Dang! Who would have thought some mushy love spell could be so cool?"

Cadence smiled. "I'm glad you appreciate it. These spells are not just used for teenage romantic fantasies." 

Rainbow chuckled. "Tell that to Twilight that one time."

"Don't even think about it!" Twilight interrupted. Both Rainbow Dash and Night Fury just laughed at the purple alicorn and her embarrassed face. The black feline got himself up and shook himself off, his fur messy and disheveled from the rampaging mob.

"So Cadence, are you ready for this chilly journey? I didn't grow this thick winter coat of fur and go into a giant freezer to test it for nothing."

"Of course I am. But first, let's get that fur under control. You look like a shaggy sheep." Cadence giggled.

Cadence went up to Fury and took a comb to straighten his fur out. Stroking his thick fur, she straightened it out section by section. Going all around him to get every strand and stray hair.

"Oooh! ahh! Hey, go easy on it! It's still part of my body." Fury whined in pain.

After five minutes of a makeover, Cadence was finally finished.

"Voila! Now you're fit to go to Yakyakistan!" Cadence said.

"Oh, darling, you have done most fabulously!"

"That's nice. But do I really need this big blue bow tie? It looks so lame." Fury asked.

"It's the latest fashion of Crystal Empire. Oh come on, you look like a handsome young gentlecat!" Cadence said. Fury didn't take that lightly as he stared right at her, snapped the bow tie off and zapped it out of existence.

"Not a fan of bow ties." Fury said bluntly, letting out a quiet but aggressive hiss. "The things I do for diplomacy." He moaned.

"You'll get used to the pomp." Applejack said with sympathy. 

Twilight then spoke up. "Alright, if we're all ready we can go back on the train."

"Sorry Twilight, but there's no train route that leads up the mountains. This'll be a hooves and paws on the ground trip. And as much as I hate to admit it out loud, I actually prefer doing things the D.I.Y way." Cadence explained.

Then they heard sounds of strong stallions pulling heavy carts into the train. Wagons and Caravans being hauled by royal guards rolled up to the station, multiple guards riding in some of them.

"That's all the food, tents and other supplies we'll take on this trip." Cadence said. "Sorry for the inconvenience."

"No way, we're taking a convoy up the mountains?! I've been dreaming of rolling out in a convoy ever since I was a cub!" Fury yipped. 

"Pleeease tell me I can haul one of these! I'll even take hauling you guys up the mountains if I have to!" 

Cadence was quite pleased to see Fury excited about this.

"It's not everyday we see someone excited about the great outdoors. Which is quite a relief." She acknowledged.

"Wow. I've told you guys a million times that I literally grew up doing this stuff, and you're surprised that I'm excited about it? Does this have to do with you guys thinking I'm just a big ol lazy bones who sleeps in trees?" Fury questioned.

"What? No, not at all!" Twilight defended. 

"Well… I can't say that because of how many times I've seen you plumping yourself up with sweets and filling up that bottomless pit of a stomach you have." She joked, offending the black cat.

"Hey!" Fury said. "I take offense to that! I also eat meat and fish, thank you very much! And to answer your question, when you're still asleep, I'm out running in the morning sun. Why do you think I have so much energy? Gotta get it from some source! Now you get it, Miss Science?" Fury said. 

"Okay, you've got me there. But you'll still be a foodie underneath all of that muscle." Twilight said, getting the approval from Fury.

"And proud of it!"

Just then, a unicorn stallion stepped up to the group.

"Your highness, the convoy is ready to go. We've checked over the food, supplies, and did a headcount. We're all set for the journey. The only thing left is the reserved caravan for you and the rest of your group, which we still don't have a hauler to pull." The stallion said, looking over a clipboard in his magic.

"Leave that to me, I'll take the ladies for this trip." Fury said, raising his paw to volunteer.

"Well if you think you can do it, I suppose you can." The unicorn stallion said. "Cold Steel, Aurora! Let's get him hooked up!"

Fury was immediately hooked up to the wagon and tied up to secure the connection. While the guards assisted the others in boarding the wagon, Fury dug into his bags to retrieve his traction gloves. A staple of his kind for those who hauled carts with ice blocks and firewood throughout the winter in the early days of his tribe's existence.

The same unicorn stallion, who he now presumed to be the commander, stepped up onto the seat behind Fury to guide him.

"Alright everypony, we've got a harsh trip ahead of us! Stick together, keep those lanterns lit, stay positive and stay warm! Crystal Guard… Move out!"

And so the long trek began. Luckily the weather was mild for now, the sun still shining in the sky and the breeze somewhat warm. But even so, they knew things would get dicey as they saw the dark clouds that looked over the mountains. Filled to the brim with heavy snow that could do unpredictable things on their way to Yakyakistan.

–

A few hours later…

The snow was thick, the wind was fierce, and the pace was slow. The convoy stepped through the weather with strength and pride, pushing through the snow in an effort to make good time. 

At the front of the convoy, Fury and the rest of his friends were leading the charge. This was the first time Fury had ever stepped through snow this heavy, mostly because he had never been up more than a hill's height back home. Even so, he pushed on. His winter fur was doing its job fairly well, keeping him warm and allowing him to keep his strength up as he clawed his way up the mountains.

"Is everypony okay back there? Everypony warm?" The commander asked.

"We're fine. But how's Night Fury doing? He isn't exactly one who's dealt with conditions like these before." Cadence asked with some concern.

"Speak for yourself." Rarity said, shivering with four coats on.

"I'm fine out here, you guys! This may be out of what I consider usual, but I can handle it! All of you are my motivation, and that's enough to keep me going!" He called out over the harsh wind.

"Well, it's good you're adept at the cold!" said the commander. 

"Well, I may be good for conditions like these, but the rest of your comrades aren't. Got a pegasus mare turning blue at the wagon behind us, 6 o'clock!"

The commander looked back and saw that one of the pegasus mares he instructed to haul one of the supply wagons was looking like she was changing color. And blue was not a good color to see in the snow, especially in a pony.

"Crud, she's in the early stages of Frostbite. We need to stop and get her warm!" The commander said sternly.

"You don't have to stop for me! I can keep g-going, sir! Just for a little longer!" the young mare said, shivering. 

Though she had spirit, it was clear she was a rookie. Probably still not fully adept to the cold like Fury or the Commander.

"Not while I'm still breathing, sweetheart!" Fury called out. "Like Speed Shifters always do, we stick together until the bitter end! We've just hit flat land, we can set up camp here for now and get her warmed up!"

"Great idea! Permission to camp, Your Highness?" The commander asked Cadence.

"Permission granted. And make sure you get her comfortable. I'm counting on you."

The commander nodded. "Alright, let's start a fire and get tents set up!"

And so everyone started unloading tents, firewood, and other supplies. They set up in a clear area to block possible blizzards. Ponies went left and right setting up tents and bringing the wagons around in some sort of a protective circle. The commander personally escorted Cadence and the others to the camp while the guards and Night Fury did their duty.

"Someone get me some flint to start a fire," said Cold Steel. Applejack agreed to help.

"I'll get to the pegasus and take care of her!" Fury said, heading over to the one in distress. He draped a cloak over her and pulled her in close to him.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" He asked caringly.

"S-Sunstone." The pegasus said. 

"Okay Sunstone, we're gonna get you warm and cared for. No doubt about that." Fury reassured her. Sunstone smiled to herself at the caring nature of the black feline, she truly felt safe with him.

"The fire's good to go, y'all! Bring her in!" Applejack said. Fury guided her over to the flame and sat her down, letting her stay next to him as she warmed up next to the fire.

"Probably feels better, huh?" Fury asked.

"Y-yeah. I still feel chilly. Dang it. I just had to hold everyone back." Sunstone sighed, feeling as if she had ruined the whole mission.

"Hey, don't feel bad about having to stop us for a bit. We needed a break anyway. I don't know many more trees I could count before getting bored. Besides, now is the best part! Having some rations!" He said seeing Applejack come over.

"Awww here sugarcube, have some of this hot soup. My granny always gave this to me when I was blue in the cheeks." She said, giving her the bowl. 

After blowing on it to cool down, she ate it and she smiled.

"See, what did I tell you?" Fury said.

"It really is great! Thanks, you two. I didn't think I'd have something this good. Some of the rations I had were not so great." Sunstone chuckled, her color returning to normal.

"Not as long as you got us!" Fury said. "Me and AJ made sure it was extra good. So much that my mom would be proud." Fury said.

Fluttershy came in. "Thank you so much, Fury. You can go get some rest, me and Applejack will take care of her now." 

Night Fury nodded and left the two to take care of Sunstone. He walked past a few guards and went to the large main tent that the rest of his friends were sitting in.

"So… How's Sunstone?" Twilight asked.

"She'll be fine, Applejack and Fluttershy are taking care of her now." Fury said. 

"That's good." Cadence said. "I guess we'll be able to continue tomorrow. Unfortunately, this did set us back. So we might have to take a shortcut. The winds are believed to pick up more by then. So if we could find it it could save us some serious trouble."

"Don't worry. I'm good at recon." Fury said. "I'll scout ahead and make sure it's clear, both of terrain and hostile beasts."

"Not on my watch you won't. You must be exhausted from hauling all of us up this mountain. You are going to get some rest, I'll send some of my guards to scout."

"No way, I can handle it! You don't have to do that for my sake!" Fury protested. But the Princess Of Love stood firm.

"Yes I do, your safety is my top priority.  Night Fury, you're not back home anymore. You don't have to take the initiative all the time. We aren't like your tribe from when your parents were taken, we actually put you up front of everything else." 

"Now, you get some rest and ease your muscles. I'll take care of finding us a safe route up the mountains. And besides, you don't want Luna to have to see you as a cat-sicle. Do you?" Cadence asked.

"Well… I have been doing stuff all day. And I think I would like a good chillax session, as Rainbow puts it. Okay, fine. But only if I get some of that soup Applejack is cooking!" Fury said.

"Oh Fury, always got food on the brain. Twily was right, you do have a bottomless pit for a belly." Cadence teased.

"Yep, no pony can match my appetite!" Fury said. 

"Hold on a moment." Pinkie said. "No one but me and Applejack can eat more! I challenge you to an eating contest!"

"What, no way! The last time I did that, I nearly passed out! I'll leave that to you!" Fury said fearfully.

Cadence giggled as she stepped out of the tent to give her orders. In the meantime, the rest of the group gave themselves some entertainment by telling stories and making jokes throughout the evening. 

She made sure they were well equipped and assured them not to get lost and to be back in the morning or another round of guards will seek them out.

But little did they know, they weren't the only ones that were traveling far into the north as a particular pair of individuals were making their way up the same way.

–

The Next Morning…

While the wind still blew and snow still fell from the sky, the mountains were much calmer than yesterday as the intensity had died down overnight. The guards and everyone else slept soundly in their tents, wrapped up in sleeping bags and sitting safely in their tents. 

Twilight and the rest of her friends were doing much the same, sleeping into the morning with no trouble at all.

That is, until a ominous growling woke them up and made them panic.

"W-w-what was that?!" Fluttershy asked, intimidated.

"Such a horrifying screech of terror. It must be some foul beast." Rarity said. "Don't worry Fluttershy, we'll protect you from this abomination!"

"Yeah, we'll show that creature how to respect personal space." Rainbow said, stomping the ground.

"Whatever it is, it'll have to get through us to take a bite out of everything here!" Applejack said. But then, Twilight became more confused.

"Hold on a minute, girls. Is it just me, or does that growling sound way closer? Like it's already inside the tent?" She asked.

"Now that you mentioned it… (Yawn) It does sound fairly close. And look, no damage has been done to the outside." Cadence said, having just woken up.

Then the group turned to Pinkie Pie, who seemed to be giggling.

"There's no creature out there, you sillies! The real monster behind this has been among us all along! He he, look over at Night Fury."

They then heard another horrific sound. But this time they realized the source of the noise was in fact, their feline friend all along. Specifically, his stomach having seemingly woken up before he did as it growled loudly.

At that moment, Rainbow Dash just laughed. "Are you serious?! We were all scared that some monster was outside, raring and ready to eat us, and the actual sound was Night Fury's hungry tummy?!"

Twilight chuckled a bit. "At this point, I think Fury's stomach has more control over his body than he does."

Rarity sighed. "I lost my beauty sleep because of Fury's belly! I hate this trip even more!"

"Oh come on Rarity, even I have to admit that this is a little funny." Fluttershy giggled.

"You're not the only one, sugarcube. It's a bit hilarious that Fury's belly woke up earlier than he did." Applejack said, Fury's stomach solidifying her statement with another loud growl.

"Should we wake him up?" Fluttershy asked. "His stomach definitely wants some food it seems."

"We might as well." Twilight said with a yawn. "I'm a bit hungry too. And after we eat, we'll plan out our next destination. Hopefully those guards will be back soon. And guard, could you go check Sunstone's condition?"

One of the guards nodded and went away. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash decided to give Night Fury his wake-up call.

"Hey Fury. Hey Mr. Hungry, wake up! It's time to eat!" Rainbow said.

"H-huh?! The cider's under the porcupine, I swear!" Fury babbled, his half awake brain barely functioning.

"What are you talking about- Listen. Just get up and have some grub with us. You like food, don't you?" Rainbow asked him.

"Ugh… I don't know what you mean." He said lazily, still half asleep.

"Dang it, he's still out of it. Looks like I'll have to use the old fashioned way." Rainbow said, looking at a bucket of water.

"Wakey, wakey!" Rainbow said splashing water on him.

But it was to no avail, the black feline still sat half asleep with wet fur.

"Horsefeathers, that always worked on me when I dozed off at flight school." Rainbow said. "This guy is a heavier sleeper than me!"

"Do we just wait it out then?" Applejack asked. 

Then Pinkie jumped up and down. "I got an idea. I got an idea!"

"I'm afraid to ask but what do you have in mind?" Rarity asked, knowing that if there was one pony who could wake Fury up, it was the pink ball of energy herself.

"It is extremely simple. The old classic. Look at his paws! Look at his belly! All so peaceful… We must disrupt that." Pinkie said in an ominous voice. "Follow me."

The Mane Six approached Fury, as they finally realized Pinkie's plan.

"Uh Pinkie, are you sure we should be um… tickling him to wake him up? A bit of a rude awakening, isn't it?" Fluttershy asked.

"It is what is necessary for a young friend. We must do this for the common good whether we like it or not. And besides, do you really want to see him snooze through the trip? Even I have priorities when it comes to important events like this." Pinkie said, sounding quite sensible for once.

The Mane Six looked at each other and couldn't find a reason to disagree with their party planning friend, she was actually making a lot of sense. Even Cadence had to admit she was right. 

"I have to say, Pinkie's logic is quite sound. This is an important event to happen and we can't just let the guest of honor sleep through it." The Princess of Love spoke.

"And besides, this will be quite a cute little plan." She added, her inner foalsitter emerging.

"I recognize that tone…" Twilight said in remembrance.

"Okay okay whatever let's wake this sleepy head up already!" Rainbow said, a bit too eager. "Here I go!"

The pegasus tickled his belly and the rest of the mane six followed suit with his paws. Cadence even used one of her feathers to tickle his nose.

"Heh heh heh…"

"Heh heh heh heh…"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…! What in the name of Luna is going on, ha ha ha!"

The black cat squirmed and wiggled under the feathery force being applied to his body, it felt as if a lesion of tiny ants were crawling all over him.

"Okay girls he's awake we can be done now." Everyone stopped. Almost everyone.

"Rainbow. Pinkie." Twilight warned.

"Okay." The two reluctantly stopped.

"Good morning, Night Fury. I hope you enjoyed your sleep!" Cadence said.

"Oh come on guys, you could have given me like 20 more minutes!" Fury said, pouting.

"Not today, whiskers. You've got responsibilities to uphold. And as the princess who's in charge of this trip, you are under my authority. And I say no sleeping in for you." Cadence said.

"Aw come on! You're no fun, Cadence. Responsibilities are for NEEEERDS!" Fury called out.

"Is that what you told your father's cousin?" Cadence asked.

"Actually, yes. She was fuming for a week." He said, a devious smirk on his face.

"And how did that turn out for you?" 

"Better than you would have expected. Even if she made me trudge through mud wallows for five hours, all of it was worth it to see her ticked off. Her anger kept me entertained for most of my childhood." He chuckled, thinking back to the multiple times he pulled pranks on Amethyst.

"Well, you are one determined fellow, even if very naughty." Cadence said. "But I know there is one thing that you cannot resist."

"And what would that be, Lovebutt-" Before Fury could finish, Cadence cracked open the entrance to the tent and let the smells of the outside world flow in.

Sniff Sniff… 

"Wait, is that… sardines?" He asked.

Sniff… Sniff Sniff…

"Woah, Saltwater salmon too?!"

Sniff…

"And… wait… is that straight up cat food?" Fury asked. Cadence immediately had a mix of disturbed, horrified, and anger on her face as she heard Fury list off cat food. And she knew he wasn't lying considering the amount of times his nose came in handy.

The love princess took in a sharp breath. "Well, it looks like somepony in my guard is a comedian. Would you excuse me?" She asked, her voice sounding calm but tense as she exited the tent and into the snowy campsite.

Cadence walked up to some guards who seemed to be giggling at something.

"Excuse me, you two. You wouldn't happen to know about Night Fury's food, would you?" She asked.

"Uh no Your Highness, nothing like that." One stallion guard said, giving a big grin.

"Oh, it's nothing? Then can one of you explain to me why he smelled cat food?" She interrogated them, giving the two guards a stern gaze.

"That is… probably a coincidence. We know nothing of that. When we put the food in there it probably just spilled in." Another guard said a bit more nervous. "But I'm sure a feline like him would appreciate the same food my cat does."

"Is that so?" A voice said behind the guards. They looked back and saw none other than the black feline ambassador himself standing there in the snow.

"Uh… I mean um… I thought it would be a reasonable and fun idea, ya know…."

"You idiot, you just gave away our plan!"

"No you did!"

"No you!"

The two went back and forth about who's fault it was, completely caught up in what they had tried to pull.

"Wow, I never thought Cadence would employ two utter disappointments into her guard." He said, being extremely blunt. "So let me get to the point." He said, turning their heads around. 

"No, I don't like cat food. It's gross, It's disgusting. I don't even know why owners would give their pets that slop. And just so you know, I'm not just some domesticated cat that slurps on cat food and uses scratching posts. That should be obvious. The worst part? Your jokes are so obvious, anyone could have thought of that. You must have thought you were REAL funny with that." Fury snarled.

"Well…"

"But the only funny thing here is how lame you two were. I might be a jokester, but I only go with the highest caliber. You two need better comedy. I would call you clowns but that would imply you were actually funny. You two are complete disappointments to this planet and are complete wastes of flesh and bone."

"The fact that you think that pulling a joke like this makes you any more relevant is laughable. You both have nothing, and I mean nothing… to be laughing about. The only thing that you should have on your mind is how anyone ever thought of you as anything more than depressing… useless… hunks of meat and brain mass." 

The camp fell silent. Cadence was left appalled at how ruthlessly Fury dragged those two. And most importantly, the two guards were reduced to tears as they solemnly slithered away with their tails between their legs.

Night Fury just watched them walk away, staring blankly at the two guards who he had just ripped apart with his words alone.

"Perhaps they'll think twice before making a practical joke out of me and my kind… Like I haven't heard them from Canterlot ponies before. I might joke around, but I draw the line at stereotypical jokes about other races." Fury said, his voice harsh and unforgiving.

"I understand." Cadence said. "I will make sure they behave next time. But did you have to beat on them so badly? They may have pulled a fairly inappropriate joke, but did you have to reduce them to tears?"

"I wanted them to know not to make those kinds of jokes again. After all, I overheard these two talk about me. I saw them look down at me. I chose to ignore it. Until they wanted to make problems for me. If they don't like me, fine. But if they want to have a problem, they should say it to my face, not with this cheesy prank."

"I've known a lot of creatures like them even in my village, and I will not let them take advantage of me. Not again. Lessons are learned through tears and tearing down the frame of the creature in question. With guards like them, the only way they're gonna learn about consequences is if they are emotionally crippled and shown the true facts of life. And the fact is… They're lucky they got out of this alive." Fury said, walking away to get himself in order.

The others looked in awe at his words. Fury might be a bit of a jokester and not take himself too seriously but when he meant business, he made sure everyone knew that.

Cadence was also somewhat impressed by this serious tone, he actually took the time to set those guards straight for their jokes. But while her inner princess was glad he took charge I'm that situation, her underlying concern also made sure she didn't forget that he reduced them to tears over a joke.

While the joke was crude, stereotypical, and overall just in poor taste, she couldn't let go of the fact that he basically shredded their confidence and made them cry. She would have gotten on his case for being so harsh and using such unkind words to make his case, but she was just glad he wasn't more violent with his approach. Perhaps his previous trauma and anger caused the verbal assault to happen, he did tell her that he wouldn't allow himself to be taken advantage of for his laid back attitude like he was back home. 

But then, the guards sent to scout ahead had found a shortcut for the convoy to take up the mountains. They also came to speak on seeing other creatures in the snow, creatures that looked like Night Fury. For the moment, she let it slide as she eventually joined the group in eating breakfast, packing up the camp and heading out to reach Yakyakistan. As they continued their trip, Cadence let herself relax and pushed the previous altercation to the back of her mind. But even so, she still couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of concern for Night Fury as his past resurfaced and caused him to get aggressive.

–

An Hour Later…

The convoy had reached another flatland on their route to Yakyakistan. The clouds were thin in certain places, allowing some sunlight to slip through. But the snow and ice were still present as the cold winter wind kept any from melting. Once again, Night Fury led the convoy with his friends and the commander. They kept a close eye out for any civilizations nearby as they pushed through the snow, watching the horizon for a sort of base or camp.

"Boy, even with less wind and snow blowing around, it's still hard to see what's around here." The commander said.

"Yeah, even I can't see anything through the snow." Fury said, trying to get a lay of the land. They pushed on through the vast snowy plains of the mountain, keeping a steady pace to maintain an order.

Just then, Fury's keen eyes locked onto something in the distance. It looked similar to the fort he and Cadence found Moonbeam in when he was rescuing his parents, but it was decorated differently. Large torches sat on either side of what looked like a gate, figureheads of Yaks standing tall on two pillars high up.

"Hey commander, I think we're getting close! Check out what's up ahead!"

"Well, I'll be… the Yaks' capital. I must say, it might be small but they definitely know how to make it imposing." The commander said.

"It looks like we made it. Alright Fury are you ready for what will come?" Twilight asked. "Are you ready to meet Prince Rutherford and his entourage?"

"Not really. To be honest, I'm more nervous than ever. The Yaks don't know me like you guys do. And even if I actually do get a chance to explain who I am and what Speed Shifters are like, we still have those supposed 'Snow Shifters' to deal with. Who's to say that they're not aggressive and instinctively attack us and them? Not to mention that this'll be the first time I'll be meeting other Speed Shifters in a long time. I don't want any of my… past experiences to flare up while doing this." Fury lamented.

Twilight put her hoof over Fury. "You'll be fine. I know this will be tough. But you have us by your side. And I think you have a way of bonding with others that will make others like you. Just like when Blueblood was accusing you, you charmed everyone. So I promise that you will be fine."

"Besides, I think yaks and you both have a lotta passion. I think you have that in common." Rainbow said.

He smiled back. "Thanks you two. I'll just read the room and go with the flow. Let's do this."

The group went to approach the gate. Everyone was nervous. It seems there was a switch, perhaps for visitors.

Twilight pressed on it and they heard a loud gong sound.

Bong! Bong! Bong!

"WHO APPROACHES YAKS?! Speak up puny beasts!" A voice came from the other side.

"Let me handle this, guys. Luna gave me a few lessons in the R.C.V (Royal Canterlot Voice)." Fury said, clearing his throat and using his energy to charge his voice.

"Yaks of Yakyakistan! It is I, Night Fury of Thunder Hollow! I have come per your request to speak on my kind and their ways in this world. Be not afraid, for my powers are only used on my enemies. And I wish to make allies on this day!" Fury spoke, his voice booming to the point some of the snow was pushed away in a circle around him.

"I did not think Fury could have such a way with words." Rarity whispered, getting the snow off of her.

"I guess being Luna's coltfriend will do that to you." Applejack whispered.

And then after a brief silence, the yak spoke up. "Ah, so you the one Prince Rutherford has summoned. Very well!" The guard said with a loud stomp. "Puny cat may proceed! But know this! Prince will smash bones of you and friends if you offend Yak ways!" 

"You have my word! We all want to be friends, majestic yaks!"

Then the gates opened. Everypony was a bit nervous though relieved that the yaks seem non hostile so far. This was good news. The convoy entered the walls of the camp to instantly be met with Yaks standing on either side and watching as they entered.

They walked observing the snow alongside the huts. Despite being huts, they were neatly organized. The yaks took pride in their little town.

When Fury finally came to the town center, he took a deep breath. 

Then he heard loud stomping. All the other yaks bowed down as they marveled at the impressive figure. Prince Rutherford himself.

The yak prince stood with a large and intimidating stance, most of his face covered by his long coat while some were done up in braids and loops with what looked like traditional attire for yaks.

Fury's face went cold, adorning his secure and serious tone as he unhooked from the caravan that he was pulling, jumped up and landed on a pole that had an extension right at eye level with the prince.

He then heard some weird strange sounding instruments like tubas. As well as gongs.

"Presenting Great Yak Leader, Prince Rutherford!"

Okay, here we go.

"Rutherford has been expecting you! We are the mighty Yak people of Yakyakistan! Prove to us your worthiness!" The prince said in the third person. Fury's expression had no change at the thundering voice of the prince, staring right back at him and asserting his stance. 

"As you know, I am Night Fury of Thunder Hollow. Current All Powerful Speed Shifter and Equestrian ambassador of Speed Shifters in their entirety." Fury said sternly. 

"My powers are beyond what most can comprehend, my status reaching even that of a god amongst ponies and to some, even reaching farther than Celestia herself. If you wish to see me prove myself, perhaps a duel should be in order to showcase my true power. My people take pride in showing prowess through bruises and battle scars." He said, a bit of electricity sparking on one side of his face.

"Fury, are you sure about a duel?" Twilight whispered.

"Trust me. We shifters do duels all the time." He whispered back.

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha!" Lord Rutherford gave a loud earth shaking laugh followed by the other yaks. "Puny kitten wishes to take on Lord Rutherford's might?! Do you not understand how doomed you will be?!?!"

"Do you see me as nothing but a kitten? Where is your honor? A true warrior shows respect to others when challenged, where is your courtesy?" Fury questioned, his tone like a stern but wise advisor.

Rutherford was silent for a moment but then spoke up.

"Very well. Rutherford accepts your duel. We shall see who holds the greater power. Perhaps even pink pony princess might get a show out of this showcase of might."

"I'll be sure not to disappoint her then." Fury said with eagerness.

All the yaks cleared away from the town center, the group of ponies taking to one side while the yaks took the other. Night Fury stood his ground as he looked back at his friends with a wink, waiting for the prince to take his place.

"Rules of game!" Another yak called out. "Whoever is defeated or surrenders is winner of duel and shall bow before the victor and kiss the ground the other walks on. Both shall fight with honor and power in one round of battle."

"Do not feel the need to go easy on me for the sake of pink pony princess. You are without judgment here." The prince spoke.

"Oh don't worry… I won't." Fury snarled, letting out a burly roar as he transformed into a large gorilla and pounded his chest in dominance.

"Ha ha ha! Well done! Cat not going to make this easy! But know this. Rutherford battled yetis twice your size! Is kitten stronger than them?!" He then proceeded to charge towards Fury

"I've made the Princess Of The Sun cower in fear at my pure rage, I shall not make those moments look like flukes. Rraaahhhhhh!!" Fury roared, using his large ape hands to rush forward.

Both the yaks and ponies watched in awe as the two charged at each other, the pure force of their movements causing the ground to shake. As they got closer, Prince Rutherford lowered his head for a bash while Fury dug his large hands into the ground for a launch as he pulled a fist back for a devastating punch.

There was a shockwave that was felt from their force. It moved the others back a bit, but they soon regained their composure and went at each other again.

Rutherford and Fury were in a grip now. Fury with his arms below and Rutherford with his horns above.

"Puny kitten is strong, but you face yak who has years of experience! Yak shall show you what power looks like!"

"So what?! Youth is the true power, and I'm about to show you why!" Fury called. He grabbed at the yak's long coat and planted his feet, pulling him off the ground and throwing him back.

BOOM!

Dang how heavy can a guy be?! Fury asked himself. I gotta give my arms a rest from throwing for a few minutes. I'll have to stick to other moves for now.

The move may have given him some room, but it didn't last long as the prince rose from his downed state and faced him.

"YOU MONKEYBRAIN!!! YOU THINK THAT WILL STOP ME! PREPARE FOR MY ALL OUT ASSAULT!" Rutherford cried out though he had a slight sound of pain in his loud cry.

Okay, method 2. Hey look, a red sheet!

"Ole! Ole! Here boy! You wanna come? Come get me!" Fury said, waving the red curtain.

"DO NOT COMPARE PRINCE OF YAKS TO BULL!" Rutherford cried as he charged at Fury.

"Big… Mistake." Fury said under his breath. He planted his feet and laid his arms down palms up. He watched as the prince proceeded to try and run him down before he finally got within range and gave Fury his opportunity.

With one shift of his weight, he raised his fists and uppercut the prince, sending him up off the ground and flipping him upside down. The crowd around them was amazed at Fury's move as the prince went fully upside down and Fury reversed his movement to slam him into the ground with his fists.

"Rrrraaugh!" Fury slammed Prince Rutherford into the ground, sending cracks through the ground and even making some chunks uproot themselves with a thundering boom that shook the ground like an earthquake.

Everyone gasped at this feat while also recovering from almost being tossed themselves from just the shock of the quake. Rutherford seemed to be hit quite hard.

"See, that's what happens when you fall for simple tricks, Prince." Fury said, a bit smug. The prince uprighted himself and faced the ape once again. He had taken two hits and was stumbling like a newborn, just who was this creature?

"Night Fury…" This was the first time Rutherford addressed him by his real name. "Shifter has fought far better than Rutherford thought. But that… that was but a warm up! I was going easy on you, thinking you were too weak! So be ready for Rutherford to unleash his fury of war!"

Going easy on me? Oh, is he charging me again? Fine I guess he wants another uppercut.

Fury was about to launch one. But then Rutherford unexpectedly instead jumped sideways right onto Fury.

SLAM!

"Fury!" Fluttershy cried out.

Everypony showed concern as the large ape was shunted to the side and fell to the snow below him, struggling to get up.

"Gah ah ah ah…" Fury said in pain, still getting up.

"What's the matter, puny kitten not realize true might of yaks? We yaks are large for a reason you know! For times just like this." Rutherford said. "Here let me help you!"

He slammed into Fury again.

All the yaks cheered for Rutherford while the ponies were horrified at this.

"We have to call off the match!" Twilight said.

"Not yet!" Rainbow Dash called out. "If I know Night Fury's attitude, all it'll take for him to get his second wind is a little disrespectful teasing."

"You know what, Fury? Rutherford is right! You're as weak as a little kitten!"

"Rainbow!" Applejack scolded her but to no avail.

"Sh-shut up." Fury said weakly

"You're just gonna let this guy treat you like a dog toy?! Just be chewed up and spat on!? Is that what you will tell your friends, your parents, your village?!" Rainbow said.

"N-no."

"Well it looks like it will be. Unless you get your butt right back. Unless you stand your ground through all the pain. Or you can just stay down. What do you choose?!"

At that moment, just as Rutherford was about to throw another blow, Fury caught him by the neck and tightened his grip. The prince was now in a one handed chokehold and stood up straight.

"Bingo! What did I tell you guys, this is classic comic book rage 101. The character gets beat down to the point of imminent defeat, the villain makes a comment that gets 'em mad and they stand right back up."

Fury was now on his second wind, holding the prince up on his back legs as he nearly choked him out with a dark look before tossing him at high speed a good few feet back. He breathed heavily as his rage built up inside of him, his energy coursing through his veins as he went into a rage mode.

"Raaaaaugh!" Fury slammed the ground in a fit of anger, making a crater around him and sending some of his friends flying as he got back up and gave the prince a look that spelled death.

A cloud of snow and dust appeared around the whole town center , Fury's electrified body seemingly attracting the collection of particles.

"You… have ANGERED me for the last time. You shall now be subjected to the worst onslaught of your life, something that only the worst creatures are TORTURED with in the seven rings of Tartarus!"

Rutherford looked on with fear for the first time at Fury. He only heard of this rage of shifters in legends. But right now, he could detect a rage that went far beyond a yak's anger. It was seething with bloodlust.

"R-Rutherford is not scared of you! You are still puny compared to yak prince!" Rutherford said, returning to a fighting stance.

"Then I'll make you cower before me!" Fury said. He launched into the air with a strong leap, becoming nothing but a small dot above the town before he fell back down with both fists interlocked over his head and slammed down onto the prince's body with a thundering boom and chunks of the ground flying up as if they were in suspended animation.

Boom!

"How is Fury so powerful!?" Rutherford said getting Fury off of him and then trying to slap him repeatedly. It was to no avail as Fury kept avoiding Rutherford's blows and gave him energy infused slashes in return.

"Simple." He growled, dodging to the left and sending a punch into his side. "I have the powers from ancestors long gone from the mortal realm flowing through me, and you have disrespected them! Now it is time I show you how we do retribution."

Fury heaved his large form forward, getting himself up to speed before throwing another devastating punch that instantly connected with the prince's face. After doing so, he shifted his stance and grabbed his horns. Bringing his arms up, he ripped Rutherford away from solid ground, over his head, and onto his back with a monsterous suplex that made the yaks and ponies wince as for the first time… they heard the sound of bone cracking.

"RAHHHHHHH!" Rutherford cried out in pain, something he never expected would happen.

"Now you know our true power! Who is the puny one, now!?" Fury boasted and laughed. "Well, either way it's time to be done with you. Say goodbye!"

Fury pulled Rutherford back up onto all fours and held him steady. He was about to send this disrespectful prince flying with one move. With one giant hand grappling the prince's head, he pulled his other back. Red energy sparked around his fist and through the veins inside of his fist, his feet going through the ground and keeping him in one spot as his smile grew and his power charged.

Small pebbles and rocks started to float with red energy, lightning rods coming down around him from the sky and cracking the ground on impact. From what everyone could see, they could only think he was calling upon the gods to power him for this final strike.

"I hope you planned to find a successor to your throne… because I'll make sure you're replaced." 

With all his energy packed into his fist, he was ready to send his arm plummeting toward the prince of yaks to send him flying. But what happened next was unexpected.

"Goodbye sweet prince." Fury said.

"ENOUGH!"

Fury turned to the crowd. "Who dares interrupt me?!"

"The challenge is over, Night Fury. You are the victor. Let him go." Twilight demanded.

"Oh come on, I am just getting started!" Fury said.

"You can either stop on your own, or I can paralyze you in the most painful way possible! Don't make me hurt you!" Twilight added on.

"Oh, so the little purple pipsqueak is making threats to me? Heh, I never knew you wanted your brother to have his last memory of you being me putting you in a casket."

Before Twilight said anything, Cadence stopped her. Cadence breathed in slowly and guided Twilight into calming down.

Twilight calmed down and spoke. "Alright Fury, let me ask, do you remember why we came to this village in the first place?"

"Stop playing me for dumb, you indigo idiot! Of course I know!"

"You came here to be an ambassador! This fight was supposed to be for the sake of honor! To show we are worthy to be taken seriously! Do you wish to go against your whole purpose and dishonor you and your ancestors?" Twilight asked.

Fury looked back to the prince still in his tight grip, still prepped for the devastating punch he was about to throw. While he wanted to go the way of peace and quiet and honor Twilight's wishes, his honor for his culture outweighed that 20:1 as he let go of the prince…

And instantly switched sides as he raised his fists up and slammed them into the prince's back, putting one final crater into the street and almost knocking the prince out.

Fury stood over the prince with a solid smile, watching him as he writhed in agony in front of his people. He felt no remorse in disobeying Twilight's wishes as he thought of all the good he had just done in honoring his kind's ways of life, looking up at the shocked alicorn with a deathly stare that could hollow out a mountain.

"You thought you actually had some authority, did you? You know you don't, and you won't for a long time by my standards. You know one thing that my answers would actually be ashamed of? Not finishing a fight for the sake of peace when your bloodline had just been disrespected. I honored my ancestors by doing this, by showing that I hold nothing back in the ways of a duel. And if you have a problem with that…"

His smile disappeared and he returned to his normal form with a deadly aura surrounding him.

"You can sit there being the weakling baby you are. Crying about morals and suckling on your mom's nethers. Because I… don't… CARE." He growled with such bass that even Applejack and Rainbow Dash were scared of him.

All the yaks were frightened at this sight. Their leader, bloody and beaten. They had underestimated such a powerful beast could do so much damage and be so deathly terrifying.

As for Twilight, she was unsure of what to do.

"Well, Rainbow, I hope you're happy with your idea of encouragement." Twilight said. But the cerulean pegasus wasn't prideful at all. If anything, she was more afraid to even speak, let alone be smug.

"I- I- didn't think he would go this far." Rainbow said with an unusual level of hesitance.

"I-is Prince Rutherford alright?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yak prince will recover, although slowly." One yak spoke up. "Yak prince's wounds are great but curable. Black cat has done great number of pain to yak prince. But yaks are not angered by him, we are actually honored."

"For great yak warrior to show mercy to enemy after having yak's reputation tarnished, even if yak's friends tell him to is way of coward. Yak warrior does not show mercy to others who disrespect yak culture. Black cat has done much the same, and he will be honored for that. Yak is sure he will be rewarded. Maybe not by puny ponies, but rewarded by his own kind. The ones who truly respect his honoring of their ways." The yak spoke.

All of the Mane Six and Cadence's jaws dropped. They could not believe this. Fury's code, one ponies feared, actually worked in earning yaks' respect?

"I am glad to hear that." Fury said powering down. "I knew you yaks had a code of warriors like us Shifters! I knew you respected a good fight with no restraint! Even if Prince Rutherford has been beaten by me, I will forever respect that not once did he ask for mercy. Not once. That is a true warrior. Your prince was truly something." 

The yak nodded to Fury as a sign of respect and thanked him for his words. Twilight was rightfully flabbergasted and was about to say something, but then the prince actually got up and began to speak.

"Black cat.. come to me." He wheezed, still struggling to keep himself up.

Fury silently walked over to him.

"You have… defeated me. You proven worth of Speed Shifters. Ruterford must confess, I thought your kind pathetic at first. We thought your kind was a dying race. Not like in old days. But when Prince Rutherford saw how strongly you fought. How decisive. How brutal. How fearless. Then I realized… Black cat is worthy and your race is worthy!"

Rutherford was fully finally up.

"From this day forth, you Fury are honorary yak! You are worthy of our town and our friendship!" Rutherford declared. He called over two other yaks who brought over and bestowed upon Fury a hat with fake horns as a gift.

"Yaks of Yakyakistan, hear me now! From this day forward, I proclaim that Night Fury, All Powerful Speed Shifter, shall be named honorary Yak!" Prince Rutherford bellowed. The other yaks applauded with stomps and cheers as Fury waved to the masses and gave a confident smile.

"Thank you, thank you all! But I'm not done yet! I've got my own announcement to make!" Fury said, standing tall.

"Yaks of Yakyakistan! As a Speed Shifter, I have the ability to store the biological essence of any creature that comes in contact with me! And today is the day I get to say that all of you will be remembered through me, as from this day on, your culture and power will be shown to the world through my kind! Behold, the power of Speed Shifters!"

Fury took a stand and began to transform, his body growing to a humongous size as he grew horns, long fur, thick bones and hooves. And with one final flash, he revealed his new Yak form to all who could see.

"Not a bad look, eh? Everything looks so much more puny now." Fury joked.

The other yaks laughed. They seemed delighted with how Fury had reverence for their ways.

"Black cat has truly captured greatness through his display of power and humor. To celebrate this, Rutherford shall give you the best respect of yak culture. The headbutt!" Rutherford said, charging at him. Fury was surprised that he could move so quickly after suffering such a beating, but was impressed nonetheless.

"Alright, now you're speaking my language!" Fury cheered as he pushed forward to meet the prince in the middle with the loud bang of yak skulls bashing against one another.

BOOM!

"YEAHHH!!! FURY TRUE YAK!!!" The other cheered for him.

The Mane Six were still confused as to what had happened.

"Well, I guess everything turned out alright." Cadence said.

"See Twilight, what did I tell you?" Rainbow said cockily. 

"Yes, you're indeed a genius of our time." Twilight said, rolling her eyes.

"Now that black cat has proved himself a true warrior, yaks may now talk about other cats that live in snow." Prince Rutherford spoke.

"Come small ponies, let us speak on black cat's snowy relatives in warmth."

"Thank goodness. With all the drama going on, I forgot how cold it was!" Rarity said, shivering.

-

All the Mane Six, Fury and Cadence were gathered around a circle in a gigantic hut. Despite their being only a fire, the place felt warm enough.

"Oh thank goodness, some warmth to keep me going in this horrid cold!" Rarity said, sounding like she had just about died.

"Pfft, drama queen." Fury huffed, his warm winter coat being enough to keep him warm and cozy.

"So, Prince Rutherford, I heard this area has had some mysterious hijinks going on with these… Snow Shifters." Fury began. "Have you met any of them yet?"

"No. Yaks have kept distance from snowy felines as safety measure. While yaks are brave in face of danger and battle, we not ones to interact with unknown creatures. Which is why Yaks have called black cat and pony friends to help."

"I see." Twilight said, pondering. "Have they been seeking something? Do you think they are planning something that they have ventured near your town?"

"Yaks no think snowy felines are violent, they seem peaceful. Most of what Yaks have seen are snowy felines hunting for food, venturing out to collect ice and armored patrols. Yaks think that snowy felines acknowledge our existence, but not make contact out of either fear of provoking war or fear of unknown creatures. And speaking of which, we also wish to know if you have information in pony library."

Cadence nodded in approval. "It's good you have not done anything yet. And unfortunately, the records of Snow Shifters are scant. Not a lot of detailed records from that early on. But we know some things and so does Fury. We know that the Crystal Empire had a trade deal going on for awhile for different goods. And then all of a sudden communication just ended. Reasons are unknown."

"Maybe King Sombra had something to do with it, but I'm not sure. Either way, whatever spooked these snowy versions of me to shut the outside world… well… out, is something we'll have to figure out ourselves." Fury said, standing tall.

"Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie, you four stay here with the Yaks and try to keep things friendly. Especially you, Pinkie. You know what to do."

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie chimed.

"Twilight, Cadence, Fluttershy, you're coming with me to find out what the deal is with these snowy Shifters. I have a feeling this'll need some caring and calm execution." Fury said in a serious tone.

Everypony agreed to this, even Fluttershy, though she was admittedly a little nervous.

"So where are these snow shifters supposed to be?" Twilight asked.

"Yaks know not exact location. But yaks see them congregating further into mountain. Here is map of it."

They got a colorful, decorated map with yak iconography but with a somewhat crude depiction of the snow shifters around the mountain.

"While it does have some… ahem, creative liberties, I'm sure we can use it to find where these snowy relatives of mine are out here. Come on, let's get moving."

"Good luck! Yaks, stomp in honor of their expedition!" Rutherford proclaimed.

Every yak stomped extremely loudly. Causing the place to shake.

"Ha ha ha, th-thanks." Fury said, a bit dizzy. "We will be back soon."

And so everyone left the hut and were preparing to get ready for the expedition to come.
> Chapter 41: A Search For Speed Shifters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fury was back at camp. He along with Twilight, Fluttershy, Cadence and the guards were checking their inventory, including gifts from yaks for the Snow Shifters. 

He had to admit, he felt quite confident. He had just made peace with the yaks and now he was about to go on this journey to the Snow Shifters. But he also knew these Snow Shifters were even more unknown and mysterious and they don't even know their exact location. So he was extra focused on getting ready, much to Twilight's delight.

"Okay everyone, do we have our extra hay that the yaks gave us prepared?" Twilight asked.

"Yep, we got a whole bunch of that dry old stuff you herbivores like for some reason." Fury confirmed.

"And do we have those jewels at the ready?" Twilight said. "We will use them as tokens of our friendship with these people."

"Oh indeed, darling! I made sure they were all well polished." Rarity said. "Oh, it would be a shame to part with such beautiful-"

"Don't even think about stowing one of them for yourself, sugarcube." Applejack said. 

Rarity pouted in defeat.

"Heh, I guess I'm not the only one who likes to stow things away." Fury chuckled, packing the last of the jewels and hay into the wagons. 

"And Fury, you have the map to the mountain where the Snow Shifters were last seen, right?" Twilight asked. Twilight asked, getting a nod from the black feline.

"Yep, got it! Let's just hope this thing is accurate, I don't want to end up going in the wrong direction and getting lost." Fury said, showing the map. 

Twilight nodded. "Well if that's the case, then we will be off soon. According to the map, we have a few valleys and snow storms to get through, along with a few cold rivers. Everyone, watch your step. And we will try to reach the mountain by sundown since it's fairly close."

"Great, nothing like some ice water to make you question your decisions and your paw placement." Fury said, visibly shivering.

Fury might have gotten used to the cold of the air. But to be cold and wet, was something that his body was not ready for. Especially since the cold winds up there were so chilly that they were able to freeze water almost instantly.

"That's why we have our long staffs ready just in case someone goes into the cold water. Also ropes and grappling hooks for climbing. And of course, medical supplies." Twilight said. "Just watch yourselves and you'll be okay." 

"So raise your hooves or paws if you have any questions." Princess Cadence said.

Night Fury was the first one to make his inquiry known. "What's the count on our hot beverages? We'll need some heat on the move if we're gonna keep from freezing. More you guys than me, but the concern still stands."

"Well let's just say there is a sufficient amount for all of us but too much. We won't casually drink it until we start to get a little chilly so save it for those times." Twilight said.

"Well, with that I think we are ready." Cadence said. "Get ready everyone! We leave now!"

Fury was thrilled. But he also felt some tension at these legendary Shifters. 

I wonder what these Snow Shifters are like. I hope they are friendlier than the Shadow Shifters, I don't need all of that drama right now.

Fury thought to himself as he hooked himself up to the front caravan, gave a salute to his friends and the Yaks who were staying behind and led the trip away from Yakyakistan.

–

The weather was brutal for the most part, the wind beating down on the smaller but still manageable convoy. Fury and the other soldiers pulled the wagons as well as they could through valleys, brief but terrible snowstorms and thick snow. Soon enough they came up to an ice lake that stretched on for a while to the convoy's right side. The ice looked relatively thick and was coated in a thin layer of snowy powder, almost like powdered sugar on a pastry.

"Now that's some thick ice. I've never seen an ice lake before, let alone touched actual ice outside of some ice in a cup of lemonade on a hot summer day. I'd never have guessed that you could walk on it." Fury said, marveling at the ice lake as they passed by.

"And that's what we're going to be walking on." Cadence said. "Alright everyone, whatever you do, follow Twilight who has the map. Whatever you do, do not deviate from the path Twilight goes on. We probably shouldn't have any problems but be ready for if any of us go into the water."

"Let's just hope we won't end up having to book it for our lives if the ice cracks." Twilight added. "Okay everyone, follow me."

Twilight guided the long line of wagons slowly onto the ice one by one, rolling into the thick ice that covered the lake. But not too much later did she have to help a certain someone get used to walking on ice.

"Woaaaah…!" Fury yelped, his paws slipping all over the place before falling on his tummy with his legs sprawled out.

"Fury! Are you okay?!" Twilight asked looking back.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Like I said, I've never walked on ice before." Fury reminded her, trying to stand up and failing.

"Cadence, give him a little help." Twilight said, not wanting to move out of position since she had to lead the convoy.

Cadence flew to him to steady him. Although it was tough to fly with all the wind going on. "Don't worry. I gotcha. Come on, up on your feet." 

The pink alicorn hovered above the feline in distress and pulled him to his paws again, holding him steady so he could keep his balance.

"If only this wind weren't so intense, we could fly over this!" Fury said. "There's got to be some sort of way I can keep my balance."

Just then, Fluttershy gave her two cents. 

"I don't know if this helps, but maybe you could use your claws to dig into the ice for balance." The shy pegasus suggested.

"Hmmm, great idea Flutters!" Fury said, not wanting to slow down progress by having Cadence pin him down. 

The black cat extended his claws and dug into the ice. A small shiver went down his spine as the cold ice came into contact with the sensitive appendages, but that didn't stop him. 

"Okay, my claws are pinned and I'm good to go! Let's keep it going." Fury said confidently. The convoy kept on going with their journey across the lake, Fury taking a spot at the very back so that they could keep up the pace and not have to slow down just for him. Cadence and Fluttershy would be in the back of the wagon to keep an eye on him in case things turned bad.

So far the journey was much easier for Fury. Not having to control steps, not slipping at all. So far this was not too bad. 

"But my claws are still cool…. Hmmm, maybe I'll use a light amount of energy to heat my toes up?"

Fury used a bit of his energy to heat his toes and felt much better. Everything was smooth sailing so far. And yet over time, the blizzard was getting worse. Worse than expected.

"Ugh, are we almost there, Twi?! This snow is pounding my fur like crazy and I can't see a thing!"  Fury called out over the harsh wind and snow.

"We just have a quarter of a way to go!" Twilight said. "I have no idea why the blizzard is so intense! This map says it's usually calm here! It's like some Windagos or other creatures are making it hard for us!"

"Well, just keep going. We don't seem to be having problems so far!" Cadence said. Her words would ultimately jinx them in their efforts.

An extra strong gust of wind came from one side and blew the rearmost carriage to the side. Fury took note of this and used his claws to keep them steady, but where he would place them would be a big mistake.

Crack…

"Uh… am I the only one who just heard that crack?" Fury asked.

"Nope, I heard it too." Cadence said. "Twilight! The ice by Fury is cracking!"

Crack!

"You've got to get onto dry land! Fast! Go ahead of the rest of the convoy and run!" Twilight commanded just as the first batch of ice went below into the water.

"I may not know how to control my powers on ice, but I've gotta get this wagon out of here! Cadence, Fluttershy… Hang on!" Fury said, fully igniting his power and heaving the wagon behind him with his claws being the only thing keeping him from skidding.

"Grrrrr! This is not my idea of a winter vacation!" Fury lamented.

"Fury, just leave the cart!" Fluttershy said. "It's too much for you!"

"No, I'm not leaving you two! If I go down, I go down knowing I did what I could!" Fury kept on going, pushing himself to the max as the ice cracked and fell behind them. 

Just up ahead, the snow bank of the other side came into view, signifying that solid ground was ahead.

"We're almost there, just hang on!" Twilighted cried out.

Fury was relieved at this news but it didn't make pulling the cart any easier.

"Let me help you push it!" Cadence said to him.

"Stay back!" Fury commanded loudly. "This one's on me! I'm pulling this cart, I'm leading the charge, I'm the head of the spear! It's my responsibility to do this, not… you!"

"But it's so heavy…"

"It doesn't matter. I have the power of the Speed Shifters on my side, I'm going to use them the way they were meant to be used! Now stay back and let me handle this!" Fury yelled as he strained against the weight of the wagon to get to the nearing snow bank.

He internally called upon his ancestors for power and strength, letting everything else fade away as he only focused on getting to the other side. He could sense through the vibrations that the cracks were getting closer as he ran, catching up to the carriage slowly but surely.

But he wasn't going to let that happen as he made one final push to the point of no return and finally made contact with solid ground on the other side of the cracking ice lake.

"Ayayay, I guess this place has it out for me! Heh." Fury said while breathing heavily. "But at least me and the cart are safe." 

Everyone sighed in relief. "Thank Celestia, you're safe."

The rest of the convoy soon followed suit and got to the other side, the rest of the cracking ice falling behind them and leaving a lake of cold water. Fury felt relieved that he made it safely across, but now he was truly tired. He was emptied of any energy he had left and the cold wind didn't help, but he didn't say anything and put up a fake expression of calm to keep his friends from worrying about him and holding them up even more.

Gee, I thought I was ready for this climate. But even I'm not used to this. How do these Snow Shifters live? 

He shook his head. 

No, what am I saying? I'm plenty fine! This is nothing! I'm not gonna let a mild chill get to me.

Then he saw Cadence approaching him. "Fury, you're too cold. Here, you can have this coat."

"Cadence, back off. I'm fine. The entire reason I'm out here is because I'm proving that not only Speed Shifters are strong, but that we can be friends with other creatures. I don't need warmth, I need to set an example." Fury argued, standing tall. At least, as tall as he could in his tired state.

"Come on Fury, you're freezing and cold."

"Look, I'm fine, okay? Just go back to the convoy and I'll take care of this wagon." Fury said sternly. Cadence wanted to press him further, but deemed it unnecessary as it would only hold them up.

"See, everything's alright."

"Well, if you insist." Cadence replied.

And so the Convoy finally reached the other side of the lake. They were in a hurry, from having spent time with the precious incident. But if they hurried, they could make it before evening.

They continued their journey along the snowy land in search of the Snow Shifters' home. Walking slow but with a decent speed, they watched their surroundings for anything that could remotely hinder their progress. And before long, they came to see a sort of compound in the distance that was guarded at the gate.

"That must be it! We're here!" Twilight said. The group traveled the remaining way to the compound and stopped just before I the gate, two Speed Shifter guards standing at either side with white and blue armor and spears.

So we're finally here.

"Halt! Who goes there?" One of the guards spoke. Twilight stepped up and greeted them.

"Greetings, Speed Shifters. I am princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, coming with the intentions of making peace with your tribe." She said calmly, but the guards stood firm.

"Oh really, what exactly could you and the rest of these weaklings have to offer to the glorious Glacier tribe?" The other guard spoke.

"Gee, is everyone in these snowy lands miserable and condescending? I gotta teach them a lesson like with the yaks."  Night Fury said, stepping in to assist Twilight.

"Hey, show some respect! You're speaking to someone higher up than both of you!" He said sternly.

"And what position could be higher than the guards that stand before you? You don't even look that powerful or important." The guard said. 

Night Fury took offense to this and uncoupled from the wagon, walking up to the guards and standing tall.

"Oh trust me, my very existence stands far over the both of you. Feast your eyes on this!" Fury said, turning around and exposing his birthmark. Once his mark was in view, the two guards gasped at the sight. They had no idea that they were standing in the presence of the current All Powerful Speed Shifter.

"By the gods' grace… It's you!" One of the guards said, shocked. "Snowpuff, get the Chief and let them in! She'll want to see this."

The guard who was addressed saluted and went inside to alert the chief. Fury smiled at the sight of his status meaning something.

"Nice to see my birthmark be of use to me." Fury said, thinking back to his time with those raiders going after him and his parents.

"Are you sure you're ready to talk to someone like her?" Fluttershy asked. "What if she is horrifying like that Pyro Flare?"

"Then I'll treat her like Pyro if worse comes to worse. Otherwise, let's be polite and make ourselves out to be friendly." Fury said. 

Everyone entered through the gates. And there they saw what appeared to be igloos and menacing masks and statues erected around the village made of ice and snow. Everyone looked big compared to how Night Fury's tribe would do things. Clearly strong and used to living out there. 

The residents of the town looked at the new group with suspicion, feeling somewhat threatened by the new entries into their domain. The convoy stopped outside what could only be considered the chief's hut, the large doors of ice and intimidating structure giving that away almost instantly.

The other guard popped out of the front door and jumped at the sight of Night Fury once again, her anxiety at an all time high in the presence of an All Powerful.

"P-please, If you would f-follow me…" She stuttered, waving them inside. Twilight, Cadence, Fluttershy and Fury separated themselves from the convoy and followed the anxious guard into the hut. While the outside was made of pure ice and snow, the inside was surprisingly well furnished.

There sat paintings nailed into the walls of ice, carpets lining the floors with the occasional pot, window, pedestal or fainting couch.

"Wow. For a hut that's basically a giant igloo, this place is quite well furnished." Twilight acknowledged.

"You're right. It's almost like Canterlot Castle but scaled down." Cadence said.

They continued walking down the halls until they made it to another set of double doors, at which point the guard turned around to speak.

"One moment please." She squeaked, entering the doors quickly and beginning to speak to someone on the inside, although muffled.

"Have you brought them here? And are you sure it's him?" An unknown voice spoke.

"Yes, they're here. And I am sure that it's him. He even bears the mark, Chief." Said the guard. A moment of silence rang out for a few seconds before the chief spoke.

"Bring them in. It's time that I get to see who the title was passed down to." The chief said. The door opened once more and the guard peeked her head out.

"The chief will see you now." The guard said. She opened the door fully and the group of four got a full view of the chief's chambers. The chambers were made of pure ice, but the area inside of it was decorated with carpet, cushions and shades.

Whoever this chief was, she truly was not some minor chief but one with majesty.

"Ah, so you have arrived." said a feminine voice.

They looked upon the Chief with awe. Her fur was ice white and her eyes were a bright blue. She wore what looked like a crown, but it was more of a headpiece covered in cloth and fuzz. She also wore a chest piece that was made of some sort of ice/metal hybrid alloy, decorated with pearls and a central snowflake symbol. 

Among the four of them, she instantly laid eyes on Night Fury.

"So, is what my guard said true, young Shifter?" She asked him.

"See for yourself." Fury responded, turning around and revealing his mark to the chief.

Her eyes opened up widely at this. She got up from her throne and walked to Fury. She then reached out and felt his scar.

"Uh, Chief, what are you…?"

"So, you are indeed the one. The new All Powerful!" She said with awe. 

"Wait, how do you know about this?" Fury asked. "Our people don't even know each other."

"Because… I am your predecessor. Your title was once mine in the past, and now it's yours. I've been wanting to meet you for a long time." She said in a wise tone, one similar to Emperor Snowdrift. "Please, tell me your name."

"Um, of course. My name's Night Fury. I come from a village called Thunder Hollow, southeast from here in the jungles. Of course I now live in Ponyville with ponies. They're pretty cool." He said, sounding a bit nervous now that he knew he was standing in front of the previous All Powerful.

"I see. Well, to add to the introduction, My name is Snow Globe. I am the current chief of the Glacier tribe here in our city of Snow Henge." she said, eyeing the ponies. "I'll assume you took care of him well. I trust you had a pleasant journey here."

"Uh yes, it was very pleasant." Twilight said concealing the true struggles of travel. "Very nice and not brutal."

The chief looked back at Night Fury's face and noticed he looked a little weak, his body slightly saggy and his stance swaying from side to side. He looked tired and drained.

She had a light laugh. "Do not lie to me, no outsider can feel pleasant with our climate. We Snow Shifters are built for this. And I'm assuming you encountered our oh so pleasant blizzards."

"Not to mention we almost sank to the bottom of an ice lake." Cadence blurted out.

"Now I know how that one yak scout felt." The chief said with a laugh. 

Twilight and Fury blushed at this. But at least she had a sense of humor. 

"Well, you've been assimilated to our ways. Welcome to our realm. Please, allow us to get you warm and comfortable. Especially you, Night Fury. You look tired and drained, let me personally care for you while you're here. You look like you could use a snack." Snow Globe said.

She clapped her paws and some servants came.

"Treat our guests to a fine dinner, won't you?"

Quickly, an army of speed shifters servants brought forth cushions and a table. The servants silently grabbed the ponies and Fury and placed them by the table. And then the servants brought forth the dish of the day: mackerel for Fury and some hay for the ponies.

"Enjoy your meal." She said.

"Uh, thank you." Twilight replied, seeming a little unsure of what to say.

As they ate, they noticed the food was odd but strangely delicious. Fury figured she was expecting them. 

Fury was unsure what to think of this elegant beautiful lady. On the one paw she was extremely hospitable and had a sense of humor. But on the other paw, she also seemed to be a bit of a mystery especially since she's a bit slow to explain why she wants them, he felt like she was hiding something. Was she truly hospitable or was she goading him into a false sense of security?

In this search for answers, he decided to start up some small talk. 

"So, what made you want to meet me? Was it a thing of envy? Jealousy? Just a random thought?" He asked.

"Fury!" Twilight said.

Snow Globe lightly giggled. "Straight to the point, I see. Maybe a little jealousy at first, but now more curiosity. Curiosity of who this new All Powerful would be. The one that replaced me."

"Well you got your answer. But I want to know, you said you were the All Powerful once? So you just lost your power all of a sudden?" Fury asked.

"Not necessarily. When I decided to live my life in peace and quiet, I willingly relinquished my godly powers and title to give myself somewhat of a retirement. I do still have the usual abilities of our kind, speed and transformations of the like. But relieving my status as All Powerful just… how should I say… downgraded my powers a bit." Snow Globe explained.

"I see." Fury said. "Did you know who would have this power? Did you know it would be me?"

"Well, yes and no." She replied. "To relinquish my powers, I had to ask Emperor Snowdrift himself to assign it-"

"Woah woah woah, hold on! You got into contact with the emperor as well? How?!" Fury asked, surprised that she had done that.

"Very simple, Fury. When one becomes an All Powerful, they have the ability to commune with the emperor. But only those with the scar can do so." She said, showing him her own scar. A snowflake at the top of her right shoulder.

"How did you do it? Is it just natural? A special meditation technique?" 

"Considering how you yourself talk to the emperor, I think you can figure out how I and other All Powerfuls did it." Snow Globe said.

"Through a spell scribbled on a piece of scroll that was secretly hidden away in a memorial, sat inside a temple within the Silver Blue?" Fury said.

"I did indeed get a scroll that gave those instructions. But, I don't remember anything about the Silver Blue housing an alternative to the one I received, let alone one that was casted via a spell. Please tell me, how did you find it?"

"I wanted to learn more about my heritage. About the past. And the ponies had rumors of an abandoned ruined city in the Everfree Forest with artifacts that were to be used in a new part of the Ponyville Museum. So, with the assistance of another princess, we ventured out into the unknown to find this city with the charted path of old explorers that came before me."

"Once we found the Silver Blue and went into the temple, we found Emperor Snowdrift's memorial where a scroll was hidden that bonded him to whoever spoke it aloud. Ever since then, his spirit resides within my subconscious mind to be spoken to through my dreams or summoned at my command into the living realm." Fury said, showing a few pictures of his travels to her.

Though she tried to stay composed, Fury could tell she was clearly amazed. She continued. "Well it's not everyday one finds the Silver Blue itself. Truly you are blessed to have rediscovered such a wondrous place. For me, it was much less glamorous. One day, when my father was the chief on a meeting with another village, some strange messenger in a cloak from the south came in with a strange scroll. It contained a message from the emperor himself, designating me as the next All Powerful. The scroll was not a spell, but a meditation technique to contact him for guidance from the afterlife."

"My father tried hard to meditate but it did not work. He just could not communicate. And then I came across it, thinking it to be some exotic curiosity. My father did not tell me what the scroll was and wanted it secret. But when I read it, I felt like a new Shifter. I felt like I had potential I could never have thought to attain. And thus I became an All Powerful. Though my father scolded me greatly, he still had me train to be an All Powerful."

"Hmm, that's a strange bit of history. For me, the spell I triggered joined his spirit with me entirely. He exists within me as a whole now that I am the new All Powerful. He guides me through my dreams when I sleep and meditate, teaching me new techniques every day." Fury said.

"I can… summon him if you would like to speak to him again." This offer caught not only Snow Globe, but the other ponies off guard. She didn't know what to say. Could he actually summon the spirit of the emperor into the living realm to speak with her?

"It's one thing to communicate with him through meditation, but for an All Powerful to see him in real life? You are not just telling tall tales are you?" 

"Watch me." Fury said simply. He closed his eyes and focused on his subconscious mind, projecting his thoughts through his energy. As he glowed a harsh red, a bit of his energy split off from him and formed a silhouette of a Speed Shifter. Within seconds, the silhouette took shape, adding a cape, long teeth and a face that was now recognized as the emperor himself in a holographic state.

Contrary to her calm, somewhat playful demeanor, Snow Globe's jaw dropped. Right in front of her eyes sat the spirit emperor himself, casted into the mortal realm by Night Fury's energy.

"Oh Great Emperor, is… is that really you?"

Emperor Snowdrift opened his eyes and took in the new landscape now that he had been summoned, looking around at the eyes that were locked onto him. Laying eyes on the familiar face of the previous All Powerful Speed Shifter, he acknowledged her.

"Yes. Yes it is. It is a pleasure to see you alive and well, Snow Globe." He spoke.

She had a light smile. "Likewise, master. I had no idea that you could be summoned into the living realm."

"I suppose there is something new to learn about All Powerfuls every day." Snowdrift replied. "Especially with those of high curiosity." He said, looking at Fury.

"I guess you could say that I have a bit of a wild imagination, right? What's living life for if you don't wonder about the more mysterious things that happen within it?" Fury asked.

"That is quite true." Snow Globe said. "You probably had more curiosity than I had in my life for sure. I commend you for that."

She then turned to the Emperor. "So, what is it like having your spirit be directly connected to an All Powerful, master?"

"Well, it definitely feels like there is a weight over me. I feel a bit tired and drained from being connected to another. Especially someone who is far more active and temperamental than you, Snow Globe."

"Yeah, that's kinda my thing." Fury said.

The emperor continued "However, I am fine with that since I am for one, old. And two, I know that my power is in good paws. And that Fury will make sure to use it for good. Especially since he now knows you. With powers and knowledge that are far older than the jungle shifters."

"Eh, I wouldn't say that our techniques are that off the rails. Watch this." Fury focused on himself for a moment before extending his tail into a red electrified tentacle.

"Since when could you do that?" Fluttershy spoke up, marveling at the long bright appendage.

"Well, I've been practicing in Ponyville especially after Blueblood tried to get rid of me but my mom taught me these techniques since I was a cub. Although admittedly, I did more running with my dad. But it's been very useful for me in a pinch. After all, speed isn't so helpful to fight a big yak chief. But that's another story." Fury said.

"I see. So you have two talents: lightning and transformation." Snow Globe said.

"That's not all I have. I also have a third skill." Fury said, smiling deviously as he curled his electric tail back and quickly struck Twilight's flank by surprise.

"Eep!"

"Quick reflexes, hehehehehe." Fury chuckled, his cheekiness on full display.

"Very impressive. It works well with your quick fighting style. Though I know one talent you seem to be lacking in: showing good manners." She said with a light laugh.

"Yes, I had to learn that the hard way." The Emperor said. Twilight, Cadance and even Fluttershy nodded along.

"What's the fun in having good manners? Life isn't a string of written rules that you have to follow. Lightning makes its own rules, carves its own path. And besides, that lack of professionalism is what got me my popularity in the first place. Not to mention my current love interest." Fury said.

"Ah young love." Snow Globe said. "I remember when my husband first charmed me."

"Yeah, let's not say young love. You know that princess that helped me find the Silver Blue? Let's just say, she's been around for a long time." Fury said, revealing a picture of him getting a kiss from none other than Princess Luna herself.

"Is this… the Princess of the Night? You are dating the one who controls the moon?" Snow Globe asked with curiosity.

"The one and only Luna herself. She's been my one and only sweetheart for almost a year now, she's loyal to me and I do the same for her. I wouldn't take any other creature to fall in love with." Fury replied, looking a bit dreamy eyed.

"It seems for all your power, you have a tender heart. That's good. I would not want someone heartless to have such an important power." She said, smiling genuinely.

"That's why we all love him. He's kind, gentle, funny and sweet… every single one of us ponies find him to be perfect in every way." Cadence said, getting a blush out of the black feline.

"Awww, Cadence… you're making me blush." Fury whimpered, seeming embarrassed.

"Well, except when he decides to be naughty and steal food from the pantry. Or when he likes to prank my husband."

"Hey!" Fury snapped, now trying to hide his face. "You do it too sometimes." He mumbled.

Snow Globe was quite amused and charmed by the new guest. Despite their clear opposite personalities, Fury could tell she was friendly and not the cold distant chief he was expecting her to be.

"Well, now that I've been thoroughly embarrassed by the pink fuzzball…"

"Like you're one to talk, coal dust." The love princess shot back.

"Alright you two, save the childish bickering for later." The emperor said, a little annoyed. "I think that will be all from me. I think I am ready to return to my humble abode. Night Fury, if you would."

"As you wish, emperor. Till we meet again." Fury said, snapping his claws and beginning to absorb the holographic emperor back into his mind.

"Farewell, my former apprentice. And be of good help to Night Fury." He instructed.

"I shall carry out your will, master." she said, bowing to him as the emperor then vanished before their eyes.

"Well, I'd say this went swimmingly!" Twilight said. "Perhaps we should have a tour of this town to familiarize ourselves with your domain? It would prove useful for later reference if you ever decide to open trade routes between kingdoms."

"That would be a wondrous idea, Miss Sparkle. But first I would like to ask our Speed Shifter. What brought you here exactly? I'm sure you did not grow your fur long and suffer our cold for small talk. You must have a bigger reason." Snow Globe asked, curious as to why he appeared here.

Fury nodded. "You guessed right. It was actually the Yaks of Yakyakistan that asked for my appearance. They not only wanted to make an alliance with Equestria through me and my friends, but they also wanted an alliance with Speed Shifters as well. They wanted me to speak with you and the rest of the Snow Shifters up here to possibly get some answers as to your true intentions."

"Don't be alarmed, they only wish to see if you are friendly. They actually want to form an alliance between Yaks and Snow Shifters as well." Fury explained.

"Really? I was always wondering what those yaks' intentions were. We kept ourselves rather isolated for a while. But we decided to do some exploring. I will admit, I might have misjudged the yaks. I was worried about how… to put it lightly… brutish they might be. And how they might attack us. They certainly liked to 'smash' for whatever reason." The chief said, sounding concerned.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, the Yak prince knows not to mess with me. At least now that I fought him in a show of honor and strength, gave him bruises and gashes ponies would faint at, and made him bow to me in defeat." Fury said, looking a little smug.

Snow Globe was silent for a moment. "Your idea of earning the yaks' trust was to brutally maul their leader? Is this what shifters of the south consider to be diplomacy?" 

"I wouldn't say maul. More like… repeatedly striking their leader with such force and blatant disregard for any sort of moral standing that every soul in the vicinity of the fight feared my very presence." Fury said, almost too casually for comfort.

The normally calm queen had a look of utter worry and confusion on her face. Fury found it a little amusing.

"Not used to this type of diplomacy, eh? Well, don't you worry. The yaks actually respected my lack of mercy. I knew them being such warriors, they would know the need to go all out. So we're now buddies! And you will be too!"

Snow Globe was pretty shocked to hear this actually worked. "Heh, well, it's most certainly not how I would have established relations. But as long as it works, I guess that's all that matters, I suppose."

"Night Fury isn't that scary most of the time." Twilight said. "He's more adorable most of the time than terrifying."

"Says the one who looked like you were about to pass out at the very sight of me." Fury defended.

"Oh really? Then would you like to explain why you are currently loafing like a house cat?" Twilight said with a cheeky grin.

"Hey, it's comfortable and preserves warmth! A pony like you would never understand how nice this feels."

"Ahh, you're right. I don't understand the helpfulness of such a sitting arrangement. But perhaps I should provide some more… extensive evidence." Twilight said. Fury immediately understood what she was doing and went on the defensive.

"No, don't you dare! You'll regret it!" 

"Will I regret this? No, I don't think so." Twilight said as she got close to him, got her hoof under his chin and revealed his ultimate weakness. His purring.

"You little… (purr)… oh it feels so good." Fury said in a daze.

Purrrrr…

The black cat was left in a state of forced sedation as he purred quietly with Twilight supplying the source.

"That's a good boy." Twilight cooed, moving to his ears.

"Ah you figured out our greatest weakness, Twilight." Snow Globe said walking by the two. "The feeling of being caressed. Isn't that right, mighty warrior?"

"I… don't want to… talk about it. Leave me alone." Fury managed to say, still a little distracted by the stroking and scratching.

"It's one thing to be petted by a pony, but have you wondered what the feeling of a Snow Shifter is like?" She said, putting her paw on his neck.

Fury felt the cool feeling of her. It was like being in cool water or feeling a cool breeze over his fur. It felt so strange to a lightning Shifter like himself, yet he felt a certain calm at the touch of her paws.

"At this point, there's no denying it. With all of the terrifyingly brutal and merciless thoughts that run through your mind, you're still just a big ol house cat at heart." Cadence said.

"Too bad Luna isn't here to see this, she would be falling for you on sight with this amount of cuteness." Fluttershy added, giggling slightly.

"Aw shaddup." Fury said, annoyed. "Females and their love for cuteness." He muttered.

"I think he's learned his lesson, we can stop now." Snow Globe said.

Snow Globe then got back to business. "Well, son, I'm glad to have met you. I think I have a few more things I would like to share with as an ex-All Powerful but for now, I think we are done. You should see our village and see if you are impressed by it."

"Good, because I can't take the cuteness overload anymore. Well, I guess I can't say it's all bad. At least you don't know about me being ticklish." Fury blurted out, immediately covering his mouth in surprise that he let such a critical secret slip.

"Well, young one, you have just sealed your fate." Snow Globe said, giving a devious smile. "I know exactly how to utterly annihilate you in ten seconds." 

Fury then smiled. "Hah, you'll have to catch me first! Watch this!" Fury said as he readied to dash. But when he tried to get away, he found himself to be locked in place.

"Wait, I'm not moving. I can't move!"

"Do you think that me petting you was the only thing that happened? My powers gave me a liquid I can control with my will. And I command it to freeze your paws to the ground. You're stuck." She said smiling. 

"And don't try to use your energy to melt the ice. I've frozen up the parts of your body that create extra energy. You're completely helpless." She said with a smug face.

"Heh heh, you Snow Shifters are pretty powerful. And yet you are also peaceful. So peaceful you might consider showing mercy to those you've captured?" Fury said, sounding hopeful.

"You misunderstand. We like to take things carefully and slowly, but that doesn't mean we don't have a warrior instinct. We are Shifters after all. And right now, I'm feeling the instinct." She said, putting her paws under Fury's belly.

Fury knew with her powers, it would probably be the worst tickling he ever had.

"Hang on! What if I gave a bunch of our exotic piranha stew?! Or what if I gave you some of my mom's pawmade rugs?!" He bargained, pleading with his life for his release.

"Perhaps I could accept those offers… but seeing the great young warrior being brought to his knees suits my current mood more." She said with an almost bloodthirsty look that matched what Fury had.

"Oh come on!"

"Time for your day of reckoning!"

She then proceeded to rapidly tickle his belly, energy going through Fury's nerves. The chill and tickles was something he never thought could ever be combined. But he knew now what it felt like. 

"Oh ho ho ho ho ha ha ha ha! Ooooh! Make it stop! Is this some kind of sick torture?!" He squealed, trying to pull himself away to no avail.

"No, I'm just playing with you sweetheart." She said smiling. "I see why your friends say you're more adorable than vicious, you just crumble at the slightest touch. You're like a giant kitten."

"I am not like… ha ha ha ha ha! Me and my big fat mouth! Someone negotiate with her!" He said looking at his pony friends.

The others were too busy laughing to listen to his pleas. Even Fluttershy was amused.

"Curses! What will it take for you to ha ha ha release me!?" Fury asked.

"Perhaps once you admit you're not as invincible as you boast, I may consider letting you go." Snow Globe said, attempting a bargain.

"Over my dead body." Fury said, trying to stand his ground.

"Oh I wouldn't go that far, I would just keep tickling you like a toy for hours to come. Would you like that more, young one?"

"Gosh, you're smug." Fury cringed. But he could not resist the tickling of her any longer. It was too much for him.

"Okay okay, fine, I admit that I'm not the strong one I boast about. In reality, I'm a bit of a softie on the inside that actually has a thing for food and sleeping. There, you happy now?"

"Very much darling." She said, stroking his neck. "I shall release thee from your frozen prison."

He saw her eyes glow blue and all of a sudden he felt free. He could move again. But he felt wet.

"My special water came from my paws. It was what froze you in place. Since I have deactivated it, not it cannot be used to freeze you. It will dry off in thirty minutes." She said, giving a cheerful smile. 

"And it's left me wet too. It's a good thing lightning and water work in harmony just as much as they can be enemies." Fury said. He lit himself up and ignited his energy. Small water droplets started to float off of his wet fur, leaving him dry and leaving the water in suspended animation.

This surprised both the chief and his pony friends, especially Twilight.

"Of course, the friction between water droplets inside clouds creates lightning! And the electric charge of Fury's powers can manipulate the water around him because of water's extreme conductivity. It's genius!" Twilight said, geeking out in full.

"Thank you very much, Twilight, I appreciate your oh so rare compliments about me." Fury said, smiling. "Oh and by the way, Chief Snow Globe? That was quite fun actually! Here let me give you a little gift."

Fury gathered up the moisture around him. Forming it into a small cloud and shooting it toward the Chief. 

BOOM!

"Oof!" Snow Globe said, a bit shocked both literally and metaphorically. As the lightning from the cloud went through her.

"Now, we're even." Fury said, smirking. 

Snow Globe's fur was slightly upright now. However despite the initial shock, she was not as affected as Fury expected. She was clearly quite powerful to resist all that lightning so much.

"Very clever. I shouldn't have thought you would not have vengeance on me. I'll have to get my hair done again." She said, looking at herself in one of her icicles.

"Like I've told ponies in Equestria, I make sure no one thinks they're above me. Because 1: They know they're not. And 2: They know that I'll put them in their place. Even Celestia herself isn't safe from me setting my standards around her." 

Snow Globe was silent for a moment, simply staring at Fury. 

Then she spoke up. "That is good to be able to resist anyone who is too dangerous. But I will say this. You are still not quite there yet in terms of power. After all, I was able to freeze you thoroughly." 

"Don't need power to make it clear to someone that you don't take any nonsense. I'm the chosen ambassador for Speed Shifters for a reason, and that reason is that I have the ability to use well thought out arguments to prove my point instead of just asserting dominance." Fury said, changing his tone and looking serious. 

"It's how I got to be so popular with ponies. With ponies, I use more charm and wit. Unlike with yaks where I knew they were more warlike. I know enough to tell the difference." Fury explained. "And all that about you freezing me? Maybe I'm not there yet. But from the time I first met ponies to now, I've grown much stronger. And I know that next time, I'll grow stronger through sheer will till I can defeat you and prove I am worthy as your successor." Fury said with all sincerity. 

Snow Globe had to admit that she was impressed with his diplomacy and serious tone. With this ability to know when to act casual and/or serious, his life could have a very fortunate and prosperous outcome. Though, she could still sense the child-like silliness within him. He may have been given a very important and impactful role in benefiting Speed Shifters as a whole, but she could tell that he was one for the sweeter and more fun things in life.

"Well then, I can see why you were chosen as the next All Powerful, young one. If you ever need my help to get stronger, then just come see me. I have a whole bunch of scrolls unknown to your kind." She said smiling again.

"I'll make sure to pay a visit once this is all over, Chief. But what are we standing around for? Let's get on with that tour, eh?" Fury said.

"I can't wait to see all the sites here! This town is amazing!" Twilight said.

"See you, Chief! And just know one day, the  next time I give you a cloudy gift, you'll feel like a roast duck and not just having a bad fur day." Fury said with a smirk, before leaving the room and waving.

"We shall see, young one." She said, waving back.

–

The snow and wind were light around the town the group of four were exploring, giving them some much needed reprieve from the hectic outside world. Along their route, vendors and huts made of ice lined the streets, giving way to the passing by of other Snow Shifters moving along with their day.

"Wow, this town sure is a different realm compared to Thunder Hollow. I feel like I stepped through a portal into another world." Fury said, taking in the fascinating surroundings.

"It's amazing a whole civilization could be built with just ice alone." Twilight said in marvel. "I wonder if this place has a library. I would love to see how it was built."

"Of course the first thing you search for is a library, Twilight. Oh so predictable." Cadence joked, getting a snicker out of Fury.

"Oh come on. You can't blame me this time! Just look at this ice! Have you ever seen anything like it?" Twilight asked. 

"I guess I can see what you mean. This actually is something worth getting interested in…unlike your Starswirl obsession." Fury said.

"Thanks." Twilight said a bit unamused.

Fluttershy spoke up. "I just wonder what wondrous beasts there are? According to the yaks, they talk of exotic beasts not seen in Ponyville."

"Uh Fluttershy… you might want to take a look to your right."

She turned to her right. Her jaw dropped at the sight of what appeared to be a giant furry insect. It was multiple shades of blue and also appeared to be walking on two legs. It was almost like a dragon in posture but more secretive with its makeshift hood and cloak that wrapped around its entire body except for its hands and feet.

She immediately went to get a closer look, standing a good distance away from the group of around seven that were congregating nearby.

"Oh my goodness, these creatures are beautiful!" She said, almost sounding like a child with her enthusiasm. A middle aged male Snow Shifter nearby noticed her interest and approached her.

"A beautiful sight, aren't they? These creatures are some of the most common to appear up here." The Shifter said.

"Wow, that's amazing! What are they called?" Fluttershy asked.

"Glacies Lepidoptera." Fury stepped in, looking on at the creatures in front of him.

"Um… Gesundheit." Cadence said, thinking he had just let out some sort of weird sneeze.

"Wha- No Cadence, I didn't sneeze!" Fury chuckled. "That's just their scientific name."

"Glacies Lepidoptera, Ice Moths. We learned about these in school back home. Ice Moths come from a far off land called 'The Frozen Vale'. A place in the heart of Equestria, forever caught in a snowy downpour because of their magic. Ice Moths have the ability to breathe ice and create superstructures out of it, which is why they are so accustomed to the cold." Fury explained. "I guess that explains the unusually strong blizzards we had when getting here."

"They're also Asexual." He added, catching the ponies off guard.

"Night Fury! Do you have to talk about such a private part of life so openly?!" Twilight spat out, thinking he had just said something foul.

"Wrong again, brainiac. Sheesh, for a pony who's so smart, you'd think she'd actually know a few things about animals." Fury said, chuckling at her reaction along with Cadence and even Fluttershy, considering she is familiar with animals.

"Asexual just means that they don't need a mate to reproduce. They do it by laying eggs and waiting a month for them to hatch, then you have a full clutch of up to seven or eight new Ice Moths ready to greet the world." He explained, pointing to an already laid clutch of eggs being taken care of by one of the moths.

"Oh my. I did not expect these creatures to be able to reproduce that way." Fluttershy said, fascinated. "Amazing how such majestic beings live among the Snow Shifters."

"It's a good thing we can actually communicate with them. While there are a select few of them that can actually speak fluent English, most just communicate through making ice sculptures of their thoughts, clicks, whistles and screeches." The Snow Shifter explained.

"Oooh, I wonder if I can get in touch with one of them so I can use their DNA later." Fury said, looking eager to have their powers at his disposal. "They're not aggressive to strangers, are they?"

"Well they can be a little suspicious of strangers. They like to protect themselves. So you should approach with caution." The Snow Shifter said.

"Easy peasy. I mean, I had to meet Fluttershy so I'm already used to handling a delicate species."

"I'm not that delicate." Fluttershy muttered.

For Fury, he walked up close to the majestic beast. It turned to see him approaching. Fury almost jumped at this, but he kept his cool. 

"Hey, don't worry. Good boy. You're a cool boy." He said softly.

Alright, time to see if those classes about these things were actually worth something.

He said to himself. He let out a breath and began to speak in clicks and whistles to try and communicate with the Ice Moth.

The ice moth responded back with sounds resembling Fury's. Once standoffish and loud, the creature got softer and calmer after a little more exposure to the natural world. After a little back and forth with the Ice Moth, it eventually fell silent with the ice moth holding a hand out to him.

Fury and the others on the sidelines were amazed that he actually made friends with the creature and got it to agree to give its DNA. Fury gave a smile and shook its hand, letting out a few final clicks of gratitude before waving a goodbye and heading back to the group.

"I can't believe it, I actually got them to give me their DNA willingly! Maybe going to school wasn't as bad as I thought…" Fury said, thinking back to his younger years.

"Nah! That place was boring and lame, I'm glad I never have to go back to that place. Nohoho thank you!" He blurted out, immediately going back to his carefree state.

"Just when I thought Fury grew up." Twilight sighed

"Please Twilight, with an attitude like his, he never will." Cadence chuckled.

"Okay, enough talk. Let's see what this DNA has to offer." Fury said. He charged his energy and began to transform right in front of his friends. His form went bipedal, his paws becoming long hands as his aura went from red to blue. A long hooded cloak stretched down to his legs and covered most of his body, his face turning blue and his eyes becoming more bug-like. Finally, his mouth formed a sort of grate, like the breathing apparatus on a gas mask.

Once the transformation was completed, Fury took a sigh of relief and content, a bit of icy mist coming out.

"Well, judging by your expressions, it looks like the transformation worked. What do you think? Would you say I look cool as ice?" Fury said in an altered voice, giving a slightly chilly breeze.

The other ponies shivered at his breeze.

"Aside from the corny pun, I guess it's pretty neat." Cadence said. "Who would have thought these types of creatures existed just a few miles north of the Crystal Empire."

The older Speed Shifter looked impressed. "Ah transformation. You've done quite well. Most shifters of the jungle don't use transformation or at least not as well as you. Impressive."

"Well, I guess it figures my mom, Black Ice, knows this technique. She often bragged that she was descended from 'Those of the north'. I thought she was just boasting at first, but I guess she really did have distant ties to you guys and carried on that transformation magic." Fury said.

"Interesting. Interesting. But let's get back to you." The Snow Shifter merchant said. "If you really are worthy of transformation, prove yourself with your abilities." 

"Give me a challenge, and we'll see what these moths can do." Fury said eagerly.

"Well for one thing, let's see you fly. That cloak is actually just their wings and antenna wrapped around them to keep covered and hide away their more dominant shape."

"Oh so right now I'm just an average big bug. You know nothing crazy. Just minding my business. Then suddenly…"

He opened his not one, but two sets of wings, revealing a majestic pattern and radiance and his full muscular body. The others looked in awe when he took flight.

Woosh!

Fury noticed it was a different feeling from a bird. It was much slower to go place to place. But with one little flap he produced so much wind that it blew the snow away in that little area.

"Wow. So now I can see how strong these guys are." Fury said, impressed. "These fellas must have been why the blizzards have been so crazy. Not very fast fliers either, I guess these quad wings are better for getting off the ground and gliding than keeping up speed."

Fury was still curious of what he could do. "Anything else these bad boys do?"

"Try breathing ice! Make something out of it!"

"Oh boy, here goes nothing." He gave a deep breath through his nose and blasted a cold and icy ray out of his mouth, instantly creating a large ice structure with jagged edges. 

"Okay, that's step one done. Now comes step two!" He confidently proclaimed. He floated down to the ice structure and began to trim away at the ice, scraping ice around the structure to form smooth curves. With each second, his pace increased, creating more icy mist as he quickly scraped away at layers before he flew back a few feet to reveal a homemade ice statue of Cadence.

"Ta daaaa! What do ya think?"

Cadence was amazed at the sculpture; it looked so accurate to her. "It's gorgeous. You are quite the craftscat. The mane flows in the wind, my wings are so big and flowing, and my cutie mark is so accurate. Though a little bigger than I thought. Wait. That's not the only thing that's big…"

Her enthusiasm quickly transformed into disappointment when she saw the back side of her. Which was more plump than she would have liked. Cadence realized his true plan.

Meanwhile, a now grounded Fury was snickering behind her with all of the maturity of a six year old. 

"Thanks Cadence for the compliments. Especially on the accurate part. It was my biggest focus." He said, cackling like a witch.

"I should not have expected any less from you, Fury. I guess I was the silly one to think you would make a genuine sculpture of me." Cadence said, rolling her eyes.

"Thanks! I'll take that as a compliment, Your Royal Rump Majesty." He joked, bowing.

"Why you little…!" Cadence snarled as she leaped at Fury and began to cover him with snow and tickles.

"Ha ha ha! Dang, even snow moths are not immune to the dreaded tickles!" Fury laughed, squirming around as Cadence did her worst.

Meanwhile the snow shifter ignored most of the arguing and fighting and was more interested in the sculpture itself. He seemed quite impressed with the accuracy, save for the rear side of course.

"It looks like you have shown your skill, kid. It's a nice statue albeit a bit primitive and raw. But I'm sure with time you will be able to make an even greater sculpture… Hey are you listening to me?!" 

Cadence was still harassing the mischievous shifter. And both did not hear a word he said.

"Hey can you two stop playing around?! I'm trying to offer my critique." 

"Yeah, Cadence, you're not letting the poor guy make known his thoughts!" Fury said with a bit of smirk.

"Wha- I'm not… but you're… Oh for Pete's sake! He was the one who started it by making my butt unrealistically huge!"

"Just trying to convey the truth like a real artist!"

"I'll show you tru- Mmmmmh!!!"

The snow shifter proceeded to freeze their mouths shut. 

"Ah that's better. Are these two always like this?" He asked Twilight and Fluttershy.

"Like siblings in the middle of a family reunion. And I should know considering she married my brother." Twilight said.

Fury got annoyed with the ice mask and tried to pull it off. But in doing so, the ice shattered and a very sharp piece gashed his face and drew blood.

"Ow ow ow! Bad idea, bad idea, ahahahaoow!" Fury yelped. This got the attention of his friends, especially Cadence and Fluttershy who were very concerned with the amount of blood that came from just one ice shard.

"Oh my goodness, Fury, are you okay!? That is a lot of blood!" Fluttershy said.

"That's another skill we Snow Shifters have. To capture others easily. If they want to escape, well they will face consequences. But I don't want you to suffer those consequences. Here let me melt that ice away."  The Snow Shifter held his paw up and melted the shard easily.

"Oh my goodness! Here, hold still, I will wrap the wounds up." Fluttershy said getting some bandages from her first aid kit.

"Wait wait wait, I'll deal with this." Fury said. He held up a claw and charged it, shooting a small red laser out of it and instantly cauterizing the wound.

"There, good as new." Fury said.

"I guess I didn't know your lightning powers could bring healing." The Snow Shifter said.

"Eh, the lightning itself isn't really the culprit, just the heat that comes off of it. All it takes is a little heat to cauterize an open wound. Just enough to stop the bleeding until we can get some proper care. That's one of our techniques." Fury said. "Very helpful in a desperate situation and when you have no medics nearby. Of course if it's too deep, it'll only slow down the problems but that's still an advantage."

"Very impressive." The Snow Shifter then melted the ice around Fury.

"Mmmmmm." The pink alicorn mumbled.

"Oh you too." He proceeded to melt the ice around Cadence's muzzle, allowing her to finally speak.

"Oh thank goodness. I was shivering there! Oh gosh I would not want to be a prisoner here."

"This entire camp would be a pile of flesh and ice before I'd let that happen to any of you." Fury said simply.

"Awww that's sweet… and slightly disturbing. I guess I'll forget your remarks this time." Cadence said.

"But we both know that won't last for long, don't we?" Fury said with a charming smile.

"True. True. And I'll be sure to be alone with you next time you do that." Cadence said with a smirk.

"Alright you two. Now pay attention." said the Snow Shifter. "I'm just going to admit it. I'm actually not just a merchant. I'm one of the Overseers of the snow moths. Our fair lady Snow Globe asked me to see your abilities more and you seem quite successful so far. If there is anything else you would want from me please ask or I can point you to some other luxurious place in our gracious city." 

"Hmm… how about a place to stretch my speed and give myself an open run? I've basically had no place in Equestria to really open her up." Fury asked.

The snow shifter showed them his map. "If you go north of this town, you will see wide expansive plains. It is barren and has no trees. It is a place where some of our runners practice. As a matter of fact, I think I saw a group headed out there now."

"Perfect! I need to stretch my legs anyway. You guys wanna come with?" Fury asked.

The other ponies agreed. Cadence was of course interested in how fast one could go, while Twilight and Fluttershy were interested especially in the landscape of the area. So, they all went out to find this special barren spot to not only stretch their limbs, but to find out what Snow Shifters could really do.

–

After a few minutes of walking north, the four friends caught up to the group that was said to be out there. They seemed to be prepping for a run around the plains, stretching and practicing their maneuvers for the upcoming dash. Snow Shifters of all ages were lined up in the fresh snow. Some looked around Fury's age, others were closer to Black Ice and Obsidian. There was even a mother with her toddler in a special holder on her chest with goggles to protect their eyes.

"It seems like this is quite a popular place." Twilight commented.

"I can tell. There's such beautiful scenery." Fluttershy responded. "I can even see some reindeer in the distance!" She said with excitement.

"Yep. That all is really cool. But looks aren't everything. I came here for one reason. And that… was to go fast. Maybe I'll chat with some of these folks about running on these plains." Fury said walking up to some athletic looking Snow Shifters relaxing. One of the females who was stretching noticed the oddly colored Shifter next to her. He obviously wasn't from here, but he was the same as her, so what's the harm in chatting it up?

"Hey there, you have a peculiar color. And I don't think I've seen you before. Are you from another village?" She asked.

"More like a completely different part of the world. Speed Valley, Thunder Hollow. You heard of 'em?" Fury asked.

"Wait… Thunder Hollow?! You're from way over there? It must have taken years to get here! I never thought I'd see the day I'd see one of your kind." 

"Nah, I didn't come all the way from there. I've been living in Equestria for a while, I just came here for some business. I'm actually the only Speed Shifter ambassador that the princesses recognize and trust."

"No way. Wow, you got approval from them? I just think of them as legends. But I guess your hooved friends say otherwise." She said, astonished.

"Yep, but I'm just here to stretch my legs and run." Fury said. "Oh! And did I forget to mention this little thing?" 

Fury turns around and shows his famous mark to the Snow Shifter. She was in so much shock she fell to the ground.

"Y-y-you're an… All Powerful?" She asked, almost frightened. She got back up. "I'm sorry, I should have shown you more courtesy, sir." She said bowing. "I am glad you have graced us with your presence."

Fury looked disgusted at the formality though. "Ugh, not again. Don't ever call me 'sir' or say 'graced you with my presence'. I might have special powers but I'm just a Speed Shifter that likes to chill, relax and play pranks. I do not need to be thought of as some haughty snob."

She stopped bowing. "Wow. You're not exactly what I expect an All Powerful to be like. You're so casual. You talk just like me and my friends. I thought the next All Powerful would be elegant and sophisticated like Our Fair Lady Snow Globe."

"Please, I am not some kind of high ranking god. I'm just a casual dude that's a major foodie and a bit goofy… even though I hate to admit that." Fury said, flushing a light shade of pink.

"Uh huh." She replied. "Well you're an interesting guy. Anyways, the name's Avalanche."

"Night Fury, pleasure to meet ya. So, how about we get this run underway?" Fury said, prompting Avalanche to nod and get to her paws.

"Alright, let's do this! C'mon guys, let's get ready to go!" She called out, getting the rest of the group to line up for the initial take off. Fury decided to motivate his own group and called to them as well.

"Hey girls, last chance to get in on this before the take off! Who's coming with us?"

He didn't even hear Fluttershy respond since she was busy petting reindeer. Meanwhile Twilight was caught up in her own studies and research, writing something in her notebook. But Cadence seemed interested.

"I'll come along on this trip. It's been a while since I've given my wings a real workout, and I am a bit out of practice too. I guess I could use the exercise." The pink princess said.

"Glad to hear it! C'mon, everyone is about to set off." Fury said, waving in the direction of the group. Fury and Cadence lined up next to Avalanche who was on the far left of the group. Looking over, she noticed Fury and his princess friend.

"Never thought I would have a pony race with us, much less one with both wings and a horn." She admitted.

"Not all alicorns are so prim and proper. As a matter of fact, it's because of Fury's careless attitude and funny approach to life that me and my aunts decided to change our perspective on our presentation to the public." 

"Well, if that's the case, you guys are pretty charming. But…"

She then assumed a stance for running. "Don't expect me to go easy on you two. I've been racing my whole life in the snow and ice. We snow shifters have to discipline our bodies to not slip through sheer meditation. Will you two be able to make it through?"

"I managed to make a nocturnal princess my girlfriend. I don't do easy." Fury said, getting low to the ground. Cadence also assumed a stance and stretched her large wings for what felt like the first time in years.

"Same for me. I've dealt with a coup against my kingdom and restored a whole extinct empire. I think I'm pretty well suited." Cadence said with a smirk.

"Well then, may the best racer win, your highness." Avalanche said, facing forward to call out the start.

"Alright, here we go! Three…"

Everyone got close to the ground, prepping for a fast getaway.

"Two…"

Fury's eyes went slitted, his large teeth exposing themselves as his predatory instincts took over.

"One…"

He let out one final breath, feeling his entire being power up to full capacity as he stared off into the white plains ahead.

"Go go go!" 

The once barren plains puffed up with white snow as the competitors sped through the snow. All the shifters, the reindeer and even ice moths looked on at this speedy competition.

The group of speeders raced along the snow, kicking up the white powder from under them with immense force. Being the All Powerful Speed Shifter he was, Fury took an early lead, his red aura being like a beacon on the snow.

"Boy this feels so strange, running on this light powdery snow." Fury admitted. "But I can handle it, I just have to keep my claws down and my head up."

"Don't think you've got a lead on us yet!" 

Fury noticed both Avalanche and Cadence catching up and passing him. 

"What the-? How did you two catch up so fast?!"

"Sorry, jungle boy, but your claws aren't meant to run in snow. We snow shifters have been practicing and have adapted to these environments." Avalanche said.

"Even for me, I've practiced running in snow especially ever since I've become ruler of the Crystal Empire. You never know when you need it." Cadence said.

Fury felt a twinge of annoyance at the fact he was losing at something he was supposed to be good at, especially to a hoity toity pink princess.

"Oh okay! Now you've got me fuming!"

Cadence and Avalanche were not afraid of this and scoffed at him.

"What are you gonna do about it? Hmmm?" Cadence asked.

"Yeah, you don't even have skills in snow running. And your feet are so big and bulky, they sink in the snow. What can you do?" Avalanche asked.

"Be quiet and bow down to the real champion." Fury snarled. He charged his energy a bit more and dug his claws deep into the snow, using the anchor point to launch forward in a subsonic blast of air and snow.

"I don't have the training for the snow, but I got one thing you two lack." 

Fury looked intently at them. "Pure will. And you're about to find out what that means… right… now!!!"

The last thing the two saw was a red zap of lightning before Fury took off on a straight shot and left a wall of light powder behind.

Avalanche was in awe at this sight. "By the gods… what is that?!"

Cadence gulped. "Let's just say Fury is now… really… hyper. Like lightning that burst out of a bottle."

Fury sped through more quickly and in this energy he finally caught up to the two and went past them.

"Sayonara, ladies! I've got a race to win!" Fury called out, giving a salute before turning back around and taking off. 

"Hey!"

"Now, now, Your Highness, Fury is going pretty fast, true. But let's see if that speed will help him when he encounters all the pits and divots and occasional trees." Avalanche said, giving her a nudge.

"I thought these were plains!"

"Only the first parts. These next parts will test one's reflexes. Lightning shifters might be fast but they might not have the focus needed to avoid the obstacles ahead." Avalanche said with a smirk.

Up ahead, Fury was having a carefree time at the head of the pack. He felt like the fastest thing alive.

"Ahh, nothing like putting someone in their place by showing off my power. It's not the most polite thing, but I don't care since they were so dang smug." Fury said, looking out at the route ahead. He then noticed a strange change in the terrain, a change in angle to be precise.

Wait a minute… is that a ditch!?

At the last moment he jumped over one ditch only to land in another ditch. He extended his claws and hung over the wall of dirt and snow. He let out a sigh of relief that he didn't bite the dust and pulled his head over the edge. Looking out into the white plains of the mountains, he saw a certain spot of pink getting closer to him.

Ah crud, the royal racer's closing the distance! I've gotta get on the move!

Fury looked behind him and saw another ledge on the other side, which would enable him to get out of his predicament. Hanging onto the edge of the wall, he dug his rear set of claws into the side, giving him the grip he needed to look back and leap to the other side to grab it. 

In his ears, he heard the flapping of wings and pounding paws against fresh snow. He knew they were closing in and he had to get up and out of there. Gripping the top of the ledge, he used his hind legs to push him up and over, getting him back on solid ground and allowing him to get back on the move.

"Did you have fun down there, pal?" The snow shifter asked.

Fury smiled. "As a matter of fact, yes. Yes I did. And now I'm going to have fun beating you again! See ya!"

Fury dashed past Avalanche and into the lead, pushing his limits as he got back into the lead. But as he got into the lead, he saw another crazy sight. A downward slope of snow.

"Woah woah woah, downhill incoming!" Fury said, his fight or flight kicking in. In a split second, his mind chose flight for some reason and locked up his legs, making Fury hit the brakes in front of the entire group.

"Hey, what are you doing, dude!?" Avalanche said, but it was too late. The Snow Shifters and Cadence collided in one big group, skidding towards the slope and eventually going over the edge. Everyone slid down the snowy slope at high speed, slowly spreading out as the lack of control forced them into an unpredictable game of chance.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!" Avalanche cried out

"Get control!" Cadence cried out.

"Woo yeah! Hang ten!" 

Fury's initial shock quickly turned to excitement. To him this was like a water slide but even funner.

"We're gonna crash down! And you're having fun now?!" Avalanche asked in confusion.

"Uh… yeah! That's how we Shifters out in the jungle get down and dirty! Nothing makes us feel more alive than when we're just about dead!" Fury said in a carefree tone.

"Heads up, tight turn up ahead!"

"Just hang on!" Fury said.

Fury turned everyone away from rocks in front of them, and proceeded to dodge other obstacles.

"Alright! That's what I'm talking about!"

At this point, the Snow Shifters were about to question him more but resisted for now. He seemed to at least know how to get them on track. But they still wondered, what kind of guy this was.

As the terrain smoothed out to a slight decline and allowed them to slow down some, although without stopping, Cadence decided to spout out some of her own questions about her feline friend's motives.

"Fury, you confuse me. You are in an environment you are not familiar with, that is not conducive to your style of running. And even went downhill. And yet… you're not even dreadful of this?" 

"It's just a way for me to destress. To be honest, after all the things that have been bugging me these past few days… adjusting to my parents finally returning to my everyday life, dealing with the questions and concerns of ponies still skeptical about Speed Shifters, dealing with being an All Powerful… it's just a way for me to just not care about something for once." Fury explained.

"Even going downhill at breakneck speeds?" Avalanche asked.

Fury gave a smirk. "You know for a girl named Avalanche, you sure don't seem like you like daredevil stuff. But to answer your question, I've been through way worse. And a little risk of injury? Big deal. I'd rather have fun with my life than live dull and safe." Just as Fury said that, he noticed a steep slope incoming that seemed to lead into some tunnels that looked like ice flooms.

"And it looks like the fun isn't about to end. Hang on…"

"Well, I guess we have no choice but to trust you." Cadence admitted.

"That's the spirit!" Fury said, taking the dive onto the slope and letting everyone else follow. As they went down into the tunnels, the floom filed them all into a line and guided them down into the depths.

They entered a dark cave. But it was just bright enough to see because of all the ice that reflected what little light there was. It was truly impressive. They even saw some frozen animals from olden days.

"Woah, is that a wooly mammoth? Talk about prehistoric preservation. And did I just see a squirrel holding an acorn?" Fury pointed out. Up ahead of him, he saw that the slide split into separate slides as they seemed to get even steeper and actually lead upward somewhat.

"Everyone, get ready for a big ride!"

Everyone braced themselves as they slid up as quickly as they went down. Ahead of them were slides that went in all directions before all converging. 

Each one of them was taken on a different route. All except for Fury and Cadence who ended up together on one slide.

"Looks like we're together on this ride, Cady." Fury said.

"All the better for us." Cadence admitted.

"Well at least the crazy part is over." Avalanche said with a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, but it looks like we've got another destination to hit. Look, there's light up ahead." Fury pointed out, a bright light waiting at the end of the slide. As the group gradually slowed down and exited the cave and entered the outside world, they got a glimpse at the most majestic sight they had ever seen.

Through all the craziness they had been through in the caves and ice slides, they would have never expected to end up here. They stood on a high cliff, slightly above the clouds where the sun sat perfectly on the horizon ahead. A soft wind blew them on one side, moving the clouds slowly across with ease.

"Wow. Look at this view. I never would have guessed all of that slippery ice would have carried us up here." Fury said with awe. "Although I bet you've been up here before, Avalanche, right?"

"I've been far up into these mountains before, but never far enough to be above the cloud layer. I honestly can't believe what I'm seeing." Avalanche gasped breathlessly. Then, there was an approving coo from the Shifter cub that was still attached to its mother down below. Supposedly, they had returned to their original starting spot before the slope.

"Mommy look at those creatures over there! Up there!"

"Oh my! I can't believe it. These folks actually found a way to get up there!"

Fury had a great grin as he waved at them. He felt so privileged to be part of this slide. It was like a theme park. Then, he noticed a part in the clouds. Looking down, he saw Twilight and Fluttershy down below, not having noticed them up above. He also saw a hole in the ground on the cliff they stood on, it looked a bit like a final slide down to the bottom.

"Hey guys… I've got a really stupid idea."

"Gee, what else is new?" Cadence said. "What do you have in mind?"

"Nothing much. Just a grand finale to our ride. We can't finish it off too easily." Fury said with an eager smile. "You can't finish off something as crazy as this without something that'll seal the deal. There's an ice tube that goes down through the mountain again and out towards where we started. One final wacky slide down to the finish line anyone?"

"Awww, I kind of like the peaceful atmosphere-" Cadence was about to say before Avalanche gave her two cents.

"You know what, Fury?" Avalanche said. "You're crazy but I kinda like that. Way funner than my ex boyfriend. Let's do it."

"Okay, on my count." They all surrounded the hole and looked down. It was dark and steep, but who knew what was down there?

"One… Two… Three… Geronimo!"

"Wait, let me brace myself first-" Cadence tried to intervene and give herself a few seconds to prepare, but it was already too late though. She was yanked down but Fury and the large group were already heading down the steep tunnel.

"Whoaaaaaaaa!!!" 

"Hang on!" Fury said.

It was a bumpy ride. Everything went by so fast. No one could understand what was going on. 

Then before they got too used to it, the path curved to the right and then to the left.

"Maybe I shouldn't have eaten so much fish!" Fury admitted.

"You better keep that in! I'm not getting fish guts in my mane!" Cadence said, not wanting to get covered in whatever Night Fury had for lunch. As they continued to slide at high speed, Fury decided to slow down a bit and get close to Cadence.

"Ya having fun, Cady!? This is crazy!"

"Personally I don't even know what I'm feeling! I've been to amusement parks but not like this!" Cadence said.

"I'll take that as a yes. But, we can make this even better!" Fury said, sneaking his tail around one of Cadence's hind legs and throwing her for a spin.

"Wahhhhh! Let me go!" Cadence cried.

Avalanche was now laughing her heart out at this sight as Fury spun her around while going downhill.

"See? New experiences!" Fury said.

"Oh poor princess." Avalanche giggled. "This jungle shifter's wrath knows no bounds. Thank goodness your fixation is on her and not me."

"Oh, is that so? Well maybe I should add to the mix, because we're all gonna be dizzy by the end of this ride!"

"Wait wait wait, I was just kidding-" Fury did not care. He wrapped his arm around her waist and proceeded to go around and around.

"You're trying to get yourself dizzy too?! What kind of wacko are you?!" Avalanche said.

"Simple. I'm me. Night Fury." He said with a serious but calm expression. "And I say we go like a merry go round! Yahoo!!!" He said, switching to hyper enthusiasm.

With every turn, they all felt like they were getting thrown about in a whirlpool. Everything was shaking and spinning around out of control and nothing was stopping them. At least not yet, but that would be changed soon as a glimpse of outside light was seen and a big snow pile sat waiting for their dizzy arrival.

Thud!

A cloud of snow appeared causing a mild wind. Everyone came to see what it was from. And the clouds cleared and they saw a collapsed trio.

"Whoa, everything is all spinny!" Fury said, trying to get his bearings. "Hehehe, everything looks really funny."

"Fury! Princess! And you! Are you alright!?" Fluttershy said as she approached them worried for their health.

"I think I am." Cadence said, also dazed and dizzy. "I'm wondering if I'm alive though."

"Am I in a different dimension?" Avalanche asked.

Twilight came nearby. "Hold on, let me take care of this." Her horn glowed and her magic affected all three. Their eyes glowed before going back to normal.

"That's better." Cadence said, rubbing her head.

"What in Equestria were you two doing?" Twilight asked. 

"Let's just say that we got in a race and we got to a certain cave. And then stuff went crazy." Avalanche said. "When I said it was crazy but fun, I was not expecting that type of crazy and fun."

"Uh, you're welcome! I just treated you guys to my personal five star coo coo crazy fun frenzy! Ya probably hate me for it now, but that doesn't matter to me! I've dealt with it before!" Fury said, fully expecting to get flames for his craziness.

Avalanche however unexpectedly laughed. "Oh Fury! You think I hated it? No. I had a blast!"

"Yeah yeah, I know I'm just a troublesome- Wait, come again?" 

"I said… I had a blast! Did you honestly think I would be upset about something so crazy yet fun?" Avalanche said with a raised eyebrow.

"Somewhat. Especially from the hoofed herbivores over here. My antics weren't exactly the most… accepted back home either. I'm used to others saying that my way of fun is dangerous and not good for me. Which is true to some degree, I guess." Fury said, thinking back to the times he was lectured about his crazy type of fun.

"But that's what we like about you, Fury. You have energy few others have. You made me feel like a filly again." Cadence said. "Sure it's crazy and insane, but I like that about you."

"Really? I honestly expected to get a lecture on responsibility and proper ethics like I did in my younger years. I may be energetic, but I didn't exactly get a lot of love for it from most besides my parents."

"Eh, I've gotten used to it. And besides I have advisors if I want seriousness." Cadence said. "But with you, I can lay back and relax."

Avalanche nodded. "Yep. Even us Snow Shifters are a little too reserved to do what you do. And frankly… I find that daring and exciting… kind of attractive." she said with a sultry voice. "Maybe we can go have a few drinks to cool down…"

"Yeah, sorry sweetheart, but this feline is already taken." Fury said, tossing his picture of him and Luna to her so she didn't get any ideas.

"Awwwww… so much for my luck." 

"Sorry, you're cool and all. But for me, the only lady on my mind is the Princess of the Night," Fury said.

"Straying away from current and past love interests, Cadence is right. You don't have to worry about judgment anymore, you're one of us. To be honest, us ponies are a bit 'Insane in the membrane' ourselves." Twilight admitted.

"Are you sure? Because I don't think that's the case."

"Oh for crying out loud, do we have to spell it out for you, fuzzball? Just come here!" Cadence said, grabbing a hold of him and rolling back into the snow pile.

"Oh shoot. I forgot. You're gonna do that." Fury said, intimidated.

"What's this guy talking about?" Avalanche asked curiously.

Cadance's smile grew large. 

"Oh just that he is a little… ticklish. And by that I mean very ticklish." Cadence said, smiling.

"Ha ha ha, you're serious? This guy?" Avalanche asked in amusement.

"No, she's lying! Don't listen to Cadence!" Fury yelled in terror.

"Hmmm, lying, you say?" Cadence asked. "Let's test that out." She said, moving her hooves to his belly.

"Please no."

"Too late!" Cadence then went to town on Fury's underside, scribbling her hooves all over him to get his laugh to emerge. And with no delay, said emergence of his laugh did not take long as he immediately tried squirming his way out of her grip

"Ha ha ha ha ha. I didn't even do anything this time! Ha ha ha ha!" Fury said laughing.

"Hey, you were the one who said you didn't feel like we liked you for your crazy attitude and goofy energy. I'm just trying to get you to realize the truth." Cadence giggled.

"Well, you did kind of made us all dizzy." Another Snow Shifter pointed out. "I'm glad I didn't eat anything or I might have thrown up. So you get what you deserve… including from me." She said walking up to him.

"Oh come on, you two admitted it was fun, doesn't that count for anything?!"

Avalanche nodded, "Oh it does, don't  get me wrong. We just want to spread the unexpected fun right back to you." She said, placing her paws on his stomach. "Right into your gut! Frozen tickle time!"

Combined with Cadence's tickles, it made Fury feel all weird and wobbly. It didn't help that he was still a little dizzy from the spin. Vengeance was not pretty.

"No!!! Not again! I'll give you a bunch of salmon if you let me go, Avalanche! I admit I'm a bit too modest about my relationships but please, just let me go!"

"Maybe. But I feel like I need a little more…" Avalanche said.

"Uh, you can have some of my cookies that I brought along from Ponyville."

"Still need more convincing." She said mischievously.

"What else could you possibly want from me!?" Fury pleaded.

"Hmmmm, I think to make it fair, me and Cadance will give you a little spin just like you did to us." 

"Wait, we all got spun around already though." Fury reminded them, looking a little perplexed.

"This time we would grab your arms and spin you around like the moon around the earth." 

Fury was horrified at this. Could his stomach endure so much?

"Can't I just write an apology letter?" Fury begged. But the Princess Of Love was not satisfied.

"I'm afraid that's not an option. Now hold still!" Cadence and Avalanche grabbed his forelegs and heaved him out of the snow pile he was previously in. Holding him steady with all four paws on the ground, they took one side each and prepared to spin him.

"1… 2… 3!!!"

Fury was spun around with the combined force of two physically powerful creatures, just like a marry go round. 

"Ohhhh, I'm gonna be sick!"

He felt queasy. He felt like his stomach wanted to escape from his body.

"Isn't this fun, Fury?!" Cadence asked.

"Pretty awesome, huh?" Avalanche added.

"No! Uuugh… I'm going overboard. Hurpfh!"

Going at the speed of himself was normally fun, but not like this. He felt like he had to find a way to finish this. His stomach sure felt that way.

"Ooh boy, that didn't sound too good." Avalanche said.

"Uh, Avalanche? Cadence? I think you better let him go now." Twilight said. "He looks like he could um… lose his lunch soon."

"Okay, I think we gave him enough fun today." Cadance and Avalanche released the ultra dizzy Fury from their clutches. He slowed down and came to a stop quickly, but what was a spinning black blur was now a green faced, sickly looking feline with a swirling tummy.

"Oh, you girls really got me this time. I guess we're even. Wait! I feel something coming!" Fury moaned, his belly making an affirming sound.

"Oh no, get out of the way!" Cadence said. 

"Too late!" Fury said, grabbing them. "Here it comes!"

But then all was heard was his belly rumbling. Until it stopped and was replaced with laughter.

"Gotcha. Ha ha ha! You should have seen the look on your faces!" Fury said.

"Dang it. We fell for that one!" Avalanche said. "You really are a sneaky runt, aren't you?"

"Yep! I might not always start out winning but I make sure to make the ending… worth it." Fury said with a laugh.

Eventually the laughter spread to Cadance and Avalanche as well as Twilight and Fluttershy. But soon, Fury would face another problem. 

"Well, I guess I can't say it was all worth it. Ugh, I feel super weird. I think something's stuck in there." Fury said, pounding his chest a few times to try and dislodge whatever it was.

"Ugh, the fish up here is delicious but dang, it really clogs up the pipes a good bit! Anyone got a solution?" Fury asked.

"Ah, of course!" Avalanche said. "In these lands, we have a special elixir that can be made that helps relieve anything that 'Backs up the pipes'."

"Oh please, oh wise mistress of knowledge, let me have it!" Fury said dramatically.

Avalanche proceeded to reach into her backpack and pulled out a clear bottle of purple liquid. "This oughta clear up whatever's stuck down there. Here, take a swig."

Fury quickly took the bottle with no thought and chugged it down like his parents' life depended on it.

"Oh boy! I should've been a little slower with that. Dang, this is one strong potion!" Fury said.

"I never knew potions could be found in bottles." Twilight said. "Fascinating cultural difference."

Fury then felt something bubbling in his gut. "Heads up. I think I'm about to let loose."

"Oh gee. Please let it not be too strong. Please let it not be too strong. Please let it not be too strong." Cadence whispered to herself.

"I think we should cover our ears." Avalanche advised. The ponies did so.

Fury pounded his chest a few more times to try and dislodge whatever was stuck. Thankfully, that did something. But what would happen as a result would be rather… loud.

Uuuurrrrrraaaaaaap!

His large belch created a small shock wave throughout the snow field. Those in the city could hear it and even yak scouts who were on patrol miles away, were caught off guard by the loud sound.

"Yak think Snow Shifters have issues," said one guard.

When the loudest belch in recorded history was over, Fury was finally at peace.

"Phew, excuse me! That was a big one!" Fury said. "Well, on the bright side, I don't feel clogged up anymore."

Twilight, Fluttershy and Cadence jaws dropped. They could not comprehend what just came out of the mouth of their feline friend.

"Um… what… Did I just see?" Fluttershy asked.

"I think we just witnessed the power of a Speed Shifter's stomach." Twilight said with a shell shocked expression.

"Wow Fury. You really… let it go there. Do Speed Shifters always burp like that?" Cadence asked.

"Okay, I know what you ladies are thinking and no, this is not normal. Yeah my belches can be loud but not like this! This is what happens when one eats too much, gets too dizzy and drinks that mystery potion." Fury said. "Definitely the nicest potion I ever tasted though."

"By the way, Avalanche, what type of potion was that? I've never seen a potion contained in a cider bottle." Twilight asked.

"That's because it wasn't actually a potion. It was just some leftover grape soda I had stowed away. But from the absolute monstrous roar of a burp that came out of him, I'd say that 'potion' worked its magic." Avalanche said with a wink.

"YOU GAVE HIM POP?!?!" Cadence, Twilight and Fluttershy asked, with the latter apologizing for her outburst. From the wild reaction the three ponies gave to the reveal, both Avalanche and Night Fury began to laugh.

"Wow, I wouldn't have guessed you three to be so aggressive about that! Are ponies usually like that in Equestria?" Avalanche asked the black feline next to her.

"Oh trust me, there are ponies in Equestria that are even more dramatic than these three combined! Just take my friend Rarity for example. She was so shocked by a lopsided sombrero, that she manifested a fainting couch with her magic just so she wouldn't have to faint on the 'Absolutely dirty and repulsive' dirt path she was standing on!" Fury explained, mimicking the fashionista's voice to emphasize his point.

Avalanche laughed like no tomorrow after hearing the ridiculous story. She could not even comprehend such absurdity from ponies. Even Snow Globe with her grace and elegance would not be repulsed by dirt.

"Oh come on, you three can't be that bad! He's fine, isn't he?" Avalanche asked.

"Heh, sorry I guess I just thought using soda with someone would cause some disaster. We ponies don't usually unleash our magic with big outbursts." Twilight admitted.

"See what I mean? Ponies are so proper and distinguished. Pfft, what a lame species." Fury said half jokingly. "Thank goodness you Snow Shifters aren't that bad. I was worried you would be some of the hoity toity types like in Canterlot. But I guess you're a Shifter through and through."

Cadence felt a bit offended by Fury's very blunt representation of ponies and decided to speak up. "Oh, so us prissy ponies don't have the ability to get wild like you and we're a 'Lame species'?" 

"Hey, in my defense, I've had ponies say that my breathing was 'Gastly' and 'Aggressive'. You really think I wouldn't want to rip on you guys a bit after hearing that come out of a pony's mouth?" Fury asked.

"Well, I guess I can see what you mean." Cadence said. "We ponies can be a bit too clean in our ways."

"Though not all of us. Definitely not all of us like Rainbow." Twilight said.

"Yeah, that's why she's the coolest of you guys. You should take after her chill and cool attitude more. Just sayin'." Fury said with a smirk.

Cadence chuckled a bit. "Okay, Mr. Cool Cat. But I think we should be going back to Snow Henge soon. The sun is coming down after all."

They saw the sun partially under the snowy hills. It was a beautiful sight but it would be getting dark soon.

"Well, I guess that was a fun time." Avalanche said, stretching her arms. "You jungle shifters go all out for sure. I guess you won this race. To be honest, I never thought I would be going into that cave. Maybe we can see each other again sometime."

"Oh trust me, once we get this diplomatic trip down and we get alliances rolling, we'll be visiting each other like we're best friends!" Fury said, feeling extra excited. "And JUST FRIENDS, don't get any funny ideas."

Everyone with a cheerful look walked back into town. It was an enchanting sight before them. They saw the moonlight and torches reflect on the ice sculptures.

"I bet Rarity regrets not coming here." Fury admitted. "She stays in a tent, thinking she is away from the harsh, while missing on this beauty."

"To be honest, I'm glad she's not. Can you imagine how hard it would be having to get her away from all the glamorous ice just to focus on the task at hoof?" Twilight said, imagining the chaos that would ensue.

"You're right, that would be a problem. Besides, I'm already a couple of hoof fulls for you guys to deal with!" Fury chuckled.

"Well at least you're honest." Twilight admitted. "Anyways, maybe we should go rest up for tonight."

"You're right, Twilight. Especially Night Fury, he looks like he needs his nap time." Fluttershy joked.

"I know you did not just say I need my nap time…" Fury said, eyeing the yellow pegasus.

"Even a big strong All Powerful needs some good dreams. When we go make you'll have a nice bed to rest in and lay back. And some nice food too." Fluttershy said, patting his head. 

Fury grumbled something under his breath, most likely something vulgar before speaking. "Okay fine, ya got me. Let's just get there and… (Yawn…)"

Before he could finish, a yawn escaped his fang filled jaws as he lazily leaned up against the pink princess he was walking next to.

"Looks like Fury's tuckered out. I guess using all that energy in that cave slide really drained him." Cadence said with a quiet laugh.

"Yeah… I guess…" Fury moaned sleepily. "It was worth it though. Totally worth it."

"Let's go back to the palace. Snow Globe said she has rooms for us." Twilight said, leading the group back there.

They finally made it to the palace. They knocked on the door and at first, no one answered. But after waiting for a few seconds, Chief Snow Globe came to their aid.

"My apologies, everyone. I was just handling some… recent news." She said adjusting her headdress.

"Oh that's quite alright Fair Lady Snow Globe." Fluttershy said bowing. "We were just hoping you have some room for us to rest." 

"Oh of course, we have some guest rooms in here for you." Snow Globe said.

"And perhaps you should save the best for the speed freak over here. The poor thing is just so sleepy weepy." Avalanche cooed, pointing out the black feline who was leaned up against Cadence and nodding in and out of consciousness.

"Awww, what a precious creature. I believe he is in need of a beauty sleep. Servants! Escort our jungle shifter guest to the best quarters! Make sure the best is nice and he is treated to the highest of quality. Quietly though." She ordered.

And so, Fury was transported to a bedroom with frescoes of past heroes of Speed Shifter history. It was spacious and was decorated with many jewels. Not to mention the bed was the biggest of the ones in the building. The servants and his friends assisted in getting him comfortable, laying him down on the bed and letting him stretch out.

"There you go, nice and comfy. Feeling cozy, big guy?"

"Ohhhhh, yeah yeah yeah. Ohhhh…" Fury muttered quietly, seemingly without hearing the others.

"He really is just a big softy under all that confidence and craziness. I just might have to visit this Ponyville place once this is all over." Avalanche said, taking advantage of his sleepy state to scratch his back and listen to him purr for the first time.

"That's Fury in a nutshell. All tough at first but soft and cuddly on the inside." Fluttershy said. "Well he is pretty fluffy on the outside too. Don't mention that to him though."

"Okay everyone, let's leave him to get some sleep." Cadence said.

Everyone finally left him in his sleep. They were all eager to go to bed in their rooms too. But Cadence decided to stay back a bit, going up to Fury and giving him her best foalsitter goodnight kiss on the forehead.

"Nighty night, fuzzball. We're all here for you, don't forget that." She whispered, tucking him in and taking her leave to get some sleep.

As Cadence was leaving the room though, she saw Twilight standing still, still observing the chief pacing around.

"Twilight, are you worried about her? We can do this tomorrow." Cadence said, stretching her arms.

"I'm fine, Cadence. You know how she said she was handling some… recent news? Well, it can't be good news if she's pacing like Celestia was after finding out that Fury had been almost assassinated by Blueblood." Twilight said. "You can go to sleep. I still have enough energy to find this out."

"Well, if you're gonna listen in, then I might as well too." Cadence said.

Twilight came up to the unusually anxious chief.

"Um, Lady Snow Globe? Are you alright, was the news something dire?"

Snow Globe wanted to deny the severity of the news to protect them from the truth. But with the two who were in front of her being princesses, she couldn't keep up the facade.

"Okay, I will admit it. The recent news that I was handling wasn't as innocent as I initially put on. I just received a letter from one… Princess Celestia?"

"Celestia? What would she need to send a message all the way up here for? Perhaps she's checking up on our progress? Maybe she's sending a letter on behalf of her sister to check on Night Fury?" Twilight asked.

"Unfortunately, this letter isn't anything related to a lonely partner checking in on their other half. Come and see."

Twilight and Cadence looked at the letter with great scrutiny.

Dear Chief Snow Globe,

I am assuming my student, niece and the Speed Shifter ambassador have arrived. But this message applies for you and them.

These past two days have been littered with multiple wildfires in Equestria. They seemed to have been from a centaur known as Lord Tirek and one of the Shadow Shifters known as Pyro Flare. Night Fury defeated them once before the two villains escaped and disappeared into the wild. But they seem to have returned to have their revenge. Thankfully, with Night Fury being gone from Equestrian soil for the time being, our land was spared in the search for their target. But in that absence, they have gone on a set path that was led by rumors of his location given by supporters of my nephew Blueblood, who has also had his own conflict with the ambassador in the past.

From what both my sister and I have heard from our troops, the two were spotted heading north and into the mountains. I have no doubt they are going to be looking for Night Fury up there to have their bloodthirsty revenge. In the meantime, please let him and his companions know of this news and prepare for battle. I have a sneaking feeling that both Tirek and Pyro Flare are more than what we faced before now that they've had time to regroup. Me and my sister will also be arriving at your settlement soon to establish a front line and help with the battle.

Whatever comes next, I wish for you to know that Night Fury's protection is of absolute priority from this point forward. Guard his life like it's the most precious thing ever to grace the planet and keep him safe. He may just be the one thing that can keep not only your tribe, but the entire world from falling into a nightmare-ish warzone.

With good luck and well wishes,
Princess Celestia of Equestria.

The two princesses were in shock.

"It can't be." Twilight muttered. "They're already back in action?! And they know where we are too?! No. No! This is not the time. Not the time!"

"Twilight, calm down. Everything will be okay." Cadence said, patting her. "Just breathe in and breathe out."

Twilight tried her former babysitter's technique and felt a bit more relieved. Bit only a tiny enough to have coherent thoughts.

"We're so sorry we brought this problem of ours on to you, Lady Snow Globe." Twilight apologized.

"It's alright. I understand. I used to have calamities Celestia spoke of when I was your age."

"At the very least we'll leave town tomorrow so as not to get the Snow Henge engulfed in these problems." Twilight said. "You don't want to get involved with our Shadow Shifter problem."

"I'm afraid it is too late for that now." Snow Globe said. "We cannot risk Night Fury being discovered and killed on your way back down the mountain, it would be too hefty of a cost. The most we can do is hunker down, wait for their highnesses to arrive and wait for them to come for us. It would be better to give Night Fury as much time to center himself and get his power at full capacity rather than forcing him to get surprised and risk all of your lives as well. Besides, our fortifications are quite strong. We will be safe for now."

"Thank you, you're too kind." Twilight said with relief. "But can I ask something? Have you ever heard of these shadow shifters?"

"In our early years, the Shadows Shifters were our greatest foe. Though, we never considered them a rival tribe. More so, a religious extremism group. They were those who always talked about how the gods above would right the world's wrongs and purify the gene pool to allow for Speed Shifters to fully flourish."

"They believe that the All Powerfuls such as Night Fury, would restore the glory of Speed Shifters to what they were before and guide us to a brighter future by wiping out all of those who trespassed on our grounds and purifying the world of inferior blood. I assume your friend has told you of our existence in Equestria before ponies colonized and founded the nation?"

Twilight nodded. "He did. And from what I heard, they were eventually rejected and they formed their own tribes in some distant forests. They always kept their locations secret, though they would often perform raids on the tribes who go against this dogma."

"You would be correct. The Shadow Shifters take pride in 'Cleansing the world' to purify the lands we once called home, which is why we have ultimately shut them out and made them our greatest enemy. Thankfully, they were not as adept at surviving the cold as we were and moved away from our cold climates." 

"But it seems they have gained different means of pushing their agenda. Most likely, they recruited Tirek to sap Night Fury's power and use it for themselves. No doubt they deemed his recent actions in gaining ponies' trust and admiration as 'Impure' and now want to strip the godly power of our ancestors away from him as they now most likely see him as unworthy." Snow Globe pondered aloud.

Twilight was chilled at the idea of facing those two again, probably far stronger than they were before. And so soon as well. But Twilight knew she could not waver now.

"Well then, as the Princess of Friendship, I promise I will do all I can to resist this scourge and help Fury to not have his power taken away. With Celestia as my witness, they will not win!" Twilight said.

"The Crystal Empire is my kingdom, I will not leave it to fall to their clutches. Neither will I leave Night Fury to be subjected to the twisted minds of these religious extremists. He is within my responsibility to keep him safe, and I will uphold that until I am no longer functioning." Cadence said.

"Well, in that case, I shall be ready too. We will do our part to fight this scourge just as our ancestors have done." Snow Globe said. "You have my word."

With all three in agreement, they no longer had fear but courage in their hearts. 

"I guess we'll break the news to Fluttershy and Night Fury tomorrow." Cadence said.

"Wait. What about the Yaks and the others back in Yakyakistan?! They'll be all exposed to those two, won't they?!" Twilight said with worry.

"Fear not." Snow Globe replied. "Even hours ago I sent some guards to find them and bring them into the city. It might be awkward to tell them to leave their site. But I'm sure they will come in a few hours. We are all fine for now, young lady."

Twilight was relieved at this.

"Get some sleep, you two. You will need it for tomorrow." Snow Globe said. "Good night."

And so the two went to sleep with a mixture of fear and hope in their veins. Twilight knew no matter how strong she was, in the end, it would all rely on Night Fury.

"We need your help, Fury. We really do…" Twilight whispered to herself as she went to bed and drifted off into the dream realm.
> Chapter 42: The Final Freezing Point
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was late in the night and Night Fury was lying comfortably in bed. The pillows and mattress were made from the furs of Ice Moths. Far more comfortable than what could be found in Thunder Hollow or even Canterlot. However the dark warrior was not sleeping very smoothly. His face was scrunched up as if he was in a state of confusion and trying to solve what was going on.

-

There was a strong wind blowing in the snow covered mountains within his dream. The wind howled around the peak like a heavy storm, snow carried in each and every direction. At the top of the mountain, Night Fury and Emperor Snowdrift sat still in silence, the harsh winds seemingly non-existent to them as they were surrounded by their energy and blocked out the snow.

For Fury, he was meditating for gods knew how long. He was not sure when he started but he felt something was strange. It was not everyday he would just meditate with the Emperor with no prompting. The legendary Shifter beside him didn't seem to notice though. But for the younger feline, he wanted to know why he was here.

"Snowdrift? I know it's all beautiful looking up here, but I doubt you took me here just to meditate by the snow. You got something on your mind, don't you?" Fury said in a somewhat lighthearted manner. He was expecting it to be some new techniques or to talk about some weird poem Fury struggled to pretend to be interested in.

The emperor gazed back at him. He finally spoke up. "On the contrary, the meditation had a purpose. For right now. It helps clear any troubles in your head. Which is important for the new troubles about to come to you."

Fury sighed. Great. It was one of those dreams. Perhaps another troubling prophecy.

"New troubles? What's going on now, I've already got enough stress on my back trying to keep the Snow Shifters and Yaks from declaring war. What else do I have to worry about?" The young feline asked.

"About the Snow Shifters. This is the nation who you shall have to protect when you wake up. The one with horns and a shifter filled with wrath have come north to enact their vengeance upon you." 

Fury did not want to think about it. But he knew very well whom he was referring to in his euphemisms.

"Wait, you don't mean-" Before Fury could finish, he sensed a separate entity in the vicinity of their location. With just a single thought, Night Fury quite literally froze the snow storm in time, snow hanging in mid air and the wind abruptly stopping. He stood up and looked to his left, his senses pointing out that someone else had entered his head. He saw a cloaked figure walking toward him.

"I'm only going to warn you once. Reveal yourself to me now before I strip you of your guts while you scream in perpetual agony!" Fury growled, expecting the worst.

"Fear not, I am not an enemy. But a friend. The deepest of friends." The cloak hiding the head dropped. "Your love."

"Moonpie?!" Fury's expression switched around. "Great to see you. Uh heh, sorry about… you know, threatening to strip you of your guts like that. I just had some not so nice news from the old cat himself." He said, rubbing his head.

Luna responded with a light smile. "No need to apologize, you were just reacting naturally to a foreign entity within your domain. I would have probably reacted worse if something unknown came into my dreams."

But then Luna's expression turned serious. "But we have no time for niceties, my dear. Considering how you acted, I assume the Emperor told you about those threats."

"Tirek and Pyro are back, I know. The fact is they actually went out of their way to get up here to come for me. Could this mean that they've increased their power for this next, and possibly final fight?" Fury said, sweating in worry.

"Your hypothesis is quite plausible. It would not surprise me if they both have trained more for this final strike against you. But you won't have to do it alone as me and my sister are almost to Snow Henge. We have also contacted Shining Armor to lock down the Crystal Empire until further notice and to bring a few troops to aid in the fight." Luna reassured her love.

"Well, I guess it'll be nice to have you along. Along with your sis. I just hope she doesn't eat all of that cake when she comes." Fury said, forcing a smile. 

Luna was not taken by his supposed smile. "Fury, I know you well enough to know when you are genuinely at ease and when you are troubled. And right this moment, you seem conflicted."

Fury sighed as he let his fake smile fall. "Okay, you've got me. To be honest, I've been feeling a bit insecure about having any sort of help on this trip. Just yesterday, I had declined any help after fighting for my life to keep Fluttershy and Cadence from going down into an ice lake just because I felt inclined to push myself to the brink and just brush off the tiredness I felt later."

"And the day before that, I put up a bit of an argument with Cadence about doing recon for a shortcut up the mountain because I felt that since I was the main point of interest on this trip, I should shoulder the majority of the responsibilities." Fury lamented, looking down in sadness.

The dark princess understood how despite his power, he also felt the great burden of not being able to carry it out. She sat next to him.

Fury continued. "Believe it or not, I feel like I'm still not fully ready for what I'm supposed to accomplish. Even when I first fought those two, even if I was beating them, I always felt deep down I was not going to really defeat them. And they got away. I was right. So even with all my power, I wasn't able to defeat them. And now I wonder if it will happen again but worse. Much worse now that they're more ready." Fury said with a sigh. 

"That's why I get so stressed when my worth is put into question. It just reminds me of how much my worth was not only questioned, but stripped away from me in that one… gruesomely shattering moment that nearly pushed me over the edge."

Luna looked at him with empathy. Even with his birthday, even with his successful mission with the Yaks and Snow Shifters, Fury could not run from these burdens. She wished he never had to see those two again.

"I'm very sorry that you feel this way, Fury. It truly must have been painful for you to keep silent about this for all these years. I can understand how you feel." Luna said with pity.

"Well, no offense Luna, but I don't think so. You had to deal with the bare minimum, in my opinion. You just got some harsh glares, shivering ponies and some emotional distress."

"I had to deal with the entirety of what I held dear to me being stripped away by force, being tormented by the aggressive values and views of my own kind being drilled into me, listening to the constant internal screams of my everlasting nightmare that is my home life. You may have the same problems to deal with as me, but you never had to deal with such severity." Fury said, trying to keep himself together.

Luna was silent. 

"Look, I know you're trying to help me and I do appreciate that. But these struggles are not something to be easily fixed. They're so deep rooted, I don't even know where to start when it comes to finding the solution." Fury muttered.

"I see now that what you have been and are still suffering through is more than anything I have dealt with. It is true that I have dealt with resistance and fear for my actions against my sister, but never had I ever once dealt with suicidal thoughts such as yours. It is clear that what you do for us is not just out of an attempt at friendship, but a coping mechanism." Luna said, looking him in the eyes.

Fury was silent for a while then spoke up. "What do I do? I'm not really sure if I can fulfill my potential. I'm really not. What should I do?" Fury said more to himself than to Luna.

"Well, the first thing to do is to address the issue. And you've done that very well. Next, is to find someone to help you through it and accept that you can't do it alone. Don't think that just because you're of a high standard to others that you can't show your weaknesses. You have made that clear to me, my sister, Cadence and many others. And now, you should take your own advice."

Fury responded after a little while. "My village made me pay for my weakness. I don't know if I can do so again."

Luna then placed her arm on his shoulder. "We all have weaknesses and our flaws. Even those who claim to be better than you. But like my sister told me, it's those who acknowledge and learn from them that are truly strong. Need I remind you of how you were able to relinquish the secrets of your physical weaknesses?"

Luna wrapped him in a hug and placed her wings on his sides, wiggling them just enough to get a giggle out of him.

"Ha ha ha ha, oh yeah do I ever! You tricky alicorn! Ha ha ha! Come on, let me go!" Fury said.

Luna did so but still had a cocky smile.

"You know Luna, you've been on my side forever. Even back in Ponyville when that Truther guy told my secrets to the world, you were still there for me. I'm glad I have you to talk about these things with." Fury said with a soft smile. "Do you really think I will be able to get these two?"

"I have no doubt that you will be victorious." Luna said. Just then, the dream world around them began to shift.

"Woah, what's happening?" Fury asked.

"You are beginning to awaken. Don't worry, I will see you soon in the waking world. And remember, you are not alone. We all care for you and we love you, especially me. I shall see you soon, Lightning Bug."

Fury was surprised at this. But he was still grateful for what she said. "Thanks, Moonpie. And make sure Tia doesn't hog all the cake when she comes here!" He said to lighten the mood.

"Will do." Luna replied with a chuckle before disappearing into the expanding white void.

"Do you have something to say, Old Cat, before I go?" Fury asked.

The emperor only had a single thing to say. "We all stand with you, young one. Farewell and may the gods be with you." 

It was then the emperor's turn to disappear into the white void. Followed by the whole world, and then nothingness.

–

Fury jolted awake as he was brought out of his dream and into the real world, taking in his surroundings as he sat in the comfy bed that was inside chief Snow Globe's home.

The black feline felt a bit groggy but he was not in the mood to lay down more. He knew he had to tell the others about what was going on. Getting up from his bed, he stretched his limbs and went out to see where everyone was. 

After a quick zip around the place, he realized that everyone was already up and out. With this now within his grasp, he made his way towards the front door and walked out. To his surprise, Snow Shifters and Crystal Guards were moving left and right to set up the defenses.

Huh, I guess they must have already heard. But no time to hold up, gotta find the others.

Fury exited the hut and went out to find the rest of his friends. Looking left and right, he saw many things being moved around. Sand bags, rations, armor, weapons… it was all too familiar from his time back home in times of battles. Finally making it to the front gates, he not only saw Cadence, Twilight and the chief, but Fluttershy and the Royal Sisters had arrived.

He was happy to see familiar faces and decided to make himself known.

"Celestia! Moonpie!"

Fury ran up to them getting a bunch of snow on himself but he didn't care.

"Boy, am I glad to see you two. Being with Cadence was nice but I needed you two back." 

"Aww, did you miss us, Lightning Bug?" Luna cooed.

"More than you could ever imagine." Fury replied, hugging his girlfriend. 

"We're just glad you're all alright. So, I believe you know the severity of the situation on the horizon?" Celestia asked, getting a nod from the black cat.

"Yep. I just can't believe they're actually back. This is gonna be one heck of a fight. Speaking of which, I need to fuel up. Be right back." Fury said, taking off to the right. Nearby was a line of Speed Shifters grabbing what looked like a graham cracker from a stand. Fury went up and grabbed one, popped one in his mouth and gagged at the off taste before returning to the group.

Twilight showed her concern at the feline's disgust. "What was that you ate? It looked like it tasted terrible, and didn't seem like much to start off the day with."

"They're called K-2 defense biscuits, one of the relics of our earliest wars. You know the world's gone south if the food you're eating gets a model number." Fury moaned.

"Then why did you eat it? You seemed like you were going to bring it back up when you swallowed it." Cadence asked. 

"Well, for 1: You never want to fill up on a full breakfast when you know you're gonna be fighting, it'll just weigh you down. Just look at what happened when I slid down that ice slide with you on a full stomach. And trust me when I say, it gets even worse when you take a full blow to the gut after a batch of eggs and hash browns. Yuck!" Fury gagged, getting a similar reaction from the others.

"But most importantly, is number 2: it's… really all we Speed Shifters get out in the field. K-2s have been our main and only ration for a long time, and you can't expect to get good stuff like lime salmon out in the middle of a warzone. Like my dad always told me… 'You get picky with what you put in the tank, you'll be out of fuel before you get to what you want'."

"And sure, while those biscuits have about the same amount of flavor as a slab of concrete and the same consistency as a dog treat, it's the prime example of sustenance. Not food, sustenance. Not enough to give you the satisfaction and energy of a full breakfast, but just enough to keep you in the fight and keep you from starving to death, even if you might prefer that over tasting it." Fury explained. 

"Well, let's hope we won't have to resort to that kind of meal." Cadence said. "I wouldn't want to be forced into that kind of livelihood."

"Sorry to be a downer, but that exact attitude is what gets most Speed Shifters killed. Just wishing that the next meal isn't as bad as the last, it'll get your hopes up too high and just leave you more disappointed than if you just accepted mediocrity. Boy, what I would give to get an update for the ration supply we Shifters get. As much as I've come to accept reality, these glorified dog biscuits aren't that uplifting." Fury sighed.

Everypony seemed to be in agreement at that. Especially with dire news of the new threats.

"Well, maybe our souls will be uplifted if we knew the condition of our enemy." Twilight said. "Celestia, have you idea what those fiends are up to? And how powerful they are now?"

The princess of the sun seemed none the more confident.

"Sadly, their whereabouts are very foggy. And so is their personal information. Luckily, we did have some intel that they are significantly hampered by the weather. They appear to be going on an even more arduous journey than you did. They will not be arriving in Snow Henge for a while."

"Well, at least that's something. But it's not much. But I do have some information of my own." Fury said.

"Oh? Well please, tell us." Luna said.

"Well, I found out the real motive of the Shadow Shifters through the emperor in my dreams. Turns out, they're more than just a rival tribe… they're a religious group. A religious extremist group to be precise. Apparently, they follow the exact words of the Prophecy Of The All Powerfuls."

"That… does not seem to be an issue." Luna commented.

"Hold on, Moonpie. The key word is 'Exact'. When the original translation of the prophecy was written, it spoke of the All Powerfuls being a rare few that were given their power to bring glory to Speed Shifters and unite all feline life. And while that doesn't sound too bad to the normal outsider, the key word here is all feline life." Fury said, gesturing to himself. He went on.

"And the Shadow Shifters take that word very literally. By their logic, an All Powerful such as myself is meant to bring harmony and peace to the world by 'Cleansing the world of its wrongdoings'. And again, it doesn't sound too bad until you realize that the main way they see me supposedly cleansing the world is by ridding it of what they call 'Impure Blood'. I'll leave you to guess where the problem lies." Fury explained.

"I… see. And I suppose that would include anyone who has hooves instead of paws."  Twilight said, a bit unnerved.

"Bingo. And while they praise who I am, they have everything but praise for what I do. Now that I've made friends with you guys and have done the even more egregious act of making one my lover, they've now deemed me as 'Impure' and 'Unworthy' of the title of All Powerful and the power that comes with it." 

"So, they sent out Pyro Flare to find Tirek, get him to agree to their terms, and look for me so they can strip me of my power to use themselves in their efforts to bring peace to the world and right its wrongs. But in reality, we all know that just means mass genocide to build a new world order that's ruled by totalitarianism and fueled by religious extremism." Fury explained.

"W-well that sounds very bad. But is it possible they can simply enslave us instead of destroying us?" Fluttershy said with hope.

"Uh I guess? But believe me, with how they treated their captives in that village Cadence and I rescued my parents from, they won't be too nice. You'll get whipped, yelled at, beaten with a club, and some more stuff, you might wanna think about. Does that sound fun to you?"

"N-no." The yellow pegasus squeaked.

"Exactly. So we are neither going to cower or die. We are going to fight these weirdos off with all our might." Fury said. "As for me, I am not intending that one pony or Snow Shifter dies from this. Not as long as I'm still breathing myself." 

Fury then proceeded to see all the military at the ready. He saw a bunch of crystal ponies in their shiny armor marching with Shining Armor watching them. 

"Trot two, three, four! Trot two, three, four! Keep it moving!" The captain bellowed.

"Sweet, Shining Armor's here with the rest of the cavalry! We've got back up!"

Fury also saw the other side, a group of Snow Shifters also marching on with their own commander. They likewise also had armor but were more scaly like a dragon. Interestingly despite the ponies and Shifter's armor differences, they both looked reflective and had a bluish tint to them.

The All Powerful Shifter was quite happy with these soldiers. They both seemed like great warriors. Both had quite professional armies. He hoped they would unite to defend the Snow Henge.

"Okay, looks like everyone's here. All we have to do now is lead them out into the fray. Chief…?" Fury looked over to Snow Globe.

"I shall do the honors." Chief Snow Globe said, stepping up to the crowd of soldiers.

She cleared her throat. "Citizens of Snow Henge, today we are united with strangers. But these strangers are our friends, warriors from another kingdom. Just as today, so also in the past, the Crystal Empire and our city must unite to defend against an evil scourge today. One that wishes to misuse our prophecies for their own vanity. Speaking of prophecies, the All Powerful Speed Shifter has come to fulfill his own. He will fight beside us to bring victory on this day, leading us to a brighter future with his power. He will not only fight for us physically but he will remind us of the brotherhood we must show to all creatures including ponies. Please show your greetings to Night Fury!"

Fury decided to walk on by and present himself to the crowd of Snow Shifters and ponies. They all were mesmerized by his powerful figure, but the Snow Shifters were more inclined to show their respect by bowing to him like he was royalty.

"Oh great All Powerful, we ask you that you defend us from this evil before us. We ask you delay not in destroying this evil ahead of us!" Said an old Snow Shifter lady begging.

"As the All Powerful Speed Shifter, your prayers shall be rewarded, madam. I assure all of you that your city shall be protected with my last dying breath, to the ends of this planet. All of us will be victorious today, solidifying our names in history until the end of time! Oh and please call me Night Fury."

Everyone cheered for him. "Night Fury! Night Fury! Night Fury!"

Fury was glad that he was a beacon of positivity in these dark times. He was worried they would be very dour. But they seemed to have a great heart behind themselves.

"And we will help!" said another voice coming over. It was Shining Armor himself. "We of the Crystal Empire will make sure you, our former friends of old, will be safe. We might be of different blood but we both believe in freedom. And we'll fight to the death to uphold that for the people, shifter or pony. We will do our best and we ask the same for you!"

The Snow Shifters cheered on even more. It was good to see ponies being welcome here instead of scoffed at as savages like Shadow Shifters would have done.

Just then, a loud war horn sounded in the distance.

Bwoooooooong!

"That's the war horn, it's time! Alright everyone, the time is nigh! Let's take our land back and show the world our force!" Fury bellowed, letting out the loudest roar he could muster.

Rooooaaaaagh!

The Snow Shifters roared in tandem and the ponies instead beat their spear against their armor. Everyone was ready for a good fight today. Fury transformed into a falcon and opened his wings, the sun on his back giving him a confidence boost.

"Let's get on the move!" Fury said as he took to the sky with an almost ear shattering shockwave.

The gates opened and a contingent of parties came out ahead. They marched to set up an ambush spot at the place that the two villains went through. One might think having all these soldiers was overkill, but they all knew considering their opposition, they would need as many as possible. 

Fury flew over the group. He was confident but at the same time, fearful. 

Is this all enough to defeat these two? I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

-

It was surprisingly a pleasant day while they were marching to the mountain pass. Which was pleasant to march through but also pleasant for Tirek and Pyro to march through. They made sure to double time it.

They finally saw their destination.

"Everyone, get into position!" Shining commanded. "When they come we need to blend into the mountains so we can strike before they strike us!"

Both ponies and Snow Shifters began setting up defenses, digging trenches and setting up ice walls to protect from any incoming fire. Bunkers and artillery were set along a set perimeter for support, laying out ammo and medical supplies for any need to reload the cannons or heal injuries. Meanwhile, Fury flew up to a nearby ridge to watch from above.

Fury wanted to be off the main front lines just in case Pyro and Tirek would target him specifically, mostly to draw their fire and give his allies room to attack.

He trusted the crystal army and the Snow Shifters to give their best, but he knew it would all hinge on his abilities. 

He watched and waited for a long while, sitting patiently as the time ticked by. Just then, he heard a loud stomping approaching the front line. He looked out into the distance with his falcon eyes and saw something vaguely red with a large shape, a smaller orange shape on one side.

Fury instantly knew what the deal was and decided to let the troops know. Using his energy, he made his eyes glow and blinked rapidly, making an attempt at Morse code to get the message across silently.

Shining Armor saw the red light out of his peripheral vision and took a peek, seeing the following message was being relayed…

Enemies Ahead, Prepare For Battle.

The captain signals to his own soldiers and the guards to be at the ready. All the soldiers had their javelins and spears at the ready. Along with pots of ultra freezing water, a gift from Snow Globe herself. And to be sure large gates that will shut to trap Tirek and Pyro in a never ending storm of aforementioned weaponry.

The stomping neared the front line. All of the guards, the chief, the princesses, and Night Fury were ready for a fight. And then, the guests of the hour appeared out of the snowy haze.

So there they are. Those cretins. I'm so gonna look forward to this. Fury thought to himself. Though now that I think about it, Pyro seems confident and a bit tougher. And Tirek… has he gotten taller?

From what Fury could see, it looked like both of them were figuratively and literally, walking taller. Tirek seemed to have gotten bigger, almost as big as the monstrous Kaiju he had heard of in old legends like King Gidora. Pyro was different as well, a more bright but less smug smile on her face. She almost looked more… humble. He guessed it was because of the near deadly beating he gave her, judging by the assortment of braces and bandages strewn across her leg and head. But given her attitude, she was less confident about her survival, but about something else.

It didn't matter though, the priority was to rid them of their places in this world. Now and forever.

The two stopped once they saw the fortified position, observing it with a great level of malicious intent.

While Fury had a certain level of dread, he knew the time was now to strike and strike hard. He gave the okay to Shining Armor. For Shining Armor, he gave the signal to all other commanders to prepare what he called Operation Cage.

A whistle was heard sounding like a bird. Tirek and Pyro still continued forward. Suddenly, a large stone gate blocked their back entrance. The two realized soon after the entrance through the pass was blocked. They were trapped.

"It looks like we've been discovered." Pyro said, licking her lips in glee.

"Indeed. It looks like the battle has just begun." Tirek said with a bit more seriousness.

The sounds of horns blew. 

"Alright, everyone, you know what to do! Give them a taste of Tartarus!" Shining cried out to a throng of yelling warriors.

It was then a strange liquid poured onto where Pyro and Tirek were. Upon a small bluster of wind, the liquid instantly froze around them. It seemed that they had an extra layer to their predicament.

"Good work everyone! We froze 'em like a popsicle!" Fury said as he flew close to where the villains were. Diving in at high speed, he extended his talons in order to snatch Pyro right off of Tirek's shoulder.

"Gah!!! Let me go, you!" Pyro said as his claws dug into her.

"With pleasure." He dropped her all the way down on the cliff, leaving her separated from the main fight and alone with him. Landing in front of her, he assumed his natural form and stared down at her, smiling like he was just about to get some long awaited revenge.

"So, we come to a one on one. It's just you and me, Flare. Make this easy on yourself and just call it off. Unlike your cult followers, I actually do what's right for the world. All I wanted was for some peace to come between us and ponies. What's with all of this 'Impure Blood' talk, huh?" Fury said, trying to reason with her. "Go on, you weirdo, I'll hear you out."

Pyro gave a devious laugh. "So, you wish to find out mine and the Shadow Shifters' motives, do you?"

Fury nodded. "Yeah, I got time to spare. And whether you want to live or die, is no concern for me. I'll deal with you how I wish after I hear you out." He said unsheathing his claws.

"Well, if you wish to find out so badly…" She snarled, standing him to face him. "Our group was built on the pure word of the Prophecy Of The All Powerfuls, its power holding our people high. We believe that this world is meant for us to live in and rule, that felines have a right to this land as much as the next poor soul."

"But why kill off ponies just to get your way? You have no real reason to get rid of them when you could easily do what I did and plead your case to those who control the land. It worked on my part and got my parents a happy life as we live amongst ponies in peace. And why do you think I should be stripped of my power and title? I have done nothing but prove my worth." Fury asked.

"You just answered your own question! Because instead of working to conquer, you laid back and partied with these… high and mighty lowlives. While they had a great empire, we felines were separated and reduced to small towns. These ponies used to be savages and then they had the idea they were the wise civilized ones! Bah! They stole our ideas of civilization! And they drove us to the edges of the world! We shifters are a laughingstock to these weak puny ponies who drove us out!"  

"Us moving out of Equestrian land was by choice, Pyro! The Great Migration took place as a way to survive, we couldn't survive that snow covered wasteland! And ponies actually do like us! The Emperor himself was allied with the original Queen of the Crystal Empire and had parties held in his honor! How can you say we were a laughing stock when, although by a small minority, we were celebrated!?"

"The emperor was a traitor to our cause. He ruined everything by allying with those crystal ponies. They conspired behind our backs. They looked at us smugly, thinking how dare we eat fish? How dare we eat meat? Do you not understand? It was all a ruse to make us weaker so we could be their vassals and slaves, just like you are now! You are not this alicorn's lover! You are her tool for dominance! She will betray you when you least expect-"

"Pyro, listen to me!" Fury bellowed, gripping her front legs and pulling her in before taking a breath. "Ponies only thought our diets were unusual because we had been and were the only meat-eating creatures they had seen. And Luna is no more in dominance of me than a rock has the ability to speak! She has given me nothing but praise! Think about it. We had all of this land to ourselves, that's true. But what would have happened if we did stay, hm? Ponies were not as knowledgeable and welcome to change back then as they are now, they would have eventually come after us as a preemptive strike against a possible enemy."

"Look at me, Pyro. Look me in the eyes. I really don't want to have to hurt you, you seem like a good girl. You just have to understand that following the exact word of the prophecy will be detrimental to not only you, but the entirety of the Shadow Shifters. You keep up this attitude, you'll only get so far before you're eventually seen as an enemy and watch as you're killed by those who otherwise would have been friends." Fury pleaded.

"Don't you want to live a good life? A life that gives good praises and doesn't have to be so unjust and cruel? Then leave behind the Shadow Shifters and Blueblood. Come with us and give it a chance. I can assure you, Tirek couldn't care less about you. He may want to rid the world of ponies just like you, but he wants to do it for his own benefit. To appease his father. Haven't you seen how cold and distant he is? How cynical he can be?"

Pyro was silent for some time. And then she opened her eyes and looked at him intensely. "How can you say that I want a good life?"

"Because you clearly have the look of someone who's been mistreated and peer pressured into living the way you are. I've gone through the same thing, and it almost pushed me to suicide. But I decided to look ahead and find a different way. You can too. Look at me and tell me straight… Do you really feel like all ponies should die? Or do you think that all ponies should die? I'm giving you a chance to tell your side of the story here, Pyro. Any alternatives would be a bad day for you." Fury said, sounding genuine and thoughtful.

She breathed in and calmed down. "Fine. If you want to know my side of the story, I will give it to you. I will give the whole story of why I fought this way. Why I fight for the Shadow Shifters." 

"Okay," Fury sat down and brought her down with him. "Talk to me. We're away from the fight, so let it go."

Pyro Flare breathed in and out, calming her nerves. Then she spoke. "As a child, my mother was a very religious Shifter. She always spoke of how the Speed Shifter master race was going to return and rid the world of its wrongdoings by killing off those who she deemed unfit for life. She made me read books and pamphlets she had curated over the years to indoctrinate me into following cultist beliefs. I did as I was told, even if I was beat on while doing so. My father was someone different though…"

"Ice Monger, I presume?" Fury jumped in, surprising Pyro.

"You know of my father?" She asked, getting a nod from Fury.

"Yes. He is actually my grandfather. He remarried some time after your mother and him separated, marrying my grandmother, Snowflake. She gave birth to my mother who eventually found my father, and gave birth… to me. And by the logic of family trees, with you being the child of my grandfather, that would make you… my aunt."

Pyro was somewhat shocked at this. Though not as much as she could have been. She knew there was something more to her family then what her mother told her about. And why she was always bitter at her father.

"So… the grandchild of my father, that being you… makes you my nephew?"

"Pretty much. You're a daughter of my grandfather from another family, making my mom your half sister. Surprised? Well, it was for me at first. I mean, you got quite a temper like me. My problem came from my childhood as well. I screwed up in the most heinous way when we were being attacked by a Cragodile, at least by the rest of my village's standards. I flaked out when the time was right to strike and they grilled me for it, casting me out as if I had killed the chief himself. Like you, I was also indoctrinated into a false belief. A belief that I was nothing but a waste of flesh."

The feminine Speed Shifter could see even more of herself in this young one now. He might have been more laid back but he was also filled with rage and had a burden of understanding and adapting to this prophecy.

"After that day, the chief of my tribe gave an order that under no circumstances, would any other creature be trusted unless explicitly shown to be friendly. I was shunned for my lack of bravery in that attack, told that I was worthless, a mistake… a Shifter who was better off not being born. Like you, I was pushed into a mold by someone else to fit a select narrative. But instead of a modified version of our oldest written prophecy, it was the belief that I was the biggest mistake to walk the planet. I was close to turning on my kind, showing them that I wouldn't be pushed around… But I held back and decided to take a different route." Fury explained.

"I decided instead of enacting revenge on those who pushed me into the mold they saw fit for me or doing as they told me was the best way to live my life, I went out in search of an answer. Another way to go about my trauma. And that's when I decided to make ponies befriend our kind and see us in not so much of a villainous light. I used my trauma to better myself and the future that would come to pass, and I know you can too."

"Life isn't a mold you have to fit into so you can live the way you want, you make your own mold. You say your mother pushed you to hate other creatures because of her twisted view of the prophecy? I say shove it! You can change your ways, Pyro. Don't let who you were forced to be stop you from being who you want to be. It may have been the only way you were told you could live then, but that's not true now. You can forge your own way of life. Now, are you going to agree with the trauma you were given and follow it just to feel like you're doing good, or are you going to step out of the Shadow you were placed in and make your own good in this world?"

Pyro thought about what he said for a moment. She could still hear the battle raging next to her as she thought of her actions. She never truly felt happy pursuing what she thought was good, she always felt like there was more to just listening to what you were told.

Perhaps he did have a point. She was never pleased after all with how the Shadow Shifters all seemed so out of touch with the world. Never pleased with their supposed campaign to do good but never bothering to be kind and good themselves. Including their abuse to her. 

Could Fury be right? 

She became silent. She breathed one final breath… and spoke.

"Okay, I'll do it. To be honest, I never felt satisfied with ruling over this land with an iron paw. It just made me feel like all there was to do was to get more out of life that it could give me. But now I see it's not about what life is willing to give us, it's what we are willing to make of what little we have." Pyro said softly, finally cracking a genuine happy smile for what felt like ages.

Fury also smiled, she was finally getting to see the true light of the world in front of her.

"That's good to see, Pyro. Life is what we make of it, not what it gives us. If we always asked for the world to give us what it had, we'd just fall into greed and hate. But you see now that as long as you make the best out of what you have, you'll prosper more. So, would you like to join us in showing our true strength? Join me in showing the world that Speed Shifters aren't that bad?" Fury asked, holding out his paw.

Pyro was nervous. This would be the first time she had ever thought of seeking guidance on what she was meant to do after so many years of being told what she was made for. But through all of it, she was ready to leave her trauma behind and embrace the new.

"Yes. I will join you… All Powerful." She said, taking his paw and rising with Fury.

"That's good to hear. But, it's time you make this known to those who will be your true judge. Hang on…" He said, swinging her onto her back and speeding towards the battle once more. Pyro held on for dear life as he took off. But as she felt the wind in her fur and the snow in her face, she felt something new. Something she hadn't truly felt before. She felt… freedom.

"He he he he… Ha ha ha ha ha! Woohoo!" She squealed, finally letting go of her problems and bringing in her new life.

"That's it! Do you feel it!? Do you feel the freedom of living your own life!?" Fury called out.

"Yes! I finally feel free from my childhood! This is amazing!" She replied. Fury smiled widely at her, knowing now that she was finally getting to live her own life. 

Fury eventually raced up to the princesses taking cover in the trenches that were still getting heavily battered by the large centaur. They noticed the ambassador with Pyro on his back and began to question him.

"Night Fury, you've captured Pyro Flare! I'm surprised you showed any mercy to her." Luna said.

"Oh I showed her mercy, but not for the reason you would expect." Fury said, leaving all of the princesses confused.

"What do you mean?" Celesia asked. Fury let Pyro Flare off of him and led her to speak her peace to the princesses.

"Pyro, I believe you have something to say?" Fury asked, getting a nod from the captured Speed Shifter before she spoke.

"Well…"

"Pyro, I know you want to change, but you can't change if you don't make things right." Fury said. "And there's no shame in admitting your wrongdoings. So go on."

Pyro took his words to heart. She teared up. "Princesses of Equestria, forgive me for what I have done. My actions against you, Night Fury, and all of pony kind have been… disgraceful. I was pushed into thinking your kind was the enemy and that our All Powerful Speed Shifter was coerced into adopting your ways. But, now I realize that all of what I was pushed to believe was a lie." Pyro said, continuing to pour her heart out.

"As I've heard from the ambassador, he also suffered from being pushed to the brink to follow what his tribe thought was his inevitable future. But, he took what he had suffered through and turned it into something that would benefit all walks of life instead of just his own. I see now that when the original translation of the prophecy was written, it wasn't just meant to unite just feline life… it was meant to unite all life."

"Today, I've learned that the world isn't something you fit into. It's something that you create yourself. Everyone has their own lives and we create the worlds that we wish to live in. And today, I wish to change the world I live in. I wish to accept friendship and learn from you in the ways of living a truly free and happy life, away from the pressure and abuse of my childhood. Will you accept my surrender and allow me to serve true greatness under the guide of friendship?" Pyro asked pleadingly, bowing to the royalty before her.

Luna was hesitant. She was furious at how she destroyed her guards. How she scarred Fury and was partly responsible for his parents being kidnapped.

But she also knew she was genuine, just as much as her love was. She knew what it was like to be rejected, to feel like you could never change anything about your life. She understood. 

But before she could speak, Celestia stood up and faced her. Extending her wings and standing at her full regal height, she spoke in a calm and caring tone.

"Pyro Flare, while your actions against this land were heinous, disgusting, appalling and downright deplorable on many standards…"

Pyro shrank at that sound of Celestia's calm but stern voice.

"I see that you have truly accepted the reality of friendship and are willing to learn how to adopt it into your life. You are correct, life is what you are willing to make of it. It is what you, and you alone, see yourself doing to live to your full potential. I see that you have been taught well in the arts of acceptance and accountability, and I could not commend the ambassador's actions any further than I can physically speak."

Fury blushed at the sun goddess' words of gratitude. She continued.

"As a test to see if you truly wish to live amongst us, will you assist in the termination of Tirek and his hate fueled tirade?" Celesia asked. Pyro still had some tiny voices in her head telling her otherwise, to use the opportunity she had to strike at them. But they were silenced by her ambitions to truly become greater and better.

"Yes, yes I will. I shall do my best to prove my worth, your highness." Pyro said, smiling her best smile.

"There we go! Now, let's solidify this new union. Bring it in!" Fury said, opening his arms for a hug. Pyro blushed and her ears went flat, she had never hugged anyone before.

"A-are you sure?" She asked shakily.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, but it'll make you feel better." Fury encouraged, flicking his claws in his direction. Pyro shrank a bit, but finally gave in and hugged Fury, squeezing him tight as they embraced in a newly formed flame of friendship.

"And I am the same." Luna said. "It will take awhile but I will see you as a fellow comrade to fight against the impending threat that is lurking."

"And I will do my best to prove it, your majesty." Pyro said, releasing Fury.

"Looks like we're all in order. Now let's get-" Before Fury could finish, a bright light shines behind him. Turning around, he saw that the bright light was the Crystal Heart floating behind him.

"What the- The Crystal Heart? Hey Cadence, did you teleport this thing up here?" He asked the Crystal princess.

"It wasn't me, I never let it leave from its post in the Crystal Empire." Cadence responded. Then, something weird happened.

"Night Fury of Thunder Hollow, you have proved that you have true love and passion in your heart. And by any standing records, you are the most passionate creature on the planet." Everyone's jaw dropped, even Celestia's. To their surprise, the Crystal Heart was… talking.

"The Crystal Heart is talking. Did I hit my head somewhere on the run over here?" Fury asked himself, rubbing his head.

"I assure you, you are in perfect health. The voice you hear is the voice of love in its purest form, speaking to you through this artifact. The love you hold within you is without a doubt, the most powerful force I have ever felt. The passion you show for bettering the world is astonishing, and I commend you for it. But such actions cannot go unappreciated. Which is why, I will assist in the defeat of your greatest enemy." The Crystal Heart said.

"Huh? How are you going to help us with Tirek, you're just an artifact meant to protect the Crystal Empire from the crazy weather that comes from up here." Fury said, genuinely puzzled.

"Oh, I can do more than just protect. I can also empower those who are of pure heart. And you are the perfect candidate." Before anyone could react, the Crystal Heart rushed forward and beamed into Night Fury's chest. He absorbed the artifact like it was nothing, letting its power run through him as he began to float and glow. 

"Woah, what's happening to me!?" He frantically asked. Everyone on the battlefield, from the princesses to Tirek himself saw his glowing form, stopping the action and watching as he glowed blue and shone bright. Fury's coat turned snow white and his eyes went blue, swishes of blue light making markings along his body and head. He also grew wings made of ice and crystal, shining like diamonds in the sun as he beamed for miles like a beacon of hope.

Finally making contact with the ground ahead of the fortifications, he revealed his now icy form to the world with his new wings and white fur. He stayed silent out of shock that he had just been upgraded by the Crystal Heart, but it didn't last long.

"Oh yeah! I got a level up!" He called out, getting cheers from the soldiers on the ground and the princesses behind him. Just then, the sound of an earthquake could be heard. But it wasn't just an earthquake. Looking back, Fury saw not only the Yaks, but the rest of the Mane Six and even his parents making a mad dash to the front lines.

"It looks like everyone came right on time for my new form." Fury said. As everyone got closer, they saw Pyro on the front lines as well. They seemed intimidated at first.

"Get away from our son, you monster!" Black Ice said.

Fury came to her defense though. "Hey, cool it. She's on our side now! You hurt her, you deal with me! You understand!?"

Black Ice was about to respond but Obsidian stopped her and motioned her to look into Fury's eyes. She saw his face that was expressing true conviction in his words.

"And besides, considering how family trees work, that makes her your half sister and my aunt."

Black Ice looked at Pyro closely. She could see it. She could see the resemblance in her eyes, she even had a similar jawline. 

"You… really do look like a part of the family. Firestarter, right?" Black Ice asked.

"Yes, she was my mother. And Icemonger was…"

"My fath- Well, I guess I should say our father now." Black Ice chuckled.

"Hmmm, I can see it alright." Fury said. "Yep, you both look a bit like gramps. But you two sure both don't act like him. What with you two being fiery hotheads. Yep, you two really have that in common." He said with some snark.

Pyro went deadpan and looked to Black Ice. "Is he always this cheeky?"

"Almost every day, he has something smart to say. But, he wouldn't be my son if he didn't." Black Ice chuckled. 

"Maybe he got that from me." The father said amused.

"Glad to see you two are getting along. Now, let's get down to business." Fury said, turning back to Tirek.

"You see all of this, Tirek? This is true friendship and loyalty! You can't stand against the truth of united nations!" Fury called out. Tirek was baffled that Pyro would switch sides, especially after all that talk. 

"Pyro! How could you ally with these weaklings!? They have turned you to what you feared the most! I was going to provide you with absolute power!!!" Tirek said, screaming.

Pyro simply scoffed at him. "Oh don't deceive me. You would have betrayed me the first moment you got powerful enough. And I have realized that this isn't worth the pain I would have gone through! I decided to live my own life!" Pyro declared.

Tirek was enraged at this. But then he chuckled. "Well since you have turned traitor, I am sure your tribe will look forward to this news. I cannot wait for that day."

"That's not happening with us! Especially with me! I'm taking this to heart, and I'm going to end this now! Come on! Fight me!" Fury encouraged, flying up a bit to face Tirek.

"As you wish." Tirek walked out to face him. "I must admit you have a nice form. But that won't be enough this time. I absorbed some powerful ponies while I was away. You shouldn't be so cocky."

"I'm not alone anymore, you freak. I don't stand by myself, I've got everyone I know behind me. And this… is the final stretch. Let's do this!" Fury said, shooting a cold ice beam out of his mouth and covering Tirek's face before flying high and fast to get above the crowd below. Everyone went on the offensive, rushing the centaur with might and fury.

This is the day I finally take charge of my life. The day I set things right. The day I leave my tragedies behind and embrace my new home.

"Gahhhhhh!!!! Take this!!!" Tirek said while shooting a laser at Night Fury. It was larger than three alicorns combined. But Fury smirked at it.

"Not today!" Fury announced, forming a thick ice ball around him and taking the brunt of the blast with no damage whatsoever. He eventually broke out of his protection and dove in for another run.

Let's see what the Crystal Heart gave me to use.

He said to himself as he went to slam down in front of the charging group. On impact, the crowd behind him floated up a few inches of the ground from the sheer force. A wave of snow plowed into Tirek's legs, instantly freezing them solid like pillars.

"I can't even move now! I broke that chieftain's ice spell! Why not this one?" Tirek asked, trying to escape.

"Well, it's not just a Speed Shifter's power. It's the power of the Crystal Heart itself. It's given me the power of several generations of those who loved and would die for that love. Same goes for me." Fury said, disappearing from sight and reappearing overhead. He used some snow to form large icicles, heaving them downward and watching as they impacted the head and horns of the frozen centaur. 

"Gahhhhhh!!! My head!!! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, YOU ANNOYING BRAT!!!" Tirek said as eyes glowed white and his horns as well. The ice around him melted. "You brought this on yourselves. I didn't think I would have to use this but now my true vengeance!" He shot a white hot beam right at the feline in the sky. It came at him way faster that he anticipated and got too close to block himself.

Shoot, it's coming in too fast! I can't block this.

Fury braced for impact when he heard an explosion. And then silence. Thinking he had just died, he opened his eyes in anticipation of being met with the gates to the afterlife. But in return, he was met with a golden barrier that was steaming from the blast.

"Oh no, you're not! You're not going down just yet, Fury!" Cadence said forming a barrier along with Twilight.

"Whoa. Heh, thanks for the assist, ladies!" Fury said, genuinely grateful.

"What? Did you think we'd let you die that quick? Remember, you've got all of us on your side. We're here for you!" Twilight reminded him.

"Fine, whatever. Your barrier is nice but you won't be able to do anything trying to counteract the beam!" Tirek yelled. "It's only a matter of time before I break it!"

"Not before I have a say in it! Celesia, Luna, get up here!" Fury called to the crowd down below. The two royal sisters flew up and joined him behind the barriers.

"I've got an idea. How about an Ice Torpedo, huh?"

"Wait, who's going to be the torpedo? I assume it's you?" Celestia asked. 

"I've got the power, don't I?" Fury said, forming a capsule of ice around him. "You two combine your magic and send me flying at supersonic speeds, we'll get the chance to overwhelm him for just long enough so that I can get the final blow. I'm sure Twilight and Cadence can keep the barrier for a little longer."

"You can count on us!" Twilight said. "Now hurry before the barrier breaks!"

Fury focused his power, along with Luna and Celestia, they all gave out an intense aura that was almost blinding to Tirek. 

"Hey Tirek?! Ever played ball? Cause here comes one right at you! Now!" Fury yelled out as Twilight formed a millisecond long hole while Celestia and Luna launched Fury as with such speed it looked like a long streak of colors all the way from the princesses to Tirek.

The ice spear struck Tirek in the face, breaking the ice and causing an explosion of energy to blast not only him, but Fury backwards as well. While Tirek was blinded and staggered a bit, Fury was flying out of control towards the ground. Luckily, a few new friends came to snatch him up. 

In a split second, both Pyro and Snow Globe combined their auras to form a solid slide that safely deposited Fury onto the snow and into Pyro's awaiting arms to slow his approach.

"Gotcha! Are you okay, Fury?" Pyro asked. Fury smiled up at her knowing that she truly had changed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for the soft landing. But now's not the time to start making snow angels, we have to rush Tirek and get him weak so I can take him out. Come on everyone, let's go!"

Snow Globe and Pyro followed him. He took to the right of Tirek's head. 

"We're gonna ram into his ugly head with full force!" Fury said.

"Heh, I like how you think, Fury." Pyro said with enthusiasm.

"It sounds like this will become a bit messy." Snow Globe admitted preferring more elegant takedowns.

"Well, you two better get used to my crazy shenanigans if you ever plan on visiting Equestria later. Either way, this is gonna be one hefty hit. Now charge!"

All of them charged for one last attack. After opening their eyes, they gave a combined roar that was so loud the Crystal Empire could hear it. Fury had lightning and ice, Snow Globe had ice, and Pyro had flames. And so they all pounced toward Tirek.

"Ah finally, my sight is back and I can rip you all to- Huh?"

"Surprise! You miss us!?" Fury asked as they all ran at him and let loose their best attacks. Yaks rammed into his body, ponies stabbed him and blasted him with magic, and Speed Shifters used their powers to overwhelm him and confuse him.

Tirek could not even keep up with all the attacks and roared in pain. "You… can't… beat… me…. I'll… destroy you all…"

Then Fury appeared right before his face, "You sure about that?" He sent a beam directly into his eyes, covering them in snow.

"Daaaaaaugh!" Tirek roared in pain, jerking his body and shaking the mob off of him. Everyone retreated back to a safe space and watched as he twitched in agony.

"Large centaur is almost down! Yaks have done great damage to him!" Prince Rutherford spoke.

"He's almost down and out! Just a little more!" Rainbow Dash called out.

Fury heard this and decided that now was the time to take his final stand. He flew up high once more, letting the sun cast a shadow down upon the kneeling centaur as he spoke. 

"You see, Tirek? This is what true power is like! You don't have to take it to make yourself into a great warrior, it comes from true dedication and honest work! But you have left that notion to die! And I am going to make you pay!" Fury spoke, charging up one final time. Blue energy circled him as his icy wings extended to full, embracing the power that the Crystal Heart was giving him.

Tirek looked up at the glowing feline and made his final words known. "You cannot defeat me! I will return! Stronger and better than before, you will cower before the name Tirek!"

"That's… Not… Happening!" Fury said, readying his final strike as he looked down to a particular pink alicorn.

"Hey Cadence, this one's for you!"

Fury then ran up with all the energy of the Crystal Heart and with his own Shifter energy and with the will of his ancestors he swooped in and lunged right into Tirek's neck.

BOOM!

The whole valley to the point where ponies and shifters struggled to stay up. Everyone there could swear they heard the voices of ghosts at that moment.

When everyone got to their senses they saw what happened to Tirek.

"Is that Tirek?" Twilight asked. Right in front of everyone's eyes was Tirek, frozen in ice like a mammoth from the ice age.

"No way, Night Fury turned Tirek into a popsicle!" Pinkie Pie spoke.

"Yeah, but where's the one behind it?" Rainbow asked.

"Um… I think that would answer this question." Applejack said, pointing over to where a pair of white legs and paws were sticking out of the snow.

"Uh… Guys… A little help down here?" Spoke a muffled voice. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie just laughed at Fury's embarrassing position.

"Wow. The big guy made such a show of it all, even making it out to Cadence in her honor… and he ends up face down in the ground." Rainbow laughed.

"Hurry! He's in there!" Fluttershy said, running to dig him out under the large pile of snow. 

"Oh worry not. It's just snow." Snow Globe said as she grabbed the snow causing part of it to melt freeing Fury.

"Well, did I do it?" Fury asked.

"I believe you have, Lightning Bug." Luna said, pointing to the frozen statue of Tirek.

"Alright, the final boss is toast!" Fury cheered.

"It must have felt very special if you had to make it out in my honor." Cadence chuckled.

"Eh, I guess it was the heat of the moment. Either way, these ice powers are awesome!" Fury said, shooting a couple of ice rays to test it out.

"I soooo want to keep these powers! I could be the most powerful thing on the planet! Forget the royal sisters, make way for the emperor!" Fury spouted off.

"It seems the power of the Crystal Heart has gone to his head." Luna commented.

"Indeed sister. Perhaps it is time to relinquish your oh so powerful form?" Celesia asked. Fury looked at both of them as if they just called him fish breath.

"What!? No way, I'm keeping this! I'm gonna rule the way I was meant to with these guns!" He protested.

"Sorry, Ice king. But as all good things do, they come to an end. Sorry to disappoint, but it's gotta go." Cadence said, charging her horn.

"Wait, nonononono-" Before Fury could protest further, Cadence grappled him in her magic and stripped the power away from him, leaving him with his original black fur and restoring the Crystal Heart to the physical realm as he flopped onto the snow. Less cool and less powerful.

"Awww, nuggets!" He huffed, crossing his arms and puffing his cheeks out.

"Sorry, but this crystal magic would have worn off anyway. Especially with how much you used. And you were only able to do it because I was nearby and it cannot be used lightly. I need this energy for myself. I got weaker when you got the upgrade so that's why you can't keep it." Cadence explained the harsh truth to him.

"Aw come on, It could have made it better! It could have made me better! Now I just look lame." Fury snorted, sounding like a fussy child.

"To think on the one paw, an epic warrior and persuader. On the other paw, someone who wants to keep his power like a cub wanting to keep a toy when he was four." Snow Globe said with a giggle.

"I could have been the All Powerful to end All Powerfuls. Now I'm just lame and scrawny with these dumb lightning powers. Hmph!"

"Wait, did I hear you just mock our lightning powers, son? You sound like your mother." Obsidian asked with unusual unamusement.

"I don't sound like her! And besides, that fossilized hothead has more hot nonsense to spew than an active volcano." Fury said, roasting his mother.

"I am not a volcano!!!" Black Ice said, enraged.

"You just exploded like one, so what's your point?" Fury shot back.

Meanwhile Snow Globe and Pyro Flare just looked at the now arguing family with amusement.

Pyro Flare grinned. "I see that these three are quite the family. It must be very interesting to have to deal with this on a daily basis. It makes me wish I had met this long lost nephew of mine sooner."

Snow Globe nodded. "I agree. Though considering how dramatic you are, I would not say you are one to talk. You have just as much drama and sass as the rest of them."

"Heh, touché. But besides that, I never knew that I had such a diverse family beyond what I was shown. It makes me feel… whole." Pyro said, approaching the three family members with her own scheme in mind.

"Okay you three, break it up." She said, splitting the three up before kneeling down to Fury.

"Now listen here, little one. Don't be upset that it's over, be glad it happened. You have the best powers to ever grace the planet already, don't mess that up. Do you understand?" Pyro asked.

"Okay, I understand… auntie." Fury said, hugging the new family member.

"Thank you… But never call me that again, nephew. It is very… embarrassing.

"Is that so… Auntie Pyro?" Fury said cheekily.

She got angry. "Yes! Yes it is! What are you, a cub?!"

"No. But if you want me to stop, you have to catch me first…" Fury paused before he booped Pyro's nose and said…

"Auntie." Before running to the safety of one he knew would protect him. His sweet Luna.

"Princess, I need to punish my nephew with my paw! Let me do my job!" Pyro demanded.

Fury simply hugged Luna. "Sorry, since I'm this fine lady's love, I got immunity from harm. So take that, aunty!" He said sticking his tongue out.

"Since when was I just a natural barrier to you? Am I truly just a defensive border for your mischief and mayhem? I feel so offended." Luna said exaggeratedly, holding a foreleg to her head.

"Oh come on, Moonpie. You know I don't mean that literally. And besides…" Fury paused as he took a step back, curled his tail and…

Thwip!

"Eep!" Luna's wings shot open on both sides as her face blushed and the crowd around her shared a variety of mixed emotions with some like Rainbow laughing, Rarity horrified at the uncouth behavior, Cadence smirking at Fury's risque love tactics and Applejack rolling her eyes.

"...I know you love me. Especially when I offend you. You love that mischievous part of me. And I don't care who sees, because I'll do anything to make sure you and everyone else knows who you belong to." He said in a sultry voice.

Luna smiled at this. "Why yes. I do love that about you. But… I think you have it wrong who belongs to who…" 

Luna then proceeded to kick up some snow in his face, trip him, and pull him up to her face with half lidded eyes and a sultry smile.

"Because I believe that you… belong to me." She whispered, just loud enough for everyone to hear. Fury shivered at her touch, a bit of electricity shooting up his back.

"Heh I guess I do. But hey, who wouldn't?" Fury said, giving her a kiss.

Pyro was now less angry and more intrigued at this relationship. It amazed her how they could be so different but blend in so well at the same time. This Fury, she never thought someone so immature could have such a charm. He was something else for sure.

"You seem to have quite the relationship. I must say, despite the species difference, you two get along quite well. But tell me, your highness… how do you handle the young one's occasional fits of… bloodlust?"

Luna thought about this. Sometimes she wondered about that herself.

"I would say above all… persistence. Persistence and pure love. I love him so much, I reach out to him and do whatever I can to get through to him, even if he yells at me for trying. I knew as soon as he relayed his checkered past to me that he was a bit on the… aggressive side after being mentally manipulated and tortured for so many years." Luna said somberly. 

"And for me… I suppose there is a comfort in finding someone who understands what being ostracized feels like, who understands loneliness and understands being misunderstood. And yet I know behind all that is someone who is truly loving and will jump to the moon to help those he loves." Luna said.

Fury was quiet and seemed genuinely touched. "Thanks, Luna. I'll go up and over to keep you with me." Fury said, hugging her close and tight.

"Why is this so beautifuhuhuhul!?" Black Ice weeped, clinging to the love princess next to her as she cried happy tears.

"I know it truly is. It is the type of love poets have spoken of millenia ago." Cadence said.

"RUTHERFORD THINK THIS VERY ROMANTIC TOO!!!" He said, blowing his nose into Black Ice and causing her to jump.

"Eeeuuugh! How disgusting!" She squealed.

The couple soon separated and gave each other a loving look. 

"You know I love you, Luna. And I always will." Fury said. "Now, let's get back to the basics " 

The Speed Shifter ambassador waved Snow Globe over to where Prince Rutherford and the rest of the Yaks stood before introducing them.

"Chief Snow Globe, meet Prince Rutherford of Yakyakistan. Prince Rutherford, Chief Snow Globe of the Glacier tribe."

Snow Globe bowed before shaking his hoof. "Why it is most delightful to meet you, Prince Rutherford. I hope that the children of our two nations may forever know peace."

Then Rutherford repaid the compliment. He shook her arm, lifting her up and down. "AGREED, SNOW CAT! WE WILL BE FRIENDS AND FIGHT FOR EACH OTHER FOREVER! NOTHING CAN TAKE US DOWN!"

The chief got dizzy. "Y-yes Prince, I-I agree with that."

Then it got darker. Everyone saw the sun was about to go down. 

"Huh, looks like we've hit the other end of the day. Well, I'm glad my trip up here to make peace didn't go down the drain." Fury said. Just then, a bright light flashed into existence in front of him. It revealed a familiar face.

"Woah… Hey Twilight, girls, come check this out!" Fury called out. The Mane Six immediately came to check out what the deal was.

"You know who this is?!" Twilight asked.

"That's right, my former student." Celestia said. "It is someone me and Luna know very well. Our mother."

"That would be right, my children. And I believe it is time for me to introduce myself to the rest of you." The light gave way to the white alicorn with red mane that was none other than Fausticorn herself.

"Oh hey Lauren, glad you could make it." Fury said casually.

"No way! Is that… y-you're real?!?! Not just a legend?!" Twilight asked. 

"You got that right, young lady. I've been around for a while just waiting for the right time to make an appearance. And today was just that day." Faust said, looking at Fury. "And you Fury, I trust everything worked out after all, huh?"

"Smoother than a baby's bottom." He quipped.

"And weren't you all worried thinking everything would suck and fail?" Faust asked with a smirk.

"Okay, okay. Fine. I was a bit… worried. But what matters is the results. And with a new Speed Shifter ally and new friends, I think it all turned out well." Fury said.

"Good." Faust said. "Now, I will say that you all have accomplished something magical today. And now, it is time for the reward of that success."

Lauren extended a wing and revealed she had been carrying the chest from the Tree of Harmony. But it looked different. The six keys the Mane Six had acquired had been inserted into the keyholes and the paw mark on top was glowing Fury's signature red.

"Woah. The chest… it's got the keys in it." Rainbow Dash said.

"I… suppose we should turn them?" Twilight assumed, getting approving nods from her friends. The six of them walked up to the chest and grabbed each key, turning them at once to hear a click and watch as the paw mark in the middle stuck out to be pressed like a button.

"Well, our job is done. Now it's your turn, bud." Applejack said. Night Fury hesitated.

"Are you sure? I'm still not exactly sold on the idea that I was required to unlock this thing." Fury said cautiously.

"You've come a long way, darling. I believe you have the full right to be involved with this." Rarity encouraged him. Fury looked at his friends and got a nod from all of them. He took a deep breath, and decided it was time to take the plunge.

"Okay, here goes nothing." He said. Extending his paw, he touched the top of the chest. He felt his energy ignite on contact, his body glowing as the chest seemed to feed his aura. He felt nervous and looked to Lauren for support.

"Go on, you can do it." She encouraged him, sounding just like his mother.

Knowing he had full support from those around him, he flexed his muscles and pushed in on the chest.

A surge of energy stormed into his mind and soul, his eyes glowing white and his veins glowing under his fur for all to see. The All Powerful then saw visions, from all the animals he had become, all the ponies and shifters he had befriended, his ancestors and finally the emperor. 

The energy gave him a shot into the past, seeing everything and everyone that stood in the past during his time alive and even before. Every form he had taken ran through his mind. Each cry, roar, screech, and bellow rang out as the surge played his entire life back in a split second. It even showed forms to come to his possession in the future before the surge reached max capacity and he let it all out in a rainbow shockwave.

Every bit of rainbow energy shot out in a dome before streaming down towards the Mane Six.

"Whoa, look at that! What is going on?!" Twilight asked frantically. Just then, a portal opened directly to Ponyville. On the other side, sat an open field next to a lake.

"Whatever's going on, it has to do with that portal! C'mon, let's book it!" Fury said, immediately dashing through it. The rest of his pony friends, his parents and even Pyro followed his lead and left the snowy mountains behind, immediately being met with the more warm and grassy scenery of the rural town.

They then saw something truly spectacular. Something that they thought would only be seen in the Crystal Empire.

"Is that… a tree?" Twilight asked in disbelief.

"Not just a tree, brainiac. I… I think that chest just gave birth to a castle!" Fury exclaimed. The bright castle was made of crystals like the Crystal Palace, multiple towers and a balcony sticking out like branches on a tree with a flag on top.

Rarity had to resist fainting from the glory emanating. Meanwhile Pinkie, so excited, bounced ahead to feel the crystals.

"Ooh, these crystals are super cold to the touch. Brrr!" She shivered.

"No way… I've got to see if I can climb this thing!" Fury said, about to go and dig his claws in.

"Pump the brakes, kitty boy. I don't need your claw marks running up and down this thing." Twilight said, holding him back.

"Aw come on! Can't I have fun just for once!?"

"Not on my watch." Twilight said, moving him with her magic to the ground. "Come on, let's go in through the front entrance."

"What a tyrant." He muttered. But he was still eager to see the inside.

And no doubt it sure impressed everyone, the halls and window fixtures rivaling even that of the Canterlot Castle. But nothing could compare to the beauty that came in the main chamber, a table in the center with all the seats. 

"My goodness they all have our cutie marks! How considerate." Rarity said.

But there were not just six seats but also one other one. Everypony saw a symbol of lightning. 

"Is that… mine?" Fury asked.

"Why yes it is," said Faust. "I hope you like the decor because this will be your new base. You will be part of a whole new world not just for Shifters, but for all creatures."

"Sweeeeet! Ya main feline Fury has got himself a throne!" Fury cheered, jumping up and landing on the plush cushion that hugged his behind just right.

He sunk into the cushion and gave a deep sigh of pleasure. This is the life of a chief or an emperor. All he would need would be a headdress; he'd be like royalty.

"I see you're enjoying the luxurious life of ponies, dear love of mine. How does it feel?" Luna asked.

"Well for one, my rump has never felt so snug and comfy. And two, I'm enjoying this to the max! Maybe even too much if I'm going by the standards of my mother, what with her constantly saying she never wanted to spoil me. Too bad I guess." Fury said in amusement, although he knew his mother was not one to talk considering how she loved her own shopping.

"It does indeed befit you, All Powerful." Celestia said.

"You look a little off, Tia. Jealous perhaps?" Fury joked, getting a huff of laughter from the solar princess.

"No, I've experienced too much to worry about a throne seat. I'm perfectly fine with my own measly seat. You can have yours." Celestia said nonchalantly. 

"Oh I don't know, maybe we could trade seats since I'm so generous." Fury said.

"Oh you don't have to-"

"Because this big seat would be a better fit for you!" He said followed by slapping his own knee and then laughing.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "The future uniter of Speed Shifter kind, everypony…"

But then Celestia turned serious. "Alright Night Fury, now that you've witnessed the castle. Let me ask you. Do you understand what this castle means? What it means for all of you as well as the Mane Six?"

Fury scratched his head. "I guess it means… we got some new responsibilities?"

"Indeed. With this new castle, you will be subjected to bigger and more important responsibilities now that you've proven you can handle the pressure. Each and every one of you will be expected to hold a reputation and a public image regardless of what you represent and who you are. You are all heroes and heroines now and you will be seen as such, regardless of your current situation. And this will no longer just be a few small villages, but the whole wide world." Celestia said.

"What do you mean exactly, the whole world?" Rarity asked.

"I mean that depending on your actions and how you are perceived, you might just help lead this fractured world to unity and friendship. There is still conflict in the world and distrust. And we must break those barriers. So I say this to you. Be ready for a new era. I hope you all will be ready for new challenges." Celestia said. 

Twilight nodded. "You can count on us princess. I've what my abilities about friendship were for. And now I know. It's to make friends with all the world. And Fury was the start and with him the end too."

Fury smiled confidently "Well, if I can convince a crazy fiery wacko to be good, then I bet I can convince others to be friends!"

"Oh ha ha, very funny." Pyro scoffed. "You are quite the jokester, you know that?"

"Of course I do. And I know that if I let that disappear from my personality, everyone would worry and miss the old me. Trust me, it's happened before." Fury said both humorously and with some regret.

Luna was quite happy at this. "And that I can attest to with all my heart."

"Same for us!" The Mane Six said in unison.

"We wouldn't want you any other way, kitty cat. We all love you for who you are, and we'll always be sure to remind you." Pinkie Pie squeaked, running up and hugging the black feline.

"I know I can count on it. Whether it's clowns or silly songs, you guys know how to get me back." Fury said with a chuckle. 

The other Mane Six also laughed. Everyone knew no matter what happened they would be ready for whatever came their way.

"Oh and one last thing before I chow down on some grub. Pyro, do you have somewhere to live and will those Shadow Shifters be a threat to you?" Fury asked the older shifter.

"Well, once they find out about my betrayal, there will be no doubt a wave of targeted attacks on the same wavelength as your attempted assassination case. And I do not have a place to stay, nor do I have the bits to even rent an apartment." Pyro lamented, looking down.

Fury rubbed his chin for a moment before coming to an answer. "Why don't you stay with me? I've got a nice villa with multiple guest rooms. And before anyone makes it clear that she has tried to kill me multiple times… I'm looking at you, mom… I'm perfectly content with her being in the same house as me." 

Pyro was somewhat shocked. She was expecting him to simply tell her where to get an apartment, maybe give her money for it. But living in his household? Most Shadow Shifters did not have that level of hospitality.

"Y-you'd be okay with me staying with you?" She asked.

"Of course. But, as the ambassador of our species, that comes with terms and conditions." Fury said in a serious tone, standing up from his throne and walking to her with a straight face.

"If you're going to live with me, you're going to agree to these terms. You will be expected to assist with any chores, run errands, and overall maintain the house as a punishment for your previous transgressions. Every week, you will write a letter to the royal sisters as an update on your current situation and what you have learned over said week." 

"When addressing any visitors from town or farther out, you will use 'Sir' and 'Ma'am' as you would a dignitary. Once you have proven your suited for separation and solo living, which will have to be judged by the royalty that occupies this room and myself, you will give a speech to a crowd and the press, officially stating your cooperation with Equestria's ways and accepting the reality of your new life."

"Do or do you not agree to these terms?" Fury asked her, sounding much like Celestia with his stern tone.

Pyro almost groaned at having to do these sort of gestures to ponies that would probably be of a lower rank than her. But she realized that with what she did, this was mercy. So she accepted it.

"Yes, I fully accept these terms and conditions for the foreseeable future." She said.

"Good." Fury said acceptingly, pulling out a key. "Fluttershy, be a dear and show her to my villa so she can get settled. But take Cadence with you, just in case."

"Right this way, Pyro." Fluttershy said, the pink Princess of Love following suit.

"Thank you." Pyro said.

"Ahem?" Fury cleared his throat, correcting Pyro's mistake.

She's young enough to be my daughter! "Ma'am." Pyro corrected, swallowing her pride as she left with the animal caretaker and the Crystal Princess.

"I must say, your diplomacy and etiquette have improved dramatically." Black Ice spoke up. "Much more eloquent than when you were a cub for sure."

"Thanks, but let's not see it get too much improved. Otherwise, I may just lose what makes me… me." Fury said with a cheeky smile. "Just like how you wouldn't be you if you weren't stuck up and telling me how immature my pranks are while insisting your jokes are supposedly witty." He said with his tongue out.

"Fair enough, but I'm not that bad." Black Ice said, making Obsidian and his son look at her like she was crazy.

"You… can not be serious. You are so stuck up and unfunny, that even Twilight herself would yawn." Night Fury exclaimed.

"Uh thanks? I guess." Twilight said.

She looked to Obsidian for some sort of defense on her behalf.

"Sorry honey, but that couldn't have stuck closer to you if it was covered in tree sap. The last time I saw you fall victim to a whoopie cushion that Jade and Night Fury planted, you were more than just a tickle monster after you found out…"

"That was only one time… Okay, maybe three. I had to teach them a lesson! Especially Fury corrupting such a gentlecat like Jade!"

"Mom, come on. You know just as well as I do that mine and Jade's earliest memories were when we used to fill up water balloons and go on a splashing spree. And besides, my silliness was what got some of the other Shifters to like me. Remember Queen Bee, my old babysitter?"

Black Ice's face softened and smiled at the memory.

"I do. I do. She really was fond of you. I was actually worried she would dislike taking care of such an… energetic cub. But she apparently said you had a charm about you. Something that filled her boring life up. And… as much as I would not want to admit it, it was not because you were a gentlecat for sure. But because of your wild attitude that has not gone away since." 

"Not to mention she was the worst tickle monster to ever exist. She was even worse than you with that game she always played with me. What was it again? Hide And Tickle?" Fury said, shuddering as the humiliating memory.

His mother on the other paw smiled. "Ah that was my favorite part, she was a proud practitioner of the art of Hide and Tickle. Maybe even better than me. A true model for all future parents trying to teach their cubs the penalty for naughtiness." She said dreamily much to her husband and son's looks of utter disgust.

"I may even reinstate that old game as a little fun activity of my own, perhaps even adding Cadence in on the deal." Luna said.

"Oh great, now you gave the moon pony new ideas. Thanks a lot, now I have to worry about her and her pipsqueak niece."

"Right you are, kitty, right you are." Cadence said eagerly. "This pipsqueak will make you squeal like a pig when we're through with you."

"Sweet googly moogly, when did you get back!?" Fury asked frantically, jumping at the sight of the pink alicorn.

"Just now. Just wanted to say hi. But now, I feel like I'm in the mood for some fun. So how about we be the Speed Shifters and you be the deer we're chasing down?" Cadence said with Luna nodding.

"How nostalgic I feel like joining in." Black Ice said.

Fury gulped at this.

"You better get ready to run away, son. I'll try to hold them off while you escape." Obsidian said.

"Thanks for the assist, pops. Gotta go!" Fury said, jumping up and using Celestia's long neck and back as a slide to give him some momentum. 

"Oof! I'm sure that must have been some kind of joke at my expense. You have my blessing, you three. Go forth and let him know what true terror is." Celesia commanded.

"Sorry sunbutt, but if you and your mom weren't basically a pair of albino giraffes, I wouldn't treat you like you like such. By the way Lauren, your snout is so long, it looks like a white whale with two blowholes." Fury shot off.

"You really are trying to make as many enemies as you can today, aren't you?" Obsidian sighed. 

"Let them rage for my speed will save me in the end from the wrath of the giraffe demons! So in conclusion, hasta la vista!"

Fury then dashed off.

"Come back here you!"

And so Fury was chased once again by those seeking to tickle him.

Fluttershy and the Mane Six looked at him being chased by the three along with Obsidian.

"Does he always get everyone chasing him?" Pinkie asked.

"At this point, it might as well be a hobby for him." Obsidian said, watching as Fury and the princesses went on the chase of their lives.
> Chapter 43: Baby Steps
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As exciting as his adventures up north were, Night Fury could not wait to finally lay on his own bed. It was a little cool in Snow Henge and he wanted to get back to the warmth of Ponyville. He slept in for a long time, longer than usual. But he was soon brought back to the reality of the world around him when he smelled the familiar scent of scrambled eggs and heard the sound of pouring orange juice.

He sniffed the air to catch the scent of the fresh food and decided to take a peek at what the deal was. Getting up and out of bed, he went downstairs into the kitchen to see Pyro making breakfast for the both of them. The orange Speed Shifter seemed none the wiser of his position, so Night Fury decided to make himself known.

"Pyro?" He said sluggishly, still recovering from sleep. "You made all this?"

On the table sat a decent stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs, two glasses of orange juice, and even jelly toast. 

The orange Speed Shifter turned around to face him with a warm smile.

"Good morning, Fury. Yes, I did. And it's all for you." She said finishing up with preparations. "Come here, let me seat you."

Fury, somewhat confused, was dragged by the fire shifter to his seat. She also gave him a fork and knife and a handkerchief. It was the type of treatment one would give a chieftain or princess.

"Pyro, you didn't have to do all of this! You're too sweet."  Fury said sweetly, getting a chuckle from Pyro.

"This is the least I could do for you after you showed me mercy yesterday. I am truly grateful. Now, bon appetit."

Fury was more than happy to comply. He bit right into the pancakes and was surprised by the taste. Perfectly cooked and fluffy, just enough syrup. It was almost like what his mother used to make.

"Mmmm, these pancakes are amazing! It's almost as good as my mom's recipe. Did you get some tips from her?" Fury prodded, pointing his fork in her direction. Pyro blushed as she took a sip of orange juice.

"I… may have gotten a few lessons from Black Ice to please you. It was for sure something new to learn. I didn't have much experience cooking food that actually tasted great. I guess there is no one more experienced at food than a mother." Pyro said as she served him some more syrup.

"Well, mom always took pride in cooking for everyone around her. She would be one of the main cooks for our food festival back home. Her lifelong dream was to open a restaurant of her own to share her creativity and passion. But that was all before her and my dad were… forcefully removed from our home." 

The older Speed Shifter felt pity for Fury. Having his own family taken away from him not knowing what happened to them because of the tribe she once aligned with.

"I could not feel any more sorry for you than I do now, Fury. I can't imagine how devastating it was to have to watch your own parents dragged away from you, not to mention all of the ridicule you received for that failed attack." 

"It was a hard time for me, I'll say that. But like I told you, I turned my trauma into something productive. By using my persuasion to make sure no other creature is unfairly judged just for past experiences. And it seems to be going well." Fury said, taking a bite of the scrambled eggs.

"Now, while we have our time together, I'll go over some errands I want you to run." Fury said, pulling out a scroll with everything he planned for her.

"Okay, here we go: Applejack has a few crates of cider for me, so it would be absolutely crucial to have those picked up. Fluttershy has some fresh fish she collected to keep the supply stocked up while Mayor Mare organizes trading with Celestia on getting more meat into the markets now that there are four of us in town now. A pony named Octavia has a cello here that got accidentally diverted in delivery, so make sure she gets that. And lastly, just a grocery run to the market for some more berries, fruits, alcoholic beverages, ice, a few mason jars, a shaker and a new pitcher. I plan on making some drinks for a few friends coming over today."

"It looks like I'll have my paws full today." Pyro said with a chuckle.

"Don't worry, you'll get it done with no issue. And it's not just you who'll be doing all of this. I've sent messages ahead saying to expect you." Fury said. Then he took a sip of orange juice, got serious, and looked Pyro in the eyes.

"And before you go out, just remember. You're still in the early stages of gaining trust from ponies, there's only so much defending I can do for you so that you don't get targeted in somepony's under hoofed narrative to set you straight the way they deem right. So if someone tries to get under your fur for what you did, just take a breath and leave it be. Don't swing at it, just let them be that way. Trust me, from personal experience, it'll save you a lot of trouble and even your life." Fury explained.

Pyro figured he had a point. It would be somewhat hard considering she was always used to bossing others around or flattering her superiors for influence. 

"Well, I'll try my best. I'll just take your advice. And hope for the best." Pyro said.

"Sounds good. But don't worry too much, it'll just get you stressed out. I explained to the ponies you'll be encountering that you mean no harm. Though I would say it might be good not to talk to anyone other than the Mane Six or the ponies on my list, that would basically just restrict you from progressing in your efforts to make peace. Now go, I'll handle the dishes. Applejack will be waiting for you on that pickup at Sweet Apple Acres." Fury said while handing her a map of Ponyville.

"Thank you, Fury. I'll do everything on this list. See you later.."

"See you… auntie." He said with a smirk.

He won't let that go will he? She thought, a bit unamused. 

But either way she was ready to accomplish her errands. And finally figure out what Fury sees in this village.

-

Out in Ponyville…

Pyro strode through the small town calmly but with a bit of haste in her step. Looking left and right, she saw the many shops and vendors lining the streets as she made her way to Sweet Apple Acres. Although the town's sights were a big part of what she saw, the thing that she was most focused on were the ponies. While most have her welcoming but forced smiles to seem nice, others made their disapproval clear as day. 

Vendors got protective over their produce, some ponies hid in their houses out of fear, mothers brought their children closer to them, and bystanders just looked at her with grimaces of disgust, anxiety, and pure hatred.

I guess they still don't trust me. Understandable, of course. I wish I could take back what I had done. But I have to prove my trustworthiness to them. And I will.

Luckily for her, the way to Sweet Apple Acres wasn't far. And before she knew it, she was already coming close to the main barn on the property.

She noticed the miles of apple trees as she approached the house. She could see they took pride in their produce. As she got closer, she also noticed a large red stallion plowing a field. And the complete opposite was a young yellow earth pony filly giving him water as he worked. Were they Applejack's tenants?

Before long, she got to the barn where she saw Applejack shining the cider bottles she could only assume that would be in the cases she would be picking up.

"Excuse me. You are Applejack, correct?"

Applejack stopped what she was doing and turned to give the shifter a welcoming smile, the first sincere one today. "Well howdy, sugarcube, yes I am! Welcome to our humble farm! It's a nice place, ain't it?"

"Yes, it sure is." Pyro said. "I see it's quite big. You must be very successful. What with you having those tenants, I bet you and your family are rich and maybe even have influence in your town's politics!" Pyro said, trying to compliment her based on how successful she was.

"Tenants? What're you gettin' at?" The apple farmer asked. Pryo gestured to the two ponies she saw working the fields.

"Those two! They seem very hard working pulling that dirt. You must have paid well to have them." 

Applejack laughed at her assumption. "Paid? Not on my left hind leg! Those two are my big brother, Big Mac, and my little sister, AppleBloom!"

Pyro cringed at herself. She already messed up. "Oh I see. Sorry. It's just most of the time, I'm not used to seeing the owner of a farm work with their own paws. Or, I guess hooves. I assumed you had others do that, considering how much land you have."

"Sugarcube, this family runs on hard work and good harvests! We wake up at the crack of dawn to get to workin' the orchard, buckin' trees and collecting apples. It may seem a might strange to see me and my family doing all of this ourselves, but we follow a code of conduct. Ya ain't done it good enough yet if ya haven't broken a sweat." Applejack said with a bit of pride. "And honestly, about politics… we ain't interested in all that mess. Family is already its own puzzle."

"I see. Well, it may seem strange to me, but I can respect your ethics. Now, I assume you have the cases of cider Fury sent me for?" Pyro asked. Applejack lit up at the mention of cider.

"Why yes we do! As a matter of fact, the last of the bottles should be coming off the presses right now!" Applejack said excitedly, waving Pyro inside the barn.

As she went further into the barn, Pyro could smell the cider, truly a strange smell for a shifter, but she found it strangely enticing. Coming inside the structure, she was treated to the sight of the strangest machinery she had ever seen.

"What in the name of the emperor's frosty footpads is this contraption!?" Pyro said in surprise.

"This here is our hoof built cider squeezer! Come on, I'll show you where it all starts." Applejack said, moving over to the beginning of the machine where Pyro saw an elderly green mare checking the apples as they rode down a watery river up to a water wheel.

"Mmmm… Yessiree, these here apples are gonna make some fine cider this season." The elderly mare said.

"I'm assuming she's your grandmother right?" Pyro asked, a nod coming in return.

"You bet your tail! Pyro, I'd like you to meet Granny Smith! Granny, meet Pyro!"

…

"Uh Granny? Granny? Granny!"

"Huh? Oh it's you Applejack! I didn't see you there." Granny Smith responded.

"You'll have to give her some patience, she ain't exactly a spring chicken anymore." Applejack whispered, a silent nod coming from Pyro.

"Hello there, ma'am, I'm Pyro Flare and I'm here for the cider. I see you have quite a device at your disposal." The orange Shifter complimented.

Granny Smith was pleased at this compliment. "Ah, so ya noticed! Right here the pride of the apple family gets turned into something we can sell for heaps of money! First, the apples get dumped into this river and get washed. I sit here and pick out the fresh apples from the troublemakers. Speaking of which…" 

Granny Smith picked up a less shiny apple and was met with a green worm popping out of the top.

"Aha, gotcha, ya little rascal! You and your squirming buddies ain't spoilin' our harvest." Granny said with resentment, tossing the apple off to the side. "Now that I've weeded out the bad from the good, they get carried on to this water wheel here."

The orange Speed Shifter moved along to the large water wheel that was carrying apples up to a metal bucket above her.

"These fresh apples get carried on up from the river to the crusher. This big lump of metal grinds the apples up finer than a batch of pepper flakes. Crushed apples give more juice, and that's how we get more yield per batch. Watch and learn."

Granny Smith then turned a switch which activated the large press. A large wooden plate came down on a screw and pushed in on the crushed apples, squeezing the juice out and dropping its contents into a mixing vat.

"While we use the cider for sales, we haul off the rest of the mush for pig feed. Speaking of… Big Mac!?"

"Eeyup?" The red stallion replied, sticking his head in.

"We got another load for ya! Take this out for the pigs so we can clear out!" Applejack called to him.

"Eeyup!" Big Mac replied as he took the crushed apple bits out.

"And now we have here in our vat, the pressed cider. But the process doesn't stop here, we've gotta give it that punch that'll rock ya harder than a sea captain in a storm!" Applejack said. 

"In the vat, we mix in yeast and sugar to give it that hit that'll make you forget how to walk if ya have too much. We mix it slowly, just enough speed to let every bit of the dry stuff get dissolved into the wet until it comes out fresh and ready to be bottled."

Pyro took a quick sniff and was immediately hit with the smell of the cider. It was intense, it smelled like one of their magical potions, it was so pungent. 

"If ya think the smell is intense, wait till ya taste it!" Granny Smith said excitedly. "Here, let your tongue be serenaded by the fruits of our labor. Just don't get into it too much, or you'll end up like Night Fury after the Equestria Games tryouts."

"Wait, what happened to him?"

Applejack restrained from laughing. "Let's just say he um… tried to test his limits with his first real chug of real hard cider. Needless to say, he was stumbling around more than a dizzy peacock. At least we learned a valuable lesson in moderation from him."

Pyro allowed herself a snicker at the thought of a drunken Night Fury. While she was curious about what sort of shenanigans went on with his major power difference from ponies, she had to put her thoughts of amusement aside. She mentally prepared herself for the taste of Ponyville's very own apple cider.

The mixing vat finally squeezed the last of the pulp into a recognizable liquid, filling the glass bottles and capping them before dropping the last one needed to go into the crates and producing one more for Pyro to taste test.

"Well, Pyro, here ya go. Just a little warning, it's a bit strong."

Pyro took the bottle of cider, opened the lid and drank a bit of it. Her eyes opened up wide.

"This really is…from apples?" Pyro said in amazement.

"Straight from the orchard! We work our tails from day in till day out to give Ponyville and cities farther out a taste of the best cider we can offer! It takes a beating on ya, but the hard work pays off well enough to keep ya goin'!" Applejack said.

"Well, I must say I'm impressed. For all I know, this would have been a factory where I come from. But the meticulous attention to detail and hard work makes me appreciate the little things. Well, I must be off. I have to pick up the fish Night Fury sent me to collect from Fluttershy."

"No problem, sugarcube. We'll get ya hooked up to a wagon and on your way in no time!" Applejack then proceeded to help Pyro load up a wagon so she could get going with the cases of cider. While she felt a bit conflicted on letting herself be an errand girl for another Speed Shifter, she got a sort of gratification from being useful. It was like she had been restored from a rusty pile of scrap and turned into something beautiful. 

And besides she did have a bit of juicy information about Night Fury, she would be sure to bother the youngster about it.

Before long, she was off and away, waving back to that Apple family as she hauled her load towards Fluttershy's cottage. Being at work made her wonder what Fury was doing, surely he wasn't just sitting around waiting for her. He seemed like the type to be proactive and get things done. Either way, whatever he was doing at the time, she knew that he was making the most out of what he was given.

–

Meanwhile, in the Crystal Empire…

Despite not feeling so ecstatic about going back up north after spending three days in the snow, Night Fury knew that he had a mission. And that mission was to grab the best alcoholic beverages and ingredients for the trip back for whoever showed up to his villa.

I know being back here wasn't exactly on my bucket list after how long I was here, but this is the only place I know that gets the best syrups, tequilas, bourbons, and other things that anyone could ask for when making drinks.

As he strode down the crystal roads of the city, he made his way to a liquor store that Shining Armor told him about. Boozy Brilliance's Liquor Tavern. 

Entering the doors, he was greeted with shelves stocked to the brim with all types of things to make drinks and drinks in general. He was surprised that creatures that had the most kind and loving society would ever have the need to sell alcoholic beverages. But, with his knowledge of the different types of ponies he's met, he wasn't surprised that some would need the best of the best to get them through the day. Especially for those in charge of keeping the Crystal Empire safe and warm.

Going around the isles, he picked up a few bottles of bourbon, tequila and whiskey, one catching his eye in particular.

Buck Daniels… I heard Shining used to sip on this as a stress reliever before he moved to the Crystal Empire. Told me it was a pretty solid bourbon, so I'll take it.

Moving along to the refrigerated section, he searched around for something called Triple Sec. A type of tequila that he heard was popular. On his way to grab a bottle, he was met with a pink hoof going for the same bottle. He was startled but quickly regained control.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't see you there." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

He saw a pony with a gray hoodie and sweatpants paired with a set of sunglasses, clearly somepony not wanting to be seen. But once the pony spoke, Fury had a change of attitude.

"Hmmm, oh! Um… it's quite alright, sir. It is such a lovely day out after all. I'm sure Princess Cadence is happily seeing her own tower! Yes sir!" Said the pony next to him. Fury's anxiety immediately melted away and he began to snicker before speaking.

"Cadence… if you were an actor, you'd be the most garbage movie star ever." He whispered. As he suspected, the sunglasses on the pony's face lit up in a light blue aura and he was soon met with the face of a familiar pink princess with a noticeable blush.

"Awww, rats. How did you even know it was me? I thought I was nailing it." She asked.

"Okay, for one, that mock voice was the most egregious thing I've ever heard. Two, your hair isn't exactly all that well hidden in that bun tied up in that hoodie of yours. And three, no random pegasus or earth pony wears golden slippers when shopping unless they actually want to be noticed." Fury explained, pointing out the obvious gold slippers on Cadence's hooves.

The pink alicorn blushed harder as she was ripped into, but she had to admit he was right. This disguise was basically a grab and go thing, nothing to elaborate. 

"Okay, you've got me. I guess my drama teacher was just being nice. But, how did you know that I didn't want to be noticed?" Cadence pressed further.

"Well, the middle aged mother type get up was a dead giveaway. But I've been a high member of society for long enough to know the very delicate operation that is hiding your identity when doing something questionable. Like a princess buying alcohol." Cadence was surprised that he knew what she was up to, but she was even more taken aback by the fact he wasn't in the same situation.

"Well, why aren't you disguised like I am? You're just as much at risk as I am." She asked him, wondering why he would be so bold as to let his image be ruined.

"For one thing, I don't believe in public shaming. Anyone who has a problem with me buying a few drinks can kiss my plump rump. And secondly, nopony really cares if they see me in a place like this. I've basically been solidified as the most casual dignitary in Equestrian history." Fury admitted.

"Hmmm, I have to admire your commitment to be yourself. I guess being a princess has made me eager to look proper in all things. Especially to set a good example." Cadence said.

Fury laughed. "You already are one! But as much as I want to tell you to let go and be chill, I understand that this is something that can't be explained away. And knowing you, you wouldn't be too good at doing that."

Cadence went deadpan before letting out a huff of laughter. "You always have something to say, don't you? What are you doing here anyway?"

"Just picking up some drinks and ingredients so I can make some good stuff back home. Ya know, you're welcome to stop by and have a sip if you want. Don't worry, the blinds will be shut tight." Fury winked in her general direction.

"Well I do appreciate the chance to try out exotic new treats. Whatever you are having, I'm sure me and my husband will appreciate it. Consider both of us in." 

"Great! My villa, 7 o'clock this evening. I'll be showing the world what Speed Shifters can do in the world of exotic drinks. See ya there." Fury said, grabbing his Triple Sec and heading for the register. Cadence waves to him as he left, re-engaging her disguise and going back to her shopping.

–

Back in Ponyville…

Pyro was walking a long way out of Ponyville. The pony Pyro was looking for, Fluttershy, lived farther from civilization than the other ponies. Considering how sheepish and quiet she was, it was no surprise that she would be the type to be away from the hustle and bustle of the town below.

Rolling her wagon up the hill towards the cottage, Pyro saw a myriad of animals around her. From snakes and birds to bears and scorpions, it seemed clear that Fluttershy has her own set of friends to keep her company.

"And I thought our Cursed Forest was full of animals." Pyro mused. She wondered what kind of pony would be able to tame these animals. Pyro eventually came up to the front door and gave a light knock.

"Coming!" Said a soft but noticeable voice from inside. A few seconds later, Pyro was greeted with the face of the yellow pegasus with a small white bunny on her shoulder.

"Oh, hello Miss Pyro Flare. I've been expecting you. Please come inside." 

Pyro uncoupled herself from the wagon and went inside the cottage. Within the walls of the small house, bird houses and perches were hung around the roof for birds. Mouse holes were laid around the bottom of the walls as well. If Pyro was back in her hometown, she would have seen these being plugged within the hour. 

"Do these animals just roam around your property and your house freely?" Pyro asked with curiosity.

"Within reason, yes. I love taking care of animals, it's my passion."

"I see. But would they not cause trouble? Such as those bears?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about them. They know the rules. And if any try to make things difficult, I can speak to them and get them back in line." This caught Pyro off guard. Speaking to animals? She had heard that All Powerfuls such as Night Fury had the ability to understand other creatures if they transformed into them, and she herself could transform as well, but a pony doing it as if it was a second language?

"Truly you have quite an ability. Ponies definitely have more abilities than I thought before." 

"Well… it's not really what ponies can do. And honestly for most of my kind, pegasi, most of us don't have that ability." Fluttershy said.

"It's truly impressive though. You must have been considered quite talented amongst your kind." Pyro said, complimenting Fluttershy's abilities.

But this statement only got Fluttershy embarrassed. "Well, maybe with my current friends. But in my childhood, it wasn't received the same way. I used to live in a city called Cloudsdale, a floating city in the sky. I was signed up for the Junior Fliers Academy by my parents to strengthen my wings and help me fly better. But, with my meek attitude and social anxiety, my popularity and flight capabilities sank."

"Although, I found a light in all of that darkness. A love for animals. And so, I followed my passion to take care of other creatures, got my Cutie Mark, and moved to Ponyville in an effort to find my place. It took me a while to get used to the fact that animals eat other animals to survive, but I eventually found my comfort amongst it all. Especially with Night Fury and his rather large appetite." The yellow pegasus giggled.

Pyro felt some comfort from her. While she was a tad shy and didn't have the extroverted attitude of most of her friends, she managed to find her way to feel accepted. 

"It's good you have friends who accept you even if you don't always fit in. I always felt like growing up I had to mold myself into someone I was not." Pyro said. 

Fluttershy's expression was now not of meekness but of determination.

"For a while, I wanted to be accepted by the other pegasi. I felt like a freak who couldn't fly as fast or smoothly as the others in my class, but I found acceptance from those who didn't expect me to fit a mold. I'm sure after hearing Night Fury's story, you've heard the same thing. But from my experience, you don't just wait for acceptance, you seek it. Say hello to a few ponies, give a compliment once or twice. You may not get it instantly, but you'll surely accelerate your chances of getting approved by everypony else in town."

"You really think so?"

"Yep. Especially if you are determined to do so." Fluttershy said.

"Thank you." Pyro felt more comfortable with her chances of getting approved by the masses. She might just start greeting ponies on her way to the market.

Fluttershy then remembered and her expression changed to worry.

"Oh my apologies! You probably want the meat right now. I've been keeping you for too long!" She squeaked, feeling worried that she dragged on for too long.

"Oh it's nothing-"

"Here, follow me!" Fluttershy said, dragging the speed shifter to another room.

She's surprisingly strong when she feels like it!

Fluttershy took her to a large room with refrigerators. She also noticed on the wall were grocery lists, inventory and what to feed each animal.

"Normally I would save this food for the crocodiles or bears," Fluttershy said. "But the food they eat is similar to what you Shifters eat. And before you worry, they are very fresh. I feed these animals better than myself frankly." Fluttershy said with a chuckle.

"Well, let's see them then. I have been walking for a while after all." Pyro said with curiosity. Fluttershy pulled open one of the refrigerators and revealed loads of fish waiting to be used. Salmon, Trout, Sardines, Big Mouth Bass. There might as well have been enough fish for a feast.

"Are you pleased with them?" Fluttershy asked. No response. "Um, Pyro?"

Pyro was salivating at the sight of all the fish. It was like she was in another world. Fluttershy tapped the floor next to her and she snapped out of her stupor.

"H-huh? What are we doing?" She stammered. Fluttershy giggled at her embarrassing little moment.

"Oh my, you seem to have just as much of an appetite as Night Fury does with how distracted you were." 

"Um, I was just admiring the food. And visualizing how I will have dinner in a few hours. Night Fury has me going to the market to grab fruit to make drinks tonight." Pyro said, trying to save face.

"Oh I'm sure you were. So let's make that possible. Here." Fluttershy handed Pyro a few bags to take with her.

"Wow, this is entirely different from what I had as a teen. Back home, I would be eating Filet Mignon."

"I'm sorry, but what's Filet Mignon?" Fluttershy asked. Pyro blushed at her saying something about the food she was accustomed to.

"Oh, I couldn't tell you. You would be horrified."

"Miss Pyro, please. I've seen Night Fury rip apart Cockatrices and eat them in front of me multiple times. Whatever meat based food you used to eat is of no effect to me." Fluttershy reassured her.

Pyro was amazed that she of all ponies was so tolerant of her eating meat. So Pyro explained how the meat would be taken out of the tenderloin of a bull.

"I see. And this is one of your 'High Society' foods?" 

"Correct. Filet Mignon is a staple of Speed Shifter high society, mostly stemming from our early kings and queens in our species' early days. If a servant got caught eating filet mignon, well let's just say, they would regret it. Other than that, we have more casual foods such as Bacon and Burgers that are basically what your hayburgers and fried hay bacon is, but with meat." Pyro explained.

"I see." Fluttershy said, writing down the details for future inventory. "Well, in Ponyville, whether high society or not, everyone gets access to good food equally. No status barriers exist in our land."

"Well, it's good to see that we have some similarities between the both of us. Now, I must be off to the market. Night Fury is heading to Canterlot for the finest glasses, mason jars, and a pitcher while I grab the fruits here." Pyro said. Fluttershy nodded in understanding.

"Of course, you have a schedule to keep and I won't delay you any further. It was a pleasure meeting you." Fluttershy said.

"You too." Pyro said. "I'm glad you can be open to even someone like me."

Fluttershy smiled. "Well, you're making progress. And for me that's what matters. Besides between my younger brother and Discord, you are an angel in comparison."

"Thanks. Farewell." Pyro said as she went her way. She could not wait to taste the fish. But she didn't want to stuff herself yet until her job was finished.

–

Somewhere in Canterlot…

Fury was zipping around the shopping district of the city in search of his new pitcher and glasses. Looking around, he saw dress shops, horseshoe polishing stores and many other establishments. But only one caught his attention.

"Sharp Edge's Glass and Jar Emporium, bingo!" He entered the shop and noticed all of the glasses and jars. Each jar had a variety of patterns on them, with scenery from Canterlot history to animals found in the gardens. He knew that glass took a long time to make and even longer to shape into the desired item, so he took his time. Luckily, the jars and glasses came in cases of 16, so he wouldn't have to buy them individually.

"Wow, this place has got the works. Look at all of these beautiful designs." He said, admiring the large catalog of glass at his disposal. But then, a new problem arose.

"Aw scrap heaps, how am I gonna carry all of this back home? I can't run it all the way because I'd be bumping all over the place, a train ride is out of the question for the same reason, I can't fly them back because I've never flown with a load before. And worst of all, those bits I used for the drinks were all I could carry with me. How am I gonna get what I need for tonight?" Fury frantically looked at the shelves around him, his mind imagining them closing in and pressuring him into a state of panic.

But then, a strange feeling blew over him. Additionally, a pair of wings covered his eyes, but they weren't the same. One was smaller and blue while the other was much larger and white.

"Greetings stranger. We shall restore your sight, if you may guess who we are. You have only one chance or you shall suffer our wrath."

Fury smiled at this. "Yeah, yeah, I know who you are. Tia and Moonpie. Don't think your deeper voices will trick me."

Once Fury made his guess, the wings covering his eyes were removed and he got a kiss from the one on his left.

"Hello Lightning Bug, it's nice to see you again." Luna said sweetly.

"Of course it is. And don't think I forgot about you, Tia. It's always good to see you close by." Celesia giggled at the words of the feline ambassador and hugged him.

"Well, it's nice to see you too. Now, might I ask what your predicament is with these fine works of craftsponyship?" Celesia asked.

"Well, I just caught a train back from the Crystal Empire after grabbing some stuff to make drinks tonight and I need to pick up some mason jars, glasses and a pitcher for everyone who's coming. My problem is I don't have a way to get them back home without risking cracks and I used all the bits I was able to carry with me on the drinks. Boy, Equestrian alcoholic drinks are high hitters." Fury said, opening his saddlebags to give the two sisters a better view of what he got.

"Buck Daniels, Coconut Rum, Peach Schnapps, Sweet and Sour, Blue Caraçao… you got some of the best out here. Some of these go as far back as when our mother raised us." Luna said, her elder sister nodding in agreement.

"Preparing for a special occasion, are we?" Celestia asked.

"You bet, got some guests I invited coming over to experience some of my culture's drinks. Whether tropical or high society, they're gonna get what I can give. But again, the bits I used for the drinks drained my pockets like a bathtub."

"Oh, why don't you reach into the supplement fund we gave you?" Luna asked him. All she was met with was a  quirked eyebrow and a flopped ear.

"The supplement what, now?" Fury responded, confused at this fund he was never made aware of. 

"You really don't know? Every month, in mine and Celestia's names, we give you monthly supplements of money to pay for some important medicines, potions, basic necessities, bills and other things. Has there not been a letter given to you informing you of such a fund?" The lunar princess continued.

"I didn't even know it existed until now, let alone how much I'm getting. I haven't even been to a bank at all from the time I got here!"

The two princesses were dumbfounded at this revelation. 

"Don't you remember the message we sent you about this? This was three weeks ago!" Celesia asked with both worry and frustration.

"What message? Trust me, I would have known if such a thing was delivered to me. Especially if Derpy was handling it, she would have made it obvious with another dent in my mailbox! Bless her innocent soul." Fury sighed, wishing the cross-eyed pegasus well.

"Well, we cannot just let this go unmended!" Luna said. "We gave you access to this account months ago so you might be prepared for future threats to yourself! This must be the folly of a lousy accountant."

"I agree, sister. We must rectify this issue with haste." Celesia added, turning to the black feline. "Come, Night Fury. We can settle this dispute at Canterlot Central Bank, they have access to all accounts made by ponies in the city. Especially supplement funds signed by royalty."

"Right behind ya. And Luna, please try and not make a scene. We don't need the papers getting wind and making blasphemous rumors about our relationship." Fury warned.

The blue alicorn blushed at the idea of others being involved in what she considered private. "Good point. We will do it professionally and not with passion."

–

Soon, at Canterlot Central Bank…

It was an average day at the bank. For such a mundane structure, it was surely marvelous to behold with its columns, sculptures of the bankers' who owned it and stained glass windows. But it was not enough to remove the fact it was a run of the mill day of business.

"Here is your check, ma'am. Next!" said a banker.

The banker's eyes were surprised at the sight of the Royal Sisters themselves. What were they here for? For a reward perhaps? For severe punishment? He tried to be as suave as possible. 

"Your Royal Highnesses, you have graced me with your presence. How may I be of service?" The banker asked, sounding as professional as ever.

"Greetings subject, we have come to address an issue with one of our allied dignitaries and a fund we made in our names." Luna stated.

"Oh? Who would this fine figure of society be?" The two sisters split from each other and the ambassador walked up from between them.

"That would be me." Fury said with a slight look of annoyance.

"Oh… I see." The banker said with less professionalism than with the previous two. "So, what do you need, sir?"

"Well, the thing is, I apparently have some sort of account for monthly supplements made in their majesty's names that I was supposed to be made aware of weeks ago. A letter was supposed to be delivered to my address notifying me of my access to this account and how much I am given each month, but such a document has yet to arrive at my doorstep." Fury said, adorning his poker face and strong tone.

"Hmmm? Are you sure you're not mistaken? I think our bank would know if a problem was made. We do have standards. Kings relied on us. Have you not considered you are the one to make a mistake? Now if you excuse me, we have better things to do. Thank you."

"Well, it seems those so-called 'Standards' are slipping through the cracks." Fury said, then getting closer to the banker. "Now, I'm going to make this clear and concise. I may not be royalty like the two next to me, but I do have the power to make your life more painful than the depths of Tartarus itself. You think I didn't notice that change of tone you had upon seeing me? Yeah, I know you think I'm lower than them and not to mention all the other customers aren't posh and elite, but that's not important. What should be important is that you should be considering yourself lucky that I'm not making a scene."

"So, whether you see me as lower than your beloved princesses, not worthy of an ambassador, or even just some lowlife street cat… know this. I have just as much authority to drag your career through the mud as these two. So, shall we get to solving the current issue or are we going to have to make another one that would be much… more… painful?"

"Eeeeee!" He gave an unstallionlike squeal. "W-w-well, um…" He looked to both princesses for some sign of relief.

"I suggest you keep your eyes on the one who has addressed you, we have no value in this conversation." Luna said, taking on a much similar attitude to the ambassador.

"Well… I c-can have you s-s-speak with the accountant responsible f-for the maintaining of this f-fund." He stammered.

"Good. Now all you have to do is give us the office number." Fury said in a snarling whisper. The banker hastily wrote it down for Night Fury and passed it over, shrinking just that little bit more behind his desk.

"Well done, you managed to keep yourself alive. Now, in my professional opinion, I suggest you take the rest of the day off. And don't come back… or else I might consider an early dinner." Fury growled.

"But, but, but! I've been an employee for 20 years! I've served clients with due diligence-"

"Did I ask for your life story, peasant? No? That's what I thought. Now make yourself scarce before I plate you, curl your tail and stuff an apple in your muzzle."

"Okay okay I'm going n-now! It was a pleasure meeting you all! Bye! Ahhhhhh!!!" He said running out the beautiful building as fast as possible with all the other clients looking on. Fury then let out a much needed breath, releasing a built up charge he didn't know he had stocked up.

It was a bit of an awkward silence. But then. The crowd applauded and even cheered.

"Yeah! You showed him!" said one old stallion.

"He would not give me money when I was wounded from factory work!"

"That grump was a pain in our flanks for months! You have done us a service, ambassador!" Chirped a young mare.

Fury felt a tinge of satisfaction. Nothing  more satisfying than putting down unfair ponies who think they can get away with anything they want.

"Thank you! Thank you! Remember, no matter how great and cool they are, just know that you don't have to take their trash. You have your own self worth to maintain." Fury said to them, turning back to the royalty next to him.

"Okay, office number 28. Now let's hurry before I have to start signing autographs." Fury chuckled.

"Indeed." Luna said gleefully as they kept walking. "Although I hope you don't mind me finding your challenge to him… appealing."

"Not in the slightest, sweetheart. For you, I can do that any day." The three of them walked down the hall towards the office they were looking for, the door being marked in bold golden font.

Office 28: Solid Bond

"Huh, Solid Bond must be who's in charge of the fund." Fury hypothesized, giving a light knock to signify their arrival.

"Hold on, hold on, I'm coming!" 

The door opened revealing a middle aged, slightly plump earth pony stallion with a tie. He looked quite tired like he just woke up from sleep.

"Ah hello, Ambassador, it looks like you need something from me right? Well, what can I do for you?" Solid Bond greeted.

"Ah finally, somepony with respect." Fury sighed, straightening himself up. "Well, I've come to settle an error. I was meant to be made aware of the supplement fund these two made in their name with a letter. But, that letter has yet to arrive after three weeks." Night Fury explained, gesturing to the royal sisters behind him.

Solid Bond nodded. "I see! I see! Well, sorry that happened. Come inside and we'll get this whole mess sorted out."

They went to a table and with a new document authorizing the royal fund for supplements. The banker told him where to sign. The princesses also signed and stamped their signet horseshoes to confirm the deal.

"Well, there we go! You are all clear to have money sent to you as per the deal the princesses agreed upon." Solid Bond said.

"Nice. Now, how about a withdrawal from that fund, shall we?"

Solid Bond proceeded to give him a card. It stated in any part of Equestria, he would be able to make purchases on items and the charges would be made to the account in his name. Night Fury felt satisfied with his new card and gave Solid Bond a firm  hoofshake before leaving with the princesses.

"Alright, I've got access to the fund and this beautiful card to boot. Now comes the next problem, how in Equestria am I getting all of these glasses back home?" Fury asked aloud.

"Can you not just run them home?" Luna asked.

"Too bumpy, would most likely lead to cracks."

"A train ride would be safer, perhaps buying a ticket would suffice?" Celesia proposed.

"Same thing. To be honest, I don't exactly trust the Equestrian rail system just yet. I know for a fact how bumpy it can get."

"Flying?" Both sisters offered.

"Never flown with a load before. And besides, I'm still trying to work on my wing strength as is." Fury said. As they walked back to the glass shop, they all thought hard about what would be a sufficient way to return the merchandise safely to his home.

They pondered on for a little while. But Celestia's eyes brightened. Perhaps through the princesses' help will he be able to travel.

"How about we try teleportation? With me and Luna's powers combined we can send you back to Ponyville." Celestia proposed.

"Can you two really do that from that long of a way?" Fury asked.

"We are alicorns, Lightning Bug. Our power can do just about anything we command it to. A simple teleportation spell is magic kindergarten levels of easy." Luna said confidently.

"Well, if that's the case, why don't the two of you stick around for the drinks? I promise you, it'll be great." The two sisters looked at each other and gave a smile before speaking.

"There is nothing quite like a good drink to celebrate a victory. So why not?" Celestia concurred. 

"Agreed. After a long day, I could use one." Luna agreed.

And with that, Night Fury and the princesses bought the glasses and pitcher required, closed their eyes and focused their energies. Since it was a far distance they had to use a bit more magic than usual. But combined, they all finally managed to warp out of Canterlot and into their destination, Ponyville.

-

As of now, Pyro felt more comfortable walking through Ponyville. She didn't feel as alien as before. She had a pep in her step as she walked from the market to her next target. She had even taken Fluttershy's advice and said hello to a couple of ponies. She was surprised to see how many actually responded with positive feedback.

"Okay, next stop is an earth pony violinist named Octavia Melody. Night Fury said she would need her cello back, so I might as well make a pitstop to drop off everything I've gotten so far while I'm there handling that."

When Pyro finally reached the villa, she was starting to get a bit worn out. Ponyville was larger than she had expected. Certainly larger and more developed than the camp she used to live in. She was looking forward to finally finding out what Fury had in store.

But she had no time to think of those things. She had to be ready for her musical guest to come over. Moving the cart close to the front door, she uncoupled from it and opened the tailgate. While she wasn't as strong as Night Fury, she could still carry a little for her size. Taking the cases of cider first, she hauled them inside on her back and placed them in the double door refrigerator that had plenty of space for them. 

Once she returned for the fish and fruit, a mix of blue and yellow light flashed in front of her. Holding her paw up for a moment, she protected her vision before seeing the royal sisters and Night Fury with a load of glasses and a new pitcher/glass serving tub with a spigot on one side.

"Pyro, you're back! You get what I asked?" Fury asked, walking up to her.

"Just about. I decided to make a pitstop to drop off what I had before Octavia arrived." Pyro said. She then took notice of the crates of mason jars and glasses along with the saddle bag full of drinks.

"I see you've got your end of the deal?" Pyro asked.

"Sure did. It took me a bit of effort to get it all done, but we eventually got it done. C'mon, I'll help you get everything inside." Fury offered, grabbing some of the fish.

"Thanks."

They slowly took the delicate decorated glassware and the fish inside, placing everything here it should be. Night Fury took it upon himself to quickly and carefully sort out the mason jars and glasses on the counter behind him while placing the pitcher on the marble island in the middle.

"Aaaaand there! Now we've got glasses galore. Okay, now all we need is the fruits, berries and the ice." Fury said, taking off his saddlebags and giving his back a loud crack.

"Oh my! You have to be careful with that!" Celestia said. "We do not want this precious load to go to waste."

"I'll have to agree. It sounds like your back is crying out for help." Luna added.

"Yeah I guess being a carrier of all this stuff did not please my back!" Fury said, rubbing his spine.

They placed various fruits on the marble counter that were already in the fridge, some from the jungle like papayas and dragonfruit and others around Ponyville like apples, strawberries and pineapples. 

"Finally, we finished off with that! We can make our drinks now!" Fury said with excitement. But his spine gave him something else to deal with as it popped.

"Oooookay, maybe something else has to take priority first." Fury moaned, his tail kinking at the feeling of his back cracking.

His three companions slowly laid him on the ground. They could feel his back all tensed up.

"Maybe you should take a break." Pyro suggested. "Maybe just lie on the couch until then."

"What? No no, it's probably just a bit of weight letting up. All I have to do is streeeeetch it-" As he tried to stretch out what he thought was his back just readjusting from the weight, another deafening crackle sounded off and his muscles froze up.

"Oh boy." Fury deadpanned at his frozen body. "Aaaaand my body just seized up. Great."

Pyro felt bad for the Speed Shifter. He was doing all of this work, even going to the Crystal Empire to prepare. The reports she had of him when she was still a Shadow Shifter was that he was laid back and a little immature. But she now saw he was also hard working for the things that mattered to him. She really wanted to help this young shifter.

"Now listen, young one, you go relax this instant. I will take care of all the other preparations for this party. Once I get done with Octavia, the ice and more fruit supplies, then I'll make sure the feast is set up. Does that sound good?" Pyro asked.

"Ugh, fine. Just get me to the couch and- Ack! Ohhh sweet mothers of Equestria and the Emperor." He moaned.

"Easy, Night Fury, just let us handle getting this handled and while you let your back rework itself." Celestia said.

"Okay… Well you know where to find Octavia right?" Fury asked.

"Yep. And I'm going there now." Then Pyro turned to the two princesses. "Are you two coming with me?"

"I will remain to care for my love and allow entry to the guests as they arrive, my sister shall accompany you to the violinist's home. Otherwise, I shall treat my poor baby to a massage." Luna said, stroking his cheek.

Pyro giggled at this. Even a fierce warrior like him had a soft side to him.

"Well, we shall leave you to your private time. Come Pyro, let us rectify this misplaced cello." Celesia said, floating the musical instrument up as they both gave their farewells and went to give the cello to its owner.

–

A few minutes later…

"Ack! Oh boy! A little bit to the- Oof, there it is!" Fury was now being treated to the best massage Luna could offer. Her hooves trailed up and down his tense body as she knocked the muscles loose and gave him some movement back little by little.

"I hope this doesn't make things more complicated than before, my love. I may have some experience with romantic gestures, but a masseuse I am not." Luna said, grabbing some of the oil she had procured on the table and going to work.

"Don't worry, sweetie. You're doing great! It wouldn't be a massage if you didn't get a little rough around the tighter spaces." Fury said, his face contorting as she pushed and dislocated any aches. Then came a knock at the door.

"I shall go answer it. Do not move." Luna said, rising from her spot behind Fury's seating.

"It's not like I can do much anyway." Luna giggled at that. She soon came to the door and opened it, revealing her niece and her husband.

"Oh, Auntie Luna. I didn't expect you to be here." Cadence said, a bit surprised.

"Oh, I'm just helping out. Please, come in." The crystal couple entered Fury's villa. Making their way through the hall and into the main living room, they saw Fury's motionless but conscious body lying there on the couch.

"Oh, hey you two. Glad to see you could make it! Aww, sweet mother nature." Fury groaned, his face contorting as his back reminded him of his condition.

"Uh… what happened to him?" Shining Armor asked.

"The poor thing put his back under too much stress and now his body has locked up. I have taken it upon myself to restore his motor function." Luna explained.

Shining Armor shuddered. "Ugh. I know how that feels. Just like I first had to carry a large package during training. It was miserable. At least you got to see Luna. I wasn't allowed to see anyone except for a few days off."

"Oh trust me, I am suffering through something all right. Maybe carrying all of those drinks was a bad idea, but I had to get it done. Boy, my back is seriously being a pain in my tail! Ahahawwww…" Fury whimpered, looking less like his confident self and more like a wounded puppy. 

Luna caressed him softly. "Shhhhhh, be calm my love. Let all your pain fade away, it doesn't matter…"

"How can it not matter? I feel like a gorilla used me as its throne."

"Simple, by this." Luna held his aching back muscles.

"Hey, what are you… Oooooooohhhhhh!" Luna squeezed tightly with all the might of an earth pony farmer. 

He felt pain at first but then came the feeling of relief. He felt at ease and even purred.

"Ohhh, that's doing it. Just one more knot right in the center, give it the best kick you've got." Fury said calmly.

Luna smiled at this. "Very well, I shall give it the force of all my power invested in me!"

She struck his knot with as much force she could without breaking anything. A single loud pop was heard in the room before Fury stretched out and sighed with contentment.

"Ahhhh, that's more like it! Limber and loose. Whew, so much better." Fury said, stretching his limbs. "And yet, I still feel like I need something more. Not massages but something else."

Fury thought about it for a little, looking around, and his eyes gazed upon the mason jar. 

"Okay Luna, I think I'm in good enough shape to get started. I've got something in mind for a beginner." Fury said, tilting his head over to the mason jars.

"Oh? And what can the brilliant mind of my Lightning Bug have in store for us?" Luna cooed.

"It's called Blue Destruction. Found this one out from my mom when she came back home a liiiittle tipsy. If you would follow me…"

Fury got out a lemon and quickly sliced it into wheels with his claws, simultaneously using his tail to snatch up some of the drinks he was keeping in the fridge. 

"Okay, this one is made up of four drinks. Simple, right? But heads up, if you plan on sharing this drink, make sure it's with the friends who know their limits because this is not for lightweights. I learned that the hard way with my friend Jade." Fury warned the two princesses and the unicorn stallion, all giving understanding nods. 

"Okay, so first I'll fill up these jars with a bit of the ice I had in the fridge and some lemon wheels." He proceeded to fill up four mason jars with the listed items for each of them.

"Next, I put in 4 oz of plain vodka…" Grabbing the bottle of clear liquid, he poured the right amount into each jar.

"Next, I put in 4 oz of tequila, what the ancient sages called 'The nectar of the Gods'…" He grabbed a slightly smaller bottle and poured that in. "Trust me when I say, this drink will hit harder than Mike Trotson because it'll definitely take you to dreamland."

He took a step back and went under the island to grab a bottle of blue curaçao. "Then, in goes 2 oz of Blue Curaçao. This'll 1: Give the drink its color. And 2: dye down the taste of the vodka and tequila so it doesn't taste like you're drinking rubbing alcohol. Yuck!" He said in disgust.

Then, he pulled out four metal straws and brought out a familiar yellow drink. "Lastly, you top all of it off with some lemonade, add the straws, give it a good stir…"

He snapped his claws and a line of electricity mixed the drinks for him, spinning the straws with it. 

"Garnish with some lemon wheels and badda bing badda boom, you've got yourself four servings of Blue Destruction! Cheers, my friends."

All of them looked in amazement. What was this mysterious concoction? Shining Armor tried to play it cool though.

"Okay, me and my stallions have quite a bit of drinks after training. Quite intense I'll admit. Can yours challenge those drinks and knock our socks off?"

Fury liked the sound of this and laughed. "Oh you shall see, Shining. You shall see. Heh heh. Drink on and see if you can withstand it." He said, sliding the glasses to each of his guests. They all took their respective jars and took a hearty sip. Cadence and Luna's eyes popped open in surprise while Shining Armor gave him a raised eyebrow and a satisfied nod of approval.

"Ha ha you see, ye of little faith? Now you know true taste! The taste of our people's drink!"

Cadence nodded in approval. "Not me. I knew it would be good. Shining just likes to be competitive."

"Hey, I was just trying to test the drink! It's a big deal to our military spirit!" Shining defended himself. "In moderation, of course." He swiftly added for disclaimer.

"Oh please, nephew, you are just being stubborn." Luna said. "I believe Night Fury has done a terrific job at serving his people's pride and joy."

Fury smiled as the praise from all around. He was glad he could do his kind a service by showing them his culture. He was about to repay their kindness when a yellow flash popped in behind them.

"We're back!" Pyro exclaimed, both her and Celestia carrying a few bags. "By the way, Octavia and her roommate will be joining us tonight. We also retrieved the extra ice, fruits and that shaker you requested."

"Perfect, just set them up on the counter behind me…"

Knock knock knock…

"While I go and welcome our first round of guests." Pyro and Celestia nodded as Fury took to the front door to allow them inside. Opening the door, he saw not only Octavia and Vinyl, but a familiar cream colored alicorn.

"Octavia, DJ Pon3, glad you could make it! And… Lauren!? You're here too? How'd you know?" Fury asked, a bit confused.

"Cadence told me about how a certain someone was ready to have a fun time with games and many foods and drinks. I'm always curious for more fun times from you. It gives me inspiration for my own stories." Faust said with a smirk.

"No surprise there. Cadence always came off as a bit of a blabbermouth."

"Hey, I heard that!" The pink alicorn shouted from inside, getting a chuckle from Fury.

"Anyway, you came to the right villa. Come on in, the couch is free if you so choose."

Faust, Octavia and DJ Pon3 walked right in. Closing the door, Fury went back into the kitchen where he made another three Blue Destructions for them before getting called to the front door once more and meeting the face of the unicorn fashionista of Ponyville.

"Wow, didn't expect you to show up, Rarity. I honestly thought you would have skipped out on such a 'Uncouth' and 'Uncivilized' party of ridiculous drinking." Fury snickered.

"I'm not always that way. Besides, my presence can help mellow out the mood. And of course, to admire the decorations." Rarity said.

"Of course you would." Fury sighed, chuckling. "Anyway, step into the kitchen. I'll see if I can whip something up for ya that gives you that very dignified satisfaction." The snow white unicorn rolled her eyes with a smile and walked inside. Greeting the royalty and guests already there, she stepped up to the island where Fury had set up.

"So Rarity, what kind of drink do you fancy tonight?" He asked.

"Hmmm, perhaps some wine!"

"Would fit you." Fury deadpanned.

"Hmph, very funny!" Rarity rebuffed. "Um… maybe some champagne, or tequila, or-"

"Yawn!" Fury said. "None of that normal boring stuff in my house. In this place, we got this!" 

Fury pulled out a curved pitcher, a golden bottle with a pink ring around the neck, a bottle of Pinot Grigio, a lemon and a cup. 

Rarity's jaw dropped. It looked simply divine.

"How fabulous! I could almost faint!"

"Well don't just do that just yet, I'll give you a real drink first. Pink Lemonade Sangria!" Fury announced. "First, I'll slice this lemon for some lemon wheels." 

He chopped the lemon up into wheels right before her eyes and placed some into the pitcher with some ice. Then, he pulled out a filled measuring cup.

"After that, I put in a full cup of lemon juice." He let the yellow liquid flow into the pitcher with ease before rinsing it out and going under the island to pour in something else.

"Next, I pour in a full cup of Simple Syrup. And when I mean simple, I mean it. It's literally just a complex mix of sugar and water." The clear liquid was added into the pitcher, splashing against the lemon juice inside before setting. He then popped open the golden bottle and poured out a pink liquid.

"Then, I add a full bottle of pink lemonade vodka. Got this one from a friend back home. Says this stuff is like the liquid gold of high society for my village, so I hope it does something."

"High society?" Rarity smiled. "You really are speaking my language today, darling. By Celestia, I must drink that!"

"Go on ahead. It's not too strong, especially for a newcomer like you." Fury said, trying to resist a smirk. "And lastly, a full bottle of Pinot Grigio. This one should really add to the kick of this drink."

Once he was done, he stirred the drink and poured it into the cup with some added ice and a lemon wheel for garnish. "And there you go, Pink Lemonade Sangria. Have a sip."

"Don't mind if I do." Rarity said. "Cheers."

Rarity expected a nice drink. Contrary to what Fury thought she could handle alcohol, she wasn't the lightweight he thought she was. So she drank a sip of it elegantly with her eyes closed. Then her eyes opened.

"Whoa!" Rarity said a bit inelegantly. "You did not tell me it was going to be this strong! My goodness!"

"We Speed Shifters have a bit stronger palettes, so we add a bit stronger drinks to our menus. Regardless, we have our ways. Welcome to the Speed Shifter world."

"I see. I see. It is for sure quite a treat!" Rarity said. "Though you could have told me its strength first." She said pouting.

"Nah, your reactions are too hilarious. You amuse me." Fury said.

"So much for Cadence making you into a gentlecolt." Rarity muttered. 

"Oh come on, you know as well as I do that if I truly was converted to be more proper and have some etiquette, you wouldn't like me as much. It would basically be like looking in a mirror and seeing a version of you that just seems off, don't you think?"

Rarity had to concur, especially considering her other friends like Rainbow Dash. "Fair enough. Fair enough. I guess that just adds to the excitement."

"There ya go, now you're seeing it." Fury said. Then there was another knock at the door. He went to see who had arrived and was met with the rest of the Mane Six.

"Twilight, girls, good to see ya! Wait… Fluttershy, you do know we're drinking here, right?" Fury asked cautiously.

"Yes, I do. I don't mind a good beverage."

"No sweetheart, I mean we're 'drinking' drinking." Fury repeated.

"Yes, I know what that type of drinking is. I thought otherwise at first, but I did want to spend more time with Pyro and friends. Besides, I may be a bit meek, but I don't mind a bit of drinking. Especially with familiar friends." Fluttershy said. 

Night Fury was a bit thrown off by Fluttershy's very casual demeanor towards alcohol, but he let it slide. He's seen weirder after all.

"Okay, no problem. After all, as they say, the more the merrier! Come on in guys, I'll get something going for ya." Inviting his close friends inside, he directed them to the kitchen. But before he closed the door, he saw two more familiar faces rolling in.

"Mom, Dad, is that you?"

"No, it's your old neighbors." Obsidian said. 

"Ha ha. Okay, whatever you say. What brings you two here? Is it the new exotic goods or something?" Fury wondered.

"Word of my personal favorite drinks being served have been going around town for a while. You wouldn't happen to know of such a thing, do you, sweetie?" Black Ice asked.

"I guess word really does pick up quickly around here. Yep! I have made your very special drinks in my house. Introducing the pony newbies to our special drinks. You should have seen their faces!" Fury said.

"I can only assume how amusing that looked to you." Black Ice rolled her eyes at her son's humor.

"Nope! Not me! Just making a neutral serious observation!" He said with a big smile. "Anyway, you guys definitely didn't show up for nothing. Come on in, I'm just about to make the next one."

They walked inside and Fury invited them into his drink making domain.

"What will it be?" Obsidian asked

"Why none other than the legend itself. The Blue Dream Jungle Juice!" Fury said.

Obsidian was shocked while Black Ice simply scratched her ear.

"That recipe? Oh that is a good one. But can you really make that, boy? There's no shame in going for something more beginner friendly."

"Nope! I am Night Fury! My challenges are not just in warfare but in party fare too. I am ready for the challenge."

"We will see, my son." Black Ice said. "Let's see if you can back up your words to make my drink to my high standards."

"Oh don't worry, I will. Especially now that I bought this pitcher to hold it all. It's even got a tap for serving multiple cups! I've been planning this out for hours." 

Then Fury got all the ingredients needed for this next venture. First was the fruit

"So we add in some pineapple. Hold on."

He threw the pineapple in the air, diced it into cubes and swiftly threw them into the jar.

"But that's just the beginning!" He said as he got out two bottles of vodka. One of whipped cream and the other of blue raspberry.

"Whipped Cream Vodka? Didn't know that was a thing." Obsidian said. "Ponies sure have strange stuff."

"Me neither, but we're using the whole thing!" Fury then cracked open the bottle, pulled out a small piece of plastic, and dumped the contents.

"Next, you see we have this plastic flow regulator. Or as I've heard Cadence call it, The Fun Stopper." Fury said, shooting a glance at the pink princess with her aunts and great aunt.

Cadence looked at him and what he was doing. "Yep, makes sure all my guests don't go all out."

"Well, guess what? No stopping the fun today. By the way, this isn't for lightweights. So be ready to start a buddy system if you plan on making it home tonight." He said, pulling out the fun stoppers.

"You better have a really good buddy for this one. If you don't want another traintalk incident" Cadence said.

"No doubt about that. By the way, Twilight, I have no idea what I was talking about with that leprechaun talk. I must have been wasted!"

"Oh trust me, you were out of it alright." Twilight said, feeling a bit of pain spark up in her head. Fury blushed and went back to making the drink, dumping the Blue Raspberry Vodka in as well.

"Alright, next step! I had to prepare overnight for this one! Fresh pressed pineapple juice!" He poured said item into the mix.

"A cup of lovely Blue Curaçao to give it the signature color, because I'd look stupid if I was making Blue Dream and it was yellow. I haven't flunked school that bad."

"That's all- Oh wait, a bit of pop to finish it off!" Fury said, pulling out a two liter bottle of clear soda. But it was a little different from what he usually had.

"Sugar free?" Obsidian said, surprised. "That doesn't sound like you, kid."

"Twilight said I had to cut down on the sugar. She was pretty persistent in that. She wouldn't help me with the party otherwise." He said looking at Twilight who blackmailed him.

"You were very smart for using moderation." She said with a smirk.

"Oh stuff it, egghead. As if your hayburger binges have been that much of a secret, ya hypocrite."

"Oof, burn." Shining said with Cadence nodding.

"Touché. You win this round." Twilight said, a bit embarrassed.

Fury then proceeded with his final touches. "And now with all this, we stir it all up." He said mixing the contents ultra fast. He then got some mason jars and went to the fridge to get some ice.

"Then all that's left is to grab something to keep it cool! Pour it up…" He turned the handle on the tap and filled the jars up.

"Garnish with some pineapple cubes and voila! Blue Dream Jungle Juice! Have at it, guys!"

"Whoa, that looks…" Cadence trailed off.

"Utterly divine!" Rarity finished.

They all took the cups. 

"Wait! I shall see for myself if my son has succeeded in carrying out my culinary teachings. Are you prepared for my judgment?" Fury's mother asked.

"Fair judgment? Probably not. Blasphemous critiques and biased input from a life of stuck up, snooty ancestors? Yes." Fury said. "But whatever the case, I am fairly confident that I will please your tongue. If not, I'll let you stay in my house for a whole week and organize it how you want!"

"Fair deal! I can finally put all my favorite magazines in your room and put those tacky posters of book and comic heroes in the trash. Better influence I say."

"Son, are you mad?!" Obsidian asked. "Do you know what you're getting yourself into?!"

"Not just mad… I'm crazy!" Fury called out with crossed eyes and a laugh. Then he looked to his mother as he grabbed his drink. "Well mom, bottoms up."

"Very well. Cheers!"

She and everyone else clinked drinks before taking a hardy sip of Night Fury's making. Slowly but surely.

Fury had a confident look although he did have a part of him that was scared that his fussy mother would tell him it was not worthy. He did not want his mom's interior design.

Please think it's good. Please think it's good.

His mother finally finished her drink. Black Ice took a moment to take in the flavor, licking her lips and developing her response carefully. With a final sigh, she spoke. 

"I have to admit… I didn't think someone could do something like this."

Oh great, I'm doomed. Bye bye Daring Do posters.

…

"This drink… is one of the most fun and exciting things I've ever had the fortune of sipping on!" Black Ice said in a voice resembling Pinkie's excitement.

"It's all over for me- Wait?! Really? You love it that much?"

"Son, I never thought I would have someone who could make these concoctions like me. I lost hope thinking I would pass away with no one to carry it on." She said. "But then I drank this. And now I'm a believer. Congratulations."

Fury then turned from surprise to glee. "Awww yeah! Fury's got it! So much for underestimating me, huh?"

"Perhaps, but I still reserve my excitement in your efforts to make me lose my composure." Black Ice said, brushing off her previous joyful outburst.

"Oh don't be so snooty, you know you have a thing for tropical drinks." Fury said. Then his doorbell rang.

"How many ponies are coming to check this out?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"That isn't another set of guests, RD. That's the pizza I ordered! Hey Cadence, you remember that vendor we endorsed back in Canterlot? Well, that little stunt got him some major funding and gave him the ability to go delivery!"

Cadence smiled. "Nice. Good deeds give good rewards, after all."

"You bet it!" Fury said, racing to the door to welcome the pizza.

"Peppino! Good to see you got an upgrade from the festival."

"Yep, you-a betcha! You and her-a highness' taste test gave me the means to start up some-a stores. I call it 'Peppino's Pizza Planet'." The chef said, showing off the logo on the pizza boxes.

"That's very good." Celestia said. "Canterlot is far happier with your disc of pleasure."

"And like-a my brand says-a, pizza shall spread not just in Canterlot but the whole planet-a!" Peppino said with glee. "But enough about-a the future. Time for the present!"

He opened the box to unleash a whole smell of goodness. 

"Whoa!" Everyone looked on at the disc filled with cheese, mushrooms, olives, peppers and tomato sauce.

"Peppino, I've got a feeling you're gonna have a business to last a lifetime." Fury said, sniffing at the pizza. "Hoo, that's good. C'mon guys, let's grab these pizzas and chow down!"

They all took the pizzas and partook in eating them. Some in a civilized manner like Black Ice and Rarity and others very messy like Rainbow and Fury. But above all others, Cadence ate three slices of pizza of rapid succession. It was like a warzone of feasting there.

"Heh, Celestia was right. You and I aren't so different when it comes to our appetites, Cady." Fury chuckled, tearing into a slice with his fangs.

"Well… I think it's the cheese. I love cheese! I once went to a dairy farm to help out a love problem and I ended up falling in love with cheese. And now I have a whole bunch of it with mushrooms too!" She said as she got another bite.

"Eh, for me, it's the tomato sauce. It feels rich and smooth… like the blood of my enemies." Fury snarled, getting a worried look from the pink alicorn who was mid munch.

"Kidding! Sheesh, you ponies are jumpy." He chuckled, Cadence rolling her eyes.

"Got room for one more?" Fury looked over and saw Pyro walking in. 

"Grab a seat, Pyro. You've earned it, bring all the stuff here!" Fury smiled, inviting her into an open spot next to him on the couch.

"Thank you." Pyro said. "That is some nice red sauce." She said, licking her lips.

"And you have good taste too!"

"It reminds me of blood…" She said darkly. There was another bit of an awkward silence. Fury cringed. She was still not used to living with ponies.

"Awwww good one, Pyro!" He said, getting her out of this situation. "But I also like the shape of it and how there is so much of it!"

"I agree, the amount of variety is amazing! You're telling me that you and Princess Cadence made this popular?" She asked, grabbing a slice for herself.

"Oh yeah, totally! Just a simple taste test can go a long way!" Fury replied, sipping on an extra Blue Dream he made for himself.

The group of Mane Six, Princesses, Speed Shifters and other guests made this a delightful party.

For Pyro, it was a little awkward at first adapting to pony etiquette, but she found them pleasant. And Rainbow Dash proved how not all ponies were the soft cute ponies she thought they were.

For Fury, he was quite happy for the feast. Although he did have a close call with overdrinking but luckily, his buddy for the moment was Cadence. And she was much more adept at keeping him in line. He was also happy that Pyro was starting to adjust to her new life, making friends and generally becoming more accustomed to living in Equestria.

With all of this in mind, Fury thought to himself what would come next. Would Pyro get to live her own life sooner than expected? Would he have to deal with more trouble soon, especially from the Shadow Shifters? Was he in the clear for the moment? What about his trip back home to make peace? Whatever he was thinking, it was all at the end of the tracks for now as he decided to focus on the present. A present that was better than anything he could have asked for in a million years.
> Chapter 44: Preparing For The Past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Fury, things were going quite well lately. He had made alliances with yaks and Snow Shifters, gotten better at controlling his power and even made a new friend in Pyro, even if they had a bad past. 

The party he threw a week ago was signs of things looking up for him, ponies and Speed Shifters getting along with good food, tropical drinks and lasting memories. But not all things were hunky dory for him as he was now facing another great issue. His home life and the memories that came with it.

Sitting silently in his room, Night Fury meditated with extreme skill and precision. He rummaged through his mind and forced himself to dig up all of those repressed memories, even if they hurt him to his very core. He knew that he would have to return home soon to solidify a peace deal with both himself and Equestria, but it came with a price. He'd have to face the demons that came with such a trip.

"Ah gee. I never wanted to deal with this. But… things have been peaceful lately. No big things going on. I have no excuse. I want to resolve these issues." Fury said to himself. "But I can do it later. Maybe longer…"

But Fury didn't want to delay this too long. After all it seems the Shadow Shifters have been very active lately. And Fury felt like if Thunder Hollow stood alone, they would fall. 

Pyro told him of how even if the current Shadow Shifter chief was quite lazy, there were still influential members in his council who wished to do what Pyro sought to do. To conquer.

"Well as much as I'd hate to admit it, I gotta get to Thunder Hollow. With the Shadow Shifters going all out on expansion after I got Pyro on our side, it'll be no time at all before they get to them." Fury said to himself. He felt a seething anger within him boil up, the faces of everyone who wronged him flashing between recognizable features to bloodied husks of his doing.

He didn't want to admit he wanted to kill a few of them, but what could he do? He was practically stripped of any sort of respect and drowned in a sea of hate. Instead of helping him through his struggles they simply spat in his face.

I have to let the princesses know, this is something I can't do alone.

Fury got up and opened the door to his room, stepping out into the hall and making his way towards Pyro's room. He figured that with her living with him, the least he could do was let her know that he was about to go. Walking up to her door, he knocked softly.

"Come in." Pyro said from the other side. Fury opened the door to see Pyro making her bed and fluffing her pillows. Ever since Pyro moved in, she took the liberty of making her space her own. Posters lined the walls of bands from her youth, a table on one side to write and read like his own, orange curtains to give a certain look to the room. Everything in this room was her own, but she cared for it like the entire house was hers.

"Ah, hello Night Fury. You seem troubled." She said, noticing the anxiety ridden look on his face.

"Yeah uh… Pyro… I think it's time."

"What do you mean?" Pyro asked.

"Time for me to go to the Thunder Hollow and patch things up." Fury said with a look of discomfort. Pyro was surprised. After what she was told, she was certain Night Fury would curse his home to the high heavens. But he was willing to go back and patch things up?

"You're really going to go through with it, huh?" 

"Yep." Fury explained to her his thought process. "I don't want to do it but it's gotta be done."

"You do realize what that will mean right? They'll want to know what you've been doing after going awol for a whole year. You'll have to explain everything from your alliance with the ponies to all the drama with Speed Shifters and… also about me." She said with some nervousness.

"Yep. I do know that. In fact the main reason I'm going back is to tell them about how ponies mean us no harm and how they can help us against the looming threat against the Shadow Shifters." Fury explained. "And don't worry about yourself. I won't tell them about you. Your secret's safe with me."

Pyro was still confused about his decision. "Never mind me! Do you realize what kind of trouble you will be by admitting your camaraderie with ponies?! Shadow Shifters and Thunder Hollow Shifters might be different but they can agree ponies are not to be trusted!"

"I know! Just… just let me handle it. Now, can you send a letter to all of the princesses? And I mean all of them. This is something that requires their help. And get my parents on the line as well, have them all meet me at Ponyville train station."

"Okay, but it's your funeral. Don't say I didn't warn you." Pyro said getting a sheet of parchment to begin writing.

"Heh, that's what my friend used to always say to me. And I didn't listen. And I'm still here. I think I can charm my way with them." Fury said confidently.

"If you say so…"

-

A few hours later…

Night Fury was standing near the train platform in wait, watching the skies and the roads around him for any signs of either the princesses or his parents.

Every minute he waited was just more anxiety adding up in his head. Despite seeming confident to his roommate, he knew she had a point. They would not take this news lightly. Not at all.

Finally, after an excruciating amount of time, he heard the sound of the train. 

Finally, he could get the help he so longed for.

"Thank the emperor's mane. I don't know how much longer I could have waited."

The train stopped at its destination. It was clearly a luxurious train fit for rulers. Then the doors opened. Out came the guards and trumpeteers. Sounding the royal fanfare, they announced the arrival of their highnesses.

"Presenting Their Highnesses, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!"

The two walked out, Ponies gasped and fainted as they emerged from their train car and into the foggy cold night. Fury felt it a bit rude that he had to bring them all out in the middle of the night, but he had a good reason for it. 

Just as he was about to greet them, another set of sounds emerged from behind him. Flapping wings and the roaring of the unmistakable speed that his kind possessed. Turning around, he saw both his parents, Cadence and Twilight coming towards him, the former using their fast but aging auras to run their way to him while the latter hovered in from up top.

"You picked quite a time to gather us up, son." His father said, yawning. "It must be a pretty big deal."

"I know, but this couldn't wait. It was biting at me all day and I couldn't resist letting you know." Fury said, letting out a sigh that got everyone's attention. Drawn out and somewhat soft, the sound of a troubled mind.

"I… I think tonight's the night. It's time."

"Time… time for what?" His mother asked, though fearing one possibility.

Fury turned to the railway in the direction of his former homeland. The wind blew in his fur. "I think you know that answer already."

He reached into the saddlebags on his back and grabbed something shiny. Tossing it back to his mother, she caught the item and inspected it. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was. Her fears had been all but confirmed.

A decorative pin of the insignia that only one tribe carried. She looked at her son. "Sweetie… Are you sure? D-do you really think it's time for this, even after just getting back from what happened a few days ago?"

Fury nodded. "I think- No. I know it's time. The shadow shifters are growing in strength every day and we need Thunder Hollow to be on our side in whatever conflict we have."

Obsidian also spoke up. "Son, listen, we can still try to fight them off without their help. Think about what could happen to you. How much more honor you may lose from this?"

"But at what cost!? I heard what Pyro told me, they're probably already on the verge of expanding because of what I just did, no doubt hardening their efforts to make us hurt for our general existence. And who cares about fake so-called honor anyway, I've already seen what that does to a creature! Need I remind you what I went through because of how much honor we had!?"

Fury took a breath as he spoke, calming himself down. "All I'm saying is, it's too risky not having Thunder Hollow on our side. We've won at least a few times easily, but who knows who the Shadow Shifters might pull in from across the land just to take us out. Besides, it's about time I faced my demons head on after cowering in the safety of an entirely different world for so long."

Fury looked intently into his parents' eyes. They could detect a sense of conviction in his sparky red eyes.

"This isn't just about all that boring political stuff. It's also me having to prove something. You say I will lose honor? Well, guess what? My honor is already low among them. If I lose more honor, so what? Will I be banished for life? Well I don't need their approval." He said bluntly. 

"BUT if I succeed, I will finally, for the first time in a long time, get back my honor and maybe even be considered a hero for the first time among our people. I'm sick of being in a limbo state of just being there. I either get all or nothing. And I'm not afraid of that."

Fury then had a calmer expression. "And besides, I'll have you guys by my side. And even better, you two aren't the only ones coming with me, as you can probably tell. If anything goes left, I'll need someone to help me. And/or to… hold me back if things get hairy. You understand…" Fury said with a chuckle. "So with what I just said, do I have your guys' blessing for this trip?"

His mother was unsure what to do, she looked to her husband who gave a nod. "Be honest dear. If you were in our son's circumstances, you would do the same."

Black Ice thought of it and then she slowly nodded. "I see your strength of might and wisdom. I knew you had them. And you are right. If we work together we can bring my dear son his honor again."

"Thanks mom, I knew you had my back in all of this." Fury said with a smile. "What about you, ladies? Got anything to say?"

The four princesses stood silent for a moment, prepping their response. Thanks to Celestia spending time with him and vice versa, Night Fury could tell what they were thinking just by their stances. Celesia remained in her neutral but inquisitive royal mask, most likely making the political decisions within her mind.

Luna was a different story, she showed mounting levels of emotion and personal thoughts. Anger, sorrow, disappointment, anxiety, she wore all possible emotions. Being his girlfriend, it was no surprise that she would be the most emotional about him returning home to face his past. Especially after seeing it herself in his dreams. At least, that's what Fury thought.

Twilight had a much more trained poker face, but he could still see her emotion. She was looking at this in a strategic way, planning out every possible eventuality to make sure all of this went smoothly.

And lastly, Cadence had a mix of all three. Though she was older than her sister-in-law but younger than her two aunts, she wore both an emotion driven thought process and a logical thought process. Most likely, the princess of love was using both emotions and logic to find her answers, having been the one driving point of rescuing him from a mistake he couldn't come back from most likely being the main point of interest.

The princesses nodded to each other and looked to Fury, with varying expressions but all with a sense of seriousness.

Luna spoke up first. "Fury, this quest of yours. I know how important this is to you. The feelings of dishonor, they can feel worse than death. It would be my utmost honor to go with you on this quest of yours." 

While Fury had a feeling his loving Luna would agree to it, it still felt nice to hear her agree.

"And what about you others?" Fury asked. "Are you gonna come along too? Honestly just Luna alone is fine enough for me."

Celesia spoke her peace first. "Night Fury, this trip will be of absolute importance to both you and the rest of Equestria in regards to its political leverage. I also wish to tag along for emotional support. On one hoof, I believe Luna would suffice just as much as all of us combined. But on the other, I see this trip as a taxing experience for you that could raise tension. So I say yes, I will join you."

"Same for me. I want to help you with all your struggles too." Cadence said. "Besides, I'm kinda curious to see this 'Thunder Hollow' and what it's like. I've honestly seen enough snow and crystals." 

Fury smiled at her enthusiasm, he found it sweet that she wanted to see his home for what it was despite the potential issues. Then came Twilight, her mouth curling into an uncomfortable frown as she felt a bit nervous with her statement.

"Twilight, what about you?" Cadence asked.

Twilight spoke up. "Well, I will admit it would be very fun to see all the new animal species in this area and all the ruins as well as all the cultural artifacts-." She said, trying to delay her true opinion.

"But?" Fury asked.

"But, I feel conflicted over having to both discuss and experience what you may find agonizing to your mental health. I may be the Princess Of Friendship, but every now and then, something regarding a friend just… burns you to have to witness. Especially when such an event almost caused the loss of a life out of depression and guilt." The purple alicorn explained, almost straining to get it out.

"Twilight Sparkle, you should be more helpful." Luna said. "He has gone through things you could not even imagine!"

Fury then stepped in. "Hey, hey, I appreciate your help but let's not get hostile here." Fury turned to Twilight. "I get it. My life's pretty rife with complicated stuff. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure if I want to go either. But something tells me I have to do this. I understand the feeling of having to see someone you care for suffer for their unfair past, it can be brutal. But sometimes you just have to take a kick at it and let it kick back, or else you'll just be constantly tensed up for a punch that may as well never come."

Twilight thought about this. "You're right, Fury. I just hope I will be a pillar of strength for you this time. I just hope I won't fail you. Sometimes I said things I regret to you."

"Oh I know em… Dangerous Creature, lazy bones, loud mouth, slick whiskers, black hole belly…" 

"Y-yeah, all of that." Twilight said.

"Yeah, you did say that stuff and it hurt. A lot. But guess what? That was all in the past. And at least you actually apologized for them. Better than those guys at the village for sure. I can trust you Twi. You've been there to help me with my problems. And yeah, you can be really pedantic and bossy and a goody two shoes and a-"

"Okay, I get it!" Twilight interjected, blushing a bright red.

"But you're also a smart friend who without you I would be stuck in so many problems. Like my temper. So you're as good of a friend as the other three."

Twilight now felt a sense of relief. "I'm glad you still can still trust me. I'm with you on this trip!" 

"Good to hear! And by the way, you're not the only one who has nicknames, Hayburger buns." Fury said, zipping behind her and using his tail to emphasize his point.

"Eeep! Fury!!!" Twilight yelled, her wings popped out at her sides.

"He does have a point, my former student. You do love those hayburgers for sure." Celestia said with a light chuckle.

"Oh they're just too delicious!" Twilight cried out. 

"I don't see the big deal with them personally." Fury said. 

It seemed like the tension disappeared. Everyone was a bit more at ease.

"Anywho, we should probably get going. It's about midnight, so the ride home should land us at about 9am on the edge of the valley. So yes, you can catch up on that girly 'Beauty Sleep' you oh so proper ladies need."

"That I shall." Cadence said. "Stress does do stuff to hair after all."

Twilight was now confident. "Alright, don't stay up late. We'll need all the energy possible to make this journey. Be ready."

"Yeah, I'll need as much as possible for tomorrow. But don't you dare act like you don't pull frequent all-nighters, Twilight. The amount of times I've seen Spike sleeping on the balcony because of your oh so important experiments to nurse Equestria into a new age…" Fury said.

"Okay okay! I'm just trying to train Spike to be hard working…"

"Yeah, that's what my dad's cousin and mom always say. But it never works." Fury said amused. "Anyways I gotta crash see ya!" He said before Twilight could reply back.

And so everyone went into the train and everyone dozed off  into sleep. The train left Ponyville station with a quiet hiss as it took off into the night, heading down the track that led to a place Night Fury and his parents hadn't been to in years. Speed Valley.

–

The Next Morning…

The train had finally reached its destination. A small outpost right at the border of Equestria. Beyond the train was a thick jungle. Fury recognized it all too well from his childhood, remembering all the memories he had of his home.  

Stepping off the train car, the engine took off behind the group that was now standing over the forest within the valley as the wind blew along the hillside.

"Princesses of Equestria and beyond, welcome to Speed Valley." Fury said, gesturing at the valley that sat in front of them with miles of greenery.

The others were awestruck at the sight ahead of them. Not for any large monuments like in the Canterlot. But for the unconquered jungle ahead of them, it was a remarkable force of nature, especially with its large crevice.

"Wow, I've never seen so much greenery. Even the Everfree Forest was still small in comparison to how many trees are here." Twilight said impressed. 

Cadence nodded. "Yeah, and speaking of which, how is anyone supposed to navigate this place? It looks so… dense."

"That's one of the perks that comes with growing up wild, you get a feeling for stuff like this." Fury said. "Us in the Moonlight Tribe know this place like the backs of our paws. Every trail, mud wallow, tree stump and water slide is mapped on paper and in our minds. But we mostly run in packs through the forest, dipping and dodging everything in our way as we rip through it." 

Just then, a strong wind blew in from behind them. The breeze blew over their heads, down the hill and into the forest.

"Ahh, there goes the vortex winds." Obsidian said.

"Vortex winds?" Twilight asked.

"That special breeze flows down this hill and into the forest, allowing all of the new little ones who are learning to use their speed to find their way to town. We call them Vortex winds because of how this valley used to be a natural breeding ground for Tornadoes back in the day." Black Ice explained.

Luna looked worried. "So am I to assume another of those vortexes are being birthed as we speak?"

Obsidian shrugged. "Yeah, but it's in the far distance and besides If you know what you're doing you can use the winds to your advantage. It's actually pretty fun sometimes, right, son?"

"Yeah, those were good times. Maybe I'll do another one." Fury said.

Twilight didn't like the idea too much though. "Well, as fun as that sounds, I don't think I'm ready for those stunts. We have to keep going anyway."

"Okay, okay. Let's get going. Follow me and my parents." He sighed. "It'd be way funner than going back to my village for sure." He whispered the last part.

As they walked on, the ponies were amazed by the lush beauty of the jungle. If only Fluttershy could see this. Batches of flowers and tall trees lined the path, giving the walk to the village a calm ambiance. But that calm wouldn't be maintained for long as a rustling noise came out from a bush.

"Hold it." Fury whispered sharply, his ears twitching. "Something's up, and it doesn't seem nice." 

After a few seconds of silence and the whistling of the wind, a Speed Shifter popped out of the bushes. Whoever it was wasn't familiar, but didn't seem outright threatening.

"Hey, who are you?" The Shifter asked. The feline in question was wearing armor made of silver and had a spear on their side. 

"I could ask you the same thing considering you were stocked up in a bush." Fury said, sticking close to the group.

"Well, you don't look like you're from around here, especially those four. So I'll ask again, who are you?" The Shifter repeated, sounding more agitated. Black Ice felt nervous about the situation and decided to try and defuse it.

"Listen, sir, we're just trying to get home. So how about we step back and talk abou-" Before she could finish, she was met with the sharp end of a spear aimed at her chest.

"Stay back, you!"

"Hey, stay away from her!" Fury called out. Instincts kicked in and he got just a little lower.

"You would do well to take my son's advice." Obsidian said firmly.

"Or what? You're the intruders here, and I have a village to protect by the order of the chief! And you, step back!" The guard said, getting a little closer.

"Please, we just wish to pass by! Why are we being aggressively interrogated!?" Black Ice asked frantically.

"Because unknowns don't get the good treatment. I'm sure you know of our policy of no intruders." The guard proceeded to bump Black Ice back onto her side and stand over her menacingly. This is what pushes Fury over the edge.

Instead of going forward to attack, he just stood up straight again. Lowering his head, he made it seem like he was defeated.

"Yeah, that's right. You know your place, so stay in it! And as for you…" Just before the guard laid a hit on Night Fury's mother, he was frozen in a ring of red energy. Symbols and inscriptions of the ancients swirled on the ground, surrounding the single guard before treating him to the most painful shock he could have been subjected to.

With a single flash, red lightning struck his armor in a rapid stint of coursing energy. The electric power melted the armor and burned the feline within as the molten metal singed and burned his skin. Along with that, the electricity sparking around him entered his body and attacked his nerves, causing him to wail and roar in pain.

All the while, Fury stood still, emotionless and unmoving as he tortured the guard from afar with his head down.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!!! Let me go!!! It burns!!!" 

Fury showed no sympathy though. "Well that's what happens when you mess with folks minding their own business. By the way, you look tired. So how about a little JOLT!"

He struck his neck with bolts of electricity.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!!! You can't do this to me! I'm a guardian!!!"

"By my count, that'll be over in about 10 seconds." Fury snarled maliciously. All the while, the Princesses had to bear witness the brutality and ruthlessness of their feline friend. Thankfully, a shining light came in from the forest's tree line. 

"Hey! Don't kill him!" A voice commanded. Soon enough, the princesses, Obsidian and Black Ice were treated to a group of Speed Shifters in the same armor the lone wolf was, followed by what could only be described as the group's captain.

"Hey hey hey, take it easy! Leave him be!" The captain shouted. Within an instant, Night Fury recognized the voice without even looking up.

Jade? Could that really be him?

Not wanting to run the risk of his best friend seeing him kill someone, he disengaged the snare trap. The lightning instantly stopped and the ancient ruins vanished, leaving only a fragile guard covered in burns from the molten metal of his armor and internal damage from the nerve attack.

One sky blue Shifter, bearing a red cross on her armor and a pair of bags went to the downed soldier to assess the damage. Using her bright blue aura, she scanned him externally and internally.

"Damaged nerves, third degree burns, rapid heartbeat… he's been thrashed, Captain." The medic said. Then, the rest of the group stepped forward and formed a protective barrier around their downed comrade.

"We're ready to attack, sir! Just give us the word and we'll-" Jade held up a paw, silencing the female soldier. The captain stepped forward and met Black Ice's eyes, holding out a paw to the downed mother.

"It's been a long time, Black Ice. It's good to see you're alive and well." Jade said softly. Black Ice smiled and took his paw, heaving herself back onto her paws.

"It's good to see you, Jade. I hope we didn't cause too much of a disturbance in your patrol." 

"Not at all, we're still as ripe and ready as ever." Jade said, looking over to the group behind her. He laid eyes on Obsidian first.

"Hey Obsidian, still kicking up a storm?" The captain asked. The father chuckled.

"Not as much as I used to, squirt. Gotta accept that I'm not as young as I used to be." Obsidian said, laughing a bit. Jade returned the laugh and went back to observing the group. He took notice of the four ponies standing around something. Or as he could tell, someone.

"Hey, old pal. Come on out and let me see ya." Jade came in flanked by other Shifters. Fury obliged his friend's request and revealed himself from in-between his royal squad.

Fury could tell that what he was looking at was his friend, but something was different. He wore the armor that a captain would wear, a blue and silver helmet with silver paw covers and chest plate. Had he been gone for so long that Jade had gotten into the defense force of their village? 

"Long time no see, Jade." Fury said, walking up to his friend and catching his paw to pull in for a hug.

"Let me guess, someone from my squad got on your bad side?"

"Decided to try and enforce their version of our laws without identifying us first, punt my mom into the dirt and stand over her like she was a rump roast. You know what I had to do…" Fury said, getting an understanding nod from Jade.

"Yep. I understand. It seems some people forget the most basic rule of our tribe. To never dishonor the harmless, especially a mother. Trust me, he won't be in my squad for much longer after this." He looked to the injured guard and grimaced, shaking his head in shame of the unjustified actions he took. He then looked back at his long lost friend.

"We can handle that later. For now, I want to figure out who your friends are." Jade said, gesturing to the princesses behind Fury.

"Glad you asked. We got Princess Lovebutt, Princess Sunbutt, Princess Egghead and of course the best of them all Princess Luna, Princess of the Night." Fury said, winking at Luna.

"Fury…" Black Ice moaned "Do I have to force some manners back into you?"

"Okay, jokes aside we got the Princess of Love, Cadence. The Princess of the sun, Celestia and the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle. Yes, I know that sounds dumb but bear with me."

Jade laughed. "I'm surprised you haven't been beheaded for your compliments. It looks like the whole nickname thing has not grown out of you."

"Nope, not in the slightest. And besides, this one would have a fit if anyone dared even glare at me too sharply, let alone suggest being beheaded." Fury said.

Luna, with a stone cold face, nodded to that. "It would be most painful if something did happen."

"I see she's a fan of yours. Did she sign an autograph from you?" He joked a bit.

"Well, I guess you can say she left a mark on something of mine." Fury said. He then proceeded to close in on Luna and kiss her, the lunar princess returning the gesture before separating. 

"And yes, this is the princess I said in my letter was my girlfriend. You believe me now?"

Jade was a little shocked. "I guess I have to. I thought you were just telling another of your tall tales. But I guess this one was right. I'm a little surprised honestly. But I guess there's a girl for everyone, even you." He said impressed, but trying to hide it with typical teasing.

"I'm going to ignore that passive aggressive shot at my love life and just move on instead of roasting you on how great your love life was. For now." Fury said mischievously to Jade's nervousness. "Anywho, it feels good to be back home. You guys wouldn't mind leading us back to Thunder Hollow, would ya? Got some business to take care of. Both political and… personal."

Jade's face turned from casual to serious. "Wait. Y-you want to go back to Thunder Hollow?"

"No, I want to go to the moon. What do you think I mean?" Fury snapped.

"Fury, listen to me. I think it's all fine and dandy you're back home, but what would the rest of the town think when they see you with them following you?" Jade returned, pointing to the princesses.

"Then they can try and do something about it. But if they do, they'll get to see all the new tricks I picked up after being casted out. And besides, I have to try and make things better. Especially since the Shadow Shifters are expanding their forces now."

This caught Jade off guard, he had no idea he had seen or heard of that group. "How do you know about the Shadow Shifters?"

"Call it an inside eye. But anyway, I'm determined to head home and set things straight. Whether it be by negotiating or brute force, it's going to happen. Not to mention a certain Speed Shifter with a purple aura has a whirlwind of retribution coming at her."

"Well, I do hope you know what you're doing, Fury. But if you're going to see them, I'm coming with you. I will help you as best as I can."

"Well the more the merrier." Fury said. "And while we're here I would like to ask, how is Thunder Hollow so far and is that old chief still barking out orders as usual?"

Jade lightly laughed. "Yep! That old Thunder Claws is still as bossy as ever. He hasn't changed too much. Well actually, he kind of has, in the fact that he's grown even more fearful these days. He's still good at managing the village, don't get me wrong. But he really is not in a hospitable mood. Whenever I eat at one of his banquets, there's a certain dread he'll throw his goblet of bad wine at my face if I say the wrong thing."

"Well, what do you expect from a Shifter older than my folks and responsible for the lingering paranoia of other creatures invading?" Fury said casually. "Hey, you think you can send a message ahead to him so that me rolling up to town with these four isn't a complete surprise? And let's take the back route to the secret door behind the building, just to be safe. Ya know, the 'Tunnel to Fun'."

Jade understood his friend's wishes to limit any suspicion of his whereabouts and intentions, nodding silently and looking over to his squad who had tended to their wounded comrade and set him on a medical board for transport. He also knew to take them on the old path they went to as kids so as to not get caught.

"Bluebell, Rocksteady, run up ahead to the chief and let him know we have some returning members coming. Also, we have some special visitors arriving. Make absolutely sure he knows it's royalty and who's coming." Jade commanded strongly.

"Yes, sir!" They saluted and went about their way, dragging the miserable wounded guard too.

"Okay, now that that's done… The rest of you, we're taking the old route, the 'Tunnel Of Fun' if you've been briefed about it. These four princesses are precious cargo as of now, regardless of species. You will treat them with respect and assist in any of their needs when they ask. I don't care if the chief says otherwise, we have a job to do. If you treat them otherwise… Well, you don't want to end up like that other guard." He added. 

"In other news, the All Powerful Speed Shifter is within our presence. You shall address him accordingly to how we address higher ups in our ranks, treating him especially with the utmost respect and honor. His ranking in not only our society, but in our entire lives supersedes even mine. So if he addresses you and asks you to do something, you do it. Am I understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" They said before turning to their cargo. "Don't worry. We'll keep you safe, rest assured."

Obsidian smiled. "Heh, it's nice to see there are still disciplined guards since I last disappeared."

Jade smiled. "I trained them as best as I could. Even if one of them was a disappointment, the others still will guard you with their lives."

"Glad to see you've gotten somewhere in life, Jade. Now c'mon, let's move out!" Fury called out. The other guards saluted and formed a protective barrier around the princesses and his parents while he and Jade took the front. Night Fury felt satisfied knowing that some things were the same from when he had left, it gave him a sense of hope that this may not be all that bad. But deep down, he knew that the fight wasn't over. He knew he had to push a little harder to get things done. But right now, he was just glad to be home.

–

Meanwhile, Closer to Thunder Hollow…

Bluebell and Rocksteady were racing through the forest to get back to town, carrying their wounded comrade on their backs with as much care as they could possibly muster with the rough terrain.

"I can't believe that squirt is the All Powerful Speed Shifter. After all this time, after being cast out by us for screwing up, he finally got his due justice." Bluebell said, thinking back to when Night Fury first got called out for that failed attack on that Cragodile.

"As much as I would like to spout off about how the kid screwed up, I can't for the life of me go as far as to say he shouldn't have been born like the rest of the tribe. I honestly feel sorry he had to deal with that, and even worse, watch the same parents he was told didn't want him get dragged off into the wild and lost to him for years." Rocksteady replied.

"Well, we can make it right by going to the Chief. He might not want to hear the news, but we're gonna make it happen." She said.

"Yep. Especially since I don't want to have to face a mad Night Fury at this stage of his power." He said with a chuckle.

Soon enough, the two soldiers arrived at the gates of Thunder Hollow's border. The two guards at either side allowed them entry and they walked inside the town's limits. Within Thunder Hollow was a large and prosperous town, trees sprouting up between paths that led to each part of the village. Speed Shifters shot left and right going from place to place during the day, both adults and cubs. Shops lined the streets with things to sell to the town. Sausage, Beef, Chicken, Cloth, Glass Figurines, it was all that a Speed Shifter could ask for. At least for a smaller town.

After dropping off their wounded comrade at the infirmary, they approached the large central hut that the Chief and many other significant figures within their society gathered to in order to speak their peace. Entering the doors, the two soldiers were greeted to the familiar sight of brick and stone walls with glass windows forged from the hottest of materials. Red carpet with golden accents lined the floors they walked on as they made turn after turn until they made it to the meeting room.

Bluebell gulped at the sight of the double doors. "I'm starting to feel kinda nervous about this. You've seen how the chief has been lately, what if he explodes in return after hearing our news?" 

"Oh calm down, Thunder Claws has been on a calm streak for a while now. And besides, he'll be thrilled to hear that some of his kidnapped subjects have been rescued and are returning to their home." Rocksteady said happily, but that glee soon turned to concern.

"But, it may be more of an issue to explain that a certain Speed Shifter who was cast out is on his way back to the village. He may not have been officially exiled, but it'll be a jarring thing to hear once we explain what he did to our friend for getting a little too rough with his mom."

"Well, we're going to have to tell him if we're gonna get anywhere from this. So we might as well bite the bolt." Bluebell said, getting a nod from her partner before opening the doors to the meeting room.

Within its walls sat a long table with multiple chairs, six of them being filled already. At the table sat the chief himself, Golden Eyes, Solar Flare, Soundwave, Sweet Silver and Bluebell's mother, Ocean Blue. In an instant, Ocean Blue noticed her daughter at the door.

"Bluebell, sweetie, it's good to see you!" The dark blue Speed Shifter said gleefully. "I hope you've been alright."

"Hi mom. It's nice to see you, but now's not the time for family time. Me and Rocksteady have some news for the chief." Bluebell said, getting the Chief's attention. Chief ThunderClaws was a large but old Shifter, having lived for longer than some of the others in the council had even been alive. The purple Speed Shifter stood up and showed his full form, his yellow eyes staring calm but stern daggers into the two soldiers. He wore a golden armor and a headpiece of the same color, purple feathers sticking out of it. 

"What news have you brought to my attention?" Chief ThunderClaws asked, his voice low and gravely.

BlueBell was not normally intimidated but somehow seeing those deep eyes of his made it feel like she was staring into a ferocious flame. 

"Did you hear him, young lady? Go on, say it. We don't have all day." Golden Eyes said in his usual snooty tone.

"Sorry. Captain Jade requested this. It's about…"

"It's about our defenses!" Rocksteady interrupted. Bluebell was confused but she realized he was trying to make a case before revealing the more controversial news. 

Bluebell continued. "Yes, the captain mentioned how our defenses against the Shadow Shifters are lacking. He was mentioning how they are gathering in strength. Even as we speak. We have to do something."

"Oh those pieces of trash." Solar Flare said bitterly. "I remember them. Made away with many of our people. Those fanatics."

"Oh that is true. Horrible monsters, indeed. But we have been safe from them for a while." Sweet Silver said. "We've made sure everything is quite alright. Nothing to worry about."

"I wouldn't count your blessings, ma'am. We've just received a tip that they're expanding their troops after a loss in a separate kingdom." Rocksteady said. The council began to show concern on their faces, the chief being the highest of them all.

"What kingdom have they suffered defeat in?" Chief ThunderClaws asked.

"A place called Equestria, a land ruled by two pony sisters who had to fend off the Shadow Shifters after another tribe from the north was on the verge of being invaded." Blue bell recalled.

"Ponies you say?" Ocean Blue asked her daughter in a now professional tone. "You mean the ones ruled by the Two Royal Sisters that we haven't made contact with in decades?" She asked, a bit shocked.

"Yes mom, they have had run-ins with the Shadow Shifters before. But they aren't the only ones they've met." This statement made the council question themselves. Had there been Shifters before that had migrated and met the Royal Sisters?

"Whom have they also interacted with besides the Shadow Shifters?" Solar Flare asked. 

"This may sound like a silly story to you all, but… Black Ice and Obsidian… they're alive."

There was silence in the room. Everyone had an expression of shock except for the expressionless chief, though Bell and Rocksteady noticed his eyes grew more focused.

Golden Eyes spoke up first. "Is this true? Is Captain Jade absolutely sure of this? I find it rather unlikely personally."

Soundwave nodded. "Yeah, as much as I hate to disagree with Mr Partypooper here, you have to admit it seems just as likely to happen with them being dragged off into the unknown."

"But that's not all. They weren't the first to interact with the sisters either. Because the first to interact with them in recent years… was their son." Blue Bell interjected.

"Night Fury?!" Solar Flare asked. "You mean that little rascal?"

"My goodness, so he's still present as well as his parents…"

Golden Eyes, ever the skeptic, butted in. "That sounds good and all but I think we need some more proof. It might be that Captain Jade is a bit over excited over his friend and role model Obsidian, and perhaps is suffering from delus-"

Then came a slam on the table.

"Silence!" Boomed Chief ThunderClaws. "If we are hearing that the two we lost to those wretched raiders are still alive along with their son, we must give these rumors credit. Especially from Jade, a reputable young Shifter. Never dismiss him as delusional again. Do you understand?" He scolded him.

"Y-yes, sir." Golden said, quivering at the sound of the chief's furious voice.

The chief then turned to the Blue Belle and Rocksteady. "So tell me, where are they now?"

"On their way back to town as we speak, but they do not travel alone." Rocksteady said. "Along with the rest of our patrol group, they bring The Royal Sisters and two more princesses. A supposed 'Princess Of Friendship' and a princess from the Crystal Empire."

Upon hearing the mention of the ancient crystal city, the chief's ears peaked ever so slightly. "The Crystal Empire? But that city was lost to that despicable King Sombra. How could it stand again after so many moons?"

"Apparently, the son of our returned Shifters assisted the four princesses and a few other acquainted friends in his early days of leaving us with restoring the city to its former glory by ultimately killing the king and using an artifact called 'The Crystal Heart' to restore the city's magic and protection." Rocksteady relayed the rest of the information to the council with the help of BlueBell, including the rough first encounter that led to the injury of their comrade.

"Oh my. He did not try to harm you dear, did he?!" Her mother asked pointedly.

"No mom, he did not-"

"But this Fury still could have!" Her mother roared with hostility. "I will make him pay if he goes near you again!"

"He engaged one of our own with anger, yes. But within reason. He approached the group without properly identifying them, unjustifiably forced Black Ice to the ground in an attempt at intimidation and forced him to act as he thought his mother was on the verge of being harmed. Defying one of the most sacred rules of our ancient code." Rocksteady replied, releasing the tension in the room.

"He did?" Ocean Blue asked more softly. 

"Yes, we were lucky the captain had recognized his long lost friend and calmed him down before he killed our fellow soldier out of anger. I have no tolerance for such a thing, as you would know, mother. After he had suffered seeing his parents dragged away, I was not surprised with the result of our comrade's careless actions." BlueBell said.

"He truly seemed to act in disgrace." Solar Flare admitted. "Shameful behavior for sure for this guard. In my day, I would have done the same."

"Indeed. I believe that the captain will have a few choice words for him once he recovers." Chief ThunderClaws said with distaste. "Now, when will they be arriving?"

"A few minutes, chief. They're taking the eastern back route towards the village."

"The Tunnel Of Fun." The chief recalled, chuckling a bit. "I remember. Jade and Night Fury used to race down that path more times than I could count. Always kicking up mud and making a mess, especially when they knew Golden Eyes was around."

"Those two miscreants, always making a fuss and doing such outlandish nonsense!"

"Oh calm down, Golden. They were just kids, I'm sure you had a few good memories of the great outdoors?" Ocean Blue wondered aloud.

"None of my family would ever associate with the disgusting rot that is mud and dirt. When I was but a cub, I was eating Filet Mignon and relaxing at our indoor spa." Golden said.

"No wonder he's such a buzz kill, he has no buzz at all!" Soundwave laughed, much to Golden Eyes' unamusement.

The chief getting back on topic. "So I suppose we will be meeting Fury then. I will admit, I understand Fury's perspective on these things. But I would like to hear it from his own words."

"Trust me when I say this, chief… he's gonna have a few things to say about his time. Before and after he left." BlueBell said, whispering the last part under her breath.

–

"So that's what you've been doing for a whole year!?" Jade asked. The group of Speed Shifters and ponies were getting close to the town and had spent the better part of it explaining where Night Fury had been and what he'd been doing.

"Pretty much. After the whole thing with King Sombra, my popularity skyrocketed! But not all of it was good with what I told you about that pea-brained prince…" Fury moaned. "He makes Golden Eyes seem cool. He got jealous of my popularity and tried to bring me down whether through lies or just trying to blow me up. Didn't work though. He's now just a rogue agent working for the Shadow Shifters now. Still don't know where he is."

"Yeesh! I've heard of going green eyed with jealousy but straight up bloodthirsty? Boy, I'm just glad your All Powerful genes kicked in by then."

"Yeah, I had to get some shrapnel ripped out of me and stay in the castle with the walking blueberry over here watching over me with a death glare to the outside world, but I made it through." Fury said, snickering quietly as Luna gave him a snort of half distaste to his crude nickname.

"A true gentlecolt as always." Luna said, attempting to hide the smirk growing on her muzzle.

"I'm surprised you got a girl who tolerates your kind of humor. I know my girlfriend would slash my neck if I said that." Jade said.

"Wait a second, you and Sweet Heat are still a thing? I'm surprised after that fish bag prank that you guys didn't snap the ropes because of me." Fury said, a little surprised.

"Well, it took a lot of begging and waiting outside her house in the rain but she finally forgave me. As a matter of fact, she wants to meet you personally." 

"Oh I see. Hmmm, maybe she wants to get my autograph. I wouldn't blame her. I think I've earned it." Fury said, chuckling.

"We'll see. But I'll say that your way of speaking is a good way of becoming an amputee. Just saying..."

"Eh, I've gotten worse from the constantly boiling volcano that is my mother." Fury joked, Black Ice turning her attention to him.

"Would you like to repeat that, you little-"

"Oh look, there's the edge of town!" Fury quickly interrupted.

They finally made it to their destination. While nowhere near as large as Canterlor or even Snow Henge, it was still larger than Ponyville. It seemed to have a wooden palisade around it with guards patrolling it.

"Yep, even more guarded than before. Tension is high right now as of late." Jade said.

"Well it's a good thing we chose the back route, it leads straight to the main central hut that the council is held without any eyes on us." Obsidian said.

"I'm just glad we're home, it's been too long since I've felt the familiar ground of Thunder Hollow under my paws." Black Ice sighed, feeling happy to be back where she belongs.

"We can sightsee later, mom. First, let's get inside and meet with the chief."

Everyone proceeded to go through said path. It consisted of a dense area filled with foliage and a secret tunnel to go into the village and get to the back door into the main central hut.

"Wow, you guys hung lamps in here while I was gone?" Fury asked.

"Yep, a good way to light up the place for any undesirables. And also a good way to make this place look good. One of your mom's better ideas is that councilor Ocean Blue took influence. And as much as I would hate to admit, Golden Eyes also helped place those lamps." 

"A rare few I've heard. Say, what happened to Blue Bell? Heard she was doing well for herself in the academy before I left." Fury asked curiously. He knew Blue Bell was one of the academy's best students both academically specializing in lore and physically she was quite speedy like him but more graceful. She was clearly one of the popular students at her academy. 

Jade reminisced of her. "Ah Blue Bell, she's a bright star alright. She kept up with the rest of the grid like it was nothing but a stroll in the woods. Some of the other recruits were calling her 'Amethyst's Second Coming'. Well, I wouldn't say she's as bad as her but she does expect you to do a lot."

"Oh great." Fury said. "I always thought she was a sweet girl who was actually friendly despite her parents being hoity toity."

"Oh she still is, off-duty, which is more than I can say for Amethyst. But she just also has a bossy side to her. And wants to honor her family's name. She also expects everyone to name all the chieftains of Thunder Hollow, even the ones no one cares about or make a trap no one has thought of before." Jade said. "Thank goodness I'm not under her."

Fury laughed. "To think I used to have a crush on her. Oh boy, she would have driven me crazy. Besides, she's got nothing on my moonpie."

Luna smiled at that. "Always the charmer."

"Okay everyone, we're coming up to the rear entrance. This is it." Jade said. On the end of the tunnel was a set of double doors, wood and gold metal being its chosen materials.

"So this is the place." Fury said.

"It is quite impressive." Celestia said.

"Yep. I remember those days being in there arguing. Good times." Obsidian said.

Jade turned to Fury. "Now remember. When you go in you've got to bow to him and be very careful what you say. He also might throw his goblet or headdress sometimes, so be sure to duck if that happens." 

"That won't be necessary, dear." Black Ice jumped in. "They know about the secret that we kept since Fury's birth and respect his position as if he was one of them. How do you think we managed to keep it so radio silent about his destiny for so long?"

Jade nodded. "Fair point. Well, whatever happens just keep calm and be sure to let them know how important this alliance is. And of your feats that helped Speed Shifters."

"Don't worry. I'll get right down to it." Fury taking a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing."

Fury nodded to Jade and he did the honors, unlocking the doors that led into the central hut. As they walked inside, they were treated to the most elegant decorations and furniture. It was almost as grand as Canterlot Castle, minus the size.

But everyone was silent. They were after all about to negotiate what could be perhaps the most important alliance in all of equine and Shifter history. For the ponies, they could not even imagine what the chief would look like except that he was a grand figure.

They marched on to the doors. Jade knocked on it slowly but firmly.

A slit in the door opened, revealing an elite guard. "Speak your business."

"We come bearing an alliance proposal from lands beyond this one. Also, we wish to speak with the chief on the matters of three returning Shifters that were thought lost for years." Jade proclaimed.

"Ah so you're the one the chief said to wait for. Very well. Proceed."

They heard the sound of doors being unlocked and the giant doors revealed the hallway.

"At least they're expecting us." Obsidian said. 

Everyone marched on to the room accompanied by the guards.

"Presenting Captain Jade, the missing Speed Shifters and the pony princesses!" 

The chief and the councilors finally saw them. They had faces of shock seeing guests, both old and new. It was truly a shock. Even the skeptical Golden Eyes had to acknowledge that they indeed returned. 

However Thunderclaws still wore a face of a rocky exterior.

"Is it… is it really you?" Ocean Blue asked. "After all these years, Obsidian, Black Ice. We thought you were dead."

Obsidian smiled. "Unless I'm a ghost, then I think you know the answer." He walked up. "Because of my son's rescue, me and my wife have tasted freedom. We were impressed by forced labor for years but then he helped us."

"Have you been injured in a substantial way?" The Chief asked.

"No sir." Black Ice said. "Well, we have had scars from whips but overall, we're still in one piece."

"Your son really did all that?" Golden Eyes asked a bit surprised Fury of all shifters could rescue them. 

"Yes, Golden Eyes, yes he did." Obsidian said, staring into his eyes.

"Yes, I have returned. Hope you guys didn't think I was dead." Fury huffed.

Ocean Blue said "Well you have been gone for a while. You didn't even bother to tell us what you have been doing."

Fury looked at her now. "Well, with all due respect, I think I'm entitled to make my own choices of where to go. What I do is my business. Although to be honest, I do wonder how many Shifters actually cared about me going awol."

"Well, of course we care. No subject of mine goes unnoticed." The chief said proudly. "I figured you had your own things to do, so I let you go. I might be old, but my eyes and ears are still as young as ever."

"Heh, really?" Fury said. "Is that what you think? So all the time I have been in this village. All the things others said to me, you surely noticed that?"

"What are you implying, boy? That I'm a liar?" The chief asked.

Fury shook his head. "No, just that you might not have caught onto as many things as you say you have."

Golden Eyes spoke up. "Look. I know we've had grievances with you, but others saying things about you? I've never noticed that. To be honest, I thought you were forgotten by the public." 

At that statement, Fury showed a bit of shock. "Wait… you do know what happened to me after that Cragodile attack all those years ago, don't you?"

The council looked at each other, looking for some sort of answer. But nothing came as they all shook their heads to the surprise of Jade, Fury, His parents and the princesses.

Sweet Silver spoke up. "It was all in the past. Everyone moved on from it, dear. We had bigger issues to worry about."

"Not everyone…" Fury then pulled out his Memory Sealer from his saddlebags. Pressing the button on the front, he slid the golden seed shaped device into the middle of the table where it activated the ruby in the center and began to display the desired memories from that day.

–

Go away, Fury. I don't want to hang out with you anymore. 

You're even more of a disappointment than I thought. 

Coward, I hope you do get eaten by a cragodile!

Stay away from my son. I don't want your cowardice rubbing off on him.

–

"I was convinced I changed. All the work with Amethyst, all the sweat from work. It didn't matter. Every month, they just kept calling me a failure. Even Amethyst herself made it worse."

–

Not only are you immature, you're also a terrible warrior! I don't know why I bother training you! You're lucky I'm just doing this for your dad, pipsqueak.

Mistakes are not forgiven. And you are no exception.

Why don't just leave and spare us your sight?

I'm surprised your mother had the guts to even keep you after you were born.

–

"I was already unpopular before. Everyone thought I was the class clown. But then everyone made that my identity after that incident. I guess they always disliked me, and they had their justification with that incident. They didn't even care about my new abilities, I was just someone the village used as an example of how not to act. That's why I left. So I could possibly find a rescue from my already depressing life and keep myself away from making the mistake I couldn't come back from before I could do what mattered." Fury explained, hanging his head with Jade at his side, comforting him. 

"I was not sure what these ponies would be like, but I figured it was my chance to make a new future for myself. With creatures who didn't know about the incident and by creatures who didn't judge me on and on. That's why I left without telling you, if you are so curious."

"B-but how?!" Golden Eyes asked, confused and shocked. "No one talked about this."

"Indeed. Why have I not heard of these discussions?" Ocean Blue asked.

"By my guess, they knew at least some of you would come to my defense and 'Save me' from being shamed for my lack of courage and skill. They knew that I'd have you to vouch for me on top of probably Jade and my parents, so they kept it from reaching your ears as a way to make sure they had the biggest effect on me. And… they almost won." Fury explained.

The counselors discussed this amongst themselves. Did this knowledge really get past them, and how did the entire village keep this so tight and undercover?

Ocean Blue, being a mother herself, decided to speak first. "Fury… I have no idea what you have been suffering through all year, but I do know that you must have had quite the debate over returning home after that. You must be trying to keep yourself together for the sake of what honor you have left standing in front of us, trying to make sure you don't seem like a coward by crying or sniffing as you force yourself to recollect those deeply upsetting memories."

After Ocean Blue said that, a small but shaky breath escaped from Fury's mouth. A rolling tear followed as he hid his face from the room in an attempt to salvage what dignity he still had at the moment.

"It… was tough for me to get through this all. For a while, I lived by myself, avoiding any contact from others. I felt like no one would accept me back. For a while, I never wanted to come back again…." Fury said with a hard heart.

All the councilors were silent, even the normally whiny Golden Eyes. Same for his parents and his pony companions.

"It's okay, sweetie. You've done well in facing your fears. You have no worry over judgment here." Sweet Silver said.

"Well, maybe all but Golden Eyes. Can't expect him to be sympathetic for you." Soundwave huffed.

"Well, I-I…" Goldeneye sighed. "I guess what happened to you was unjust. And I underestimated how strong and worthy you were. Someone like you can endure all of that… That is quite a strength." He said reluctantly but truthfully. He covered his face in embarrassment in having to admit his faults.

The Chief stood up. "Night Fury, I am sorry you had to deal with all this. I should have been more supportive of you. For all you have done. I've heard about how you freed many of those captives. It is not every day that captives make it out free. I'm surprised you were able to still stay strong after all the shame you recieved."

"Well, it wasn't easy." Fury said. "But, I remembered what my parents told me to not give up." He said smiling to his parents. "And I remembered those who still were my friends." He looked to Jade. "But the ones who really made me seek to be something more were these hoofed creatures. I never thought I could get so far. But they made me remember."

"We're here for you, son. No matter what." Obsidian said, holding him close. 

"As am I." Black Ice followed.

"As do I, my Lightning Bug." Luna said as she hugged him followed by the others.

After a long hug, they let go. Fury looked at them. "Thanks everyone, I appreciate it. Well, that settles that. So, how about we get to the real juicy part. The alliance proposal. Celesia, if you would…"

Celestia smiled. "With pleasure." She looked at the chief. "I know you used to distrust other creatures like us ponies. I can understand why, with how you wish to protect your people. But if you really wish, we can help you through it. As we know now, the Shadow Shifters are expanding their forces to possibly make another attack. Separate, we would last for a while but soon falter. But if we were to make a deal between our races, we could bolster our defenses and keep both of our best interests safe."

The chief was silent. Celestia and Fury could see he was contemplating something he thought unimaginable. After all, wasn't he the one who distrusted other races? Was he really going to trust them so easily? 

Fury spoke up. "After helping me and even Cadence risking her life to save my parents and all those other captives, do you still think they are not to be trusted? By our honor code, we at least owe them a debt to their services."

The chief thought about it. He turned to Cadence. "Was it true you helped all those Shifters? And did you do it out of selfless notion?"

Cadence bowed to him. "Yes I did. And I would do it all over again. As well as any of these three." She said pointing to the nodding princesses.

"Very well," the chief said. "Scribe! Write what I say down. For what I am about to say will change our village's history forever."

"Princess Celestia, you and your people have proven yourselves with your helping Fury in his quest. It is for this we should be grateful. By the traditions of our ancestors, as Fury said, anyone so worthy deserves our trust and our allegiance. We are indebted to you. And for what you have done to protect other Shifters from the threats of the Shadow Shifters, I say we can trust you."

Celestia nodded. "I do appreciate your kind words. And not just for today, but I hope for future generations we may know friendship and harmony. May both our peoples join together."

"Well said, Celestia. But we all know that spoken words don't make deals. I believe a contract is in order to solidify this transaction." Fury said.

"Exactly." The chief stood up. He approached Celestia. "Let us seal this alliance once and for all."

The emperor revealed a small elaborate jeweled knife in his paws. He looked to Celestia. "To truly seal our nations' friendship we shall seal it in blood itself."  He said, slitting his paw slightly.

Twilight and Cadence were a bit shocked at this.

"Your highness, surely there has to be a cleaner way to sign the agreement-"

"It's alright Twilight. I accept." Celestia took the knife from the Chief, gave a small cut to herself and shook his paw.

"May we forever become allies for all time. Supporting each other and defending each other. Our blood is the marking of the end." The chief recited.

"Agreed. In the name of Equestria, I declare our alliance to begin now!"

The drops of blood fell onto a small vase in which some servants sealed it up and would store it for safe keeping as an artifact not soon to be forgotten.

"Wow, I… didn't know alicorns could actually bleed." Fury said, surprised.

"It's hard to do so with our power, but it just takes a lot of power." Celestia said. "This knife for instance."

"Or my claws if you get on my bad side. Even if you two are strong." Fury reminded the two. 

"Oh Fury, your power has changed but your sense of humor sure hasn't." Ocean Blue said with a sigh. 

Thunder Claws looked at the princesses. He had a face that now seemed at ease, at least for his standards.

"Now that you are our new guests, I think it is appropriate that we know more about each other. And since you are already in our town, I ask that you explore it and see what grand wonders we have." He turned to Fury. "Fury! I demand that you show our new guests the pride of our town. We may not have elaborate monuments like that of our ancestors but there are many other wonders that we have. Go forth and see to it."

Fury smiled. "You got it, old chief! I'll show them the best spots in town. It will be something they won't soon forget. Come on princesses, let's go forth!"

And so, with a few final words and a bow of respect, the group left to explore the village.

–

Later on, in Thunder Hollow…

Most of the paths around town were secluded, so there was minimal risk of any disturbance in the initial walk from the central hut. But as they reached the shopping square, they all saw more Speed Shifters running around and buying things. And loud merchants determined to sell their precious wares. It seemed as if a shifter's energy was used just as much in business as well as running.

"Ladies, welcome to Speed Shifter's shopping center! All around here, we buy all we need to keep ourselves going. Furniture, Deeds to land… But my personal favorite is the food we have." Fury said, licking his lips.

"Of course it is, ya foodie." Jade chuckled. "Now be warned, some of the food we have is… well…"

"So weird and off-putting that you'd wonder why we don't have clogged arteries and look like blubber balls." Fury said bluntly.

"Oh don't exaggerate, it can't be that bad." Luna said. "I've seen my sister through the worst. I know what horror is." Luna said with her sister giving her the stink eye.

"Oh really? Ya ever seen a deep fried cheese tower?" Fury asked, pointing to a yellow Speed Shifter setting up towers of cheese, dipping them in batter and frying them to the ends of the earth.

"Come on folks! Get your Cheese Sandwich here! Don't be late!" said the Speed Shifter cook.

The princesses all dropped their jaws. Even Celestia. 

Twilight spoke up first. "Um, is that just a way to test out how good their ovens are? They won't eat it. Yeah that would be crazy. Ha ha ha. Right?"

Fury laughed almost like an evil villain.

"WRONG!!!" Fury announced proudly. "That, Twily, is the stuff we actually eat. But we don't have a problem with it thanks to our monstrous motabolisms. And besides, our super speed lets us burn off anything we pack onto us anyway."

"Wow, that must be a lot of energy that running burns off." Cadence says.

"Yep. In fact, if we went with that low fat hay sandwich junk, we'd be skinny feeble creatures. We gotta build it up somehow. But enough talk. Let's go in for the treat."

Fury bought some. And he and Jade looked eagerly at it like little cubs. They both joyfully dug in. The cheese came pouring out of the baked powder. Molten cheese was all over their mouths.

Fury looked like he was going to cry. "It's been so long! I've missed you, sweet tower of cheese!"

Celestia commented first. "Well, it certainly is a treat even my people could never have conceived of."

"Except perhaps as a secret assassination attempt." Luna said.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. But it definitely will not agree with my diet." Cadence said.

"Ugh, you guys are such prudes." Fury moaned. "Ya know what? How about you guys try this since you're so high up on the ladder. You talk so much and don't hold it up, so I think you should shut your traps and take the dive."

The princesses looked with awe. What would this exotic phenomenon even be like? How could they process it?

"I don't know, Fury." Jade said, a little smugly at the ponies. "Maybe these princesses just don't have what it takes for our food."

"No, I'm putting my paw down. I'm not letting them off so easily. You four have been so up in the clouds with your 'Weight Trainers' and your 'High End Diets'. I think it's about time you guys started doing things that are unprincess like. So suck it up!"

Fury grabbed one of them. "Look at this! You say you can resist, but can you really? Can you really resist?"

They all smelled it. It smelled so delicious. 

"I have to admit, it does smell good." Twilight said skeptically.

"As much as I don't like food this greasy, it does make me wonder what it tastes like." Cadence added.

"I have traveled to dreams like those of Fury's. I can understand his feelings of desire from them…" Luna said in awe.

"Could it be… even better than a cake?" Celestia said with less restraint than the others.

"Looks like my prey has smelled the bait." Fury said with a smirk. "Now step 2: Operation Snag The Suckers." He whispered.

"So… you guys gonna try it or what? It isn't as good if it isn't fresh out of the oil." He said temptingly.

"No, I can't fall victim..." Twilight said, trying to resist. 

"My personal trainer will drag me to the Badlands and back if I do this." Cadence whimpered.

"You will not manipulate me, Night Fury. I will not be tricked by-"

"LET ME HAVE IT!!!" Celestia spoke. "I demand you give me the cheese tower right now. Do you hear me?!" Celestia was utterly in love with the cheese sandwich.

"Oh wow. I guess I shouldn't be surprised you would be the first to crack. Here you go, Princess. Feast on!" Fury said, throwing the cheese sandwich to her.

Fury threw the cheese tower in the air. Everyone thought he was crazy for doing that. But Celestia did not think so. She leaped up into the air like a dog and grabbed it with her mouth. 

When she dropped down she was slowly taking in the fried goodness, licking her lips and tongue of all the cheese.

"This is one of the greatest things I have ever had in my entire life." Celestia said. "I feel like I have been blessed with this treat of supreme taste. Well besides cakes of course, but this is a close second place."

Jade smiled. "Well at least she appreciates our fine delicacies."

Fury nodded. "See what did I tell ya, Sunbutt? This cheese stuff is just like another form of cake! All fluffy but with the taste of aged milk."

"I have to agree, this is a very exquisite taste. Though it may not be the healthiest of the foods I've had, it is delicious." Celesia complimented, Night Fury giving himself a fist pump for his success at persuading at least one of his equine friends.

"Looks like I've converted Celestia to the awesome side." Fury said. "How about you ladies? Will you join her?"

Fury then walked to Twilight, "I think your large brain can understand how much taste is packed into this cheesy juicy bite."

Twilight tried to look away. "No, I can't fall for it. I can't fall for it."

Fury figured he would need an extra layer of persuasion. He saw Twilight's package and had an idea.

He went into one of the pockets and grabbed a hayburger. 

"What happens when you combine the dry crunchy taste of hay with cheese?" Fury said as he gave the burger to the cook and within seconds revealed a cheese covered hayburger.

"Now, what do you think? Will you resist your own loyal food now? Will you-" Fury asked.

"Give me my hayburger back!" Twilight grabbed her cheesy hayburger and gobbled it up.

"2 down, two to go." Fury whispered to himself, laying eyes on Cadence.

"Cadence, everyone knows how much you adore chocolate. But what if we combined sweet with savory?" Fury wondered aloud, pulling out a strawberry and a skewer.

"Sweets and cheese?" Cadence gagged at the idea. "What kind of unholy abomination would that be like? I don't want to know!"

Fury smiled. "Well, you'll know now!" Fury took the strawberry, dipped it into the molten cheese and out came a cheesy baked strawberry.

"At least with the other two, they already liked the food you had. As well as a bad level of food discipline." Cadence whispered the last part. "But I find the whole idea of baked cheese and fruits an abomination. I ought to outlaw it!"

Fury nodded. "Yeah. Maybe you have a point. Maybe they should go away forever. For eternity."

Cadence nodded. "See you get now-"

"Psyche!" Fury said, taking five of his strawberries into Cadence's mouth. Cadence was about to spit them out but somehow she couldn't because of the flavor. Was this mix she once condemned really as horrible as she thought?

She swallowed it. And looked stunned.

"Th-that was actually good?! But how?! It makes no sense." Cadence cried out. "Also my trainer is going to kill if he finds out about this."

Fury grinned. "You'll find out a lot of things about us Shifters don't make sense. That's the fun of it. And don't worry about the trainer. It's our little secret. Heh, maybe I'll get him some real food someday."

Meanwhile Luna looked blankly at the others. She was not as shocked by the idea as Twilight and Cadence were. But she still felt like it would be beneath her to be tempted by this otherworldly food. Even if he were her lover.

"You may have tempted the others. But my mind is stronger than the others. I won't fall prey to your wiles. Your cheese will not claim me." Luna said with confidence.

But Fury as usual took this not as an obstacle but as a game. "Heh heh heh… Luna, Luna, Luna… do you take me for a weakling? I have many ways of persuasion." Fury chuckled.

"See, your mom made it a bullet point to show me the past of her esteemed daughters. One such memory was your deep desire for doughnuts, specifically Pony Joe's. So, what better way to show you the truth than to make a doughnut of fried cheesy goodness. Madam, show my lover your works and you'll get a handsome tip." Fury said, jingling a fat sack of bits.

"You got it! Nothing like getting some extra cash!" She took some tongs and dipped the doughnut into the concoction. She got it out revealing the cheesy donut. But that wasn't all. As a bonus, she also applied a sort of fruit jam on it and rebaked it. It was a delightful mix of sweet and savory. 

"There we go! I love when creativity and baking are mixed." Fury turned to Luna. "Now can you really deny this goodness, combining pony and shifter food?"

"My mother was lying! I do not like Donut Joes!" Luna said desperately. "She was just joking! I do not and never will like that. You can't make me."

"Oh I can…" He whispered maliciously. "Hey look, Sapphire Shores' latest album!"

"By the gods, really!?" Luna gasped, looking over to where Fury directed her vision. With one smooth move, he threw the doughnut like a disk and scored a direct hit into Luna's mouth.

"Gooooooooal!" He said with his arms out.

Luna had an angry look at being duped by her naughty coltfriend. But before she could give him the Royal Canterlot Voice, her tongue noticed the cheese taste.

She dared to bite in. And when she did so, her eyes opened wide. She chewed and tasted the mixture of sugar and cheese. It seemed so wrong yet so right.

She finally swallowed. "Is this what true dreams are made of? Is this how those happy ponies in dreams feel? For I feel like I am in paradise!" 

Fury nodded and spoke like a wise sage. "Ah yes, my young pupil, you know now the ways to inner peace. Not through meditation, not through chanting but through the power of baked cheese lathered in butter." Then Fury went back to normal. "And don't think I forgot about that hefty tip, sweetheart. Here ya go."

"Thanks kid! It's nice to know folks still can't resist my goods!" She said.

Cadence turned to him. "Well it looks like you won. You conquered us with your cheese."

"I guess that's one thing ponies and Shifters have in common." Twilight remarked.

"We won't get fat from this, will we?" Cadence asked.

Fury snickered. "Oh you silly ladies. It's just a little bit. Believe me, you haven't seen the biggest of them all. Bacon wrapped around the towers. Yum. But to get back to the point, just run it off and tell your trainer you ate hay or something."

"You really are a sneaky bad influence on us." Twilight said giggling.

"Yeah, that's what my mom says." Jade said. "I wouldn't have done all those pranks without his influence."

Fury smiled smugly. "You're welcome, folks. Happy to bring you to enlightenment. But enough of that. Let's keep moving. There are more sites to see." He said continuing to walk along to the next location of their tour.

Moving along from the bustling shopping center, they walked along the path to a large steel building with smoke stacks.

"This one is our weapons forge, Dad's old job. I remember the first time he took me here for 'Take your son to work' day. Ringing any bells, pop?" Fury asked.

"Sure is, champ." Obsidian sighed, marveling at his old work place. "I remember this place like a second home. The molten metal, the baking hot interior of the crucible, the good memories with friends… Ahh, good times." 

"Well maybe you can catch up on these memories. C'mon, let me and dad show you how we make our defensive weapons. And later, we'll show you the big guns!" Fury said excitedly.

"Shining Armor will be so jealous." Twilight admitted.

When they opened the doors, they saw Shifters doing all the usual activities of a blacksmith such as dipping a hot blade in water or beating a hot piece of metal. But they also saw blacksmiths chant incantations and carve patterns into the metal.

Obsidian was very eager to show them his work. "One of my favorite weapons is the claw gauntlet. A sort of metal glove with metal claws. It increases the strength of your swipes. In fact I believe Fury still has the ones I made for him."

Fury nodded. "Yep! I use them whenever I'm in imminent danger like against Tirek or Sombra."

"Yep. And we also have armor like helmets or chest pieces. I even make amulets and jewelry though that's a bit separate from blacksmithing." Obsidian said, walking further into the building.

"But we don't do it alone. It takes tons of us to get it right the first time, we can't just wish things were easier. We have to work for it! But in working for it, we find ourselves engaging in moments and forming bonds over our labor." 

"Speaking of which, is it just me or does that guy look like your old friend Lava Mold?" Fury asked.

He saw a bulky Speed Shifter with a massive scar by one of his eyes. He was indeed very strong. 

"He sort of does now that I think about it. He has that rough and tough look to him." Obsidian said. 

"Hey, Lava! Is that you?" The bulky Shifter turned around and removed his face protector, taking in the sight of the long lost friend he knew so long ago.

"Obsidian!? Is it really you, old chap?" He asked in a posh accent.

"Yep, you know it!" Obsidian said, greeting him with a firm pawshake.

"You son of a gun. You truly are something else! You've gone for ages and yet somehow I knew, by the Emperor's Mane, you would manage to make it out! Tell me, how have things been?" Asked Magma, another of Obsidian's colleagues.

The princesses were quite surprised to see this strong tough looking shifter have such eloquence in his speech. But they figured it came from years of experience.

"It's been a while, but I made it. And it's all thanks to this glorious offspring of mine!"

Fury walked up to see him.

"Oh, well if it isn't Night Fury himself. Grew quite a bit from his measly self back in the day." Magma said, patting Fury roughly. "So you were able to free those captives from Shadow Shifters?"

Fury gave a confident smile. "You bet I did! It took some transformation and some stealth but I got through it. And I taught those shadow guys not to mess with Thunder Hollow. Ripped the head and spine right out of the chief!" 

"You did?" Magma said. "Ha, are you sure you're not just making a fib?" 

"Ask the pink pony behind me, she saw the whole thing." Fury then pointed to Cadence who shuffled a little at the brutal and dark moment she saw Fury enact.

"Believe me, I sure did…" Cadence squeaked uncomfortably.

"Ah I see," Magma said. "Well, did you give him some good cuts with the claws me and your father made?"

"You betcha! Right in his chest! Oh and a bit of his face. No big deal." Fury said with a smirk.

"Well done, boy! Your father really did raise a true warrior!" 

"I sure did." Obsidian said with pride. "He even gave him the old headdress skull technique I taught him." He said pressing his paw into the ground.

The three laughed leaving the princesses a little confused as to how to relate to these four warrior shifters. Obsidian gave Fury a glance at the princesses and Fury, noticing their discomfort, decided to change the subject.

"Anyway, how about you guys show my royal friends here some of our work? I'm giving them a tour while the chief talks their alliance proposal over." Fury asked.

"Oh, that would be some jolly old fun. I was looking forward to showing the techniques my ancestors taught me. Follow me." Magma said, leading them to an anvil along with all the requisite tools for making weapons.

"For your own viewing pleasure, I will make a seemingly innocent device. A hidden blade." Magma said. "A perfect tool for assassins or diplomats who want to find alternative negotiations." 

He showed them a mechanism with a retractable blade that with the press of a button, extended or retracted.

"This blade is perfect for any stealth expert wanting to take care of guards and high society targets alike. Though, the button does give it the risk of slicing your own appendages off with its hair trigger." Lava Mold said. Night Fury's brain ignited in a flurry of theories and hypothetical questions, it almost felt weird to him. Then, he came up with an idea.

"Hey, what if instead of a button, it was a paddle? And not below the blade but on top of the wrist? Here, let me see." Lava reluctantly passed the gadget over and Fury went to one of the work benches, followed by his group. Lighting the lantern, he got to work on the hidden blade. He used a screwdriver to remove the bottom and take out the button mechanism, gutting the interior. 

Next, he unlatched the top part and maneuvered the blade over the guts of the mechanism that he put below where the blade sat. He passively reached over to the side with his tail and snatched a flat piece of metal from a parts barrel to fit on top. Moving over to the table saw, he turned it on and began cutting a hole in the front, sending sparks flying. 

Once done, he slid the paddle inside the hole and attached the small trigger to it before closing it up and screwing in the top.

"There! So now that the trigger is a paddle on top of the wrist, all you have to do is flick your wrist up and…"

Shing!

"...the blade comes right out without chopping off your little piggies." Fury said with an impressed Magma and Lava Mold nodding.

"Very impressive, lad. This is definitely easier to use than my original device. A poor sap will never see it coming." Lava Mold said.

"I'm sure they won't. Now how about we move on to the next spot? I think Mom is about to melt into a black and white puddle." Fury giggled. Everyone looked over to her and saw the struggling mother sweating like she was on the sun its

"Thank goodness! I can't stand this heat again!" Black Ice said.

They all went to another room. Much cooler this time. And more rustic. There was a lot of wood carved.

"What is this place?" Luna asked.

"This is our ranged weapons forge. Since we don't have magic like your lovely self, we make our own ways of reaching far out and eliminating our enemies." Fury said, getting a blush from his girlfriend.

"Oh you little sweetheart…" She giggled. As they walked over to one of the work benches, they saw a red Speed Shifter with yellow eyes working on something.

"Hey Longshot, long time no see!" Fury greeted.

"Fury, good to see ya, mate!" Longshot said in an Austrotlian accent. "Glad to see you and your folks are alive! Of course Blue Bell already told me about it. But still nice to see ya."

"Eh, it just took a little effort, but we got through it. But that's another story. So, how about you show my royal compadres here what you're working on?"

Longshot looked at his new spectators. "Ah how convenient. Was just about to start my new crossbow."

"Crossbow? I've never heard of such a contraption. Pray tell, what is this crossbow?" Luna asked.

The red Speed Shifter turned to his work bench and pulled out his crafted weapon. The frame was a light carbon fiber, many wheels and wires running from the back of the primer to the flared bow at the front.

"This is a crossbow. It's like a more modern bow and arrow. Compact frame, lightweight materials, hair trigger… this beaut will shoot bolts farther than any bow could." Longshot said, marveling at his work.

"Bolts? Don't you mean arrows?" Twilight asked.

Night Fury explained to the princesses. "Nah, we call 'em bolts. You see, arrows are more flimsy because of their wooden frame and they fly looser with their fins being made out of thin sheets of wood or even feathers in some cases. But bolts, they're more rigid." He said, reaching for a barrel filled with the black ammunition.

"You see the material this and the crossbow are made out of? This is Carbon Fiber, a lightweight multi-weave of plastic that allows bolts to fly more rigidly through the air but makes it light enough so that it doesn't sink." Fury further clarified.

"Right you are, mate! You do know your weapons, even the ones you hardly ever use!" Then he turned to the princesses. "Now I bet yer wondering, why go through all this effort for these glorified bows and arrows? Can't I just make normal bows?"

Twilight was curious. "Well I suppose it does confuse me."

The veteran shifter smiled widely. "Easy peasy. For one, bows are a lot easier to break and snap. A crossbow made of carbon fiber is tough and built to last. Two, it saves on natural resources we could be using for infrastructure. Thirdly, it's much easier to line up a target and pull a trigger than to have to pull a string, hold the arrow steady, keep yourself steady and fire. And lastly… Well, it's funner to show you then jabber about it." 

Night Fury took the crossbow from Longshot and went over to one of the shooting aisles. On one end sat a sandbag dummy with armor around it. The armor was the usual scale armor popular with Shifters but exotic to ponies. Twilight already knew how strong the armor was. What were they planning to do with it?

Night Fury got up on his hind legs and let his body rest against the flat prepping surface below his body, bracing the stock of the crossbow on his shoulder. Taking his first bolt, he loaded it into the fine divot in the middle and pulled back the primer. The wires grew more strained as the wheels on the flared end allowed them to move freely and click into place as Fury fully primed the weapon. Looking at the target, he took a deep breath, flicked his tail and squeezed.

Click! Fwoom!

The bolt soared far down the shooting isle, whistling through the air as it went farther and farther until…

Crack!

The bolt made impact with the dummy and to the princess's shock, easily pierced through the armor like it was nothing.

"But-but-but that armor looked so strong! I've seen back in Snow Henge how that armor can be!" Twilight said. "And from just an arrow too."

"That's another thing about the bolts. Since they have such a lightweight to begin with, it allows them to put more force behind the shot and pierce the armor! Oh and did I forget to mention that thanks to such a lightweight, we were able to fit a metal tip on the end for better armor penetration? Good luck doing that with an average joe arrow." Fury boasted. 

The princesses were amazed. Such revolutionary war technology coming from a civilization with no mines or extraction machines to farm resources, and at such a minimal effort.

"Now, you guys know about tipped arrows, right?" Fury asked.

Twilight responded. "I mean you have metal on an arrow for more damage? But I don't see what's so special about that."

"Wow, these four really are some downers." Longshot commented.

"Pfft, please. You have no idea. Throw an idea at the purple one and she'll explain it away like your worst math teacher."

Twilight pouted at that. "I'm just confused about what it means."

"Well if you used your imagination, my dear Twilight, then you would be able to see what crazy tricks one might be able to do. How about explosions? Take out a whole lot of bad guys with one blast. Kaboom! Or maybe you're in a cave and you don't wanna be ambushed so just take one of those flashbangs, put it on a bolt and bang! They won't see squat. Do you see what we would be able to do with them if we had them?" Fury asked.

"Huh, I never thought of it that way. But you speak of them as if they are just theories not reality."

"Well, they technically are real. But we just haven't figured out how to make them work. Longshot…?"

Longshot sighed. "Those little buggers always caused problems. You see, adding dynamite for explosive bolts is just too heavy. And the flashbangs are just too hard to get right. They both suffer from the issue of timing the detonation, and the bulkiness of the suggested mechanisms would be too complicated to fit on the crossbow. I've tried and tried but I just can't find out the trick. Maybe better materials? I dunno."

Twilight pondered. She remembered her brother using some magic to time his workout. Could the same apply to a bolt?

"Hmm… How about adding a timing spell to the bolt and reconfiguring the design of the bolts? Do you have any blueprints of these tipped bolts lying around?" Twilight asked. Longshot was surprised that this pony princess was willing to try and craft something better of his work, but he let it slide.

Moving over to his bench, he opened a drawer that revealed a ton of crossed out prototype blueprints that showed many unusual and admittedly, creative ways to shoot tipped bolts. An explosive powder feeding tube, bulbs of bioluminescent fluid strapped on all sides of the bolts, a suction cup with a mini box of fireworks strapped to the inside… A bolt with glue and a dynamite stick stuck to the side standing right side up?

Longshot explained further. "Yep, those are the plans I wrote at one point but all just ideas. No material we Shifters have can make these work."

Twilight explained. "I myself might not be too well versed in military procedures compared to my brother, but he has shown some spells and different potions that might be effective. In fact, these blueprints could work with some ingredients I like to carry around constantly."

Twilight took out a pouch she was carrying. She took a bowl and opened it revealing some blue and purple powder.

"This powder is used for many potions, especially ones needed to conduct heat, it's very volatile and if you shake it too much, it can give an explosion."

"Oh… I like the sound of that. What if we got a bunch of that dust and shoved it in that bulb, I bet something special could happen. What do you say, Longshot?" Fury asked.

"Oy, worth a shot if you ask me." Longshot admitted. And with that, the three got to work. Twilight held the powder off to the side while Longshot and Night Fury unscrewed the sharp end of the bolt and replaced it with the cylindrical compartment. Slowly but surely, Twilight poured the volatile powder into the compartment and slowly closed the lid.

"There we go, an explosive tip! Now to give this thing a shot!" Fury said with enthusiasm. Carefully carrying the powder filled bolt over to the shooting aisle, Fury lined up his shot. Pulling the primer, he took aim for the head of the dummy. Then, he pulled the trigger and let it fly.

Zooming through the air, the bolt took a higher ark with the added weight of the capsule. But as it hit the target, the capsule cracked and went explosive.

Thoom!  

The blast was a blue/purple mixture, crackling with energy and blowing the dummy's head right off of its shoulders.

"Wahoo!" Both Fury and Longshot cried out. "We finally did it! We made it happen."

Longshot looked at the princesses. "That powder is one strong formula. I could use some more of it."

Celestia nodded. "That may be done. But there is another thing to be done. Have you ever heard of Solar Powder?"

"I don't believe I have." Fury said. "I'm guessing it's a sort of replacement for the bioluminescent fluid we gather from Glow Beatles for our flashbangs?"

"Yes. It glows intensely. It used to be used by earth ponies and pegasi to go into dark caverns since they lacked unicorn magic. Nowadays, fashion designers use it for glitter sequins and airfields use it as an alternative to light bulbs for runways. But, much like your explosive tipped bolts, the powder explodes when under intense pressure. Perhaps you could use it as an alternative as well." Celesia suggested.

"Sounds good to me. Twi, get one of those capsules ready. We're about to make a flash bolt."

They got another bolt and placed the powder in. 

When they got ready, to test the success of the flash bolt, one of them had to volunteer for who would be blinded temporarily by the flash and that volunteer was Luna.

"Okay sweetheart, just stand still and let the bolt do its thing!" Fury called from afar, Luna returning a nod. Fury got low and primed the weapon, holding steady before pulling the trigger and letting it loose.

The flash bolt flew just as the explosive tip did, a high arc with a fast rate of movement. Soon enough, the bolt made contact with Luna's chest piece and collapsed the capsule.

Pew!

Everyone on the safe end covered their eyes for safety, keeping the bright flash away from their vision. Luna however, let the flash hit her. The blast left her ears ringing, nothing but white filling her vision as the powder did its dirty work. Thankfully, after a few seconds, the ringing and blindness wore off with ease, allowing the moon princess to regain her composure and return to the group.

"So, how'd you fare, your highness?" Longshot asked. Luna rubbed her eyes a bit and gave a few blinks for good measure before speaking.

"I have seen my sister all my life and I can say even she was not as annoyingly bright as that flashbang."

Fury laughed and felt joy. "Wow, you know this flashbang is really intense then!"

"Yes!" Longshot said, paw raised up. "It took me years but finally the bloody weapons work. Let's see those Shadow Shifters fight us now."

Twilight smiled. "We are happy to help. But I have to give it to you for already being so advanced militarily. These weapons like crossbows can really help us. Is it possible for us ponies to use these for our weaponry?"

Longshot responded. "You'll have to ask the chief. But if you are so helpful like now, I'm sure he can work it out."

"Awesome! Well, we'll be on our way! Thanks for the test fire, Longshot!" Fury said. 

All of them came away with a sense of accomplishment. Fury so far was adapting well.
> Chapter 45: Home Sweet (And Sour) Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later on…

"Where do we go next, Lightning Bug? I have had enough weaponry for one day." Luna said.

"Patience, my dear. I must think carefully." Fury said, trying to remember some places he went too.

Jade spoke up. "Maybe I can recommend-"

"Ah ah ah. Let me decide." Fury was still wrapping his head on where to go. "Maybe I need to see an old friend of mine. Maybe I need to see…"

"Fury!" 

"No, I'm Fury. I'm saying I need to see… wait… is that…"

"Fury! It's been so long!"

"Queen Bee!" Fury and Jade said together as a Speed Shifter came zipping through. Her fur was a bright yellow and was covered in black stripes, almost identical to that of a bumblebee. Her aura was a glistening gold as she raced towards her old friend and hugged Fury.

"Oh by the gods. I've been worried sick about you! Do you really think you can just come back without saying hello to me? Well not anymore pal! I've been waiting forever." She said, squeezing him tightly.

Yep, just as firm as I remember. Fury thought to himself.

"Well, Bee, it's good to see you too. But uh can you let off a bit? I need air." Fury wheezed.

"Whoops! My bad!" She said dropping Fury. "I guess when you miss someone, you just go all out."

"Yeah, no kidding." Fury said. "You haven't changed one bit."

Twilight was confused. "Wait, who is this? Is this a friend of yours?"

"Not just any friend, one of my best friends! Ladies, I'd like you to meet Queen Bee! The best beekeeper in town and my old babysitter." Fury said.

"That's right! Me and this little ball of fuzz were tighter than a barnacle on a reef! Oh, look at how big you've gotten! It's like you traveled through time while you were gone! You're not the little guy I knew from back then."

"Heh, glad you noticed. Yep, life's been a weird mish mash of craziness for sure. But somehow I made it through." Fury said.

"I wouldn't doubt that. Let me ask though to make sure you are still the Fury I know though. Do you still eat fish? Or have you become an herbivore like those ponies you hang out with?" She asked, with a teasing smile.

Fury took the statement with disgust. "Whoa whoa whoa. I object to that statement! I might have hung out with ponies but I will never ever turn to the dark side. The side that thinks bland dry grass is somehow acceptable. I only go with the good."

Jade nodded. "Yeah, you should have seen him with those cheese towers. He hasn't lost his bite."

Twilight had an unamused face. How dare they dismiss her favorite delicacy as bland.

"So you've still got your appetite, huh? That's good. You are still you. But that's not all I need to check…" Bee said, growing a smile that looked more devious than happy. "I think everyone knows what we have to do now."

"Uh, say hi?"

She shook her head.

"Talk about how the weather is?"

Same result.

"Oh I know! Talking about my diplomatic record! Yeah, that has to be-"

"No more stalling, Fury! I'm going to give you the tickle session you knew but improved. I have gained experience with my paws and you're my test subject!" She said, getting ready to pounce on him.

Fury sighed. 

"Heh, this I've gotta see." Jade said. "My favorite part."

"Now, Bee, I am… older. More mature. I'm past those days of playing tickle games. The past is the past."

Cadence laughed at that. "Yeah, that's what you thought when you played pranks on us. You're just the same."

"Shut up." Fury said, looking nervous.

"You're never too old to be tickled by me boy! Here I come!" She said, jumping into the air.

Fury narrowly dodged her swoop.

"Sorry, but I gotta run. I gotta check out some stuff. See you when you're saner!" He said, about to run away.

"Oh I don't think so."

When Fury took his first steps, he realized he sprung a trap. And the ropes wrapped around his legs leaving him helpless

"Even a Speed Shifter as fast as you can't resist a good knot." She said. "Now where to start with you..."

She said slowly examining the helpless victim.

"Where to strike you first. Hmmmm... The belly is always a good spot to make you squeal. But let's start small. How about your big ears? Let's see how they feel." 

"Well I guess it can't be too bad-" Fury said. He turned out to be very wrong. As soon as she made contact with his ears, he went all fuzzy. It wasn't a ticklish feeling, but more a scratchy feeling. The more she scratched, the more Fury was pushed into a zen state. And at the very top of it, he let loose.

Purrrrr…

At that utterance, Fury felt great embarrassment. Everyone heard it. His father and Jade snickered, whereas the princesses and his mother gave a great big…

"Awwwwwwww!"

"It's not that big of a deal! It's just what felines do!"

"By that, do you mean being extremely adorable?" Celestia asked.

"Yes- Wait, No! Daaah, now I'm confused!"

"Well, you won't be confused for very long, Fury. You're about to be very certain of my next trick." She said, raising his arms up.

"No no, I take it back! Can we go back to the ears?! Anything but that." Fury pleaded.

"You forget the rule of Speed Shifters. We do not show mercy." Queen Bee said cheekily. She wiggled her paws near his armpits and began to tickle them. And when she did, she struck gold. Laughing immediately filled the air as Bee scribbled all over his underarms.

"Ahh, there's that giggle that I remember. It's been too long since I've heard you let your laugh out." Bee giggled, continuing her assault.

"Yeah, a time that I tried to forget!!!" Fury said. "Though not just from you but for my friends too."

Curious, the Shifter looked at the ponies. "Wait a second. So you ponies managed to tickle him?! I thought that was too hard for non shifters… uh no offense."

Luna then replied. "Oh you have no idea. We ponies can be far more dreadful than you might think. I know I like to give him a good tickle when he gets out of line."

"Here, here!" Cadence agreed.

"Yeah, and that's what kills me!" Fury weeped. 

"Oh don't be such a wimp, it's not that bad… Yet." Bee stretched an evil smile across her features as she eyed the grand prize of her little plan. 

"Oh no, you are not going there! I'm not letting you!" Fury said, trying to struggle out of the ropes in vain.

"What makes you think you had any input in this matter?" She said in a menacing way that made even Black Ice a little terrified. 

"Yikes." Cadence said simply.

"I'll give you a deal. I won't tickle you if you promise… to have hayburgers for a whole week. All the cheese towers can be left for me. Agree and I will release you." She said, with sadistic glee. 

"Bee… you do realize I can turn into a pony and do that easily, right? No sweat."

"Ah ah ah. Let's be clear. AS A SHIFTER. You must eat it as a purebred feline." She corrected.

"What the scrap!?!" At this statement, Fury looked at her in disgust. He then proceeded to make a speech that would rival the greats. "I would rather you tickle me for eternity than to lower myself to that. You can take my house, you can take my speed… but ain't nobody taking my fish from me!"

"Suit yourself, pipsqueak. I'm about to have my fun." Queen Bee said, moving in to attack. But Fury put up a struggle, moving away from her reach by swinging. Eventually, he gained enough momentum to swing up onto a branch that conveniently had the rope tied to it.

"Oh no." She said.

"Yahoo!" Fury called as he swung around. "While you were yapping your trap and while I was making my speech, I was figuring out how to escape. I knew your quickly made traps had a weakness. And it looks like I found it!"

She dropped her jaw at this revelation. She thought she was invincible.

"You see, Queen Bee. I am not the same little cub you used to take care of. I no longer have to fear your ticklish torture." But then Fury calmed and took a deep breath. "But it was pretty fun I have to admit. It was fun going through old times. So I figured as a reward for that nostalgic trip, I'll let you know I felt being tickled."

She still was cocky. "What are you going to do about it huh? You still are tied up!"

"You sure about that?" There was then an audible snap, the rope around him falling loose and hanging limp from the branch. Jumping down, he landed with a bit of force and blew some air in all directions.

"You put me through the worst as a kid, and while I still have love for the times you treated me well, you and your devilish moments. And so, I figured I would get some payback. And it's as easy as 1… 2… 3!"

Fury, unlike his former babysitter, didn't even bother starting with the ears. He went straight smack dab at the armpits themselves.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! OH MY GOSH WHAT IS THIS FEELING?!?!"

Fury was not satisfied. "Never knew how it felt huh? Well, just think of this as education for caretaking."

She continued to laugh her lungs out. She wasn't used to being on the receiving end.

"Now this is what I call entertaining drama." Celestia said. "This is more emotional than many plays I've encountered."

"Who would have thought there would be someone that could match Fury's energy?" Cadence said.

"Now you know why we hired her." Obsidian said. "Partially because she likes to be crazy like him. Partially to get him to do chores or else he would face tickles. But now… it looks like the tables have turned."

Bee continued to laugh and giggle to her heart's content as Fury went crazy on her, but not before she decided to show his friends one of her old games from her time as a babysitter.

"Okay, okay, Fury, I see ha ha you have defeated me so far! But I have a special guest for you to see."

"Guest?" Fury asked and stopped tickling for a moment. "What are you talking about, girl?"

"Oh come on, don't you remember that little game we always played? And I would always win?" Queen Bee asked.

"Wait a second," Fury said worriedly. "You don't mean hide and tickle."

She laughed menacingly. "Yep. I know what I said. You still haven't bested me at this yet. Just like you and Amethyst tried to escape from me but failed. Let me say this, you are tougher than before but you haven't proven anything till you can beat me at the ultimate hide and tickle."

"Well what if I proved you wrong on that front? I bet I could be completely hidden and find a way for you to be tickled, not me." Fury proposed. "It's only fair to give me a second chance to prove myself."

Queen Bee thought about it and agreed. "Okay then, the bet is on! And to add a bit of spice. It won't just be me looking out for you."

"Sure! But just so you know, I'm the All Powerful now. I can gain a lot more distance between us since then." Fury said as he turned red and blew off like a bullet train, shockwave and all. Before Queen Bee had the chance to get up, the forest already went silent and Night Fury was nowhere to be seen. He didn't even leave a trail like he used to.

"You clever rascal… No evidence left behind this time huh?" But that was of no concern to the mischievous babysitter. "That's fine. Just makes it funner for me when I find ya!" She said before chasing right after him.

"I bet on Fury." Jade said.

"Okay I bet on Queen Bee." Cadence replied. "Let's see who wins this round."

-

"Come on. Where are you, you little furball?" She said drudging through the trees. She leaped through tree branches trying to find any evidence.

What she didn't realize was that Fury was quite close by. He was hiding in leaves, he had some camouflage on to blend into the surroundings.

Shoot, she already caught up. She's just as persistent as she was back then. No. No. I'm not nearly as squeaky as I was back then. I'll blend in. She won't even know.

Bee decided to look at possible traces. She noticed one branch seemed scratched up and the leaves disturbed.

"Hmmmm, interesting spot." She leaped onto the branch. It seemed to make sense to her. She saw a hole in the tree. Looking inside, she noticed some black fur in there. She grinned slyly at the sight. Even he couldn't get past old habits.

"Think you can hide from me? Well you're wrong!" She leapt onto her tickle victim. "How do you like that?! Huh?! Ha ha ha? Wait…" 

She then realized something. She didn't grab Fury. 

"This is a bunch of fur wrapped around a log!" She cried out.

"And right you are, Bee!" Cried out a voice behind her. "Now you're the one who's caught!" Fury then hit the tree unleashing something icky.

"Ah I'm stuck! This tree sap has made me stuck!!!" She said, "Let me out!"

"Don't worry the sap will deactivate in five minutes. I finally mastered this sap trap. But before you rip a new one into me, I got a little memento for you."

Fury got out some blue finger paint and drew on her flank that was still unsapped.

"I'm a skinny old lamebrain, and Fury is cooler." All with a drawing of a silly looking stick figure with a tongue out.

"See ya!"

He kept running.

"Fury!!!!"

–

"Ha, what a move! She's gonna be fuming about it for weeks!" Fury laughed. The black feline ran through the forest with speed that none could replicate, blowing leaves off trees and sending whistling winds blowing through holes in logs. 

Ahead of him, he heard voices and clashing weapons. At first, he thought he had run too far out and ran into an enemy camp. But once he heard the voice of someone he fumed about ever since he left, he knew where he was. 

Slowing down, he hid in a bush and got an eye on what he had stumbled upon.

"Yep, I remember this spot. My ears and legs sure remember…"

He saw several shifters, most younger than himself speeding by, all the while hearing the hollering of a familiar lady.

"Move it, rookies! We don't have all day! You're a greater disappointment than my grandma's cooking! Go fix it!" Amethyst yelled.

"Yep, that's Amethyst alright. Still as hard as possible. What I would give to put her in her place, the half brained twit!"

Part of Fury was worried if his dreaded ex babysitter would finally catch up. But he figured he had run along enough and besides she and Amethyst might distract each other long enough for him to get away.

"Amy, here I come. Finally, a little payback." Fury said stealthily walking between trees to get to his former trainer. As he snuck up on her, he saw a batch of fresh tree sap leaking from a large oak next to him. After seeing the sap, his deviousness faded and his vicious eyes crept into view. Scooping a glob of the stuff onto his paw, he aimed for Amethyst's eyes and threw his hardest.

"I want to see sweat off of those flabby limbs, you weaklings! If not that, then I'll make sure it's blood!" She shouted. Just then, her vision was blocked by an amber liquid.

"Huh!? What is this-" Before she could figure out what was happening, she was knocked to the ground. Laying on her side, she felt a paw weigh her down and kept her still. Then, she heard a voice.

"Guess who's back, you insufferable twit?" The voice whispered harshly before kicking her while she was down and disappearing.

Amethyst got back up and wiped the sap off of her face before going into hypothesis mode. The voice that she heard sounded familiar. Too familiar.

"It can't be, is that… Fury??" She thought. It had been almost a year since he disappeared along with his folks. Many of her recruits had heard of what happened to him and came up with her own theories. Some say he got kidnapped by the same raiders that took his parents, others think he took the guilt of his failed attack to heart and killed himself. But only a rare few even dared to make the assumption that he may have been still alive. And one of those theorists was Amethyst herself.

Is the pipsqueak actually still alive? If that was him, he didn't sound happy with me. And he kicked me while I was down, one of the most disrespectful moves a Shifter can make. Why? Why would he do this?

Amethyst knew that her track record of being a hard case was someone Fury held close to him. But while he did complain about the rigorous training exercises and punishments she would put him through, he never openly showed his resentment towards her, if he had any to begin with. All of this spun the commander through an imaginary loop, new questions and concerns flooding her mind as the voice of the now much older sounding Fury passed through her brain.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Aren't you gonna hit my nose or slash my tail?" Fury asked.

Amethyst tried to regain her gruff composure. "Fury, what has gotten into you?! I was busy doing my job training these rookies and after a year of me worrying about what happened to you and your family, you have the gall to greet me like this?!"

"Did I ask for your irrelevant opinion, you slimy ingrate!?" As soon as Night Fury's volume increased, all of the training rookies froze and snapped onto the scene ongoing.

"Ma'am, are you okay?!" One of the trainees asked. "You, I oughta…"

"Stay out of this!" She emphasized. "This is a personal matter. Just keep on training!"

"But-"

"You heard what she said. Now leave us be." Fury said with ferocity in which the trainee left. "Now back to the business at paw… I guess I'm back. And I'm looking for retribution."

"Retribution? For what?" She asked, confused. "I trained you and taught you several methods. I helped you when others would not give you a chance. I was one of the few who helped you. Just what did I do wrong?!"

"The training is the point! You saw what happened to Mom and Dad, did you even take the time to check on me after that!? And the Cragodile. Oh, the Cragodile… You pushed me to the point of my bones cracking and you didn't even try to console me!"

At this point things were more quiet now. Amethyst looked down. "I-I thought you didn't need it. I was trying to give you a solution to gain your respect back. And that was to strengthen you…."

"Oh don't give me that nonsense, you knew just as well as I did that it wouldn't work. Do you even know what I suffered through after that!?" Amethyst shook her head. Then Fury began to laugh, from a small chuckle to something resembling an act of insanity before he stared her down.

"Of course you didn't even know the slightest thing about me, you never cared. From the day I met you, all you've been is a trainer. Working me until I couldn't move and was weeping for my life. But not once, even once… were you ever… family. You may be family to Dad, but you weren't ever… a part of my family." 

Fury then pulled out his Memory Sealer and tossed it to Amethyst, leaving her stumbling to catch it before gaining a grip.

"Take a peak, see what I saw. Maybe then you'll actually have a reason to exist after seeing someone really crash and burn." Fury said before rearing back and landing a solid right swing on Amethyst's jaw.

She said nothing and simply stared into the device and from there she saw Fury's memories.

–

She saw Fury slapped by Amethyst for being too slow. 

"You better get moving, you little disgrace!" 

"But my legs…." 

"Will be even worse if you don't move your butt! Now go!"

–

"Oh quit you're crying. It won't bring your parents back. Go scrub the floors, why don't ya!?"

–

"How could my cousin have such a dweeb like you as his son?"

–

All the memories were laid to bear. Amethyst did indeed remember. But she never saw it from Fury's perspective. But that wasn't all. The next set of memories detailed what the rest of the town did to him the following weeks.

–

"Hey, let's throw tomatoes at the coward!"

–

"I heard he might not even be Obsidian's kid. Maybe he's just some random runt Obsidian showed too much pity for."

–

"Get lost dweeb, no one likes you!"

–

"What mother would give birth to such a disappointment!?"

–

Amethyst knew Fury lost his reputation. But she never knew how deep it truly was. She assumed she was doing him a service by being so harsh with him.

"Was it really that bad?" Amethyst asked herself. With all of this in mind, she began to wonder about a certain conversation she had with Obsidian the day of the attack.

–

In the past…

Amethyst was cleaning a blade for her personal training in town, using a wet rag and polish to keep it in pristine condition. She always took pride in her training, having come down from a long line of successful warriors in her family.

Just then, a voice caught her attention.

"Hey, Amethyst!" The commander looked over to see Obsidian walking up. But he wasn't showing his usual blank face when he was just being casual, he seemed distressed.

"Hey cuz, what's going on?" She asked.

"Listen, I don't want to worry you, but… I think Fury might be suicidal."

She dropped what she was doing. "What? Fury? That little furball? He's the most energetic and fun loving kid I've ever met. He's the last Shifter I'd think would be depressed."

Obsidian shook his head. "On the surface. But I know him better. I just talked to him after he got back from the infirmary and he was packing up for a so-called 'Camping Trip'. But as I asked him more and about why he was packing so light and why he was being so dodgy, it was clear that he wasn't planning on making it back home. I'm pretty sure I found a ripped up letter somewhere in his room."

"Have you told Black Ice? I'd figure she'd be the one to tell about this." Amethyst asked.

"C'mon Amy, you know just as well as I do that her reaction to such a piece of news would be catastrophic. All of that drama she would stir up is the absolute last thing Fury needs while he recovers." Obsidian reminded her. Amethyst understood where her cousin was coming from, especially with him having to deal with the antics of his wife on the constant. 

She would probably be raising the demons below over hearing that her son might have almost committed suicide. It wouldn't be a surprise if she had gone to the council and told them herself that she believed that Night Fury needed to be guarded and monitored 24/7 from then on.

"Good point. But… Fury. I'm assuming you came to me because you think I can help him with his problems, right?"

"You're the only one I can come to for this. I dare not speak to the rest of town with how they're currently taking the loss, not to mention the council. This entire place is an emotional warzone that's close to going nuclear." Obsidian then sighed.

"The thing is… you're the only one I trust to do this. Maybe that Jade boy on the side, but you're the top of my list. I've seen you motivate the best we have in our defense force to this day, and I think you can do the same for him. Just… show a little compassion with him for a while. He's fragile."

She smiled. "You can count on me, cuz. That boy isn't going anywhere. I'll see to it that he's alright. You have my word."

It was ironic she didn't think much of his advice on compassion. She interpreted that in a very superficial way like making him train one hour less or limit her corporal punishments and focus more on threats. But now she could see Obsidian being disappointing with her draconian tactics.

Obsidian felt relieved at that notion and smiled in return. "Thank you, Amy. You're truly the best part of the family we have."

–

In the present…

Amethyst was slowly losing her self confidence as she relived the conversation she had with her cousin. He told her to show compassion and to give him some well needed support. And what did she do? 

Everything she had ever done with him to this day, from a crawling kitten to whatever he just turned into, she was there. But she didn't even do the bare minimum of what she was supposed to do. It was like Fury said, she may be a part of his father's family… But who was she to think that even one time that she was a part of his? 

She then noticed Fury was gone. It seemed he didn't want to talk too much, just enough to make her aware.

I can't believe I left him hanging for so long, and with such a heavy load of baggage to bear. I simply assumed he was alright with my methods and I never thought about how he actually felt. No wonder he kicked me while I was down… I did the same thing to him, and now he's getting payback. I… I need to take my mind off of this for a while.

Amethyst then went back to training the rookies, drilling them as she usually wood. But while the trainees didn't notice anything about her as her voice was enough to keep them distracted, her tone was, though mostly unnoticed, much softer as her mind ran through all that she had seen.

As soon as I get back to town with these trainees… I'm going to have a lot to handle.

–

Later on… 

Fury was running through the forest as he was before. Although he made a quick pitstop to show Amethyst what for, he hadn't forgotten about the game he and Queen Bee were still playing. But he could use some playful fun to get his mind off of the traumatic memories.

He still felt confident that he was far ahead of his dreaded babysitter. He wondered where she could possibly be. 

"Heh, I guess my trap really set her back. Even though the tree sap deactivated, she must be so sticky with all that honey. She probably looks like a clown." Fury said to himself laughing.

"A clown, am I?"

"Eh?" Fury looked around for what or who was speaking, but his search bore no fruit. 

"Well, I have to say you're way more clever than you were as a cub. You're not as vulnerable. You even made some nice traps. Good for you." She said in a faux happy voice. "But… don't think you're the only one who's gotten more crafty."

Fury's blood ran cold as his mind clicked on exactly who was talking. But despite his internal fear, he kept calm and focused on where it was coming from. His ears twitched in every direction until they locked onto his right side. Looking over, he spotted a yellow ball of fur in a tree.

"Looks like you've been training for this day. I can respect the hustle, but not everything you said has come to fruition. What exactly did you mean by 'I won't be the only one looking for you'?" Fury asked.

"Let's just say you've become a bit of a legend today. What with you returning after all this time. Someone really wants to see you again. And that will come sooner than later." Queen Bee said ominously.

"Ah so you want to keep it a secret? Well, I'll make you talk then!" Fury said, jumping into the yellow tuft of fur.

But when he hit the fur, it turned out to be a log of fur just like the one he did with her.

"Ha ha ha, you fell right into my trap!" She said as honey fell on it. "Now you're mine!"

The real Queen Bee revealed herself and went to Fury. But when she pounced on him, it turned out he was not there anymore.

"Wait, where did you go?!"

"Simple. I knew exactly what you were trying to do. What you saw was one of the memories from when I got stuck in some honey long ago. This memory cube is quite handy."

"So that's just a past memory?! Well it figures you'd get stuck back then." She said smugly.

"Yeah, but through clumsiness, I learned some tricks. And so…" Fury then pounced from another tree onto her, restraining her on the bough.

"Sorry Bee, you gotta do better than that to stump me." Fury said, sticking his tongue out. "You better hope that whatever 'Old Friend' you recruited has better strategy than you do."

"Okay, okay, you got me. I got duped. I accept that. Even if it is going to take hours to remove this honey off my fur." Then she smirked. "But… at least I managed to stall you a bit."

Fury then frowned. "Stall? Okay, I've had enough just tell me who she is and I won't tickle your armpits like you did to me."

"Okay, okay, since you're so impatient. Remember that girl in your class who always was so hyper and tried to ambush every student whenever possible?"

"Oh no. Not her. She was even more of a prankster than me!"

"Oh yes, she's back. And she's much older too. She's been just as tricky as ever as of recently and she's been waiting for a prime target for a while." Bee said, looking like a master villain.

"Great. Well, I had fun but I'm outta here. Bye!" But then he felt his ear being tugged. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

He heard giggling. "Well well well, if it isn't sweet little Fury himself, hee hee. Aren't you glad to see me?"

That voice. He remembered it well, but not in a good way.

He dared to look behind him and saw a Shifter with an overly large grin and intense eyes breathing heavily. She looked extremely messy. She was basically the opposite of Blue Ocean. 

"So it's you… Hello, Silver Bullet." Fury moaned, looking back at the gray coated Shifter with a still firm grip on his ear.

"Ha ha ha! My old rival in mischief! Good see to ya!" She said, slapping his back. 

"Ouch!"

"It was getting so boring without you. Everyone is so lame and predictable. You were the only one who gave me a challenge." Then her expression changed to anger. "Do you realize how bored I've been! Do you realize how tired I was of all the normalcy and you just ran off?!"

"Yeah yeah, get all the drama out of your system, Silver. But do you even know what my mental state was back then? I was getting drilled by the rest of town and got verbally dragged through the mud! I know I disappeared, but it was for a reason."

Silver nodded. "I see. I see. You had your reasons. I understand you."

"You do? I would have thought with your craziness, you would have just pushed it off as a random excuse." Fury said, surprised that she actually understood him.

"Well, mostly, I have bigger things to do than moan and groan. All that matters is now. And now…" Then she turned to sheer happiness. "I got you right where I want you Fury!" She said, turning his face to her.

"I can finally finish our war!" She then turned angry again. "You think you could just put all those whoopie cushions and not let me retaliate full force? Or trying to fake that cheese tower with a lookalike?!"

"Sheesh, your mood swings are worse than a girl in her third trimester." Fury moaned. "Again, disappeared for a reason. And secondly, that cheese tower was Jade. He did it because he was feeling bitter over you dumping him! Though the whoopie cushions were actually me, and it was hilarious."

Fury always found Silver Bullet a strange girl. On the one paw, she was not stuck up like the other girls in school. She might have been the closest thing to Pinkie Pie at the village. But on the other paw, even Pinkie didn't have her crazy mood swings. And if Fury was the self proclaimed king of pranks, then Silver was the tyrant of pranks. She did not know how to take most things seriously and her pranks in her younger years were sometimes actually dangerous. Fury was confused whether she was his friend or feared nemesis.

"Yeah, I guess those whoopies were kind of fun. But I don't let something like that slide, especially if it lasts longer than a year! So, I teamed up with Queen Bee when she told me about you being back in town with your pony pals to give you some memories of us."

Fury tensed up. "Bee, you had all this planned out even when you hugged me?!"

Bee nodded. "Yep!"

Fury normally loved prank battles but she always had some sort of catch to each battle that terrified him. She felt like the next level.

"Well, I guess I'm stuck with you, aren't I?" Fury said.  

"You bet. But we're not going to do it here, I think we should bring you back to the starting line and show the crowd your capture." Silver giggled.

"Not on my watch! I've got bets on my victory, and I'm getting my fair share!" Fury said as he shook both of them off and made a b-line for the edge of town where his friends and parents were.

Meanwhile the babysitter laughed in a rather devious way. "Ah, Fury, always the competitive one. Wait till you see what she has in store for you."

-

Fury ran back to the group he was formerly with. 

"Well, Cadence, I told ya Fury would make it out!" Jade said, flicking his open paw. "So pay up."

"Okay, fine."

Fury on the other hand, stopped Cadence. "Hold it you guys, I won the battle but not the war. Sorry Jade, but it turns out our dreaded babysitter had a secret ally on her side."

Jade was confused and wanted clarification. "And may I ask who this ally is?"

Fury gave a deep breath, knowing this would be particularly awkward for him. "Silv- Ugh, I don't like that name… Silver Bullet."

Jade's cool demeanor quickly gave way to terror "Wait you mean her? No. No. No!"

Twilight was confused. "What's his deal?"

"You don't get it, Twi! Silver Bullet has been the craziest prankster in the village, even crazier than Fury! She's basically our version of that Pinkie Pie you told me about earlier, only with paws and a silver coat." Jade said frantically. 

"Ever since elementary school, that four-legged crazy queen has torn through the town like a tornado. Though she can show compassion when she wants to, her mood swings have more rebound than a buckball at halftime!" Fury added, his attitude just as jittery.

Jade gulped. 'Okay, I do NOT want to get involved with her… I am going to leave now! See ya!" 

But as he ran, he set off a trap.  Clipping a tripwire, a batch of leaves was swept away and revealed time tied roping that hoisted him up, catching him in a net. 

"Now is that any way to treat a lady? Just leaving her? I expected better from you, Jadey." The infamous prankster revealed herself from a bush.

"I told you not to call me that anymore!"

"Oh come on! It brings back the good old days. Just a bunch of kids doing naughty stuff against the teachers!" 

"You put a Star Spider egg sack in the teacher's lounge and set them loose." Jade said bluntly.

"And it was very enriching for all children. It was more educational than anything they could blabber on about. Right, Fury?"

"Okay, I'll admit that was pretty hilarious." Fury admitted. "But you almost got us caught by yelling out what we did! We're talking 3 weeks detention!"

"That's what you're upset about? That you got caught not by all the chaos?" Jade asked. "You both ruined me."

"Eh, the chase made it even funner." She said happily before switching to serious. "BUT ENOUGH TALK! WE'RE NOT HERE FOR COZY CHIT CHAT!!! WE'RE HERE TO PROVE OURSELVES."

Luna asked. "Prove? Is this a competition of wits?"

"More like blatant stupidity." Fury huffed, finally over Silver's nonsense. "Ya know what, I'm done. Listen honey, whatever type of ignorance your parents went through raising you, you don't need to show it off. We're not kids anymore, we're grown adults with lives ahead of us. You know what you are? A last laugh. The one thing that everyone hates, being the last one to get the joke. And that joke… is you. You never understand the boundaries between a simple prank and pure insanity."

"Well guess what, we've both had it with you. You're not funny anymore, nobody likes your jokes, your mood swings are ever increasingly annoying and your grating voice drives us mad. So let me make this final. You're just an annoyance to all of us. A dragged, tired, lazy, impulsive shrimp that'll never be anything more than a sucky prankster and a pest. You want to tell a good joke? Here's one… YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!"

Everyone became silent except for Jade.

"Fury, I know she was quite annoying. But I think you went too far-"

"No." She said. "Maybe he is right. Maybe I am a joke. But you know what? At least I was still joking around while Fury was all mopey and miserable. I tried to get you to open up but you don't even care anymore! I don't know what happened to my former prank compadre!"

"Like that hot air you constantly spewed out was any good. I've changed, Silver. This town turned its back on me, so what's the harm in giving it a few hits in return? Take it from me. The more you try at something just to entertain the rest of the world, the less they'll want to hear it. So why don't you go and let your voice drown itself out with the silence of everyone who actually cares?" Fury huffed judgmentally.

She then turned back. "Hmph! You know what, maybe I will! If you want to be all boring and mopey, that's fine by me! I have other people that aren't so boring." She said as she dashed away, leaving a dust cloud in her wake.

"Ugh!" Jade wheezed from the dust. "Silver! We can work this out!"

"Keep your trap shut, Jade. Let her run. Watching her hide from me is… satisfying."

"Satisfying? Satifying?!" Jade asked. "Fury, she used to be one of our friends! Annoying as she is, she was also nice in the end! And that's how you treat her?"

"No one is my friend after what this town did to me!" Fury roared, all four of his paws cracking the ground as he let loose. "There's much more that I could do to this goddess forsaken mud pit, but I choose to hold back. You're lucky that you aren't one on my list, I'd leave you and everyone else more than just emotionally scarred."

Jade and everyone else wondered what was going on. He seemed to be happy to be back at first. And now his mood took a 180. What in the Emperor's great name happened?

"You will never understand the pain I went through after I left. The nightmares, the constant headaches, the wish to just run back here under my own influence and wipe this place off the map… Everyone and everything has caused me pain here. It's time they felt me hit back."

Twilight asked "Fury, what happened? Did someone insult you? You were very happy before."

"And did anyone ask you to speak, you smart mouthed twit?" Fury snapped.

"I'm just wondering why you're acting like this!"

Before anyone continued, Luna intervened.

"Lightning Bug, we all care about you. Please open up to us. Or at least to me. You can do that, can't you?" Luna said, placing a hoof on his shoulder.

Fury pushed it off. "You have no idea what lengths I'll go to shut this place up for good. Bruises, blood or bones, it will be done." Fury snarled.

Jade then took out his metal claws. "Fury, you're my friend. I would die for you. But if you try to hurt anyone in this village, I'll make sure you'll be begging for mercy. From both me and the whole army of Thunder Hollow"

"Jade, you're not helping." Obsidian said quietly with gritted teeth.

"Are you sure you're ready to make that sacrifice?" Fury growled, his eyes turning into pure black pits.

"If need be." Jade said. "But I'd rather not fight my old non-blood brother."

"So, the first thing you do is try and kill me? Nice move. But don't worry, once I dig your brains out, I'll get rid of all that aggression. And most of your motor functions, but who cares?" Fury said, almost excited at the possibility.

Celestia whispered to Obsidian. "He's in one of his moods it looks like. We have to stop him! Is there a way we can prevent him from doing damage? Maybe incapacitate him?"

Obsidian looked at her. "Look, let me handle this."

"Alright, Jade put down your spear. And Fury… J-just… don't go demon on me. We will let you have time to yourself. You don't want to talk. So we won't. This is something you'll have to sort out in your own head right. But I will say this… don't do anything you'll regret." 

"Oh trust me, I won't regret watching everyone in this town bow down to me. Let's see who's the real coward. Let's see who's the mistake. Let's see who wasn't meant to be born."

Jade said. "You see what he's saying?!"

Obsidian responded. "Yes, I know. Fury can get this way sometimes. But he won't do anything unless you really provoke him now. Which is why we're going to leave."

"But…"

"Now! If you lay one claw on him now, you'll ruin everything. Just let him cool down. Otherwise you'll have to go through me too." He said firmly.

"Oh don't worry, he won't have to." Fury said, having heard his father clearly. With one quick move, he grabbed the metal claws, snapped it with just one paw and bashed his head into Jade's face, knocking him unconscious. 

"There. Now we don't have to worry about any sudden moves from him. If he can move at all anymore." He said, laughing darkly before glitching red and disappearing somewhere else.

"Jade!" Black Ice cried out. "Are you alright?!"

"He's fine. Fury just knocked him unconscious." Obsidian said. "It's actually preferable he did that than outright fighting him."

"Alright, but we have to stop him before he hurts everyone!" Cadence said. 

"No! Twilight yelled. Everyone froze and turned to the purple alicorn. "If I know anything, trying to confront him at this stage is not only unadvisable, but dangerous. Cadence, we can't risk him becoming violent towards us now that he's aggravated. You saw what happened with Blueblood. For now, we just let him be. I can't in good conscience as the Princess Of Friendship let him hurt anyone, but it's not worth risking his life or ours"

Obsidian gave an approving smile. "Good. You're quite wise. As fierce as Fury can be now, he still knows this is his village and these are his people. This is not like going after someone trying to kill or defame him. He has some things to work out but I know he will. I don't know what caused him to rage like this, but he will probably try to distance himself from everyone. So let's let him have that solitude." He said.

Cadence sighed but nodded. "Okay, I just hope he'll get out of this funk sooner than later."

"Speaking of rage triggers, look who's stepping out of the treeline." Black Ice said. Everyone looked over to a nearby path and out came a squad of Speed Shifters being led by a familiar purple commander.

Obsidian looked on and he could already piece everything together. He sighed. "Oh great. He just had to see her."

Amethyst marched to the group. "Obsidian, Black Ice I'm glad to see you guys are well. But sadly I have to go find Fu- By the emperor, what happened to Jade?!"

"Let's just say our son was a little high strung when he came back from that same treeline you're bringing those trainees from. Say, you wouldn't have run into him, did you?" Black Ice asked, almost in an interrogating manner.

Amethyst sighed. "More like the other way around. He blinded me temporarily with some honey and went into a mad rage at me. And before I could say anything, he just left." Then she looked at Jade. "And I'm assuming he's responsible for Jade's unconsciousness?"

"Among many other things." Obsidian said. He then took notice of a Memory Sealer in Amethyst's bags. "Hey, is that Night Fury's Memory Sealer?" 

"Yeah. He gave it to me before he left, saying that once I saw what he went through and felt what he felt, I might actually have a reason to exist besides being a pain." 

Everyone was shocked by the words Fury had said. But Obsidian kept that hidden.

"I'm so sorry he said that to you." Black Ice said. "He didn't mean those things back there."

Obsidian on the other paw, spoke up with a stoic tone. "So he told you all his personal feelings? I assume it was about his insecurities and his low self esteem?"

"He didn't have to, I saw it all. I never heard anything from anyone in town about his screw up, let alone how far the insults went. And I didn't do anything but make it worse. No wonder he was fuming, he was looking for a fight." She said, looking to the ground. 

She sighed. "I guess I underestimated just how much turmoil was going on in his head. I thought… he could handle tough love. I thought I was making him tougher and more used to hardship. But now I'm starting to think I went too far."

"While I don't have any hard feelings for how you took the news, I have much more confusion over how this even went under your radar. It just doesn't make sense." Obsidian said, scratching his chin in thought. The area was silent for a moment, everyone in intense thought over how this very vocal information was so well hidden for years. Then, Twilight made a hypothetical question.

"What if this was planned?" Twilight asked. Everyone snapped over to the purple princess as if she had just spelled out a demonic incantation.

"Twilight, you can't honestly think that an entire town grouped up to do this to one of their own!?" Cadence questioned frantically. But before anyone could dig in further, Luna showed her support.

"As much as such a blasphemous rumor should be questioned and interrogated, this hypothetical idea makes some sort of sense." Luna said. 

"Think about it. Night Fury told me on our first true date that while he may seem like he comes from a very happy home, most of the residents here were much duller than he was, making him an oddity among most. He also mentioned how he would constantly be belittled and berated for his, while very energetic and unorthodox, mostly innocent feats of childish endearment. Perhaps what was suspected to be a random act of mob mentality, was actually a planned endeavor." Luna explained further.

Black Ice looked in disbelief. "So you're saying almost all of the village rallied against Fury in a united effort?! All behind our noses?!" She said with rage.

Luna and Twilight nodded. "It all seems to add up to that. Whoever started it, the rumors spread of him being a disgrace and so they went against him."

Obsidian ran this by his knowledge of what went down on that fateful day. To his surprise, it all seemed to add up. 

"It seems crazy, but it makes sense. Doesn't it seem a bit too lucky that not only Amethyst, not only Black Ice and I, but the council went completely unaware of what happened until now? It just doesn't make sense that it would all just turn out like this without some sort of coordination of secret keeping along the way." Obsidian said, thinking about all of the events leading to now.

"It all makes sense. Yep. I think we've all been duped. There was some conspiracy against Fury." Obsidian said. "And hidden quite well."

"Disgusting." Black Ice snarled. "Fury might have his faults but he is a good Shifter! He deserves better! They repay his passion and happiness with betrayal?!"

"While I share your displeasure in this seemingly coordinated emotional attack, I believe this comes from another source." Celesia said, all eyes going to her.

"As we all know, Chief ThunderClaws implemented a 'Trust no other creature' policy some time before this incident. Tension was high, anxiety was through the roof, which most likely caused moods to tank and become easily agitated. So perhaps the pressure from this policy of the higher ups caused the dulled down emotional states of the residents of this town, which eventually caused most to expect the same from others and when one did not show the same, the resentment and ostracizing began." Celesia wondered aloud.

At that point, all of the recent confusion cleared up like mist over the sea.

Obsidian clarified. "Everyone was fearful back then, we didn't know what the future would hold. No one was in the mood for decency but rather hostility, even if it meant blaming others. Such as Fury."

Amethyst sighed. "Perhaps I was part of that. I was so on guard that I forgot those that you put under my guidance."

"Still, we must rectify this immediately. And to begin such a campaign, we must locate the affected party." Celesia declared.

"Right." Luna said. "He went somewhere in that direction. We need to go in that direction. We must make haste."

Twilight asked "What about Jade?"

"I'll stay here and take care of the captain, you all go find the pipsqueak. All I can say is, just hope he doesn't try to kill anyone."

"He won't!" Obsidian said. "We'll find him before things get out of paw. Let's go!"

Everyone save for Jade and Amethyst went after Fury. At this point, even Obsidian was a little worried. He never realized how much of a can of worms he opened up by him returning to this place of memories. 

-

Meanwhile, near the Thunder Hollow Schoolhouse…

The angry Shifter gazed from a cliff at his old schoolhouse. It had grown larger than before with more playgrounds and bigger classrooms. But it was the same stone structure adorned with statues of admirable Shifters made from granite and sometimes even jade. How ironic.

This place… this was the last place I felt safe… seen… liked by a good majority. Heh, still has the same bell after so many years. Wonder if it still rings the same. 

He thought, chuckling to himself.

He saw the young Shifters racing each other or playing in the mini cave sets. Others were reading some books, probably ancient texts required for learning. He also saw two Shifters wrestling each other. He even saw someone put a whoopie cushion on a seat.

The more time goes on, the more things stay the same. I wonder if my old teacher is still here from when I was a cub.

He remembered that teacher. She was a pretty nice lady. Definitely not as much of a control freak as his mother, and she even gave out some sardines to students who answered right. Even so she could be pretty strict, and wanted one to follow the rules. She sort of reminded him of Twilight albeit less of an egghead.

He then sighed. But even she for all her wisdom didn't know what I was going through. She was just like Amethyst. Not aware of all the problems I was dealing with. And then she scolded me publically as if I were a delinquent. But it wasn't all that bad. I have to admit, she was a bit of a sweetheart. I think she even told me that I was her favorite, although in private. She knew almost everything about me. My big appetite, my energetic personality… my embarrassing ticklishness. She was nice but stern.

Fury kept his eyes on the school, watching as the young ones went from class to class. He was so locked in that he didn't hear the approaching search party.

They saw Fury just staring at the schoolhouse. Everyone was surprised at how still he was. 

"What is this place?" Twilight whispered.

"Night Fury's old elementary school. This place was very important to him. It was where he met Jade, found his first crush, learned how to walk…" Black Ice said.

"But it's also the last place Fury had the relative freedom to let out his energetic personality and be himself before having to face the reality that is our world out here." Obsidian finished. The princesses took a look at the school and could understand what Obsidian meant. While it was much different from Equestrian schools, it still seemed to have the same amount of charm and life that any elementary school had.

"Ah, the bliss of childhood…" Luna sighed, thinking back to her own adolescence. "We all strive for that time when things seemed so much more simple. I know I have when I still lived with our mother. And I suppose Fury feels that same longing. And regret that things could not stay so simple."

"We all wish to go back to that magical time in our childhood, Auntie." Cadence added. "But we have to face facts. Time moves forward and carries us along with it, we just have to learn to accept that."

Celestia nodded. "That is true. I have had to learn many times in my life. Me and my sister both." She said with a tinge of sadness. "But the question is for Fury, is he ready to accept that too or will he be stuck in the past?"

"As much as I support that, Celestia, it just doesn't add up to real values." Twilight interjected. "We can't say that he'll leave the past behind entirely, he'll just miss it more and wish it were back. And we can't say he'll stay stuck in the past either because of the conflicting memories that come along with his childhood." The purple alicorn said.

"Besides, Night Fury is still a child at heart. His energetic personality, wild imagination, love for all things fast and even his wonder-filled fascination with everything that we've shown him in his year of being in Equestria. He may have to move on from the past, but that doesn't mean he can't cherish it. And I think we can all agree on him keeping that part of his life close to him. Not only because it will help him heal from his emotional wounds, but he just wouldn't be the same without them." Luna added.

Celestia nodded and smiled. "That is very wise my sister. I would never want Fury to change too much. We need to keep him the way he is and help him realize that he is loved that way. Even if we have to remind him every time, he must remember that he will always have those who care for him."

Black Ice chuckled a bit at that. "I must say, your highness, you speak of him almost like I do. A motherly figure to her son. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a mother yourself."

Celestia blushed at this. "Well, I have always tried to be a mother to my people. One in theory. But a real one? Oh stop, you're making me blush."

Twilight smiled at this. "You were always a sort of secondary mother to me, besides my real mother of course." 

Meanwhile Obsidian was looking at his son. "Well, perhaps it's time to break the ice. I'll see if I can get through to him first."

Obsidian walked over to Fury. He was a little nervous but he knew this had to be resolved especially since he seemed to have calmed down from their last encounter.

"Um… hi there Fury." Obsidian said softly. His son slowly turned his head to his father. 

"So… you found me. Would've expected you to find me." Fury said quietly, turning back to look at the school.

"Yeah. I had a feeling you'd come to certain places from your olden days. I'm the same way. The school still looks nice doesn't it?"

Fury looked on. "Yep. It's still strong for sure." He said with a sigh.

Obsidian could still hear a sense of sadness in his voice. He knew he was not completely comforted by this school.

Obsidian decided to try to break up the tension. "So… how is it going for you now? Are you enjoying yourself?"

"How can I? I'm in the same place I had my life basically ruined, not to mention where I lost you and Mom." Fury reminded his father. "And now all I can do is long for better times I'll never have back."

Obsidian shook his head. "Fury, you are not in the same place. You have a girlfriend, you have friends who would die for you, you are an ambassador and you even managed to get the council to agree to a pony Hollow alliance. Fury, things have gotten better."

Fury looked at him. "Yeah, but is it really? All of my past has been lost. While others could remember their teen years with fondness, I look at it with misery. And things have gotten better but it's not the same. Sure, I have friends and a girlfriend who would die for me, but what's good about having them when you're constantly reminding yourself that one slip up will probably have you sitting on the business end of a guillotine?" 

"Do you feel like you can lose everything still? Are you worried about that?" Twilight asked, jumping in.

"Yeah. Yeah I do. It's still there. I know probably somewhere someone is still thinking of how I messed up back then. They might not say but I know they do have that vision in their head." Then Fury turned a bit angry. "And also, I haven't heard many apologies yet. No apology for how I became a pariah and was almost driven to suicide."

His mother walked to him. "I understand. But that was all in the past. There's no need to think of those things anymore. You've attained so much. Is there anything more you could ask for?" She asked.

Fury then looked angry. "Well maybe to you, safety and success are all that matters. But to me, I've been wronged. And I've had to live with this burden I didn't ask for! How would you feel if Grandpa left you with… I don't know, keeping the family fortune intact?"

His mother was repulsed. "Don't you dare talk about that! That was different!"

"Black Ice, you're being just as bad as Jade. Stand down." Twilight whispered harshly.

Black Ice sighed. "I'm sorry."  She said as she walked away.

Cadence then walked up to him. "Listen, can I ask you something? What will honestly make you happy? Because it seems like no matter what you just want to be sad."

"I don't want this, Cadence. It's just something that comes back from time to time. To be honest… I just want to feel free from all of my responsibilities. Release myself from my nagging past, have some silly fun, do something stupid… I just want to have what I couldn't have back then to happen now. Do something that I could have done as a kid as the new me. Sleepovers, Hide and Seek, Tag, Playing with friends that actually understand me. Just like how it could have been." Fury said a bit calmer. 

"But now, I have all this responsibility. Frankly, sometimes I wish I was just a traveling sales cat or something, so I could travel places at my own free will, but still have you guys around. You're more friends than anyone I have here. Even the blacksmith was friendly but still just an acquaintance. I didn't have much of a childhood when it was around, so I want to have a more grown up version of what I missed." Fury sighed. "You know what, never mind. Forget I said anything. None of you would get it."

"Well I do." Luna said. "May I sit by you?"

"Sure, whatever." Fury sighed.

She did so.

"You gonna try to talk me out of my misery?"

"No. Well maybe not yet. But that's besides the point. I just… was it really that hard for you back then? Did everyone truly conspire against you and treat you like a Shadow Shifter?"

Fury slowly nodded. "Yeah. Well at least I felt that way. They definitely didn't give me any comfort. Someone like Jade they would help with. But someone like me, they would tell me to solve my own problems even if they don't say that about themselves."

Luna nodded. "Did you sometimes wish you could be their ruler and make them have to grovel at your paws?"

"Luna, that's a little…" Twilight started, but Night Fury stopped her.

"No, it's just fine. Honestly, I wish I could kill 'em. Put them in an eternal silence and show them what being trapped in your own thoughts really feels like." Fury said with a growl.

The others looked a little worried. But Luna showed only an emotionless face.

"I see. That makes sense."

Fury had to admit he was a little surprised with how well Luna was taking his attitude. 

"Makes sense? Luna, can you just get to the point with your questions already. I'm not in the mood."

"You know why it makes sense. Because I felt the same way." Luna said.

"It couldn't have been worse than mine."

"Well, however you compare it, I felt I was unjustly robbed of the childhood I had. I had to go out to public meetings. And I could always hear someone make a snide joke about my shyness and awkwardness. And that is why I became Nightmare Moon. I felt all that hatred from others even if I tried my best." Luna said angrily.

"And sadly I missed a whole millennium of experiences. But do you know what happened next?"

Fury was silent.

"Twilight became a friend. The Mane Six showed me new experiences. And you… you showed me the meaning of love."

Fury was still silent.

"Fury, I know life was tough but for what it's worth, you gave me something truly irreplaceable. And I would not want time to erase that. You produced new experiences. And maybe if you try, you can make new memories to replace the old bad ones, out with the old in with the new. Perhaps starting with seeing that teacher you seem so fond of." She said with a smirk.

"Who, Ms. Mayflower? Yeah, she was the one teacher I grew up with. From daycare to 4th grade, she taught me basically everything. How to walk, talk, sing my ABC's, count… even how to tell a good joke. Even if hers were terrible now that I look back on it." He chuckled to himself.

Luna giggled. "Sadly, the bad jokes didn't stop with her it seems."

"Why you little…" Fury then grappled his girlfriend and began to aggressively nuzzle her. Her giggles turned to outright laughter.

"If my jokes are so bad then why are you laughing, huh?" Fury said, nuzzling her neck.

The others were happy to see Fury in a more relaxed mood for sure.

After Fury stopped his little game with her. He got Luna back up.

Fury then looked a bit more serious. "But let me ask you for real. Luna, you really think I should see her again? And that will help me through my troubles?"

"I believe so. Old friends and acquaintances can provide a unique perspective on problems, both personal and external. I believe that reuniting with your old teacher may show you that you do have something to adore from your old home." Luna said. 

Fury thought about it. He realized she might have a point. He had so much to tell her after all. So much to relate. And he already had an outpouring of negativity in his mind. He knew he had to get past it.

"I guess you're right, I could use a bit of reconnecting with old friends. Plus, it's an off day, not many kids should be around besides the alternate schedule classes. C'mon, I'll show you guys where I grew up." 

Everyone nodded and went to the old yet grand stone building. They only saw a few cubs on their way. 

They passed through the halls, seeing more statues of jade of prominent historical figures including great warriors. Twilight kept on looking at them, but Cadence kept her focused on the matter at hoof.

They finally came to the entrance of the staff dining area. 

"You think she'll still be here?" Cadence asked.

Fury nodded. "Yep. She always likes a good load of smoked sardines. And of course she loves teaching kids. I bet I'll see her in the same spot!"

Fury opened the door. Only to reveal that there were a bunch of teachers he didn't even recognize.

Fury felt worried. Was she gone for good?

"Hello, may I help you? The teachers are having a break."

Then he looked behind at a familiar voice. It was her! But she looked a bit older and she had on her wooden tag a name saying Principal Mayflower. Apparently, she had moved up the ladder to the boss of the whole place.

"Why yes, you may help me. But I'll only receive your help if you recognize me." Fury said.

Mayflower looked at him with a bit of confusion. Who was this young Shifter? Did she know him?

"Um…were you some janitor at my cousin's jewelry shop?" She asked.

Fury chuckled a bit. "No, I was someone much different. Think back a few years. Who was the one Speed Shifter that had the most enthusiasm, the most potential, and most importantly… the most goofy personality in the room?"

"Wait…" She looked awestruck. "No… no… you are… Night Fury?!"

"Hey Ms. Mayflower, ya miss me?" He said, opening himself up to what he predicted to be an oncoming hug.

Fortunately, he was right. Ms. Mayflower moved in quickly to hug her former student. She was absolutely elated to see that he had returned to visit her after all these years. She remembered him like he was a long lost child.

"OH LITTLE FURY! YOU'VE GROWN SO TALL AND STRONG!!! I THOUGHT WORSE HAPPENED TO YOU!!! I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!!!" The now giddy principle squealed.

"Yep. Likeise, teach. But can you let me go now? The others are watching." He said with a giggling Cadance and others behind him.

"Hmmmm. Not yet." She said still hugging him to his slight embarrassment. "Okay, I release you."

"Your jobs might have changed but your hugs haven't!" Fury said smiling. "How's it going?!"

"It's been a long couple of years, but I survived. As you may have noticed, I have become the principal of this fine educational facility. Watching over the operations with an eagle eye to make sure things run smoothly. But enough of that, let's focus on you. How are you after all this time?"

"Boy, do I have a story for you, teach. You better sit down for this one." Fury said, smiling widely. He then proceeded to regale everyone in the room, teachers and all about his grand achievements in the distant land of Equestria.

He told them various tales from his seeing the wedding, the party cannon prank, exploring the Silver Blue, to freeing his parents from the Shadow Shifter labor camp. They were tales of things she couldn't imagine any Shifter doing in his lifetime.

"Wow. You have done quite a lot in your young life. More than when I was your age for sure." Then she looked cheekily at him. "And it seems my education did prove useful. All those tales of old I told you were not such a waste hmmm?"

"Okay okay you win. You win." Fury admitted. 

"But seriously, it's amazing you got through all that. I was truly worried for you when you disappeared. I have no idea how you got through all of that…" 

Fury chuckled. "Yeah, I wonder about that myself too. Well let's just say, I had some help." He said pointing out to the guests behind him. "And of course the hard training did get me used to the times ahead…even if I hated it."

She smiled sincerely at him. "You truly have grown into a strong young Shifter. Some staff said you were a hopeless case compared to others. But I knew that was completely wrong. You had a potential only you could fulfill."

"Eh, you kinda learn to expect stuff like that when you're the most energetic kid in the building. Not a lot of others could actually keep up with me in my early days, not even you. Remember when Mom and Dad showed up for my first day and I decided to try and hide on Mom to try and sneak away?"

She sighed along with Fury's parents. "Oh how could I forget. Somehow your parents were with you the whole time, and yet you still slipped by."

Black Ice had a look of trauma on her face. "I thought I lost you! That was very dangerous what you did!"

"C'mon mom, I was a toddler. I had no moral compass or ethical values. The only thing that was going through my mind was 'School bad. Toys at home good.'. At that age, I couldn't have cared less." Fury defended.

"He's got a point, honey." Obsidian spoke up. "It's not like we were teaching any of that to him that early, we couldn't have expected him to be any less like himself just because he was just that little bit closer to being able to talk. And besides, you were just as anxious to let him go as he was to even be there."

"Fair. Fair. It was still a hard job to find him though." Black Ice grumbled. 

"Mom… I was latched onto the underside of your belly, hanging upside down like a bat and watched as you looked around for me. You didn't feel that extra weight?"  Fury asked, chuckling a bit.

"What? No! I just thought I had a bigger breakfast than I remembered that morning." Black Ice said. "I didn't expect you to have such prowess for hiding that early on."

"Ha ha ha ha!" Ms. Mayflower laughed. "I guess you still are the same cheeky youngster as you were as a toddler."

"Oh please, you couldn't have remembered all of that after so long." Fury said. But he turned out to be oh so wrong.

"Actually, I didn't have to. You do realize that you're not the only one with a Memory Sealer, right?" She said, showing one from her pouch. "And mine has a catalog of my students' most interesting moments.

She threw the device onto the floor and it activated on its own. The first memory revealed was the exact incident that had just been discussed between mother and son.

–

In the past…

"Oh stop being so fussy, honey. It's just daycare." Black Ice was tending to her toddler son l, Night Fury while Obsidian held his own and made sure they were heading the right way. All the while the small cub was squealing and squirming in an attempt to get away before the building got too close. Then it would be out of his tiny, but still noticeable power to resist.

"Ugh, this little fuzzball is impossible! He just keeps squirming and squealing like a pig in mud. I can't get him to stay still." Black Ice lamented, tossing a glance at the toddler on her back.

"Well, you have to expect it, Icey. He's been very happy at home with us for a long time now. Playing with toys, playing games with you and me, taking naps… At this age, you should have at least had a hunch that he would be disagreeable when this was eventually going to come around." Obsidian said, trading glances between the map in his paw, his wife, his son, and the path ahead.

"I was trying to be optimistic." Black Ice deadpanned, trying to give Fury a bottle to calm him down. To which Fury seemed like he was not interested in and pushed it away. "I miss when I used to think being a mother was easy."

"Well too bad, honey. Now you have a toddler, baby weight, slowly diminishing but still active cravings and a new husband that has to take the brunt of it. For better or worse…" Obsidian whispered that last part. "But at least we're almost there. We just have to survive a little longer."

They kept on going trying to keep up appearances of calmness, greeting passersby trying to give forced smiles to show they have everything under control until they finally made it to the daycare. They came inside to see the caretaker.

"At last. I can be free again." Black Ice said. Once they entered the building, they saw the sole caretaker that would be responsible for their son. Her fur was ice white, eyes as blue as the sea and a smile that only a loving mother could replicate.

"Ahh, you must be Black Ice and Obsidian. My name is Ms. Mayflower and I'll be your son's caretaker." She greeted. 

"Yes we are." Black Ice said.downank you so much for watching our little Fury."

"It's my pleasure, Ms. Ice. Now, where is this little one?" She asked.

"Um he's right… here?" Black Ice said confused before turning to panic. She realized in horror, he was not there. "Oh no, Obsidian, did you see where he went?!"

"Um no. But calm down, Icey. We'll find him I'm sure." He said trying to be calm but still worried.

"Son, where are you?!" Black Ice said in terror as she looked around the immediate area. "Oh no. What if something happened to him?! This can't be!" 

Mayflower and Obsidian tried to calm her down. 

Mayflower spoke up. "Just calm down, ma'am. I'm sure he couldn't have gotten far, you said in our meeting that he was only a toddler. Let's just take a breath and look for him." 

They looked around the hallway even behind vases and statues. Still nothing.

"Ms. Ice, have you noticed anything that has happened?" Mayflower asked.

"Well not much just walking to the daycare although traveling with Fury was difficult. I did start to feel my stomach rumble a few minutes ago even though I ate a whole lot and honestly, it still feels that way… wait, I'm getting carried away-"

"Wait a second." Mayflower said. "You feel something vibrating in your belly?"

"Um yes. I don't see what that has to do with anything though." Black Ice said.

"Excuse me, ma'am." She looked down at her belly to see what was there. "Just as I expected. It was not your stomach but rather your son!"

Black Ice looked down between her legs and saw her son was safe and sound, hanging onto her belly.

"I've seen a few kids trying to find ways to not go to daycare, but trying to hide below your belly is the one I find most impressive."

"More like very worrying!" Black Ice said. "I hope he never does anything like that again. You take care of my sweet boy. And please make sure he doesn't let this become a habit."

"Oh don't worry I'll teach and take good care of him." Ms. Mayflower said as she scooped the little Shifter up. 

"Hello, little one. That was a very sneaky trick you pulled, you seem none the more upset about it. You liked watching us panic, didn't you?" She asked, the small toddler clapping his paws and giggling like he was playing a game.

Obsidian and even Black Ice smiled. They had someone who understood how to take care of toddlers. Someone who truly enjoyed it. And even had a talent with it.

"Aba ba ba ba…" Fury babbled, poking his belly.

"It's alright. I'll take good care of you, boy. Kootchie kootchie koo." Ms. Mayflower tickled his little tummy, making him squeal with laughter. "You'll be a handsome Shifter when you grow up. Just stick with me and I'll teach you everything you need to know."

And so Mayflower took the toddler into the room. And the memory ended.

-

Obsidian chuckled. "Ah the days of confused parenthood. We might have been strong in our running or transforming abilities but parenthood was a different story."

Black Ice shuddered. "Yeesh. But at least we got used to it. And we had Mayflower help us out."

"Oh please, you're lucky you don't have to anymore. Because I'm much worse now." Fury playfully snarled. "And besides, all of those games I played back then kept me distracted anyway."

Fury turned a dial on the device and the next memory of Ms. Mayflower playing games with Fury began to play. 

–

In the past…

"Come now, Fury. I have many fun games we can play. Let me show you." Ms. Mayflower was trying her best to entertain the little cub, showing him all she had to offer. But so far, he seemed no more interested in her than eating grass.

"Oh, I know! How about we play Monster and Knight?" She suggested. Toddler Fury gave a confused squeak and a tilted head in return.

"It seems I've caught your interest. This is way more interesting. Basically one of us pretends to be some sort of grotesque beast like a Manticore or Cragodile who stole treasure and the other is a brave and gallant knight whose goal is to recover it. The goal of the monster is to make sure the treasure is in its greedy claws and the knight has to retrieve it." Then she showed him a medallion. "See this. Whoever the knight is has to get this. Will you be so daring to take it or will the dragon laugh at you smugly as it plays with your treasure?"

The small toddler sat up straight at the sight of the shiny object and tried to nab at it. But the so-called monster quickly withdrew it from his reach.

"Whoops. Sorry squirt, this is mine. It looks better on me anyways."

Fury was not deterred. He swooped for it again. She took it away. He tried to do another swoop. Same result.

In frustration, he leaped as much as a toddler could at the medallion. 

"Oh you little runt! You are too cute and tiny to get my treasure! Ha ha ha ha!"

At this point, the little knight was getting frustrated. But then he realized that his small size could be of use to him. While he still couldn't walk, he could quickly crawl his way under the mighty monster and sit below its belly. 

"Ahh, have you given up, oh strong and powerful knight? Have you deemed your service unwanted to your kingdom and wish to be swallowed?" The monster asked, but the young knight didn't listen. From what the point sized feline could remember, there was always one thing that his mom did to make him laugh. And now, he would see if the same trick worked on this large beast.

"Hmmm, and just what are you-" She stopped as a strange feeling overcame her stomach. She was being tickled. "Ha ha ha ha ha!" 

She tried to get away from the cub, but to no avail as he hung on for dear life and with small but quick paws gave her the tickle session of her life.

"No no no no! It's not fair. It's not fair! I am supposed to be feared in the land!" While she may have exaggerated her happiness, she was indeed trying to get Fury to stop tickling her. 

She fell on her back and kept on getting tickled and tickled. "No no no… I will not yield! I WILL NOT!"

But then Fury had an even more devious look on his face and gave his caretaker something new but even more ticklish. A raspberry. 

"BWAHAHAHAH! CURSES! You really do want this medallion!" She said, not even joking this time. "Alright take it! You've won today, Sir Night Fury! Please leave the monster be!" She said, handing him the medallion. 

And with that the powerful knight, Fury, looked with satisfaction at a job well done. Ms. Mayflower was impressed with both his cheekiness and his quick thinking, it was like his brain was developing faster than the rest of him. But even in the amazement and impressed thoughts that ran through her mind, a hint of her own cheekiness and vengeful nature seeped through.

"I, the big bad Mayflower may have lost once. You may be sitting there thinking you're the emperor and I am your subject, but not yet. Not quite yet. I have a desire for vengeance." She said, licking her lips and slowly approaching Fury.

When Fury saw her approaching, he was not afraid. He just grinned and leaped for her belly. But she predicted that and caught him. She pinned him to the ground with his back to the ground and her paws on his stomach. 

"And now, my vengeance shall be unleashed." She said to a worried toddler.

She then lifted one and quickly tickled his belly. Unlike the small Fury, she could do the tickling quickly and with more intensity.

Now he was the one laughing. Hopeless, he tried to struggle out but to no avail. He was receiving her vengeance.

"Oh what a shame, the once powerful Sir Night Fury has been bested by the one oversight he didn't see. Difference in size is both a blessing and a curse." Ms. Mayflower chuckled evilly.

The vengeful caretaker may have laughed a lot, but Fury, who was inexperienced, laughed so much the whole daycare could hear it. He desperately tried to get himself out.

"Who's the winner now? Who's the winner now?! Sorry knight but I got you right in my paws." She said with a smug grin. Night Fury had been laughing for a good few minutes now and began to try and push against her.

"Oh sorry but that won't work. I'm stronger than you and there is nothing you can do about- Ouch!"

Fury bit her toes as hard as he could. His teeth may not have been fully developed but it was enough to distract her so as to slip and to bite her again this time her tail.

"Ow ow ow ow! Get off me!" This was not what she had in mind. He was one persistent little guy for sure. She had to stop him 

"Here you want the amulet, take it! In fact, I'll even give you those cheese tuna treats you like so much!" She said getting one of them out.

Fury stopped his rough play and happily ate. For her, she was just relieved. This little cub was, if nothing else, stubborn and surprisingly clever. 

Caretaking was indeed fun but by the gods was it a rough ride.

-

"You are one tough caretaker if you could handle all of little Fury's wrath. But you learned a valuable lesson in being too cocky." Obsidian said amused. 

"You can never underestimate whatever crazy things go through his head." Black Ice added.

"I'm many things. Some good. Some not. But the one thing I'm proud of. I'm really tricky. And that is something I appreciate very much." Fury boasted. But then he got serious. "Even so, my wrath can go both ways. And sometimes it gets directed to someone who doesn't know their place. You remember Mr. HardTack, teach?"

"Heh heh." She gave a big nod. "Oh yes I remember that old dog."

"Who is this HardTack?" Twilight asked. "Was he another teacher?"

Fury nodded. "A substitute teacher. But he was more than that. He was also a complete, ragtag, two-faced, mud slinging, pain in my ever loving-"

"Anyways, before someone gets their mouth washed out with soap…" Mayflower interrupted with Black Ice's approving nod and a disgruntled snort from Fury. 

"He was basically assigned to teach class while I was out dealing with a rather stubborn case of chickenpox. And to say he got on Fury's bad side… well, I think it's best to show the visual evidence rather than verbal."

She turned the dial once more to show them Fury's next and more unpleasant memory.

–

In the past…

The class all looked in anticipation at the new teacher. He was a sight to behold. He had an eyepatch and scars on much of his body. Though he was shorter than most male adult Shifters, the intensity of his one eye was enough to send shivers down even a warrior's back. Despite this he seemed to be groomed very neatly and even had what looked like a medal.

"Alright students. I am your substitute for the day. I am known as HardTack but you are to refer to me as Mr. Hardtack! I see all of you. I can tell all of you are without discipline and without duty. Well… if any of you even thinks of disobeying one of my rules…"

Wack!

"You get the cane! Just like my sergeant gave me in the olden days to prepare to fight our accursed enemies! You shall learn like I did." He yelled. While all of the other students flinched at the loud smack, one particular black feline sat still as a stone and was giving this high and mighty veteran the stink eye.

Wow, can this guy just chill out? It's just class, why does he have to be such a drama queen?

He looked upon the class. He was satisfied with the fear that all the students had. No one dared to defy him. He would smile if he were a lesser warrior. Except for one. Night Fury.

Oh what is this? I think I've heard of him. He's the little runt always playing pranks.

"Well it seems that all of you understand my authority. Even ones that like to waste their lives and play jokes all day. My condolences to the parents, even if they aren't the best." He said looking directly at Fury.

"Yeah, right. Like I care what you think, geezer. I don't respect anyone who doesn't show respect to me first, and you are not one. So how about you keep getting closer to the grave and keep my parents' names out ya darn mouth!"

The whole class was shocked.

"Fury! What are you doing?!" Jade asked. "Say sorry to him now!"

"I'm only sorry I didn't also call him an old Cragodile!" Fury responded with a smug grin.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Silver said, clapping.

"Oh by the Emperor..." Ocean Blue sighed from the back of the room. She often was the classroom parent to keep a close eye on the class and be closer to her daughter, Bluebell.

"Silence!!!!" He said with a huge roar. He turned his gaze to Fury.

"So you think you're quite funny, right? You think you can just say whatever you want? That I belong in a grave? Well…" The teacher got out his cane. "You'll be there first when I'm through with you. Come over here this instant. I'll deal with Silver next." He said with restrained rage.

The young Night Fury stood up, silent and straight faced. "Everyone… MOVE."

"What?" Ocean asked. "I don't-"

"I said move out of my way! You heard me!" Fury repeated.

A young Jade spoke up after his friend's demand. "It's for the best. Move!"

The class all moved away.

"So giving orders to my classroom? We call that mutiny where I come from. Now I'll double what I was planning to give you!" He said.

"Oh so we're talking origin stories now? Good…" Fury snapped. "Cause I'm about to show you where I grew up."

The young Shifter drew his claws and was fully ready to attack this overcooked egg of a teacher, hardheaded and stubborn.

"You wanna get disrespectful with me? I'll show you disrespectful when even the grim reaper wets himself after I put you through the ringer." Fury said in-between aggravated huffing.

"Oh I am going to enjoy putting you in your place, brat!" He said, grabbing his cane about to hit him.

"What in the world is going on here?!"

The crowd gasped as their old teacher, Ms. Mayflower, walked in just before the action.

"Does anyone want to explain why you all look like you're prepared for a fight to break out!?" She asked, both aggravated and confused.

Hardtack spoke up first. "Mayflower! I'm afraid I have to inform you that Night Fury has spoken violent words against me and even dares to try to attack me! I did the best I could to mediate things but he wouldn't have it! I say we send him to the headmaster of this school!" 

"Oh you've got to be kidding me! There's no way you switched up that quickly!?" Fury said in disbelief.

"I didn't switch, Fury. I am showing what a leader has to do to inspire order." He replied smugly.

Mayflower was not sure what to think.  Fury was for all his mischief, but was quite friendly in the end. But she did know he could be quite disagreeable at certain times. And with this knowledge, she would send him to be disciplined. That is, if she didn't get interrupted by the rest of the class with a different story.

"Hold on! I have something to say!" Ocean Blue said.

"Thank you but that will not be necessary." Hardtacks said.

"I say it is!" Ocean Blue slammed the desk. "Fury might have said a few harsh things that are improper. BUT. That was in response to Hardtack escalating the situation including insulting his parents and threatening to beat him brutally."

Hardtacks growled. "Now, that is just an exaggeration! I was responding properly in that situation. You have to believe me Mayflower when I say that this cub caused a lot of disorder! And I had to stem before it was too late. We cannot live in chaos after all."

"Begging for someone to believe you? Pfft, please, that's like the first rule in 'Pretending To Be Innocent' for dummies!" Fury spat out.

"Well would you rather believe? A well respected veteran who has fought countless Shadow Shifters and monsters or some mischievous little runt like him?! That's what I'm asking!" He said losing his cool. It seems Fury's voice was enough to make him lose it.

"Sorry, past you was cool. Now you're just hiding behind your title to make yourself still sound cool." 

"Why you little-"

Mayflower spoke up. "Alright, that's enough for both of you!" She then closed her eyes. 

"Hardtack, we respect your great deeds in battle. You truly helped our tribe with your expertise..." Mayflower said.

Hard Tacks gave a smug smile. "Oh please, you're too kind." He said with fake humility that made Fury gag.

"BUT. I know Ocean Blue. She is a lady of her word and honor and if she says Fury was only reacting to you then I believe her. And also, I know Fury may be naughty but he still is a good kid. In fact, let me ask the other students." She turned to the other cubs. "Do you think Fury went too far?"

Most were silent. But a few came up. "Everything Ms. Blue said was right! Fury is not the bad guy here."

Silver spoke up too. "Yeah he was just standing up to Mr. Grumpypants here!"

And Ocean's very own daughter also spoke up. "Fury might be quite a nuisance sometimes, but at least he didn't insult the teacher's parents."

Mayflower nodded. "Thank you." She turned to the now sputtering substitute. "I think you know very well our position on this."

"But… but… HOW COULD YOU LISTEN TO THAT WAYWARD CUB!? HE JUST WANTS TO SHIRK HIS DUTY! AND YOU'RE MAKING ME OUT AS THE BAD GUY!?!?!" He said ferociously.

"The only duty I have is putting two bit annoyances like you in line. You're lucky you're not having your guts on the ground, covered in scratches and bite marks." Fury said.

"That will not be necessary, Fury. Because I will make sure he gets taken care of." She looked at the teacher. "Hardtack. You are to leave this classroom and never come back again. You have defied basic decency. Children should not be raised in your hostile environment."

"Yeah, so beat it punk!" Fury said.

"Gahhhh! I'll show you, you little punk!" Hardtack said grabbing the cane anyways and running to Fury.

"You made a big mistake, teach." Fury said with sadistic glee. 

Just as the teacher was about to run to him, Fury jumped to the side. Hardtack kept trying to get to him but he always dodged.

"Stop running!"

"Okay!" Fury then jumped on the teacher's back. "I'll wonder what happens if I do something with this scar on your neck."

"You would not dare- Gahhhhh!!!" Fury bit through his neck on one of his scars. Hardtack tried to get him off but to no avail. Fury's teeth were in deep. 

"Let me go! Let me go! Mayflower, get him off!" 

"Only if you apologize for demeaning him so much then maybe I will help."

"I don't apologize to anyone- OUCH, NOT THERE!!!" He finally gave up. "Okay fine! I'm sorry I humiliated you in front of the class. I will not do it again!" He said, seemingly resisting tears.

Mayflower had a look of satisfaction as well as Fury. "Good. You can let him go now." 

Fury wanted to do more but he was satisfied now. He went off and smugly looked at the now humbled Hardtack leave the door. 

"Know your place, old timer. You're in my world. Besides, my father did even more great stuff than you and he doesn't act like a big jerk!" Fury said.

Mayflower looked at Fury. "Now Fury, I would normally let that aggression slide. But since he was going to hit you despite me telling him to leave, I say you acted how any warrior would. Just remember to only go that far when they threaten like that."

"Yes, Ms. Mayflower. Only to big ugly jerks." Fury said with a slight chuckle.

Ms. Mayflower gave a chuckle in return to his comment. "Oh what am I going to do with you, my little sparkler?"

"Well, right now since that whole scuffle took awhile, maybe the class could go for a cheese tower. I mean I did learn how to fight." Fury said, hoping to get out of class.

Mayflower laughed hard. "Oh Fury. You're adorable. You still have to learn your mathematics. Since I'm back, it's time for me to teach the class. So you are going to get back to your seat."

Furry grumbled. "Dang it, I thought that would work." But he got over that, knowing he put a miserable teacher in his place. Fury knew he would not be ordered around and treated like garbage without a few scars from his aggressor. And it seems the other cubs, even the ones who didn't like him, at least had some respect for him there.

-

"Now that's what I call a win! Bye bye Hardtack. Ha!" Fury laughed confidently at his win.

"Wow, even back then, you were really savage." Cadence spoke. "I wouldn't want to be your teacher if I got on your bad side."

"Yeah, he thought he could get away with what he did. Most folks just saw he was a cool war hero, and used to justify him being a bully. But not me. I don't let anyone mess with me, my friends or my family." Fury said with pride.

"That's my boy!" Obsidian said. "Making your old dad proud."

"Normally I would oppose calling a teacher a Cragodile, but with someone who threatens my boy? I am very very satisfied." Black Ice said with unusual enthusiasm.

"Oh so many memories, but I believe you have something else on your mind. Say… Lunch?" Ms. Mayflower teased, getting a blush out of her old student.

"How in the world can you tell!?" Twilight asked, amazed at the principal's perceptiveness. 

"When you've been a teacher for as long as I have, you begin to understand the little details of each of your students. Like how when Night Fury's tail swishes from side to side every few seconds, his eyes begin to wander and his ears flick in the direction of town where all of the restaurants are… you know his appetite is beginning to gnaw at him." Mayflower said with a knowing smile.

"Heh, you know me well, Mayflower. Yep. All this storytelling has made me hungry like a manticore. C'mon guys, let's bolt. There should be a good enough restaurant somewhere close." 

Celestia nodded. "I could go for some food. A princess needs her nourishment."

Everyone agreed unanimously and proceeded to leave the school. After waving farewell to Mayflower they went their way.

-

Fury's ears flickered ever more. He was getting impatient. The problem was he was now quite far from the last cheese tower stand and he did not feel like running now, so he would have to improvise. Combined with his flicking ears, his nose passively sniffed the breeze for any signs of food being cooked nearby. To the rest of the group, it almost looked like he was a bloodhound from a detective movie. 

"Come on, nose! Don't fail me now! Show us the goodies!" 

Twilight looked with fascination. "Is this common for Speed Shifters to sniff out like this?"

"When scouting, it's common. So we can find our enemies or find traps." Obsidian said. "Or sometimes simply if you're really really hungry." 

"I'm not proud of the fact that I kinda look like a dog sniffing for a treat sometimes. But if it gets me fed, I could care less." Fury said, continuing to sniff. Just then, a familiar scent wafted close to him. Raising his head slowly, he took in a huge inhale before his eyes snapped open.

"Bingo! Target locked! Time for a flavor explosion." Fury said confidently, taking off in a random direction. The others tried their best to keep up, but his youthful body and mystical power of his ancestors drove a groove between them as he bolted off. Luckily, his sprint wouldn't last long as he skidded to a stop in front of a restaurant that was designed like a log cabin.

"Ah yes. Truly the king of kings when it comes to cheese towers. Nothing can match its greatness. Ladies, I present to you the one and only Cheese Tsunami!"

They looked at a sign with a cloud and from it cheese shooting out and shifter drowning in the yellow liquid. It looked like a poster from an epic play but about food.

"I'm assuming that there is going to be some cheese here?" Luna asked with a chuckle.

"How perceptive, sweetheart. Two points. And more if you come on in! Come on, the tsunami waits for no one."

Fury and everyone else went in to see a rustic looking inside with shifters discussing topics. But most importantly there was a menu of different foods from cheese dip and fries to cheesy salmon and so forth. 

"By the gods, the recipes, they're still here. It's beautiful. So beautiful. I think I could cry at how beautiful this is." Fury said sniffing as his mouth watered.

"Wow, the one thing here that gets you in tears is food? Why am I not surprised?" Twilight huffed sarcastically. Night Fury ignored her for the moment and just marveled at how much was at his grasp. Then, the owner came through to see him and his posse walking up. Her fur was a dark brown and her eyes were a lighter shade of the same color. On her right paw, she wore a golden ring on one of her toes. Most likely a wedding ring.

Upon seeing the familiar black face of the All Powerful, she was instantly reminded of who he was and greeted him as such.

"Well, well, if it isn't the monster eater himself. How are you doing, sonny? You still have a craving for my treats all these years?"

"Hey Goldie, you know I do! And I can tell you I have gone far and wide in my life. But from all the monsters like Cragodiles to evil kings, one monster I haven't conquered and that is my hunger. You still doing good at the food biz?" Fury asked.

"I've got customers ringing in like bees to roses. Basically the entire town has a thing for my cheesy delights. To be honest, with how much business I've been drumming up with this cheese, you'd think some of them are secretly mice." Goldie chuckled.

His mother giggled. "Including one particular darkly colored fast mouse." She said, patting Fury. 

"Okay okay, guilty as charged. But if being a mouse means eating all this, I take that title with honor. And so, Goldie, I ask you. What is a good recipe you can recommend for my esteemed royal friends? Ahem… P-plus my girlfriend, heh."

"Ah so you finally got one. It's about time! Definitely not what I was expecting. I thought you were going to try your luck with girls like that Bluebell girl."

Fury chuckled. "Eh, I thought so at first. But she's a bit too normal for my taste. She'd probably demand I sleep at eight or something. Luna's way cooler and mysterious. And she even has a mischievous side, just how I like her."

Luna smiled at this.

"But enough talk. Give me your best recipe!"

The brown Shifter looked at the menu, and scrambled her head for some ideas. They all were nice but none of them seemed to pop out so to speak.

But maybe I need something better. Something not even on the menu. Something experimental.

"Okay. It's not on the menu yet. It's still a secret to the public. But I have what I believe is the most mouthwatering cheese extravaganza in the whole world."

Fury nodded. "Well what are you waiting for? Give it here! We're ready to chow down!"

"You got it! Trust me when I say, you won't feel the same after this one. Now go, rest your legs while I work my magic."

And so everyone waited by the window in a semicircle booth. They were twiddling their claws and hooves, eager for what was ahead.

"Hoo boy, I haven't been this excited for Goldie's works ever since I was a kid. It's been a long time since I've been here, way too long." Fury said, panting.

Twilight spoke up. "Just to be clear Fury, there's no meat or any other disagreeable things for ponies, right?"

Fury shook his head. "Nope. You can all enjoy a cheese marathon together. The only thing that could stop you is your stomach."

Before Twilight could elaborate, they heard a voice crying out. "ONE MEGA NACHO NUKE, UP!"

All the guests looked in curiosity at the manticore size array of nachos. It was all inundated with cheese sauce, bean chili and jalapenos.

"Sweet mother of Solar winds…"

"Is something even worthy of mere mortals?"

"How does something like that even exist?!"

Goldie came in while pushing the plate of nachos. Everyone's mouth watered at the sight.

Cadence looked dazed. "Fury, is that real?"

Fury nodded slowly. "Well I can see it with my eyes. So I have to say yes. Yes it is."

Black Ice tried to hide her amazement. "It looks like that recipe you used to tell me you would make finally came true. Never thought you would actually go through with it."

"I… have no words for what I see before me. Never in both mine and my sister's multi millenia long rule have we seen such a mammoth size dish." Lune said as if gazing into the gates of the heavens themselves.

Goldie was quite satisfied with the reception. "Well, there ya go! The cheesiest, gooiest, most mouth watering dish we've got. Please, enjoy yourselves." She said as she walked away with a smile that could shine for miles.

As she left, everyone took a moment to just admire the dish. The immaculate placing and decorations, the mountain of chips drenched in cheese, the many dips to use for flavor. This admiration of culinary arts didn't last long as soon enough, to no one's surprise, Night Fury took the first chip and dipped it in salsa.

"Well, time to dive right in." Fury dipped and inserted it into his mouth. Normally, he would eat quickly so he could get going. But he knew he had to show food this special its due respect. He chewed and chewed and let his tongue take in the flavors. And then he swallowed.

"Well, son, was it a masterpiece?" Obsidian asked. Fury took a moment to let the taste sink in, letting in a drawn out breath. Then, he let it out and smiled.

"The gods have blessed my taste buds with the most blissful array of cheese and salsa ever to grace the earth." He said, sounding like a wise sage. But he soon reverted to his old self.

"But enough of this philosophical stuff, dig in! You guys have got to get in on this!"

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's make the most of these tasty cheesy morsels." Cadence said.

"Agreed. Nothing can stop us!" Celestia declared.

Everyone nodded along and ate each nacho taking the mix of spicy and cheesy. Each nacho felt like a new journey. It was almost a tragedy to swallow because they were so good.

Twilight and Black Ice went for the shallow side and stayed with the guacamole as their taste buds weren't as comfortable with the spiciness. Celestia and the rest of the group on the other hoof, was completely different. Celestia was an obvious candidate for the spice squad as she was the literal embodiment of everything warm in the world.

Obsidian was also a fan of the hot side as he basically worked hours on end in the fiery inferno that was the town blacksmith. Surprisingly, Luna was also enduring the salsa fairly well. While she wasn't much of a daredevil, she did secretly like the taste of spicy food. Lastly, Cadence and Night Fury were the jacks of all trades.

They didn't care what they covered their chips in, whether it was the rich guacamole or the sucker punch salsa, they just wanted to eat. And eat they did, they went all in like animals. Well Fury more literally and Cadence just ate more rapidly.

Fury was in heavenly bliss now. Oh yeah, that's the good stuff! Why couldn't this have been out earlier? It's to die for. Oh that spice!

As they kept on going, they didn't realize the other guests were staring in complete surprise at the sheer speed of these guests. What food could inspire this much passion?

"You see what happens when you give other cultures a chance to surprise you? You get the beauty of stuff like this. Hey Twi, pass the guac, would ya?" 

"I can see what you mean! Here!" Twilight passed it with one hoof as she put some extra salt on her chips with the other.

Cadence looked troubled. "Bad news! I'm out of cheese! I need some more stat!"

"Here is some for you, dearie." Black Ice said. "Now give me some of your lemon, if you please!"

"Hey Tia, got some extra jalapenos for ya!" Fury said, passing a small bowl of the sliced peppers over to her.

"Here you go! Just be sure to have some milk handy and eat these slowly!" 

Everyone was busy passing food, chewing, tasting. It was like a battlefield. Everyone took it seriously. Despite the number of chips, it decreased in size rapidly.

After a litany of chewing, burping and swallowing, everyone was stuffed. Even the normally posh Black Ice had a messy face from eating so rapidly.

"Ah. That's the spot." Fury said. "Only in legends told by the elders could I have expected food this good to exist. What about it, guys? You starting to see what the Speed Shifters race has to offer?"

Celestia nodded. "We ponies might have our cakes and our pastries which are still unmatched. But when it comes to cheese and spice, we are outclassed. Your people have indeed proved yourselves."

Twilight agreed. "Your people are fascinating in many ways. From your speed to your transformations. And now to your culinary traditions. Truly something inspirational."

"I haven't felt this satisfied in ages!" Luna said. "I never had the metaphorical guts to say this publicly, but the food at the castle has never truly been good to me. Ever since I returned, things have changed dramatically. From the portion sizes to the food itself, it seemed like everything was basically halved from its original state. No true flavor, just regulated portions and dietary constraints." 

"All of the fitness mumbo jumbo and 'Looking presentable' nonsense has done away with what made being a princess somewhat enjoyable. But now, I feel like a new mare. Once we agree on this peace deal, the first priority must be food negotiation." Luna declared.

Cadence sighed heavily as she slumped over. "I'm stuffed. My trainer is going to yell at me for this." She chuckled. "I need to be done eating. But maybe just one more chip."

As she grabbed another chip, she knew she felt full, but she had to dip it in cheese, guacamole and some sour cream. She placed a jalapeño for what was to be her last chip.

She chewed slowly again to take in the flavor. It was indeed good. She finally swallowed. Her tongue felt satisfied. But not her stomach.

"Ugh it was just one chip! Now I feel bloated. Ugh." Cadence said.

"You're not the only one to feel that, dear." Black Ice said. "My stomach feels full too but in an odd way."

"Seriously? I feel fine." Fury said casually. "Eh, I guess it's my All Powerful-hood jacking up my appetite. Speaking of which…"

Fury proceeded to show the rest of the group how different he was from them and took not one, but three chips and dipped them in every available bowl before eating them.

"Yep. Fine by me." Fury said. "Nothing but a variety of flavors."

"Well it looks like you have grown quite a stomach or at least an appetite." Obsidian said. 

"But should we really eat more while we're full?" Twilight asked.

"Twi, you've heard of the odd phenomenon that is eating a really good meal but not wanting it to end? That's exactly this. We've been treated to a legendary lunch that we all loved, we're just trying to make the most of what's left by pushing our limits to make it last. It's like I always say… if you can't still remember that food you had from a few days before, was it even that good?" Fury explained.

Twilight thought back on how she ate all those hayburgers ever since fillyhood. She could remember each and every kid's meal, deluxe pack and mega meal she got over the years and after all of that, she could still reminisce. She understood him now. 

"Okay, I see what you mean. But I have to agree with your mom, I feel absolutely full."

Celestia did not share her former student's sentiments. "Well for me, I have to agree with our ambassador. I still have not yet begun to taste all the multiple spices." She said, her mouth watering.

Obsidian nodded. "It's not everyday you get all this cheesy goodness. So I'm going to go all out before we have to keep going."

"You said it, dad! If you already ate all this, why stop now?!" Fury then felt a flame of challenge come over him. "In fact I challenge you, Celestia, to see who can eat all these nachos and clear the plate!"

"Hmph." Celestia said. "You dare to think I can be bested by your appetite. Preposterous! I will not let you get away with that!"

"Then let's go all out!" Fury said as he gazed at the last chips and then back at Celestia who also stared at him militantly.

They had their condiments, their napkins and their milk at the ready. The others looked with some astonishment, except for Luna who already knew these two's appetites.

"I will defeat you!" Celestia said chewing six ranch covered nachos in one bite.

"Not a chance, Sunbutt!" Fury replied before quickly eating seven salsa covered chips.

And so the two stuffed their mouths with all the sauces and all the condiments. It was like a warzone. There was no restraint on that table.

"Just give it up, sun tush. You can't and won't beat me. I know your limits, I know your weaknesses… I know everything." Fury snarled. But the solar princess remained undeterred.

"No, you know not. I have more experience than you. I ate a whole forest supply of fruits when I was stranded!"

"Well, I'll make it a planet's supply of food when I get through with this!" Fury shot back.

They both kept on eating ravenously.

"Luna, I think your coltfriend and sister have gone crazy!" Twilight said. "We have to stop them!"

"It's too late knowing these two cannot be stopped…"

As they kept on eating, it seemed to never end. But then…

A huge rumbling sound was heard and the two contestants stopped immediately. 

"Ugh, I feel a meteor hit me…" Celestia moaned.

"More like a fully loaded freight train for me." Fury added. "Gahhhh!"

"Um, are you two okay?" Cadence asked.

"Oh I feel just finnneeeee!!!" Fury squealed, feeling like everything inside of him was swirling.

Celestia panted heavily. "Oh I feel it too! Oh no what is going on!"

Goldie came in and saw the commotion. "Are you two alright?"

"I feel like a storm is hitting my belly now!" Fury said. 

"Oh no." Goldie said. "I didn't think this would happen. The tsunami is in full swing now!"

Fury was in the middle of a panic, trying to figure out what was happening. Then, he came to a realization. "Wait a minute… Goldie, just how did this place get its name?"

Goldie gulped "Well…to be perfectly honest, it was because of how the food is so enticing, so appealing, so overwhelming, that some would eat more than usual. Causing a storm to brew on the inside. And as we learned that storm cannot be contained but must come out…. Like a bomb."

"A Bomb!?"

"Wait a bomb? What does that mean- Oof. Oh no." Fury said. "It's coming!"

"Oh no me too!"

His stomach expanded more and more over time. Her stomach expanded. It was taller than Luna or Cadence. 

"Are we going to die?!" Fury asked.

Goldie shook her head. "No but you will-" 

BOOOM!!!

All of a sudden cheese got all over everywhere on the windows and on the walls and on the counters.

"Uuuuuugh… I… think my guts just went supernova." Celestia moaned.

"I know… my birthmark means 'The Raging Storm', but not even I could have handled that. Uraaap!"

Everyone looked horrified. Especially Black Ice.

"What in the world was in that food!?"

Goldie sighed. "You see, this is why it was experimental. It has a magic ingredient from a plant that makes it so appealing. But the unfortunate consequence was it caused bloating and well, you can see that for yourself. The recipe was not supposed to do that anymore but those two must have eaten more than expected. Thus causing the storm to happen."

"Why am I not surprised that a retired bomb engineer would do something like this?" Fury moaned from the ground.

"Wait, Goldie was a bomb maker?" Twilight asked, wiping some cheese goo off.

"65 years of explosive perfection. Goldie's full name is actually Golden Goose, and rightfully so considering that her quote 'Golden eggs' were the best in our military. She eventually retired and took up this place after her father, Gold Nugget." The ambassador explained.

"You got that right. And it looks like my martial spirit had not died but was renewed in these treats. Although with more collateral damage than in my day." She said looking at all the cheese. "I'm very sorry princesses, I should not have given you something so appetizing and so experimental without testing it more. I just didn't expect you to eat so much."

Fury shook his head. "Don't apologize! This was the best dang meal I have ever had! I would take all of those explosions daily if it meant me eating all this good stuff. No regrets, no matter how messy."

"As strange as it sounds, I concur with the Ambassador." Celestia said. "I do not regret eating a worthy meal."

Twilight stood. "As much as I would not like to admit it, I would have to agree. It is exhilarating and tasty and I do not regret the taste."

"You've got my props! I've honestly had enough of staring out into more crystals and snow, I needed some fresh material." Cadence admitted.

"I'm also giving you my respect, Golden. You have shown us that one skill can be turned into something else that everyone can enjoy. You will hear no complaints from me." Luna added.

"Hey, Tia? I've seen what you're like on the day to day, constantly held up to a spotlight for your regal attitude and goddess-hood. But really, I'd have to say at heart, you're no more regal than I am." Fury chuckled.

"You say that truthfully? You think I'm like you?" The solar princess asked.

"Well, of course not publicly. But I see the same thing in you that Luna sees in me, a youthful light shining through the darkness of responsibility and adulthood. And that's not even related to your looks! Ya know, I just think you've been cooped up in that castle for too long. You're like a hardboiled egg, a hassle to crack and a time consuming task to peel. But once those layers of hard outer shell are gone… you're just as soft and squishy on the inside as me."

Celestia wondered about this. "Hmmm, perhaps you're onto something. Maybe I am a bit silly in the head. On the outside I am regal, but my sister can see that I am still a very silly pony in the end."

Luna smiled. "That is quite true."

"Well, you're not the only one who looks silly. Especially since we're both covered in cheese goo." Fury laughed. 

Everyone else laughed, too amused at the all the commotion. For Fury, his culinary satisfaction was at an all time high.

"Wait. Look at this cheese mess. Are we going to have to clean this up?" Twilight asked.

"Leave that one to me, Twi. Need I remind everyone the mark I carry on my back? Just give me a sec." Fury boasted, standing up and looking around at the yellow splatter. He closed his eyes, focusing his aura to engage his speed. And once he opened them, everything and everyone slowed down.

Everything was in slow motion for him. Birds moved at a snail's pace, the mouths of his friends and family barely moving an inch every second. He had heard from Spike that superheros in his comics, specifically the speedsters, saw everything in slow motion when using their powers. Fury had thought such a phenomenon to be just that, fictional. But he had to realize that he was a real life speedster.

He realigned his focus though as he had to clean all of this goop up. Racing out of the restaurant, he grabbed a water bucket and a sponge from a random spot in town and came back to a scene that was indeed, still in slow motion. With this at his disposal, he got to work. In an instant, he covered the place with suds and bubbles.

Normally this would be grueling work, but with his superspeed, it was like sliding on ice. He smoothly swept, scrubbed, scraped and mopped up the place. Every gooey part was a piece of cake. 

But he did shave one area where the cheese stuck on due to heat from the fireplace. It was caked in. He didn't fret. He just used his electric powers to melt the cheese back to its goo-like state and wipe it up.

He finally took a look at the restaurant and it was brand new. Even a bit more shiny than before. He then returned the supplies he borrowed, raced back inside and snapped his claws. Time returned to normal and he watched as the reactions rolled in.

"Wait what just happened?!" Black Ice asked. "I blinked and this whole place looks shinier than a jewelry market!"

"Uh… you're welcome! I guess I'm just that good." Fury boasted, smiling at his victory. His confidence was short lived though as the princess of love spoke up.

"I'd say you're right, but you forgot something." She said with a smile.

Night Fury was confused. "Wait, I did? Did I miss a spot?"

Cadence giggled at his obliviousness. "Yes, you did. And that spot… is you."

Fury raised an eyebrow and looked down at himself. To his surprise, in his rapid cleaning spree, he had forgotten that he himself was still covered in cheesy goop.

"Whoa! It looks like in my goal to clean up the cheesy mess, I've become a cheesy mess myself. Oh wait, I already was." Fury said, laughing at his joke.

Some laughed like Cadence and some groaned at the joke like Twilight.

"Oh very comedic of you. But what won't be comedic is trying to get that cheese off you. How are we going to get that off?" Twilight asked.

"Don't look at me, grape juice, it's not like I can do this myself!" Fury said.

Celestia nodded. "Don't worry everyone. Believe it or not, I've seen situations like this that I would rather not retell. Let's just say from experience, I know that it will take a lot of magic to clean this up quickly without spending hours at the bath. But it will take the help of other princesses and the help of Fury's parents would help too."

"Anything to get that filth off my son! I will follow your lead!" Black Ice said in a very serious tone.

Everyone else concurred albeit less passionately. 

"Twilight, Luna, Cadence and I will form a fairly far away circle." Celestia said while moving in position as well as the other princesses.

"Obsidian and Black Ice will be closer but still a few feet apart. You two will spin and run as fast as you can while we will imbue you with a spell that makes cheese disappear." The two parents did so.

Fury looked a little worried. "Wait, I won't disappear too, right?"

Celestia shook her head. "Only inorganic objects not living organisms which I am quite sure you are. Unless you are a secret robot."

"Heh, that's not a bad concept. Maybe I'm from a distant future where all organics have been eradicated and robots have taken over the world!" Fury said.

"Okay, I think you've been reading too many of Spike's comics." Twilight said. "Time travel after all does seem extremely improbable and also-"

"Oh no, she's about to kill me with her science babble! Someone clean me up already!" Fury said comically to Twilight's annoyance.

Of course everyone was ready. The magic users closed their eyes which turned a bright blue.They shot their magic at Obsidian and Black Ice. They ran around Fury in a circle. Black Ice was not as much of a runner so she had to give it her all to be fast enough. But finally the whole system was complete. They were going around and around like planets around the sun but at a rapid pace.

"Oh boy, I'm feeling some magic here!" Fury said, feeling the residual of the magic from his parents. He felt the cheese get looser and looser. 

"Good work. Just one last thing. Now you have to touch the cheese and it should disappear into nothingness." Celestia instructed.

"Ewww really? I have to touch that?" Black Ice asked.

"Would you rather have a son who is like a big pile of bad cheese then?" Obsidian asked.

She hated to admit it but her husband had a point. "Ugh, fine. But let's make this quick."

With all the power stored up, they kept on running each time getting a bit closer to Fury's body and when their paws touched, a bright light emanated.

"Hey, all the cheese is gone! I can finally see my beautiful black fur." Fury said confidently, admiring his now practically glistening coat.

Luna nodded. "You look so clean and shiny like a full moon. You have made it look so amazing! And now I understand why I fell in love with you."

"Oh, you know there was more to it than looks, babe." Fury said slyly. Just then, Black Ice decided to split up the romantics.

"Hey, not to be a bad sport, but is it normal for the entire council to be walking towards town?" She asked, pointing out of a nearby window. Everyone looked out of the windows of the restaurant and confirmed the mother's story. Every member of the council was walking in a group. Even Amethyst and an injured Jade were walking with them.

This sight raised concern in the unofficially retired blacksmith, the officially retired bomb engineer and the All Powerful ambassador.

"What's going on with the council?" Goldy asked. "They don't usually meet up this late in the day."

"Oh great." Obsidian said, worried. "Amethyst met up with the council! I wanted to talk to her first about these issues before letting the council know!"

"I may be seething about her basically neglecting me all these years, pop… But that's not the face of someone looking for a fight. Look at how she's harboring Jade along, making glances left and right at the passing scenery. I've been an ambassador for long enough to know that she's not on a mission to expose me, none of them are. They're about to confront the town about my past."

Obsidian looked at him. "I know. I know she cares for us. I just wanted to make sure things were under control."

"Dad… Control went out the window when we showed the council my memories. As if literally, the cat is out of the bag. They know what they did, the town did, what happened to me. Whatever happens next is out of even Celestia's control. This isn't something political anymore. For the time being, for everyone involved… This is personal." Fury said with a straight face.

Black Ice then spoke up. "Maybe you're right, Fury. That's why me and your father will go to the council and we can both talk things out and settle everything. Don't you worry, dear."

Fury shook his head. "Nice try, mom. Thanks for trying to protect me, but this is something I can't just hide from. I'm a full grown adult with his own responsibilities and priorities, this being one of them. My memories of what happened after you two were taken are about to be tossed around like pancakes in a skillet. Arguments will be had, conflicts will rise, motives and morals will be brought into question. If anything… this is just another day as an ambassador."

Black Ice responded. "But I was just thinking Amethyst and Jade might have some bad blood with you for certain actions and it might be better if we represented you."

Fury shook his head. "That's even more reason for me and not you to represent myself. They deserve to hear it from me, not be shallow enough to rely on someone else for this." Fury said with conviction. "Besides, I kind of owe it to Jade and as much I hate to admit it, Amy for me wacking them like a mad manticore."

Black Ice was finally silent. And she gave a slow nod along with her husband. They both smiled.

"You're wiser than you ever were before." Obsidian said. "I trust you'll know what to say."

"Agreed. I have confidence now." Black Ice concurred. "But if you ever need help, you'll know who to find."

"I know." Fury said quietly. "I've got to catch up with them. I'll be front and center for this, so show some support but don't let emotions get in the way. I've already got a bad feeling about this." He said, opening the door and taking off after the council.

This is it. I'm finally gonna settle what's been on my mind for years. May the gods be with me, cause I'm sure gonna need it. 

–

Fury walked to the council. It seemed they were busy discussing things. About him of course. It seemed to be a fairly heated debate. For obvious reasons.

"It looks like everything is heated up! Mind if I join in?" Fury said.

All the council turned to him as well as Jade and Amethyst. The commander looked away and stayed silent while the captain was still recovering from being head-butted. The chief, however, rose to address the one who would be the subject of this council.

"Well, Fury. It is quite convenient you should be here now. We were just talking about you. And your actions." Chief ThunderClaws said with a straight face betraying no emotion.

"I am fully aware of what happened to Jade. And I show no remorse for it. He got what was coming." Fury said in a tone with much more venom, but in the same level as the chief.

Golden Eyes spoke up. "Night Fury, you do realize you thrashed not a criminal but one of our village's greatest young warriors? Do you expect us to let that pass?"

"Not at all. I've been exposed, verbally harassed, struck down and even nearly assassinated for just existing. This brings no surprise to me." The ambassador replied, bearing a surprising level of stoicism.

"Why have you come here?" The Chief asked. "If you are not here to apologize then what do you hope to attain?"

"...To clarify some things." Fury said simply. 

Fury walked up closer. "I know from what I said, it sounds like I want to burn everything down. But that's not what I'm here for. I'm here to settle what should have been settled long ago. This may be the only chance I get to both get closure for what I was out through for months and see just what lies under the skin of whom I used to call my brethren."

Ocean Blue spoke up. "I hope you do Fury. I do like you but as part of this council, I'd better hear a very good one. I say this as a counselor and a mother who wants to protect her family and friends."

Fury looked at her. "Let's start with those words, 'Friends and Family'. For the longest time when I heard them, I thought it meant people who would never turn their backs on you. No matter if you did something foolish or made a mistake, they would stick by your side. But I started to learn that a lot of times they're just words people throw around until it seems inconvenient. And I learned that the hard way."

"For the past few years, I was a laughingstock. No one wanted to associate with a supposed loser and coward like me. I didn't even try to hurt anyone and yet that serial killer we had a few years ago was hated less than some kid who didn't know any better." Fury said.

"I felt lonely. I felt cut off from others except for my family and my friends and acquaintances. But I do have to confess even with Jade, he didn't understand how hard my life really was and at one time he even thought I was whining too much about my situation. Or even that lovely girl of yours for all her formalities and politeness, didn't even give me one word of encouragement in all those years."

"I could have planned something to get back at all if you, but I didn't. I could have let myself get killed to finally end the suffering that was my life, but I didn't. Heck, I could have killed everyone in this goddess forsaken slime hole to finally see what happens when I use my power to my fullest… But, I didn't. If anything, you should all consider yourselves lucky I didn't come here today with an entire invasion force. All I've ever felt was revenge running through my head, intrusive thoughts of ripping all of you skin to bone for what you did to me. And trust me when I say… that option is still on the list if any of you try something."

Some of the councilors panicked and were about to say something but Chief Thunderclaws stared at them to not say anything.

"You truly felt this after all this time?" He asked.

"Yes. Yes I did."

"Do you blame the village or the council for this neglect of duty? Do not be afraid to answer."

"I can't blame any of you for this. Even you, Golden Eyes. While you and your pretentious attitude, nonsense blabbering and completely idiotic stereotyping can stick it where the sun doesn't shine, this has nothing to do with you. The town as a whole kept this from you in a twisted attempt to hopefully see me deal the final blow to myself out of grief."

"They all saw me as a disgrace and being the clever oh so polite types, they hid their true ways from you. I felt powerless. So powerless. But not anymore." Fury said. "You understand what hardships I have faced so you know you have to see to it that the village knows that they can't get away with this."

"That's one of the main reasons I even came back here besides sparking a peace deal. To give myself some long awaited peace. I have constantly been questioning my own sanity even after I managed to find a place in Equestria, having random rage bursts whenever my parents were even brought up. I know to some of you, that may seem like I have anger issues. But answer me this. Is it so bad to have such a knee jerk reaction when you're forced to relive a horrifying moment that almost drove you to the bitter edge?" 

Everyone was silent at this.

"Well, however you see it, that's up to you. But what I do ask for is that you see from my perspective, my struggles and bring back the honor that was stolen from me." Fury said.

The Chief spoke up. "The whole village will have to acknowledge its wrongdoing. Our village has always prided itself in honor. This will be the first time in a while that we will admit our grievous faults."

Fury then spoke up. "But what's more shameful? Just accepting this wrong and hiding it and go on, never learning from this? Or to admit your sins so you can become better? I might have slept through a lot of history class. My teacher can attest to that. But I know one thing from history: that we Speed Shifters always seeked to do what was honorable and that nothing was more important than that."

Everyone was made silent by this speech. Even the normally skeptical Golden Hooves was moved by his words. 

"Fury. You have grown in wisdom. Despite all the abuse you have dealt with, you were strong all this time. You have a stronger sense of honor than most Shifters. We have forgotten about that virtue. But we must bring it back. And so…"

The chief slammed the table with his claw. "LET IT BE PROCLAIMED, FURY SHALL BE MADE A HERO OF THE VILLAGE. HE WILL EXPLAIN HIS GREAT DEEDS TO THIS VILLAGE. AND THOSE WHO MOCKED HIM WILL LOOK AT THEMSELVES WITH SHAME AT THEIR DEEDS." He proclaimed.

The other councilors all agreed. Strangely Golden Hooves first, then Ocean Blue and then the others. They all hit the table at the same time to proclaim this solemn decision.

Fury felt a sense of fulfillment that he longed to have. He finally will get the honor he lost so long ago.

This is it, the final stretch. All I have to do is stick it up in public and make sure everyone knows who I am… And their place in this world as long as I exist.

"Thanks. I'm glad we can resolve these things. I'll make my speech to the whole village in due time. And they will know who I really am."

Fury turned back.

"You did it, Night Fury. You convinced them!" Luna said excitedly, giving him a hug.

"Oh son, your words have grown more eloquent!" Black Ice said. "You have grown to be a fine ambassador."

"Mom, please don't do this today. I'm just a casual, non-elite, regular-"

"Stop! Stop it right there!" Cadence interrupted. "You know something, Fury? I think when it comes to being an ambassador… Heck, even having an above average amount of bits in your possession for my auntie's sake, you are too modest."

Fury sighed. "It's just… I never really cared about being an ambassador and all that. Yeah, it was nice to see the cool stuff. But for me, I just wanted to have others to treat me with respect."

"Fury, respect can still be shown even if you show off a bit. It may be to an extent that you can boast about things before you look entitled, but you can have a little fun with your title while also having a respectable profile. Honestly, you boast more about your powers than you do your title and that's just wrong. As a matter of fact, being too humble can actually hurt your social standing." Cadence said, catching Fury by surprise.

"Wait really? I always heard about being too cocky or being too snooty being a problem, but too humble?" He asked, getting an affirming nod from not only Cadence, but her aunts as well.

"My niece has a point. You might seem proud of yourself. But deep down, I can see you feel insecure. You feel like you are not good enough. That you are simply some shifter with interesting powers. But you feel you could never truly be worthy of respect."

Fury looked down to the ground.

"But! That is false! You have wisdom that so many underestimate. You have passion that so many lack these days. You remind me of Twilight in a certain way. In that you are so determined to follow your moral code and honor, you are willing to fight for it even when lesser people would just give up. But not you. Not you. And I need you to understand that. That is why you deserve to be praised." Celestia said to him.

"My sister brings a valid point, but I also see a different angle. You seem to act so humble and reserved about your ambassador title and easily acquired wealth as if it were a curse, a thing you don't deserve. Tell me, do you act this way because of how easily you obtained it as opposed to others? Or is it because you refuse to allow yourself to enjoy it because you see your mystical destiny to be reward enough, subsequently rendering all other gifts in your life as poison to you and passing it off as you just getting lucky?" Luna asked him.

Fury sighed and pondered about these things. These two sisters had put into question things he just took for granted. But this was something rattling his mind for a while.

"I guess, Moonpie, you could say I never really thought of the ambassador side as being my specialty. I mean I knew some when I was a kid hearing dad talk to the council and let me tell you, they didn't casually make jokes or throw out slang for sure. I guess I always felt like I was never going to be the best at diplomacy. And I guess you could say that my destiny was a defining factor as well. I kind of like it, but I'm not really what a metaphorical and literal god probably should be for most."

"I'd have to say that I've been somewhat conditioned into not reveling in my riches. For one, I always thought it would just make me look entitled. You can thank Ms. Humble paws over there." Fury said, pointing out his mom.

"It kind of came to light after Blueblood tried to kill me. If he's that determined to give me the death roll just for acquiring some bits and a nice house, no use in enjoying it if it's over blood. Not only that, but I just… sort of kept myself from enjoying it personally because I'd already been given such a high spot in society as an All Powerful. I'd figured, I have enough already, why push it further and make myself look spoiled? And it didn't help that my villa was a diamond in a dirt patch compared to the rest of Ponyville. Uh, no offense Twi."

"None taken. I mean to be honest, before I lived in Ponyville, I lived in a big mansion too. Not to mention the tower that Celestia lent me as her student. So I can relate to not wanting to show off too much."

Fury smiled at the reassuring statement before continuing. "I guess when it comes down to it, I just didn't want to become another outcast. Being judged not for my failures, but the complete opposite. I thought if I even dared to stick my nose up a bit with my ambassadorship, loads of bits and my All Powerfulness to any extent… I figured you guys would just brush me off as some hot shot foreigner who makes it a point that he got a lucky break by making friends with royalty."

Cadence laughed. "Well I guess it worked. I could never see you as some snobby out of touch politician. I have to deal with so many of them, believe me. But you… you're a guy who would rather prank others or play games than try to show off your mansion or fancy food. I never saw you as some guy like that." 

Then Cadence looked more serious. "But even so, you've more than proved to me that you're a great diplomat and you don't have to hide that, you have a skill and I think you deserve to give yourself credit. Because we know you're not just a normal boring politician. You're Night Fury, the most laid back straight forward guy I've ever met."

Everyone nodded along. All of the princesses and his parents.

Fury smiled at this. He was happy to have such non judgemental people around. He was always used to people criticizing him for a certain fault back in his village. He liked the praise so much that he began to glow softly and purr affectionately as he moved in to nuzzle Cadence without a word.

He finally did say something. "Thanks. I'm glad to have friends like you. You guys got me through when it was rough. Sometimes I feel like I have to prove myself but with you, I feel totally comfortable."

Everyone smiled at this. They were glad of their friend Fury. 

Well except Luna, who was a little annoyed. "Ah nuzzle her. I'm sure she is better to caress than I am, Lightning Bug." She said pouting.

"Oh come on, going green eyed already, my sweet Moonpie?" Fury asked. "Nuzzling is a platonic thing felines both sapient and not always do. But you know what I would never do with her that I would do with you?" 

Before Luna could answer. Fury quickly ran up and kissed her on the lips. She didn't expect it, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.

"Does that make it better, sweetie?" Fury asked.

Luna nodded. "Yes, my love, yes it does." Luna said with a smile. "But admit it. You knew that would make me jealous, didn't you?"

"Not at first," Then Fury gave a mischievous smirk. "But when I saw you get a little unamused, I figured I'd do it a little longer. But considering our kiss, I think it worked quite well."

"Oh Fury, you're the same sly trickster as you were as a kid." Obsidian said. 

"Yep! And no amount of politeness classes from Miss Bookhorse will ever quench that." 

Twilight rolled her eyes while smiling. "I can attest to that fact."

Everyone had a good laugh at that. It was truly a perfect time so far despite the hiccups. Even the scenery of a beautiful sunset fit the occasion.

"Well, I'd say this homecoming trip is concluded. You guys wanna get going?" Fury asked.

"Yep. I've done enough walking for today to be honest." Obsidian said. 

"Agreed we all need our rest for today." Celestia said. "We've earned it."

But Twilight did not share that sentiment and wanted to keep exploring. "Aww, but I wanted to see some of the historical sites of this village. Like the old statues or fountains. And even ask about the customs of this place-"

"Wow, Twilight being the one who doesn't want to leave. No surprise there." Cadence chuckled, getting a blush from her sister-in-law. "But we'll do it later, you have to recover your strength before pressing on."

Twilight knew she was right and reluctantly nodded. "Fine, but I will write about this place later."

"Well, I guess that settles it. Mom, Dad, I already know what you're about to say. If you want to grab anything from here before we go, do it." Fury said.

"Oh good, there were a few things I wanted to recover before we left. Don't worry, sweetie, we'll be quick." Black Ice said.

Fury nodded. "Okay, just make sure you don't spend a whole week at the store."

The two parents just laughed and went on to do their thing. As they did, Fury said his goodbyes to the council and led his group out of the building. He left Jade and Amethyst out of the picture though, they would need some time before they got anything out of him that was remotely positive. 

And so, the group finally caught the train out of the valley and took the trip home. As they rode along the rails, Fury stared back at his old home. Not with hatred or rage, but with a bit of hope in his eyes. He saw that some of the village managed to change after he left. And while some of it will be missed, he knew it was for the better for not just him but for the whole village.

Maybe the Emperor was right. Being an All Powerful is not just about having powerful abilities, but also an ability to bring others together.

And so he smiled and decided to take a rest for the next day.
> Chapter 46: The Way Of The Waves
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the day stretched onto near noon, ponies went about their way through Canterlot as usual. Business ponies ran their shops, elites went to board meetings and get-togethers. But one thing that wasn't as usual was the Princess of the Sun going for a stroll through the castle garden.

Celestia enjoyed the sweet smell of the roses and petunias. It was a much needed sight for a busy princess like herself, especially after having to deal with the many requests and grievances of delegates. Taking in the smell of Autumn around the corner, she took notice of the leaves on the trees beginning to change from green to many shades of yellow and orange. Celestia always liked autumn, it was her favorite season. Not just because of the beauty of the scenery, but the feeling of cozying up next to a nicely lit fire with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book.

Perhaps she was more like her previous student than she realized. As she strolled along, she drank in the usual sights and sounds of seasons changing. Falling leaves, blooming flowers, the cool breeze blowing away at her ethereal mane. But as she turned a corner, she got a look at a very unusual sight.

There, sitting under a tree in a loaf position was none other than Night Fury, sitting as still as a stump while idly flicking through a book. It was a rather surprising sight for the solar goddess. The usually hyper and quick paced feline sitting still and reading, a very unusual sight.

Celestia was amused at his posture. Speed Shifters really were like cats after all. 

But more than that, she was curious about what he was reading. Deciding to take a closer look, the alabaster alicorn opened her wings and flapped upward as silently as she could. She gracefully glided over to where the black feline was sitting and made her quiet landing directly next to him. Opening a wing, she carefully draped it over him and laid next to him to announce her presence.

Fury took notice. "Well well, Tia, decided you were bored walking alone and wanted my company even if it means becoming a blanket?"

Celestia giggled. "No. Well…maybe a little. I was just curious to see what you were reading. Is it that Daring Do book Twilight and Spike keep on going crazy over?"

Fury shook his head. "Nope, it's something a little more… educational." 

He slid the book over to Celestia to where she discovered he was reading a book about aquatic animals.

"Interesting choice. I never expected Shifters to be much into those underwater. I thought you were mostly focused on the land."

"Oh don't get me wrong, I love the thrill of an open field for my speed. But recently, something has been itching me. I've been thinking about all of the transformations I have at my disposal and honestly, a lot of them are ground pounders. I basically have barely any aerial or aquatic forms to use besides a select few, and as the All Powerful Speed Shifter, it's no good for me to be a grounded one trick."

Fury then looked a bit serious. "After all, I know that I'll soon have some future problems with enemies like those Shadow Shifters or Blueblood. And who knows where they'll show up next? I may have gotten most of my battles to happen on land, but who knows if they show up by air or sea?"

"After all, I have heard stories from elders of attacks from the air or underwater and that they might have some secret subtribes on islands or in the mountains. And if that happens, I can't be lacking in available forms to take if I want to face those types. Plus, it's a bit of a personal thing because… Brace yourself… I've never seen the ocean." Fury said sheepishly.

"Oh really?" Celestia asked. "Quite a shame. The ocean is beautiful to look at the coral underwater and of course a good sunset."

"Eh, it's not like I've ever gotten the chance to see it. Thunder Hollow and Speed Valley are the definition of landlocked. The biggest body of water I've ever seen is that one pond my parents taught me to swim in. That's it." Fury said, almost ashamed at his lack of knowledge of the ocean.

"I've heard so many tales from our Shifter past of sailors and pirates from the olden days. Remember when you went into my dreams and saw those pirates? I guess that whole dream was part of a greater urge to get to the sea and explore its wonders. But, I guess that's gonna be how it is for a while. Just a dream. Where am I gonna go in the middle of this Summer-Fall transition that wouldn't make seeing the ocean unbearable with this cool breeze?"

If there was one thing Celestia appreciated about Fury it was his curiosity for new places. It reminded her of herself when she was younger asking her mother what lies beyond Canterlot.

"Perhaps there is a way for you to live out this dream." Celestia pondered aloud. "Give me a few days, I'll speak to my sister and others to see if I can't find you your first look at a full-fledged beach."

"Wait, you really would do that?!" Fury asked with excitement.

"Anything for our ambassador. After all, there is a practical military reason for you to learn about these for you exotic sea creatures. And of course I need a vacation."

Fury chuckled. "Yeah, you do need a vacation from sitting on that throne all day listening to those suck up emissaries. Plus I need one too after that last trip out of town. Phew, I need a break from the drama."

Celestia understood that his trip back home was very tasking for him, physically and mentally. All of the stress he forced himself through just to benefit Equestria was worth it, but I came at a hefty cost. 

She moved closer to him and wrapped him in a side hug. "Do not worry, Night Fury. You have done all there is to provide and protect those you love. I- No, we couldn't ask for any more from you."

Fury smiled at her, feeling satisfied with his effort to bring peace between Shifters and Ponies. 

"Thanks Tia, you always know what to say." Fury said, embracing her before rising from his loafing position. "Well, I'll be off. I can't wait to see what the ocean looks like and what sand feels like between my toes. I hope you won't fail." He said as he gave a final wave and took off running.

"I promise you will love it!" Celestia cried out. 

"After all, it was made to entertain me. And by extension you." Celestia said to herself. 

–

A Few Days Later…

Night Fury was relaxing in his villa back in Ponyville, dipping into a case of soda he bought as a celebration for his triumph in Thunder Hollow. After Fury returned home, he was immediately bombarded with worried questions, concerns and panic from his friends and even Pyro. It was quite a wild scene to return to, but he was glad his friends had his well being in their best interests.

Pyro took it upon herself to do extra upon his return. Cleaning double what she usually did and making extra sure the meals she made were just perfect, even showing him her first letter to Celestia and Luna to check in on what she was learning. It made Fury chuckle on the inside to see her worrying about him like this after basically just being reformed from her crusade to kill him. It was almost like she was bracing for impact from her parents after a bad grade in class.

As he rested, he thought about what the ocean and a beach looked like. It was way out of even his imagination's limits to figure out what that looked like, so he figured he would leave that to Celestia and whoever else was coming along to show him. As if on cue, a knock came at his front door.

"Coming!" Fury said with pep in his step.

He opened the door. It was none other than Celestia herself. 

"Well, Fury, I trust you're still excited to go?" Celestia asked, already knowing his answer.

"You bet I am! I'm done being a landlubber. I'm ready to go!"

Celestia nodded. "Good. But before you go you can take some friends along if you so desire."

"Good call. Wouldn't want that to be just you and me." Fury said. He then gave a whistle out to his right. In return, a familiar squawking came closer to his position. Coming over some nearby trees, Philomena soared up and down to Fury, landing on his shoulder. 

"Hey Philomena, glad to see you're still flying high." Fury said, getting a happy squawk from the Phoenix. "Hey, you think you can spread the word about a vacation opportunity for me?"

The Phoenix nodded agreeingly. "Great! Here, let me grab something." 

Fury took off inside and Philomena traded her perch on Fury's shoulder for Celestia's back. As Fury rummaged around in his room, he decided to pack a few extra things for this very important and fun trip.

"Alright, I'm going to have a great time today. I have to get everything ready though. Let's see… sunglasses, beach ball for some fun and tricks, a camera, sketchpad for visualizing my new possible forms. And last but not least, that weird Warp Topaz that Discord gave me for my birthday." 

Fury ran back outside quickly with his saddlebags and wrote something down on a small piece of paper, simultaneously putting on his Warp Topaz glove and shooting a portal to the Crystal Empire off to the side.

"Ok Philomena, take this note to the Crystal Empire and see if Cadence and Shining Armor feel like coming. I'll go ask the girls and see if they feel like a vacation. Got it?"

The bird nodded, gave a squawk in agreement, took the note and went on her way to the Crystal Empire.

"Okay, Philomena's on her way. I trust Cadence to teleport her back here with her after getting the note. Tia, you wait here for them just in case. I'm going around town to spread the word." Fury said, leaving no time to waste as he charged up a bright red and blasted away towards town.

-

Fury went around in a rush to ask any of the Mane Six who wanted to go. Unfortunately, some were too busy to go. Applejack had to help with her cousin in Manehattan, Rainbow was doing some reserve flier business with the Wonderbolts. Even the one he most expected, Pinkie Pie, was heaving her way through the autumn rush as demands for Pumpkin Pies and other Fall related treats began to rise. For a bit, he seemed a bit disappointed that his friends weren't available to go with him to finally see the ocean. 

But soon enough, his luck would turn around once he got to the Carousel Boutique.

"Why of course I have time darling! And such a pleasant locale too? I'll be able to show off my latest line of beach wear!" Rarity said quite enthusiastically, which left Night Fury confused.

"Why do ponies even wear bathing suits? You guys basically go without anything to cover up unless it's cold out." Fury said, his mind boggled by the concept of swimsuits for a species that barely wore any clothes at all.

"What kind of question is that? For the sake of style, darling! There's nothing that says summer or vacation than some good chic attire. What, should we just swim naked? Preposterous!" Rarity said, disgusted at the very idea.

"Rarity… I'm a highly evolved wild cat with the ability to morph my body into any animal I choose and I have no problem with it. You're just sensitive. Anyway, just meet at my villa and we'll be able to get going." He said plainly, taking off for his next destination.

"Boy, I'll never get why some ponies are so obsessed with clothes. Well then again, my mom tends to go crazy shopping too, so I guess that's sadly not restricted to ponies." Fury said.

–

Next up, Fury went to the Golden Oak Library to see if Twilight was up for a little vacay. In Fury's mind, his depiction of Twilight taking a vacation was her just going to a library next to the beach and reading books or even sitting on a floater in the middle of a pool while reading. A sight like that gave him a laugh as he came up to the door and knocked to see if anypony was in.

"Coming!" A young male voice called. The door opened revealing the small drake. "Hey, Fury, what's up?"

"Hey, little dude, is Twilight here? I want to talk to her about going somewhere."

"And where would that be?" The purple unicorn asked as she walked in, her eyes tied to a book on ancient economics.

"Why none other than th- Actually, I don't know. Celestia hasn't told me yet. All I know is it's somewhere I'll finally get to see the ocean for the first time." Fury said.

"The ocean?"

"Yeah, gonna transform into some sea creatures there and also have a nice time chilling out." Fury said. "Wanna come?"

"Eh, that's okay, I have some reading to do-"

Spike chimed in. "Okay, that's fine, Twi. I guess we'll just miss out on all the coral reefs, the fish, the sharks, the dolphins. But you know, we know how to learn about all that."

"Alright alright, you've convinced me, Spike." Twilight said. "I'm coming. And I'll make sure to bring my notebook for this. It's not everyday I can see sea creatures up close."

"Sweet! You two head for my villa, I've just gotta make one last stop." Fury said, turning to run. "And Twi, don't be the buzzkill who makes lectures about stuff on a vacation. I know you would." 

And with that, he took off for his final destination. Twilight scrunched up her muzzle at his comment.

"I do not make lectures on vacation, and I am not a buzzkill!" She huffed.

Spike snorted. "Yeah, and I think diamonds aren't delicious."

"Just get back to cleaning."

–

As a last stop on his run to find companions that would like to come along, he made his final trip to a familiar cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville. He walked up the path to Fluttershy's home with confidence, hoping that she would be so kind as to join him. As he neared the door, he saw an instantly recognizable ball of white fuzz sitting on the window sill.

"Oh, it's you." Fury said to the bunny who was looking him up and down with a judgemental expression.

"Oh don't give me that look, Angel. You know just as well as I do that everything from my first day in town is long gone. Just leave me to this and bounce off to… I dunno, munch on some salad or something?"

Angel grunted, looking down. 

Fury knocked on the door. 

"Please hold on a moment!" Fluttershy came out after a little while. "Oh hello, Fury. How are you doing?"

"Good, but it will be great soon. You see there is this beach resort and Celestia's invited me to go see the ocean for the first time. Also Twilight, Spike, Rarity and hopefully Cadence and Shining Armor. And you're the last guest."

"Really? Hmmm, with all due respect I don't like the idea of going to a resort to party and all that." She said, sounding a little timid.

"Oh, this isn't about partying. This is just to have some beachside fun, see the sights and hopefully find some new aquatic friends so that I can have more transformations at my disposal. I only realized recently that most of my forms are grounded and I want to have fun while rounding out my arsenal."

Fluttershy's face then instantly lit up. "In that case, I would definitely like to go! Oh to see all those magnificent beasts and to see you transform too. I can't pass this up. I'm game."

"Awesome! Come on, everyone else is waiting at my villa. Trust me when I say, this should be good." Fury said. And so, Fluttershy went alongside the black feline to go on a little vacation. Of course she had somepony keep her animal friends fed and cared for while she was gone, but it was almost a second thought as she imagined all the aquatic friends she could meet at this new location.

–

Later…

Soon enough, almost everyone was waiting at the front steps of Fury's villa. Save for Philomena and the Crystal royals as the portal Fury made was a rather good distance away from the Crystal Palace, so it was no surprise that it would take a bit longer to get there.

Fury kept pacing around, waiting for the Royal Couple. He couldn't wait for everyone to get together. Shining could be especially useful in military simulation. But right now, all he could do was wait.

"Sheesh, how long does it take for a flaming zombie bird to send a message?" Fury huffed.

"Remember, to a phoenix, a minute might seem like a long time to us. It tries to detect the weather and determine the best route. They also have to eat lunch. They like to do things their way." Celestia pointed out. "Especially Philomena."

"Fine fine, but if she's as needy and proper as the mini marshmallow over here, then we're doomed."

Rarity gave an unamused look. "I'm only as needy as I have to be! I have some standards to keep. It's what keeps me sane in these rough times."

Spike sighed lovingly. "That is why you're so awesome, Rarity. As strong as you are beautiful."

"Oh thank you, Spikey Wikey." Rarity cooed, nuzzling the small dragon. Before Fury could come up with a witty response to Spike's crush, a teal flash distracted him at his side. Appearing next to him was none other than Cadence and Shining Armor, the Phoenix sent to retrieve them perched on the princess' back.

Finally, at last saved from soap opera dialogue.

"Well, it's nice you two finally arrived." Fury said. "I was getting anxious."

Shining scratched his back. "Yeah, sorry about that. Just had to deal with some rookies sleeping on the job… again. Seriously, I need a vacation. And from what I heard went down with you, you probably need one too."

"Relax, I'm fine. At least now I am. I got what needed to be done, done. Now, I can relax." Fury sighed.

Cadence nodded. "Yep, I know for a fact I used to go here a lot as a filly. Just a nice place to build sand castles and see the exotic creatures."

"Oh, that reminds me! Where are we going, Celestia?" Fury asked.

"Oh! I didn't tell you, did I? Why, it is known as Sunny Shores. A place known for its soothing waters and its pleasant climate, not too hot or cold. Just the perfect temperature. You'll love it."

"I sure hope I do, this'll be the first time I'll see the ocean and step onto a beach. Speaking of which, what in Snowdrift's name are we standing here for? C'mon, we've got a train to catch!"

Fury sprinted to the train while the others had to run quickly to catch up. Even without using his powers, the black feline was a rather fast sprinter. They reached the usual train with tickets provided by Celestia herself. It had the usual luxuries but it had a tropical aesthetic with palm trees and ukulele players playing for the guests. There were even some fish tanks with exotic aquatic life in them.

Most of the fish Night Fury had seen before around his home, it was nothing new to his gaze. But he had a feeling all of that familiarity would be tossed out the window once they made it to Sunny Shores.

–

A few minutes later…

The train was moving along at a steady pace along the line, occasionally blowing the whistle at the odd tunnel or railroad crossing along the way. As the train ran its course, the passengers noticed the scenery beginning to change. Tall oaks and maple trees were traded in for palm trees, grass was substituted for pebbles and stones and most importantly, the bodies of water were beginning to grow in size.

Fury was almost glued to the window as he watched all of the new landmarks fly by his vision, soaking in the new looks of the land.

"Wow, this place looks way different from my old home. Heck, even Ponyville! I've never seen palm trees before." He said happily, almost sounding like an excited child going on vacation.

"Well, don't get too excited yet." Celestia said. "That is just the tip of the iceberg. Soon you'll see even more amazing sites. Even the water will impress you."

"Speaking of water, what's this aquarium thing? Never heard of it?" Fury asked, looking through a brochure of Sunny Shores' many attractions.

"Well it will be like being underwater, but we won't be swimming. You'll get to see creatures from the deep at ground level." Celestia explained.

Fury was intrigued. Being able to see creatures that live in the deep depths of the ocean at ground level? That's something he could get used to.

"Forget the aquarium, the real prizes are those warm beaches. Trust me, whiskers. When it comes to living the best life, suntanning on a bright and sunny beach is where it's at." Shining Armor boasted.

"Ugh, please. If I wanted to see a pale weiner get baked into a hotdog, I'd ask mom to make me lunch." Fury snorted in unamused displeasure.

Shining folded his arms in protest. "A stallion can't enjoy his hobbies without ridicule even by his friends…"

"Not with me, you can't." Fury laughed. The conductor then stepped into the carriage to announce their arrival. 

"Next stop, Sunny Shores!" He shouted as he moved down the aisle to the next coach.

Now was the last leg of their journey. Now they could see sand, more palm trees, luxurious looking buildings, some gift shops, an amusement park and many more were now in sight.

Fury was panting at all the fun he could have. But first, he wanted to see something. 

Ast they stepped off the train, Fury immediately made his efforts to find the closest outpost or platform close to the beach. Soon finding one, he made a b-line for it, leaving all of his friends to go after him before they got lost in the crowds.

Running up the stairs to the wooden platform, Fury skidded to a stop and was amazed at what he saw. There, out in front of him was a big mass of clear blue water. Waves splashing and crashing against each other and the beach closer inland. He also took a look at the yellow sand that sat under him in the platform, ponies of all ages going back and forth across the surface as they played. The others soon caught up to him and saw him standing next to the railing, tail and ears softly being blown to one side as he stared out at the scene ahead.

"Woah…" he said in amazement. "So that's the ocean, huh?"

"It's so… divine!" Rarity said, almost paralyzed. "I've only been here for one minute and yet I already am in love! Imagine the designs I could make from them. Just look at the sapphire blue ocean and those large palms and those seashells and the sun and- Mmmm."

Cadence covered her mouth. "Okay okay, I think we get it. It's very lovely." 

Celestia chuckled. "I see Fury is not the only one excited. Most ponies react this way. Here, let's set up our spot. Spike?"

"Already on it, princess!" Spike then began to have some bags from the platform down to the beach with the rest following him. Once they got down to the beach, Fury took his first step onto the yellow sand. But what he didn't expect was how hot it would be.

Yowling as if he had been shot, he jumped back and landed on Cadence's back, his paws literally red and steaming.

"Yow! Hot hot hot! Hatatatata!" Fury squealed as he blew on his paws, desperately looking for relief from the sand.

"I didn't know you were secretly a dancer. It's just sand!" Spike said snarkily.

"Yes, Spike, you are correct. But it is also very hot sand. Not to mention that we all have been on a beach before and Night Fury hasn't." Celestia said, watching Fury try to cool his paws on her niece's back.

"I'm being cooked alihihive! Do something!" 

Spike interrupted. "Okay okay, All Powerful, just lay on the beach mat."

Fury said nothing and simply leaped on, sprawling his legs. He gave a deep breath. "Ohhhh, I thought I wasn't gonna make it there. How does anyone deal with this?"

"Believe me I wondered that too. But you do acclimate. You just have to take it slow, one leg at a time." Twilight said. "Which is more than I can say than when my oh so smart brother decided to take me to the sunny beach with no warning for the first time!"

"I had to get you out somehow away from those dusty books! To see nature and to feel the warm sand under your hooves."

"More like the burning feeling." Twilight said grumbling.

For Fury, he took Twilight's advice. It took a few minutes, but he acclimated to the sands' temperatures. And he started to enjoy the texture. It felt strange. He never had been on sand and it felt kind of weird having so many tiny tiny grains of sand between his toes. But he got used to it. It felt sort of fun, although he was not a fan of how the specks got in his claws.

By then, everyone had set up their spot on the beach and were ready to have fun.

"Alright, we're set up! First order of business, seeing how fast I can take off on sand." Fury said, about to do a launch before Twilight stopped him.

"Woah, hit the brakes! You can't run here!" Twilight said.

"What, why?"

"Because of how the sand will crystallize under your speed. Sand crystallizes when interacting with electric heat, turning it into very sharp glass! A lightning strike may only make a pinpoint spire of glass, but imagine what would happen with a supercharged speed launch."

"That… sounds kinda cool." Fury said. "Maybe I should test that out."

"And fabulous!" Rarity said.

"It's like that speeder in my comics!" Spike said.

"Don't encourage him!" Twilight said. "The people who own this beach won't like seeing a bunch of glass here."

"Relax, Madame Buzzkill. I'll just grab a batch in my paw." Fury scoffed. He picked up some of the sand in his paw and energized it, the cracks in his closed fist glowing red. After a few seconds, he opened his paw to find a small ball of glass as big as his foot pad.

Everyone was impressed. Not the least of which was Twilight.

"By Celestia, I never thought it would be done so quickly!" Twilight said, now switching completely to impress.
"I guess my electric charge is bigger than your usual lightning strike. Speaking of which… Twi, how much voltage comes from a lightning strike?"

"About 300 million volts, but it usually takes only 250 volts to turn sand into glass." Twilight said.

"Okay, scan my aura and compare. As an All Powerful, I must be somewhere above that."

Twilight nodded. She closed her eyes and glowed a purple aura. A light amount of energy flowed to Fury. She could now sense his energy.

"So what is it, Twi?" Fury asked. Twilight jumped back and looked at him in shock.

"Fury… your voltage is so high that all of Canterlot would be powered for eternity. You have… almost an infinite voltage."

Fury was surprised. He knew he had a lot of energy inside him. Both literally and personality wise. But were all powerfuls that powerful?

"Gee, no wonder why those Shadow Shifters wanted to capture me so badly. They wanted all this sweet energy."

"A passive charge like yours could be used as an eternal battery. And an active use of your energy, could blow Canterlot Castle to rubble. The only thing stopping you is your body's internal limits." Twilight said, amazed.

"Wow, I had all this energy and didn't even know for years. Cool." Fury said. He then felt something wet brush up against his ankle. Looking over, he got a look at the ocean again.

"So, what do you ponies usually do at the beach? For all I know, it's all just water and sand." Fury said, wondering what fun he could have at this new location.

"You can get a good tan!" Rarity said.

"Okay, I meant something actually fun. Thank you very much." He said.

"Yep, that's all there is. Water and sand." Cadence said. "The question is what can you do with those two. Especially… together." Cadence said taking some wet sand with her magic and building a castle.

"D-did you just make a building from sand?"

"Ah yes darling," Rarity said. "You can be absolutely creative with these. When I was a filly I used to design the most fabulous castles of all."

"Ooh, let me try!" Fury immediately got to work, collecting sand and building it up into a rough mock up of Twilight's new castle.

"Nice job, you really captured the detail." Cadence commented.

"Thanks!" Fury replied. Just then, something caught his eye. A small red object skittered by in his peripheral vision.

"What the… hang on, I think I saw something." The black feline searched around him, looking around both his and Cadence's constructs. Just as he got low to the ground next to the love princess, a patch of sand moved out from between his front legs and a small creature appeared.

"Woah, new creature alert! Who's this little guy?" Fury asked. The small red creature has two claws, six legs, two beady black eyes and a shell on its back.

Fluttershy gasped. "I haven't seen one of these in forever! This is called the hermit crab!"

"This little thing is a crab?" Fury asked. "And a hermit? Heh, I guess it likes being all alone."

"Well, alone from predators." Fluttershy said. "That shell on its back protects it from seagulls and some fish. It's also his home."

Fury gave the yellow pegasus a strange look. "That shell is its home? Looks a little small though."

"Oh, he'll get a new one. At least once he grows out of his old one." She said.

"Cool! I've got to get his form." Fury said, slowly approaching the hermit crab who had now taken refuge between Cadence's front legs.

"Hey there, little guy. Don't be afraid, I won't hurt ya. Just need a little touch."

Fury caressed the shell, feeling its smooth yet tough exterior. He could see how its shell would come in real handy.

"Okay, so a durable little fellow. But how do you look? Come on buddy, let me see ya."

Fluttershy spoke to the crab. "He's friendly. Come out and see him."

The crab went out and saw him. The little crab scuttled his way over to Fury and offered a claw.

"I see. Now, the time has come. Time to transform." He closed his eyes. And focused. A red electric aura arose and he transformed. Down in-between Cadence's front legs was not only a red hermit crab, but a black one with red stripes as well. But one difference was clear to see from her standpoint. One was without natural protection.

"Well? Pretty impressive, huh?" Fury asked with confidence.

But no one was awed. In fact, Spike was laughing.

"Yeah, real impressive. Showing off your physique, huh?" Spike said.

"What are you talking abou-" Fury looked behind him and stared in abject horror. To his shock, one thing was missing from his form. One crucial piece that made him complete. One piece that protected his small, fragile form. His shell.

"Yikes, I don't have a shell! I'm naked!" Fury shrieked. "Uh, Cadence… would you mind using your size difference to me and find me a shell? Because I don't know about you but I don't want to end up being a seagull's lunch!"

Caw! Caw caw!

And right on cue, there were some seagulls approaching the group. They knew what that meant.

Cadence nodded. "Okay! Let me see, how can we give you a shell? let's see… um…"

Cadence looked to and fro at what was on the sand and saw nothing approaching shelter. She felt desperate. As if that wasn't enough a wave flowed in. 

"Not now! I don't have time for this!" She said frantically. 

But then it turned out that shell might have been the answer to their troubles. They saw a small seashell wash over.

Cadence said. "Fury, hurry and get in there! It's your only chance!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Fury scuttled quickly over to the shell.

Meanwhile Twilight and Cadence tried to distract the flock of seagulls and Fluttershy tried to make peace with them but they were too determined to eat the naked crab.

They all hurried to Fury.

"Come on, Fury, you can make it!" Fury went as fast as his six legs could move, watching the sky for any stealth experts in the flock. As soon as he got close enough, he went inside and-

Snap!

Just in time, he had closed the shell. All that was seen was his larger claw blocking the entrance. Seeing that their snack had found a hard shell that their beaks couldn't break through, the seagulls backed off, leaving Fury safe and sound.

"Fury, are you alright?! Did they injure you in any way?" Fluttershy asked.

"Nope, this shell, even if it's not a hermit crab shell, protected me from harm. So I'm A-OK." Fury said, giving his version of a thumbs up with a pincer.

Everypony sighed in relief.

"Well I think we now know to watch out for any possible threats before stuff like that." Twilight said. 

"Yeah, totally." Fury agreed, finally popping his little head out of his shell. "Boy, some of these smaller sea creatures have it tough! I'd have never taken something as small as me to be such a big target."

"Well I guess that's why they call it the survival of the fittest," Spike said. "And you, with your pale, pink, meaty skin, you were definitely not considered the fittest or… the best looking." He said with a little disgust.

"Okay, thanks for pointing that out, Spike." Fury said, a little annoyed. "But either way I don't wanna be exposed like this. I would like to have a real shell."

"Do not worry, small cretaceous creatures. While you were fighting for survival, I happened to stumble upon a shell just big enough for you." Celestia said, hoofing over a smaller shell that seemed to be his size.

"Hmm… it seems big enough. Gotta test 'er out." Fury said, walking out of the seashell into his new shell. It took some time to wiggle and fit into the new shell. It was small even for him. But he finally got in.

"Can you walk with it now?" Fluttershy asked.

"Hold on." Fury heaved the shell onto his back and began scuttling, he moved around quite quickly and it felt effortless. He was able to get around with ease. It fit him like armor.

"Yep, she's a keeper! But I've got to find a bigger creature to add to my collection. Sure, having claws and six legs is cool, but the size isn't exactly gonna help me win battles. At least, if it isn't against a decent sized maggot." Fury deadpanned, transforming back and regaining his usual size.

"Hmmm, a deadly creature from around here… what do we have?" Twilight asked.

"Well, those seagulls sure liked to pick a fight." Spike said. "Maybe we should go for them."

"More of an annoyance than a threat, but nice try, Spike." Cadence said, patting his head.

"Perhaps now would be a good time to take a jaunt around the aquarium? Don't worry, our spot on the beach will be professionally reserved for us until we get back." Celestia suggested, getting approval from the group.

"Sounds good. Maybe I can get in touch with a few of them too. Lead the way, marshmallow tush." Fury snickered.

"Somehow I feel insulted too." Rarity said as they walked to the aquarium.

–

Later…

The group had arrived at the aquarium entrance and took a look around. The top of the archway had two dolphins circling around a circle that resembled the sea. Upon entering, they were immediately met with tanks of water that held some small fish, most likely a visual appetizer for the main course deeper within.

"Wow, you ponies sure know how to decorate a place to fit the theme." Fury said. "So, where do we start?" 

Celestia walked ahead and waved them over. "First, we actually check in with reception. I have a guided tour reserved with you as the top celebrity to look out for. Just a little gift from me personally."

"Well, then, I happily accept. I can't wait to see all these fish, especially those dolphins." Fury said.

"Ha ha ha ha! Fish, you say?" said a voice behind him.

"Wait, where did you come from-"

"These big fellows are not fish, they are actually mammals like you and I." He saw a mare in a diving suit whose head was exposed to reveal a white mare with a messy blue mane and a sea shell in her hair. 

"Huh, never thought I'd see a mammal looking like that. The sea really is weird." Fury admitted.

"And that's what makes it so fun! Not like the boring plain old land. I can attest to that!" She said in a giddy voice.

"Wait, who are you exactly, ma'am?" Twilight asked. The mare immediately blushed at the purple princess' question.

"Oh! Please forgive my lack of an introduction, I've just been very excited as I'm one of the divers here that interacts with the animals. Ahem, anyway… Hello everyone, my name is Wavefinder and I'll be your guide through the Sunny Shores Aquarium!"

"Hmmm, you're not going to try to sell a book or merch, are you?" Spike asked skeptically.

"Spike!" Twilight scolded.

"Sorry, kiddo, the only thing I sell is adventure! Come along everyone!" She said, pulling Fury along.

Oh boy, I guess we don't need Pinkie with this diver around. Fury thought to himself.

As they were brought into the aquarium, the brightness of the sun was slowly dimmed as the only surface light to be seen was through the tanks on either side of them.

"Here at this aquarium, you'll all get to see fascinating creatures going above and below the water and showing you their most interesting features. But first, let's start small." Wavefinder said, stopping next to one of the windows that looked into the tank full of water.

"In here is one of the most playful and curious creatures you'll ever meet. Everyone, say hello to the dolphins!" Just as she spoke her words, a pod of dolphins swam by and noticed the group. Moving closer to the glass they swam and spun in different directions as any energetic creature would.

"My goodness, they are so adorable." Fluttershy said, squeeing like a filly. "Can I pet them?"

"There are stairs leading up to the surface of the tank, follow me."

Approaching the steps to the tank, Wavefinder warned them not to slip. As they reached the top, Wavefinder called out to the individual dolphins below the surface.

"Come here! Reginald! Flipper! Blowhole!"

They came out of the water, looking at the new guests with wonder in their eyes.

"Feed them some fish and they'll let you pet them." Wavefinder said, handing them fish.

"Awesome!" Fury said excitedly. "Uh… Flipper, up top!"

He threw a fish into the air but to his surprise, Flipper jumped up straight into the air, catching the fish.

Flipper than landed into the water and came up. 

Fury was amazed. "Wow, didn't know you guys could actually jump like that." Fury said, petting the dolphin. He then showed a face of concern when he saw the hole on top of his head.

"Woah, what's with the scar on Flipper's head? As a matter of fact, what's with the scars on all of their heads?" Fury said, a little scared.

"Oh those aren't scars, they're blowholes. Dolphins don't have nostrils like you and me, so they have a blowhole on the top of their head that lets them breathe." Wavefinder said. "They even shoot out water from their blowholes."

Fury was amazed. "Wow. Like manticores are crazy and all but I don't even know what I'm hearing with these dolphins. Is there anything else they can do?"

"They can stand on their tails and clap their fins. Watch." Wavefinder looked over to the dolphins and called out. "Okay you three, just like we practiced. Standing Ovation!"

As they heard her voice, all three dolphins rose from the water and flicked their tails back and forth, allowing them to stay up as they clapped their fins while making clicks and whistles.

"Look at 'em go!" Twilight said with glee.

"Wow, I didn't even know they could do that!" Fury said. Then, he remembered something. "Wait a minute… I've just been in direct contact with a new creature. I can literally be one of them now!"

He said, closing his eyes and leaping into the tank. And just before he touched the water, his body transformed into the creature he had just touched. Coming up from below, he revealed his new form. His smooth skin was a lighter black than his usual fur, a few light patches around his body.

"Oh… so this is what Princess Celestia meant when she said you could take the forms of animals. I didn't think she meant it so literally." Wavefinder said. 

Fury admitted he did find it strange how unsurprised she was but then she was among sea creatures. Of course she was used to weird stuff.

"That's what being a Speed Shifter is all about." Fury said. Just then, Flipper swam over. "Oh hey, Flipper. You like the new look?"

Flipper let out a few clicks and whistles in response. While the others couldn't understand what was being said, a certain yellow pegasus and the black dolphin could hear him like he was speaking clear English.

"It looks like Flipper is quite pleased with their new guest." Fluttershy said. "He said he appreciated the fish very much."

"Heh, nice to see a fish connoisseur. I guess that's one thing we felines and you dolphins have in common." Fury said. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know how I can use this new blowhole to my advantage, would ya?" 

Fury made a small flick towards the pink and white princesses with his tail. Understanding his desire to act upon his mischievous tendencies, Flipper relayed the whole thing to him.

"Uh Huh… okay… oh, that's cool… Gotcha! Come on, you know the deal."

Rarity wondered. "Oh another utterly divine performance? I can hardly wait!"

After looking at Rarity, Fury then smiled even more and communicated with the others, but in their language to avoid suspicion. They got in position.

"Here it comes." Cadence said.

Fluttershy then made out what they were planning. "Wait… I think the dolphins are going to-"

But it was too late. With one swift and coordinated motion, all four dolphins jumped out of the water, flipped forward and blasted water out of their blowholes like water cannons.

"What the heck, you guys!?" Cadence asked.

"My mane! I spent half a day getting it just right. To look like the waves. And now you ruined it!" Rarity cried out in anguish.

Celestia simply laughed. "Oh Fury, I shouldn't have expected any less from you."

"You got that right. My prank arsenal expands every day." Fury said. "Come on Flipper, give me a fist bump- I mean, flipper bump." 

Flipper did so and had a look of accomplishment.

Wavefinder was extremely impressed. "Very nice! Excellent form from all of you!"

"Thank you very much. Well, thanks for the fun, you three. But this dolphin isn't permanent." Fury said, diving under for one final leap out of the water and onto dry land as he trades his fins for paws.

"I'm a still land creature or as you might say, a landlubber. I still prefer running over swimming. I like the feeling of my feet on solid ground." Fury said.

Wavefinder chuckled. "I can't say I relate. I would gladly give up the land if it meant being a sea creature. I'm almost a little jealous. But either way. I'm glad you enjoyed these dolphins. So shall we proceed?"

"Let's roll, I wanna see some more cool creatures!" Fury chirped excitedly. Wavefinder nodded and guided them to the next part of their tour.

–

In another part of the aquarium, there was another tank that had more land around it. And strangely enough, there were walls of ice packed around the perimeter. The group stopped off near the makeshift shore and looked down at the water.

"Huh, wonder what creature could live here?" Shining Armor wondered aloud.

"Oh these little ones are very special. They may be from a colder part of the world, but they can warm the hearts of anyone." Wavefinder gave a whistle and waited for a response. A few seconds later, a black and white animal sprang out of the quiet pool and slid a few inches towards Cadence, stopping at her hooves.

Fury was surprised. "Wait wait wait, did that bird just shoot out of the water?"

"It sure did! He may be one of the world's flightless birds, but they sure do get around underwater." Wavefinder said. "Say hello to the arctic birds of the north, the penguins!"

The penguin waved at the group.

Celestia smiled. "Even to this day these creatures still surprise me. When ponies first went north and discovered these creatures, we were completely baffled."

Fluttershy looked in awe. "And for good reason. Look at this bird! It's so adorable!"

"And a bit weird." Fury said with a flopped over ear. "I've never seen a bird that waddles, let alone one that can swim underwater. Although, that slick coat of feathers does make it look cool."

Fury walked a little closer to the penguin. "Hey there, buddy. You're an interesting one, aren't you?"

Arawk!

"Ouch!" Fury said. "It bit me!"

"Penguins can be a little aggressive despite their adorable look.  Sorry I should have warned you first. But if you want it to warm up to you, you can feed it some food."

Fury nodded. "Fine. But what does this guy like to eat though?"

"I think you yourself would know." Fluttershy said. "It's a food you hold dear. But penguins hold it in even high regard."

Fury instantly knew. The most revered food for Shifters. Fish. 

"These guys are fish eaters too!?" Fury asked excitedly. "Sweet, I've got more relatable friends. And since this one decided to make contact, even if it was a bite…" 

Fury focused up his energy and transformed into a penguin, his slick black feathers glistening in the fluorescent lighting of the habitat.

"Woah, this is so cool! This is a form I ca- oof!" Fury was about to speak on his new form while walking about, but the instant he tried to take a normal step, he flopped into his face.

"Oof! That's gotta hurt." Shining groaned.

"Uh you okay?" Cadence asked, uprighting the face down bird.

"Ugh, fine. This form is weird. How come I can't walk straight?" Fury asked with annoyance.

"You're a penguin, remember? You've gotta waddle along!" The trainer said.

"Okay…" He said

He stepped again and he almost fell again. 

"How does anyone get used to this?" Fury asked.

"Hold on, I might be able to help." Shining said. "I know a thing or two about marching. Maybe you just have to do one step at a time."

Wavefinder nodded. "That just might work! Do as he says."

"Okay." Fury says, this time waddling very slowly. He still messed up a few times but he got better and better. 

"I think I'm kind of getting the hang of this. At least enough. But I still don't like walking in this form." Fury said grumbling.

"To be fair, the penguin's greatest talent is not on solid surfaces but in the ocean. Penguins are built to withstand the cold and they are designed to be as fast as a torpedo. If you are a fish, good luck!" 

"Hmmmm, is that so? Maybe I need to test that theory out." Fury remarked confidently.

Fury immediately took the chance to dive in the water, making a decent splash.

"Come along everyone, we'll be able to see him from down below."

They went to the lower part of the exhibit, with glass to reveal what was under the icy water. 

And they saw a penguin swimming going quickly to and fro. Fury looked like he was actually in his element. And having fun.

"Look at him go!" Twilight said. "So fast."

Fury looked at them and along with the same penguin who followed him swam to the glass and Fury gave a sort of cocky smile. And his attempt at a thumbs up with his flipper which was harder to do than he thought.

In the end, he just swam back up to the surface and met with everyone else next to the viewing window.

"Whew, now that was amazing! So much space and freedom. I can see why they're so fast. But I think we should step it up a bit. I wanna see something big!"

Wavefinder had a big grin when he said that.

"You want big? Alright you will get it but we have to go way down to see them. Come on out and follow me." 

Fury got out after giving a final farewell to the penguin. 

Fluttershy out of curiosity asked. "So what are we going to see exactly?"

Wavefinder smiled. "It's a surprise. Let's just say we'll be diving underwater to see these giants."

"But how will we do that?" Twilight asked.

Wavefinder did not respond and simply walked up to two large doors, unlocked them and opened them. After the doors opened, the group was met with a strange metal vehicle with fins, propellers, viewing ports and a roof hatch.

"This device is how we will go down under! Everyone, I want you to meet our latest submarine, built with the latest mix of magic and technology. We call her the Pufferfish!" 

"Whoa!!!" Everyone said.

"Wow! Now this is awesome!" Shining said. "I can imagine our military using this!"

Twilight also was excited. "And the technology! All the cameras, the glass, the strong metal! It's amazing I'm witnessing such advancement!"

Fury chuckled. "I guess those two really are siblings." He said amused at their geeking out of this advanced sub. "So, how are we gonna see these new guys underwater?"

"I'm glad you asked! Once we climb aboard, we'll head out to the actual ocean to a couple of predetermined viewing spots where they live. You'll be able to get in contact with them too!"

"With pleasure," Fury said. "Though I have seen some Manticores and Cragodiles so I know large."

Fluttershy shook her head. "Fury, what is giant on land, would be considered tiny to the creatures found in the ocean."

Wavefinder nodded agreeingly. "The pink haired one is right. Now let's stop talking and get to diving! Come on in!" 

Wavefinder opened the roof hatch and invited everyone inside, smallest to biggest. Once on the inside, they got a full view of what this 'Pufferfish' looked like. Diving suits were sat in the wall with oxygen tanks and rebreathers, many controls and switches sat at the front, an airlock in the middle to allow for easy access to the water once they got going and many more.

"Wow! Not even my comics can match this!" Spike said.

"No kidding. First trains, then karts, and now underwater submarines!? Sheesh, what's next? A way to replace missing limbs?" Fury said in amazement.

"Well some have been researching how to replicate healing properties of animals like starfish, so maybe, you never know, but can be excited with science!" Wavefinder said dramatically.

"I will never be the same." Fury said breathlessly. "So, how do we get this Pufferfish moving?"

"Ah, that would be my job, monsieur." said a Prench speaking old diver. "I have operated zese machines since i was your age."

"Ah bonjour. This gentlecolt is named Deep Dive and he has always wanted to explore underwater. Thanks to him, we have learned about these great creatures."

"Oui, merci. But without further ado, sit still and be ready to see true beauty!" He said operating the machine. 

There was the sound of machinery beginning to work, propellers spinning and electricity flowing. Instruments on the front of the sun lit up with air pressure, depth, water pressure, and fuel to name a few. And before they knew it, they were off to meet the giants of the sea.

The submarine dove down and entered a metal tunnel, the water craft lighting it up with its exterior lights. As they floated through the tunnel, they got to see just how far technology had come. But nothing would compare to the view they would get on the outside.

As the tunnel reached its end, the windows opened up to the magnificent view of the wide open ocean, the sun rays making the surrounding area look like an alien planet. 

"Whoa!" Everyone except for the Solar princess uttered. 

"What creatures will we see?" Fluttershy asked.

"Why not take a look for yourself?" Wavefinder asked, pointing out to the windows.

All of them gazed out and saw things that blew their minds.

"Is that a dolphin?!" Fury asked, pointing to the giant floating creature. Except that it had no fun on top of its head and was a slick black like him.

"That's no dolphin, kitty. That is something much bigger than any of us. She's a Sperm Whale. But they are related to dolphins and they are both mammals. It's just this gal is much, much bigger"

"Oh my… I never thought I'd see one!" Fluttershy said. "Such majestic beasts!"

Fury was in utter awe. He could not believe something larger than a house could exist.

"So, Fury, do you dare transform into this behemoth?" Celestia asked.

"Definitely! She's huge! She looks so strong!" Fury said with excitement. But then, something would disturb his ears. A loud pulse would bang against his eardrums and make him stagger.

"Ahh! What was that!?" Fury whined.

"Fury, are you okay!?" Fluttershy asked, panicked about Fury's state.

"Fine, I guess. But something loud just hit my ears. And for some reason, it's coming from that thing's head!" Fury said, pointing to the whale who had now taken notice of the metal craft.

"Why zat would be ze whale's echolocation!"

"Echolo what? Is that some Prench word I don't know?"  Fury asked.

Twilight shook her head while chuckling. "No, Fury. Echolocation is a word we use and it refers to how a whale sees. Since a Sperm Whale has its eyes on the sides of its large head, it can't see what's in front of it very well. So it uses echolocation to see us. That loud sound is a cavernous space above the whale's upper jaw sending a pulse of sound out onto the sub, which bounces off us, rebounds off of the lower jaw, goes up to her ear and her brain gets a sound picture of us."

"But usually, that sound is impossible to hear. Only a slight shake of the craft would be felt in our case. But I guess your ears are naturally kept at a higher frequency and allow you to hear it."

"Hmmm, I bet that could be useful in detecting enemies underwater." Shining said, still imagining the military applications.

"Yeah, I know. Hey, I wonder if I can talk back to this big girl." Fury said

"Perhaps you could. Lightning isn't just light, it's also sound. If you were to send out a pulse of your energy, it may just rebound off of this sub and reach the whale." Celestia suggested. Fury liked where she was going with her idea, so he decided to take it into action.

"That just might work. Okay everyone, stand back. I may just be making a sound, but an electric shock is still an electric shock." The group took a few paces away at his request.

He closed his eyes and charged up his energy in his body. He went to the cord that connected to the radio and made certain clicks of electricity. Fury had to make sure he didn't use too much so it would not interfere with the submarine but he got the hang of it and sent out waves to the whale.

Okay, let's see if this will work. Let's give the whale a welcome and an invite.

The waves traveled for a good while before they went to the large floating mammal. As they did so, they reached the whale's ears and her brain got not only a picture of what was in front of her, but a mental note telling her that she could come closer.

"Did it work?" Fury asked, returning to the window. The whale just sat in the water for a moment, most likely processing the new information. But it wasn't long before it flapped its large tail and came closer to the craft. The large form of the creature nearly blotted out the sun as it basically glided over them and went to the front of the sub, one of its eyes looking inside.

"I guess she got your message," said Spike.

"Yeah, she did. Well, the only thing now is to touch her and her form is mine to keep. Good thing I've already got some forms for this trip." Fury said. He went up to the control panel and saw the switch for the airlock that sat on the floor. Flipping it, that hatch opened and the ocean below was at his disposal.

Rarity jumped back. "Fury, are you mad!? You'll fill the ship up with water!" She screeched.

"Relax, we won't fill up on water. I may not have paid much attention in history class, but physics I did. The air pressure in the cabin keeps the water from filling up the sub. Water is also part air, so they cancel eachother out. The only way this thing could fill up is if the cabin pressure dropped and the water began to match that now lowered air pressure to fill up the empty space."

"Huh, impressive." Twilight said. "I didn't think you were interested in knowing those things."

"Hey, if you run like lightning and have its power, then you know a thing or two about physics. Especially if it's the fun kind of physics that you can use, not just abstract gobbledygook. But enough chatter, let's see what I've got against a whale." 

Fury then turned back into his dolphin form, ready to take the plunge. "Okay, just like Flipper told me. Deep breath in…"

The blowhole on his head took in a large gulp of air. "And away I go."

Sliding down into the water, the airlock closed behind him and he swam up next to the window. 

"Okay guys, wish me luck." He said, his muffled voice not fully passing through the glass as he waved and went to meet his new, larger mammal friend.

He got closer and closer and he used electrical signals to communicate with the whale. 

The whale was quite curious about the shifter. Never in her life had she seen such a strange being.

He made his goals known to the whale, that he wished to transform, he even wanted to see her teeth.

The whale was quite cooperative with this stranger and showed her teeth and allowed him to touch her flipper. He was able to get a good grasp on what this behemoth was like.

"Woah, are you guys seeing this!? Her teeth are huge!" Fury said from outside the sub. Realizing they could not hear him, he used his electrical signals to communicate with the sub's radio.

"I'm sure they are, Fury. I'm sure they are." Fluttershy said with joy.

But now came the big moment. Fury then swam far away from the sub. He was ready to do his hardest transformation yet.

"Is he really going to do it?" Shining Armor asked.

"I think he is. It's gonna be so cool!" Spike said.

Fury closed his eyes. He thought about how the whale thought, how it swam, how it communicated. He knew he was ready. 

A bunch of red energy enveloped him, for it was his most taxing transformation yet. It took a while, but he eventually did it. In one quick instance, he grew in size. His small tail being traded for a bigger one and his dorsal fin disappearing. His head grew to a massive size, along with his eyes which were now giant glowing balls to the view of everyone in the sub. And after a few seconds, those eyes closed and were replaced with a more familiar iris and pupil that everyone recognized.

"Holy cow, I'm massive! You guys got a good view?" He asked, his larger and louder voice now being able to be heard through the sub.

Everyone clapped for him. Spike and Fluttershy the hardest. Even Rarity thought it was utterly excellent.

"Amazing! Our fuzzy friend just turned into the biggest mammal on the planet!" Wavefinder remarked. 

"You said it. This form feels amazing! Who knew Celestia had a twin under the sea?" Fury said with a cheeky smile.

"Hey!" Twilight yelled. But Celestia simply giggled.

"Thank you, very much, Fury, you're quite the gentlewhale." 

"Yeah and speaking of whales, I was wondering something. What can you do with this form?" Shining asked. "Can you be a weapon against your foes?"

"Don't know. Maybe I can turn that sonar into a sonic blast?" Fury said as he closed his eyes.

Twilight was skeptical. "I know whales can have strong sonic waves to communicate but I think it's a bit much to hope for an all out weapon."

"Never say that in front of someone like me, it just makes me want to do it even more." Fury said. Closing his eyes, he focused all of his energy to his head. He chanted a mantra that sounded like a normal whale voice to others. But Fury knew better. With one single thought, a blastwave came out of his head and burst just near the sub.

The submarine shook, it felt like an earthquake. The submarine operator had to get it under control. 

"What is zis power? I have seen many a tide in my life but not with zis power!"

"That's just All Powerful prowess, Deep Dive. Nothing more than pure skill." Fury said confidently. Just then, something else shook the sub. A deep resonating bellow that sounded like some sort of Eldritch horror.

Spike gulped. "D-d-did you hear that. Was that a monster?"

"And it's right below us too!" Rarity said. "Will it try to eat us? What is it exactly?! Is it some terrible beast just waiting to have its next meal!? No no no!"

The sound was heard again.

Rarity and Spike were in full manic. 

"We have to get out of here! I don't even have wings!"

"The world still needs my dresses!"

But then came a familiar voice. "Ohh my stomach is killing me. But not as much as you two crybabies. Seriously chill for my sake, will ya?"

Rarity and Spike both looked embarrassed and they tried to look away from the other faces.

"Wait, don't tell me my stomach was apparently one of your comic monsters, Spike?"

"What? N-no, no way!" He stammered.

"Yeah right." Fury deadpanned. "Anyway, where in this big blue abyss can a whale find a snack? I'm starving."

"Hey Fluttershy, what do whales eat?" Wavefinder asked.

"Wait don't you know already-"

"Yeah, but the question is do you? Maybe one day you'll have a job like mine after all and you have to be ready."

Fluttershy thought back to her reading through Twilight's collection of animal research books and immediately came to an answer. "Squid!"

"Say what now?" Fury asked.

"Whales eat squid! They usually swim in large schools around the surface. Here, send a sonar pulse around… that way!" Fluttershy pointed out the right side window.

"Okay Flutters, you're the boss." Fury aimed his head in the chosen direction and sent off a pulse to detect anything. Waiting a few seconds, he eventually got a ping in his brain of a large blob of moving things ahead of him.

"I think I found something. Deep Dive, aim the sub's light where I'm looking."

"Oui oui, Fury!" Deep Dive turned the sub to the right and activated the lights. Lo and behold, a school of red squid was floating directly in front of them.

"Jackpot, squid at twelve o'clock!" Spike called out.

"And they sure do look tasty. Time to chow down!" Fury said, flapping his large tail and going after the squid. Once the squishy things saw their natural predator approaching, they began to swim away. But Fury was determined to get his pickings.

"Wow, look at him go! Who knew a creature that big was so maneuverable!" Shining Armor commented. 

"Oh yes, Sperm whales have some of the best maneuverability out of all the whales. And for good reason, since they have such a large appetite. A full grown Sperm Whale can eat eight bathtubs full of squid a day!" Wavefinder said.

"Yep! And I'm going to demonstrate that right now. Come here you little squids!" Fury said with a primal urge to eat.

When he finally caught up, he opened his mouth wide. It was an awkward feeling having food just slide into him instead of actively eating them, but it had to be done. Slowly but surely, Fury got all of the squid in his mouth and he gulped them down, diving down just before he breached the surface and returning to the side of the submarine.

"Wow, I never saw a whale actually eating like that! In its natural habitat. It's amazing." Fluttershy said.

"Glad you enjoyed the show. I'm just glad there's something out here for me to munch on. And yes, I am aware of my appetite, Cadence. Knock it off."

Cadence blushed while rubbing her neck. "Heh heh heh."

Fluttershy then was curious. "Wait, are there any animals you're gonna be?"

Fury wondered. "Hmmm, I'm not quite sure. I mean I have transformed into a whale and that's already big. Maybe I should start thinking smaller for once."

Night Fury shot off another sonar blast, this time deeper down into the ocean. He got a rebound from the blast and saw something.

"Okay, I've got something. It's big, a bit misshapen, and there's a lot of edges… wait a minute… there are more fish, but they're swimming… inside this massive blob on the ocean floor." Fury explained.

"The ocean floor? Fish swimming inside something?" Wavefinder wondered aloud. "Fury, if I'm thinking you're seeing what I think you're seeing, we may have found something interesting for all of us to see. So keep that sonar pointed down and lead us to it!" 

"You got it! I won't let up with this one." Fury looked to the seafloor and began swimming, his gaze focused on the unusually large school of fish funneling in one area. He was definitely curious. The submarine followed where Fury's focus was.

As they went deeper, the darkness of the sea began to take over, prompting Deep Dive to turn up the brightness of the headlights. But this would soon become null and void once a multitude of colors began to sparkle in front of them.

"Wait… I see lights! And a lot of strangely colored rocks." Fury said, pulling out of his dive just before the lights got too close. The submarine did much the same and stopped next to him.

"Colored rocks, bright lights, and a multitude of fish swimming around?" Wavefinder paced around the sub for a moment before gasping at a realization. "I've got it! Fury, I think you just found…"

Wavefinder immediately ran over and shut off all the lights on the sub, allowing for the natural light of the newfound structure to flourish.

"A Coral reef!"

"Dear heavens…" Rarity uttered.

"It's unreal…" Fluttershy agreed.

"Woah, check out the light show! I'd say this is the most beautiful thing I've seen, but that just wouldn't be fair to my sweet Luna, now would it?" The large whale sighed.

"Very smooth, Fury." Cadence complimented. "And that's coming from the princess of love herself."

"You never say that about my romantic lines." Shining said grumbling.

"You might be good at fighting physically but in the war of love, you're good at it as a diamond dog." Cadence said bluntly.

"Ha! Lover boy's got marriage problems." Fury laughed.

"Hmph." Shining grumbled. 

"Who knew such a beautiful structure was sitting just below the waves of a nearby beach?" Celestia said, taking in the sights. 

"The world has its natural beauties, your highness. From the clearest mountaintop views to the sandy seabed, we all have a little something to admire every once and a while."

"I've got to get a closer look. Lemme circle around." Fury said, gliding over the reef and sitting on the other side. 

"Wait, I can see some… flowers there? And fish living there too? Okay, that's strange. C'mon guys, you wanna see this up close or what?" Fury asked.

"You don't have to tell us twice! Let's get down there!" Wavefinder called out.

The submarine went down to examine the sealife living within the coral reefs. The various fish and other sea creatures all living harmoniously.

They could see the harmony of all the creatures. It was surely a beautiful place that intrigued all. Even the experienced Celestia was amazed.

"It's so nice to finally have the technology available to see what back then only legends could speak of." Celestia said. "Truly amazing."

"And the powers too, don't forget about me." Fury boasted, pointing to himself triumphantly. 

"Oh you, always with the boasting and pride." Cadence chuckled. "It's probably your most impressive ability honestly."

"Okay okay, so I'm a little boastful. It just sucks that I have to go back to being an ambassador after this though. But, that's just life." Fury said. "Back to the grind."

"Well at least you can enjoy yourself here with your new underwater friends." Fluttershy said. "They seem to really have taken a liking to you."

"Heh, yeah. I guess they have." Fury said, turning to the reef. Behind his back, Twilight was analyzing him. She was watching his movements, microexpressions and small changes in his posture.

Cadence took notice of this. "Something on your mind?" 

"I've just been thinking. Fury has had multiple vacations to Canterlot and other places, went on trips to visit all of us and even went as far as to take away his own time to help us. But in all of that, haven't you noticed that even after having so many relaxing endeavors, he doesn't seem any more rested than before he did them?" 

Cadence did notice some slowness in his movements but dismissed it as just being some physical pains from his battles, but not getting rest? She also took notice of his rather softer tone and less outward posture, almost as if he was tired.

"I have noticed him acting differently, but he had just gotten back from the most taxing experience he has probably endured in years. I just pushed it off as him just feeling exhausted from all the drama. But now that you mention it, it seems like even after some of his vacations, the next time I see him, he doesn't look as refreshed as I know most would be after taking a break from work." Cadence remarked, getting the attention of her eldest aunt.

"Perhaps it's not a matter of how relaxing his vacations are, but rather what he eventually has to return to?" Celestia suggested. "Perhaps he isn't relaxing to his full potential not because of the lackluster experience away from home, but the looming return of his responsibility as the driving pillar to a Pony/Speed Shifters alliance."

"It would make sense. He has been going hard on his duties lately. And while I respect his commitment and hustle, it just seems like he's not letting himself enjoy his time off because of said responsibility." Twilight theorized, examining him more.

"Maybe this is a part of the discussion we had during our trip to his home? How he feels because of his lucky break with us, that he won't let himself enjoy the luxuries of his life because of his worries of looking spoiled? Maybe this time, instead of feeling spoiled, he's doing it so his responsibility doesn't slip him up. He's doing it so he can maintain a respectable balance of work and play." Cadence said.

"But there's a flaw with that system. Balance is boring. Having a perfect amount of one thing or another is good, but having them in a constant equilibrium can be just as draining as having one side be too heavy. It's like they say, a perfect world is the perfect prison." Celestia said.

"So what do we do? We have to get him to get back to truly feeling at ease. I don't want to see him like this." Twilight said.

Cadence sighed. "Well, I guess the only thing we can do is to give him as good of a time as possible. Maybe compliment him on his capabilities whether as Shifter or as ambassador. Maybe then he can realize he should be more proud of himself. It's the best I can come up with."

While Twilight was agreeing to this idea, it did not satisfy her. "No, there has to be something more we can do for him in order to help him. Just let me think about it. But for now, let's just treat him to the best we can to give him peace of mind and enjoyment."

Cadence nodded. 

Their thoughts were interrupted by Spike. "Hey Fury, how does it feel being a whale? Is it weird? I'm just wondering how it feels to be such a big beast."

Fury shrugged. "Eh, you get used to it quickly. If Shifters are successful, they can copy even the instinct of the other animals. So I have a good idea of how an animal maneuvers. But in case you're wondering, this takes years of practice to train, especially from my mom."

"Amazing, one day maybe I can have these great powers too. But for now, I can at least watch you do it." Fluttershy said.

"Well then, my pegasus friend. Enjoy the show." Fury said happily, turning around and firing a sonar pulse just for funsies. He wasn't expecting to get anything back, but he did. And it was not small.

"Woah… sonar just picked up something big." He said, turning back to where he directed the blast.

"What is it?" Wavefinder asked.

"It's big, cone shaped head, big eyes, and… eight arms?" He said, confused as to what it was. 

"Oh gosh, is it the giant sea spider!?" Spike asked in awe and fear.

Everyone simply looked at him funny.

"Uh, heh, it was in one of those books I have." Spike said.

"This is why you need to read your comics less, Spike." Twilight said with a sigh.

"Sorry, but this is even cooler. Observe with your own eyes a monster spoken of in legends of our elders." Fury said. "Behold and prepare for the Giant Squid!"

The submarine looked on and saw a massive pink beast. It was moving very gradually but everyone could tell it was a huge behemoth. It was as if it were a fairy tale meant to scare fillies and colts.

"Wow, I don't think anything could beat that thing. Look at those tentacles!" Spike said.

"Wait, don't Giant Squid often pick fights with Sperm Whales?" Twilight asked, a little worried.

"Nah, they're actually pretty cool. Giant Squid are the 'Don't attack unless attacked first.' type of creatures. They only battle whales like Fury for their own safety. Speaking of which, despite this big guy's size, Night Fury is actually the predator between the two." Wavefinder said.

"Wait really? So even though this Giant Squid towers over him, he's the predator?" Spike asked.

"Zat's right, little dragon. Much like how ze whale eats schools of much smaller squid, zey can eat a Giant Squid for ze same amount of nutritional value." Deep Dive explained. "Harder to eat perhaps, but more meat to zem."

"Incredible. Nature is so marvelous. How graceful it can be." Fluttershy said with adoring eyes. 

Twilight nodded. "Agreed. I heard the sea is still left unknown to us land dwellers. Even the waters that Equestria owns have depths that no scientist has ever investigated."

"And that's how ponies like me and Deep Diver make this a living! We won't stop till our bones give way!" Wavefinder said

"And even beyond zat if we can manage!" said Deep Diver.

Their adoration for the sea brought smiles to everyone but then they heard the familiar electric energy.

"Woah… okay, something's up." Fury said woozily.

"Something wrong out there, big guy?" Shining asked.

"I don't know. All of a sudden, I feel as if the wind got knocked out of me." Fury moaned.

"Uh oh, you must be running out of air. Sperm Whales may be sea creatures, but they breathe air. We've gotta get you back to the surface for a hit of oxygen." Wavefinder warned. Fury took this to heart and planned his ascent.

"You got it. Hey, squidy, you think you can give me a tentacle or eight up to the surface?"

The squid nodded and proceeded to wrap around Night Fury with its tentacles and it ascended. Fury had to admit it felt strange feeling those suction cups but could see how squids could catch their prey.

They went upward where the water became gradually brighter and he could see the sun's rays. The squid released him and now Fury was ready.

"Now Fury. I'm sure you know what whales do once they get to the surface, correct?" Wavefinder asked

"Oh yeah, I've been waiting for this." Fury said as the sub took the lead and broke the surface before him. From their perspective, they could see miles of ocean around them, plus the beach that had gotten a significantly long way from them.

"Alright everyone, get ready for one of ze greatest marvels you shall ever see in your whole existence. Behold!" 

Everypony observed the water they were now above, waiting in anticipation.

And then it happened.

Out of the water, a large head bust out of the water, taking in the air. He jumped high out of the water and then landed and gave a loud slap of the ocean. For a normal observer on the beach, it would be amazing but to those in the submarine who were up close, it was almost legendary seeing his stature up close.

"Woo hoo! That was amazing!" said Fluttershy astounded. 

"Truly divine!" Rarity exclaimed.

"It looks like Fury knows why we spend years of our lives diving for these majestic beasts." Wavefinder said.

"Fury! Do you feel better now?!" Twilight called out to Fury.

"Much better, just needed some fresh air. Whew, that was crazy." He sighed. "I can't wait to get back on the beach, I just wanna ring in the last of this vacation in the normal way."

"I guess next time we'll explain about an animal's needs before having you transform outright." Wavefinder said. "But I hope you've enjoyed this tour and got something out of this."

"Oh you bet I did." Fury said with excitement. "Nothing beats the feeling of becoming a whole new beast with all these new abilities."

Then Fury smiled mischievously. "Especially in terms of fun." He said, closing in on the boat and leaping into the air.

Splash!

"Why must you torment me?! I just finished redoing my hair!" Rarity cried out.

"Because it's good practice. And fun too." Fury said cheekily. "Now let's get to the beach."

Waverider and Deep Diver were more amused. "It's nice to see someone who has fun with animals and all that."

"Oui, oui!"

-

After some time, they were back on the seashore. It was now sunset. 

"Thanks for showing all those cool animals." Fury said. "This will be really helpful."

"It's my pleasure. Just make sure you learn how each animal functions when you use them. We learn something new about them every day." Wavefinder said.

"Heh, that's for sure. I will." Fury chuckled, waving the mare goodbye as he relaxed into his beach recliner next to his friends.

"Man, what a day. Having fun by the sea, getting to see new creatures, interacting with them and a relaxing rest by the shore at sunset. Who knew all of this was just a train ride away." Fury sighed, throwing his arms behind his head.

"It is amazing what can happen when you wash your troubles away at a tropical paradise." Celestia said. "I know for myself, when I feel bored or stressed at work, I like to go here and drink from the coconuts around here."

"And not to mention you learned a lot from your training." Shining said. "Do you think we're going to be able to use your powers against those Shadow Shifters?"

"You've got me already, don't you dare think you'll mooch off of me more than Luna does already romantically." Fury said with an unusual sense of frustration at something.

"Oh come on." Shining said cheerfully. "You'll be quite the powerhouse against whatever foes we have. And not to mention your skills as an ambassador. You really have quite the great tasks ahead of you. You must feel so proud." 

"Yeah, real proud alright. Doing all this stuff. It was fun to transform and all. But you know, having to endure being an ambassador or even having to face shadow shifters is not quite as easy as you make it out to be." Fury said. 

"Fury, is there something wrong?" Rarity asked. "We just wanted to give you our best regards."

Fury then realized he was caught. "N-no. It's nothing. I'm just a bit tired."

Twilight asked. "But tired from what? Is it from your duties?"

Fury didn't speak. Although he didn't say anything in response to that question, the answer was very clear.

Twilight sighed. "Fury, you don't have to hide it anymore. We all know you've been exhausted from having to deal with your duties as ambassador. Having to deal with so many stuck up delegates and return to the one place you swore off for years."

Fury did give a small sigh. "Well let's just say that I would rather be turning into an animal than to have to hear one of those scheming delegates while sitting still with a bunch of stuffy ponies."

"But then again, I guess I've gotten used to it." Fury said. "It'll be alright. I'll just suck it up like I've done my entire life. And maybe somehow I'll enjoy it." He said walking away.

"Fury…" Cadence said.

Everyone looked at him with sympathy.

"I wish there was a way we could help Night Fury." Fluttershy said.

"There is." Twilight said. "Fury, wait."

"I'm not in the mood to talk." He snarled.

"You've had a tough time, right? Well, I understand how grueling it can be."

"Thanks Princess Obvious." He pushed further.

"But I have just the thing to help you through this. Night Fury, as of today, your Ambassador duties will be suspended for the rest of the year."

"WHAT?!" said everypony except Celestia.

"Twilight! Must you take such a brash action to resolve the issue!?" Rarity asked.

"He may be a bit out of touch, but you did have to do that, Twily!" Shining added.

"It's not his fault that his work does so much to him! We could have done something like sending off some of that work to someone else, not removing him from his position completely!" Cadence pleaded.

"Hold on everypony, that's not what I meant." Twilight reassured them. "I'm only doing this to help him. To give him a true break and also… allow him to heal."

Night Fury gave Twilight a confused look. "Allow me to heal? But I've already healed from my wounds after the trip."

"Not physical wounds, emotional wounds." She clarified. "I realize now that with the most stressful part of your ambassadorship having done so much to you, putting you through so much emotion and heartache, I thought it only fair to temporarily revoke your ambassador duties so you can let it slip your mind for a while."

"But Twilight, I have things that I need to do in order to keep this potential alliance afloat. Not to mention other things. And besides, do you even have the authority to do something like this?" He asked.

"Well I am a princess and I do have those authorizations. And Celestia seems to approve." 

Celestia nodded in agreement. "That is true. More time for you."

Fury was surprised. He didn't expect his friends to actively try and relieve his stress besides the odd vacation.

He gave a sigh. "Look, I know what I said. But you don't have to do this. I can handle being an ambassador. I might not like it but I'm not going to stop doing my job."

Twilight pressed further. "Fury, we've seen how you've acted. We know you feel stressed and anxious. And we want you to know you don't have to be so burdened down. Once you've had time for yourself then you can get back to being an ambassador. Does that sound good?" Twilight asked.

To Fury, it was nice to see his friends truly care for him. He knew Twilight could be sometimes very strict with him. But he truly did appreciate how caring she was when she did show it. Fury for the first time in a while felt the heavy weight in his mind fade away. 

He smiled. "You know what? I think that does sound good. More time for the fun stuff. A nice break won't hurt."

"That's great. I hope you'll enjoy all this free time you have now." Twilight said. 

"Oh that'll be easy. For the rest of the year. I can do a whole bunch of cool stuff. I've already done a lot now." Fury said.

Celestia smiled. "It's nice to see you Twilight make such a bold decision. That is a sign of a good future leader."

Twilight blushed at this.

Fury yawned. "Well I think I'm ready to eat. Who's hungry?"

Everyone raised their hooves and claws.

"Then let's chow down! I can't wait to see what these coconuts have in store for us. I don't even know how you drink from them."

And so, everyone walked to the restaurant filled with satisfaction at both the fun and settling of issues.
> Chapter 47: A Brutal Case Of Boredom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a calm day in the Crystal Empire, ponies going to and fro in the cold breeze of the north. In the palace throne room, high above the streets, sat Princess Cadence, who was currently taking it upon herself to work on the future trade deals between the Yaks and the Snow Shifters. Everything was quiet, the only noise being the light scribbling of a quill on paper.

My goodness, I know these fellows are excited to do business and show off their goods and to receive goods back, but they really are going all out these days. 

For the Princess of Love, she was quite happy with the optimism of the other races to not only do trade, but also willing to be friendly to the Empire. But it was hard work. She had so much to do. She had to set up new inns, guards to fend off beasts, and improved roads. And not to mention in a week from then, attend a party with the elegant chief of the Snow Shifters and the fierce prince of the Yaks. Either way, she had her work cut out for her, every molecule spending nothing less on what needed to be done. Same for her husband, who was busy drilling his troops arduously for guarding the new routes.

She had to admit she would rather have been relaxing at the beach with her husband and friends than this important but somewhat tedious work. But she pressed on knowing nothing would stop her from this important task.

That is, until a strange tingling feeling quickly glided over her belly.

"I have so much to do. Twilight would keep on working even if she were starving for three hours." Cadence said, trying to get back to work. Her stomach responded negatively to that idea.

"But then again, I'm not Twilight. I suppose a hefty snack wouldn't hurt." Cadence said, giving a big stretch and leaving her throne to settle her hunger. Luckily, the royal kitchen was just a trot away from her ideal area. As she walked inside, she felt something weird. Although this time, it wasn't her stomach calling to her. 

Her magic was sensing something, or someone for that matter. It was as if another independent being was with her. But then she got another growl from her stomach and she passed it off as something else.

"It's probably nothing. And anyways, I have more important matters to attend to." She said to herself walking over to a cabinet which she excitedly opened revealing all the cured cheese available for the pickings.

But unbenounced to her, that supposed 'Nothing' was approaching behind her. Slowly but surely, the creature approached, making no sound as it walked up behind her. And as it rose up on its hind legs it reached out, slid its paws next to her sides and…

"Coochie coochie coo!"

"No no no ha ha ha ha!" Cadence giggled. "This is a new low for you, Fury! Attacking me with your tickles when I'm hungry for cheese! Aren't there any rules of tickle engagement you have?!"

The love princess was right, her assailant was indeed her feline friend, who had apparently come to give her a surprise visit.

"Sorry but haven't you heard of black ops? Strike when your foe is distracted, especially by something delectable! Think of it as practice." Fury said at last, releasing her.

"Hmph! However you justify tormenting me." Cadence said with a growl. But then her face turned to curiosity. "But wait, how long have you been here? And why are you here? I thought you were still practicing transformations?"

"I haven't been doing anything. For the first time in my life I'm b… bor… b-bor…" Fury struggled to get the words out of his mouth. Breathing in, he spat it out.

"I'm bored!" He admitted. Cadence made a gasp in mock surprise.

"You!? The great Night Fury, bored!? Oh how has this tragedy gone unnoticed!?" Cadence said dramatically, getting a laugh out of both of them.

"Yeah, turns out training to become an animal is fun for the first few days but now it's getting tedious and harder to master. And I had to get away from it all just for a bit."

"Ahh, I see what's happening. Classic boredom codependency."

"Boredom Codependency?" Fury parroted with confusion.

"Yeah. You used the boredom of your ambassadorship to artificially drain your patience and force a reaction, thus lowering your standards for what to do for fun as you just want to get away from it all. But, now that you have all this free time, your standards have risen and everything seems not good enough."

"Yeah I guess that's a pretty apt way to describe my troubles. So to solve this boredom, I figured you would be a good help. The Mane Six have been busy with an assignment in some random village now that there's some sort of 'Map Table' in the castle. And Celestia and Luna were doing some negotiations with the Sunny Shores Aquarium to possibly use their technology for the Equestrian Navy, not to mention trying to convert my super sonar into a universal recon tool. So I figured you were the chosen one to free me from my suffering." Fury said with pride.

Cadence chuckled. "Well, I could say the same thing for you. I have time to spare and even this cheese won't solve my boredom, so together, maybe we can actually make today fun."

Fury smiled mischievously. "Nice. We're going all out today. But I'm a bit spent after running all the way to the Crystal Empire. How about you come up with the first idea?"

"Hmmm." Cadence said while eating some aged cheddar. She wanted today to be something special for sure. But what to do? 

"I got it! Time to meet some old friends for this adventure." Cadence said giddy with excitement. 

"Old friends? You mean the other princesses? They're already busy though."

Cadence shook her head. "Hey, they're not the only close friends I have fun with. I'm talking about ponies you've never met. My old high school besties."

"Who are they?"

"Just wait and see." Cadence said as she went to her papers. She wrote some letters and had the mailpony deliver them.

"What are they like though?" Fury asked.

"Let's just say if they can match the amount of energy you have. So be ready for some wildness." Cadence chuckled with a blush. Fury just stood with a smile.

"Please, I've met some crazy ponies and Shifters. I'll be prepared." 

-

Later on…

Ding dong!

Cadence and Fury went to the door. The pink alicorn was filled with eagerness and a little curiosity about how they've changed. Meanwhile Night Fury was secretly questioning why the Crystal Palace had a doorbell.

The door opened. But there was no one there. Cadence was confused and walked outside.

"Hey, I thought I heard the bell ring-"

"SURPRISE!"

All of a sudden, someone leapt from the top and hugged Cadence. 

"It's been so long, Cadence! You didn't forget my classic greeting, haven't you?" 

"Whoa whoa!" Cadence said steadying herself. "I sure have not forgotten, Glorious Giggle. Ha ha." Cadence said amused.

Glorious Giggle leaped off Cadence's back and three more mares gathered around.

"You haven't changed a bit have you, Giggle?" Said an earth pony mare with an apron.

"I just wanted to show our longtime friend and her majesty a bit of hospitality, Hot Sauce!" Giggle replied.

Another mare spoke up. She had a nice flowing mane and powerful looking wings. "Sorry about that, girl, Giggle still likes to throw greetings around. She can be pretty dramatic."

"Yeah yeah. As if you didn't help put up the streamers to help Miss Laughter make the surprise bigger." said a slender, athletic unicorn mare.

Cadence laughed. "I see the whole gang's all here. Fury, I'd like you to meet my old friends!"

Fury walked to see them.

"I'd like to introduce you to Summer Fling, a local fashion designer who I owe a lot to. Hot Sauce, I think you can guess what she does. Glorious Giggle, who will make you laugh. And lastly Sporty Sprinter, she can run really really long ways. And guys, this is Night Fury, the ambassador for the Speed Shifters you've probably heard of in the news."

The group of reunited highschool friends were amazed at Fury's looks. Whatever he was, he was a sight to behold. And a hot one at that.

"That is some nice black fur you got there. So smooth." Summer said.

"Not to mention. I heard you can go real fast." Sporty said with a bit of a purr.

"I guess there is something hotter than my recipes." Hot Sauce said in a sultry voice.

"For a big cat, you're pretty cute!" Giggle said bluntly.

Fury laughed. "Thank you for the compliments, ladies but we're not here to admire my dashing looks. I'm already taken anyway. We're here to have a thrill ride. And I heard you ladies know just how to do it."

"Oh you know it pal!" Sporty said. "Today is the day we go all out! We got something planned already."

"Yep! It's going to be cool and stylish!" Summer said. "You're gonna love it!"

"Come on!" Giggle said, pulling Fury.

Yeesh, looks like Pinkie's got some competition for ultimate crazy pony. 

Fury thought to himself as he joined the girl squad on their journey for a day of fun.

–

A few minutes later… 

The group was walking along through the crystal city to get to their destination, holding a steady pace while making small talk. Fury was excited for what he would experience that day, but for now, he might as well get to know some new friends.

"So how long have you girls known old Lovebutt here?" Fury asked.

"Fury!" Cadence hissed in embarrassment.

"Ha ha ha, it looks like I'm not the only one who came up with that witty name for our gal pal." Giggle said.

"Okay okay, cool it you two." Hot Spice intervened. "To answer your question, we've known her since she was in high school. We were tasked to help her with special skills that would be important since she was a princess."

Summer nodded. "Yep! Her highness Celestia assigned each of us to help her with a certain skill. Not so much as teachers but as assistants. It was simple. I helped her with style for future diplomacy."

Sporty continued. "I helped her with racing. I always wanted a good competitor and I was not going to let even a fancy princess beat me. So we both made each other faster."

Hot Spice spoke up. "I showed Cadence some good meals. Including the special ingredients especially from the place I come from, there are lots of spices. Pretty important so Cady can know the food situation of her kingdom and even know what soldiers will need for rations. Not to mention the personal benefits." 

Giggle then literally jumped in. "Hey don't forget me! I might seem like just a jokester, but knowing good wit gets you far in diplomacy just as much as fashion! And a nice smile and entertainment doesn't hurt. Maybe more important than even fashion."

Summer snorted with a bit of scorn. "That must be your best joke yet. Humor is nice but fashion is more important."

"Nah, I think it's actually good food." Hot Spice said. "You can't go on an empty stomach."

"Nope! Physical prowess! And winning against those who dares to challenge us!" Sporty said smugly.

These friends were quite skilled but they took great pride in their abilities. Fury was amused but a little overwhelmed at their hotheadedness.

"Yeesh, you guys have more of an ego than Shining Armor. And that's saying something, at least considering what my birthmark represents." Fury said with a big laugh. "Oh I'm going to love you ladies. Not in that way, of course."

Cadence cleared her throat. "Okay, before we go into some idle banter, let's ask ourselves. Where will we go first? The Crystal Carnival? The restaurant here? Where to go?"

"I've never been to a carnival before, so why not there?" The eager feline suggested. "From what I heard from Pinkie, they're some of the best places to go for some fun! And maybe some tasty snacks." He said, licking his lips.

"Hmmm, maybe they'll have some good competition too." Sporty said. "I'd like to have a chance to prove myself in any games."

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go! Lead the way, Cadence!" Fury said.

-

Fury had many regrets. One of which was he never made it to the Crystal Empire Carnival before. It was bustling with even more exoticness than the rest of the city. Merchants sold snow globes, glowing crystal orbs, purported fortune balls and even blow darts with diamond darts. 

"Wow, Cady, you didn't tell us this place was so stylish!" Summer said. "This might be even more fabulous than Canterlot. This is what I call an aesthetic!"

Cadence smiled. "Yep. A lot of things to check out. But shopping isn't the only thing here. We also have some nice places to eat and play games. This was one of the traditions that truly delighted me when I first became princess. You all were lucky to come in the month celebrating Sombra's fall where they celebrate. They even have a parade."

Fury almost felt breathless at the breadth of things to do here. He had to think of something before he passed out from being overwhelmed.

Luckily for him, a peculiar sight filled his vision. It looked like some sort of building, but weird light and sounds came out of it. Not to mention the entrance looked like a clown's mouth.

"Of course it's a clown. Leave it to them to go all wacky. What the heck is that place?"

Cadence smiled. "That is a Funhouse. And you guys will see some weird wonders in there."

"Heck yeah! I'm all ready for a round of bedazzlement!" Glorious Giggle said.

"A fun house can be really atmospheric and make you feel odd emotions never before felt. Let's see how well they do in that." Summer said scrutinizingly.

Everyone walked into the funhouse. In through the mouth. The only one not so enthusiastic was Sporty who was a little put off.

But either way, they came in and the first that they saw was… themselves.

"Whoa look at my face!" Giggle said. "I look like a hot air balloon!"

Fury was surprised to see the reflections twisted their bodies in different ways. It was almost unnatural, like something out of a dream.

"Is this some sort of spell I'm seeing?" Fury asked. "Because I don't remember being tiny a foot to the left and then a giant a foot to the right."

"Nope. Nope. Nope. You got that all wrong buckaroo!" Giggle said. "What you see here is a pure mirror. They're wonderful things but most want perfect realistic reflection. But I say as a proud goofball, these mirrors are perfect. They reflect your true self, your weird wacky self!"

Fury was excited at that notion, moving over to the next mirror which gave him some… highlights.

"Haha! Check it out, this one makes my butt look huge!"

"I don't know if I like this." Summer said. "I don't want a physique like this!" Then she walked to a mirror shrinking her butt down. "Now this is better."

"Oh please! That's lame! You know what's really cool!" Giggle asked rhetorically before going to a mirror that made her head look big while making a face.

"Ahhhh! Get away!" said Sporty. "Get that freaky face away!"

"Ohoho, I think I just found the best one!" Fury laughed. "Hey Cady, get over here and check this weirdness."

Cadence walked over a smile of curiosity plastered on her face. "Okay, Fury, what do you have to show the class?"

"Uh… you might wanna double check your ears, because I don't remember Shining marrying a rabbit." Fury chuckled, pointing to the mirror. Cadence looked to where he was pointing and to her shock and amusement, the mirror made their ears look massive.

"Ba ha ha ha ha! Now that's amazing!" Giggle burst out laughing. "Who would have thought alicorns were not just the three pony races put together but with rabbits! All hail the Rabbit Princess!"

Cadence noticed her reflection and was quite satisfied at her friends' uproar.

Cadence rolled her eyes. "Thank you very much you two geniuses. I guess you can't beat the Crystal Empire's crystalline mirrors. They give shapes that some might call unnatural. How about another join in?"

Fury raised his arm. "No problemo! Two can play in the freakiness department!"

Fury went in front of the mirror and for him, whereas Cadence had tall ears, it was Fury's legs that appeared abnormally tall. His body was normal but his legs were as tall as an elephant but skinny like a spider's.

"Woah, I've got stilt legs! Celestia would be jealous if I could tower over her like this!"

"Okay so we have a rabbit princess and a daddy long legs ambassador!" Giggle chuckled. "I think your enemies will stand no match for your combined might!"

"Oh gee. Just seeing Fury like that makes me afraid of how much fabric it would take to clothe those legs." Summer said with a chuckle.

Everyone was quite amused except for Sporty who looked a bit nervous at the weird reflections.

"Y-yeah and I-I don't think those long legs would do well in a race. Just saying! I don't know why someone would want those long legs or ears honestly. The other way looks way better!" She said nervously.

Fury found it amusing how this athletic daredevil was so nervous about silly mirrors.

"What's wrong, athlete? Getting a swirl looking at the mirrors?" He asked in a cocky voice.

"Well, it's not that I'm scared. I-I just know what looks good and I don't think that fits the bill!"

"Well I find it looks kind of whimsical." Summer interjected.

"I didn't ask you!"

Fury laughed out loud. "Oh wow. Looks like we have a shy pony around here! Cadence was she always like this?"

"Well she was quite brave and competitive. But she always had some sort of fear for the strange and spooky. She never liked Nightmare Night. I guess she prefers the daylight."

Speedy frowned. "You promised you wouldn't tell!"

"It's been years since that promise, Sporty. It was going to get out eventually. And besides you liked to talk about my teenage love poems for Shining to others, so now we're even." Cadence said, sticking her tongue out. While everyone else was laughing at Sporty's expense, Night Fury was thinking about what this new holiday was.

"What's Nightmare Night? Some sort of holiday I haven't heard of?" 

Everyone stopped what they were doing.

"You're joking! You're joking! You can't tell me you don't know about the spooky, beautiful, lovely outfits of that day!" Summer said

"Or the spooky stories of spooky scary skeletons that send shivers down your spine!" Giggle said.

"And best of all the candy from tootsie rolls to candy corn." Hot Spice said.

Fury was astonished at all this. "Okay, I have no idea what Nightmare Night is, but that sounds awesome! I demand someone explain it to me now!"

"I will!" Cadence said. "And it actually has to do with Luna."

Fury was now even more curious. 

"You see when Luna was Nightmare Moon, many were afraid of that version of herself returning. And so citizens would prepare for her coming back. Children even would give candy to appease her. And hope she does not eat them. That or her army of the night like ghosts or skeletons. I hope that does not sound too scary."

"Are you kidding me? A whole night of candy with monsters?! Sign me up!" Fury said enthusiastically. "But wait, what did Luna look like back then? I know who she was but what's the visual?"

"Let me show you my sketchbook!" Summer said. "I like to look at the past to see inspiration for my dresses. And Nightmare Night is no exception."

She opened up the book to reveal a pencil sketch of Nightmare Moon in different poses. Some regal and others warlike. But all of them showed a certain ferocity that Fury never expected out of Luna. And a mythical look to her especially with her mane.

"Woah… Luna looks… smokin' hot! Awooooo!" He said as he transformed into a wolf.

"She was a terrifying dictator who wanted to rule over the world and your first thought is how hot Nightmare Moon is?" Sporty asked.

"Yeah, remember when I said I was already taken when you girls were flirting with me? Guess who's the lucky girl?" 

All the mares' jaws except Cadence's, dropped.  

"Y-y-you're dating the princess of the night?!" Summer asked.

"You bet! Almost a year long relationship now, and still going strong! After the whole situation with Blueblood trying to off me, Luna realized that she had feelings for me. So on a whim, she decided to make her feelings known by kissing me right there in Station Square." Fury explained, looking like he had just seen a batch of stars fly over his head.

"Awwww, well isn't that romantic. The classic tale of a princess and her knight in shining armor." Spicy said. "Excluding Cady, considering that goofball she dated."

"Hey! That goofball happens to be my husband now, so watch your mouth!" Cadence shot back.

"How long did you know you were in love with her?" Summer asked. "Was this love at first sight?"

"Yep, but it was a one way street back then. I had a crush on her the instant I stepped off the train to Canterlot. Celestia caught wind and gave me some encouragement to push my limits. Over the next couple of months, I opened up. All of my secrets, strengths, weaknesses, funny stories. She found them all charming. And after a few dates and a little time together, we eventually tied the knot." 

"Awwwwww." Cooed all the mares except Sporty and Cadence.

"I bet you must have really loved her deeply. I have to admit it's a bit hard to see how someone as laid back as you went with such a stoic princess." Summer said.

"At that point, she probably needed someone like me. Constantly worrying about how she looks to the public after what she did? I could have only imagined what was going through her head. But once she got to know me and my… special brand of charm, she fell for me." Fury chuckled.

"But let's quit with the sappy stuff, let's check out the rest of this fun house!" Fury said.

Sporty sighed in relief "Finally I can get out of this stupid mirror place-"

"Boo!" Fury appeared with a freaky exaggerated face that looked like a demon cat.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Okay now I'm ready to go.'" Fury said as they took off.

-

"So where to next? It'll be hard to beat those reflective abominations for sure." Fury said with a chuckle.

"You can say that again." Sporty said.

The pink princess was smiling widely. "Oh you'll see. Actually no, not see. We already did that with the mirrors. Now is the time to feel what this fun house has to offer you. This next one should be rather interesting."

As they were about to enter the next room. They could hear the sounds of people cheering in excitement. It wasn't the terrors and slow admiration of the people at the mirrors but rather hyper excited voices along with the sounds of bouncing.

"I present to you the Bounce House of Legends!" Cadence said.

Everyone looked in awe at the huge room filled with cushions and guests bouncing higher and higher. But it was not just any bounce house. There were platforms where you could jump on each one to get all the way to the ceiling. It looked like an obstacle course.

"I didn't think ponies could jump that high!" Fury said. "This looks amazing!" 

Giggle looked enthusiastic."I didn't think the Crystal Empire could have something actually soft and fluffy. I thought they were all crystally and stuff."

"My kingdom isn't all crystal, Giggle. Now, who's the brave soul willing to take the plunge first?" Cadence asked.

"This entire trip is for me, so I'll take the first one." Fury said, stepping forward. There was a small dip before the bouncy material was able to be touched, so no doubt he would get some good momentum. Fury took a deep breath in through his nose and fell forward, falling directly on the soft floor.

The squishy material compressed under his weight, holding him in a small divot before shooting him upwards.

"Woohoo!"

He looked down and saw that the whole ground got smaller and smaller. Being high up was nothing new to him but being able to elevate yourself with no powers except his own legs was a spectacle of its own.

He then descended right down. Fury's feline instinct kicked in and he prepared his legs to jump even higher. Upon landing, his legs came down first, holding in a crouched position before springing off and propelling him forward. He looked back to the group midair and smiled.

"C'mon, ya slow pokes! You gonna get in on this or what!?" Fury called out.

"Oh you bet your nine lives I will!" Sporty said as she bounced up. "I'm not gonna let you take all the credit!"

"Woo hoo! Let me in too!" Giggle cried out.

"I'm not exactly the thrill seeker type, but I do like a good bit of fun here and there!" Said Sunny, dropping in with a cannonball.

"Same for me. And what better way to burn off some calories from my cooking!" Hot Sauce said, jumping in.

"Yahoo!!!" Cadence said simply, doing the same.

The group bounced and bounced. For Fury, he saw the others try to jump as high as possible, each trying to surpass the other. Especially Sporty who was the only one who seemed focused and serious about her bouncing skills.

While the others were having fun, Fury's keen eyes spotted something else. A slide that had a sign above it reading 'Super Slide'. This got his cheeky thoughts brewing again as he thought of a way to really up the ante.

Secretly bouncing around his friends, strategically moving out of each of their sightlines, he moved himself to the back. Bouncing in place, he aimed himself in just the right direction to bounce forward and tackle them onto the slide with a bear hug.

Proportionately, he was the biggest out of them all, his wide shape giving him a decent leg length. So his plan would work out perfectly thanks to his grip.

"Surprise ambush!" Fury cried out as he grasped them all in his tight embrace. They were all confused.

"What's the meaning of this- Whoaaahhhhh!" Summer said.

"To have a trill! Wahoo!" Fury said as they all slid down a long winding slide. 

Some of them were overjoyed, others were scared and others wondered how Fury was able to ambush them all.

The slide was unpredictable. Sometimes it slid straight ahead then followed by circling around and around and followed by even the occasional ramps propelling them up across a chasm of cushion to the other side.

"What is going on here?!" Hot Sauce asked.

"You're getting an exclusive view of who I am! I'm not just wacky… I'M FLAT OUT CRAZY!" Fury yelled, having the time of his life.

"Is this guy always so wacky?!" Summer asked Cadence.

She chuckled. "Oh you don't know him if you think this is crazy! You won't see anyone like him in a century!"

"I think I like this guy." Giggle said.

"You got guts I'll give you that." Sporty said. "Even if you did surprise us with no indication beforehand."

"Eh, it's all a part of being a shifter. We like to sneak on our prey. Keep things a surprise." Fury said with a confident grin. "And speaking of surprises…"Just then, a shine of daylight came through at the end of the slide and a sight that they all recognized came into view. A working slip-n-slide to ease them out into the open air.

"Ah, finally we're going to have a little break." Summer said, sighing in relief. "Maybe we can have some tea."

"Oh I don't know about that." Cadence said with a chuckle. "We've landed in the middle of the rides. And there's one in particular I've been waiting to see."

The others were curious about what the princess was talking about, so they got up and followed her. Moving along through the rides, they saw roller coasters, paddle boats, dunk tanks and more. But only a little more walking would reveal the true prize. 

Before then stood a sort of fish with a ramp that led inside. The top was open and the supports seemed to have some sort of rotating mechanism.

"Huh, what's this thing?" Fury asked, having never seen such a strange contraption.

"This is the pinnacle of wild rides. The ride that'll have you stumbling on your hooves and wondering why you're seeing double. I give you… The Tilt-A-Whirl!"

"From the name I assume something wacky is going to happen isn't it?" Sporty asked.

"Heh heh. Maybe. But perhaps it would be best to show you. Let's just say you better hold on to your seats." Cadence said.

The group all took the ramp up and into the ride, circling the circumference of the round shape until they came to some free spots along the walls. This confused Fury as the ride seemed to be mostly upright so far, nothing looking like it could move in any other direction. But despite the weird placement of wall spaces, this got him thinking.

Tilt-A-Whirl? Maybe the name is a clue in itself. Eh, only one way to find out.

Fury went into one of the free spaces. In it there were comfortable seats. Everyone went in. It seemed comfortable enough. But they wondered what crazy action would be occurring?

“Okay, Cady, what do you have in mind?” Fury asked. 

"Oh just wait. Once this ride picks up speed, you'll see just what I mean."

The ride whirred to life and began to spin, the wind pressing against their faces. So far, the ride seemed lackluster. Low speed, very little thrill. It seemed like a lost cause. Fury as well as Sporty yawned in boredom. But that wouldn't be a long-term memory as the spinning began to gain speed.

“Don't dismiss this just yet! You're in for a surprise. Just make sure you don't panic.”

“That remains to be seen.” Summer said nonchalantly, trying to play it cool.

But ten seconds later, her words would be proven wrong. The platform was now going a bit faster, spinning at a very high rate. As if the whistling wind, spinning feeling and added pressure from the g-forces wasn't enough, something else happened.

Just then, the floor dropped down a few inches, leaving them practically floating with no support below them. For the time being, they had no floor below them. But that wasn't all.

Soon enough, they noticed a shift in pitch from the ride, leaning to one side at an angle while still picking up speed.

“Oh shoot, we're gonna fall!” Sporty said, worried.

“No no no now we're going up!” Giggle said as the platform went back up. 

“What the heck is going on?” Hot Sauce asked. “How in the world is this happening?!”

"It must be that pivot arm under us! It's tilting the ride on an axis like a Dreidel." Fury said. 

Fury understood now. He could understand it. After all, whenever he ran down and up a hill sometimes he felt like he was floating for a moment, everything inside of him suddenly becoming lighter and making him feel fuzzy. It was just like that, but less natural.

The ride then made it to top speed, spinning like a wild tornado in the middle of a storm. The wind blew their manes and fur far out of shape, almost as if it were not even attached to them. This wild spinning went on for a few minutes, everything looking like a blur from their perspective before the ride soon realigned itself with the ground, opened the exterior door and let out the now spun up, messy haired, dizzied riders off.

Everyone had a look of shock at what they had just been through. No slides or crystalline mirrors could compare to feeling like wind.

The girls got off mostly unscathed. Cadence, Sporty and Giggle seemed like the least affected. Summer and Hot Sauce however, were a little more frazzled.

"Ugh, what a wild event. I've never been this bent out of shape since I made that ensemble for Sapphire Shores' Canterlot show." Summer said, trying to fix her mane.

"You can say that again, Summer. I'm just glad I didn't have a big lunch today." Hot Sauce said.

Sporty seemed confident with her achievements, being one of the less dizzy of the group. "Heh, you two look like you got attacked by an angry alley cat."

Cadence agreed with a chuckle. "I'd have to agree, you both have a rather funny look. But, you both look relatively stable on your hooves."

Giggle came up and wrapped a hoof around the princess with a laugh. "Well, you could say that about them, but I don't think the speed freak took it too well."

Everyone looked over to the ride and saw that just a bit further away, Fury had frazzled fur, was barely able to walk in a straight line, and his eyes spun around woozily.

“Woah… I'm seeing stars now. Hoo boy.” He said while heavily breathing. 

“Fury, are you ok?” Hot Sauce asked. “You look like you just ate my sister's Haycake recipe.”

“Yeah! Yeah! I'm fine. I just have to take it all in. It was just a lot to take in for me with all these high octane speeds.” Fury said.

This left Sporty confused. "But… You can run past the sound barrier. And yet you don't become pale or whatever." 

“I was confused about it at first. But then I realized it all makes sense. Running fast and being in this machine might seem similar, but one is me running at my own will, manipulating the atmosphere around my body to do so. A bit tough on my body at first but I'm in control. Turn to the vice versa, where the world is acting on me… Let's just say I'm not the cocky playful speedster I used to be. It's the world that’s cocky and playing with me." Fury said with a bit of a chill.

“I learn a new thing about you every day.” Cadence said. “And I guess my old buddies too.”

"Eh, you may learn some things about me, but not all of it. My favorite things, my strengths, weaknesses… My secrets." He whispered, hoping nopony would find it about a particularly potent technique that made him… vulnerable.

“Or how about what amuses you?” Giggle spoke up. “What gives you butterflies in your stomach? Or to get to the point, what makes you laugh?” She said closing in on Fury as she scrutinized him.

“Well I like pranks and puns. Also seeing Twilight get enraged at a wrong semicolon is kinda funny-”

“No no no no. I mean what makes you truly laugh? Like go all out without any control.” Giggle said only a few inches away from Fury. “Hmmm, you seem a bit tingly, Night Fury, from me being up close. A little sensitive to touch, perhaps?”

Fury saw where this was going and was internally in a panic. “Nope. I'm just a little sweaty from the ride, yeah.”

“Oh really? I understand. I guess not all of us can just laugh so quickly.”

“Yeah see, you get it-”

“Psyche!” Giggle quickly tickled Fury's armpit before he could even react. 

“Ha ha ha ha! Hey hey hey! Oh gee! Ha ha!” Fury laughed. “What did you do that for?”

“To answer my question. And you just answered it.” She said with an evil grin.

Fury now knew she figured it out. That he was ticklish. “No… I was just thinking of a funny joke! Yeah! Totally!”

Giggle shook her head. “Sorry, but I can tell the source of one's laughs and I also know and desire to make you laugh even more.” She said getting into a pouncing position more akin to a feline.

“Don't you dare. Don't you even dare.” Fury said.

“I… DARE!” 

Giggle jumped at Fury, grabbed his tail and tickled it extensively, making him helpless to her onslaught.

"Nohohohoahahahahaha! Oh come ohohohohon!" He squealed in embarrassment, now having had his greatest weakness revealed to Cadence's highschool squad.

“Silly Fury! Did you think you could hide your secret from little old me? I know when someone is weak to my tickling attack. Even the strongest can't resist.” Giggle said smugly.

The others were surprised and amused at this. 

“Who would have thought the mighty warrior of the Speed Shifters would be ticklish?” Summer asked.

“Yep. Even the high and mighty.” Sporty said, vindicated at seeing Fury finally get humbled.

“Poor dear. But it is kind of funny, I have to admit. Just like the strongest warrior being defeated by a bit of my secret sauce.” Hot Sauce said.

“Okay okay, I admit it! I'm totally ticklish! Plehehease, just let go!” Fury begged, hoping for a merciful ending to the torture.

“Oh you will have mercy. But only if you do one thing for me.” Giggle said.

“Just tell me what to do and I'll do it!” Fury yelled out.

Giggle smiled deviously. “Okay! Just wear this!” She said taking out a big afro, large bowtie, large glasses and making him have a big smiley face.

Fury's face immediately went stone cold and looked at her with dead eyes. “You put that on me, I'll show you how many favorites I play when someone embarrasses me. Test your luck, I dare you. I might be silly sometimes but I have my limits.”

“Awww, don't be so grumpy. It's just a silly little face for a kitty-”

“No thanks.”

Cadence shook her head. “You might not wanna go that far. It's not worth it. He has a lot of practice too.”

“You sure about that, Cady? The fuzzball hasn't shown anything worth that merit.” Sporty stupidly said, completely ignoring any sort of sugar coating. 

“Oh, I just haven't had a reason to show any of you that side of me yet.” Fury said simply, sounding a lot less aggressive and surprisingly calm. “Trust me when I say, I am a ‘No Holds Barred’ type of guy. Test my patience, and I'll give you a demonstration on how to effectively give someone a compound fracture.”

“I-is that so?” Sporty said, a bit nervous.

“Cadence must have told you about how I race, about my endurance, my claws and about what I do with those who get too smart with me. Just wanted you to keep that in mind.” Fury said now with a grin that terrified her.

“Okay okay, um… I get the picture.” Sporty said. “Sorry about that.”

Fury shrugged. “No big deal, as long as you get the picture and know our boundaries. But enough talk. Where to next, Cadence?”

Cadence thought about it. “Well, I’ve only been to these areas. Let's just keep moving on and see if anything catches our interest.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?!” Giggle asked. “Tally ho! To the next destination of amusement!” She said running ahead.

“Hey, wait up!” Hot Sauce said. 

They proceeded to walk through the carnival with their eyes peeled, waiting for something new to pop out at them. While walking through some of the rides, Fury had something catch his attention. Looking to his right, he saw a glowing building with what looked like mini cabinets in rows that were also glowing. 

“Hey, what's that place?” He asked curiosity, pointing to the strange new attraction.

“Oh, that's the arcade. Tons of games to play that'll keep you on your tippy hooves. Nice catch.” Giggle said.

“Oh sweet I always liked a good arcade game!” Sporty said. “Nothing like trying to earn prizes through skill. Come on!” Sporty said more enthusiastically than she usually was.

“So right here we have air hockey, skeeball, the slammer with the hammer. And for the more advanced games, we have Donkey Ponk, Pac-Corn, Canterlot Invaders and so on! If you win in these you get some tickets and you get to win prizes.” Sporty said. “But you have to be skilled, some of these will challenge you. I spent many weeks trying to master these games and even more coins. And have garnered many high scores.” She said with a bit of pride.

“Well then, I can't deny myself a good challenge and some fine loot as a reward. Count me in. I'll gladly take each challenge. Now which one first.” 

The curious feline wondered which of these games he should try. They all sounded fun but none of them felt like the “one”. 

Fury said aloud. “I just want a game that really makes me feel like I'm in some intense situation. Like I'm hanging on for dear life. Something that makes me feel alive.” 

He kept on looking and he was about to ask the others to pick one, but then he heard a cry of excitement. And Fury saw the intensity before him.

“No! No! Not the boulder! I'm so close! I just… No!” He heard a brown colt with a propeller cry out in agony. “Awww, I have to do it again!”

“Button, you have spent two hours playing that! I want to see the Crystal Palace now, you can do it later.”

“Awwww, mom!” He said as he was dragged off.

As the colt left, Fury was amazed at how the seat could move on its own. It was like he was staring into the future. From its sounds that reminded of his adventures to the jaw dropping realistic environments, he was amazed. He looked up to the top of the ride and saw what it was called. 

“Typhoon…” 

Cadence smiled. “This game was made recently. And it uses the most advanced gaming technology ponies can offer. Some ponies say it's a spell that transports you to another world. But this game is one of this arcade's most beloved hot spots.”

Fury smiled. “Say, no more, Lovebutt, you have me hooked. If it's a spell, I want to be affected right now cause I'm going in!”

Fury said, sitting on one of the seats.

“Oh wait, I don't have tickets.”

“Here, have some of mine.” Sporty said. “After all, I know a fellow adrenaline junkie when I see one. Think of it as an apology for being uncool.”

“Hey, thanks.” Fury said. He inserted the tickets. And the game began.

“SELECT YOUR EXPERIENCE.” A female voice said upon the tickets being inserted. Eight individual buttons lit up and the screen displayed the same amount of videos that acted as demos.

“Okay, let's see… Hot Rod, Space Ride, Air Wave…” Then Fury saw the last one, Haunted Mine.

“Woah, Haunted Mine!? Sign me up! Maybe I can find some diamonds and gold.” He said excitedly, pressing the eight button to start up the game.

After a bit of waiting, Fury was fixed on the world on screen in front of him. 

–

Fury, now as the unknown character, walked through a fog blocking his path. The sounds of thunder put him on edge along with the dead trees beside him. 

But as he kept on walking he came across a wooden outpost. Was this where the mine would be?

He kept on walking and came across a gate with a large sign that said KEEP OUT. 

Fury scoffed at the sign. He was not going to let the allure of a haunted mine be stopped by some measly gate. He pressed on buttons hoping to be able to perhaps bash through the gate. Nothing worked.

Then all of a sudden, the gate burst open like an explosion. Fury wondered what happened. It turned out it was some old earth pony stallion who bucked the locked gate wide open. 

Okay wasn't expecting that from an old guy like him. Fury said to himself. But wait he's completely see through! Is he a ghost?

“You’re the first to travel to this Celestia forsaken place. Howdy!” The stallion said hospitably, though Fury was a bit on edge.

“Rattlesnake Jack is my name and gold digging is my game. You better get out o’ here. Follow me and I'll give ya some shelter out of the storm.” Jack said, disappearing in a fading light. Fury was now moving slowly through this abandoned yard, thunder and lightning crashing above him as he slowly moved along. 

He moved through the yard with caution, looking over the rusty rails and mine cars that sat still upon them. He moved over to one particular cart and decided to peer over it. But unknown to him, a surprise waited for him.

Out of the blue, the rotted and waterlogged wooden planks suddenly moved away and a rattlesnake popped its head up with an aggressive hiss. Shaking its rattle fiercely and staring at Fury, the feline became uneasy. Hissing more each second, the snake finally ran out of patience and strikes at him, a blue smoke coming out of its mouth.

Fury instantly jumped back and yelped, the snake scaring him a good deal. But as the blue smoke cleared from his vision, the snake was nowhere to be seen.

Where'd that snake go? Was it a ghost too?

Those questions didn't last long as he continued to move through the yard. Moving to another bit of rusted track, there was a hand cart that sat still and motionless. The unknown character then decided to board the cart, prompting Rattlesnake Jack to return on the opposite side.

“Just sit back and relax, I'll handle the rest.” Jack said, a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning going off as he began to laugh..

Gee thanks. That'll totally make me relax.

Then the cart began to slowly go forward, going past wooden posts supporting the cave, machinery and even the remains of skeletons of past travelers. Everything seemed weird, but it was all fine.

Then he came into darkness, and saw a gate in front of him. Which made Fury jump trying to find a way to get out. But luckily he just went through.

But even so he got more and more nervous. Then he saw a familiar sight.

“That storm's mighty loud. Looks like you're gonna be staying here for awhile. Heh heh heh. Might as well savor this place while you're still here! Have fun!” The ghost said before disappearing.

“Wow, really encouraging.” Fury said proceeding to see where this was going.

But as he was beginning to refocus on the train, the ghost appeared right in front of him much to Fury's displeasure.

“And just some advice from an old miner, everything that is shiny is not gold. Take care. Hah hah hah hah!” The miner laughed.

Then the minecart went on a decline and sped down, building up speed. And then he came across a boulder.

Oh no! I'm going to crash! He pressed a bunch of buttons to try to press every combination of buttons. But nothing would happen.

It's over!

But then the cart went backwards and the same for the motion platform. They both went backwards.

“Did I do that?!” Fury asked, turning to Cadence.

“Fury, you're thinking wrongly. The point of this game is just the experience. Just think of it like watching a movie.” She said.

Fury gulped and turned to the game screen leaving his own agency out the window. The boulder was quickly gathering speed. It would run him over at this rate. But then…

Bam!!!

The bridge collapsed in front of them, dropping the boulder into the abyss.

“Thank the emperor! I'm safe.” But then before Fury could get too relaxed, the cart changed from going reverse to going forward full speed ahead! 

“Oh great I'm going to be a flat pancake now!” Fury said in horror anticipating a great fall. But in another twist of fortune, the cart built up so much speed that it leaped over the chasm. The character looked down into the black void, with Fury not knowing how to feel. Finally the cart landed back on the other side and he kept going.

“Oh, thank the emperor.” Fury said with a sigh of relief. “Are there any more great surprises?” Fury said with both annoyance and anxiety.

The others were somewhat bewildered. Fury normally was quite comfortable in high action scenarios. But Cadence realized maybe it was because unlike true games, Fury had no agency, no control. He just had to go with what the game decided, not him. Perhaps it would explain his uneasiness at some horror movies but in a horror game.

But in either case the cart kept going forward. Now it was quiet with all the gears and thingamajigs operating and bats going by. So far it seemed peaceful.

“I can finally relax just a bit- Is that another minecart?!”

Said item was heading right toward him and slam! His cart went back once again. It now seemed to be going a different route. 

And another boulder rolled toward him. This time it did crash into the cart.

And Fury's character just tumbled all over the railroad, hoping he would not fall to the bottom. But he finally landed. It appeared to be a wooden box.

But he knew better than to think this was his moment of relief. For he heard exotic chanting. He wondered where it came from. He remembered how Applejack told him about the buffaloes and their chants.

“No… I'm on a buffalo tribal burial ground now?!” 

The chanting got louder and the box descended downward with the character trapped in it. As he descended, it was as if he was descending into Tartarus itself. He could see different fires around him. 

But then a large pillar activated by the mechanism of his cage destroyed the cage and he fell onto another path, this time wooden. 

“Whoa!!!”

He slid down this wooden path, sometimes going through water, but with no change in speed. He could even see skeletons of bison with headdresses. Had he upset their spirits?

He slid down a slide of water now. With more skeletons near him. He kept on going and going. He wondered if it would ever end.

And now he was over lava and now he was in another elevator. 

“Oh great! What's next? Spiders? Steam? Undead beats?” Fury asked himself.

Anticipating the worst, he went up and up. But then he saw nothing but a normal mine. Nothing happened. Fury wondered if the game had a glitch

Then the ghost appeared once more. “So was it fun or not? Ha ha ha! It's still raining outside, wanna go again?” The ghost asked joyously.

Fury was in awe. It was all just a game? He was sure the guy had some nefarious scheme. But it was just a way for him to see all the sights.

“Well Fury, what did you think of that?” Cadence asked.

Fury took a deep breath. “Wow. That was something. I was on the front of my seat there. Never thought something could surprise me like that. And honestly?” Fury then smiled. “I think that was really crazy! Ha ha ha! It's not everyday I feel like my life is on the line.”

“I thought for a moment you felt like you wanted to leave.” Summer said. 

“Leave?! No. I like being a bit uneasy at times. I don't feel weirded out by manticores but put me in a cart like that and I feel intensity. And as long as it isn't real then I can welcome that eerie feeling. Heh maybe that's why I like Luna even in her nightmare form.” Fury said now relaxed.

“You're an interesting fellow, Night Fury.” Summer said with a chuckle. “The more I get to know you, the more intriguing you are. Oh how I would love to make a suit for you.”

“Speaking of which, where will we go next?” Hot Spice asked.

“Hmmm, Cadence wondered. “We need a real game now. But shall it be arcade or something more mechanical?”

Fury just lied back and sighed. “How about we let one of your gal pals decide the next one. I can't think straight after a game like that.”

The others began to look around the arcade for their next venture. Sporty looked over and saw one of her favorite games: Prance Prance Revolution.

“Okay, everyone feast your eyes on a true challenge.” Sporty said. 

“What's this supposed to be?” Hot Sauce asked.

Sporty smile grew even larger. “Only the catchiest game ever devised. A challenge of one's stamina. Prance Prance Revolution.”

“Sounds like a mouthful. What's it supposed to be?” Fury asked as he approached the machine.

“Okay, so while listening to some catchy Neighponese tunes, you and preferably another pony step on each of the steps that glow. You'll see which ones to do on the screen in front of you.”

“Oh, okay, I get it. Sounds easy enough to understand. Just tap your feet to the beat. Sounds catchy.” Fury said, curious but not expecting a challenge.

Sporty would not let that assumption stand. “Oh, it's not just catchy. It'll make you go crazy. It starts off easy but then your stamina will be tested as you see a bunch of arrows in front of you. Do not underestimate this game or you’ll lose hard.” She said intensely.

Fury smiled. “Okay, now, you got me hooked. I'm going to show my stuff right here. But! I need a rival to challenge myself. Who here wants to have a go with me? Will you, Sporty?”

Sporty shook her head. “I haven’t done it in a while. I want to practice before I try out. Besides I might be pretty good, though I'm nowhere as good compared to a friend of mine.”  She said looking at the princess of love.

“Wait wait wait. Cadence? You've played this Prance Prance uh game before?” Fury asked.

Cadence nodded with pride. “Yep. Me and Sporty would always challenge each other. It was fun and also some practice for reflexes in battle.”

“But unlike me, who focused more on marathons, Cadence never stopped PPR. She and her hubby like to challenge each other. So she's still good.”

“Who would have thought Shining would actually be into dancing?” Fury said amused at the idea of a military guy like him dancing.

“Good for marching and again reflexes in battle.” Cadence clarified. “And good for yours too.” Then her face turned competitive. “So ambassador, are you ready to dance or are you scared to go face a pro like me?”

“Bah! I might be new to this game, Lovebutt, but I've been in enough quick scenarios to know how to get the beat. So let's do it.”

Fury and Cadence proceeded to go to the two areas. They inserted tokens. And the screen popped up with the different song options.

“I bet for sure Cadence will beat this rookie.” Sporty whispered.

“Maybe, but I like to root for the new guy. Fury has spunk after all.” Giggle said.

“Wanna bet? 50 bits for whoever wins.” Sporty asked

“Deal.”

For the two dancers they took a deep breath, picked their song, and the music pumped out. 

The music blasted out. The steps appeared on the screen.

Aiyaiyaiyai!

Aiyaiyaiyai!

Where's my samurai?

The directions came. Fury was able to get into the beat. So far it seemed easy enough. And this music didn't seem as intense as Sporty was making it. 

But then the next part of the song came and the steps sped up.

I've been searching for a stallion
All across Neighpon
Just to find, to find my samurai.
Someone who is strong but someone who is a little shy.
Yes, I need my samurai!

“Doh! I missed it!” Fury said. “Come on, why is it going so fast?!” He couldn't keep up with the fast pace. He didn't expect such a girly song to have such a fast and intense beat. 

I've been searching in the woods.
And high upon the hills 
Just to find, just to find my samurai
Someone who won't regret
To keep me in his net
Yes I need, I need my samurai.

“You think it's so easy now, Fury?” Cadence asked. 

Fury tries to keep up with his cotton candy colored friend, but it is no use. With everything he had, he tried to catch up. But the only thing he managed to do was slip and land on his back by the time the song ended.

Ai yai yai yai I'm your little butterfly. 
Green black and blue
Make the colors in the sky

“Dohhh… Kibblebits!” Fury yelled, keeping his more vulgar language in check for the younglings’ sakes.

“You did it Cadence! You showed him the art of PPR!” Sporty said before turning to an unusually annoyed Giggle.

“You know what that means. So pay up.”

“Mmmm…” Giggle mumbled, pouting. But before she could give her the 50 bits…

“Okay! Hold up! I can't stand for this!” Fury said. “Times like these call for desperate measures. I call double or nothing and double pony dare!”

Everyone gasped at the brash move made by the feline on his back. Not only did he want to go double or nothing, but he double pony dared the dance champion, Cadence, to do it! And as many knew, breaking a double pony dare is almost as bad as going up and straight insulting the Royal Sisters to their faces.

“Fury, it's just a silly arcade game.” Summer said. “You don't have to go that far…”

“Not to me, sweetheart. I may not have been in highschool with the pink puffball, but I've known her for long enough to know that she holds double pony dares as closely as a newborn.”

Cadence smiled. “Right you are about that, my feline friend. If you dare me to win then by Celestia I will gladly accept your challenge. Just know that the loser has to accept the dishonor of losing. And owe the winner one request to do whatever he or she wants. Do you understand?” She said, extending her hoof out.

“Till my death I will honor your commitment, Cadenza.” Fury replied, gripping hard and shaking firmly. He got back up and stood in his spot, another set of coins entering their respective slots. This time it was the feline who chose the song, and one caught his attention the most.

Fluctuation? Sounds like some techno biss. Perfect.

Fury selected the song and the two got in place to make their moves. By now, word got around about the challenge and a small group gathered to check out the action.

The music started, low and soft. Synthwave type wubs and distortion took over for the first few seconds, setting the scene before the beeps kicked in. Starting out muffled, the directions popped on screen. They followed them easily, bringing them into rhythm.

The muffled sound didn't last for long as the sound picked up and the moves increased speed. Nothing major so far, but Fury knew he had to be prepared for the worst. Coming up to the best drop, two sets of arrows came on screen, indicating they had to hit both at the same time.

“Okay, so now the big challenge is here.” Fury found it now harder to dance at its faster speed and heightened beat. But he tried his best to match the song move for move, going hoof to paw with his pink pony gal pal.

However he managed to miss a few times and his worry was setting in. He was focused on the dancing in front of him but he could hear Cadence's hoof beats. She was not letting up.

Fury was starting to sweat. Will I have to be dishonored by her? Does my claim to the title of all mighty mean nothing in the arcade?

No. I didn't train all this time under the emperor to be outdanced. But how? Fury then remembered how the Emperor would teach him to clear his thoughts and just go with the flow.

He closed his eyes, and took in the music, every beep and flow. Every wub, scratch, pop, bass blast and wave seemed to guide his body more so than he did himself.

Fury gave a cocky smile that he was more known for. He swiftly tapped each of the pads, this time not missing a beat.

“Is that the same Fury who missed all the beats last time?! Either that's a Changeling battling Cadence or he's going for his redemption arc!” Giggle said proudly, getting the small crowd that gathered to cheer for him with enthusiasm.

“Go Fury! Go Fury! You've got the moves!”

Cadence was now the one struggling. She didn't expect Fury to learn from his mistakes this quickly. 

The two competitors rapidly danced, not even noticing the crowd around them. Ponies could swear they heard thunder from the dance floor.

Now reaching the end of the song, the beat was in full swing. Fury was in his mojo, going shot for shot with the dance moves while Cadence was the one slipping up. He even had the confidence to start breakdancing on the spot while still maintaining his score streak.

“Come on Cadence! You can't let this rookie show us up!” Sporty cried out.

“I'm trying… But I'm falling apart…”

After a few more intense pounding seconds went by, the song finally reached its end. With a slow piano playing, the two dancers’ hearts beat in anticipation.

When the song finally ended, Fury landed a final stylish backflip to claim his victory. The landing was so stylish that Cadence slipped off the platform and now it was her that was on her back, panting and worn out from trying to keep up.

The crowd cheered for the true winner. 

“Yeeeah baby! Looks like I brought it back! You know what that means… Pay up, Sporty!”

“Grrrr… fine, but don’t think this means anything!” Sporty said as she handed over the bits she promised. “You happy now, Giggle?”

“Most definitely.” Giggle said with a smug cocky grin. “But I think someone is going to have to owe Fury a favor.” She said, eyeing an exhausted Cadence.

“Fine, Fury, what do you want from me? You get double honor after all.”

“Hmmm, good question, my new subject. What I order you is-”

Before he could say anything though, his stomach, as well as defeated rival's, rumbled. They had played so intensely they forgot how hungry they were until now.

“Woah… Heh, I guess we ran our course to the bitter end, eh Cady?” Fury asked.

The love princess chuckled as she got back on her hooves. “Too true. Looks like we've both run out of fuel. Whaddya say we grab some well deserved grub, huh?”

All his friends nodded. They could use something appetizing.

“But where do we go?” Sporty asked. “I'll eat anything at this point.”

“Ooh, I've got an idea!” Fury called out. “I've been meaning to show off some of my newly acquired skills I've been teaching myself, not to mention my creative vision. How about we head back to the castle and I'll show off a bit?” 

“Okay. We'll see if you can compare to Hot Sauce’s food though.” Summer said.

“Well I guess I've got my work cut out for me then. C'mon, let's go.” Fury said, directing the group back towards the Crystal Palace.

–

Back at the Crystal Palace…

“Even now, I still can't get over how beautiful your Crystal Palace is!” Summer complimented.

Cadence smiled. “Oh please. It's nothing.”

Cadence, Fury and the others were in the Crystal Palace which was the same illustrious building as before. While everyone was in awe, what they were really searching for was food of which they wanted to oversee its production.

They went into the Palace’s kitchen and everyone marveled at its smells and the size of the kitchen.

“Ah, this place brings back good memories.” Fury said, licking his lips. “I can still taste the cake, sweets and cheese to this day.”

“Oh I remember you coming in here, alright.” Cadence said with a chuckle. “Trying to get a bite of my leftover wedding cake.”

“Well that's a little impolite.” Summer said with a grunt.

“Eh, he's probably over it.” Hot Sauce said.

“Nope, I'd do it again except more sneakily next time.” He said with a cheek grin. “But enough reminiscing of past delights. It's time for the present.” He said licking his lips and heading into the pantry.

He got some supplies from there. And then he took out his own bag, to take out his own hometown foods.

“I had a family friend send some of the home goods for me. Ya know, just in case I felt like I needed a little bit of something to freshen up my day.” 

He opened the bag. “Oh yeah, I have the good stuff. Some cheese, spices, fish, beef, oooh even some eggs-”

“This is fish and beef? Are you trying to make us vomit?” Sporty asked.

“Don't be rude, Sporty!” Summer snapped like an aggravated mother. “We may not like what he eats on the regular, but we know better than to criticize. He is a predator after all.”

“Fine. Sorry.” Sporty said.

“Thanks Summer, but I'm not offended. I find Sporty's face of disgust too funny to do so.” Fury said laughing to Sporty's embarrassment.

“You're very smart at the mouth, you know that?” Hot Sauce said with a smirk.

“Yep! That's why I'm the ambassador! I got a way with words. For better or worse.” Fury said with a chuckle. “But let's not dwell on that I got some food to eat! Let's get the plates.”

Everyone got some plates, made out of different crystals of different colors.

“Okay ladies, here's the deal. We're all gonna make our own sub sandwiches, sauce and all. Make whatever you want. Daffodils, Lilies, Rosemary… just go nuts. Then we'll all compare and see who's got the goods to stand up against the rest.” 

“Oh you're on.” Hot Sauce said. “I've had experience in cooking class and to serve good food to our colts in battle. I know how to make a mean meal for them including Shining Armor. I hope you'll be ready.”

Fury had to admit it was interesting that he was competing with someone with experience but he did not fear.

“Oh, don't get cocky, my mom and I cooked some equally mean meals. So don't think you'll win.” Fury shot back.

Cadence then spoke up. “Okay everyone get your ingredients ready. On the count of three. You will have ten minutes to make the best submarine sandwich you can. Are you ready to go?”

Everyone nodded.

“Okay then, on the count of three. One, two, three, go!” Cadence yelled out.

Fury took a loaf of bread and sliced it in half with his claws. He then took some tomatoes and cheese and sliced them too.

He also placed some rosemary for nice adversity. But that was only one side. One the other, he squirted some mustard on and spread some mayo with it. From his bag, he grabbed some thin ham slices and a red sausage that his kind called “Pepperoni”. Laying them out on top of each other, he took some crinkle cut pickles and added them to give some juiciness. Lastly, to finish off the other side, he put some salt and pepper on to add some spice.

He was on a roll, going back to the mainly veggie side to add to what he already put on. Daffodils, Roses, Lilies, and a special snack made of potatoes that he adored but ponies hadn't heard of yet.

Cadence had to admit she was astonished at the sandwiches everyone was making. With Hot Sauce she seemed to be adding several spices and hot sauce. Although she was familiar with it ever since school. But Fury's sandwich was especially interesting. While she had to get used to the meat, the fact Fury was using even ingredients his normal self didn't like was fascinating. But the biggest mystery was what those long brownish yellow sticks he put in that sandwich was.

“Alright, time’s up!” Cadence said. “Let's see all our sandwiches.”

The sandwiches were done. Giggle's had some… cookies in them? Cadence made one with a crystal as a spice, Summer made a fashionable cucumber sandwich with some exotic cheese that looked straight out of Canterlot, Sporty made what looked like an extended hayburger with basic stuff like tomatoes and cheese, Hot Sauce made one with a lot of spices, some peppers and some sort of red sauce with even the cheese having spices, and Fury had his strange half veggie half meat sub.

“It looks like we have some interesting competition today.” Cadence said, glancing at the sandwiches.

But who is the winner? Hot Sauce asked herself.  Is it my sandwich? Or the others?

“I had the foresight to have some judge come over.” Cadence said as an old stallion with an old style hat and suit walked over with an inquisitorial eye. “He will decide which of the sandwiches look the best. I hope you are ready for some cold hard truth.”

The old food judge looked carefully at each sandwich with a stoic look that betrayed no emotion.

“You can't be serious…” Fury said. “You expect me to think that this old rust bucket with legs has even the slightest bit of competence? He's probably biased! And as you can all see, you know where that lies.”

“Well, with that attitude I bet I know where his bias will lie against.” Summer said, getting a menacing growl from the recipient of the comment.

“Now, now, this judge has been in the business for awhile. He knows not to let pettiness or race cloud his judgment. He will be completely fair.” Cadence said.

“Shhhhhh!!!” The old judge hissed. He then took a big sniff of the sandwiches, grasping their creations and inspecting them.

“Interesting.” He said as he approached Hot Sauce's. But then after he smelled Fury's sub, he opened his eyes and his stoic expression faltered at the sight of the yellow rectangles.

“May I ask, Fury, what these rectangles are? I assumed they were cheese or a vegetable but it smells more like a potato.” He said.

“Those would be fries. Potatoes cut up and, as the name suggests, fried in oil. They are one of our favorite treats in our village. I’m sure anyone can enjoy them. Please, try some.” Fury offered, holding a pouch of them.

“Hmmmm. Very well.”  He ate some. Fury also gave him some barbecue to dip them in. His expression seemed stoic still but he could swear he saw a surprise from his eyes.

“Thank you very much.” The judge said. He then silently looked at each sandwich. Everyone waited anxiously for his judgment, the air seeming to crackle with anticipation and ambition.

“Alright, I have made my choice.” The judge said. “All of you have made interesting choices. But of all these choices the one that most pleases is…”

“Ambassador Night Fury of Thunder Hollow!”

“Whoa, really?” Fury asked. “What was so special about mine?”

“I could say it was the extra vegetables you put in, or the smell of your village’s sauce, even the meat added an interesting aroma even if I will never eat it. But no. It was these fries as you call them. They add an exotic look to the sub and by themselves they may not have so much flavor but they instead have texture. A soft texture on the inside but a crunchy exterior. It displays the contrasting nature between the different ingredients. A brilliant allegory!” The judge said with passion.

“Uh thanks, but I didn't intend some fancy philosophical message. I just thought it looked cool and would add to the flavor.” Fury said bluntly.

“Well whether you intended or not, you seemed to know about how flavors combine with each other. And that is to be praised.” The judge said. “So you boy, have won the day.”

“Yes!” Fury said, “Nothing like some good fries as mom would tell me.”

“I must admit I'm pretty curious about what these fries are like.” Summer said.

“Yeah me too.” Sporty concurred.

“Let us try some!” Giggle asked.

“Maybe I could use them for my next recipe?” Hot Sauce wondered aloud.

“Well, will you be a dear and give me and my friends your special fries?” Cadence asked.

“Gotcha covered, ladies!” Fury said confidently, obtaining a basket full of the things and sliding it into the middle for them to have with their subs.

“Eat up while they're warm!” Fury said. Each of the mares took some fries and ate them.

“Ooooooo!” Giggle said. “This feels so weird but I like it!”

“I love the crunch mixed with tenderness.” Summer said.

“The saltiness is a marvel of culinary ingenuity, I love it!” Hot Sauce commented.

“Why on Earth were we so blind? We've been eating hay fries all our lives when this could have been our greatest food! Though I must concede and give props to its true creators.”  Cadence said dramatically.

“Yeah it’s f-f-fine I guess. It’s just okay.” Sporty said, looking away while eating three more.

“Awww, too bad you don't like it.” Fury said. “Cause I'm just going to have to throw away this barbeque sauce straight from my mom's kitchen.”

“No, I'm sorry! Let me have it!” Sporty said desperately. 

“That's more like it, eat up!” Fury said.

When they ate the fries with barbeque their eyes lit up even more. These fries could be the vessel for any sauce to work its magic. Everyone was pleased even Sporty didn't hide her satisfaction.

“Your mom really taught you well, Fury. I'll have to meet your mom someday.” Hot Sauce said.

“Oh I'm sure you will. Just remember she can be a bit… bossy.” Fury said.

“Eh, I've had many grumpy customers to deal with. I'll be fine.” Hot Sauce said.

“That's good but now it's time to chow down on our own sandwiches! Let's dig in.” Fury said.

Everyone ate their individual sandwiches as well as trying putting their fries in the sandwiches and everyone was delighted. A nice meal for all of them.

“This was a great idea, whiskers. I'd have never thought of this in a million years!” Sporty said.

“It helps to have a village with the craziest chefs and food connoisseurs you can think of. Food is our game. After all, we gotta fill ourselves up after a good marathon.” Fury said.

Then Cadence got up and stretched her arms. “Well… I think it's time we go now. I'm stuffed.”

“Yeah, it was great and all, but even my stomach is done with food.” Fury said.

“Hold on a second. These fries, they're so good and tasty. Do the princesses know about these bad boys?” Sporty asked.

Fury’s eyes opened wide. Now that he thought about it. He never once mentioned them.

“By the gods. I have made a mistake. I've not shown them such beautiful wonders. I just took them for granted.” Fury said. “When's the next train for Canterlot due?”

“Funny you should say that. It's actually at night. So in a few hours.” Cadence said.

“Then I guess there's no time to waste. I'm gonna show those two what we've been creating!” Fury said confidently. But then, he let out a sudden yawn. 

“But first, I think I've earned myself a little cat nap. Wake me up when the train’s here.” Fury said, waddling his way to one of the Crystal Palace’s guest rooms.

“Already? Fury just did all that crazy action and ate like a maniac and now he's about to go to sleep?” Hot Sauce said.

“Yep. Fury's used up a lot of energy and he's ready to crash. You won't find someone who will run so fast and sleep twice as hard as Fury. Well, except maybe Rainbow Dash.” Cadence chuckled, watching as her feline friend sleepily walked off.

–

Hours later…

By the time Fury had gotten to Canterlot, the sun was just setting below the horizon. He knew in his mind he had plenty of time to find the sisters, but at that point, he had just woken up from a nap on the way there. Perhaps those subs had more of an effect on him than he realized?

He shook off the last of his drowsiness and went for the castle. His red aura lit up the streets like a shining star, the remaining ponies still up and about getting a beautiful view of his lit up figure gliding along the streets.

“Is that Night Fury?”

“Look at that light of his!”

“I wish I could glow like that.”

“If only he could be mine. I wouldn't have to pay for electricity then!”

Though his hearing would have picked up on the various comments made by the ponies he flew by, he was too focused on bringing his people's wares to the princesses. Looking up towards the city's higher architecture, he saw three familiar blobs above him. Focusing in, he realized that not only were both Celestia and Luna out on the balcony of one of the towers, their mother was there too.

“Bingo, three for three! Let's see if I can catch them up.” Fury said, going falcon and taking flight. Flying up and around the buildings, he could see the balcony getting closer and closer. But as a more stylish entry, we went straight up and decided to show off.

Unaware of the incoming bird, the Royal Sisters and their mother stood above the city and looked on at the rising moon, which was of course being controlled by the smallest of the three.

“Great job, Luna, you've grown so much since you were a filly.” Lauren said.

“Thank you mother, I find the moon very comforting on these clear nights.” Luna replied with a smile. Then Celestia spoke up.

“I'm sorry, but is it just me or do you both sense another presence nearby?” She asked. Her sister and mother both nodded at that question and began to wonder to themselves. As alicorns, they seemed to have developed some sort of sixth sense for detecting others nearby. Perhaps rulers of old passed down this trait through the royal family? 

These questions would soon be answered as a black bird shot up from below, making a turn to fly across the moon’s path. As it passed by and the princesses recovered from their initial shock, they got a flash of red. A glowing lightning strike soaring across the sky, matching contrails following it from what seemed to look like a pair of talons.

“Well, well, I see it's none other than your dearly beloved Night Fury.” Lauren said.

“That he indeed is.” Luna said as she saw the black bird finally landing.

“Well, happy to see my show ladies?” Fury asked, transforming back to his normal self. 

“Fury, you have truly shown such great splendor and wonder! It is like seeing an aurora!” Luna said excitedly. “You truly know how to make me delighted.”

“Oh trust me, there are more ways that I can make you want me.” Fury said in a low voice, glowing a sultry maroon as opposed to his energetic hotrod red.

As those words reached her ears, she immediately started to blush. Her body temperature rose as well, forcing her to fan herself to cool off. And if it wasn't for his and the other alicorn’s keen eyes, he probably would have missed a slight adjustment to her hind legs.

“I rest my case.” Fury said with a smirk. “I bet you were just dying to see me all this time, huh?”

“Mmmm, maybe just a little.” Luna said, playing coy. “I must say you do know how to make an entrance, my Lightning Bug.”

“I have to agree with her, Fury.” The white alicorn said. “You know how to make a surprise. I didn't realize it was you until the last moment. I'm impressed though I do wonder why you chose today to go to Canterlot unless you have something special in mind.”  She said with a smirk.

Fury grinned widely. “As observant as ever, old lady. Well to answer your question, I bring forth gifts from the Crystal Empire’s kitchen. A delicious one. Behold!”

The shifter took out his bag and showed them a sub sandwich.

The princesses were now confused. This is what he went to Canterlot for?

“You brought…a submarine sandwich?” Celestia asked, a bit confused. “I mean I know they taste good, but it's hardly anything new.”

“Not impressed? Well, let me tell you it's not just any ordinary sub sandwich. It's what's inside that's the kicker!” 

He pulled back the top and revealed the inside. Not much to their surprise, there was an assortment of items he would eat on the regular. But then they noticed the sacred fries.

Luna sniffed them. “I've… never seen or smelled these in all the centuries I've lived. Is this some sort of vegetable grown in your village?”

“Not even close. They're something much more special. You see, I've always found it weird that you guys have hay fries and hay bacon which… Now that I think about it, it would always sound weird to a predator. But anyway, I decided to run an experiment. What if everything you had wasn't made of hay? So, I made a few calls to some family friends and got these imported from home. Fries made from potatoes.”

“Potatoes? These are potatoes?” Faust asked. “I guess I can smell it. Is it truly as good as you say it is.”

“That and more.” Fury answered. “It's all in the texture. You'll know what I mean. Try one.”

Fury quickly gave each of the three a fry first with no sauce but some salt.

When the three ate them, they ate slowly and noticed the interplay of a crunchy outside and soft inside. They found it fun to just eat.

“Well, what do you gals think?” Fury asked.

“I've never felt anything like this!” Luna said. “It feels so good.”

Celestia nodded, still taking time to eat her fry.

“Celestia, we have to get the next fry.” Faust reminded her daughter.

“Oh, sorry.” Celestia said, blushing a bit.

“I guess that answers what you thought of it, Tia.” Fury said. “But! What happens if you dip these little fellas in some sauce? Ketchup, barbecue, mustard? Try one of them and your life will never be the same again, I assure you.” Fury said.

They all took one of each and tried them. As soon as they got a taste of this new invention, it was like the gods had blessed them with a savior to all flavor boredom. From the tanginess of ketchup to the sweetness of barbeque to the spice of mustard they had found this humble little fry perform wonders in their mouths.

“This is amazing! We must figure out how to make this widespread.” Luna suggested. “For the sake of not just us royals, but for the benefit and happiness of all ponykind.”

“Luckily for you lovely ladies, I got the receipt for them right here. Courtesy of my mom's old cooking partner, Sweet Spot. Together they made some great meals that I learned too.” Fury said with pride. “But, it will take a lot of learning to get them just right. And luckily for you confused mares, Fury will show you and your cooks. Follow me!”

Everyone followed suit. Fury could remember the place where the castle kitchen was like the back of his paw. He wasted no time in opening the doors and getting the supplies needed to show his process to the princesses.

“Alright, now that I've got all I need, I'm gonna show ya what it looks like to create a masterpiece.” 

Fury started with three simple potatoes and laid them down across the counter. 

“The trick that mom told me is to cut it almost like it's a square. The fries are rectangular, so all you have to do is ignore the odd shape of what you're starting with and visualize what they'll look like afterwards. And I just so happen to be very skilled with a knife, so…”

Fury grabbed the sharpest knife that was close and went to work. Within seconds, the first potato was already turned into the familiar rectangular shapes that the fries were known for. Not too much later, all three were in perfect order and ready to be prepared for the next step.

“Now these strips of potato are nothing special. At least not yet. What we need now is to batter them in some oil.” Fury said, getting a pot ready. 

“You gals wouldn't have a tub of oil lying around, would ya?”

“Second freezer, third row back. Bright yellow tub, can't miss it.” Celestia answered.

Fury excitedly found it, licking his lips eager to show off this recipe he had learned to the uninitiated.

“Alright I'll just heat up this pot. Since I'm a Shifter and an All Powerful, this won't require any gas burners.” Fury poured a good amount of oil into the pot and placed the tub aside. Rubbing his paws together like defibrillator pads, he charged his paws to a decent amount and touched them to the pot. Red light shone through the oil for a moment before instantly being brought to a boil.

“Amazing, your powers are just as powerful in combat as they are in peace.” Celestia commented.

“Not everything about lightning has to be so dangerous~” He said, charging a toe and booping Celestia's nose.

“Eep!” 

“But it is always shocking.” Fury said with a chuckle in which Celestia rolled her eyes while amused.

After some time had passed, the fries were properly baked. The princesses knew they were in for a treat just from the smell of the battered fries alranchHe set them in a basket and displayed them for all to see, steaming and perfectly fried.

“They look just lovely.” Faust said. “I can already taste it.” She said, reaching out for the fries.

“Ah ah ah!” Fury said, grabbing her arm. “No fry is complete without two things. Salt and some sauces.”

The feline got out some packets of various sauces he knew well. 

“We got our mustard, ketchup, ranch, sour cream, barbecue and many many more. Of course I could just throw these sauces out if you want-”

Luna slammed her hoof on the counter. “I demand you give us these sauces right now, dear! We crave good taste.”

“Wait a second and you'll get it, hiss bit. Be patient for one in your life, huh moonbutt?”

“Very well. But I hope these sauces are of high quality worth waiting for.” Luna said, arms crossed.

“Oh I will Luna. Oh yes I will.” Fury said with a large grin as he got back to preparing the meal. Each sauce had its own respective cup to hold it, a decent drizzle of salt on top of the delectable fries. All were arranged in a circle around the basket, free for the choosing of any of them.

He knew of the value of delay. To make his new connoisseurs water for these treats. Even Faust seemed desperate for some fries and sauces.

“Here ladies, tonight you have dinner of the highest caliber. Be ready for a feeling like never before.”

Before the princesses said anything, he slid some sauces and fries to each princess. Ranch for Celestia, barbeque for Luna and ketchup for Faust.

“Bon appetit! Now try out your chef's food! See if it fits my mom's expectations.”

They each took out a fry, poured some salt, dipped them in their respective sauces and put them into their mouths.

“Amazing.” Celestia said

“Truly divine!” Luna yelled in joy.

“You've done great!” Faust said. “You knew what we wanted and you knew how to get us into these fries. You did quite well!”

Fury bowed. “Thank you. Thank you very much. Your proud chef acknowledges your gratitude for our Shifter cooking. Now you can share this with others. I bet Luna's guards would appreciate these!” Fury said, almost like he was on a cooking show.

“We must incorporate this into our kitchens as well as internationally! This could be a revolution!” Luna proclaimed dramatically.

“I must agree. Something of this stature must be shown to the rest of the culinary world.” Celestia said. “I suppose you will be heading home after our get together, Fury?”

“Actually, no. That last train home already left and any other choice of getting around isn't a good idea.” He said.

“He's right. It's much too dangerous for him to be running or flying drowsy, especially at this time of night.” Faust agreed.

“Hit the nail on the head, Lauren. You guys don't mind if I crash here, do you? It would be fun to spend time here with you guys after all.” He asked, almost sounding nervous.

The sound of his wavering voice made the solar princess stop eating. In ear shattering silence, she stood up, walked around to where he sat, levitated him over his seat, took it and sat him down in her lap while wrapping him in the most heartfelt embrace she could muster.

“Night Fury, you are more than welcome to stay here. It should be of no concern to you whether you can choose to remain here in any situation. We would be delighted to receive you.” Celestia said.

“As will I.” Faust added.

“Anything for you, Lightning Bug.” Luna agreed, giving him a peck on the cheek.

“Thanks. It always feels good to know you have my back after all this time. Now, how about we just enjoy tonight with what we have, huh?” Fury asked, the other princesses and their mother agreeing with his statement. As they ate, they converted on how they're days had gone. Bringing up the highs and lows of their experiences while cracking the occasional joke. 

Fury was glad this day went well, it felt very refreshing to not have to worry about his responsibilities for once. As the thought crossed his mind, he realized that he really hadn't been thinking about his ambassadorship all day. And to his surprise, he felt lighter at the shoulders.

Wow, I guess Twilight was right. Maybe I have been working too hard lately. I haven't had a single speck of anything reminiscent of my ambassador duties cross my mind and… I do truly feel better about myself. Perhaps I should look into the other things I've been worrying about? The use of my bits, lessening the need to only use them for business and politics? I'll have to sleep on this.

Everything that he had thought about ran through his head and took front and center. Perhaps he could allow himself a little shopping spree and give himself some (although very late) birthday presents to himself. Celestia and Luna have both made it a point to tell him that his supplement fund is not restricted to just his ambassadorship and keeping bills paid. He could transfer a few hundred to his checking account to spend. 

All of this was good to remember, a solid point to be brought up for debate. But that could be saved for another time.
> Chapter 48: Keeping It Cool At The Capital (Or At Least... Trying To)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fury was sitting on his bed with a tired expression. He had just woken up in one of Canterlot Castle’s bedrooms and was still a little groggy. He remembered his night with the princesses and smiled softly at the sweet moment he shared with them, showing them the beauty that was his magnificent fries. 

It was a time he wished that didn't have to end. But then, the smell of morning musk caught his sensitive nose and made him recoil a bit.

Yeesh! What a stink! I haven't had this much of a smell in the morning since I was just getting out of highschool. Well, time to get up and go.

And so with a beastly sounding snarl and a bit of a grunt, he got up and went out to find a bathroom.

–

In the castle halls, the light of the morning sun burned his vision, his ears covering his peripheral vision to shield them from constant damage. Usually, he wouldn't have a problem with waking up before the sun rose above the horizon. But today, he actually slept in. Perhaps this was the result of feeling less burdened by his work, no longer having to think about the responsibility of maintaining his position and allowing himself to be a bit lazy.

As he walked ahead, he saw what looked like a bathroom door to his right. It wasn't guarded and it was decorated with a white paint and gold metal accents. He stopped and stared at it, his blurry morning vision not allowing him much perception of what it was. Despite his drowsiness, he had to freshen up for the day and tried to walk in…

Keyword: Tried.

The door was actually locked from the outside. He tried jiggling the knob and giving it a little force, or at least whatever strength his sagging body would allow, but no dice.

Why on earth would it be locked from the outside, let alone at all? What's this castle trying to protect? the soap?

Feeling annoyed, Fury took to his resources and thought of a way to get in. Then he grinned as an idea flowed into his mind. He extended a claw and began to pick at the lock. From his juvenile days, he always seemed to know how to get anywhere. Whether in or out, he knew a route or way to get there. And locks were of no challenge to him, especially with the reinforcement of his father's smithing knowledge.

After a few seconds of prying at the lock, even with his tired mind and blurry eyes, he cracked it. Giving a huff of confident laughter to himself, he opened the door and went inside. But little did he know, a pony of great power was already up and awake with the same idea of freshening up for the day. And so it would seem, they were headed to the same place. 

As he walked inside, his bleary eyes caught sight of the most overkill bathroom he had ever seen. Waterfalls flowed around a pool sized bathtub, ambiance sang through the room to set the mood, massage tables with pillows in two very recognizable colors. It was like paradise that you could step into every day.

He wished he had the energy to even gasp at the scene, but he hasn't even had breakfast yet so he didn't care. Walking over to a full body mirror, he got a good look at himself. Finally deciding to rub his eyes of the blur, he looked at his messy fur, dull claws, kinked tail and although not so bad, slightly yellow teeth.

“Ugh, what a sight. I look like I got into a fight… with myself.” He said in a deep morning voice. He then looked at the rest of his figure, past his messy exterior. His muscles were filling in very nicely and his belly seemed to have shrunk a good bit. All of the workouts with Shining Armor seemed to be working nicely.

“Man, despite the nasty exterior, I'm looking solid. And this mirror captures it all. This bathroom sure has its perks. I wonder why I needed such a large place all to myself?”

“Oh, I don't think this was for you.” A voice said behind him. Fury's eyes shot open, his body going rigid and all of the drowsiness temporary leaving his body. Just then, a large shadow was cast over him. He gulped so loudly, it almost echoed. He dared not turn around, but the mirror had all but no secrets to keep as a quad of white, un-shoed hooves stood parallel to his. From that view, he knew that whoever this was wasn't just behind him, they were standing over him.

“Um, hello Celestia. Um, what a coincidence that you just happen to be here. I guess it would… explain the door being locked.” Fury said, wondering if Celestia was peeved at how he broke in and picked her bathroom's lock. “So, this is your bathroom? It looks more like a pool at a hotel honestly.”

“A princess must have a space worthy of her stature. Now, I must commend you for being able to crack the lock on my specially made impenetrable, uncrackable door. It must take a lifetime of breaking into places you're not supposed to be in order to figure that out.”

“Heh heh heh you got that right! I suppose it's a sort of art form.” Fury said with pride, but then he remembered he was in Celestia's bathroom. “But just to be clear, I wasn't trying to be a Peeping Tom, you know? My heart is only for your sister. N-not that I would peep on her, I mean! I respect her privacy! Although she rarely keeps secrets from me, which is fine in any sense-”

“Fury! Please! It's alright.” Celestia said with a yawn. “You don't need to panic. I'm tired after all. And I know for all your mischief, you would never disturb me and my sister like that.”

“Plus, I saw how bleary and saggy you were. You looked like you could barely see those… rather dull claws of yours right in front of your face. I don't take any harsh feelings with that in mind, you probably couldn't tell what was what.” Celestia reassured him. Fury took the chance to let out a sigh of relief and sagged back down as the morning grogginess seemed to catch up with him.

He turned around to finally face the solar princess and got a look at her. But this time, she was different. She was without her regalia, looking more like a wild mare than a princess. Her mane did not flow like it usually did, but it rather sagged and draped over her face.

“Wow, I've never seen you like this. You look so… natural. Untamed, unrefined, depressurized.” Fury said.

“When you're in the public eye, you have to compose yourself and to not look unblemished. But it does take a number out of you. But here, in this private room, I can just relax and just take a nice break.” Celestia said. “And I even have my own friends, like these rubber duckies.” She said, quacking one of them.

Fury felt more relaxed now and chuckled. “Yeah, I guess this is a nice place to just destress. But something's off… This place is so big, and I know somepony like you is practically allergic to being alone in such a large room.” Fury said, going into a sort of detective mode.

He then gasped at his realization. “Wait… if this place is so big, that means that you share baths with-”

“Good morning, sister. I see you've gotten to freshening up for the day-” Just inside the doorway, a familiar face stopped on the marble floor. Stunned, Princess Luna herself stood silenced by the surprising sight of her boyfriend being inside the bathroom she and her sister often shared.

Fury cracked an awkward smile, not even taking into consideration his unbrushed fangs. “Eheh, morning babe.”

The dark alicorn tried to regain her composure in front of Fury. “Likewise, Night Fury. And might I ask why you so happen to be in me and my sister's private bathroom? You were not up to anything unbecoming, right?” She said with a raised eyebrow.

“No, just a little misguided drowsy stumbling. Although I nearly had a heart attack when the big, white mama bear over here showed up.” 

Luna now turned from suspicion to amusement. She couldn't help but laugh. “Oh Fury, ever the amusing one with your words. I suppose you’re innocent.”

Fury smiled at that, a little too much. Just then, Luna got a clear look at just how much morning dreariness he was packing.

Matted fur, dull claws, kinked tail, yellow teeth… good grief. No doubt he knows hygiene is important, but boy does he pack up a lot of crust and nastiness.

Luna had to make herself clear about her boyfriend's looks. And so she did. “What a mess! You look like you grew up in a swamp.” She said.

Fury gave her a huff of laughter. “Uh Luna… technically, I kinda did literally grow up in the wild.”

Luna blushed at her obliviousness to the blatantly obvious. “Oh… right.”

Celestia chuckled. “Oh sister, even after all these years, you're still just as adorable. But you do bring up a great point. Those yellow teeth are a terrifying sight.”

Fury covered his mouth, his face flushing red and his ears flattening to the sides of his head.

“But, this is a bathroom for a reason. We shall endure our morning routine together! Starting with making acquaintance with our toothbrushes. Come you two, let us get started.”

Fury smiled at her openness. “Emperor knows I need one.”

The trio walked to a marble countertop with gold and silver surrounding mirrors. Celestia and Luna took out their toothbrushes.

“You have a toothbrush, right, Fury?” Celestia asked.

“Uh yeah. You ponies aren't the only ones who know about dental hygiene.” Fury said as he got out his own glittery red toothbrush. “After all, my mom with all her sweets would strictly enforce my brushing regimen three times per day. No exceptions or else. Though Dad and Amethyst gave me some leeway in an effort to teach me survival skills, as it could be weeks before you get to sit in the comfort of a bathroom.”

Celestia smiled. “I see. Well Fury luckily for you, you are in the realm of civilization. So therefore, you will not only brush your teeth. But you shall get the royal treatment. Even our very own Royal Mouthwash! Perfect for meetings.”

Fury looked over to the crystal blue liquid and read the label.

“Colgate’s Crystal Mint Mouthwash: Have your breath be blessed by the greatness of the royals themselves! Officially endorsed by the Royal Family. Huh, I didn't know you guys did sponsorship. What's next, Celesti’Os?”

“Hmmm, perhaps I might consider that. Thank you for the suggestion, Fury!” Celestia said amused.

Luna rolled her eyes. “Always taking advantage of fame. Typical sister.”

“Oh great, I can see the box already. Celesti’Os: A Bit Of Sunshine In Each Bite!”  Fury joked.

Luna laughed out loud at that comment. “How very fitting!”

“Okay, you two, let's stop wondering about captions for cereal before we forget why we're here.” Celestia reminded them. Luna and Fury nodded as they both got their toothpaste along with the eldest princess. Luna had a deep blue paste that matches her coat, sparking like her mane. Celestia sported bright yellow toothpaste that almost shined with a bit of sunlight in itself. 

Fury's was a bit more unique, a swirl of blue and black paste that had a bit of a glow to it. Perhaps it was infused with Speed Shifters energy.

As the paste was pressed onto his teeth, the princesses could swear they heard an electrical sound from his mouth as he brushed hard against his fangs. He seemed to enjoy it more than most ponies would.

After he got done, he gargled and spat into the sink and they could even see the glow from water he spat out.

Fury took notice of their bewilderment. “Hey, a Speed Shifter's teeth need special treatment. We Shifters not only want clean teeth but strong teeth too. Our paste gets all the food particles, even in hard to reach places and also reinforces our teeth with a bit of strengthening powder to use them for warfare so they don't get softened up.” He said before getting some more mouthwash and gargling it up, spitting it out once he deemed it sufficient.

“Very interesting. You Shifters sure are unique. Even more interesting than my bat pony guards at times. But now that your teeth are cleaned, it is time to deal with your… horrendous matted fur.” Luna said, a bit disgusted.

“More than happy to do so!” Fury agreed.

When they went into the bathing areas, Fury was taken by how large the bath was. It was basically an indoor pool. And of course it was complete with decorative tiles and sculptures of dolphins.

“Are you ready to go in?” Celestia asked.

“Oh I was born ready. But not in any normal way.” Fury said in a pouncing position. 

“You're not actually going to-”

“Yep and you’re going with me. Divebomb!” Fury said, before grabbing Luna and Celestia and proceeded to lunge into the large bath. It produced such force that the whole room got covered in water.

“Ha ha, I'm liking this place already!” Fury said.

Luna rolled her eyes. “You know you could have just walked in through the stairs right?”

“Sorry, but like as a cub. I had a rule. If I see a big body of water, I just have to dive bomb into it like a catapult!” Fury said, still excited.

“Well, now that you got that out of your system, it's time to relax.” Celestia said with a chuckle. “Do you feel the warmth of these waters and how they soothe you?”

Fury finally took notice of the waters and how nice they felt. He felt he could just melt into the water. 

“Yeah I do. I don't think I've been in something that ever felt this good.”

Luna smiled. “There are special minerals in here that give properties that relax the body and rejuvenate your body. These minerals are a mix of the crystals found below Canterlot and from the Crystal Empire. All the stress of a day, all the dirt, all the swearing vanishes in these waters.”

Fury had to admit he felt truly at ease in this environment. He started to feel like he was almost a liquid at this rate. He was especially surprised at how big the bath was. He could even do some swimming in the warm waters.

Just then, a yellow rubber duckie floated over to him.

“Heh, look at this little guy.” Fury said as he grabbed it. 

Quack! Quack!

“Heh, I wouldn't expect rubber ducks of all things to be in some royal bathroom like this.”

“It's a good form of entertainment.” Celestia said. “And they can even make good friends to talk with when you feel lonely. Just ask my sister. She even gives them names”

Luna blushed with embarrassment. “Sister! You promised you would keep that a secret.”

Fury laughed. “Don't worry, Moonpie. It's all cool. After all, I wouldn't mind my own rubber duckie collection. I could even play war games with them. Think about it. One side vs another side. General Duckenhower vs General Duckstein.” Fury said as he got two rubber duckies and crashed them against each other.

The other two laughed at this. Fury was able to make a fun situation even out of rubber duckies.

Luna then looked over to Fury and got a look at him. Even without the mane and tail of a pony, he was one hot piece of pie in the bath. Something about his slick fur, dripping with water and his muscular form just made her… weak. It was such a captivating sight. She could have sworn she saw a huff of steam hiss from his nose like a primed steam engine, ready to burn and haul.

No living creature has ever made her feel so… aroused. Sure, she gave the occasional blush and sheepish smile when one of the nobles would compliment her, but Night Fury was different. He seemed to push all the right buttons to get her to cave and release all of her inner self. The self she hid away for many a year to keep her regal and strong exterior intact. 

The only other creatures in her life that could get her to relax that much were Celestia, her mother, and even Cadence to some degree. But him? He had something special residing under all that mischief, battle rage and past trauma.

And at first she couldn't understand what that was. But after a long time being with him, she figured it was his passion. His sheer passion. Whether it was battle or fun, he showed an amount of it that surpassed anyone she ever saw. Even if he could be reckless at times, she admired how much he wished to make his own way even if others didn't understand. How he wished to be his own free self. She herself could relate to that last part especially.

“Yeesh, with all the muck my fur picks up, you'd think I'd look more brown than black.” Fury joked.

“I would think so too.” Celestia said, amused. “I guess your fur just is good at collecting all that mess and keeps it hidden away except for those close to you.”

“Well, this winter coat is harder to clean. That's one of its flaws. Good for warmth in the colder months, terrible to get clean. What's even worse is that anything above the sides is a pain to deal with.” Fury said with a sigh. 

Fury then got out a scrubber with a sponge. “I need something really special to get that really dirty stuff. This sponge is made from special plants found under the lake. It absorbs a lot. It's a pain to use but I gotta do it. Better me than my mom for sure.” 

Luna then raised her arm. “How about I help you in this painful endeavor, Lightning Bug? You deserve to simply relax after all. I promise I will be friendly.”

Fury didn't know what to think. He usually preferred he did it himself and didn't trust others to scrub his back. But then again he knew it was Luna who he trusted. And besides it was his girlfriend so maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

“You know what, Moonpie, I'll take it. Just… try not to go too hard. That scrubber can feel like a weapon.”

Luna grabbed the scrubber. She breathed in. She remembered what her mother taught her about wielding a weapon. How to use precision and to use grace. She scrubbed her coltfried's back lightly.

She was very careful. 

“Uh sweetie? I know I said be careful but this is a little too soft. I'm not a cub, you can go harder with me. Come on, Princess of the Night, show me your true power. Unless you want Sunbutt to beat you in that.” 

Luna would not have that. “My power is not to be underestimated! I will show you my true scrubs!”

She then scrubbed harder. She over time scrubbed harder and harder.

“Oh boy, that's really something. Yeah I think you're doing good.” Fury said now satisfied. But Luna did not respond and kept going. 

“Yeah. Ok Maybe a little too good.” Fury said now feeling a bit of pressure from her scrubbing. “Seriously, Luna, you can be done now. Luna? Luna, I- Ow! Luna!”

“Huh, what?”

“You can be done now.” Fury said. “You went the complete opposite there. You scrubbed like no tomorrow. Even Big Macintosh couldn’t match what you had.”

Luna felt regret. “I'm sorry, Fury. I disregarded your warnings and went too harshly. I know you might be angry now-”

“Pffft! I'm not angry, babe. I find it fun. You have that passionate side. I kinda made a mistake honestly comparing you to Tia. I was just being playful. But you take play to a whole new level. You have that fire in you. And I find that pretty hot.” Fury said amused.

Luna blushed at that. It was nice to have someone appreciate her not just for her outward regal appearance but even her other side. The side that has deep passion. 

No wonder why I'm so drawn to him. Luna said to herself.

“Um, Luna?” Fury spoke, snapping her out of her inner thoughts

“Oh right, the scrubbing! I'll do it more softly this time.” 

“Nah, I think you got it all off. In your passion, you got rid of all that gunk.” Fury said.

“I agree. You look all new, Fury.” Celestia complimented.

“Well, I can't say everything is okay. I still have these to worry about.” Fury said, sticking his claws above the water.

“Your claws?”

“Yeah, if you look closely, they're all dull. I haven't done my mandatory sharpening. And recently, those hoof files that Rarity has been giving me, snap on contact. My claws are hard as steel now, which while natural for Speed Shifters and even more so for an All Powerful, it makes it an absolute pain to find something to sharpen them now.”

“I guess those are the consequences of being too powerful.” Celestia said. “I should know.”

“But what can we do to sharpen your claws if our tools will just break?” Luna asked.

Fury racked his brain for every possible solution to his dilemma. Soon enough, he thought of one.

“A sharpening stone! That's it! All I need is one of those revolving stones that sharpen swords and I should be home free.” Fury said in a eureka moment.

“Like they do in a smithy?” Celestia asked. “That sounds quite… rough. Are you sure your claws can handle that pressure?”

Fury nodded. “Yep! Our claws don't break so easily. As long as you know what you're doing you can sharpen even my claws.” 

“Is there some blacksmith in Canterlot that I can go see?” Fury asked.

“We’ll do you one better. We have our own private blacksmith in the deeper sections of the castle. Shining Armor used his services quite a lot back when he was still Canterlot’s chief of the royal guard. They should have what you need.”

“Awesome! I don't have any more junk on my body. So I'm ready to dry off and get my claws dealt with.” Fury said getting out of the bath to dry off.

“We'll take you to him.” Celestia said doing likewise. “Get all dried up and be ready for a true genius.”

“Oh you won't have to wait for me. It's the other way around.” Fury said confidently. He charged his aura and within a second, he zapped all the moisture off of his fur with a single burst of mana.

“He must surprise you every day you see him.” Celestia said to her sister.

“That would be putting it lightly.” Luna said with a smile. “Now, you two go handle the sharpening situation. I will take the liberty of having the chefs prepared breakfast for your return.”

“Thank babe. To think I would have been running after another Shifter when you were right here, waiting to be loved.” Fury said, jumping up to meet her height, kissing her and leaving with Celestia to meet the blacksmith.

“I could say the same for myself.” She chuckled softly as she went to inform the royal chefs of their duties.

-

As the two went deeper into the palace, they encountered some stalwart guards. Apparently the smithy’s secret techniques of making weapons was considered important enough to be guarded by the highest of security.

They had finally reached the doors of the blacksmith. 

“So any safety protocols I need to know before going in?” Fury asked.

“Well, for normal ponies who accompany me or Luna down here, they would be given protective goggles and a smither’s apron to protect against sparks. But you and I are free to walk in thanks to our discipline, cunning and practically indestructible hides.”

With that reassurance, the two went into the smithing room. Just a few steps in, they could already feel the wave of heat in the room and hear the pounding of hammer to metal from all the blacksmiths.

“Hoowee, talk about a temperature difference! Not even a couple steps in and I already feel like my thick fur is gonna cook me like a stuffed turkey. This is even hotter than my dad’s smithy!” Fury huffed.

“Lately we've been working with new metals from the mines that will be able to make stronger blades. And they take a lot more effort to heat up.” Celestia said.

“Right, and I'll save you the time of explaining that they're much harder to smelt and mold. Y'know, if you switched from coal fires to a lava boiling system, you'd save on constantly having to refuel and completely cut out the coal fumes. Lava burns hotter and can basically last forever if you can get a good supply. All you have to do is run some obsidian coated pipes along the sides to minimize burning holes in them, set some grates on top of lava cauldrons to separate the hot stuff while letting the heat through and the rest is history. Saved my kind from desperate times when the coal mines out west collapsed.” Fury explained.

“If you told me you could use molten lava itself to create blades, I would have thought it a tall tale. But I have seen your father and his friends and now I'm even more impressed.” Celestia said. “If we set up some trade deals with your tribe, and find some way to transport lava, maybe we could see if these techniques work for us.”

“Oh I'm sure Jade could find ways to get the Chief and his council to consider. Mom and Dad are thinking of making a return trip to check in and see the progress. We can only hope forward progress is what it is.” Fury said.

“But I suppose that's for another time.” Fury admitted. “Right now, I have to attend to my claws.”

Fury looked around to find any blacksmith that was not working his job. He then saw a grizzled earth pony stallion eating a sandwich, probably taking a break from work.

“Looks like I found just my guy.” Fury said, walking to him.

“Hey, there. I'm Fury and I got a favor to ask of you.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm trying to eat here. Go find someone else to bother.” The stallion said not even looking up from his food.

Fury grumbled. “Well, since he's such a nice guy, I guess I'll find someone else-”

Celestia stopped him. “Don't be discouraged. That smith, Iron Hooves, is one of the greatest in Equestria. He is a bit grumpy. But as warriors like Shining Armor can attest, if you get him to work on a project, he will do it with pride. Let me handle this.”

Celestia walked up to him. “A bit busy with your food at hoof, isn't that right?”

The blacksmith instantly changed expression and looked up to see the princess.

“Your Highness!” He said bowing to her. “I apologize, I didn't know you were here! If you have anything for me to do, just let old Iron Hooves know.”

“Well I do. But not for me. But for our ambassador, Night Fury.” 

The blacksmith looked at the young feline. Fury could detect less respect from him compared to how he treated Celestia.

“I can see what you're about to say, smart flank. Shut it. I haven't even had something to eat yet and I wouldn't mind some pony flesh if you get on my nerves, so stay in line.” Fury snarled. The smith went almost completely silent at his deadly comment, ponies all over stopped moving and only the whirring sound of burning flames filled the air.

“Fine. I'll help you out. No questions asked.” Iron Hooves said. “So what do you need? A spear? A helmet?”

“A claw sharpening.” Fury said simply, showing off his dull claws. “Your puny pony hoof files don't do anything to these babies anymore. I'm looking for something that can hold its own against them. A sharpening stone perhaps?”

Iron Hooves was now bewildered “Are you insane? You want me to use a stone to trim claws? Any rookie knows putting your arm there will destroy it. If I had a cat and put its claws through it, I'd be in prison.”

“Yeah, well, I'm not like those cats. My claws are more like miniature swords if anything. It would take a lot more to destroy them than a rock. I'm tougher than I look.”

“Prove it.” And that he did. Fury took a steel bar and lodged it between his teeth. With one swift flex of his jaw…

Crack!

The bar split in two, sparks flying out of either side of the feline’s jaw as metal shavings flew away and splintered. Meanwhile, the cat still had a full smile with clean teeth and none missing.

The blacksmith remained silent but his eyes exposed how surprised he was at this feat. He seemed a bit impressed now.

“Well, it looks like you were true to your word. I suppose Shining Armor was not exaggerating your exploits after all.” The blacksmith got up from his chair and went to prepare the stone. “Alright kid, put your claw onto this stone. Whatever you do, though, don't put your flesh on this, unless you want to look ready for Nightmare Night.”

“Fine by me.” Fury said, placing his paw on the stone. Iron Hooves pushed the foot pedal and the rock began to spin. Sparks immediately started flying as his claws were sharpened, the edges becoming much more deadly by the second.

Soon enough, they moved on to his front left, then rear left and finally, his rear right. After a few minutes on the stone, Fury's claws were so sharp, he could practically cut the air.

“Wow. This is great. I feel like I'm ready for battle now.” He said before looking at the metal beam he chomped on. “But let's do a little test.”

SWOOSH

Fury swiped the beam as if he were cutting a cucumber. And the beam was literally in pieces.

“Well, I guess that answers that.” Fury said. He looked to the blacksmith. “Well, Iron Hooves, we might have had a rough start but these claws don't lie. So thanks for the favor.”

“Heh, I guess I underestimated you. Shining really was right in how tough you were. Those claws might be strong enough to pierce some of our best armor. Looks like I'm gonna have to work on making some improvements.” 

“Yeah, you do that. Oh and you might want to research about lava and its uses for blacksmiths.”

“Huh?”

“You'll see what I mean someday.” Fury said before leaving.

“Okay, Tia, now I'm ready to go. Even I can’t be around a bunch of fire and smoke forever. And besides, I'm starving.” He said while a growl could be heard.

“That I can hear, my dear. Let’s waste no time and give you a nice breakfast suited for you.” Celestia said with a chuckle that made Fury blush.

“Heh, you got that right. Lead the way! I can't wait to see what Luna’s got waiting for us.” Fury said in excitement. 

So far it had been a busier morning than he had expected, but he was satisfied especially now that he was going to have breakfast.

–

In the castle dining room…

Luna supervised with keen eyes as she watched butlers and maids go to and fro, bringing in food from scrambled eggs to jelly toast.

“Watch yourself, Silverquill, My sister is very keen on her orange juice being with pulp.” Luna ordered.

“As you wish, your majesty.” She responded, placing the cup down.

“That toast looks a little burnt around the edges, Fizz. Are you certain that is suitable?”

“Yes, your highness. Your mother came in with her own request just after you. This toast is for her.” Fizz clarified.

“Well, my mother does have her own unknowable ways.” Luna said, not understanding how her mother could find that pleasing. “Carry on.”

“Sure thing, Your Highness.”

Just then, Celestia and Night Fury stepped in.

“Hey sweetheart, we're back!” Fury said, stepping up and giving Luna a loving nuzzle.

Luna was quite ecstatic though a little worried to be sure that the food was to his liking.

“Oh my dear, Night Fury, you will truly delight in this array of foods. Me and my servants have prepared for you something truly grand and exquisite. Behold!”

She said, moving aside to reveal an array of various well made dishes.

“Holy cow, you sure picked well! Cheese! Scrambled eggs! Jelly toast! Ooh, if I stand here any longer, I think I just might die.”

Luna giggled at her lover’s excitement. “It seems I have hit the nail on the head.” 

“Well then, I better stop staring and spend more time digging in! Come on!” Fury said, racing to his chair.

“So it looks like my first treat will be, hmmm, the scrambled eggs!” Fury said, putting the plate close to him. “Now all I need is some salt from the crystal empire and maybe some sauce.”

“You can use our specialized ketchup, Ambassador.” said Silverquill. “It is quite a work of art to make something so complex.” 

“I'll take it!” He lost his mind to the cheesy omelet with spices and now crystal salt. 

“Mmmm, the mix of egg and cheese was a tasty treat! But I need something sweet… Like that orange juice with… is that the pulp?! Wow, this place is awesome.”

Fury sipped it without a second's hesitation.

Then he ate the toast on his side. He scrutinized its texture and tasted carefully. It truly surprised him. It was a flavor he would never forget.

“Wow, these chefs must be on fire!” Fury said. “Well, of course not literally. Then we'd have some real issues.” He chuckled.

“Is there anything else we can get you, your excellency? As you are technically part of the Royal Family, we are at your service too.” Silverquill said.

Fury tapped his chin for a moment before coming to a verdict. “I'd like a refill on the scrambled eggs and today's morning paper, if you please?” 

“As you wish.”

He could literally taste the scrambled eggs from a distance even picking up the subtle flavor of the spices. 

Silverquill finally delivered what he had requested. He thanked her as she departed. Nibbling at his new plate of eggs, he flipped through the paper. Celestia and Luna had already begun eating when he came across a few points of interest.

“Huh, looks like Peppino’s is making national headlines. Check this: Peppino's Pizza takes the world by storm, new stores popping up in Manhattan, Tall Tell Tale, Fillydelphia, The Crystal Empire and Ponyville.”

“It must be quite a delight to have the pony you helped plant a seed for it turn into a large free industry. He must be elated with his sales and notoriety. He even had an interview with the magazine Canterlot Times.” Luna said.

“I sure hope so, he's gotten thousands of bits in the past week and says here, he may have to open a headquarters soon.” Fury said, going to the next piece of news.

“New sources say that The Crystal Empire has now developed a working prototype of my sonar and is planning on running tests this week.” He read. “Oooh sweet.”

Celestia nodded. “Shining Armor was simply ecstatic about this project going forward. He said he was only able to envision this in some of his science fiction comic books but now he is able to turn fiction into reality. And it will surely help the Crystal Empire and its allies to detect threats much earlier.”

“Heh, too bad he can't do what I do. He'd be going nuts for weeks.” Fury chuckled. “Hey, there's something about me here. Ambassador Lightning up? Reports say that Ambassador Night Fury is now taking steps to become more intertwined with his title and less avoidant of recognition. Fancy Pants, Head of The Canterlot Nobility Committee says, ‘He seems to have less of a problem with those who address him by his title now, almost as if he's growing into his new life.’ That's nice of him to say.”

“I guess giving you some breathing space was enough to get even Fancy Pants to notice improvements.” Celestia said.

“Yeah, I've been taking some time to think about how I've been approaching my ambassadorship. Cadence was right, being too humble does feel a little odd. I've been asking around the Canterlot Nobility to get their two bits and they say the same thing. That I should open up a bit, spend some money and embrace the attention. That's what I intended to do from now on!” He said confidently, taking a sip of orange juice. That sip would however, exit his mouth in a fine spray as he got a look at something amazing.

“Holy cow!” He exclaimed.

“What has you so shocked!?” Luna asked, her mind going to possible threats.

“Nothing bad, but listen to this! New faces in Manehattan: With a new wave of creatures moving into the grand city to find a new start, nothing special came to ponies minds. But once one of them was revealed to be a Speed Shifter by the name of Queen Bee, the talk of new migrants into Equestria began to spike!”

“Really?” Celestia asked, quite surprised. “I have to admit I was not expecting another Shifter so soon considering negotiations are still underway, much less your old babysitter.”

“What is she doing here I wonder? I doubt she is on official government business.” Luna pondered.

“Well, when I was still back home, she was always talking of leaving and going to start anew elsewhere. She always told me that her beekeeping business needed to expand from Thunder Hollow when she would look after me, but I never expected her to move to Equestria. She must have gotten a passport and made some moves.” Fury said.

“I see. Well, considering you have trust and confidence in her, she will be more welcome in our fair land.” Celestia said. “And I also wonder what her wonderful honey can show thanks to her.”

“Only time will tell, Tia. Only time will tell.” Fury spoke. Just then, Lauren walked in looking sluggish and groggy.

“Oh hey, Lauren, good morning. Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?” Fury asked, crunching on some jelly toast.

Lauren yawned. “Good morning, as observant as usual I see, even in the morning. And I don't think I had quite enough feet today.”

Luna and Night Fury looked at the cream colored alicorn with confusion.

“Oh my. Either our mother is drunk or she really hasn't gotten any sleep. She's speaking gibberish.” Celestia giggled slightly.

“Very funny, Tia. But I've just had a bad rest. I assure you, Luna's alcohol cabinet is untouched by me.” Lauren said. 

“Mother! Must you make that known in front of my lover!?” Luna screeched.

“Oh come on, Luna! Relax! I understand why you'd need one. After floating through a realm of dreams of all kinds, whether fantastical, reality, or even sexual, I know I'd need a hit of hard liquor after that nonsense.” Fury huffed.

“Besides, I have one too. Rarity has one, Cadence has one, Shining Armor has one. Heck, even Twilight has her set of light bourbon and whiskey when she feels stressed. Though she only trusted me and you three with that bit of knowledge as she wants to spare Spike his innocence, or what he has left of it with all the scary movies and graphic comics he and Rainbow Dash get into every so often. Either way, you'll get no shame from me.” Fury said.

“Well, even after someone let out my secrets, I suppose it's nice to know my dear will not judge me for it but rather enjoy it.” Luna sighed with relief.

“Atta girl, that's the spirit.” Fury chuckled. He then turned to Lauren. “So, I suppose you've been made aware of the deal me and your daughters struck at my village?”

She nodded. 

“Well, it seems that this has also struck a new wave of visitors. One in particular that I've known for a while.” Fury skillfully tossed the paper to Lauren. Catching it in her rosy magic hue, she scanned the inked parchment and was quite surprised to see Speed Shifters already making their way into Equestrian jurisdiction.

“I knew the meetup of our two races would happen someday, but just not this quickly. But I can tell your babysitter will make a second guest for our lands. She seems to be a nice lady.”

Fury nodded in agreement. “Oh trust me, with the way she took care of me, she might as well have been a second mother to me. Although I hope that kindness isn't squished by the residual drama from when I was playing hero in Manehattan.”

Fury got stern and made a decision. “If that is the case, then I'll have to prevent it! Or at least mitigate any hostile intent.” He then turned to the door and raised his voice. “Raven?” 

The royal advisor immediately burst into the room. It was almost as if she was listening in on them for when she was needed.

“You called me, ambassador?” Raven spoke in a huffy voice, catching her breath.

“Yes I did. It has come to my attention that one of my acquaintances from Thunder Hollow has arrived in Manhattan to start a new life. Although, as I would assume you've been made aware of, the Chosen One's actions and words may still be present within the minds of the locals. And as her closest ally, I can't have anyone harm her.”

“I'd like you to send a confidential letter to the mayor's office, detailing all there is to know about Queen Bee and what is to be done for her as she settles in. Be sure that they use my name. She'll recognize me.” Fury then began to list things to go in the letter, Raven scribbling down what he said at record pace. 

What Fury hadn't realized until now was that Raven was actually a unicorn, her horn nearly tucked away beneath her mane. While it caught him off guard, he still appreciated her work nonetheless.

She soon finished the letter and addressed the ambassador. “Very good, your excellency. I will have this on its way to Manehattan post haste!”

“Perhaps it would also help if we put our own seals of approval on this letter.” Faust said. “Nothing like a princess's approval.”

“I have a secret mark I used to use when Queen Bee and I were just pen pals. I'll use that too as a defining mark so the mayor knows who originally sent for this and who to send it to once received.” Fury said.

Raven nodded, delaying sending it.

“Oh and maybe you can…”

“How about we go over the letter together. It's hard to edit in real time.” Raven suggested, a bit exhausted from rewriting.

“Good call. I may not have to do ambassador duties for the rest of the year, but that doesn't mean I can't make calls for important things.” 

After some time of revising the letter, with the consultation of the princesses, Raven finally finished the letter and had Philomena deliver the letter.

“Do you look forward to seeing her?” Luna asked.

“You bet I am! I can't wait for me to show her around and teach her the tricks around the street.” Fury said.  

Luna was silent for a moment. “I just hope for you two to be careful. I did hear some reports of some ponies, even if a vocal minority, are still loyal to the Chosen One and his ideals even after his brief rule. Some are even rumored to be armed.” 

“If push comes to shove, I'll let you know. But for now, let's just get on with our day and keep moving forward.” Fury said. “Speaking of which, I assume you have the morning report, Raven?”

Raven nodded. “I never go a day without one.” She said, bringing out her scroll from her bag.

She cleared her throat and began to list off that day's events and any planned business. News of new shipments of fish and other products were arriving in Ponyville, the length of that day's court, a new development from Canterlot University's engineering division. Everything that was happening, had happened and was going to happen was listed off with trained poise and posture.

“Nice! We finally got those tasks done early enough. Now I have the whole day ahead of me.” Fury said. 

Celestia smiled. “I must say, Fury, you seemed to have a smile when doing those tasks. I see you're enjoying your task as an ambassador after all.”

“Well, if it's for someone I care about and not some out of touch politician, that makes it easier. And besides, maybe this vacation made me miss my job, even the mundane things.” Fury said.  “But, I wasn't given the entire rest of the year just to cut it short. I'm gonna enjoy this. Plus, I'm gonna go on a little spending spree today.”

“I think you deserve it," Faust said. “Go out and have fun. Just make sure you don't spend too much time there and be sure not to overspend. I've made that mistake a few times.”

“Yeah, don't worry, I'm not my mom. I'll just get the best stuff for myself.” Fury said. “You ladies coming?” Fury asked the princesses.

“I'm afraid not. Unlike you, we can't just take a break from being princesses.” Celestia said, her sister giving an agreeing nod.

“Now hold on, girls. I'm not a princess anymore. Nothing says I can't enjoy the day's activities.” Lauren reminded them. “I'd be happy to tag along, Night Fury.”

“Awesome! I've been meaning to spend some quality time with you. I mean we are technically family now.”

“I would like to know more about my future son-in-law after all.” 

“Mother!” Luna said blushing.

“Hey, let's not go that quickly.” Fury said doing the same.

“Heh heh, I kid of course. Maybe. But that's another time. Let's go shopping now.” Fause said walking to the entrance.

Luna sighed. “I can see where Celestia got some of her sense of humor.”

“Eh, I like it. It makes her sweeter than a ripe peach.” Fury cooed.

“Dawww, you little charmer! Go on, get!”

Fury finally went off with Faust to go out of the palace and to Canterlot's legendary shopping district.

–

For Fury, Canterlot's shopping district was the opposite of the more quiet and laid back mood of the palace. Ponies of elegance and different wealth brackets went to and fro, going about their daily business. Luckily, his ambassadorship gave himself a bit of an edge within the refined chaos as many respected his position, greeted him with dignity and gave him and Lauren their space to walk.

“Okay, shopping in the Capital of Equestria. Let's see… clothing, horseshoe polish, furniture...” 

“It's a bonanza huh? Anyone can get overwhelmed in this place. Legends even tell of ponies who died because they starved trying to see what to buy here.” Faust said.

“Yeesh, no kidding. It's a good thing Fancy Pants invited me to a Nobility Meeting once I was officially sworn in to give me a lay of the land. Otherwise, I'd be more clueless than a Proboscis Monkey in the arctic.” Fury said. He continued to look around at the many shops that passed his vision, questioning if he would even find something that interests him.

Luckily, what looked like a parts shop made its way into his sightlines. “Hmmm, that parts store looks like it's made for go karts. I've been meaning to get some upgrades for the one I got for my birthday… Eh, why not? Let's see if they've got something in stock for me.” 

Fury and Lauren redirected to the parts store and they got a good look at the name. Skidmark's Parts O’ Plenty. 

They went inside and were greeted with many different types of parts. Wheels, tires, replacement exhaust pipes, and what looked like a full shelf of different body kits that were called ‘Conversion Kits’.

“Have I died and gone into Paradise? This place is so… amazing.” He said, barely paying attention to what was in front of him.

“No, I think you're still alive-”

“Look at these wheels! They've got swirls instead of spokes. And this dual side mount exhaust, what a steal! A little heavy on the weight, but worth it for the style points.”

Faust was glad he found this place so alluring. This place attracted the best of pony racers. From years before to current day, shops like these would be the pinnacle of racing culture.

“Well, I see we do have ourselves an interested customer,” said an old earth pony stallion with a monocle, old fashioned suit, beret and long mustache. 

“Sure am! Boy, this place must have every newbie rider swarming here for new parts. Though, with how rugged and wild such an interest is, I wouldn't have expected somepony in such a distinguished look to be selling them.” Fury said. 

“I must say that I agree. Such a sport has lots of violent outcomes, adrenaline, broken bones and scrapes involved. A much more grizzled pony would be at least expected to be behind the counter.” Lauren chimed in.

“Well, you see I'm a bit of an inventor. I've seen karts since the day they first came out. I might be more civilized now, but I used to be a savage in the battlefield we call the racing track. To see how someone can use science and street smarts to outwit their opponent is so pleasing. And I wish to see the next generations do the same! Of course, with more safety and less fatalities than in my day.” He said with a chuckle.

“As expected. But for now, let's get down to business. So, what can you tell me about those conversion kits behind you?” 

Skidmark was quite pleased at his curiosity. “These can make even a mediocre kart into a speedster!  Every part in each of these boxes plays a part in turning your kart into something else. You have trail kits with softened suspension and different tires to aid with bumps and grip, street kits with spoilers and high flow exhaust to help with power output, and even snow kits with miniature plows and tire spikes to keep you from slipping. Any terrain you want to conquer can be achieved with one of these.”

Fury was immediately caught by the many options that could kick his game up. Every single kit was its own unique flavor of adventure, the thought of putting them together just made him feel tingly. And with that, he made his offer.

“I'll take one of each please.” He said nonchalantly. 

Skidmark spluttered at the sound of his voice. “One of each!? Ambassador, these kits cost hundreds of bits each! Are you sure you don't just want one?”

“Well, that's actually why I'm here.” Fury held up his golden card. “I've got bits to burn, my good chap. And I intend to spend it where I suspect I'll get the most value. So, I'll pay in full and cover any delivery fees to my address in Ponyville.”

Skidmark then had a smile that showed through his mustache and wrinkles. “Well that's lucky for me! I don't see too many fellows coming here to spend that much on karts! We have a deal! Now, let's work out delivery and see what else I can get you.”

For the next couple of minutes, Fury, the old stallion and Lauren went back and forth, speaking in facts and other things about what the parts did and how they worked. But by the end of it all, the bill had been paid for delivery and the first purchases of the day were made. Fury even got a complimentary toolbox and beginners brochure for free.

“Wow! Who knew there was so much to find out about go-karts! Heh, I might just be in this for the long haul.” 

Faust smiled. “I'm glad you found a place that clicked with your hyper energy. I guess that means you have nothing else you want to buy whatsoever and are completely satisfied.” Faust said, knowing full well it was not over.

“No way, ma'am. I might not be back in Canterlot for a while so I'm gonna milk this place like Applejack with her cows. And I've got just the thing in mind for my next move.” Fury said, pointing over to an antique store close by.

Going inside, many little trinkets and oddities immediately met his gaze. Grandfather clocks, wooden rooster hang-ups, toy soldiers, ragdolls, live laugh love posters. It all screamed, or rather, humbly displayed antique and unique.

“Huh, this place is an interesting one. We had antiques back home, but nothing like this.” Fury said, his voice noticeably lower to match the atmosphere.

“We have many novelties that we keep as antiques. Some say they hold not only financial value, but sentimental value as well.”

“Well, any type of value I can get out of these, I'll take it.” Fury looked around at the shelves of many trinkets and found an old looking wooden contraption he had never seen before. It was a small box with two knobs and many buttons on it, decimalized numbers lined the bottom of the white background inside the glass while AM and FM sat at the top.

“AM and FM? Is this some sort of clock? If so, it's a weird one if it's got decimals.”

Fury then heard some snickering at his comments. 

“Oh, no, silly. Way more amazing than that stuff.” Fury saw a mare come from the shadows. “This baby can give excitement, drama or just news while you're sitting down!”

Fury wondered who it was. He recognized that silhouette as being like Twilight's.

“Wait a minute, I recognize your look. Twilight, is that you? You sound like you drank one of those voice potions.”

A small giggle came from the silhouette. “Well, I am called Twilight. But the one you think I am is someone much different.”

The silhouette finally emerged from the shadows. And revealed a pony that was not purple but gray. She had similarities with Twilight, almost too many, but she was different, she seemed a bit older after all. And the most obvious difference was plain as day. She had no wings.

“Hmmm, you look like her. So you're probably related… Cousin? Aunt? Great Granny?”

“Nope, nope and for your information, I am not that old!” She said a bit offended. “I'm certainly younger than that clock you're seeing. Thank you very much.”

Lauren giggled behind Fury as he blushed pink.

“Okay, okay. Just a joke. But who are you?!”

Velvet smiled again. “Why none other than the mother of Twilight and Shining Armor. Twilight Velvet, a pleasure to meet you.”

“Wait! I was just joking about the aunt and grand aunt stuff but her actual mother?! You look like you're only a few years older than Twi!”

“Maybe it's that youthful vigor people talk about. I make sure to never let myself age. Even if it means going in a barrel flowing toward the waterfall, I'll go for it!”

Fury was surprised at that. Not even his own mother would go as far as stepping into a plain old barrel and taking a death dive over a waterfall. 

“Wow, I wouldn't have expected to have seen a mother be that adventurous. Speaking from experience, mine is as interesting as a boulder in swamp sludge. What with all her magazines and her live laugh love knick knacks.”

Velvet chuckled at that. “Well at least she doesn't have all those bingo cards my dear husband claims is an artform.”

Fury laughed at that. He was amazed how this daredevil mare was the mother of Twilight and Shiny of all ponies. 

“I like you.  I guess we have to stay strong in the face of boredom from our loved ones.” But Fury got back to business. “But back to my original question. What is this thing?” 

“This is what we call a radio. With no cables, it sends and receives messages all over Equestria.”

“Huh, we don't have these where I come from. And I can't even joke about having to use carrier pigeons. Both because we don't get pigeons and if we did… we'd… eat them.” Fury said with an awkward smile.

“I understand they'd probably be hard to take care of and make a lot of noise.” Velvet said with an unusual dark sense of humor.

“I have a feeling you and Black Ice would get along rather nicely.” Lauren spoke, amused.

“Maybe I will! I always like exotic company. Makes the world feel new.” Velvet said.

“Oh yeah, you would love my mom. She's a very calm, loving feline. She's one who can hold her own, but can be a little overzealous at times.”

“I guess I can be a bit too sometimes.” Velvet admitted. “Maybe it's another thing we mothers can bond over.”

Fury had a chuckle at that idea. But he was ready to get back to it. “So back to this radio. So can you really communicate from far away with this?”

“Well, military radios can do that. These civilian configurations only really play music and tune into radio stations which are powered by magic signals spread out across Equestria. Like the type of camera system they used at the Equestria Games.” 

“Awww, I see. Guess it's still too expensive for the average creature to use them,” Fury said, a little disappointed. Then his expression became positive. “But then again I would like to listen to some music while still laying on my couch and eating my fish. Or hear what's up with the games.” 

He picked up the radio delicately and placed it in his saddlebags.

“Now this is something I'll be keeping. Thanks for the advice, Ms. Velvet.” Fury said with a smile.

“Please, just call me Velvet. You're friends with my daughter, so you're friends with me. It was nice meeting you… I'm sorry, your name was…?” 

“Night Fury, it's a pleasure.” Fury said, shaking her hoof.

“Night Fury. I can already tell what kind of fellow you are just by that name alone. All I can say is, never lose that adventurous spirit even when you get to my age.”

“I’m sure I won't.” Fury chuckled. “C'mon Lauren, let's see what else we can snag.”

The two left the pawn shop and were already quite pleased at their acquisitions. 

“So I have a delivery for my kart and a radio for big events. Wonder how this can get any better?” Fury said eagerly.

“Yeah, I know.” Faust said.

“No really. I'm asking for some advice on where to go next. Two places just feels empty after all.

Lauren let out a chuckle. “You really would be lost without me, wouldn't you?” 

“Maaaaybeee…” Fury dragged on, getting close to his shopping buddy. He got so close that his fur made contact with hers. And what he felt, almost made him think he was already in the great beyond.

“Wow. That's something new.”

“Huh?” Faust said, looking back.

“I knew you ponies had a large amount of fur to the extent you can feel like pillows, but your fur? Your fur, or should I say fluff is more like a cloud.”

“Huh, I never thought of it like that.” Faust admitted. “Well, we alicorns are built for harsh climates after all.” Faust said with pride.

“Pfft, please. With this type of fuzz, the only real thing you alicorns are built for is cuddles.”

“I should have known you were going to tie it to something like that. Though I'm pretty sure you don't have any plans for that do you?”

Fury shook her head. “Not really, all I hear is more planning for shopping opportunities. Speaking of which, do you have any places you want to go? I'd feel guilty if it was just me dragging you along while I do all the shopping.”

“Hmmmm,” Faust wondered. She would often just let her children decide where to go. She had no ideas. “Well I guess I'll let it sprout up in my mind. Let's just see what else there is.”

Fury nodded. “Sounds good to me.” 

They took the time to search through the metaphorical mountain of shops and stores to go to, weighing their options carefully based on their interests.

“Wow, they have everything here. Glasses, fireworks, couches, self defense, self defense against ninjas?” Fury said a bit overwhelmed by the choices.

“This shopping district wouldn't be what it is without all the hustle and bustle. Better than when this place used to be all quiet with nothing to do.” Faust said casually, though inside she was looking for an interesting place that Fury and herself could both enjoy.

They walked alone for a while. Fury decided to break up the tension with some questions.

“So, um, besides Manehattan, any other suspicious signs? Any news of shadow shifters or anything?”

Faust shook her head. “Nothing we can confirm. There have been a few rumors of unknown shifters lurking around in the border areas but nothing too can be confirmed. And of course Blueblood is still missing with a few unconfirmed sightings of him. But luckily the armies of Equestria are getting ready in case they try something very troublesome.”

“Good. And I'll be ready if they show their ugly faces here again.” Fury said with his claws exposed. “Especially with all my new powers.”

“Good. Just don't worry about them too much. Not until the time comes.” Faust said.

“Good plan. But there is something else that's been bugging me…” Fury continued.

“Please, do tell.”

“How do you ponies deal with the Female/Male ratio in your society? I mean, your entire culture is dominated by mostly females. So how in the world do relationships work? Do you just try and make it work or… is there something else?”

Faust was a bit silent at first but she spoke up. “Heh, you really are curious, aren't you? Well, in the past, pony culture was mostly matriarchal. Stallions would work the tough jobs like lower military jobs or mining, while mares would lead the upper jobs. Of course, as time went on, these strict traditions weren't as rigidly enforced. So, females started to take on the rough jobs as well as the males to even things out. As for relationships… well, stallions are known to have… multiple mates.”

Fury went silent, his facial expression blank. His brain was churning the new information like butter and out came a very unexpected answer.

“Huh, so Speed Shifters aren't far off then.” Fury said. Lauren was surprised, she fully expected Fury to have a mental breakdown with that sort of knowledge having been bestowed upon him.

“Really? How so?” She asked.

“Unlike nowadays, where the ratio is about 60/40 male to female, we used to have multiple mates as well. Back in the olden days, the males would have something resembling a lion's pride. We called them ‘Packs’. What happened was our leaders had agreed that with the unstable ratio and dominance of females, things would get complicated with bringing in a stable extension into the next generation. So, they brought down the suggestion of males bringing in multiple mates. And so for about the next 500 years, our relationships were consistent of 5-7 females with 1-3 males. Though mostly a singular male would suffice.”

Then Fury looked up at Lauren. “So let me guess. The exact same thing is happening now in modern day with ponies?”

“That would be right. We ponies realized we needed greater stability. It might have been exciting with all the different mates, but it just wouldn't work out in the long run. Everything is a bit more even now. Though we still have a majority of females for ponies, though each race and region varies. Males are still fewer than us. It makes it sometimes hard for mares to find the right stallion but easier for the stallion to find the right mare.”

“Huh. Well I guess that eases things up. I guess you gotta find the flowers where they groooooooo…” Fury trailed off as he started staring at something across from them.

“Hmmm, what have we got here?” Lauren said, looking over to where Fury was staring.

On the other side of the road was a rather good looking mare with a white coat, swirling white and light blue mane and tail, and a strong set of wings. And to top it all off, she was a bit husky. Nothing bad, but her belly was bigger than the average mare and her hips carried a bit more curve to them.

“Do you… happen to know this mare? You seem to have some interest in her.” She said.

“You kidding? That's Vaportrail, one of the Wonderbolts recruits. I saw her hanging around Ponyville and to say she's a cute girl is an understatement. Luna's beautiful and sleek, but what I would give to cuddle with a mare who's a bit squishier…”

“I see.” Faust said, nodding. “I bet Rainbow Dash has hung around her. Have you talked to her personally and is she nice?”

“I'd like to, but the girl's a little shy. Not on Fluttershy's level, but just enough that she gets a little sheepish around new creatures. We've shared glances and all but… to be honest, just looking at her makes my tummy get all fuzzy.”

“I see. Are you thinking of approaching her? Are you thinking of creating a herd?” Faust asked.

“Good grief, I haven't even thought of that. It could work…” Fury wondered aloud. “I must consult the lover's expert!”

Fury stood tall and raised his voice, speaking like a narrator for a comic movie. “When there's a lover in trouble and a master is needed…”

“...one must consult the lady of love, the one who obsesses over finding one's true love. The one and only Mi Amore Cadenza!” A familiar voice answered. Just then, a pink bullet flew in and landed in front of Fury.

“Ask and you shall receive.” Fury said. “Glad to see you Cadence! I think you're well aware I have a lover's struggle in my head.”

“As was made obvious with your cry for help. So, what's the damage? Hit your first rough patch? Is she getting bored? Need help to spice things up~?” Cadence asked.

“As much as a bit of bedroom time would be nice, we're not there yet.” Fury chuckled, unknowingly making the elder alicorn blush at the very sexual thought. “This time is about a new culture I was made aware of…”

“Herds.” He said simply.

“Herds? Why would you be thinking about…” Cadence then realized what he was saying. His face confirmed that. “Ohhhh. You… are trying to make your own… herd?”

“And I've gotten some more than blatant messages with that one making me feel some type of way.” Fury pointed back to an idle Vaportrail who was sipping some pink lemonade on the street corner.

“Oh I see. You got some interest in her. Well I can see why. She does have that elegant but quiet look one usually doesn't associate pegasi with. But underneath I can see an energetic heart.” Cadence said.

“Not to mention those hypnotizing curves. Her plump exterior, soft looking barrel, plush face, that… secret touch that'll just make you… Raurg!” Fury let out an almost predatory snarl as he described Vaportrail’s form, bearing his fangs as if he were to literally take a bite out of that prime ‘Rump Roast’ he was eyeballing.

“Whoa settle down, Romeo, you have to take it slow. We girls don't like it when you rush them.” Cadence said. “So, you really want her? Then you have to be subtle and show courtesy. Try to ask her how she's doing and what her interests are. The things I taught you with Luna.”

“Oh she'll be interested in something soon.” Fury said in a sultry way. Then he corrected himself. “Ahh, get it together, Taranis!”

Cadence was confused. “Wait, who's Taranis?”

Fury blushed and gave an explanation. “Oh! I forgot, you didn't know. Uh… Taranis is my middle name. Night Taranis Fury.”

“Well I guess we learn something new everyday. How'd you get it?”

“When I was just a kitten, my mom was a bit on the ropes about a middle name for me. But when she found out my powers had a little more… shock value, she named me after the Coltic god of Thunder and Lightning.”

“Coltic? Is that a shifter civilization?” Cadence asked.

“No, it's actually one of yours. It's what we call one of your people's greatest achievements. Maybe you have your own name for them. Anyways, their history is a vast one, running back to the times of Vikings and Conqueror barges. You know the tale of Rockhoof?”

“Yep. Every foal in Equestria knows about him and the Pillar Six, they're legends around here. Said to have saved many from natural disasters and sacrificed himself along with his comrades to seal a great evil.” Cadence said. “But what about Taranis for you shifters?”

“Well, back then, it was believed that Taranis was a warrior god who brought storms to defy the will of Zeus and protect those he deemed his disciples.” Fury explained. “Some say that it's his powers that the mark of the Raging Storm would be given to take on the next generation.”

“Is that so? And who would have gotten it?” Cadence asked obliviously.

“Wow Cady, you've known me for that long and you forgot about this?” Fury said, flashing his birthmark with a quick glow.

“Oh that one! It's been so long since I saw that.” Cadence said recounting their rescue of his parents. “So this Taranis really chose you for this assignment?”

“C'mon Cady, it's not real. It's just a theory. Though we're getting sidetracked. I've still got to figure out how to talk to Vapor and not get that tummy buzz. Makes me feel all tickly down there.”

“Just walk past her. Maybe talk about something unrelated like the Wonderbolts and say how you're a fan of them whether you are or not. And then from there ask her name and about her life and voila!”

“Dohhh, that's the problem. Every time I even move I get that tickly feeling. It's paralyzed my ability to make any advances.” Fury whined, his ears drooping to the sides of his head.

“Ooooh, I get it now. You've got a bad case of butterflies in your belly.”

“Yeah. I'm not sure if I can overcome that feeling. Even fighting villains isn't nearly as hard as this.” He said.

“Look, I can go on and on about how to ask her out. But the truth is you just need to go there and talk. Just remember even if it starts awkward it's all about the ending. Just work on that.” 

Fury took a deep breath and without saying another word, he went over to talk. Cadence and Lauren watched from afar as he approached Vaportrail, his toes practically twitching with nerves.

“He is inconceivably nervous. Look at him, he looks like his stomach is doing flips. You must know a cure for this.” Lauren wondered.

“Oh I do, and it's specifically curated just for him. If he feels all tickly when talking to her, then maybe I can get him used to the feeling. Maybe a bit of a good belly laugh will bounce those butterflies out.” Cadence said confidently. 

As Fury got up to Vaportrail, he made a slight pass and waved. She gave a returning gesture. He then started talking, but it was clear from afar that he was stuttering and mixing himself up. Vapor seemed to giggle at his goofiness and caused him to flip his ears over his eyes to hide his embarrassment.

But then, she stopped laughing and removed one of the blocking ears. She smiled sweetly and began to start her own conversation, Fury chiming in every once in a while to back up her thoughts. 

“They're getting to know each other! It's working!”

Fury was still a little nervous but now he at least felt like she was not some frightening creature anymore. He had to admit she was very pleasant to talk with. Her voice might have been even more beautiful than her mane.

“So uh Vapor Trail, how's your time as a Wonderbolt reserve?”

“Oh, it's a bit hard. You always have to get up early. You have to keep extra control of yourself. And to know about the Wonderbolts, you need to know your stuff about flying which even a pro can't fully know. But it's not all bad, the rest of the reserves have the exact same feelings and often give each other advice for next time.” 

“Woof, I couldn't do that if I was forced to. I've had a… bad experience dealing with aggressive authority. I am a no nonsense type of guy. Anything or anyone that gets on my nerves will most likely see what a few years of suppressed primal urges and trauma-bound rage looks like.” Fury said.

“I… see.” She said a bit nervous. “Well I probably won't be that… daring. But I can say sometimes the higher ups do things that just don't make sense. Sometimes I wish I could teach them a lesson.” She admitted.

“Well, as I always say, keep your chin high and don't give in. You gotta prove you're the best around.” Fury said. “I know what it feels like to think you're not that good, that you'll never be better. It doesn’t help if others like to remind you of that. Some say it's just me being dramatic. But really, it's just me stopping myself from pretending I'm content with myself.”

“I've dealt with things that would make even Celestia herself weep for me. And trust me, she has and continues to do so. Although she hides it behind a mask in public. But, I made a change to that. I gave myself a new lease of life and turned my trauma into something productive. I've heard that you're a little shy, not used to getting so much attention with that legacy Supersonic carries. First pegasus to break the sound barrier. Heh, your grandpa must have been one heck of a flier.”

She nodded. And looked into the skies. “Yep. He really was. He has taught so many of our family and normal ponies how to fly and fly fast. I’m proud of my family, but sometimes I feel like I could never reach their heights.”

Fury put his paw on her shoulder. “I'm sure you're gonna be one of the best in the Wonderbolts. The world will see how great you are and Cloudsdale. It just takes time. I'm carrying a legacy myself, being a god amongst my kind and all. And it took time for me to realize I had the power to shape my destiny anyway I wanted.”

“I always thought that all I was meant to do was bring only our fellow felines together and rekindle the flame that burned bright so long ago. But now I see that all races can be brought together if given the right motivation. That's why I'm an ambassador, to do just that. Maybe we can catch up sometime, talk about our lives some more?” Fury proposed.

She smiled softly but with a cheerful heart. “I would love to do that. Thank you for giving me a good time. I felt like I was going to do nothing for awhile.”

“Don't worry, you won't be bored around me. Not a bit.” Fury said as he waved a final goodbye and watched her walk off.

And just like that…

He collapsed on the ground after having to hold back that tickly feeling for so long while talking to her.

“I can handle training even from Amethyst, but I don't think I was quite ready for a talk with girls. Let alone a high class pretty one. I felt like I was going to explode!”

Cadence and Lauren came over to him. “Well that's clear as day, you look like you just lost yourself.”

“To say that I've lost myself is an understatement. I feel so funny in there, everything in my tummy is losing its mind, whatever's making me feel like this in the first place. Somepony’s gotta cure me.” Fury said. “And I think found one of my doctors…” He said looking off at the distance with a smile.

“You'll find that love can get you places.” Cadence said. “And it can make it worth it to endure a major challenge in your life. I know it would have been different did I not have my sweet Shining Armor. And the same for you. But we've got to fix whatever’s going on in there.” 

“Follow me, I'll help you beat that fuzzy feeling of yours.” Cadence said confidently, getting him up and leading him to a secluded area to help him overcome his problem.

–

They walked a fairly long way, into a large park. It was quite the contrast from the hustle and bustle of Canterlot's streets. Families and romantic couples happily gazed at the natural surroundings around them.

“What do you think, Fury? It's a nice park, huh? I used to come here with Shining when we started dating.” Cadence said dreamy eyes.

“It's a nice place, I'll give you that. But how is this supposed to help me with that fuzzy feeling?” Fury said, a little impatient.

“It's all about the atmosphere, Fury. The atmosphere.”

“You mean like the air quality? I guess…”

“No!!!” Cadence yelled, to which Fury moved back. “I mean the feeling, the theme, the emotions! How something looks, not just you but the place you're at can be the difference between a happily ever after and a murder scene. Sometimes literally.” Cadence said as if remembering some bad memory.

“Okay first of all, if I was ever caught in a situation like that, I'd be the one in shackles for what I'd do to them. And second, I have no intentions on a so-called ‘Happily Ever After’, I still have a life to live.”

Faust whispered to Cadence. “I don't think Fury's into over dramatic flair right now. Just tell him what to do.”

“Fine.” She said with a pout. Then she cleared her throat.

“Okay, let's get to the chase. Vapor seems to be someone who likes quaint wholesome things. Like this park. So one way to get her to like you is to have her walk in this park. Down the bridge, perhaps seeing the ducks. Smelling the roses. That stuff.” Cadence explained.

Fury shook his head, still skeptical. “Yeah, that's not happening. She's a pegasus, she spends most of her time off the ground. Second, she's not just quaint, she's reserved. She likes secluded areas, quiet places. And whoopsie number threesie, she hates generic romance. Or should I say your idea of romance.” He said bluntly.

Cadence pouted again. “You're really letting me have it now, aren't you? But maybe you have a point. I guess there is a trail through the forest you can walk down with no interruptions. It has singing birds and large trees.”

“Now you're thinking with tree sap! But this isn't about her, it's me that's the target. I've got to get all of those butterflies out of me if I want to even have a chance of getting her to like me. Not to mention I have to explain to Luna about how I feel.”

Cadence nodded. “Ah, I was hoping to put off Luna for later. Well, maybe we can think about that later. But what makes you feel uncomfortable? What prevents you from pouring your heart out?” 

“Ugh, where can I even begin? There's the fact that in modern Speed Shifter culture, a secondary partner is basically heresy, My fear of belting out my inner trauma and life issues like she's supposed to be my therapist, The unnerving sense that this might get media on my back, Mom and dad having their opinions. I'm just generally a goofball.” Fury said with a sigh.

Cadence was silent at first. Even if his worries were expected, it was still overwhelming how much was in his head. She knew she had to help him.

“Don't worry. If you keep it secret for now then things will be alright. Except for Luna, you should be honest with her. She does have some familiarity with this old custom considering her age. And she never seemed horrified when she talked of it, so it might just work out. I'll help you through it. And for your parents, that's up to you. If they disagree, I'm sure you can work out a compromise.”

“But right now, I think the only thing you need is a bit of cheering up. That somber face is a hard sight to see.”

“I know. It's just… this stuff gets a bit… let’s say… hard to think about. I can dash and fight. But when it comes to personal drama, that's my Kryponite or whatever that weakness for that hero was.” Fury said.

Cadence looked at him with tender eyes. “Well, that's what friends are for. To help us with these burdensome tasks. Just follow my lead and you'll be happy with Vapor for sure.”

“Promise?”

“Pinkie Promise.” She said, pretending to shove a cupcake in her eye.

Fury chuckled at that and felt a bit better now. But he still wasn't smiling.

“Come on, show me that smile of yours.” Cadence encouraged. Fury smiled a bit, but it wasn't his usual toothy grin.

“Oh come on, you can do better than that.” She said.

“I'm smiling, what else is there?” Fury asked.

“That's not your smile. Now, are you going to smile or do I have to get it out of you myself?” She said with a bit of mischief in her expression.

Fury, not wanting to find out what she meant by that, tried to smile as much his facial muscles could muster.

But the princess of love didn't buy it. “That's so forced you might as well have tape strapped to your cheeks. Okay, looks like things have to go my way.”

Oh no. Fury thought to himself. “By your way, you mean you're gonna tickle torture me, aren't you?”

“Oh no no no, not this time. I've got a little trick that Auntie Celestia taught me to get others in a good mood, not to mention it'll get those butterflies out of you.”

“I'm so excited.” Fury said sarcastically. 

“Oh you will, my friend. You will be right about NOW!!!”

She said contorting her face to look like an angry lion that appeared in the hall of mirrors. 

“Or how about instead of looking angry? I look sad!”

She showed a pitiful face like a beggar or how a filly would look having been rejected from cookies.

“Or how about just plain silly?” 

She switched to a puffy face and rolled her eyes around, sticking her tongue out and flapping her ears.

“Pffft, pffft…” Fury said clearly trying to resist falling for her gimmicks.

“Oh a shy fellow huh? Then how about I show you my pearly whites!” She said, exposing her equine teeth while touching her nose with her tongue and eyes turned like Derpy would.

“Pfft, ba ha ha ha ha!!! I can't take it! You look like such a silly pony! Ha ha ha ha! You look ridiculous!” Fury said, ceasing to restrain himself any further.

“Jackpot. I knew you couldn't resist. Celestia knew I couldn’t do so no matter how hard I tried. Sometimes it’s more effective than tickling when trying to get me to tell if I ate cookies in the jar.” Cadence explained, satisfied with her efforts.

“Oh really? Well, I think the effectiveness of a trick is nonsense. If it still works, it's a viable option. Speaking of which…” Fury got into a pouncing stance and wiggled his toes.

“Um, you're just gonna make silly faces like me, right?”

“The only one making silly faces will be you after I tickle you!” Fury said, pouncing on her.

She had no time to escape his strike, and was pinned down where Fury proceeded to tickle her. 

“Ha ha ha I cheer you up! And this is my payment?!” She said, wondering how he was so crazy.

“Yeah, I wasn't willing to pay with bits or card.” Fury joked. Just then, he got shoved back and was met with a vengeful alicorn staring at him.

“Oh now you've got the bull steaming! Come here, you little scamp!” Cadence charged full force towards Fury, the black feline taking no delay and reciprocating the challenge. But before they could get close to each other, they were both caught in the rosy hue of the eldest alicorn.

“Oh no you two don't! I won't have you charging at each other when I'm around.” Lauren declared. “Now, to teach you two tricksters a lesson.”

The cream colored alicorn approached slowly, now having dropped them to the ground and left them to their own devices.

“So, now we're gonna have to fight for our lives. What do you say, whiskers? All for one and one for al-” Before she could even finish, a sonic boom went off in the distance. Looking to get left, a silhouette of the black cat made of smoke lingered before dissipating and a trail of red light was seen headed towards the castle.

“That little speed freak…” She muttered angrily.

“Oh Cadence… your grand aunt has a present for you.” Lauren said darkly. And for all to hear, only one name broke through the semi tranquility of the city.

“FUUURRRYYYYY!”

–

“Yeeeah, she's gonna be huffy for a while.” Fury said as he made a stop below Celestia's tower. Having gotten away from what he could only imagine was a fate worse than death, he took the time to rest and think about his next move. He hadn't thought of any other places to shop, so he decided to check in on his favorite two regal sisters.

I wonder what they're up to? She can't be too far off my scent. Maybe I can sniff her out.

For a shifter, a scent works best when it's someone you know well and have a bond with, even if enraged with them. For Fury, he could pick their scents up even if they were fairly far away, especially with his enhanced powers thanks to the legacy he now carries. And so he pressed onward.

He was hyper fixated on finding these two, especially Luna.

After a little while, he could see Celestia and Luna walking into the Canterlot’s renowned gardens.

“Bingo, two sisters at twelve o'clock! Let's see if I can get in closer.” Fury recalled one of his other forms that was graciously given to him by Fluttershy. A small bird called a Hummingbird. He never saw one before until recently, their sporadic movements and incredible figure eight flapping pattern caught his eye. So, with a single thought, the black feline turned into the small and agile bird and hummed his way through the air towards the gardens.

Celestia and Luna were walking through the gardens calmly, the only sounds being that of the birds chirping, the rhythmic sound of their hooves on stone paths and the cool autumn breeze blowing the now fully orange and yellow leaves around them.

“I like the colors of these leaves sister. Faded out but still having a hint of color in them.” Luna said.

“Well…it’s alright but I prefer a nice green spring. It just seems more bright and colorful.”

“Colorful is not always better.” Luna grumbled.

“You could say that about me too, couldn't you?” An unknown entity spoke. The princesses stopped and looked around, but nopony was around to be identified.

“And just who might you be? A spy, a ghost, or someone else…?” Luna pondered.

“Let’s just say you both know good and well that messing with me too much will most likely end in nothing less than a bashed in skull and broken legs.” The entity spoke fairly casually. With this information, it was clear to the royal sisters who they were speaking to.

“Well with such a subtle and delicate way of speaking who else could it be then the one, the only Night Fury. Isn't that right?” Luna retorted.

“Heh heh heh. I can tell by your mood, you're being sarcastic. But that's okay. I take pride in telling it like it is and not lying.” Just then, the small black hummingbird made his appearance, landing softly on Celestia's nose.

“I wouldn't have expected any less.” Celestia said with amusement. “Although I thought you were going to be here later. You're a bit early. What brings you here?” Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow.

Fury took a deep breath. “Okay, this one is especially for Luna. I wanted to talk to you, Moonpie.”

“I'm all ears, Fury.” Luna said. “You didn't get in trouble with Cadence again did you?”

“Partially yes, partially no. But that's not the point. Babe… I've been talking to your mom about Equestrian relationships and… she brought up the fact that you ponies form herds to balance out the ratio of male to female.”

Luna nodded. “Yes, we used to have harems. That was true. Quite a long time ago. Even the oldest of ponies besides alicorns would never have known what those were like.”

“Actually Lulu, those technically still exist. Though on a less… blunt extent.” Celestia corrected. “What Fury is talking about is how we've recently come to the conclusion that with our society being dominated by females, we form herds of multiple mates to help reduce the lonesome singles population.”

Luna nodded. “I see. I haven't been very up to date within the relationship department it seems these days. Though I'm curious, did you just come here so you can ask random trivia about past norms?”

“No… it's that…” Fury pushed his chest feathers out and breathed a heavy sigh. “I was thinking of forming one with you.” 

Luna then became silent. “You were?” 

“Yeah. I've been noticing that other mares have been… catching my eyes as of recently. Turns out when you don't know the different types of mares that exist around you after you get hooked up, you begin to second guess yourself. And there's one that I had my eye on…” Fury jumped back and transformed back into his regular self with his saddlebags. Pulling out his Memory Sealer, he double tapped the activation button to put it in Still Image mode.

The device came to live and out came a picture of the mare he had just talked to.

It showed the white young mare in question walking by. Luna could see how beautiful she was. 

“Meet Vaportrail, one of the Wonderbolts recruits and… the girl that's been giving me butterflies. I've heard a few things about her from Rainbow and she seems like one of the nicest ladies I've ever heard besides Fluttershy.”

Luna nodded. “I can see why you would want her. Have you talked to her yet though?”

“Yep, it took all my strength not to just collapse from the fuzzy feeling in my belly. It was practically torture.”

Fury then got himself out of his trance with Vapor and was ready to ask her. “I know it might seem like an unusual arrangement, but I was wondering if you would be alright to just… experiment? This isn't instant, I still do love you of course-”

“Don't worry. I know you do. In fact it's good you're asking an alicorn who was used to seeing this relationship than a modern pony who would not even consider this.” Luna said.

Fury gave a sigh of relief.

“As a matter of fact, I'm not the one you should be wondering about. It's this Vapor mare. You have to be sure she would be willing to be in your experiment and she would be compatible with you.” The lunar deity commented.

“Right, I still have to sell the idea to her. Well, this will take a while. I plan to take her places and see how she reacts, expose her to a few of my interests, get close and maybe at the end of it all, I'll ask. But like Cadence told me when I was still crushing on you, it's a process.”

Luna nodded. “Just make sure you don't rush things. Take it from me when I first reintroduced myself on Nightmare Night when I pushed others away. Be subtle and gradual.”

“Nice to see you finally get some social knowledge, Luna, instead of trying to be so imposing with your voice.” Celestia said with a smirk. 

“I learned my lessons, big sister, thank you very much.” Luna then turned to Fury. “And I intend to help others too like you. Just keep what I say in mind, Lightning Bug.” Luna said with a warm smile. 

“Thanks. It's been a journey from the time my parents set foot in Equestria, and I still have a long recovery ahead of me. But I'll have you take it with me.” Fury said, kissing her. Just as he pulled away, a shrieking wail cracked the veil of relative silence.

“FURY! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU FISH SUCKLING WIMP!?”

Everyone shook a bit, especially Fury at the loud booming voice.

“That was as loud as our Canterlot Royal Voice. Who's shouting out?” Celestia asked.

“Yeeeah, remember when Luna asked me if I got into trouble with Cadence earlier and I said it was 50/50? Well, let's just say that trouble was me ditching her in a tight situation to save my rump.”

“You always find a way to mess with Cadence don't you?” Celestia asked sarcastically.

“Hey, she started it this time. I just made my daring retreat from the battlefield. She can try as she likes but I'm not submitting to her wishes.” Fury defended.

“OH FURY! COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE! I JUST WANT TO TALK.”

“I'm over here, lovebutt! I don't care about the threatening voice. Just get it over with and stop looking like an idiot, you're starting to be annoying.” Fury huffed, her angry voice tapdancing on his nerves.

“As you wish.”

A gust of wind burst out as Cadence flew up to where Fury and the Royal Sisters were. 

“So, Fury, I see you've been hanging out here and talking to my aunts.”

“Yep, and had a pretty relaxing and non ticklish time. Then you have to show up.” Fury sniffed.

“Well excuse me, when did you get so huffy?”

“Ever since I had this herd issue come out. I'm racking my head to find a way to make this work but me and my shaky emotions are dragging me under. And your sassy attitude is not making it any easier. So excuse me if I'm a little quick with the attitude, puffball. Keep the sass to yourself and shove it where the sun doesn't dare shine. And that's saying something considering Stilts over here radiates it like a bad rash.” 

“Well, I'm trying to help you get these emotions of yours settled. I'm trying to help you, not hurt you. Too bad you can't see that.” Cadence said with a grumble. Fury returned a snarl.

“I can see that! But it's not so appreciated when your help actually makes me more stressed and anxious! I'd rather you keep your mouth zipped!” Fury said.

Celestia went between them. “Alright let's calm down both of you. There's no need to fight.”

Fury's claws passively unsheathed slowly, his eyes already searching for paths to land a swing. He couldn't help himself, his emotions were in more of a back and forth than a seesaw, and the word ‘Fight’ just made it worse. A worrying twitch infected his claws, his fangs flashing the light from between his lips.

Fury simply breathed heavily.

“Cadence, I think you need to apologize and bring it down.” Celestia whispered to her.

Cadence nodded. “Fury, um… look, I'm sorry for getting you all uppity. How about we just move on to helping you with your romantic issues?”

Fury was still looking at her a bit hostile.

“Uh, Fury?” 

“Shut up.”

“Come on, Fury, I'm trying to help you! What more do you want?”

Fury didn't listen to a word she said, bashing her backwards. “Shut your mouth and know your place.” He snarled, walking away in silence.

“Fury! You apologize this instance-” Luna cried out.

Celestia covered her snout. “It's not worth it.” She whispered. “Fury seems to be going through one of his phases. Let's just let him be and see if Cadence is alright.”

They both looked to Cadence who was still collapsed.

“Are you alright?” Celestia asked.

“I'm fine. It wasn't very damaging. Though it did sting.” Cadence said. “Definitely not one of his stronger hits but still….”

The two both saw he seemed to be walking away from them, quite far away now, not paying attention to them.

“What do we do now?” Cadence asked, getting back up.

Luna walked a little closer and heard a few grumbles from Fury. He seemed to be talking to himself.

“She should be lucky I didn't rip that horn off her head, then we'll see who's got the magic of love then.” That complaint stuck out like a gold sword in a rust pile. He was definitely having one of his moments. She couldn't blame him though, his emotions have been toyed with many times and through multiple doctors visits that had been appointed to her to be kept abreast of, his mental state was fragile.

“Oh Fury. And to think I thought it would just be as simple as preparing him for another date.” Cadence said.

“Be patient. He’ll come through when the time is right.” Celestia said. 

“Do you think I should talk to him? Maybe I can help him as his marefriend.” Luna suggested.

“I think we've been going at this all wrong.” Cadence said, standing up. “We've been attacking this like he's just been going through a few rough patches. Just a few bad days. But what we haven't considered is the fact that this isn't a result of waking up on the wrong side of the bed, but the residual anger of what happened to him in his teen years.”

“We've been going at this like he's only been hitting a few bad spots when it should be us helping him through his trauma. Like therapy, what he needs is long term care. Not just a few switch ups of happiness to temporarily turn his mood around.”

Luna was astounded by this revelation from her niece. She herself knew how hard it was to solve your problems you had since foalhood. It required a lot of help from Celestia and even the Mane Six to help her.

“I see.” Luna said. “Poor Fury struggles so much with these feelings. I hope the best for him and hope we can help him. I hope I can help.”

“I suppose you're correct. The many times we've prevented him from going into one of his bad moods have only been temporary. We should be treating this the way it should be.” Celestia said.

“Are you saying we should put him in therapy?” Luna asked.

Her elder sister shook her head. “No. With what he's gone through, no Equestrian therapist would be able to help him. They would most likely think he is mentally ill with some of the answers he may give to their questions. Besides, it paints a bad picture on us as well as himself. He'd see us putting him in therapy as us saying that he has mental issues and we just can't handle trying to help him anymore.”

“Then what can we do? Do we just accept his agony then?” Luna asked.

“No, we must be patient. Fury just needs time. If we give it to him then I'm sure he'll be in a better state of mind. Only then can we really help him.” Celestia said. 

“I just hope he finds it in time. With his past, it may be a while before he recovers from whatever he's suffering through.”

They all nodded. They decided in the meantime to have some food for their troubles. As for Fury, he was in deep thought.

-

Fury was walking through streets with a scowl on the outside and sadness on the inside. 

He remembered all the stress he had traveled over the years. Nothing in Canterlot was new to him anymore, everything just blended together.

“She thinks she can just waltz up and spit in my face like I don't know what I'm doing? I don't think so. I'm the one who decides what I do, not some wannabe Cupid.” He huffed, still walking the streets without a care.

“What does it take to get a bit of sympathy for my worst instead of some snarky remark about my ‘attitude’? All I'm doing is maintaining my mental acuity so I can progress in life, what's the harm in that?”

Fury hit a wall with his paw in frustration. He was so done with everything that had been going on. “Why do I have to deal with all of this?”

Fury decided to keep walking. He was glad that there was almost no one on this street. He was starting to calm down a bit now. But he was still a bit ticked off.

“Gee, I need something to take my mind off all this. What can I do?” 

Fury then bumped into a sign in his frustration. But he saw it was a library. Perhaps an answer to his desires.

“Who knows. Maybe they'll have something good in there.”

He stepped inside and looked around at the scene. Ponies read silently in designated areas while others searched for their material in the countless aisles of literature. Fury already knew the drill here, so he kept quiet and let his padded paws keep his steps silent as he walked through the store.

Normally Fury would go for an adventure novel or a comic book. But today he felt like he needed something more practical for the situation, plus his rational side told him he needed something to cool off and get his mind back in order.

Walking to a random aisle, he turned down it and found many books focused on manners, ethics and etiquette.

Hmm, no surprise there are books on how to act in this city. Maybe I could do with a refresher of my manners at the dinner table? Who knows if Celestia decides to host a dinner party with all of the nobles and invites me.

Taking his pick, his paws grabbed a dinner etiquette book called “Dinner's Served: How To Mind Your Manners.” and moved on. 

Taking a look around him once more, he saw a few ponies jump at seeing him. He knew they weren't scared or threatened thanks to Celestia's training in detecting micro expressions and changes in mood, they were rather surprised by him. His silent steps most likely kept his presence mostly unknown to the ears and only let the eyes catch his admittedly intimidating sight as he slipped his way by without making a sound.

Moving down the back of the store he stopped at the entrance to an aisle that had books on his most prized item. Food. With a bit of a smile, he turned down the aisle and marveled at the many books on different types of food. But for the time being, he just snatched an all purpose history book named “Equestria’s Greatest Culinary Crafts.” and went to go find a secluded area for him to read.

He opened up the book and in it were a mix of modern photos and old photos or even centuries old drawings of classic cuisine. The book had some familiar recipes like the éclair, cupcake, cheesecake and hay-based foods. But what caught his eye were some of the more modern crafts like the Cal-zone, Stir fry rice, bean chili and even a strange curved bread called a Croissant. 

He was fairly impressed with what ponies were able to create, many of the creators of the foods having to take years to even get the recipe presentable.

But then, his eyes caught something that almost made him break the silence of the store. It was a recipe for the Dumplings he tried at the food festival he went to on vacation, but something was off. It had… a meat product listed as one of its ingredients. He flipped the page back and forth a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating and sure enough, the ink stuck. 

He looked over to the information part of the page and got a surprising explanation for the ingredient.

“During the time of making this version of the now more well known Dumpling, a chef by the name of Crafty Creamer decided to see how tolerant early pony society was. And so, he employed the help of allied Griffons to bring small amounts of beef to his restaurant where he incorporated the ingredient into his creation and fed it to the masses. And while most find it heresy to eat meat in any way by modern standards, many ponies actually enjoyed the taste of meat back then. Some ponies still do today, but they've either been run out of normal society by others or have secluded themselves to avoid scrutiny.” He read to himself quietly.

“By the emperor's whiskers, I didn't think any pony could actually stomach meat! Heh, I guess some ponies just have good taste.” He whispered. But then he got curious. He quickly got up and searched for a pony biology book and opened it, quickly flipping to the digestive system section and found something interesting.

“Despite modern beliefs, ethical divides and changes in preferences, Equestrian ponies have and still can eat and digest meat. Though many have switched to eating only herbs and hay for either personal/ethical reasons or preferences, early settlers actually hunted hogs and cattle to survive in harsh conditions, developing cooking techniques to rid the meat of disease and maximize nutrients. Though as the records show, many have cursed the very thought of hunting other animals to Tartarus and back in favor of an arguably healthier and ethically correct alternative.” Fury read.

“Huh. Looks like I'm gonna have some questions for Celestia when I finish. But for now, it's time to relearn my table manners” Fury said, switching to the dinner etiquette book and diving in.

–

Meanwhile, in the streets of Canterlot…

Celestia, Luna, Cadence and now Lauren were walking the streets in search of their feline friend, looking around the places they suspected he'd be. Diners, food stands, local sports areas, but no dice.

“We've been looking everywhere. This is ridiculous. I guess Shifters really are masters of stealth.” Cadence said.

“Everywhere? We've only checked some buildings around here.” Celestia said. 

“Yeah, the places I know he likes.” Cadence said. “There's no way places like a library would be hiding his face.”

“You mean what you know about him.” Luna said, speaking up. “Fury might like all those places you stated, but I've been around him long enough to know he has a literary side to him. At the very least a curious mind.”

“So you're saying he might be in there?” Cadence said.

“He might just be.” Luna said. “Let's go in and figure out if he's here or not.”

The four alicorns stepped inside and were greeted with the usual silence of a place such as a library. Ponies going back and forth with books and reading on their own or rather in groups. While the library was big and many walked in their sightlines, it wasn't hard for them to instantly notice a set of black paws in a sea of hooves.

“I think we found our Shifter.” Celestia said. “But let's be careful. Let's just see what he's doing first.”

They took a few steps over to a table and sat down within a good proximity of his seat. He was none the wiser of their presence as he read his book, a book that the princesses would notice was a dinner etiquette book.

“Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is our favorite speedster reading a book on dinner etiquette?” Cadence asked.

“It would seem so. A very strange sight indeed.” Luna concurred. “I know I said I was not surprised by him being in a library but I was not expecting him to have an interest in that.”

“Well I suppose everyone has a secret side to them that goes against our assumptions.” Celestia said.

“I wouldn't be so quick to assume, Tia.” Lauren chimed in. “I think this is less a secret interest but a personal refresher course. Perhaps he's brushing up on proper dining manners to prepare for a certain eventuality? Maybe in case of a dinner party or a royal dinner with the nobles?”

“I see.” Celestia said, nodding. It all made sense. “I suppose for Fury at this time of contemplation, he might be wanting some practical advice for himself.”

“But the weirdest stands to be discovered. Is that a… a pony biology book and a culinary history book?” Luna wondered aloud. All of the princesses looked between each other with confusion.

“Okay, that's it. I'm poking into his thoughts because this raises too many questions, who's in?” Luna asked in the most modern dialect she had spoken in years. All of the princesses nodded in agreement and allowed Luna to launch an invisible tether onto Fury's head and link their magic to listen in.

“Proper ways to use a salad fork? Good grief, ponies have strange rules.” Fury's mind echoed, his subconscious thoughts ringing out in a lower volume under it. He then looked back at the biology book and grabbed it, opening back to the section he was reading before.

“I can't believe Celestia never told me that ponies could actually eat meat, o-or even Twilight for that matter! I guess it's more of a moral dilemma than a biological one, but she's going to have to talk up some sense for me to understand that one.” His mind echoed. The princesses almost went pale at that thought. Then three of them turned to the solar monarch and glared at her.

“Auntie, did you really not tell Fury about the fact that we used to eat meat and some still do!?” Cadence harshly whispered.

“We could have saved him miles of underlying guilt of eating in public and you didn't say anything about such an important fact!?” Luna added. 

“Sweetie… as your mother and a former ruler of the land, I can possibly see where this was a topic of harsh origin to discuss. But this creature has torn the spine out of one of his own kind and nearly crippled another, you didn't think he could bear knowing that he wasn't alone in his dietary likes and dislikes?”

Celestia's ears flattened against her skull and proceeded to look down as she knew this was heavy stuff. “Well, I guess I didn't think it mattered. No, not just that. I guess I see our pony ways of abstaining from meat as a way to show our progress from the warlike world I was born into. I guess I wanted to show Fury we were an advanced society who progressed past our brutal ways. Of course I wasn't trying to degrade his society, at least on purpose.” She admitted.

“Tia… he has torn cockatrices to shreds and laid with a full belly among their bones with no remorse. I'm fairly certain he has no hard feelings towards the dark ages of our society.” Luna deadpanned. 

“And you'd be correct, I don't.” The princesses nearly screeched as they saw Fury was sitting with them instead of farther away.

“F-Fury! You heard everything we said?!” Celestia said in an unusually loud voice.

“We're in a nearly silent library and I've got ears that can pick up a pin dropping for miles, you'd think I'd be able to pick up on a whisper. Besides, you think I didn't sense the intrusion on my subconscious thoughts, Moonpie? I'm a god of Speed Shifters now, I have to be able to pick up on stuff like that now.” Fury said. 

“But then again, I don't exactly object to you listening in…” he said in a sultry whisper. 

“...Well, I'm glad you're not offended.” Luna said with a blush.

“Good grief, save it for the bedroom.” Cadence moaned. “Now, to address the metaphorical elephant in the room. You didn't know that ponies used to eat meat like you in the early days?” 

“Not a drop of info. And Cady… I'm sorry I got huffy with you. I just wasn't in my right mind at the moment.”

Cadence smiled. “Don't worry about it. I forgive you. I just want to move on to better things.”

Fury returned with his signature smile. “Now, onto the bigger picture. Mind explaining yourself, cushion tush?” Fury asked Celestia, snickering at his own joke.

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Glad to see you're in a better mood.” The other princesses laughed softly at her. “Well, it all comes down to what was available. When a creature is in a calm state it eats normally, but when it's in distress, in the midst of terror, it becomes desperate to eat anything.” Celestia said reminiscing. “Many times in the past ponies were in battle and we chose to eat rats, bugs, rabbits, to the point it became even a source of pride for certain chefs and even some aristocracy.”  

“I guess that's apparent considering the dumpling recipe I found earlier. Turns out, he used beef in it and ponies didn't break a sweat. Good grief Celly, you could have saved me so much second paw embarrassment.” Fury sighed.

Celestia chuckled slightly. “Yes, that probably would have been better, but I guess for many ponies, including myself, it felt like it reminded us of worse times. When we as herbivore ponies went against nature and had to eat anything to survive. When we finally had peace between the three pony races, we swore we would never be reduced to such a state.” Celestia said. “In hindsight, it was probably a bit dramatic and unnecessary to put such a taboo up, but I felt like if we went back to that state we would slowly become our warlike selves again. ”

“Pure gobbledygook. I've seen worse and I lived. Yeesh, I'm surrounded by moral driven weaklings.” The black feline huffed.

“You have morals too, Fury.” Cadence said. “You can at least understand that some have taboos from our history.”

“Yes, I can. But to say I have morals? By what most ponies think they can whisper under their breath without me hearing, apparently I don't have any.” Fury spat with a grumble. 

“Yep, to many I have no code of honor simply because I choose to eat meat. Somepony's dog does it and no one complains, but a sapient creature with actual cognitive thought? That's just way too far apparently. Regardless of if it's vital for their existence.” Fury said sarcastically. “I know it might be just cause I'm an outsider to pony life, but some of your ways, gee, they make as much sense as those Shadow Shifters.” 

“I suppose so.” Celestia admitted.

“I suppose for myself as somepony who had Thestrals as guards and never went with the trend, I had always questioned this line of thinking with our food.” Luna admitted. “But now I really understand how pointless it was, with Fury and how he needs to consume food like that.”

Fury was glad at least Luna was quite open about it. He knew there was a reason he liked her so much.

“Now that makes me think…” Cadence added. “Have any of you ever seen Spike eat anything but gems in his lifetime? I mean, dragons are carnivores too.”

Celestia reminisced back. “Well, Spike would eat gems a lot. As long as we gave him jewelry that gave him what he needed for his nutritional needs. Dragons are a mystery that way. But sometimes I noticed he sometimes tried to bite the limbs of me or Twilight when he was a baby. He probably had some idea of flesh as was usual for semi-carnivorous creatures like him. But we tried to dissuade him from that and told him that those were just weird urges like hiccups. And they should be ignored. Of course Spike eventually did, well mostly, but even then sometimes when he sees some fish Fluttershy feeds bears, he looks at it with fondness.” Celestia explained.

“Well you can't take the predator out of a dragon.” Fury said. “Even if I was in Spike's place and you tried to say meat was just a bunch of weird urges, well my nose would surely disagree with that. Not to mention the common sense to research my origins. As a matter of fact, didn't Spike go to the Dragonlands on his own a few years back to find out who he was?”

“He did actually, but that was many years before your arrival. He supposedly had become fed up with others treating him like an adorable pet and decided to find out he was ‘Supposed to act’. But he eventually came to his senses and returned with all gaining newfound respect for him.” Luna explained.

“Well, good for Spike. I guess it reminds me of when I used to live isolated from the other shifters after adulthood before meeting you guys. Trying to figure out who I was.” Fury reminisced with a brief silence. 

Fury then continued. “But getting back to the food issue, if ponies aren't as biologically restricted from eating meat as many say so, how come none have tried to find an alternative? This may sound like science fiction here, but maybe a genetically modified version of meat could be achieved? Perhaps in the coming months, a couple of esteemed scientists could figure out how to turn plants into a sort of plant based meat substitute.”

“Some scientists have tried it but we never paid too much heed to it. We thought it to be a minor issue not worth government spending on.” Celestia said. 

“Well, think about it. Ponies are gonna have to get used to meat products being more readily available now that it's more than just me, my parents and Pyro in Equestria now. By the time the flood gates really do open up, we'll have full on markets dedicated to meat springing up everywhere. And it may sound ridiculous, but I have a feeling at least one pony out there may get curious as to why we carnivores are so fond of the stuff. It's just a matter of inevitability.” Fury returned, his ambassador side on full display.

The princesses did have to admit Fury may have had a point. After all, even normal ponies had a curiosity of the exotic smell of both cooked and raw meat.

“I will look into this plant based meat. Your diplomatic skills paid off today.” Celestia complimented.

“Good. You should probably get Twilight into this too. Both because she'd be practically chomping at the bit to have the opportunity to discover a new food source and she'd hate me for life if I didn't tell her.” Fury chuckled.

The others chuckled along. It felt nice to be agreeing on things as controversial as meat consumption and being able to work on solutions with diplomacy.

“Okay, how about we get out of here and grab some lunch? I know we were talking about meat, but regardless, my stomach is starting to break the silence.” Cadence said, her cheeks a noticeably darker shade of pink.

“You’re speaking my language, Cady. My stomach needs some nourishment right now. Let's get out of here ladies.” Fury said, getting up and leaving the door with his royal squad in tow.

–

“Ugh, what a ghost town! There's nothing good around here.” Fury huffed. “It's like you Canterlot snot brains have no taste, even in pony food!”

“As blunt as ever I see.” Luna said with a chuckle. “Well, you just have to be patient because I know there are places in this district you'll take a liking to.”

“Yeah, we'll see about that. It better taste like heaven on earth, that's for sure.” Fury said with his stomach grumbling. “Easy boy, we'll find something soon.” 

“Don't worry, I'm sure we're close to something good. It shouldn't be too hard to find some food.” Cadence reassured him.

“I sure hope so.” He said trying to eye in on anything food related.

As they kept walking they kept on yearning for something food related. All they got were clothes, jewels and anything not food. But after wandering around they finally got their wish.

“Wait… My nose has got something. I smell something promising.” Fury said, rushing his way to the target.

“Wait for us!” Luna said, now having to run to catch up to a fast Fury.

After a few minutes, Fury finally got his wish. 

“Finally some restaurant! And wow, this place looks a little unsophisticated.” Fury said.

“I know we can find another one-”

“And that's the way I like it! Nothing pretentious or a bunch of fussy ponies secretly analyzing the way I eat.” Fury said. “I think I can smell… cheese, onions, peppers. This already sounds good.”

He saw the sign showing it was a burger joint called Burger Ray's. 

“Well what are we waiting for ladies?! Let's chow down!” Fury said.

The group walked inside and were greeted by an old fashioned diner. Checkered walls in red and white, metal ceiling with dangling lights, a jukebox, separate booths with bright red leather. It was all reminiscent of Equestria's older times.

“Wow, talk about old fashioned. This place looks almost identical to Goldie's place back home.” Fury said, thinking back to that infamous cheese goo moment. “Ah brings back familiar memories.” 

He even saw foals playing in an area with murals of mascots on the walls. From heroes to villains. It looked like all the foals were having fun.

Fury took a hearty sniff of the air and was pleased with his findings.

“Gooey Parmesan cheese, grilled buns, ketchup, fried onion rings. Hoooo, great goddesses, take me away.” He said, feeling like he could faint.

“Don't pass you out on us, Fury. We have to order the food. As princesses, they'll give us a discount. And we're going in for a special treat.” Celestia said.

“Special treat? Oh good grief, you're gonna make my stomach claw its way out of me.”

Everyone walked to the counter. Fury had to resist his mouth watering from all the delectable choices.

“Hello there, ambassador and princesses, I hope you had a good day. How may I help you?” The cashier asked.

“I'll take a batch of hay fries and a cola.” Lauren said.

“A light salad and some water for me.” Celestia requested.

Luna sighed. “Always the minimalist. I'll take the Hayburger supreme with extra ketchup and hold the pickles.”

“Three double hayburgers with all the stuffings, a batch of hay fries and a cola.” Cadence said.

“And yet you still deny your appetite isn't on par with mine.” Fury chuckled, getting an eye roll from the love goddess.

“Oh hush. Now what about you, brainiac?” Cadence childishly shot back.

Fury was contemplating a bit, and he was curious about a particular choice. It looked like one of those funky croissants, but the bread was lighter. There also appeared to be three holes dotted on top with a yellowish goo on the inside.

“Wow, that's quite a sandwich. Never saw one like that before.”

“Oh that? That is no sandwich. That is a calzone. Cheesy goodness all around. Brought in by the son Burger Ray himself. You can't beat the cheese here in Canterlot.”

“I'll take it!” Fury said. 

“I thought so. Coming right up!”

When the calzone was finally made, Fury was so excited. It was bigger than the usual size and the aroma of it was quite pleasant to Fury.

Fury took the meal to his table and was ready to dig in.

“I take it you're excited about this calzone?” Celestia asked.

“Yep! And also something seems very interesting about its smell. It's not just cheese… Something else tasty is in here. Well, I guess I'll figure it out in due time.” Fury said. 

He took a big bite of the calzone and could just feel the cheese flowing. He hadn't had cheese that good since he was at his village. 

But while it was good, it felt different from other pony cuisines. There was a taste that resembled…

“Wait, is that… meat?” Fury asked. He looked inside the Cal-zone and sure enough, small bits of beef could be seen embedded in the cheese.

“Why, it appears to be so.” Celestia said.

“You think it's a prank?” Cadence pondered.

“No. This was intentional, something meant to get my attention. Somepony working here has a soft spot for my approval, it seems.” Fury theorized, making a glance at the kitchens behind the register with his keen eyes.

“Well, I'll be darned, I think they made me some meat. Looks like they got a whole box of it.” Fury said. “Never thought ponies would even wanna touch meat to begin with.” 

“I think I know why. They want to be on good terms with you.” Lauren said. “News has been getting around about your babysitter arriving recently and I suppose in response, they want to make sure not only you're comfortable, but the rest of your kind are comfortable eating in public.”

Fury had a big smile from that. He was happy to know there were ponies who didn't care about his people's affinity for meat. 

“But wait, they had this meat available in the first place? Did they plan for me to come here?” Fury wondered.

“Not likely, it would have been an obvious change that even I would have seen.” Luna said plainly. “They most likely have adapted over time with the recurring theme of more carnivores such as yourself entering our borders.”

“Well in that case I really need to be here more often. I'll be sure to give the pony behind this establishment a token of my gratitude.” Fury said. “This place for sure is ambassador approved.”

Fury walked up to the counter and put a golden medallion down on top. An old coin that represented trust and loyalty. And a letter he wrote thanking the establishment for their hospitality.

Fury with a pleased smile and a relaxed disposition stretched and was ready to hit the road. He was now quite full.

“You ready to go, ladies?” Fury asked.

“Okay.” Faust said. “Are you ready to take a rest at the towers and be ready for Manehattan?”

“Manehattan? What's going on there?”

“Well, besides where your former babysitter is going, it also has some rumors of secret meetings going on. What with some ponies still believing in the Chosen One coming back. Maybe Blueblood is trying to reestablish himself in Manehattan.”

“Ugh, I've honestly had enough of that dillweed.” Fury said, flexing his young age. “But I'm off duty for the rest of the year. Didn't your daughters tell you?”

“I was. But I mostly say this as a warning just to make sure if you go to Manehattan to be very careful. I honestly wonder if it wouldn't be better for you two to meet in a different city.” Faust said.

“That makes sense. I'll ask Shining Armor for some favors and have her escorted personally to my place just to be safe. I'll have to tell my parents and Pyro too unless they already know.”

“It's a deal. We can make all that work.” Celestia said. “We will be sure to help. Now shall we leave for the palace?”

“You've got me interested. Let's roll, I'm looking forward to just cuddling down- I mean snuggling- No! Settling down for the day.” Fury stammered, trying to cover his butt.

“Sure, settling down.” Cadence said with a chuckle. “Alright, let's not delay then. Let's be on our way.” 

So everypony and Fury went on their way back home fully appreciative of all the fun they had even with a few arguments. And eventually, they will meet a new guest. Though the way they would meet was going to be a rather strange one.
> Chapter 49: Sick With a Babysitter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot is a fairly tranquil city, many of its residents having nothing else but the usual day to day business to run through such as shopping, work, school or other things. Not many things can shake up the daily routine of the Capital of Equestria. That is…

AAAACHO!!! 

Until a certain black feline woke up in a bad way. 

The city was rocked with a thunderous blast, the ground shaking and a brief flash of red lightning shooting out from one of Canterlot Castle's towers. The guards and other inhabitants on the inside of the grand structure fared no better, the blast being intensified by the proximity. 

That morning, The Royal Sisters, their mother and Cadence were woken up by the titanic shockwave inside the walls. Though such a blast would mainly mean a monster attack to most, the wisdom of the four alicorns allowed them to slow the jump to conclusions that normal ponies would do and think reasonably about what was going on.

The four alicorns met in the hallway near the commotion and began to wonder what the deal was.

“Could it be that Fury was practicing some special lightning technique?” Cadence asked.

“If so, it must be a rather unique attack if it involved him sneezing at a supersonic level of volume.” Luna said, her fellow alicorns agreeing.

“Whatever that was, we need to get it under control before he sends this castle flying.” Lauren suggested. They all agreed and proceeded to make their way to the room he was staying in. Nodding to the confused and disorganized guards, they opened the door to see the room charred to near pitch black, residual energy zapping through the walls. 

At the center of the room, a somehow pristine bed still stood unscathed with a lump under the covers sniffling and wheezing. The princesses were confused.

Cadence at first, thought it was a joke and decided to show some sass. “Alright sparky, what's the big idea? Got something funny to tell us?”

“Oh shut up, puffball. Like you have any right to complain with your snuffy attitude.” A weak voice returned, sounding nasally.

This instantly got Luna concerned as she approached the bed to reveal the true reason behind this cacophony of noise.

“Lightning bug? Are you alright, my dear? I thought you were just training. But judging by your voice…” Luna pulled back the covers and everyone in the room gasped. Under the covers was not a normal Night Fury, but one with a red nose, bloodshot eyes, matted fur and movements more reminiscent of a woozy slug than himself.

“By the gods, are you alright!? You look terrible!” Luna asked in a concerned voice. Fury grunted and heaved his body up to be at a decent sitting position, but even then he looked like he was close to passing out.

“Ugh, I feel like I just got wounded in battle except without the blood.” Fury wheezed, not even pretending to hide his distress.

“Water! I need water!” Fury said.

“Here, drink some of this.” Celestia said, getting a glass of water for him.

“Thanks, but I doubt just this'll fix me. And besides, with that blast, she'll be storming through in 3… 2… 1…”

“I heard my boy sneeze! Where's my precious baby!?” a loud voice said, bursting into his room.

“Yep. Got that one right.” Fury said.

“Hold on. Hold on, Icey.” Obsidian said, also entering the room. “I'm sure Fury's not too ill.”

“I wouldn't be so sure, pops.” Fury coughed, his mucus filled lungs sounding like he inhaled a barrel of sludge.

“Oh, my poor baby. Don't worry sweetie, momma's here.” Black Ice said quietly. But she wasn't the only one to come running to his aid as a clatter of hoofsteps were running towards his room. In no time at all, Fury's friends from Ponyville were right there in front of him with worry and concern on their faces.

“Oh darling, you look positively dreadful!” Rarity spoke, understandably keeping her distance from the sick feline.

“Oh my, poor you!” Fluttershy squeaked, patting his back.

“You look so sad!” Pinkie said. “Don’t worry we’ll help you cheer up! You won’t feel so down and helpless and sick and-”

“Girls!” Applejack said. “Give the poor guy some time to breathe.” Then she turned to Fury. “Sorry, sugarcube, we're all just worried for you.” 

“Yeah, we all heard the blast in town and saw the lightning so we came running!” Rainbow said.

“No need, AJ. At this point, I need all the help and support I ca… hah… haaaah…”

“Here it comes! Brace yourselves!” Twilight said.

HA CHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Another deafening sound was heard. It always seemed a little louder every moment it started again.

“Good thing, Twilight has that force field spell. Or we'd have been slammed right up the wall!” Rainbow said. “Yeesh, your sneezes are something else.”

“Can't help it, it's genetic.” Fury sniffled. “They're called ‘Outbursts’. Whenever Speed Shifters get sick, our core energy is thrown for a loop and we can't suppress it for… obvious reasons. And whenever we sneeze, our core energy overloads and blasts out of us to keep our bodies from getting fried inside-out. Basically it's the same as when alicorns get sick. In fact, we have small sick rooms made of harder, more expensive stone just to prevent damage to the walls in the normal rooms.”

“Fury's right. Spike has had to… help me diagnose myself once or twice when I got sick after getting my wings. Turns out, alicorns have these random blasts of magic as well, our bodies' weaker state leaving us victims of the now unsuppressed mana inside of us. The library never had so many holes in it after that week with the flu.” Twilight shuddered.

“And to think I sometimes had dreams of being an alicorn as a filly.” Rarity said. “Well, I can see that comes with some… burdens.”

“And so does being the All Powerful Speed Shifter. Usually, the blasts are tamer for the average Shifter, barely any true damage being done. But now that my destiny has been revealed and my powers are increasing…”

“You've basically got double the blast power.” Cadence finished.

“Bingo. Achoo!” Fury sneezed, causing everyone to flinch. But nothing happened. “Ugh, thankfully, the blasts are at random. So it won't constantly sound like I brought a thunderstorm in here.”

“Here honey, I brought some tissues for you.” Black Ice said, reaching into a bag and giving him a box of them.

“Thanks, mom.” Fury said before grabbing one, breathing with his mouth and blowing out. It was another loud noise, with some mucus being forced out of his nose.

“It’s no surprise that my parents and Luna showed up, but why the rest of you? I'm sure me being sick isn't that big of a deal to pull you guys away from more important things. Besides I look gross, I sound gross and most importantly, I've got gross things coming out of me. Why bother when you all probably have better things to do?”

“It can wait.” Twilight said. “We were busy doing research for our next quest when we heard that loud sneeze. I knew that couldn't be good. Especially with my origins. We all understood you probably needed all the help you could get. After all, friends look out for one another.”

Fury smiled about this. “I guess you really are symbols of friendship. Especially you, Twilight if it could take you away from research. I never thought it was possible, honestly!” He chuckled as much as sick self could do.

“Oh ha ha, very funny. As if Spike didn’t tell those jokes enough.” Twilight grumbled.

“But that's not all we saw. I happened to take notice of a strange figure heading towards the castle on the way here.” Rarity recalled. “She was a bright yellow with black stripes, a figure a mare could die for and a set of bumblebee styled saddlebags. Clearly, she has a thing for bees.”

“Black and yellow?” Fury wondered aloud. “Tell me, was she a little plump? Generous hips and a strong chest?” 

“Why yes, she was. She also had paws like you.” The fashion designer said. Fury's eyes widened a bit before he smiled.

“Oh I know who that is. Twilight, I think Cadence is about to have some competition for best babysitter.” 

“Huh? Why would you say that?” Just then, a knock could be heard from the doorframe and a yellow Speed Shifter poked her head in.

“Hey there! Mind telling me where Night Fury is? I've heard an awful loud outburst, let me tell you!” 

“Right here, Queenie.” Fury said in a weak voice. “Twilight, girls, I'd like you to meet Queen Bee. Thunder Hollow’s best beekeeper and my old babysitter.”

“Hello, everypony and your highness.” She said bowing to Twilight.

“Don't worry, we're friends. You don't have to do that. Just call me Twilight.” 

“Good. I like your attitude. Fury seems to have made the right friends” Queen Bee said, looking over to her old charge. “Hey there, fuzzball. How ya feelin’?” 

“Well, my lungs feel like I inhaled a bucket of slime, my head feels like I dove straight onto a rock, my nose is basically non-existent and my stomach… Well, the only bad thing about that is I've kinda lost my appetite.”

“Now isn't that a horrible tragedy? You don't feel like eating like a manticore.” Queen Bee said jokingly. “Look, don't worry about this. I’ve dealt with a bunch of these illnesses from you and others. I’m sure this will go just fine.”

“I wouldn't be so sure, Bee. I mean, did mom and dad tell you about it yet?” Fury asked. 

Queen Bee looked confused. “It? What's it?”

Fury sighed as he laid down and pointed to his back.

“It's a scar? Looks like lightning. Though I'm not sure what that has to do with-” Queen Bee stopped. “Wait.”

The former babysitter gasped. “Wait, is that the Mark of Linatu Sinasi, the Lightning Strike?!”

Fury nodded along with his parents.

“By the emperor's great fangs, does that mean you, Fury, is actually… an All Powerful?!”

“Ding ding ding, we have a winner! You get a paid vacation to Buttville!” Fury joked, making a raspberry to add to the potty humor. This put her and everyone else into a laughing fit.

“You know, of all the predictions for what an All Powerful would be, I don't think I was expecting someone who loves pranks, eating and jokes.” Queen Bee said.

“Ah you wanted some deep and serious grumpy guy with no humor and says weird poetic lines?” He said in a deep but still nasally voice.

“No. Because then I wouldn't be so attached to you.” Queen Bee said sweetly. “But let's get to the real issue. You're sick, and you'll need some TLC from us to help you get better.”

“And what kind of care would that be if I may ask?” Celestia asked though she had a feeling what she was referring to.

“Nothing too different from a common cold. Warm food, blankets, the occasional check-in to see if he's okay… But I do this a bit differently. I've taken care of him when he was sick before. And we had a little… routine we did. You know what that means, fuzzball?”

Fury gasped as he realized the situation. “A Sick Day Fun Day!” 

“Sick Day Fun Day?” Twilight parroted, sounding confused.

“When I got sick and mom and dad were gone, Queenie and I would have what we called a ‘Sick Day Fun Day’. We'd play games, tell stories, eat snacks, watch old movies on the salvaged VHS player my dad found. Bee basically made being sick a fun thing! Achoo!” Fury clarified.

“Yep! And we're going to do it all over again. Of course since you're older, you're ready for my more advanced sessions.” Bee said excitedly.

“The moment you said the word ‘Party’, my heart was ready! I am ready for some kookie fun!” Pinkie said, jumping in anticipation.

“We’ll all stick with you until you're better, sweetie. You'll be just fine in no time!” Black Ice encouraged.

Fury chuckled. “Well I guess sickness really does help!”

“Okay, let's get to it! First, we need to get out of this cramped space. It may be luxurious, but nothing good can be accomplished here. Princess Celestia, does there happen to be a large living area in the castle?”

Celestia nodded. “Of course. I've had my own sick days. Yes, even I, the great Celestia, can get sick. And I built a sort of concert area where activities can happen for me or Luna when we're sick. And so it's your turn to feel the delights of this area.”

“Great! C'mon Fury, let's go.” Queen Bee said. Fury moved sluggishly from under the warmth of the bed covers and stepped down into the floor. But like most when they're sick, he was unstable. Trying to wobble his way over, he missed a step and tripped. Luckily, Rainbow Dash acted quick and prevented the sick feline from going face first.

“Gotcha!” Rainbow said, using her strength to carry the limp Fury. 

“Thanks for the save, RD. I've basically got the coordination of a sniffling snot zombie. Bleh!”

“No problem!” Rainbow said, walking with him leaning on her. “I've had to carry a few of my Reservist buddies out of the bar when they got drunk so believe me, I do have prior experience.”

“Glad to hear it. Unlike a certain fashionista. Seriously Rares, you could pack a bit of muscle on those icicle legs of yours.” Fury said as he tried to steady himself back up with Rainbow chuckling in agreement.

“Well for your information, darlings, I actually do have a bit more strength than you might expect. I just wait for the right time to use it.” Rarity, said defending herself.

“Right, and the six empty tubs of extra sweet Strawberry Sorbet that I smelled while walking past your place were just for decoration.”

“Well um- what can I say? It’s very delicious! You can’t blame me for indulging in something so fine. Besides I have a lot of sides to me you don't know about. Assumptions, I swear.” She grumbled.

“Rarity, Sweetie Belle has more muscle mass than you do. And she's a filly! Honestly, you might as well be as plump as I am.”

Rarity was already ticked off. “Only because I'm a businessmare nowadays! When I was a filly, I had to work ten times as hard as Sweetie Belle or any other foal to make money and find jewels for my sewing career! I've reaped my hard earned rewards. I deserve rest for my hard efforts!” Rarity said, boasting again of her rags to riches story.

At this point, Fury was just laughing. Even through his jacked up lungs. “Oh man, I just love messing with you guys. All of you have different reactions and it's just perfect! Hoo, what a crowd.” 

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well, while you two were messing around, we finally made it to our destination. And I must say, it looks truly great.”

Fury eventually turned the corner and was surprised to see everything a sick creature could need. Free tissues, a pitcher of water, snacks, cushions and a VHS player to watch tapes on.

“Wow. Now, this is spectacular! I can't believe I was spending my time in my villa when I could have sneaked my way in here! Oops.” Fury slapped a paw over his face after admitting to his dastardly deeds.

Fury looked out the window trying to hide his guilty yet mischievous face. 

“Lightning Bug, you're something else.” Luna said.

“Well, on the bright side, I can't sneak around in my current state. And I'm the guest of honor anyway so I can enjoy this place with no disturbances.” Fury said. “Oh I'm gonna enjoy this place.”

Just before everyone got to sitting down, a familiar face popped in.

“Your highnesses, I've been looking all over for you!” Raven said, walking in and getting a full view of the large group. “Um… have I missed a scheduled meeting?” 

“Not at all, Raven. For we are here to not speak politics, but to care for a poor soul.” Celestia spoke, prompting Fury to turn around and reveal his condition.

“Hey Raven. I seem to be in a bad state today.” Fury said, grabbing a tissue and blowing his nose.

“My goodness! I’m so sorry for your illness. I hope you can get better and that I can be of good assistance to you.” Raven said respectfully.

“Much appreciated. I'll call for you if needed. But for now, let's get comfortable with these cushions, I need to rest my weary legs.” Fury wheezed as Raven took her leave. The large group gathered in a circle. Lauren, Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Twilight grouped with each other in one quarter. The rest of the Mane Six squeezed in in the second, leaving the sick Fury, his parents and Queen Bee to take up the last of the circle.

“Feeling comfortable, kid?” Bee asked Fury who had settled into his cushion.

“Yeah. I think so. Ah,” He said, relaxing on the couch. It was quite comfortable. It almost made him forget his sore throat.

“Oh yeah, there we go. Nice and comfy.” He sighed, assuming an adorable loaf position.

“Eeeee, he looks like a true house cat in that position!” Fluttershy said not being able to contain herself. “So cute!”

Fury's ears drooped and his face went as pink as Cadence.

“Oh. I said that out loud didn't I?” Fluttershy said, also blushing.

“Yeah, you kind of did.” Fury said.

Everyone around had a good laugh at the two's shyness.

“Oh it's alright you two.” Obsidian said “This is the time for us all to enjoy ourselves and be at ease. No need to fret.”

Twilight then coughed to get everyone's attention. “So what will we do first for Fury? Something like a show?”

“Sure, ever since Rainbow Dash introduced me to this ‘Television’ thing, I've always wondered what you ponies took for entertainment. Surely, you two have a catalog of every show in existence. Let's say, The Dino Age, Director's Cut?” Fury smiled cheekily at the two sisters even through his sickness.

“I'm not very familiar with… Oh. I see. Very amusing.” Luna said, rolling her eyes.

“You never pass one even when sick, I see.” Celestia said.

“I may have a sore throat, but I can still be funny. It’s in my job description.” Fury said before coughing a bit. 

“Okay, but what exactly are we going to watch?” Fluttershy asked.

Black Ice spoke up. “Oh I have a great idea for what to watch. It's-”

“No no no, I already decided what I want to watch.” Fury said before his Mom could come up with another of her soap operas. “I found this one just lying around in some old box of assorted things when I went antique shopping yesterday, it looks like some old cartoon.”

He passed off a colorful VHS over to Cadence for her to decipher the unknown origin of the show. Just then, she had a moment of recollection as her mind was flooded with memories of her teenage life.

“Fury… Do you have any idea what you just found!?” She called out. “This is a complete edition of Hyper Wheels: Battle Force 5!”

“Hmm. Interesting. I'm assuming it has a lot of action?”

“Yep! You got it!” Cadence said excitedly. “It has the most epic scenarios you can think of. Interdimensional travel, wicked battle scenes, dramatic plot, it has everything! I promise you, you'll love this.”

With no time wasted, Cadence inserted the VHS into the player with her magic and pressed play. In no time, the theme song came on full force.

🎶Hyper Wheels: Battle Force 5!🎶

🎶Go! Hyper Wheels: Battle Force 5, Ride together to survive!🎶

🎶Drive Drive Drive! Through the Battle zones, gotta drive to survive!🎶

🎶Never Back Down, Never Give Up! It's time to ride! Battle Force 5!🎶

🎶Hyper Wheels: Battle Force 5!🎶

“Okay, I think I'm starting to like this.” Rainbow said. “This is the action I so desperately wanted!”

Everypony saw the five vehicles in the squad. Fury and Queen Bee Immediately took notice of Sabre, a red, sleek vehicle that could flip its front nose inside out to form a chainsaw with the wheels taking on the form of buzzsaws with hover jets underneath.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack chose the Buster as their favorite. A six wheeled armored monster with a beefy roar to the engine and weapons galore with its extendable top turret.

Cadence, her aunts, her grand aunt and Rarity had their eyes on Reverb. A luxury vehicle with subwoofers on the inside and leather seats for comfort. But the inside was only half the story as the vehicle was both comfortable and powerful with a set of Sonic cannons and pulse technology to use as weapons, traversal assists and occasionally sonar.

Pinkie Pie took notice of the Tangler. A high centered buggy that could transform its tires into climbing claws for travel up walls and on the ceiling. Pinkie was more attracted to the pure wildness of the machine than anything else. 

And finally, Black Ice, Obsidian and Fluttershy took the Chopper for their favorite. An agile speeder with the ability to take to the air as it could split its normally two wheeled configuration into four rotors to fly and glide. While Fluttershy just admired the core attributes like its color, Black Ice and her husband took it for something more meaningful. As it sort of reminded them of a certain other creature in their life that was just as wild and crazy in the air as he was in the ground.

Each character had their own respective personalities. Vert, the leader with a taste for the fight. Stanford, the posh and arrogant royal (even if only 189th in line for the throne) who enjoys music. Agura, the hard case and only female of the group with five brothers. Zoom, the wild trickster from Neighpan with the training of ninjas but the discipline of a stunt driver. And finally, the so-called “Twins”, Spinner and Sherman. The dynamic duo with an odd difference in height and body type that threw the watchers off, but a common interest in complex algorithms and math that would inevitably get a certain bookworm hooked.

“Well, if that doesn't remind me of some young rascal we know?” Obsidian said.

“Someone a bit rash, young and a bit of a hothead. Oh, I wouldn't know at all.” Black Ice said with a mild laugh as she looked at Fury.

“Oh ha ha. Achoo! Glad to see you two can still make fun of me.” Fury said, slumping down a bit.

“And I was about to say he also has great power and a drive to do great things and always tries to work to show he's worthy.” Black Ice said smiling. “Just like someone I know.”

“Hmmmm, I'll let you off the hook this time. Now settle in, the first episode’s starting.” Fury reminded them as they got settled for the show to start.

–

Six Episodes Later…

“Ye-heah! C'mon Vert, slice and dice those robotic freaks!” Fury cheered.

Everyone gazed at the screen as Vert along with his friends all together made a wedge to fight off a robotic enemy known as Sark. 

Stanford, send a sonic blast towards Zemiric! Zoom, Agura, you take care of Zug. Spinner, Sherman, with me to grab the Battle Key!

Fluttershy was panicking. “Will they be alright? The portal to the normal world is going to close soon!”

“Don't worry, darling. It looks like they got it all together. Especially that dashing Stanford fellow. Oh I wish I were in that car…” Rarity said with dreamy eyes.

“Psh, that's nothing.” Rainbow said. “Just look at that Buster blasting away all those foes! Spinner is gonna bash those suckers!”

“And don't forget ol’ reliable Sherman!” Applejack said. 

“Oh please, if anything, Vert is the one who keeps them all together. Just check out the Sabre, an awesome roar to the engine, wicked weapons, awesome speed. I love it! The first episode kinda reminded me of when I first met all of you.” Fury recalled, his nasally voice a little better.

“Really?” Twilight asked. “It's been so long.”

“Well, yeah. A cocky, hotshot foreigner that got caught in a place he didn't understand. Eventually finds out he's got a destiny that could shape the world, finds a team that he learns to work with, works out some awesome new powers. And most importantly, finds the true purpose in his life.” Fury said, looking at all of them. “It's like seeing history repeat when I watch this.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, I guess it does. Those were times I’ll never forget.”

“Yep! Vert kind of reminds me of myself.” Fury got a little quieter. “He… also kinda reminds me of how reckless I can get and what being a big shot can get you.”

Twilight was silent from hearing that.

“Sometimes fate has a way of making you go to strange places and meet strange people. I guess for me, I just went with the flow. I could have questioned whether I should have taken that letter Celestia gave me to invite me over for granted. But I just said ‘Screw it’, I've got nothing to lose especially with my reputation back then. Even so, I still question whether I'm good enough to be here. I'm hot headed, unrestrained, reckless and take unnecessary risks. What kind of creature makes death threats over his parents?”

“Son, that's all in the past-” Obsidian said.

“I know! But it still is wrong that I did all that. Sometimes I feel like my emotions are like a wildfire and it just is uncontrollable. I know and you know how crazy I can get.”

“And that's just a part of who you are.” A familiar voice spoke.

“Huh? Who said that?” Fury asked.

“Uh Fury… not trying to freak you out while you're sick, but… one of your eyes is glowing blue!” Rainbow Dash said. Fury was taken back by the statement until Rarity hovered a pocket mirror over to him.

“What the!? How did that happen?” Fury said in a panic. 

“No need to fear, young one. Tis only your creator speaking.” The voice said, his eye glowing brighter as it, or rather he spoke.

“Snowdrift? Is that you? How are you projecting your voice through me without being summoned?” Fury asked.

“Your weakened state has allowed me to release my spirit from your subconscious unassisted. Though only my voice can truly be witnessed, my holographic form is restricted to only exist within you.”

“No way! Well, I guess that's the only cool thing about being sick. Well besides watching tv.” Fury said. “But I'm assuming you wanna tell me something now.”

“Yes. Your rage is perfectly normal. To others, it may seem like something that needs to be controlled, suppressed, or even completely stripped of your being.” The emperor's words caused the ponies to gasp.

“Wait… are… you saying that us ponies would go as far as to strip Fury's emotions from him if we felt like it?” Twilight asked with concern.

“I have no doubt that you're all exempt from this opinion, but I also assume there are multiple of your kind that would have no issue with asking you, or your fellow royals rewriting even his memories to remove the things they found… harmful to their bottom line.”

“What? What kind of pony would even think of doing that?!” Queen Bee asked with rage.

“Ponies who see Night Fury's aggression as a risk to society. From the issue of the dethroned ex-prince that he has informed me of, some ponies assume that royalty such as the sisters would do the same. Remove his anger, strip his hurtful memories, suppress his godly power, or even remove it entirely to make him… harmless, as they may see him.”

Everyone in the room was silent. They never thought such a horrible thing could be possible. What royalty would strip the emotions of a creature out of them if they saw it was just a small issue?

“But… even Blueblood or the shadow shifters didn’t go that far. Assassination, true. But memory erasure? I’ve only heard legends of it.” Celestia said.

“As you know of. But make no mistake, there are many things that you do not know about your subjects or what they assume you would do for them. Making another creature submit to your way of life just so the rest of society could feel comfortable is something even I had to deal with as I ruled over the snow blasted lands that you now humbly reside in.” Snowdrift explained.

“You're saying… you've seen creatures with that kind of power?” Twilight asked. “I thought they were only myths like zombies. But you encountered this type of power?”

The emperor nodded. “If you lived as far back as I have, you'll know many had powers unknown to the modern day.”

“The emperor's right. Ponies back then had a different way of handling other creatures. Nothing like your Changelings or Tirek. There were spells, incantations, rituals that could suppress or even strip a creature’s pain and suffering. And while that sounds like a good thing on paper, our first interaction with your kind wasn't so. Long story short, we distanced ourselves from you guys a long time ago before Cadence's mom came into the picture. If not for her, we'd have been a completely different species.” Fury explained.

“Wow.” Cadence said. “I'm glad for my mother. Sometimes the ponies’ quest for peace leads to the destruction of others even if just their very heart and soul.”

“Which is exactly why I'm trying to teach you all that peace isn't a forcible ideal, it's a chosen option. Some creatures take it wholeheartedly, others resent the very thought of it. But it's up to you to figure out which is which and accept the facts of what it is. Friendship may be a thing your society thrives on, but it can't be used as a jack of all trades when dealing with issues.”

“If Equestria is going to prosper and its royalty are going to bring in a new age of togetherness, you need to learn that while being at peace is good, solidarity in peace can make you just as much of a target as if you were the aggressor.”

“Need to learn?” Luna asked.

“Yes. You've come a long way with your relationship with Fury. Especially you Luna. But make no mistake there’s a reason I talked about memory loss. Because I know they are still out there. And that Blueblood you mentioned? Maybe he has something new up his sleeves. But all I know is that you must be weary of being naive. Peace is good but not at the risk of losing everything you hold dear. Remaining aggressive while also knowing when to hold back is a good way to maintain a solid environment.” Snowdrift said.

“And I think I get what you're talking to me about. You want to explain to me that my rage is a part of me, and knowing when to hold back is what is required.” Fury pondered.

“That is correct. But as the record stands, you have already shown you can. It is just your beliefs that are out of line.” The emperor said.

“My beliefs?” Fury parroted in a confused manner.

“You believe that you are out of control, unrestricted in your anger, that you must work to suppress it for the sake of remaining on good terms with those around you, do you not?”

“Sometimes I feel that way. Yes.” Fury said, wondering where he was going with this.

“Well, all I'll say is this. If that is how you feel, you must remember that you can't hold in your emotions. Just think of what would have happened if you had been silent about your traumatic past and your parents being missing, how would that turn out?” The emperor asked.

Fury often preferred to think about stressful times like that in private. And he also preferred not to talk about his feelings to others. But he knew the Emperor had a point. Having others help him through his feelings no matter how hard it could be was a blessing.

“Ahh, I see you've found my point.” Snowdrift acknowledged. “It is good to remain calm in stressful situations, but always holding back your true feelings just to appease those who may have different views may just as well get you killed as relying on it too much. It all comes down to what you believe is needed and when, not necessarily how. You can't deny a part of you just to make someone happy. If they have a problem with you eating meat, being more aggressive than most and getting protective of your parents, then that's their loss.”

“I guess you're right. I've been a little iffy concerning my power. I don't think I've even gotten to use much of my fighting prowess at all, mostly just speed. I've probably gotten rusty by now, but I can't exactly know how rusty since I can barely move without feeling dizzy.” Fury moaned, his body making sure he remembered he was still sick.

“That I already knew even more I talked to you. Your sickness affects my world too.” The emperor said. “But of course once sickness does pass away, you'll be able to do what you were meant to do. And with this new embracing of yourself, you might find new power you never knew you had.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever. Now get out!” Fury hissed, zapping the blue eye away to finally get some peace.

“Well, that was something. Anyway, I'm getting a little peckish. Who's up for some snacks?” 

“I could go for some cheese! I've been holding my hunger in for hours to watch those episodes!” Rainbow said.

“Same for me! Same for me!” Pinkie pie exclaimed.

Everyone else agreed with them. Celestia clapped her hooves and some butlers came in. 

“Bring me and my guests some food, if you'd please. Make sure Fury's snacks are to his liking.”

“Some simple chocolate chip cookies will do, thanks.” Fury said humbly.

“You sure you don't want any fish?” Celestia asked.

“Nah, my stomach won't like that. Just something simple but sweet.”

The butlers proceeded to go about and give the guests some delectable treats. But unlike the formal setting by the dining table, it was casual, relaxed and comfortable. 

“Awesome! But hang on…” Fury held his paw out and stretched, confusing the purple alicorn next to him.

“What are you doing, Fury?” Twilight asked.

“Trying to see if I can manifest levitation.” He replied.

“Your imagination running away again, fuzzball?” Queenie chuckled.

“It might just be, but I'm determined. Just watch guys, you're about to witness history.” Fury focused as hard as he could, sticking his tongue out for extra effect. 

Rarity snickered. “Darling, as much as we support you on a daily basis, you can't just make yourself develop levitation.”

“Oh really?” Fury continued to focus on the plate of cookies before him, wishing himself to do the impossible. Just then, red electricity started to build up around his toe pads, gaining a constant glow in a few seconds.

“No way he actually does this.” Rainbow said, munching on some swiss. “Hey Twi, 20 bits says he gets one.”

“40 says he can't.” Twilight retorted. 

“C'mon… come to papa…” As if the gods were puppeting the plate itself, one cookie began to quiver in place before levitating off the plate in a red glow.

Twilight's jaw dropped. She rubbed her eyes to be sure she was not seeing things. Everyone else looked in shock or wonder.

“Well Twily? A deal's a deal, right?” Rainbow said smugly.

Twilight didn't even look at her as she  handed the bits, gazing still at Fury's levitation technique.

“I did it… I actually did it!” Fury said excitedly.

“I knew I kissed you for a reason all those months ago…” Luna said softly.

“Oh good job honey, look at you being a big boy.” Black Ice cooed. “My sweet baby boy is now becoming big and strong!”

“Yes yes, thank you mom.” Fury moaned. He flicked his index claw in a ‘Come Here’ motion and the cookie swiftly flew into his waiting paw in which he ate it with.

“Yep, now I can just chillax without any hassle. I don't have to sacrifice the pleasure of cookies for the comfort of my couch now.” 

While the others looked upon him with wonder, the purple alicorn was still in shock at this new feat.

“But how? Levitation is something only certain races can learn! Like unicorns. I didn't think your type of energy could levitate. When did you realize you could do this?” Twilight asked.

“When I found out my Falcon talons could be used like boosters back during the Equestria Games, it got me thinking. If I can use my energy for propulsion, what's stopping me from using it for attraction? So, I took up some books on unicorn magic to see what was up. To say Pyro was confused to the point of speechlessness is an understatement. The books helped a little, but it was more help for those with a pinpoint of mana output rather than those with a core energy source like me.”

“So, I taught myself how to conjure up some electric field manipulation to use as a counter.” He explained. “I've been doing a few tests for a few days. I didn't tell you guys since this was all speculative and I didnt wanna give you false hopes. But looks like it all paid off in the end. Even if it did take a lot of energy out of me. And uh did make me fall unconscious for a few hours…” Fury admitted.

“What!?” 

“Eheh, call it a little miscalculation?” He said with a sheepish smile.

“You are a piece of work, sugar cube.” Applejack sighed. 

“Hey, it all worked out! I'm still here, alive and kickin’! Nothing to worry about.” Fury responded, crunching another cookie. “Especially with the treats offered to the ill.”

“It's great you did all that work. But next time you might want to tone down a bit.” Cadence said.

“Oh relax, I'll be okay. I haven't turned out like you yet, have I skellybones?” He smirked a cheeky smile.

“I guess your illness didn't affect your sense of humor.” Cadence replied, rolling her eyes.

“You'll find out his mouth is stronger than any of his other powers.” Obsidian wryly said.

“Hey, I wouldn't be an ambassador if I wasn't good with words.” Fury chuckled. Then, he felt a particular itch in his nose.

“Uh oh. Guys, got another one coming…”

Fury's parents along with the princesses knew immediately what would happen. “Everyone get down immediately!” 

“Wait what is happening, darlings?” Rarity asked.

“No time, just get down!” Cadence said, immediately bringing her behind the couch.

Fury's fur began to glow, his nose twitching in an odd fashion.

“Oh boy. Heh… Haaaah… Haaaah…”

“Everyone get the force field read-”

“HACHOOOOO!!!!!!!”

Once again the floor rumbled and roared with intensity. Everyone fell over except for the princesses who had braced themselves. Lightning zapped around the room with the speed of something unholy before it all came to a stop and Fury flopped over.

“Oh great, things just keep getting worse. Ugh, why does it have to be me? Why?” Fury said as he blew his nose into a napkin.

After some time of recovering, everyone finally got up.

“Fury, are you alright?” Twilight asked. “That one was more intense than the last one.”

“Yeah I'm fine.” He then coughed a lot before drinking water. “Well, I'm not dying at least.”

“Hey! That's no joke, that's brutal!” Bee said worried.

“What else can I say, Bee!? I'm sitting here with a puffy nose, disastrous lungs, my legs don't work and I can't think straight. This whole Sick Day Fun Day is being ruined by how different things are. I'm no kid anymore, I've got the power of gods. This just isn't the same and never will be. This whole plan was a bust, and it's my fault.” He said, giving a big sigh. “Something as simple as sitting on a couch is now something I gotta watch out for. That wasn't part of the contract.”

“Oh Fury, I understand how you feel.” Black Ice said. “But don't you worry you will be just fine. And maybe even gain some of the great new powers.”

“Yeah? Well now's not the time for that, I've got to worry about possibly sending cannonball sized holes through the walls. Oh what's the use, I'm not getting any better and my sneezes are more destructive than a flying boulder. What exactly can I do now, huh? It's not like I can somehow let it absorb into something else and let it dissolve!” Fury snorted with a mix of anger and surrender.

“Fury, I understand how you're feeling but we will get through this.” Twilight said. “We're here for you.”

“What’s this got to do with any of you? You didn't have to be here, you could have left me to deal with it myself and save the possibility of catching a stray bolt. Besides, I can't be doing this, I'm supposed to be the next generation of my species’ prosperity. What kind of leader asks for help with something he knows good and well doesn't need it?” 

“So you're saying you can weather this great illness all by yourself?” Rarity asked. “Darling, that sounds like quite a task to fight.”

“I don't know… I guess it's just more of my problems bubbling up. I always had a problem speaking up about anything that was bothering me for… obvious reasons.” He said while blowing a tissue. 

“Are you referring to how the village treated you before you went to Canterlot?” Luna asked her lover with sympathy.

“Yeah. I basically shut down any communication between anyone that I managed to gain the trust of or anyone that I already trusted. Amethyst was an immediate shut out for reasons I shouldn't have to explain, Jade is a good friend but I couldn't muster up anything, Silver was somewhat of a friend back then while she was trying to cheer me up but still didn't really get my problems. I figured it was for the best. Sensitivities are often ridiculed in public unless for a very specific reason, and that Cragodile fail wasn't one of them.” Fury explained. It was clear that he was not in as good of a mood as earlier, his memories flooding in from all angles.

“Fury… I'm sorry you didn't have people who truly understood you.” Luna said. “But I hope I, we, have shown you we understand you better. That all your problems and feelings we won't dismiss.”

“I appreciate it, but a little laughing isn't gonna stop me from being sick.” He sighed.

“But Fury-” Luna was about to say.

“Luna, I think Fury is tired at this point.” Celestia said. “Maybe he would rather be alone with his thoughts for now.”

“It's fine, she's just trying to help me. I know.” Fury said, breathing in before exhaling and leaning up against Twilight before curling up into himself, his tail wrapped around his almost circular body.

“You're still just like one of my mother’s old house cats, Lightning Bug.” Luna said giggling, but at that point he had fallen asleep against the purple alicorn.

“Y'know, do you think he does these things not because it's instinct, but as a comfort mechanism?” Twilight pondered aloud, taking the chance of lightly stroking Fury's back to give him some added ease.

Black Ice nodded. “We Shifters all have bad days. And I know we like to curl up to those close to us and understand us. Sometimes Fury's had to do it by himself back in the village but he has you ponies who understand him.”

“Mama’s right, the fuzzball has done it with me all the time when I was still a newbie to babysitting him.” Queen Bee added.

“I always found it interesting how he acts so much like his domesticated cousins. He knows he's as big as us and has cognitive thought, but he sometimes just… shuts off that part of him to return to those base instincts. Like he knows we understand he needs that feeling of blankness in his mind.” Twilight said.

“Maybe he knows we know he's been through a lot? That we wouldn't judge him if he just decided to curl up next to one of us and take a nap?” Fluttershy said, getting on Fury's opposite side.

“I'd have no judgment for him. Honestly, I may have a more refined palette and attitude, but he trusted us to know he's had a harsh past and he may just need to come to one of us, curl up and let us comfort him.” Rarity admitted, looking over and putting a hoof to her heart, almost like she felt his inner self crying out to her in his sleeping form. “I suppose it reminds me of Sweetie Belle, whenever she would have a nightmare and go to me for comfort at night.”

“Me too. I may be a party pony at heart, but every time I see him zipping around town, even when he's smiling his biggest, bestest smile… I still feel like he's hurting somewhere deep down. And that's not even talking about my Pinkie Sense.” She said in a sincere tone.

“Big Mac saw it in me when we lost our ma and pa. He let me lie by him when I was feeling down and even let me cry for hours. But I saw some tiny tears from him too.” Applejack said. “I guess having a family means you have someone to turn to in times of sadness.”

Everyone nodded to agree. They knew Fury's sorrow and trauma. He tried to seem not sad but he always had some of that in him.

“So, what do we do? We have to have a way to bring his spirits up and help him through his sick day.” Cadence spoke up.

“There must be some way to give him what he needs. I know these two had their definite ways to get back in the mood, but what about him?” Lauren chimed in.

“Well, if he gets sleep, then I bet he'll be happier already.” Rainbow said. “Nothing to cheer you up like a good snooze.”

“Of course you would say that, Miss Sleepy.” Applejack said snidely.

“Lauren's right, we have to figure out what he needs. Both for his past trauma and his sickness.” Twilight said. As that was said, Fury sleepily unraveled and stretched between Twilight's front legs, nuzzling up against her chest.

“Oh, it looks like Fury's into you. He always does this when he's having a nap. He'd always nuzzle up to my chest and listen to my heartbeat to soothe him. He always favored me over his father.”

“Which I still sulk over…” Obsidian huffed.

Black Ice giggled. “I guess he just liked my special touch. But he never did this with any other girl. I guess he fancies the sound of any heartbeat close by now.”

Twilight stared down at Fury's head, his calm demeanor not disturbing her fur in the slightest. She hesitantly moved one of her legs over his back and embraced him closer to her, almost like a snuggle. Sliding her hoof back and forth over his side, he purred quietly, filling the room with his noise. His electric glow started to expose itself too, a slight static charge encasing the tip of Twilight's hoof. An inviting sensation that caused her dopamine to rise. 

“He's… so comforting. Like a sensation of joy and calm all in one. It's like his inner self loves my presence and cherishes it like I'm a second mother to him. He really is acting like a house cat, just allowing me to get close and pet him to calm him down and give me some peace as well.” Twilight said quietly.

Everyone looked on with happiness that Fury seemed so content finally even if it was only in his slumber.

“So what will we do now that he's sleepin’ as hard as Rainbow after Cider Season?” Applejack asked.

“Let's give him some time to rest up. But I think I have an idea on how we can get him in a better mood.” Rarity said, a confident smile adorning her features.

–

A Few Minutes Later…

Fury still felt a little tired, his body a little woozy. He felt so comfortable after all. But he opened his eyes to see a small ray of sunshine, along with a blanket and pillows in replacement to where he had snuggled up next to Twilight. He then looked around quickly to see if anyone was still there.

“Twilight? Cadence? Moonpie? Mom? Anyone?” Fury called out to an empty room.

“Dang, I guess I got knocked out for a while.” Fury said. He still felt sick but not as potently now and most importantly he felt relaxed. “Kinda rude for the others to ditch me though.”

Fury, after a few minutes of fighting with his body and inner laziness, finally managed to get his paws on the ground and head out the door. He looked left and right, nothing but the guards next to the doors and others beyond.

“Hey, you two wouldn't know where the others have gone, do you?” He said, trying his best to sound professional with a slightly better but still stuffy nose.

“Unfortunately, I don't, your excellency. Her highness gave us orders to only guard this room and check in on you every half hour.” One of the guards said.

“Great, they ditched me and told everyone to keep it a secret. What a treat.” Fury said sarcastically. He sniffed as best he could with his nose and caught the scent of someone familiar.

“Well, at least my nose cleared up well enough for me to pick up Cadence scent. I'll find them that way.” Fury declared, walking away to find his friends. But out of his hearing, little did he know, something was happening behind his back.

“He's on the move. Send her highness the signal.” The pegasus mare guard said. The unicorn stallion to her left lit his horn and sent a ping of mental magic far out and fast.

Moving like a shockwave from a bomb, the signal carried on, invisible and inaudible to Fury as it bounced off the castle walls and sped through the passages to where eventually, the ping snuck through a set of double doors further into the castle and reached Celestia's horn.

Ding ding!

“There's the signal, he's on his way. Apparently he managed to use what little of his nose he could and snagged Cadance's scent.” Celestia chuckled.

“Well, isn't that convenient.” Luna huffed.

“Oh don't be so jealous, Auntie. You know he'll always love you and you only. Plus, he's still sick, cut him some slack.” Cadence giggled, eliciting a sarcastic snort from her elder aunt.

“Alright, that's our queue, when he comes in, get ready to give him a special surprise.” Twilight said.

“Are you sure this will work? What if he sees this and doesn't like it?” Black Ice mumbled with worry.

“Don’t worry, he'll love it. This isn't just some party we're throwing, it's a gift to show him we're here, we all love him, and we care for him. It'll be alright, Icey.” Obsidian said, hugging his wife.

“I still can't believe Rarity’s the one who came up with this in the first place. I mean, you had some strong opinions about him when he first showed up and weren't shy about expressing ‘em.” Rainbow said.

“Only out of love, darling. Only out of love. Nothing different. Just a different situation. In this case to delight, not to give unnecessary critique.” 

“Let's hope he gets here soon, he'll really want to see this.” Fluttershy spoke as they continued to set up for his arrival.

–

Later on…

Fury strode through the castle with a strange sensation that something was amiss. Did he miss something? Was someone else having a sick day worse than his? Did he cause it!?

Wait. No no, calm down, no one is sick because of you. Jeez, I've seriously got to get some help about self doubt and constantly passing blame. Cadence knows about love, maybe she can teach me about self love?

He continued to ponder over what he could do to improve himself for the better while also following the love princess’ scent. It was strange to him how Cadence of all ponies was the easiest to track for him. She never wore cologne or anything special, she gave that up after she got married to preserve her ideals of having an ‘All Natural Marriage’ as she put it.

He couldn't be attracted to her more than Luna, could he? If he wasn't thinking it, he had no doubt his Moonpie was making assumptions. This made him chuckle as he continued his journey through the castle.

The trek wouldn't last much longer as the scent he was following eventually came to a set of guarded double doors.

“Hey, can I come in? I think I finally found the princess that I've been thinking about for too long.” Fury said finally wanting to get things settled with her and the others.

The guards looked to each other, and to the door and nodded. “Very well, Fury. You may come in.” 

What Fury didn't realize was that their gaze at the door was another secret signal to those inside the room. The trap was set. Everyone was prepared for him.

The guards let Fury through and he opened the doors into a room seemingly empty. All he noticed was a nicely decorated dining room with tapestries and curtains.

“Is my nose still playing tricks on me?” Fury asked himself. “I could have sworn Cadence's scent was right here.”

Then right out of nowhere, the room burst with the sounds of pops and trumpets. 

“Huh, who's there?” Fury asked. 

“Why it's none other than… your friends!” Everyone suddenly jumped out of the curtains and revealed the special surprise for him as they uncovered the table.

“Surprise!”

“Holy Toledo!” Fury cried out.

“Turn that frown upside down as you behold the Table of Delights!” Pinkie proclaimed.

On the table was some smoked salmon, chicken nuggets, and a large assortment of cheeses.

Fury was already impressed by these unusual cuisines from ponies.

“How did you guys get your hooves on all of this!? Seriously, I'd have expected Rarity to come out of hiding looking greener than moss.” Fury laughed.

“I can be tougher you think, darling.” Rarity responded. “But to answer your question, I worked together with your parents to arrange a feast. With my fine dining skills along with your mother's special knowledge of your tastes, we were able to make something you would like. Which is why it seems so finely prepared for I acted cooly there in the face of danger.” Rarity replied.

“Cooly? Yeah right. More like resisting vomiting at the meat.” Rainbow snidely said. “And making those silly faces seeing all that fish.”

“Rainbow!” Rarity whined, her aura of calm shattered.

“Hah! What a sight, the fashionista tossing her lunch at mine! That's one for the record books! Spike owes me 40 bits!” Fury laughed harder.

“Alright. Alright.” Obsidian said. “But despite all that being true, she did manage to plan a good feast. And we made sure that you, even if you're sick, can get the most out of today.”

“So this is what you jokers were planning behind my back. What a slick move.” Fury huffed in a slight sense of impressed.

“Yep. We figured it would be one thing to just awkwardly ask how your sleep was or if you dreamed anything.” Celestia said. “Or we could give you a banquet fitting of an ambassador.”

“Hey, don't forget I'm an All Powerful too!” Fury said confidently. “Man, that feels a lot better to say now that I've actually embraced it rather than trying to stay humble. You were right, Cadence. I was being too humble for my own good.”

“Now you're getting it! Seriously, you are greater than you think. You've helped my aunt and you've saved the Crystal Empire. And you even made my wedding fun with your uh… cake shenanigans.” Cadence said winning some laughs in the room. “But the point is we're all proud of you.”

Everyone nodded to that.

“Thanks guys, I appreciate the sentiment. It feels good to know all my friends care for me.” Fury said. Then, everyone gasped.

“Hey, Fury, your voice! It isn't nasally anymore!” Rainbow Dash said.

“And your nose isn't red either!” Pinkie added.

“Wait, really? Rarity, mirror me!” Fury said.

“There you go.” The unicorn levitated her mirror to him.

Fury opened the pocket mirror and to his surprise, he looked a lot better. “Well what do you know? It's cleared out! What the heck just happened?” Fury asked.

“Perhaps it's that sense of freedom.” Obsidian said. “Freedom from bitterness or feelings of inadequacy. When you realized everyone truly appreciated all there was, your stress based sickness cured itself.”

“Or… it could be from my sweet honey scented aerosol that I sprayed around to clear up his mucus. But thanks for the poetic input, pops.” Queen Bee said, standing next to Fury and letting him have a sniff.

“Oh. Of course.” Obsidian said, not used to being wrong about his observations.

Fury kept on sniffing the aerosol. “Wow, I never knew honey could make life so much easier. I guess it’s the sweet things in life that are worthwhile.”

“And you're the sweet thing that makes all of our lives worthwhile, fuzzball.” Queenie said, nuzzling him.

“Aww, thanks Bee. But what are we doing standing around for? C'mon, I'm ready to chow down.” Fury said just as a loud growl filled the room.

“Heh, sounds like it too.” Cadence giggled.

“Agreed! Let us be merry and eat!” Celestia said.

“Alright as long as I have my cucumber sandwiches and no fish of course.” Rarity said, still a little put off.

“Hey pass the crystal salt, Queenie!” Fury said. And from then on, the group treated themselves to a nice feast. The now healthy All Powerful was happy that his friends took the time to care for him, he had no idea such a thing existed outside of parents doing it. But regardless of who or what cared for him, all he cared about was being better and getting back to living life to the max.
> Chapter 50: A Sweet Set Of Twins
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Come on, we're gonna miss it!” Twilight called. 

It had been a week since the little sick Day fiasco Fury went through and things had changed in Ponyville while he was gone. Black Ice was considering opening a restaurant for her recipes, Obsidian was looking to be the first Speed Shifter to join the Crystal Guard, Pyro was getting better at socializing, and most importantly… Mr and Mrs Cake had become parents.

Following behind the purple alicorn were her fellow royals and Night Fury himself, racing through town to get to the Ponyville clinic. 

“Holy smokes, this is crazy! Since when was Mrs Cake pregnant?” Fury asked.

“I don't know. We've had our own issues to deal with after all.” Cadence said. “But that doesn't matter. What matters is we're gonna finally see these two sweet babies!”

“She doesn't have issues, Cadence. She just wanted to keep the pregnancy a secret.” Twilight corrected her foalsitter. “She never wanted to make much of a fuss about it. To be honest, she never really wants to make a fuss about anything.”

“It is truly a blessing to bring not one, but two new lives into this world. The Cakes must be proud of themselves.” Celestia said.

“Mrs Cake especially. I may not be a doctor, but I know enough about due dates that she must have been fighting for her life to deliver those two. Yeesh.” Fury huffed, skidding around a turn with trained skill.

“True. Pinkie has been determined to be a major help to these two while they are going through this ordeal. So at least they have someone on their side.” Twilight said.

“No doubt she'd be elated to have two new faces to treat to her signature practical jokes and parties.” Luna spoke up.

“And we won't have to wait much longer to see ‘em. Clinic on the horizon, ladies!”

Fury and the others rushed through the dirt causing a small dust cloud. They burst in through the doors of the hospital. 

After telling the receptionist pony about who they were in a very quick and rushed way, they finally were allowed in. They walked this time but quickly still to get to the room the babies were in. Opening the double doors, the rest of the Mane Six, Spike, Fury's parents and even Pyro were there to see the new twins.

“Phew! Sorry we're late guys, got a little turned around at City Hall.” Fury said, hugging his parents before turning to his housemate. “Pyro, you're here too?” 

“Well, of course. I may still be new to pony culture, but child birth is a custom I believe we both can agree on.” Pyro said, getting a smile from Fury.

“Glad to see you're getting used to living here. Now, onto the big stuff. Where are these pint sized twins?”

A pink leg grabbed his lower jaw and turned him toward the glass. “You can see the cuties right there! Look just over there!”

“Uh Pinkie, there are a lot of babies in that direction.” Fury said.

“Oh yeah. Um…”

“Wait, got 'em! Side by side, second row, right in the middle!” Everyone turned to where Fury described and they saw two little babies swaddled in blankets.

“Both together, the only twins where Pinkie is pointing too. Very observant of you, Fury.” Celestia complimented.

“Dad didn't pass down his sharp eyes when I was born just for show.” He said.

“You got that right, champ.” Obsidian added. Just then, Mr Cake walked in behind the babies.

“Well, here they are. Everypony, I'd like you to meet our son, Pound Cake…” He pulled the blanket slightly down to reveal a small pegasus colt with curly brown hair and cream colored fur.

“And our daughter, Pumpkin Cake.” The other was a unicorn filly with more yellowish fur like her father, but bright orange hair like a ripe pumpkin.

“Awwww!” 

The father was proud and could hardly resist tearing up at his offspring. “They look so amazing, these fine little foals. Look at their little fur, their horn, their wings and…”

“Wait, a horn and wings?” Fury asked. “But doesn't that make them a pegasus and a unicorn?!”

“Oh that's easy. My Great Great Great Great Grandfather was a unicorn. And Cupcakes’ Great Aunt, Second Cousin, Twice Removed was a pegasus. That makes sense, right?” Carrot Cake said.

“Huh. Genetics are a weird thing. But forget that, look at how cute these two look!”

Fury in his life had seen many ponies even as children. But he almost never saw newborns up close. It was almost like seeing a new species for him.

“What up, speedster? You look starstruck.” Rainbow asked.

“It's just… I've never really seen newborn foals up close. They're so much… bigger than I imagined.” He said.

“Really? How small are newborn Speed Shifters?” Twilight asked.

“Well, it's a little complicated. Usually, we're born in litters like normal cats. Six, seven, eight kittens each. Anything below five is unusual and anything below three is a miracle. So most newborns are barely the size of a mother's front leg.” Fury explained.

“And let me guess, you were one of these single born miracles?” Rarity jumped in.

“He was for sure.” Black Ice spoke up. “You wouldn't believe the pain I felt giving birth to him. Of course all mothers struggle with giving birth. But for me it felt like there was also explosive energy going through my veins. I felt like I was being struck by lightning. And from it all came one offspring. I couldn't have any more and I later on realized it had to do with him being an All Powerful.”

“Well, isn't that a coincidence.” Luna chuckled.

“Heh, I'm just that good.” Fury scoffed cockily, rubbing his claws on his chest and checking the shine.

“As cocky as always.” Cadence giggled. “Oh, look at those cute little pacifiers they have. And those adorable blankets. I might just have to come out of retirement for these two.”

“Oh I'm sure you'll have your own foals to deal with soon, Your Highness.” Obsidian said. “Let me tell you, even one baby is not easy to deal with.”

“That’s quite an understatement.” Black Ice agreed with her husband. “You should just admire them because when you become a parent, well it's harder than fighting a Cragodile.”

“Oh come on, I wasn't that bad.”

…

“Was I?” Fury whispered.

“Do birds sing to attract mates? Do clouds indicate a storm? Does a certain son of mine have the traits of lightning?” Obsidian asked, gazing into his son's eyes.

“Alright alright, I get it! I was a bit of a pawful, no need to rub it in.” Fury huffed, his ears flopping to the sides of his head. 

“Yes, dear, you were a pawful even when you were in my stomach. But I knew even then there was something extraordinary about this baby. And when you finally came out into the world, I could tell something truly remarkable began. You, my boy, did not prove me wrong there.”

“Okay, you win the emotional battle. I concede.” Fury said, hugging his mother.

“Thank you, sweetheart. But that parenting advice goes for you too, Mr Cake. I've heard that pegasus foals can be a bit much.”

“And watch out for Pumpkin Cake too…” Twilight said.

“Unicorn foals can have random magic surges at any time.” Rarity finished.

“Good to know. Now, to get to the point. Princess Cadence, Night Fury, I need to ask a favor from you.”

“Fire away, Mr Cake.” Fury responded. 

“I'll be here with Cupcake while she recovers from the delivery, but the twins are good to go. Could you help us out by babysitting them until tomorrow? Cupcake will have been cleared to be released by then.”

Fury had to admit, he had no experience with babies himself. Maybe foals to play games with but never infants. But he was curious to see what they would be like to care for them. And besides he didn't have anything else to do today.

As for Cadence, her enthusiasm was even greater and she didn't even think before violently nodding.

“Well, looks like you're gonna get your chance to come out of retirement, Cady.”

“And you, ambassador, are going to be assigned a task far tougher than yaks or dragons. Meeting with a little infant.” Cadence shot back.

“Oh boy, here we go. Wish me luck everyone. If I'm not back by tomorrow, just know that the baby food was too much.” Fury said jokingly.

“I'll make sure we have a pacifier engraved onto your stone.” Luna giggled as the two set off on their Babysitter adventure.

–

A Few Minutes Later…

Cadence and Fury soon exited the clinic with all they needed. Instructions for what to do in case of emergency, a baby bag full of diapers, baby powder, formula and much more for on the go feeding and changing, a list of everything the Cakes had stashed at Sugarcube Corner for when they got there, and to top it all off, the newborn twins being wheeled along in their specially made double stroller. 

“Okay, taking care of two baby twins. Shouldn't be too hard.” Fury said, but Cadence thought otherwise.

“I wouldn't be so easy going. Taking care of a baby, let alone twins is a heavy task on its own. It's not like they just have wind-up keys on the back to turn and wait till they run out, you have to truly care and entertain them. But don't worry, you have a renowned foalsitter on your side, so I'll be here to help.” She boasted.

“Well, let's hope you're not too far out of practice. I may not know a lot about foalsitting myself, but I know that after a few years of not being on the ball, it can just slip out from under ya without any warnings signs.” The black cat retorted. Cadence had to admit it had been a good few years since she was a teenager looking after babies and little kids. Her Aunt Luna wasn't even close to coming back from her moon imprisonment when she started with Twilight.

Even so, she kept her head high. “I'm sure I'll get back into the rhythm by the time we settle in. It'll just take some muscle memory to get myself on track. All aboard the Cadence Express, woo woo!”

Fury just started laughing. “You are just as goofy as I am, you know that?”

“It helps in taking care of babies and kids, after all.” Cadence said as they both sped up slightly.

So far the babies were sleeping contently. It was good that the babies had nice cushions to keep them comfortable.

They finally reached Sugarcube Corner and went inside.

“Heh, maybe this won't be so bad after all. These babies seem to be asleep longer than the ones I took care of before.” Cadence said. “I guess we'll just take them and put them to bed.”

“Oh no no, Cadence don't-” Just that second, the drama started.

Waaaaaaah Waaaaaaah!

“Jinx it…” Fury moaned.

They were now in the hallway of the house and the babies’ room was just ahead.

“Oops. Well, so much for my slight hope.” Cadence said. She then looked to the babies. “There there dearies, you'll be fine. Just wait a moment and you'll be cozy in your beds-”

As she was approaching the room, Cadence felt a magic force envelop her and then pushed her to the other side of the hallway until…

BAM!

She rammed into the wall causing great pain in her body.

“Ow…” She whimpered.

“Looks like Pumpkin is having her first magic flare. You sent Cady flying, didn't you? Yes you did.” Fury cooed, nuzzling the now giggling unicorn foal.

“Good to see you two are getting along. Ugh, that's gonna sting for days.” The pink princess soon established herself and opened the door to the baby room. Inside the room, the walls were painted a light blue, two cribs sitting side by side along the back wall and plushies sitting on top of a dresser.

“Wow, the Cakes went all out with the baby prep. Gotta give it to ‘em, they've got class.” Fury said, placing Pumpkin and Pound Cake down.

“Okay you two, we're home. You okay now?” Fury asked, sounding hopeful. His wishes were soon mocked by the universe as the twins immediately started wailing again.

“Guess not.” He snorted. “Gee and I thought I was their favorite for a moment.”

As if to pour more salt in his wounds, Pound Cake decided to free himself from Fury's grasp and do some flying.

“Oh you've got to be kidding me! He's already flying!?” Fury was in disbelief. Shifter cubs were never this troublesome, they couldn't even cry for the first few months after birth.

“Cadence, could use some foalsitting rescue over here!” 

“On it!” Cadence flapped her wings to fly to Pound Cake. The little pegasus seemed to be quite amused at this and decided to fly away from her like a game of tag. 

“Come here, you little munchkin!” Cadence said with desperation as the pegasus kept evading her.

“I think I've almost got him…” Fury twitched his hind legs and bounces up to finally catch Pound Cake. “Gotcha!” 

“Nice catch.” Cadence said, hovering down to the floor. Fury sat Pound Cake down again and joined Cadence to sit in front of the twins.

“Okay, so… what's next?” Fury asked.

“We introduce ourselves.” Cadence answered. Fury's ears went crooked and his eyebrows quirked.

“Uh… you sure these squishy babies can even understand us?” Fury said a bit skeptically.

“First of all, rude. Second, of course they can! We just have to get on their level. Watch.” Cadence bent down to eye level with Pumpkin and started to speak.

“Hello Pumpkin, I'm Cadence. I'm really happy to meet you.”

“Guh?” The unicorn baby looked at her with confusion.

“And this is my friendly but sometimes naughty assistant Night Fury. Together we're here to have fun with you two.”

“Ah had to throw in some shade huh?” Fury said with his tongue out. “Eh, anyways kids, we're gonna have a whole bunch of fun. And the funnest thing to do would be to start by closing your eyes and going to a far away land.” Fury said, wanting in reality for them to fall asleep like the instructions told them.

“Oh come on, Fury. You should know just as well as I do that it isn't that easy. We have to wear them out first, get their energy spent.” Cadence whispered. Fury understood and began brainstorming what to do. Then, an idea bubbled to the surface.

“I've got an idea.” He whispered back, turning to the twins. “Okay you two, we're gonna play a game called Hide and Seek. One of us counts to ten while the rest of us find a place to hide. Sound fun?”

The two twins babbled with glee.

“Perfect! Now, we just have to pick who's it. Watch me.” Fury covered his eyes with his ears and began to recite an old rhyme.

“Eenie Meenie Minie Mo, Catch a Cat By His Toe. If He Hisses, Let him Go. Eenie Meenie Minie Mo.”

Fury's finger pointed to himself. 

“Okay, so now I'm gonna count and you three are gonna hide.” Fury said, scooting the others outside the room. “Okay, here we go.”

“1… 2… 3…” 

“C'mon you two, we've gotta hide!” Cadence said, hurrying the twins along.

“4… 5… 6…”

Each of them tried every spot they could, squeezing into hiding spaces they were confident in.

“7… 8… 9… 10!” Fury opened his eyes. “Ready or not, here I come!” He loudly and proudly proclaimed. 

Quietly slinking his way out of the baby room, he snuck down the stairs. Coming down to the front counter, he looked around for any signs of the hiders. The treat case was clear, none of the tables had anyone hiding under them and even the little pockets in dark areas were empty. This made Fury impressed. For a couple of babies, they sure knew how to hide away.

He then went to the kitchen and searched through it. Each and every curtain was drawn closed to reduce light and even the indoor lights were off. But that didn't stop him as he used his hearing to try and pinpoint the slightest sound.

Luckily for him, his ears were tickled by the sound of a loose cupboard door at his paws. He slowly bent down to the cupboard, grabbed the handle and pulled quickly.

“Gotcha!” Fury was greeted with the small yellow face of Pumpkin Cake. She babbled and laughed as she was picked up and placed on his back.

“Nice hiding spot, Pumpkin. Pretty sneaky. Now, let's go find your brother.” Fury said as he continued on into the dining area where a modest table for now four with two high chairs was set. Looking around, once again, nothing immediately stuck out to Fury's eyes. Walking around, he noticed a few drapes along the windows were drawn closed. 

“Hmmm, maybe your brother is behind one of these curtains. What do you think?” Pumpkin giggled and clapped her hooves in agreement. Fury then proceeded to walk over to the first window and draw the curtains back, revealing that nothing was there.

Then came the second set of curtains. Same result. Fury decided to take a peek under the third one and found nothing at all.

“Wow, not going for the curtains? I used to do that trick all the time as a cub.” Fury said to himself as we walked near the stairs that lead back up to the second floor. Just as his paw raised to take the first step, he heard something move behind him. Turning around, his eyes saw nothing, an empty delivery box and a vase being the only objects there.

While he would have turned back around to head upstairs, Pumpkin got his attention.

“Huh, what is it, Pumpkin? You see something?” Fury asked. Pumpkin pointed her head towards the vase on the floor, eliciting a raised eyebrow from the Speed Shifters.

He went over to the vase and inspected it from the outside. Nothing was truly out of place from where he was looking, that is until the vase rattled a bit in front of him. He stepped back a bit in surprise and leaned in to see inside. To his shock, Pound Cake had squeezed his way into the vase and was sitting in it with no issue.

“Clever little spy, aren't you?” Fury said, quite amused. It brought him back to his days of hiding from my mom and his babysitter. He snickered at the memory.

“Well sorry buddy, but I gotta get you out of there.” Fury said, trying to place his paws around the little foal. But Pound Cake was a bit of a sore loser for a baby as he squirmed out of his reach.

“Come on, Pound Cake, you know you're caught. Just let me grab ya…?” Eventually, Fury grabbed Pound Cake and placed him next to his sister, getting a whimper in return.

“Oh, don't be so grumpy. You did good for your first time. Now we have the last of the bunch to find, the pink prize.” Fury said, taking the stairs back up to the second floor.

Walking down the hallway from the opposite side, he looked for anything related to Cadence's position for help. Luckily, he saw the guest bedroom door open slightly.

“Well well well, looks like we have our clue.” He and the twins went inside to be met with a seemingly empty room, a queen sized bed against the back wall with windows on either side and a closet to the left. Everything looked regular and untouched, suspiciously regular and untouched.

“Now that's new. Nothing out of place at all, the windows are fine, sheets tucked and straight, closet closed. She's good…” Fury said initially. But then he saw something under the bed. A strand of multicolored hair that seemed to be moving slightly.

Fury smiled and looked at the twins on his back. “Hey guys, you wanna cause some trouble?” He whispered deviously.

“Gahhh?” The twins uttered. 

The young Shifter had a naughty smile as he pointed to the hair. “See that, oh would you like to play with that? Oh I bet you would!” He said carrying them and placing them near the target location. 

Pound and Pumpkin tugged lightly on the hair. It seemed much to their liking so they pulled harder. 

“Eeep!” A certain soft sound appeared.

Oh this is gonna be good. The shifter mused eager to see how this chaos would unfold.

The babies were now even more fascinated. They were ready to really have fun now. They decided to work together, Pumpkin Cake still tugging on the hair while Pound Cake went under to investigate the squeak.

“Abah?” Pumpkin saw something interesting. “Gahhh!!!” The little unicorn decided to go into the blanket. Fury could hear even more tugging.

“Eeeee… eeeeee…. Ow ow ow! Stop it!! Come on! Give your babysitter a break, will you?!” Just in that moment, Cadence came out from her hiding spot with Pound Cake on her back and Pumpkin hanging by her hair. 

“Dahahahahahaha! The twins gotcha now!” Fury laughed. Cadence however, wasn't amused.

“It's not funny! Now I've got baby slobber in my once nicely kept mane! What's funny about that?” She huffed, sitting down and crossing her forelegs with a pouty face.

“In and of itself, not too funny. But since you’re all uppity and moaning about it, that's comedy gold. These kids already know the key to humor.” Fury said while resisting laughing at his fellow caretaker's suffering. But Cadence didn't respond and stayed pouty and turned away from him.

Fury then understood that this was more than just a joke. He looked to the twins and saw even they looked guilty. He wanted to apologize for the joke, but then he thought of a different way to do so.

“Okay kids, I'm gonna teach you a valuable lesson about cheering your friends up. Whenever you pull a prank or joke on someone, they may not see it as funny sometimes. So the way you get them to be happy again is to cheer them up. Everyone has their ways to cheer their friends up, and this is mine.”

Fury scooted over to Cadence and gave her a hug from behind, nuzzling into her fur.

“A hug isn't an apology, smarty pants.” The pink alicorn snorted. Fury shot a glance at the observant babies and winked. Just then, his paws began to move lower down to Cadence's belly.

“Oh I know, I'll just do that right about… Surprise!” Fury said as he began tickling Cadence.

“Whoa whoa what the heh heh heh heck?! Heh heh heh heh heh!!!”

“Oh just a little gift of happiness, Cady. We could all use a good laugh from time to time. I had mine and now it's your turn!” Fury said gleefully.

The babies were also laughing along at the sight and unlike Cadence, intentionally.

“Hey Pound, Pumpkin, you wanna get in on this!?” Fury asked them.

“Gahhhh!!!” The twins excitedly complied, deciding to mimic Fury's tickling of their victim.

“Nahahahahahahaha! No more!” Cadence declared, using a burst of magic to gently but quickly get them off of her. Pound and Pumpkin Cake were now on either side of Night Fury and were all staring at Cadence who turned to them.

“So this is the game you wanna play, huh? Okay… you've rang the gong of war now...” Cadence said darkly with a smile.

“A… Tickle War!” Cadence quickly went on the attack and targeted the one who started it all.

“I've got you now! Your ticklish tummy is mine!”

“No, not me! Not again! It's no fun now! Ha ha ha ha ha!” Fury said in agony. He turned his face desperately to his accomplices. “Guys, help me! Help your ha ha friend!”

The babies smiled and eagerly went close but not to Cadence as he had hoped but to Fury's paws.

“No! Ha, ha, ha, the Ambassador's been betrayed ha ha ha!” 

Fury could now see a genuine glee in Cadence's face. A sadistic almost blood thirsty face. The Shifter knew he was helpless with not just her as usual, but with two naughty and playful babies even by usual baby standards.

“Cadence I can handle you tickling me kind of! But these babies are crazy and all slobbery! You've gotta call a ceasefire with them! They're too much!” Fury begged.

“Okay okay, we'll call it off. Come on guys, we’ll show him mercy.” Cadence said, using her magic to pull the twins off of him and remove herself from her position over him.

“Oh boy… Phew, that was intense!” Fury gasped.

“That's what you get for your sneaky tummy tickles on me!” Cadence shot back.

“Okay okay, you've got me. Heh, I couldn't resist it.” Fury said. Just then, an almost animalistic roar filled the room. Cadence squeaked in surprise while the twins covered behind her.

“Fury… I don't know what that was, but it didn't sound friendly.” Cadence said, looking around the room before another, louder roar rang out.

“Eeek! Something wild is in here! And I don't know what it is!” Cadence whimpered. Then, her intuition kicked in. “Wait… if it was so loud, that would mean it's in the room. And no wild animals would fit in here.”

Then she finally figured it out, giggling to herself as she looked over to see Fury blushing. “Fury… i-is that your…”

“Ehehe… Yeah.” Fury said as it roared again. 

“Well, I've heard Sombra's monstrous voice but even that doesn't compare to your stomach! You must be really hungry then!” Cadence commented.

“Totally! Besides, it's almost noon so the twins are due for some nom noms themselves. Right guys?” Fury's question was answered clearly and the twins' tummies responded in a similar way.

“Well, I guess you three are due for some lunch. I'm sure there's something for you downstairs.” Cadence said, now getting signals from her own stomach.

“Heh, I guess we're all hungry now. C'mon, let's see what we've got to munch on.” Fury proposed, getting a unanimous vote from everyone else as they went into the kitchen to find their food.

–

Later on…

“Okay, the note from the Cakes says that they have a few cases of food in the fridge for the twins. We have to drop the packs of food into the water and let them cook. And we have to make sure they're only lukewarm once they're out of the water. I'm pretty sure it's triple underlined, circled and in all capitals for a reason.” Fury chuckled.

“As expected. No new parent is ever easy going when it comes to feeding their kids. Every parent I've met has gotten very high strung even after their kid hits double digits. All there is to do is get this food ready, then feed ourselves.” 

Fury himself was unfamiliar with making this mix. He was thankful to have Cadence along to provide some help. 

“I bet you had to take care of babies too.” Fury said. “It must have been hard to get them to eat.”

“Yep. You got that right. But you get used to it.” Cadence said as the two mixed the solution around.

“Okay, let's heat things up.” Fury said, but instead of using his powers, he did the unthinkable. Using the slower stove top to boil the water.

“Interesting, you're not using your powers.” Cadence said.

“Yeah, I still haven't completely recovered from my sickness. I want to have a good mind to control my powers with something as delicate as cooking. So might as well try the ethical and delicate route. Yuck, I'm starting to sound like mom.” Fury gagged, making Cadence giggle a bit.

“Well don't worry, it'll only take a minute or two for them to get to optimal temperature. In the meantime, how about you find something for us to nibble on?”

“Now you're talking!” Fury immediately went searching for something for them to eat in the fridge. But what he found was disappointing and frightening.

“Uh Cadence… you know how you said parents can get a bit high strung about feeding their kids?” Fury asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“Well… uh… the Cakes got so high strung that they packed the fridge with baby food.” Fury said. Cadence initially was caught off guard by that notion, but wasn't too overwhelmed.

“Well, of course there's going to be a bit of an imbalance from regular food to baby food. It's just natural to-”

“No, it's not that. What I mean by that is that they literally packed the fridge with baby food. Take a look.”

Cadence looked in and saw how every level was packed with baby food. All of it with packets with sentimental art of foals playing with their mothers. They couldn't see one speck of adult food.

“Oh dear. It appears we've been given the unlucky roll with the over prepped parents. I don't think there's a single bit of food for us in here.” Cadence said.

“Nothing in the freezer either.” Fury added. “Well, looks like we'll have to go a different route. Order in?”

“Sounds good to me. I'll keep watch over the twins, you go find us something to eat. There should be a magazine with tons of restaurants that do delivery.” Fury let off a stern salute before he walked off to look for those ads. Meanwhile, Cadence took the two packs of food out of the water and cut the heat. Pouring them into two respective bowls, she pressed her hoof against each of them to test the temperature. She deemed it sufficient and walked over to the twins in their high chairs.

“Alright, kids, it's time for munching time!” She said to the foals she had previously placed in baby chairs.

She looked at Pumpkin first. “Here comes the choo choo train. Chugga chugga choo choo! Chugga chugga choo choo!”

She successfully inserted the spoon into Pumpkin who seemed to be in a pretty good mood. This gave Cadence relief that she didn't take to it unkindly like some would.

“Now it's your turn, Poundie. You get the train now. Chugga chugga choo choo! Chugga chugga choo choo!”

Pound Cake seemed less enthusiastic about the food and looked at the spoon with hostility before slapping it away angrily.

“Hey, now! Don’t be so mad, it was friendly.” 

Pound Pumpkin simply looked away angrily.

“So much for it being easier.”

Just then, Fury walked in with a magazine coiled in his tail.

“One of the twins getting picky?” Fury asked.

“Unfortunately. Pound Cake isn't too happy with the mush.” Cadence sighed.

“Maybe it's down to how you introduce it to him. I mean, the whole ‘Here comes the choo choo train’ shtick is super generic. Here, let me try.” Fury picked up the spoon and presented it to Pound Cake.

“Hey big guy, you see this? Cadence might have said it was a train, but look… I think it's a spaceship! Pew pew pew!”

Pound Cake seemed more interesting. He liked the sounds of shooting from Fury. He looked on with amusement and giggles. He tried to bite the spoon but Fury kept on having it fly, teasing the baby.

“Oh here it comes flying high and low! Avoiding the Shadow Shifter pilots!”

“Gahhh!!!” Pound yelled wanting it badly.

“There we go. That's more like it.” He finally gave him the food to which Pound finally showed satisfaction and happiness.

“What was wrong with my method?” Cadence asked.

“Normal civilian day to day life can be boring. But adding space? Conflict? Anticipation? You can't resist that!” Fury said. 

“I guess you and Pound have something in common.”

“Heh, I guess we do.” Fury said. “A love of action, I can already tell by his name. I bet you'll do some cool action when you're older.”

“Oh, that reminds me! I found something for us! Check it!” Fury unfurled the magazine in his tail to reveal a special deal. Two for the price of one large pizza from Peppino's Pizza Planet.

“Peppino's? It's been too long since I had one. All the work has made me forget. I could go for a nice hot slice with some marinara and some cheese!” Cadence said, her mouth watering at the sight of pizza.

“I knew I was right on the money. I guess I don't need to ask you if you want to come then.” Fury said.

“No need. We can send a scroll. It wouldn't exactly be a delivery option if you went to place the order and walked back just to wait.” Cadence giggled.

“Yeah, good point.” Fury said with a deep breath. “We wanna keep these babies in the house after all. Don't want them to get too curious about the outside world yet.”

“Also a good point.” Cadence replied. “Now, all we have to do is write what we want onto a scroll and I can send it to the pizza place for them to make.”

Fury and Cadence got a piece of paper and quickly wrote on it. They were eagerly writing while examining the mouth watering names of all the breadsticks, sauces and types of pizzas.

Cadence swiftly went down, almost tripping to get the list into the mailbox, ready for delivery.

“Ooh man, I can't wait for them to get here! If I wait any longer, I think I might just go feral.”

“Yeah agreed!” Cadence said followed by her own stomach grumbling. “The sooner the better. By the way, are the babies still nice and calm?”

“Yeah, so far. The babies are luckily distracted for now by the blocks now.” He said pointing to the children.

The princess was satisfied so far. Maybe babysitting again was not as hard to come back to as she thought. Besides, the babies looked cute especially stacking blocks on one another.

“Awww, look at you cuties. Just playing and having fun.” Cadence said.

But right on cue, Pound Cake pushed one of the blocks. This caused Pumpkin to start to tear up. 

“Wahhhh!!!”

“Having fun, huh?” Fury said sarcastically.

“Oh by my aunt's name… Come on sweetie! Everything will be okay.” Cadence said, going to pick up Pumpkin. Fury went to Pound Cake and picked him up.

“Pound Cake, it isn't nice to wreck something your friends and family do. How would you feel if your tower got knocked down by your sister?” Fury said sternly. Pound Cake looked over to her whimpering sister in Cadence's foreleg and changed his attitude almost immediately. 

The pegasus colt walked to his crying sister and put arm around her. She still seemed sad. But she eventually smiled and hugged him. It seems they made up.

“Well, I guess that's one job of being an ambassador is.” Fury said with a chuckle. “Not bad for a rookie babysitter, huh, Cady?”

“Not bad. Not bad at all.” Cadence said with an impressed smirk. Just then, a tiny set of yawns drifted out from the twins’ muzzles.

“Awww, you two are tired already?” Fury asked. Pumpkin answered for both of them with a nod.

“You must have had a big day today. Now let's get you two to bed.” Cadence said, levitating the twins onto her back. Fury looked at the clock nearby and saw it was only 4:00 in the afternoon.

Wow, only 4 o'clock? When I was a kid, I'd be staying up till near midnight with Mom and dad, sometimes even 2 am! Huh, I guess that's another difference my baby years and ponies’ baby years have.

Fury said to himself as he followed Cadence back up to the baby room. Placing each of the babies in their respective cribs, she sat in front of them and gave a soft smile.

“Alright, sweeties, it's time for none other than a little song.” Cadence said. 

Oh, a lullabye. I wonder what Cady will sing. Let’s hope she’s better at it than my dad's attempts at it. Good grief, who knew a feline with a voice as deep as his was able to crack glass.

Cadence put them in their cribs. She took out an ornament from her bag, it looked like a snow globe. She twisted the bottom of it and it played a soft tune.

🎵Hush now, quiet now rest your sleepy eyes🎵

🎵It's time to lay your sleepy heads🎵

🎵It's time to go to bed🎵

Cadence's soothing voice put them at rest and thus their eyes closed.

“Wow, I guess you really do have a way with words. You literally are about to put babies to sleep.” 

“Well, I do have a way to soothe ponies with my words. It's no big thing.” She said, a split of confidence tracing her voice patterns.

Before Night Fury could come up with a snippy response, a distant knock came from downstairs. Cadence and Fury's eyes lit up like fireworks as their minds immediately knew who was there.

“The chosen one has come…” Fury said, “I can already smell it!” 

They both ran and flew to the front door. And quickly opened it. There they saw a box of pizza with a familiar logo.

“Peppino’s at your service!” The delivery colt said. “Are you the ones who bought these?”

“You bet it! Hoo boy, this looks good. I can even smell a few extra ingredients I never knew!”

Fury quickly gave money and before the colt could say anything Fury slammed the door and walked over to the table that sat in the living room.

“Alright, time to chow down! Let's see what we've got here.” Fury said as Cadence was setting up the plates and napkins.

Fury opened one of the six boxes they ordered and found cheese mixed with green bell peppers, olives, and Roma tomatoes.

“This must be one of yours. I know mine is in here somewhere. I had a special request put in to suit my palette.”

“It's nice that you're kind is getting more ease of access when it comes to meat. It shows that ponies are truly starting to warm up to you.” Cadence said, getting an agreeing nod from her feline friend.

“Yeah, feels good to get some recognition.” Fury said, sniffling one of the pizza boxes. “Ooh, and speaking of which…” 

Fury opened the next box and saw his specially made, sausage and pepperoni pizza. 

“Wow, I have to admit even though I find meat a little off-putting, that does look good.” Cadence complimented. “Maybe you've rubbed off on me.”

“Had some of the stuff brought in from home. Trade deals are starting to kick up now that the deal is sealed. And now, I get to reap the benefits.” Fury said, licking his already drooling chops. Just then, his nose caught another scent. A particularly chocolate-y scent. He looked over and saw a smaller box next to the pizza.

Cracking it open, he saw a grid of chocolate squares precisely cut for easy tasting.

“Well these are definitely new to me. What are these?” He asked curiously.

The princess of love was stunned. “Wow. Those look like Brownies! It looks like they took Celestia's suggestions to heart. A nice break from savory foods after all.” She took the brownies and chewed on one. Her mouth turned from a tomato to chocolate taste. She felt like she was in a bakery.

“Mmm, all of this looks tasty! Welp, nothing left but to enjoy.” Fury said, deciding to put on some old shows on VHS for them to watch while eating. Including the Hyper Wheels cartoon as well as Lightning Cats show.

–

A Few Minutes Later…

After a while, Cadence and Night Fury had collectively eaten 3 of the 6 pizzas they ordered and snagged a few breadsticks along with it. Sitting on the couch in relaxed positions, lying on their sides while facing away from each other at either end, they were both still eating as if they had just started. They were watching a romance show and the couple on screen was having a romantic dinner.

“Oh man, this stuff is delicious. The romance could do with a downward toning of the cheesy stereotypes though. Though I’m sure my mom would disagree.” Fury said.

“You're not wrong. As much as I love romance and all, this is almost too cheesy to watch.” Cadence agreed.

“Yeah, like why is it such a big thing to feed your partner? Just seems strange to take all that effort just to seem romantic.” Fury rolled his eyes as that exact scenario played out on screen.

“It's supposed to symbolize support and comfort. That you'd trust your partner to give you what they need.” Cadence explained. Fury still saw it as unnecessary to do such a thing, but the concept did make him chuckle a bit on the inside. He was so amused that he decided to take a brownie and experiment with it.

“Hey Cady…” He said with a bit of cheekiness.

“Yes?” She answered. Turning her head, she was met with him up against her with the sweet treat in his paw.

“Whoa, what is-” 

“Do you smell it, Cadenza? The fragrance of sweetness and delight? I give it to you as a token of my appreciation and undying love.” Fury said in a suave voice. Cadence then realized it was a joke but played along. 

“Oh Night Fury… I don't know what to say. It is simply a true delight. In all the kingdoms I have traveled to, not one has given me the delight of a sweet offering. Better than any gold.” She replied in a similar way.

“I give it to you because I think it is not just what you want, but what you need. For I wish to free you from your accursed skinny body and free you from the curse of your trainers.” Fury said as sincerely as he could with his snarky comment. Cadence snickered at his clearly teasing joke masked with romantic talk. She opened her mouth and let Fury slowly place it inside, closing it and chewing the sweet chocolate with half lidded eyes.

“Yes, my lady. Chew. Chew with all the smoothness that a pink princess as yourself can muster. But do not tire yourself out. I would never be the same if you felt unpleasant.” Fury said dramatically as Cadence chewed her brownies.

Cadence had to resist laughing at his hammy dialogue. He would fit right in with those low budget romantic films on Hoofmark. She eventually swallowed and licked her lips, grabbing him by the sides and pulling him closer.

“You know good and well that I'm married, and yet you still persist in your efforts to break mine and Shining Armor’s bond. How dare you, you curr!? You shall face the wrath of my fuzzy fur for your transgressions. Have at thee!” Cadence giggled, wrapping him in a hug from behind and bringing him back to chest with her.

“Noooo, it's too fluffy! I have been thwarted by the evils of the snuggle! My work is ruined!” Fury cried in a fake fit of depression.

“Thus it may be to all smooth talking charlatans as yourself! For I am a princess of justice!” Cadence said in a dramatic voice.

Her captive finally broke character and burst with laughter at the absurdity of their performance.

“Wow, Cady, you should win awards for most corny cheesy acting of all time! Rarity would be jealous.”

“And so should you! You have the most romantic dialogue for a newbie actor. Even though you have the worst emotional translation. Seriously, even Shining in high school theater did it better.” Cadence giggled.

Fury flipped over onto his back and stared up at Cadence. He saw her face staring back at him with a childish smile that only he knew. She moved her hoof over his belly and started to give him belly rubs.

“Look at you. Such a plump little cutie, aren't you? Yes you are, yes you are.” She said, baby talking to him like a pet.

“Oh of course you divert to how much I have on my underside. Typical. But I have to admit, it does feel good to know how dogs feel when they get belly rubs.” Fury said, lying back and just enjoying the treatment.

Now I know how Winona feels. Oh this is the good stuff. Yes it is. It feels good to be pampered sometimes. 

“You seem so tense when you see anyone looking at your underside. Why is that?” Cadence asked. Fury blushed and began to explain.

“Well, it's because my tummy is my weakness. Not just because it's my tickle spot, but because it's the least protected part of me. Everything about me is tied to that thing. My appetite, it's where my softest fur is and most importantly… It's where I'm the squishiest.”

“Makes sense, considering you are simply a large intelligent cat.” She said, stroking his stomach to his delight. “I bet your mother and your babysitter do this too.”

“They did. They've always made it a point to remind me of my more rounded form. Queenie did it the most, almost as if I was some sort of fidget toy rather than a living creature. Dad left all the cutie stuff to mom though, he wanted to teach me the other side of things. No real surprise there. Even Luna calls me her little Snuggle Bug on occasion.”

Cadence giggled at that. “Auntie Luna hit the mark right on with that.”

“I guess so. Y'know, I'm surprised your husband hasn't torn me a new one for how risky I play my jokes about your marriage. Even more so with how close I can get to you and how much I tease you about possibly leaving him for me. To be honest, I'm surprised I'm not six feet under because of this.” He chuckled.

Cadence pondered this thought. She never thought of it much but she knew him to be the protective and jealous type.

“Perhaps, it's a testament to how much he trusts you. Like in saving the Crystal Empire or helping me with so much. Perhaps he sees you as a guard for me. 

“Well, I guess that's a plus. I mean I do have the power, the status, the past experiences… The clear lines I draw with insults that, if crossed, will result in me gutting whoever dare spoke, cracking their skull open and ripping out whatever brains they thought they had…”

…

“But hey, that's just an opinion, right?”

“Yep. That's definitely an opinion. A colorful opinion for sure. You know how to add spice for sure.” Cadence said with a hint of sarcasm.

Fury sighed. “I'm sorry, it's just… I've been so closed up about my powers that I haven't really been able to… let loose for once, y'know? Ever since I moved here, everything has been so safe, secure, non threatening. And while that may sound like a good thing to most, for a predator… it's a nightmare. Where's the dangerous environment that keeps you on your toes? The ruthless animals that'll have anyone else wetting themselves? The stain of blood that comes with a satisfying kill?”

“I've become so domesticated that I… I think I'm losing my instincts. I sometimes feel like a sheep, not even a ram.”

Fury got up and looked out a window to see the forest. “I guess I welcome the friendly atmosphere, but now it's gotten old. Conflict can be stressful but also endearing. Who am I if I can't take out the smallest of threats with all this power, huh? And this isn't even talking about the moral high ground of staying metaphorically still when it comes to showing off my skill in front of you ponies!”

“I'm glad that I got away from the mentally draining place I was in at home. That, I cherish like a child. But sometimes, I think back to all the times Dad took me hunting and taught me how to pounce and go for the kill, the times Jade helped me get a grip on my scouting skills. Heck, even Amethyst had her moments teaching me defense tactics! It just feels like I'm letting all of that slip away just for the sake of staying morally and politically correct.” Fury explained.

Cadence looked at him with pity. Though it was hard for her to truly understand how threats could make life more worthwhile, she understood the stress of how it feels to let life slip away. To lose control.

“Fury, do you think you feel homesick? Do you want to reconnect with your people and traditions?” Cadence proposed.

“Oh goddess no, good riddance to that Minasi Conarut.” Fury spoke in his language. “It's just that I'm confused. Do I brush up on my skills and run the risk of my embracing of violence crippling my social standing? Or do I stay docile, doing my darndest to make myself presentable to those I now associate with? It's a moral dilemma all over again. I know you all tell me that my culture is accepted and there's nothing to worry about, but that's just you and the others. What about the public? What about the rest of them who haven't seen that yet? I know they won’t have so much patience.” 

Cadence knew Fury was right even if she didn't want to admit it. She knew how fearful her subjects and most ponies of other lands could be. She knew he was lucky he ended up seeing such open ponies and not others.

“I suppose it's true that most of our society hasn't gotten to meet you and underlying your origins, so they may fear the unknown of what you may do in the sight of a predator. But you're not really like that.” Cadence tried to reason with him, but he was still adamant.

“Yeah, when I'm holding back.” Fury reminded her. “I will admit I can be a savage when something enrages me, but I'm not looking to hurt or kill anyone innocent. I just like to make others accountable for what they say.” He said with a bit of a snarl. “I mean, well… you know what I mean.”

“Yes, I do. But I also see a barrier between you and your emotions being held together with barely a threat. No… a Bungee cord. Constantly in tension, coiling back and forth in an effort to withhold your anger at your own command. You see your completely natural emotions as a sort of sickness. A parasite. Something leeching off of your sadness and anguish any time you feel disrespected. But it's not just because you want to hold back for the sake of us, you don't want to admit that you like embracing it every once in a while.” She explained.

“It makes me feel normal. I feel better using my power to do damage, destroy something, witness what I can do. It gives me a bit of satisfaction seeing everything just come together inside of me.” Fury explained.

“When we went to the Cursed Forest to save my parents, I killed one of the guards. My first actual kill. It felt… good to watch him die. To see the life drain from his eyes after seeing him whip my mom. It made me feel like I was making a difference, like I was doing what I was meant to do… Like I was being true to my DNA.” Fury said with a certain satisfaction like a starving lion eating a gladiator. “And as long as he's enough of a jerk, it's free real estate for my thirsty mind.”

Cadence nodded. “I… see. Well I can see how you miss those… days. Even with all the fun and pleasantries you had.”

“You can say that again. This urge of mine. The urge shared by many Speed Shifters. Sometimes I wish Blueblood could come out of his lair and I'd show him a real fun time with my claws. But all I can do is just lie around and do nothing.”

“Hmmm… perhaps I can arrange something for you. The yearly check-in will be happening next year and that would be the best time to propose it.”

“Yearly check-in?” Fury parroted.

“Mhm. Every few days after the New Year, all of the top ranking nobles and royals group together in Canterlot to speak on last year's dealings and anything happening from then on. New laws being passed, military deals, peace treaties…”

“Discussing Pyro and her eventual release from my watch.” Fury finished.

Cadence nodded. “A big moment for Pyro. Where she finally becomes her own autonomous being. But also for you. I think you'll take pleasure in something with emotional weight. No contracts or landholdings, simply about helping your new friend.”

“Well, technically she's my aunt. But yeah, I'll be helping her out nonetheless. Also, it'll be refreshing to get her out of my house. I can finally be rid of that little-”

“Watch your language!” 

“Fine, fine. I guess she is still my aunt after all.” He said with a bit of a chuckle. “But don't act like you're so innocent. My ears have caught you saying worse. Like when you stubbed your hoof at your wedding and called the table leg a cockatrice suckling- Mmmm!” He said before a slice of pizza magically got stuffed in his mouth.

“Okay, okay!” Cadence said. “You have a point. I was a bit on the wild side sometimes back then. But seriously, we got babies here! Maybe tone your language for their sake.”

“Ohay ohay!” He mumbled, swallowing the pizza. “Hmph! Don't get to have any fun…”

The mood started to calm down a bit. It felt like they had gained a true understanding. They continued to eat a bit more even dipping them in some ranch sauce. 

“I may just have to start hunting again with how convenient food is now. This pudgy pouch might just turn into a weight if I'm not careful.”

“Good to know you're starting to understand not to overeat.” Cadence said with a smirk.

“Ha ha ha ha. Real funny, Your perfectionistness.” Fury said, his tongue sticking out. “But I was wondering, for real. How much longer do we have to care for the babies? It can't be that much longer.” 

“Just until the morning. By around noon, Mrs Cake will be cleared of her recovery time. Recovering from childbirth is just about as bad as healing from war wounds. I know most girls like me would go on mile long rants saying ‘It's not the same!’ and ‘Guys just don't know the pain of childbirth and never will!’ but I believe we have just as much to share in our pain as any other creatures.” Cadence said, using an extra girly voice to mimic her fellow young mares.

“heh heh heh, nice talent for voices, I gotta say. I suppose it is hard to recover from that. But I think what most Equestrian females don't understand is that war wounds can hurt just as bad. Amethyst almost had to get her leg amputated after a Black Mamba bite.”

“Black Mamba? What kind of creature is that?” Cadence asked.

“Only the most venomous of the snakes in nature. Not only is their venom deadly if not treated within minutes of biting, but they can raise themselves 3 feet off the ground to strike at taller targets. That's high enough to give even you a nice, painful, venomous little kiss on the forehead!” Fury explained, making Cadence's face go a few shades lighter.

“Oh dear. Was Amethyst okay? That must have been really painful, being bitten in the leg like that?”

“She was fine. Thanks to our ability to turn into any animal in existence, research and experimentation with biology is much easier for us. So all it took to make an easy antidote was to find a lucky guy or gal who managed to touch one without getting bitten, have them turn into one and test what works and what doesn't. But almost all venomous bites don't work on us as the dormant DNA inside of us of said creature who would try and take a bite would act as a natural antidote, kinda like positive on positive magnets.”

“Wow, that's quite an impressive ability you Speed Shifters have. Never thought changing to an animal could actually be used in a clinical setting.” Cadence said. “I bet Twilight would love to hear about this stuff.”

“Yeah, but that info won't be coming out of my mouth. The amount of reflex, sensory and tickle tests she practically dove in to take when I was still new would make Discord look sane. If Mad Scientist isn't on Twilight's list for Nightmare Night costumes, I don't know what to think.”

“I know how that is. Even more so my husband.”

“Well, he's the brother to your purple alien sister-in-law. Probing at everything that moves to get a better understanding of our strange world. I wonder what experiments she has stored away? Can your tail be used as a fifth limb? Can the other senses be combined into one super sense? Does tickling have the possibility of actually turning you pink?” Fury wondered aloud.

“I don't know about the first two, but that last one sounds interesting. Perhaps all pink ponies were tickled as children to turn them pink in the first place?”

The two had a good laugh at that idea. Indeed they both felt great amusement at this.

They felt both like nothing could go wrong at this point. All the fun and light hearted teasing made it feel all the more satisfying.

They then went up to check on the twins. Walking into the baby room, they were both sleeping safe and sound.

“You know, these babies actually behave nicer than I thought.” Fury said. “I was kind of expecting some apocalypse from them but it really was more like a little trickle of rain.”

“I'm not sure about that. Babies can always be surprising. But…” Even Cadence sighed in relief. “I think so far these might be an exception. I shouldn't be surprised. Their parents are very nice and well mannered ponies.”

“Definitely not the ponies I would expect for weird genetics to be involved in.” Fury said. “Anyways, how about we just go back out. They seem alright.”

“Yeah.” Cadence looked one last time. “Good night sweethearts. Sweet dreams.” She said giving Pumpkin one last kiss. 

Night Fury's eyes squinted at that move from her.

Why do I get the feeling that something is about to go wrong again?

But unfortunately for her that was when trouble truly started.

Aacho…

A little baby sneeze escaped Pumpkin's muzzle. But that was only a precursor to the next set.

“Well at least that wasn't too bad…” Cadence said.

“WAHHHHHHHH!!!”

Pumpkin cried out loud which made her brother also cry. It was loud but not like other times. It felt almost supersonic.

“Why is she crying like that?! Fury asked out loud.

“Babies do that, it's natural! The slightest disturbance can set them off!” Cadence said. “There there. How can I make you feel better?” Cadence asked, pondering what to do.

“Oh I know, some food! Maybe you're hungry.” She grabbed some mix for the babies. “Here you go sweetie. Here comes the choo choo train!”

As she put the spoon in Pumpkin's mouth, she seemed happy enough. Cadence sighed in relief until the baby seemed a bit green.

“Uh oh… I know what that is!” Fury said, making a mad dash to get clear.

“Oh calm down, Fury. She's not going to throw up, I would know. And besides, I think they just need a little burping.” Cadence reassured him. The black cat popped his head in to see what the deal was.

“Burping? What are ya gonna do, pop a couple of pint sized sodas for them?” Fury asked all too innocently.

“Not even close, furball. I've just gotta give them a few pats on the back. What, do Speed Shifter babies not require burping?” The pink alicorn asked, grabbing the twins.

“Nope. Speed Shifters get their teeth basically as soon as they're born, just a few little nubs at first. But after a few weeks, we get our full baby set and the parents immediately go for solid food, although in small pieces. We're built a little differently than ponies. We can actually digest solid food very early on in life.” He explained.

“Well, I guess that clears up a few things. And explains a whole lot more…” Cadence mumbled that last part before sitting down and hoisting the twins over each of her shoulders and patting their backs.

Urp!

Buruuuup!

“Wo-hoah! Nice one, Pound! You might just be as good as AJ.” Fury chuckled.

“These babies have a lot of spunk in them.” Cadence said.

“Yeah for sure.” Fury said. “I think they're gonna become some really strong little fellas when they grow up.”

“But, for now, they need their sleep.” Cadence reminded him, two tiny yawns solidifying her point. Cadence put them back in their cribs and they soon fell back to sleep, allowing the two babysitters to sneak their way out and escape them for the rest of the night.

“Gee, I forgot just how many unexpected surprises babies can throw at me.” Cadence said finally relieved that the babies were finally back to normal.

“Yeah no kidding. I'm starting to understand the burden of my mom raising me. Well at least I didn't have teleportation or flying.” Fury said, chuckling.

Cadence nodded to that.

“So, are you ready to call it a night? I personally would stay up until midnight or longer. I mean, I am semi nocturnal after all.” Fury asked.

“Yeah I think I am. I'll just call Mr. and Mrs. Cake. And then they'll be the ones dealing with those little babies.” Cadence said.

“Good, because once they show up tomorrow, I am outta here.” Fury sighed. Cadence went downstairs to handle the rest of the pizzas and the movie while Fury walked over to one of the guest bedrooms the Cakes left for them and went inside.

It wasn't anything special, but the decorations seemed somewhat tailored for them as somewhat of a thank you for good work. Fury took the time to quickly snag a shower and brush his teeth before Cadence and got himself comfortable.

It was kind of fun being here but I can't wait to be back at my place. Heck doing 6 hours of meditations doesn't sound so hard now.

Fury finally finished up with grooming himself. The Cakes did have a cozy if not small bathroom. 

He went out the door, and saw Cadence with a bag of boxes.

“Ready to go so soon? Mr. and Mrs. Cake won't be coming back until tomorrow, remember?” Fury asked.

“Yeah I am. I'm tidying up the place for them to have a nice clean place.” Cadence said.

“I suppose you're right. Well, I'm kinda sleepy. I'll take my moment and get settled for the night.”

“Yeah. I agree. After all this baby stuff, I just wanna drown myself in sleep.” Cadence said.

Fury chuckled. “You think you'll have it this tough when you become a mom? Because I bet one day you'll have one too.”

It gave the princess of love food for thought. “Frankly it might be tougher. We only took care of them for one day. But parents like the Cakes have it much harder.”

“Eh, well I'll be betting that you'll be just fine.” Fury said, walking off to get some sleep.

“Heh, yeah. I'll be just fine…” Cadence said quietly, looking down towards her barrel with a sort of strange look before going to do her routine before bed.

–

The Next Morning…

The sun shone through the curtains of Fury's guest bedroom and prompted him to open his eyes and welcome the warmth of the day. Looking around the room to get his bearings, he stretched his forelimbs and let out a snarl.

Another day, another chance to better the world…

He pulled the covers off of him and shifted himself over the edge, hopping down and shaking off the sleepiness. Walking over to the door, he opened it up to see Cadence's door was already opened.

Hm, guess she got an early jump on the day. No biggie, just means I can get the shower before her.

He dashed like a madcat to get to the shower. He enjoyed the experience with soap and cleaning it off.

“I wonder what Cadence is doing? Eh, probably just getting some more beauty rest.” Fury wondered aloud. He turned the water on and waited for it to heat up. Once it was at a suitable temperature, he stepped inside and was immediately drenched with warm water that made him sigh with relief.

He wasn't one to usually shower, being the bubble bath type himself. But ever since he found out there was an alternative, he was somewhat hooked on it. 

Grabbing a washcloth, he lathered it with soap and got to work washing his chest fur. Soapy bubbles covered his body in no time and he was soon well into his shower time. But little did he know, he was about to get a lesson on another pony tradition.

“Wait, I hear someone. Who's there?! Show yourself or you get my claws!” Fury declared.

“Relax Fury. It's just me. Cadence”

“Oh okay, it's just you.” Fury sighed with relief and relaxed again. Then his eyes open with shock. “Cadence?! What in the name of the emperor's beard are you doing here?! I’m showering!”

“Well, I am too.” Cadence said, confused. “I figured we both will get it over with and save some water for Mr and Mrs. Cake.”

“Wait a minute…” Fury said, calming down. “Is this another pony tradition I haven't seen?”

“Well if tradition is what you call it since we're used to this, then yeah. Many ponies can shower at the same time. Even a stallion and mare if you are asking. And no, not for any unsavory reasons if you're wondering. That is not the place for that.” Cadence assured him.

“I guess I should have expected this to be a thing since after Celestia told me that you guys share baths too. And you know we're both taken, you're the one who brought it up, you dirty minded strawberry milkshake.” Fury joked.

“Okay. I'll admit I never heard that one before. Impressive.” Cadence said. “But anyways sometimes I forget just how different we are.”

“It's fine, I'm all for new experiences. It's not too bad anyway, I've always hated trying to get my back and face. Always so difficult…” He muttered.

“Well, I guess that's what I'm here for. Hold still.” Cadence said as she got out some shampoo. It seemed to have a vanilla flavor, which was fitting for the Cakes and she lathered it on his back.

“Ah finally thanks! It used to take me like five minutes to get that spot.” 

“Happy to help. Mutual aid is always a useful tool whether in diplomacy or even getting yourself tidied up.” Cadence said. “Now turn around so I can get your face.”

Fury obliged her request and she placed her hooves on his face. She rubbed the soap in and watched as Fury's face went from a sleek black to a bubbly white. 

Fury then noticed how she would squeeze his face a few times every few rotations. “Do you want to say something about my face?”

“Oh well, since you brought it up. I never noticed how squishable it was. Just like a plush toy or a balloon animal. I just can't resist that flexible face.” Cadence teased, getting Fury to roll his eyes.

“Well, if we're talking sweet sensations, what about that pegasus chest fluff you go to such lengthy efforts to hide?” He said smugly.

“That's different. We princesses try to keep it down to look professional and serious. Not like a lamb. It's all part of being a princess.”

“Eh, I guess that's fair. I mean, basically no one knows I have chest fluff too because I smooth out my fur every morning.” Fury admitted.

“I'm sure Auntie Luna would go crazy over that.”

“Yeah. Can't appear too soft though, she has her own crazy but lovely side.” He said with a laugh. “Even so, I have to keep things low down. Y'know, aerodynamics and all?” Cadence understood her friend's efforts, being that she was a pegasus before she was royalty and could relate to his speed complex.

“Yep! When I used to be into racing and combat training, I had to style my fur to be less poofy so I could go quickly. It also shows you're more mature as a pegasus and you could be taken seriously.” Cadence boasted slightly, taking the time to load her wings up with suds.

“Eh, maturity is for the boring and bland. I like feeling the natural floof of my fur every once in a while. Besides, are we really any more mature from when we were kids anyway? Growing up is just packing layers of knowledge onto yourself to make yourself appear older and more mature.” Fury said, sounding like an inspirational speaker.

“Huh, I never thought of it that way.” Cadence said, a bit amazed at what her friend said. “I suppose I do still have those childish parts of me still believing in fairy tales of love at first sight and all that.”

“And I still like playing imaginary games to cheer myself up. We both have our ways to remember our childhoods.” Fury said. “Ah, okay. I feel clean again. Time for a little dry off.”

“Good call.” Cadence shut the water and climbed out of the shower with Fury, both of them dripping with water. 

“Y'know, a quick blow dry would be faster than using a towel. It'll save us time and the Cakes some laundry.” Cadence lit her horn and prepared a spell. “This should get both of us dry in no time.”

The mere mention of a blow dry got Fury's face looking like he had seen death itself. 

“Wait wait wait, Cadence don't-” Before he could intervene, Cadence let loose the spell and a quick wind blew all the moisture off of them and left them dry.

“There, all dried off. Now, what were you so hissy about?” Cadence asked him.

“That's the thing. There's one glaring negative about blow drying a cat instead of towel drying. If you don't dry us off slowly and with care…” Fury whimpered. Just then, his fur seemed to start standing on end, getting puffier and puffier until…

Floof!

“We puff up like fuzzy balloons.”

The black cat looked more like a porcupine than a Speed Shifter now. To Cadence, instead of showing regret, she simply giggled at the sight.

“Pfffft, I didn't think Shifters could look even more fluffy than before.” Cadence snickered.

“No thanks to the pony who doesn't know how felines work. Why do you think cats lick themselves to keep clean? It's not just to clean ourselves, it's to keep our fur slick and let our fur naturally dry in the room temp air so it doesn't puff up. Not to mention if it does get puffy, it's a pain to groom it back down.”

“Heh, I see, sorry.” Cadence said sympathetically yet trying to resist laughing. “Here, I'll make it up to you.”

Cadence spawned a brush in her magic and began to go at Night Fury's puffy exterior. Starting at his head, she slowly brushed back the puffy fur around his eyes and behind his ears. Moving down, she got to his back and sides, making sure no loose ends were left. Soon enough, she had gotten to his paws, legs, tail and chest. Now came the tricky part… his underside.

“Okay just hang on, this will be… complicated.” Cadence said.

“Well just get it over with so I can get out of the bathroom.” Fury said. 

Cadence moved slowly as she came into contact with his tummy, going in long slow strokes in an attempt to not trigger Fury's dreaded tickle spot. But even with her efforts, he started to snicker and wiggle.

“Pfft. Oh no, not again! Heh heh heh. Come on Cady, give it a rest!” 

“Fury, I'm not trying to tickle you. I want to get this over with as quickly as you do, but you're just so sensitive down here. Now, try and hold still.” Those words were the epitome of easier said than done as Fury was practically incapable of holding still with how much the brush's bristles tickled.

“Okay, almost done. Just one last patch of fluff and we can get out of here.” Cadence went for the last fluffy spot and ran the brush over it. To her shock, the fur didn't go down. And to her horror, it was directly in the middle of the black feline’s belly.

“Uh… my bad?”

Fury sighed. “Oh great, this is gonna take longer than I thought.” he said aloud.

“Not on my watch. Fury, prepare yourself. This is going to be one very giggly experience.” Cadence said, a determined look on her face. 

“Oh dear…” Cadence readied the brush, giving Fury one last look before going to town. Fury immediately lost it and began wiggling in reflex to try and get away. 

“Just a little more. Hold on!” Cadence said.

“I'm tryihihihihihing!” Fury squealed.

The princess brushed the reluctant and very ticklish Shifter hard, trying to get as many tight knotted hairs as she could. The more she pushed and pulled, the more amusing Fury's face looked.

For the black cat, he was just trying to hold it together. But his mouth certainly couldn't do so. 

“Ha ha ha ha! This is too much!” He said kicking his legs every so often at the walls.

“Almost got it…” Cadence made one final pass and finally got the extra fuzz to lay flat. She quickly removed herself from her unintentional victim and watched as he slowly reduced his laughing to giggles and fell over in a heap.

“Heh heh heh… oh it's over. Thank the gods, I'm finally back to normal.” He said with relief.

“It couldn't have been that bad. I mean I was able to keep it all well in the end.” Cadence said.

Fury looked up to Cadence. “At least that. But you clearly still have a lot to learn about speed shifter brushing techniques. Not to be underestimated, Lovebutt.”

“Perhaps. But one thing I do know is that you are undeniably the most ticklish creature I've ever met. Seriously, I bet a leaf falling on your belly would make you giggle!” Cadence teased. Night Fury let out an embarrassed chuckle at that.

“Funny you should mention that because… it actually… happened. In the schoolyard no less.” He mumbled, his cheeks shining a clear pink.

“What are we ever going to do with you, fuzzball?” Cadence giggled. “Now come on, let's get ready and check on the twins. We've spent enough time goofing around this morning.”

“Yeah, let's. And this time I'll be drying myself, thank you very much.” Fury said, taking the towel and getting rid of every wet spot on his fur with the speed of thunder.

“Ah, there. Nice and dry. You go ahead and give the twins a wake up call, I've got to tend to my fangs.” 

Cadence nodded and went out. “Okay, but don't take too long.”

Fury did as she asked. And once again quickly brushed his fangs and gargled up the mouthwash. Confident in his shining sharp fangs, he decided to take the time to do his claws. Thankfully, Celestia gave him a specially made nail file reinforced with her own magic to deal with his claws.

Meanwhile, Cadence walked into the baby room to see Pound Cake up and awake before his sister.

“Ababu…” He babbled, trying to say hi.

“Hi Poundy! Did you have a good rest, you little champ?” Cadence asked with a baby-like voice.

“Bababa?” The colt looked a bit confused and was looking at his surroundings.

“Oh, you like the bright sun? Yeah, that belongs to my Auntie Celestia. She raises the sun every day for all the young fillies and colts like you.”

Pound Cake babbled cheerfully at that. Soon enough, his sister popped up from her sleep and made her presence known.

“And good morning to you too, Pumpkin.” 

So far the twins looked quite happy and calm. She decided to get the food now while they seemed happy. Grabbing the twins, she headed downstairs to get started on breakfast for them.

Not much longer after her, Night Fury emerged.

“Well, looks like the twins are up and at ‘em. I'll get the water going.” Fury said. Reaching into the fridge, which was now partially filled with pizza leftovers, he grabbed two packs of baby food, one carrot and one mushed peas.

Passing them to Cadence, she handled the packaging while Fury once again went the slower route to heat up the water. A few minutes later, Cadence got out the food and went to present it to the twins.

“Bon appetit! I bet you two are hungry. Well, here comes the airplane.”

Cadence decided to go with Pumpkin first. As per usual, she imitated a 
train as the food goes into Pumpkin's mouth.

“Here comes the munchies! Chugga chugga choo choo!” She said the spoon was approaching the baby.

To Cadence's delight Pumpkin didn't resist. But was rather still and expressionless.

“Well, aren't you a good girl-”

“WAHHHHH!!!’

The peas and carrots splattered all over Cadence's fur. And for Pumpkin she seemed in a frenzy.

“Oh what now?”

“Maybe she just isn't feeling the theatrics.” Fury suggested, taking his own turn.

“Okay Pumpkin, let's see if just doing this the easy way will get things done. I'll try your brother first.” Fury said. “Here ya go, Pound. Try it.”

This time Pound seemed to be a bit reluctant to eat. Perhaps his sister made him have a bad feeling about the food. 

“Oh boy, seems Pumpkin has got her brother on the skeptical side.” 

Fury had to think of a way to get the baby on his side. Then he got an idea.

“Oh Pound!” He took his paws and made some goofy faces with them. “Saw this at a mirror tent in a circus! Goo gah, gah, goo!” He said hoping to make eating food seem more fun.

The baby, although confused at first, seemed to take a liking to the silliness. One could say it made him feel more relaxed and feel less pressure.

The baby was chuckling again now. He seemed perfectly receptive. Fury took this opportunity and fed the baby the food finally. And he seemed happy with it although he did also splatter a bit of food on Fury due to him laughing.

“There we go. A little messy, but all good. Now, time for the instigator of this scenario.”

Fury looked into the eyes of Pumpkin, staring almost into her soul. “Hey Pumpy, wanna see something cool?”

Fury got it, took his tongue out of his mouth, crossed his eyes and made some babbling sounds. He's even crazier looking than when he did it with Pound Cake.

The baby pumpkin at this time was a bit more confused; it seemed like she was not quite as receptive to this strange face at first. Fury was worried if she didn't like it or something.

Hmm, a bit of a hard case, eh? Alright, just gotta push the limits a little.

“Oh, you think you've seen all the mirror master's tricks?! You have not seen anything yet!” Fury declared confidently.

He decided not to just use his normal face; it wasn't enough. He decided it was time to use one of his Transformations faces; he decided to use an ugly yet amusing face.

“Watch this!”

The black feline felt his power surging through. He transformed into none other than a manticore. The large Wiley lion face appeared before the baby.

He then proceeded to Fury proceeded to do the faces he did before but now with a larger head he's able to go all out he's able to make it look so surreal it almost looked like it came out of the mirror world he once looked at.

The baby finally started to giggle and then outright laughed. It looked like Fury's trick worked not just for Pumpkin but for Pound as well.

Here's my opportunity! 

Fury said to himself. Fury took the spoon and gave the delicious meal to Pumpkin.

“There we go. That wasn't so bad, was it?” Fury asked the baby unicorn.

Pumpkin just giggled and decided to try her own trick. She lit her horn and took the blob of food out of the bowl it was in and began to make animal shaped with it.

“Wow, look at you! You're getting good at this, Pumpkin! Nice giraffe!” Fury complimented.

“It seems we've done our jobs well. Now all we have to do is make sure this stays that way by the time the Cakes arrive.” Cadence said. But little did she know she had messed with the forces of karma once again.

Pumpkin began separating the blob into little balls, spinning them around her head while she clapped her tiny hooves and laughed. Soon enough, she figured out what throwing stuff with magic was like. And from that moment forward, a mushy warzone was created.

“You just had to tip off karma once again, didn't you!?” Fury snarled, taking cover.

“I seriously don't know how I get away with half the stuff that comes out of my muzzle! This must be my comeuppance!” Cadence shot back. They both peeked over their solid table cover to get an angle on the living slingshot that was Pumpkin Cake and her magic.

“We have to do something! If we don't get this under control, we're deader than snakes in an acid pit!” Fury said.

“Well what do we do? We can't just walk up to her and tell her to stop, that'll make her sad or even mad.” Cadence returned.

“We don't have to, all we have to do is cut it at the source! And besides, she's not the only one with a horn.” The black feline said, gesturing to the very one sitting atop Cadence's head.

“Good thinking! I'll use a barrier spell and keep us covered.” She ignited her horn and summoned a teal barrier around herself and Night Fury, allowing them to move away from cover and slowly make their way towards Pumpkin. By this time, Pound Cake had somewhat gotten in on the mischief himself, although to a reduced degree due to his lack of magic. Green and orange blobs splattered everywhere, coating the walls and ceiling with carrots and peas.

“Yeesh! Even I wasn't this bad when I was a kid, and even then I was practically running up the walls thanks to my then undiscovered destiny.” Fury admitted.

“I can't say the same for myself. My alicornification came when I was just 10. To say that my powers were tame is… completely incorrect.” Cadence sheepishly chuckled.

“Well at least I'm not alone when it comes to dealing with powers beyond anyone else's comprehension.” Cadence and Fury smiled at their similarities in childhood, both having to face a destiny that neither of them were ready for. But that was of no matter now, as their main mission was to stop the carnage of Pumpkin Cake.

As they slowly but surely made their way to the highchairs the twins were sitting in, they tried their best to get them to stop. They tried toys, pleading with them, trying to distract them, but nothing was working.

“Oh it's no use! What are we gonna do if neither of them are listening to us!?” Cadence cried. Fury took a moment to think about what they could do about this dilemma, trying to run every possible thing to come up with a solution.

But at that moment, something strange happened. Pumpkin began to… clean up after herself? She uses her magic to slurp up all of the mushy baby food and turn it into a ball of mixed and mashed mush.

“Well, it looks like our problem has solved itself. Maybe Pumpkin got bored and decided to do something nice.” Cadence said. But once again, she had tempted fate.

“Uh Cadence, is it just me or is that blob getting bigger?” Fury asked. The pink alicorn turned to Pumpkin and sure enough, she was procuring a ball of baby food as big as a buckball. And it continued to grow. Slowly, a shadow cast over the two babysitters and the orb began to swell, almost as if it was losing its structure.

At that moment, both Cadence and Night Fury had a moment of synchrony. All of their thoughts seemed to fuse together into one single phrase that perfectly described the situation they were in…

“Awww tree sap…”

–

Meanwhile, in the streets of Ponyville…

The Mane Six, Celestia, Luna, Fury's Parents, Pyro and the Cakes were all walking through the streets to get to Sugarcube Corner. They all figured why not check in on the two who were assigned the babysitting job together as a group? But what they didn't know was the situation they were about to be greeted with would solidify this time as a moment in their friendships for years to follow.

“I can't wait to see those cute little babies!” Pinkie cried out in excitement.

“I hope Cadence and Night Fury didn't have a hard time taking care of them. I can say that babies are not easy, especially considering my childhood.” Twilight said with a blush.

“Ah, the stories your mother would tell me about your infant years. You were said to be quite the hoof full, my faithful student.” Celestia chuckled to which Twilight blushed even more so.

“I just know everything is okay when we get there. We gave them everything they needed for yesterday and this morning. They must be fine!” Mrs Cake exclaimed.

“I’m sure our son and Cadence did a wonderful job of taking care of your children. He may be a bit on the high adrenaline side, but he can take care of anything that's needed.” Black Ice said.

“That's right, honey. He's our little helper. I'm sure everything will be fine when we get there-”

Splat!

Just as they came into view of Sugarcube Corner, all of the windows were suddenly coated in an odd orange and green slop that made it almost impossible to see inside. This triggered everyone's internal alarms as they rushed to the front door to knock and see what the deal was.

But before anypony’s hoof touched the door, it opened slowly from the inside. And from there, out came two covered figures with coats of orange and green respectively, slowly making their way into the daylit exterior of the building.

Twilight was the first to speak. “Magic surge?”

“Magic surge.” The two spoke in unison.

“I see.” Twilight looked into the now gunk covered house/shop hybrid. “I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.”

“Well, you were at least right about Pumpkin. She's got some power.” Came the green covered figure, now identified by his voice.

“Oh my. It seems my lover was right, the baby food was too much.” Luna giggled, wiping a portion of the slop aside to reveal the red eyes of the one she loves.

“Well, I guess everyone has their weakness.” Fury chuckled. “And you wanna know who my second weakness is?” He said with a smile to the dark princess.

“No need, your sparkling ruby red eyes speak a thousand words.” Luna said softly.

Then Pinkie started giggling. “Hehehehe, you two look hilarious! You look like you lost a fight with the Smooze.”

Cadence cleared her vision and looked to Fury, prompting him to do so as well. The two stared at each other, observing the mess they were in. And not too much later, both of them lost it.

“You look like a monster from one of Spike's movies! Someone call the military before you destroy all of Ponyville with your ooze!” Fury laughed.

“Ha, you first! You look even worse than I do! And you'd probably enjoy filling the town with ooze!” Cadence replied while also laughing.

“Oh man, this is crazy. Oh wait, Tia, get a picture of this! This is a memory for the books!” Fury chuckled.

“Indeed. I often carry a camera for events like birds or comets. But this… this might be far more magnificent.” Celestia said. “Alright get in line everyone.”

Some took longer than others, like Rarity who wanted to be as far away as possible from the ooze. But some like Pinkie just dipped herself straight in with no care. 

Flash

“Now this is a moment in history.” Celestia giggled. 

“Don't worry, you two, we'll handle the twins now. They are out of your hooves and paws.” Mr Cake said, him and his wife walking inside.

“We'll help too! C'mon Fluttershy, let's get this place cleaned up!” Applejack said, leading the yellow pegasus inside to deal with the mess.

“Okay, now that this is being dealt with… Hey RD, a quick shower for two?” Fury called.

“Coming right up!” The athletic pegasus replied, quickly grabbing a rain cloud and placing it over the two babysitters.

“One storm coming right up!” Rainbow said. She kicked the cloud. And rain came pouring down. Now fully moistened Fury and Cadence were able to scrub all the hung gunk off with ease. 

“That was nice! Freedom from the ooze!” Cadence said.

“Well now what do you want to do?” Twilight asked. “You've done your babysitting, where will you go now?”

“Hmmm… how about we just hang out? Y'know, as friends. As a matter of fact, I don't have to be back in the Crystal Empire for a while since a diplomatic trip for me and my fellow royals is coming in a few days. So, how about I stay with you and Pyro for a while?” Cadence asked. Night Fury was immediately intrigued by the idea and welcomed it with open arms.

“Sure! The villa’s got plenty of room. Hey Pyro, you wouldn't mind another roommate for a little while, would ya?” Fury asked.

The orange Shifter shook her head. “You'll hear no complaints from me.” 

“Great! C'mon, I'll get you set up in one of the guest rooms, Cady. This is gonna be good!” Fury said, taking his leave with Pyro and Cadence in tow.

“Diplomatic trip? I wasn't made aware of this!” Twilight said, starting to panic.

“No need to get in a tizzy, Twilight. We had to keep this to a minimum as this little trip is also a surprise for a certain feline.” Celestia reassured her student.

“Indeed. In light of the looming holiday on the horizon, we felt it only necessary to give him a show of one of the biggest candy factories in Equestria. To give him somewhat of an idea of what to expect when it comes around.” Luna added.

“Huh. Well, Night Fury will get a pleasant surprise from this trip. But, isn't he off duty?” 

“He is. But for this trip, he is our plus one. We were summoned by the founder to give our opinions on his factory and the treats he makes. He is just an ‘Outside Eye’ to the matter.” The solar princess elaborated.

Twilight was impressed with the logistics of the matter. She and her fellow princesses would all be doing their work while Fury would just enjoy the experience.

“This sounds amazing. I bet he'll be excited to hear the news-” Just then, another loud splat came into range.

“Ladies, a little help in here! Pumpkin is starting to flex her ability!” Applejack cried, floating in a familiar aura and a few tiny giggles following suit.

“Oh boy, looks like we've got a strong one.” Rainbow said.

“No matter. We have to help the Cakes with whatever they need, and what they need is a bit of magical assistance.” Twilight proclaimed.

“Oh my… It seems that I must endure the grossness of this mess for the greater good. But, I am not the element of Generosity just for show.” Rarity said as she followed the crowd inside to help with the babies. Nothing like what they would endure would be seen for millennia to come, facing challenges and obstacles that could only be described as an infant incursion.
> Chapter 51: Candy Factory Frenzy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was early morning in Ponyville, birds were singing their songs and roosters woke anyone else who decided to sleep in. But one specific house was mostly kept away from all the drama. That being the villa of Night Fury, or as he liked to call it, Home Sweet Home. 

As he was usually the early riser, he would have most likely been out the door before anyone in town was awake. But given the fact that he was now off duty and had the liberty of forgetting his ambassadorship until the next year came, he took the opportunity to give in to one of the oldest instincts cats took to heart. Sleeping in.

It was almost 9:30 in the morning and Fury was still snoozing without a care, completely ignoring the light of day in trade for the comfort of his bed. Breathing soft and slow, the covers rose and fell over his body, reacting to his lungs pumping air as they should. But he wasn't necessarily alone in his slumber as two familiar faces were quietly watching him snooze as they had already gotten up and ready for the day.

“He's deep in sleep alright. How does one wake someone like him up properly? Any Shifter tips?” Cadence asked Pyro.

“Well, there's the obvious answer of politely nudging him awake. But, there is a fun way.” Pyro smirked as the idea came into her mind

I guess the relatives really do think alike. Cadence said to herself as she pondered what the orange cat would do.

Pyro snuck into Fury's bedroom and got low to the ground, staying out of the sun's light to hide herself from detection. Slowly coming up to the edge of the bed, she took one last look at the peaceful face of a sleeping Fury before she made her move. Jumping up into the air, she let herself come down on one side of the bed, launching Fury up into the air and almost to the roof.

“Gahhh!!! No chocolate chip double sundae! Come back!” Fury cried out awake now from his delicious dream. “Wait…”

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead!” Pyro called.

Fury was a bit unamused. “Oh come on! I was in the middle of a good dream! I worked hard yesterday! I earned my inalienable feline right to get some R and R!”

“It's 9:30, Fury. It's time to get up. I think this little time off has changed you significantly.” Pyro teased.

“Oh, you wanna go that way? Okay then…” Fury said, grabbing Pyro.

“Fury, what are you doing? Let me gohohoho hahahaha!”

“Nope! An eye for an eye! You mess with my down time, I'll mess with yours.” He said as he tickled her belly.

“Gah! This is embarrassing! I trained to be a powerful warrior but even I can't resist tickles! Ha ha ha!”

Cadence was amused at this ordeal. For all their differences, they both had a knack for childlike play and retribution. 

Thankfully, Fury declared his revenge satisfactory and quit his assault, choosing to just lay on top of her.

“Luckily for you, I have bigger things to think about than grieving over my rude awakening.” Fury then got up and his face turned to sheer happiness. “Because, today I'm gonna finally go to Manehattan and show Queen Bee the wonders of the city! Not to mention going to see another surprise. Come on, Cady. Can't you just spit it out for me? Pleeeease?” Fury begged, his eyes as big as saucers.

“Sorry, but no puppy dog eyes will work this time. My muzzle is sealed.” Cadence giggled.

“Rats! Well, I guess I'll just have to see when we get there. But first, let's grab some breakfast. I could use a bite to eat.” He said, getting approval from the others as they all went to grab some morning munchies. Over the next hour, Fury explained to Pyro the yearly check-in and how she would get the chance to become autonomous in her choices, tried to sneakily get Cadence to slip up about the mystery location (and failing), and made a few jokes along the way.

“I'll give you all my pizza leftovers if you tell me!” Fury would say

“Nope!” Cadence would reply.

This kept on going every few minutes.

Before long, they were all on a train to Manehattan to meet with the others that would be joining them for their time in the grand city. Night Fury was excited to see his old babysitter, having meant to check in after she moved in a lot sooner. He was also excited to see what the princesses had in store for him. Whatever it was, it had his mind wandering with ideas bouncing back and forth inside head trying to piece together the puzzle.

–

Later, Outside of Manehattan’s Grand Central Station…

Pyro, Cadence and Fury walked down the steps of the Grand Central Station and into the open air of the big city. Ever since his little hero escapade back when Blueblood was trying to take him out, Night Fury gained a sense of respect for how hard working the patrons of Manehattan were. Taking no shortcuts in maintaining the work ethic and efficiency of the underlying workings of the city.

Once on street level, the three of them saw the other royals waiting for them.

“Night Fury, Cadence! Good to see you! And Pyro, it's good to see you're well.” Twilight greeted.

“Thank you, Twilight. It feels good to step out in public and not feel the underlying fear of possible harassment.” Pyro sighed.

“I'm glad you're adjusting to your new life, Pyro. But first… Helloooooo, good lookin~” Fury said suavely.

“Oh, quite the charmer as always.” Luna said, charmed. “I was looking forward to all of us going to this magnificent city.”

“Same here. Mostly, because I was wondering how hot you'd look matched with the landscape.” Fury said, getting Luna to blush and cover her face with a wing.

“Oh Fury, you're going to make me light up like a traffic light if you keep this up.” The lunar guardian said sheepishly.

“All the more reason to love you.” Just then, a new face walked up.

“Hey fuzzball!” Said a familiar voice. Fury looked over and was met with the smiling face of his old babysitter.

“Queenie! Good to see you!”

Fury ran and gave her a great hug.

“I hope the traffic wasn't too much of a hassle for you.” Fury said letting go.

“Eh, a little, there were a few rude partisans that bumped into me. But I got the gist of this place pretty easily and knew how to not have others care.” 

“Eh, what can you do? It's the busiest city in Equestria. But before we even start moving, how've you been? You staying safe?”

Queen Bee chuckled and put a paw on his cheek. “I'm fine, sweetie. I got that letter you sent to the mayor. I'm grateful you did that for me to keep me safe.”

“Anything for the Shifter that gave me the strength to keep going after all these years.” Fury said.

“I could say the same as well.” An unknown voice spoke. Everyone turned around to meet the face of an older mare with a gray coat, black mane and a stone covered in snow and ice for a cutie mark.

“Mayor Stone Cold, glad to see you're up and about.” Fury said.

“Likewise, ambassador. I'll have you know that your friend has been in the best care I can give. Financial support, housing, business licenses, the whole lot. But, all of this doesn't just come from me without somewhat of a thank you for what you did all those months ago.” The mayor put a foreleg over Fury's shoulders and pointed to a nearby street sign.

It had his birthmark in red with a custom black background and an arrow pointing down the street.

“Is that…my birthmark?” Fury asked.

“Why yes. As a sort of thank you for your efforts as ‘Storm Chaser’, I commissioned a construction crew to go around the city painting lines and placing signs to mark what I like to call ‘Fury Fast Lanes’. They're specifically made lanes for you to use your speed around the city without traffic. Only you can use them and anypony else who does is fined a fair amount.”

“Wow.” Fury said. He was quite surprised. He had received more popularity recently but never had he envisioned this level of gratitude even from his own people.

“Thank you.” He finally managed to utter. “Heh, I guess it'll make it easier for me to run. Won't have to watch out for any pedestrians.”

“That is the idea! I'm glad you like it! You're quite the hero! And if there is anything else we can do for you, don't hesitate to ask!” The mayor said.

“I appreciate that, Mayor. Thank you. Now, let's get down to business. Why exactly did you guys invite me along for this little trip of yours? And don’t me it’s a surprise like Lovebutt here” Fury asked. 

“Well, as I assume you've been told…” Celestia started, getting Fury's hopes up.

“Yes…!” Fury's eyes glittering with excitement.

“It's a surprise.” And immediately shooting them in the heart.

“Dohhh… conflabbin… rasafrassin… raggafraggin…”

“Oh lighten up! It's just a few more minutes.” Cadence said. “Trust me, the surprise will be worth it.”

“Fine… But it better be just a few minutes!” He said disgruntled.

“Was he always this impatient?” Twilight asked Queen Bee.

“Believe it or not, he used to be even more impatient when he was a kid. Even crying about it.”

The mayor cleared her throat. “Alright, if you want to go to the secret place. Just take this old map my grandfather once drew and get yourselves to this area where the building you'll go to is now in. You will be pleasantly surprised.”

Fury nodded excitedly. “Well, guys, what are we waiting for? Let's get moving! Last one to the destination is a rotten egg!” He said.

“Very well, let's get moving.” Celestia said.

-

Fury was now still impatient but now instead of boredom filled with excitement at this new secret place. 

The others had to catch up with him making good use of his new special lane in traffic. Even Pyro and Queen Bee could barely catch his slipstream. He may be a Speed Shifter, but he was also an All Powerful. They were coming up to a tight intersection with traffic ahead. Fury gave a whistle to the traffic officer to signal his arrival and allow him a heads up.

Tweet!

His silver whistle blew and traffic stopped moving in order to allow them to pass by.

“Road's clear! Come on through, speedy!”

Fury certainly did not hesitate there either as he went past with a two toe salute, not taking a glance at the large skyscrapers of famous earth pony business ponies and merchants from even centuries ago. No, for him, here was only one thing that caught his eye.

Celestia and Luna managed to catch up to him on the straight and went side by side with him.

“Good grief, I haven't flown this fast in centuries! We can barely keep up with you!” Celestia called over the harsh wind resistance.

“Just another day as the god I am!” Fury boasted. “Start pumping the brakes, here it comes!”

After a few more minutes of blazing through the path on the map, Fury finally came upon a large obstacle in his way. His group soon followed behind him and stopped, some more exhausted than others due to the strain of trying to not get left behind.

“I… will never… be able to… do that again.” Twilight panted, her wings flopped onto the ground.

“I wouldn't be so sure, Twilight Sparkle. Once you get to about Cadence's size, you should have the stamina to do long distance flying.” Lune said, stretching her legs as she landed.

“Woo! I haven't done that in ages! You sure have changed after all these years, fuzzball.” Queen Bee chuckled.

“Just the power of our ancestors keeping the cycle going. What about you, Cady? You feel like passing out?” 

“Nope! I was born pegasus before, remember? This type of stuff barely affected me, much less now. Though I can't say the same for Pyro though. You okay, honey?”

“I haven't… run like that… at all! I think… my legs… just might fall off.” Pyro huffed.

“Kind of surprised, Pyro. Thought you'd be the first one to persevere, not Cady, considering you were a commander.” Fury said, a little smug.

“Well, for your information, my focus is on fire abilities and I am a bit older, so I command those to do the running while I do the planning. So forgive me for not having the same speed as someone young like you.” Pyro said back.

“No way, Pyro. I'm gonna keep running even when I'm old and rickety. I'm letting this storm rage on for a good while.” Fury said, admiring his physique. “Now, the map says we're in the right spot. So can anyone tell me now?”

The other ponies looked at each other and silently seemed to be in agreement.

“Alright, just a little longer and you will have your answer.” Celestia said.

“I call Bullitus Shinatu on that…” Fury mumbled in Shifter language.

“Fury! Such language!” Queen Bee cried.

“Oh dear. My boyfriend is a bad mouthed bad boy, whatever shall I do?” Luna whimpered sarcastically.

“As if you wouldn't like that in a relationship, Auntie…” Cadence teased.

“Fair enough.” Luna replied.

“You think that's offensive? What's offensive is how I've been yearning with excitement for more than a day. Just pondering and pondering and pondering and I can’t take it anymore, I as an ambassador of Canterlot, I demand more just treatment! I demand to know the secret and I want it now!” The All Powerful Shifter said dramatically.

“You really are a mess, Fury. You know that?” Twilight sighed.

“Big talk for the one with the book on proper walking dynamics.” Fury shot back.

“Twilight, I know I'm your sister-in-law and I'm supposed to be supportive. But seriously?” Cadence asked.

“I'm just trying to make sure Fury is well surprised! The greater the wait the higher the satisfaction! I'm doing so he'll be completely enamored by the glorious site ahead! And if Fury just waited a bit more, then he'd understand why I wanted to not tell him yet.” Twilight said indignantly.

“What a bunch of phooey. C'mon, Snorkel snout, let's make it snappy here.” Fury snapped to the solar princess.

Celestia pondered a bit at first of what to do. Then she had a small smile.

“Alright, Ambassador Night Fury. You want to know? You will get it right now.” Celestia said, walking to the huge wooden gate. “If what you seek is pure imagination, then just look ahead!”

She inserted a large key into the gate and the doors opened automatically. 

In front was a giant factory. Not at all what Fury expected. While it was larger than even a palace, he still felt disappointed.

“A giant factory… whoopty doo- wait.” Fury's nose went on the attack, many smells flooding in all at once. “Chocolate… raspberry doughnut filling… vanilla… buttercream…”

“That's it… you're getting there…” Celestia encouraged.

“Something about this factory seems unusual but intriguing…” Fury started taking steps towards the building. Everything seemed a bit funky at first, but once he got to the golden doors ahead of him, it all started to come together. Putting a paw to the door, he was bombarded with a sense of magical whimsy and childish delight.

He couldn't explain it, but he felt as if he had stayed the same and regressed back to his pre-adolescence at the same time.

He looked back to his friends.

“Go ahead. Open it.” Celestia spoke. Fury pushed and opened the door. And what he saw inside made him almost regret the entire tirade of his impatience.

“W-what am I looking at?”

The smells were now even more potent. Smelled more delicious and sweet. But now his eyes were overwhelmed too. In front of him, he saw many wonders including a chocolate stream with large candy canes flanking each side. He saw a tree that looked like licorice and rocks of gumdrops. Everything he had seen just about made him try to pinch himself to snap out of what he could only think was a dream.

That is, if a certain alabaster alicorn didn't drape a wing over him. 

“What you're looking at is a place of pure joy. One of the largest and most well known candy factories in Equestria.” 

“B-but… who could run an operation this big!?” Fury asked.

“Aha, I believe that would be me.” Fury's head snapped over to a shadow in a corner, one that stepped out into the light and revealed himself to be one of interesting proportions. He was an earth pony stallion with curly brown hair and a straight but bouncy tail, wearing a plum colored suit and carrying a cane with a golden ball on top.

“What the… who are you?” Fury asked curiously.

“Well, I'm the owner of this fine candy crafting business! Willy Trotta, at your service.” The stallion said, tipping his rather large top hat. “Ah, Princess Celestia! Long time no see!”

Celestia smiled at the strange looking but well dressed figure. “Likewise, Willy Trotta. I see your factory looks as lively as before.”

“Oh more than that! I actually built a new part a month ago for our new gobstoppers. We're looking to the future like always!”

The black cat couldn't take it anymore. Celestia might treat this ordeal casually but he wants answers.

“Okay, hit the brakes!” Fury called out. “This place is absolutely huge. A river of chocolate, gumdrop rocks, Taffy tassels. What on earth are you making here exactly?”  

The stallion slowly turned to Fury with a mischievous yet calm expression.

“Why I'm glad you asked, my feline fellow. My candy factory is the biggest in Equestria, and also the most magical. I made this place in honor of my mother's memory, her chocolate recipe being the very thing that inspired me to do what I do best. Make candy for all to enjoy, but with a magical twist. YourYour group isn't the only one here either.”

Just then, a group of young kids with their parents were filed in by what looked like a receptionist.

“This way everypony, the tour begins in just a moment! Ah, Mr Trotta! I see our royal guests have arrived.” Said the rather young receptionist.

“Why yes, Lillypad, they have graced us with their presence today with a few new friends. They've brought along the ambassador of Speed Shifters to test our delights and gain a better understanding of what we do here. And I believe now is as good a time as any to introduce our latest creation.” The factory founder said in a chipper tone. He took a nearby crate and stepped up to address the group.

“Ladies and gentlecolts of the Manehattan area and beyond! My name is Willy Trotta, and I've come to you to show you a marvelous morcel, an incredible edible, an unbeatable eatable that will have you feeling young again! I give you… The Hoverchoc.”

From his pocket, he extracted a small chocolate in the shape of a seed. A green casing coated the outside with holes to reveal the inner beauty that lay waiting. But that wasn't all. He also procured a pitch pipe from the same pocket. That could only mean one thing…

He's gonna start singing, isn't he?
Fury asked himself. He was absolutely right.

🎵In… A… Jungle near Mumbai, there's a little Hoverfly🎵

🎵Who's wings beat at a thousand flaps a sec, and that's no lie!🎵

🎵These microscopic fleas… like chocolate more than leaves. And when asked nicely, lay precisely one little egg in each of these…🎵

Willy then flipped his hat over and brought a jar of the candies out of it, almost as if he was pulling a magic trick.

🎵When it hatches from its shell, it gives a happy yell. Woohoo!🎵

🎵How thrilling to be living in a chocolate hotel🎵

🎵They beat their wings with glee… and then as you will see… the choc-o-late will levitate and float most gracefully🎵

He opened the top of the jar and lo and behold, the tiny treats started to float by themselves. Fury had to rub his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn't going crazy, and sure enough, he was seeing straight as a pole.

And I thought Pinkie was over the top! 

🎵Well there's choc-o-late, and there's choc-o-late🎵

🎵But only Trotta's makes your eyes pop out their sock-o-lets!🎵

🎵Put your hooves into your pock-o-let, get yourself some Trotta chocolate! Come now, I insist…🎵

🎵You've never had chocolate like this! No, you've never had chocolate like… this🎵

And just like that, the chocolate circled back into the jar and returned to stationary lives. Fury was having second thoughts about everything he had seen. What in the world did he get himself into? Meanwhile, the crowd was applauding the performance and were amazed at the fun little show.

“Wow… what a show. I've gotta admit, even I have to give credit where it's due. But are you sure your treats are as good as you say they are?” Fury asked skeptically.

Everyone else gasped at his inquisitiveness. But before they could talk back to him, Willy spoke up.

“Well, why don't you try one? Trust me, the results will surprise you.” Willy said with a wink as he gave one to the black feline.

“Alright, Trotta… lets see what lies within these so-called Hoverchocs.” And we'll see if these candies are just you hyping things up.

He popped it into his mouth and began to test its flavor. The crowd and his friends watched his expressions closely. Just then, his eyes went wide.

“Oh… this isn't just chocolate, is it? Is that… marshmallow?”

“Yes! Harvested from the mallow marshes of Ponru.” Willy said softly, getting whispers from the crowd.

“And caramel. But it's…”

“Salted. With the bittersweet tears of a Russian clown.” Willy added.

Getting anything else, Lightning Bug?” Luna asked.

“Yeah I am. No way… it can't be… cherry?” Fury questioned.

“Cherry picked by the cherry pickers from the imperial gardens in Neighpan.” The crowd was now more interested than ever seeing that the ambassador was enjoying himself as he eventually swallowed it.

“Mmm, that was tasty! Okay, maybe I was a bit too harsh on you. That was pretty delicious.” Fury complimented. “I just thought you were one of those musical con ponies I heard from my friend Applejack.”

“Oh but that's not all. That's just the first part of the experience.” Willy said. This statement confused the ambassador and got him thinking.

“First part?” He asked simply. But before he could get to an answer, something truly bizarre happened. He started to feel a bit lighter in his belly, the feeling of weightlessness overcoming his concentration and bringing him to look down only to realize he wasn't exactly on the ground anymore.

“Huh?! What's going on!?” Fury said in a panic.

“That, my young feline friend, is the Hoverfly breaking out of its cocoon, ready to fly up into the air. And taking others along the ride.”

“Woah, this is weird. Who's in the market for a chocolate that makes you fly?” He asked from high above.

“Let's find out, shall we? Who's for a Hoverchoc?”

“I am!”

“Come on, give it here!”

“I always wanted to fly like a pegasus!”

A bunch of foals and even adults wanted in on the flying experience. They crowded around the Hoverchocs. And they floated just like Fury.

Everyone was excited at this feat, a brilliant achievement made by just one stallion. Though unfortunately, the effect only lasted for a while before they all floated down to the sanctuary that was solid ground. Well, all except one black cat.

“Uh… Trotta… isn't the effect supposed to wear off by now?” Fury asked from the air.

“I believe so. Perhaps I may have given you one of the extended duration variants.” Willy chuckled.

“Well, it was funny that I got proven wrong like I did, but I want to go down now. Moonpie, a little help?”

“Alright, I'm coming, dear!” Luna said, ready to leap in flight to him.

“Wouldn't you like to float too princess to get to him?” Willy asked, holding another Hoverchoc.

“Hmm… perhaps I should take a different approach to this. I'll take it.” Luna retrieved the treat from the candy maker and began munching on it.

“Oh my! What a delightful taste! I haven't had something this good since jelly doughnuts were invented!” Luna exclaimed.

“I know it's rude to mention a lady’s age, but good grief, I almost forgot that you and your sister are thousands of years old.” Fury chuckled.

“And yet you did it anyway.” Luna said as she herself began to float upwards towards her lover.

“Gotcha! Hello, my love.” Luna said.

“Hey babe. Y'know, you look kinda funny floating with me like this. But I bet you're more used to this since you probably hover within the veil of the dream realm.” Fury pondered aloud.

“You'd be correct. I have no need to use my wings within the dream realm, only when I enter a dream do physics start to apply.” Luna explained in a simple way.

“Well, good to know you're getting used to it.” Fury said. Then, he started to sink down a bit. “Oh, looks like the effect is wearing off.”

The veil was fading away quickly. Fury was worried he'd crash down. Luckily, his darling lover helped him with her wings and guided him down with her safely.

“I see you two share a special relationship. Something tells me one of you was a immediate crush.”

Fury's face went red and he sheepishly smiled.

“Well, it's a bit more than a crush. Cause she's my fillyfriend. I guess you could say I hit the jackpot there.”

Trotta smiled. “Well, it's great to see another creature achieve his dream! Why, many, were like you when I was young. Doubtful that my candy would be loved by anyone. Being told it would never catch on. But I held on.”

He looked at Fury firmly in the eyes. “Son, never let others tell you your dreams are impossible. With a bit of imagination and wonder, you'll go far.”

“Now that's advice I can swallow. But what's with us standing around, we've got an entire factory to tour!” Fury exclaimed.

“Right you are, my jet black buddy! Come along everyone and I'll show you the wonders of the Trotta factory!”

Everyone followed the eccentric factory owner as he occasionally twirled his cane around and leaped up every so often.

“Now, I'm sure you are all quite familiar with the holiday incoming in a few days. Nightmare Night is always a busy time for us candy makers. So, we are going to show you just what we do here and how amazing our treats are! And our first stop is one of my favorites… The Jokester Jelly Emporium!”

In the room everyone saw tubes where the potential jelly would be transported for packaging. Multiple flavors lined the walls as they walked over a rainbow bridge with smaller pipes full of jelly being seen underneath.

“Wow, that's a lot of jelly. But why call it Jokester Jelly?” Fury asked.

“Well, let's just say that some of these jellies have certain… prank worthy modifications made to them. The grape is actually super extra sticky and can be a hassle to get rid of, apple is bouncy and can ricochet around, peach is extra sweet and can drive ya nuts! Out of every flavor, a select few are chosen to become what I call ‘Jokester Jelly’.”

Fury's ears perked up as he heard the word jokester.

“I'm listening.” Fury said with great interest.

“Oh boy.” Twilight moaned, already knowing what the black cat was thinking by his facial expression.

“Well, since you're willing, allow me to show you just what we do to make these outliers in our manufacturing.” Trotta brought the group over to an assembly line where a familiar face  was working the injection machine.

“Cherry Jubilee?” Twilight asked. The plump country mare turned around and was delighted to see an old friend.

“Twilight! Why I oughta thought I was seein’ things. How are ya, darlin?” She asked.

“I'm doing great, thank you! I didn't know you started working here at this factory.” Twilight said.

“Oh I've been partners with Mr. Trotta for a good bit. Boy, when I tell ya the cherry orchard never drummed up more business after we tied the knot… hoo wee, I've been taking more orders than a cashier at lunch rush!” Jubilee said. She then took notice of the new face next to the princess.

“Well, a pleasure to meet you princesses.” Cherry Blossom said, turning to Fury. “As well you, Ambassador. I bet you're fixing to see these fine cherries as much as I am.”

“Yes ma'am! I've heard good things about you. Let's just hope whoever told me wasn't yanking my tail.”

She gave a loud laugh. “I’ve heard my competitors say that. But don't worry, sugar. I don't mess around when it comes to my fine products. Ask Applejack or anyone that knows me and you'll know my farm only makes the finest and the best of cherry products.”

Fury smiled cockily. “Let's prove that right now then. Shall we?”

The group walked along the production line until they got to the end of the injectors and started at the so-called ‘Modification Station’.

“And here you can see the jelly has been compressed to make the candies. The cherry outer layer with the inside consisting of either apple, grape, peach or pear jelly to make a sweet but insane treat.” Trotta said.

“Yep! And then after these machines compress the jellies, they'll be left to dry. And once it solidifies then you get a nice tasty but mighty tricky treat.” Cherry continued.

Fury felt tortured; he might have to wait to try these weird candies out. “Okay, sounds nice. But don't you have any I can sample from already? I can't leave this building without trying one!”

“You bet your tail! A good candy maker always has a few samples lying around.” Trotta pointed to a slot machine with two crank handles to pull.

“Huh, a game for two, eh? Hey Cadence, you up for some slots?”

“Oh you betcha! Let's get cranking.” Cadence said.

They both eagerly walked up to the slot machines. They took deep breaths and pulled the heavy cranks.

As they did so they could hear the gears churning and they could hear the jelly bubble and slosh through the tubes.

After a minute of anxious waiting, a ding of a bell could be heard, the machine finally dispensed two pieces of candy. One grape and one peach.

“So here we are. Two candies with two different effects! Which one will be more enjoyable?!” Trotta asked.

Cadence scratched her hair. “Wait, now that I think about it. Won't I be the one being pranked if I ate this? Something crazy will happen if I eat this, won't it?”

“But isn't that the fun of it? What, were you expecting me to eat it?” Trotta asked. “No, no, no. I already had my fun. Now it's your turn. After all, we all have to laugh at our own mishaps from time to time.”

“Yeah, unless you're some spoiled snobby princess.” Fury teased.

Cadence’s face showed determination “Excuse me? I'm a very adventurous princess, thank you very much and I say I'm going to eat this grape right here, right now!”

She quickly grabbed the grape candy and ate it. She had to admit the flavor was very… tasty. But it was hard to chew and swallow. She had to chew it up for half a minute to finally swallow it. 

“So… what happens now?” Cadence asked. But just then, everyone started chuckling. Even Twilight, Pyro and Queenie were giggling some. “What?”

“Uh… I think the effect has already kicked in, my polka dotted princess pal.” Fury laughed.

Cadence's eyes shot wide as she looked for the first reflective surface she could find. Settling in the clear tubes in the walls, she was shocked to find that the joke was indeed on her as she was now covered in multiple multicolored polka dots.

“Um… okay! What the heck is this?! Can someone give me a paper towel?” Cadence said, not waiting for anyone to answer, tried to scrub the dots off.

“Well, this is definitely a fun new fashion choice.” Queenie said.

“Yeah I think it can be used in war too. I think everypony will be too distracted to fight Cadence with those dots.” Pyro said.

“I can't even laugh at this, I just have to admire the fact that you actually managed to pull something like this off, Trotta. As a prankster myself, I tip my invisible hat to you.”

“I'm glad to see a fellow lover of fun appreciate this.” Trotta said, tipping his actual hat.

Cadence was starting to get unamused. But then she realized that there was another candy left.

“Oh Fury, I think you're forgetting something.” Cadence said.

“A hat? Maybe I should get one. They're kinda cool-” 

“No… there's still one other candy left. You still have to take up your end of the bargain.” Cadence said smugly. Fury looked over at the peach flavored candy and smiled without a worry.

“Sure, I'll take the plunge.” He said, casually grabbing the candy in a paw. “Down the hatch.”

He took the candy and dropped it into his mouth.

He chewed the delicious peach candy. It had a strong saccharine taste. It was almost too sweet. But it was still tasty to Fury. He liked the almost electric feeling to the hyper sweetness. 

Unlike Cadence, his fangs granted him a bit of an edge when it came to actually chewing on the thing and it was gone in no time flat.

“Hm, pretty tasty. I never knew peaches tasted so good.” Fury said nonchalantly. “Huh, I guess I can take the fruit a bit better. After all, I don't have weird effects.” He said looking in the mirror.

Of course Trotta was simply smiling deviously while Fury was looking in the mirror.

“Yeah, in fact, I feel better that I ate it. So good. Yep. So very good. Oh yes indeed. Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep! Just dandy and fine! Woohoo! Yeah!!!” Fury said quickly.

“Uh Fury, are you okay?” Pyro asked.

“Woohoo! Yeah I’m doing awesome but I feel like I have to run a bit!” Fury said, speeding around in circles. Then Fury realized something weird was going on. “Wait, what's going on with me? Why am I talking so rapidly and so quickly and I'm so anxious to do stuff and-”

Trotta finally laughed. “Oh Fury, the peach may not make you look different but it does affect how you act. You're now as hyper as a baby who ate all my candy. I bet you could travel to all of Manehattan in an hour at this rate!” 

“Watch this…” Fury blasted away in a shockwave and disappeared. Seconds later he had his parents in tow from all the way back in Ponyville. Both with shocked faces.

“I’d like you to meet mom and dad! They're cool people alright! That's for sure. It reminds me of all the fun times we had. Like that time we had a birthday. Oh wait I forgot, they're Black Ice and Obisdian-”

“What the? Where in the world are we?!” Black Ice asked not even comprehending what happened.

“Hi momma! Sorry for the super speed pickup, but I wanted to see ya. Speaking of that, how are things? Are things good, great, handy dandy? Ooh, that reminds me of the time I helped rebuild a shed for Applejack. Wonder where she is?” He rambled. Then Fury let them go and decided to run around the other parts of the factory.

Obsidian was surprised at first but observed his surroundings. He saw a fruit, a machine that seemed to produce fruit and a strangely dressed, probably eccentric owner.

“Let me guess. You gave him ultra sweet candy that made him hyperactive, huh?” Obsidian asked Trotta.

“Just another one of my many delicious delights. Willy Trotta, it's a pleasure.”

Black Ice spoke up first. “Are you insane?! You'd give Fury of all creatures that candy?! He's an All Powerful! You listen to me! Turn him back to normal this instance, you… you sorcerer!”

“Now now dear. Sorry, uh Trotta was it?” Obsidian said. “She's just not used to this uh unorthodox scenario she's in. Besides, she was in the middle of a shopping spree.”

“That beautiful rug was on sale too!”

Trotta simply laughed at these crazy overreactions. “Oh this is why I love my job. This is what I live for.” Then he cleared his throat. “Don't worry, ma'am, this is only temporary.”

“Yeeeee he he he heeee!” Fury said running back. “Wow, I never realized how big this place was! And I thought Sunbutt was big! Wahahaha! Get it? Ha ha ha ha huh… ugh I’m uh… think I’m gonna take a little nap. Nighty night…” Fury then collapsed to the ground.

Cherry Jubilee giggled. “And that's why we put the most cherry in this peach one. To make sure it lasts the shortest. After this mare named Pinkie ate it we learned our lesson quickly-”

“Oh dear gods! Will he be okay!?” Black ice asked.

“No worries, madam. Just a sugar crash. He'll spring back up in a few minutes, no sweat.” Trotta said casually 

“In the meantime, allow me to teleport you back to Ponyville. I believe you were in the middle of shopping?” Celestia asked.

“Yes! We needed some new decor for the house and I couldn't wait to grab some.” Black Ice squealed.

“Even if it wasn't needed…” Her husband mumbled.

“Did you say something dear?”

“Nothing. Nothing. Let's just go.” He said with a yawn, not wanting to get into an argument.

Celestia then went close by and teleported them back.

The remainder of the guests were just silent at this point. “Well… that just happened.” Twilight said.

“My sister was right. You really are the most insane confectioner I've ever seen. Well besides Pinkie Pie.” Luna said in an amused way.

“Thank you, your highness, I take that as a compliment.”

“Well, in the meantime, what do we do with sleeping beauty?” Cadence said, gesturing to the knocked out feline.

“As his girlfriend, I shall tend to his slumber.” Luna said, levitating Fury onto her back and giving him a nuzzle.

“You know, he's kind of adorable when he sleeps.” Cadence said.

“That's an understatement.” His former babysitter said. “I used to pet him while he was asleep. He always made the cutest little purring noises.”

“Well, I'm sure our speedy friend will awaken from his crash soon enough. Now, onto our next spot of the tour… The Fruit Punch Falls!”

Fury then snapped up from Luna's grasp. “Did you say Fruit Punch Falls?!” 

“Well that was quick.” Trotta laughed. ‘Why yes, we have dealt with solid treats, but we must not neglect a good drink. It's obvious there will be fruit punch but there will be so much more. It will be a little like mmmm… an amusement park.”

“Amusement park!? Now I’m really in!”

“Never change, Fury. Never change.” Twilight chuckled under her breath.

Then Fury realized something. “Hang on. Wasn't I chewing candy just a second ago? Why am I on Luna's back?”

“Let's just say your little treat gave you… a speed boost.” Celestia explained. Fury racked his brains on what he could remember and it all flew right back at him in no time as his face turned an interesting shade of red.

“Oh… that.”

Luna explained all the crazy shenanigans that went on while he was on his sugar high. From his talking patterns to him traveling all the way to Ponyville.

“Whoa! I traveled all the way to Ponyville that fast!? I thought only Pinkie could do something like that! Hmmmm. I wonder if I could use some of that.”

Trotta shook his head. “I wouldn't advise that. These candies made you basically uncontrollable. You wouldn't be in control.”

“Okay. Okay. Fine. Well I guess it was fun while it lasted. Especially if it got me closer to my lovely Luna.”

Luna blushed at this.

“Well, shall we get going then?! We have a tour to complete!” Trotta said.

“Alright, let's roll! Away my love, to sugary salvation!”

Everyone gaited in excitement as they followed behind Trotta for their next destination.

-

As they kept moving, the landscape changed drastically. Tubes of jelly changed to what looked like a natural forest, but with some obvious differences. The trees were made of chocolate bits coated in gold edible glitter, grass was red and smelled of strawberry (Cadence's personal favorite scent) and to top it all off, a stream and waterfall made of different types of fruit punch, flowing in alternating colors on a cycle.

“Wow, it's almost like an actual forest. I can't believe this is real!” Twilight said in awe.

“Ha! Check it out, money growing on trees. Try and prove me wrong now, Celestia!” Fury called out.

Celestia giggled. “I don't think I could even if I wanted to. I don't think I've seen someone make a tree with chocolate money in my entire long life.”

“Just a little project turned into success. I wanted to put a spin on the classic ‘Golden coin is actually chocolate’ trick. So, I manufactured a chocolate coin covered in edible golden glitter. Though, initial sales were slow considering the trick was a little… too good and got parents panicked.” Trotta sheepishly said.

“Ah, classic party pooper parents,  I guess they span all races and cultures.” Fury said, thinking back to his mother.

“Finally! An adult finally understands the pain!” Trotta said dramatically. “The tyranny of middle age!”

“Oh hush, the only reason we're so ‘Boring’ is because we have to be. Only one of the things we have to do in order to bring our children into reality.” A random mare said, getting eyes from everyone.

“What?”

“You're single, aren't you?” Another said bluntly with a hint of sass.

“I would prefer to say I'm married to my factory. She’s the best mistress for me.”

“I should have expected that...” She said, rolling her eyes.

“Wow, we caught a wild buzzkill folks.” Fury said, getting some laughs. “But then again, there's already been a purple one in captivity for all to see for years. Oof!”

“I'm not that snooty.” Twilight grumbled.

Trotta cleared his throat. “So, may I ask who this lovely mother in front of us is?”

“Well, I'm somepony very special to somepony else here. And I wouldn't mind the jokes related to my daughter being toned down a bit.” The mare said.

“Your daughter?” Fury wondered. Then, it all clicked. “Wait a minute, I know that voice! Velvet, is that you!?”

Velvet then smiled. “That would be right, Ambassador. And I see you're with other familiar faces.”

“Mom!?”

“Hi there Twily!” Velvet said with instant glee as she ran to hug her daughter which she reciprocated. “I haven't seen you in ages! You've grown so much since you became princess!”

“Oh my gosh, i-it’s good to see you! I've been meaning to catch up for a while.” Twilight replied. “But wait, how do you know Night Fury and vice versa?”

“We met at an antique store a while back while I was on that shopping spree in Canterlot. Gave me some nice tips on your radios. By the way, I'm loving it.”

“I'm glad you are, Fury. Nothing like a good radio drama to read to and wash dishes to.” 

The black cat then realized something. “Hold on, when did you get in here?!”

“A very helpful dragon gave me a tip on my daughter's whereabouts and pointed me in the right direction for a little surprise reunion, so I signed up for the tour and waited for my chance. I must say, Spike has matured much over the years.”

“And it looks like the surprise was quite a success if I do say so myself.” Trotta boasted. “I bet you didn't see this coming, did you, Miss Sparkle?” He said looking at Twilight.

“I suppose not. But then again, this whole factory is filled with surprises. So this is par for the course.”

“Well, the only reason I'm here is because your father practically forced me to. He told me, to my face, that I could spare some extra pounds with how, by his words… ‘Horror movie levels of skinny’ I was. But, I must admit that he was right to some degree. I've been suffering under the watchful gaze of the infamous Slim Trim.”

With that name mentioned, basically everyone moaned out in annoyance, especially Trotta. All except Fury.

“Slim Trim? Who's that?” Fury asked, unaware of the reason for the collective frustration.

“Only the strictest weight management coach in Equestria. She's been driving ponies to nearly starving for years!” Cadence bellowed.

“Now now, niece, I believe you may be exaggerating. But I must agree, my love. While Slim Trim's reputation for putting many celebrities on their success track, such as Fleur De Lis and Sapphire Shores, she has a habit of implementing very… hardcore diet plans.” Luna said with some grimace.

“It's true. All of us have lived in Canterlot at least once and to say she's an annoyance is the understatement of the century.” A mother said.

“That's right. She made mama really wobbly and tired once. I was really worried about her.” Her young child added.

“But daddy's cooking and your support helped mommy get better, didn't it sweetie?” She reassured her child.

“It sure did, mama. Nothing like a bit of good old fashioned sandwiches.”

“She's been on my case for years too.” Trotta said. “Tried to shut my factory down for ‘Unhealthy working conditions and illegal distribution of contraband’. Well that was a fine how do ya do! If candy is contraband, then Celestia is a hardened felon with all the snack cakes she had in our early days.”

“Oh dear…” Celestia moaned, blushing a red that could put shame on Fury's eye color.

“Oh don't be so embarrassed, Celestia. You did me a service by being so attracted to Cake. As a matter of fact, our best selling year was when you just about bought us out-”

“SEIZE YOUR HUMILIATION, TROTTA!... please?” She bellowed, switching to a calmer tone once she realized her volume.

“Alright. Alright. I'll let up for your sake.” Trotta said, ready to change subjects. “Just know that I don't bow to any pretentious fitness junkie. That's the thing to take away.” He said with great pride.

“Dog gone right! I bow to no high ranking figure! Heh, why do you think I rip into these four on an almost daily basis?” Fury chuckled to the four's unamusement.

“Because annoying us is your specialty?” Cadence asked sardonically.

“Partially. But it's also a very special way to show you guys that I love you.”

“It's a rather odd way I must admit.” Luna said. “But I appreciate the feeling anyway. I guess even your crude humor I've gotten a strange liking to.”

“Wouldn't have chosen me if you didn't find me charming in some way, right? Even if it might have just been dumb luck…” Fury whispered that last part, but not quietly enough as everyone caught wind of his doubts.

“Tis the truth, my dear runner of the night. I couldn’t go on without it.” Luna cooed. “And nor would you do without me to give you a sense of calm for your craze.”

“I know Shining had second doubts when he eventually popped the question, I could sense it. But you have something genuine flowing through you. I understand where you're coming from with the possibility of things just being a wish on a random star, but you shouldn't doubt the fact that you're standing here with her in your life with no signs that you're dreaming.”

Fury looked up at the mare before him and had to admit that the love expert was right. He had his doubts that someone like Luna would even give him the time of night, but it was true. He wouldn't be in this position if he wasn't for real with this. 

He just silently smiled, and hoisted Luna's wing up to give them some privacy in their loving exchange.

“Well, it feels like a dream to me. The most wonderful dream ever.” Fury said lovingly to Luna.

“Likewise, my dearest.”

Everyone, even Trotta, looked on with admiration. After all, for Trotta, one of the reasons he wanted to even make the factory was so people could be filled with bliss. And whether it was with zany candy or a tour of the factory of said candy and the feelings that went into it, he felt satisfied his goal was completed.

Twilight then broke up the silence. “So, where will we go next, Trotta? Are we still going to tour this room?”

“Oh of course! You all must try this fantastic fruit punch! Please follow me to the Tubular Tube Transporter!”

Fury leaped out of Luna's grasp and looked to Trotta. “I totally forgot! Sign me up! I’m ready to go traveling!”

Trotta smiled. “Alright, but remember this might be a little much for newcomers. The speed and images you'll have will put you in a sense of shock and awe. You might want to wait another time when you're-”

“Buddy, shock and awe is what I'm all about. Just show me the way.”

Trotta nodded and they walked on a path to a pier with an elaborate old style steamboat by it. As the name suggested, tubes of strange fluid ran across its running boards, a homemade fuel source. There were also strange piston powered pumps filled with punch to drink.

“A Steam Boat? Trotta, pal… you said speed not sluggish.”

“Are you implying this Steam Boat can't be fast? Oh don't you worry. This fine dear will not disappoint you or the others.”

“We'll see.” Fury said as he got into the boat.

He had to admit that the ship was pretty nice though. It had nice seats and an old style interior mixed with Trotta’s candy design. But was it good enough to fill his adrenaline needs?

Then everyone heard a loud noise of the steam horn.

“All aboard the Tubular Tube Transport! Brace your seats and be ready to have your mind blown. Literally.”

Some like Twilight were a bit nervous and made sure to stay put. Fury on the other hoof was ready to see what kind of performance this transport would give.

The boat went slowly at first, traveling to the tunnel in peace. But as they went into the somewhat dark but colorful tunnel, it built up gradual speed.

“Um, we've been going pretty far, haven't we?” Twilight asked, a bit nervous. 

“That's what I've been asking. I can swim faster than this, and I'm still struggling in my own pool!” Fury huffed.

“Oh, don't you worry. We're gonna be having a guest soon. And it'll be real fun. You won”t know how to handle it.” Trotta said with a grin.

Then the tunnel got dark. Everypony was starting to get nervous. They then heard something like a large gate opening. Soon enough, light reentered the landscape and all around them was more fruit punch, red grass and golden trees. But, something was different. There seemed to be a slimy coating on some of the trees and grass, almost like a trail made by a slug.

“Is it just me or is there some sort of… goo covering this place?” Celestia asked.

“Yeah, uh, is this supposed to be from some sort of jello or something?” Pyro asked. “Because it's not anything I've seen.”

“No idea. Maybe it's some sort of sweet tree sap made of honey?” Queenie theorized. Soon, the Steam Boat came to a stop at a dock with a toot of the horn. Everyone began to step off and onto the walkway when Fury stopped on a dime, his ears flicking in random directions. Queen Bee instantly knew something was up with him as her years of experience babysitting him gave her clues into his behavior and certain actions.

“Something catch your attention?”

“Yeah. Something's moving… quickly. It sounds like a slug, but it isn't slow. And it sounds like it's… purring? And it's coming from…” 

Fury's eyes caught a shadow of to the left. “There!”

The figure stopped, slowly turning and facing the group. It seemed to be some sort of gelatinous dome. Just tall enough that it could meet Cadence's chest but too small to be considered anything imposing. The figure slowly crawled its way towards them, many confused faces looking in its direction.

Then, the light hit it and the figure was revealed. And it… was adorable.

The figure was an orange jello-like creature with two nubby appendages reaching out in the direction it was moving. Two glistening eyes gave it a welcoming look with a mouth permanently structured in a Cheshire grin.

“It's… alive?” Twilight finally managed to ask.

“What is it?” Queenie asked.

“Like I said, our guest. And he seems to be looking forward to seeing you all.”

Fury took a step out towards the little creature and got down to face level with it. Cocking his head in confused intrigue, the creature did much the same. Or as well as it could be being a blob of strange jelly without any sort of structure. It let out a soft gurgle with an inviting slime, a completely innocent gesture.

“Hey bud. You're an interesting little guy, aren't ya?”

It simply responded by leaping right at him. Enveloping part of him in slime.

“Fury!” Pyro said, ready to go into action. “I'll save you!”

“Woah woah woah, hit the brakes, Pyro! It's okay, he's just saying hi. He probably can't speak, so he uses actions in the absence of words. Besides, I got a read of his aura. His entire existence is solely centered on innocence. He's literally incapable of any sort of negative emotion.” Fury explained.

“Not to mention… he… hehehehe kinda tickles.”

The blob cooed in an adorable way. 

Everyone was now fascinated with this innocent childlike blob. Even Pyro had to admit he looked very cute.

“This place has many surprises. I've known that since its inception. But a living blob with the mind of a puppy was not what I expected.” Celestia admitted. 

“Yep! This little guy has been a friendly companion for years for me and my staff. We simply call him-”

“Let me guess… The Tickle Monster?” Cadence stepped in.

“Ding ding ding, right on cue! I guess great thinkers think alike! And I think you deserve a reward. Hey Tickle Monster, come on and give our guest Cadence a well deserved reward!”

The cheerful blob paused its connection with Fury and began rapidly sliding towards Cadence, almost speeding forward.

Once close enough, the blob bounced up and dove straight for her, forming a soft nose cone for aerodynamics as it went up, over and…

Plop! 

Cadence collapsed on the ground as the Tickle Monster was on top of her, tickling her.

“Ha ha ha ha! Oh dear! Stop it!” She said laughing. But this laugh, unlike with Fury, was more voluntary. She loved its affectionate hugs and cuddles that came along with the tickles. “You're so cute, you little munchkin!”

At that moment, the little blob seemed to embrace Cadence more and actually turned pink, though a light shade. It seemed to be feeding off of her affection and laughter.

The others looked with yearning. They wanted to feel its affection too. Even Pyro.

“Well, what are you all waiting for?” Trotta asked. “Go on! Pet it! It appreciates extra attention after all.”

Pyro was hesitant at first but eventually gave in and pet the slimy blob. Her paw was met with a slimy sensation, but not a gross one. It seemed like this extraordinary creature had adapted its membrane to suit a certain texture that she would like, not to mention mini tentacles wrapped around it and began to somewhat nuzzle and tickle it.

“Wow, this little fellow is heh pretty ticklish! Heh heh heh. You have a lot of play in you huh?” She asked happily.

The blob simply responded with more tickles and small gurgles that just made her smile and giggle even more.

“Heh, even you seem to like it.” Fury said. “Even the tough ones have a soft side.”

Then the black cat realized something. “Wait a minute! Trotta, this little guy is technically a creature, right?”

“Why yes, a very interesting one at that. Why do you ask?”

“Ooohohohoo… you're about to find out.” Fury's body instantly ignited a red light, his body seemingly melting into a red puddle before reforming into a red version of the jello like friend Cadence was still attached to.

“Hey there! How do you like this?”

The Tickle Monster looked at him curiously. He seemed curious about what Fury was.  

The blob felt Fury a bit to see if he was just seeing things.

“That’s right, bud. I'm one of you now!”

The little blob gurgled happily at seeing he wasn't alone.

“I know, it's super cool! I can do this anytime I want.” Fury said, seemingly having a conversation with the other cheerful blob.

“Wait, he can understand it?” Velvet spoke up.

“Yeah, I can. Transformation also allows me to speak to a creature on its own terms. You can understand it quite well this way.” Fury said. “And from what I hear, The Tickle Monster or should I say TTM has taken quite a liking to me.”

The blob was now fully enthusiastic and cuddled with him.

“Wow, I've never seen The Tickle Monster this happy before. He was happy but not this ecstatic. I guess it's all about seeing another one like it.” Trotta said admittedly.

“I guess it's been a while since his own kind has seen him face to face. I can imagine how that can be, but it's no big deal. You already found your place in life, haven't ya?”

“Grooo!!!” He said hugging Fury. 

“This is simply adorable!” Luna said with a squee higher than she would normally allow. “Tis a glorious moment!”

Twilight looked to Trotta, seeing his smile at the whole thing. “Say, Trotta. Where did you find Tickle Monster anyways? It's not a creature ponies usually see after all.”

“Well, he was originally from a far off land of unique creatures. Only a place of pure imagination and fantasy. He was one of many that ultimately came to my attention, but he stuck out for one specific reason. He seemed to cheer up anyone and anything around him. So, I brought him with me to introduce him to my staff. And wouldn't ya know it, he brought overall morale up tenfold! I couldn't even dream of creating something as unique as him. His innate abilities to cheer up anyone and give them a good time is invaluable. He's even discovered the hidden tickle spots of many of my employees. Even those who claim to not be ticklish.”

“That I can see very clearly.” Celestia said with a smile.

“Hey, looks like the little guy wants to show us something.” Fury said. The little orange blob slithered away for a moment before returning with a tray of cups with fruit punch for the crowd.

“Oh thanks little fella.” Queen Bee said, pinching the blob's cheek gently to which it gave a big smile.

They drank happily not just for the sweet flavor, but also the good service of the gooey waiter. 

“I'll be honest, I wish I had a waiter like TTM.” Celestia said. “I've never seen quite a fine gentlecolt in my whole life.”

“Hey! I'm still here. What about me…?”

“Mmmmm?” The blob looked quickly at a pouty faced Fury. He quickly went to another room to get a fruit punch for him, having a look of desperation. Fury could see TTM was worried the shifter felt left out.

“Thanks, bud. I still have you to get things going again.”

“Eeeeee!” The Tickle Monster squealed in delight. Fury could tell him no matter what, this little guy always wanted to make everyone happy. Even tickling did that.

“It's funny, when Tickle Monster tickles, people like it. But when I or Cadence do it, we try to escape from it!” Fury said with a laugh.

“Yeah, I noticed that too.” Cadence said, agreeing.

“That's the secret to this Tickle Monster.” Trotta said. “He does it with the purest and sweetest of intentions. Even what some would find annoying in other situations, he just manages to make it look like the best thing ever. Even being distracted by him is something everyone doesn't mind if they don't prefer it!”

“Huh, he really is a being of pure innocence. Well, it's nice meeting you, pal. Keep up the good work. For all our sake, huh?”

“Eeee!!!” It said before tackling him again. 

“Ha ha ha. Oh come on, stop it! Ha ha ha!” Fury said with complete delight.

Eventually after some help from Trotta, the blob finally got off Fury and went to see others to give happiness to. 

“Well, with my day officially better now, what could possibly be next?” Fury asked. “At this point, between weird candy and a living blob, I think I've seen everything this place has to offer.”

“Not everything… I'm sure your royal companions have made you aware of the upcoming holiday?” Trotta asked.

“Yeah, Nightmare Night is tomorrow night. Why do you ask?” Fury wondered aloud.

“Well, I believe it's time we got around to our themed section of the factory. Come everyone, through the spooky tunnel of tricks and treats.” Trotta said with a spooky voice.

They traveled once again through a hallway. Once again the atmosphere changed as they kept going. This time from bright and festive to dark and macabre. They saw webs by the roof. Many skeletons on the ground. The hallway was lit only with faint blue lights. All the while the sounds of bats and zombies filled his ears.

Fury hadn't seen decorations like these before. And even he, the one with no remorse for anyone who disrespected him, the one who relished in the sight of blood, slipped his way under Celestia's wing with ears pinned to his skull and small whimpers breaking the air. 

“Well, folks, what do you think?” Trotta asked. “A very charming place is this not? Especially thanks to our some would say spooky guests.” He said with a glee unbefitting of the eerie place they were in.

“Y-yeah! Very uh charming, yeah!” Fury said, trying to hide his fear. “It makes you feel totally at home.”

“W-what do you have in mind?” Pyro asked. “I know you're up to something, Trotta!”

“Hmhmhmhmhm,” Trotta chuckled. “Why Pyro, whatever would make you think that? I simply want to share with you all the joys of Nightmare Night! What could you possibly have to worry about?”

“Well… I haven't heard much about Nightmare Night but I think the name is a clear indicator that something amiss is afoot.” Pyro said, still looking to see for any possible threats. Fury was even more on edge, his defense being at a high with his red glow peeking through Celestia's feathers.

“Wow. I've never seen Night Fury this tense. Maybe Nightmare Night isn't his type of day after all.” Twilight whispered to her sister-in-law.

“Yeah, I know. I didn't think he'd be so on edge about stuff about the night. It is his namesake.”  Cadence said.

“I don't believe this will stay for long.” Luna chimed in. “He is most likely in initial shock. His culture doesn't have an equivalent holiday, so this is relatively new to him. He'll find his footing eventually.”

Trotta struck the ground with his cane, getting everyone's attention. “Uh are we alright here? We haven't reached the best part yet. But I understand if you want to leave. It can be a fright, especially for newcomers.”

Night Fury stepped out from his hiding spot under Celestia's wing and took a breath. “No, I can handle it. I'm not a wuss. Just the first time jitters is all. Speed Shifters don't have an equivalent holiday, so all the decorations are a bit off-putting.”

“No one is used to these haunted areas when they first encounter them. It takes some getting used to. But I'm sure despite the frights you'll enjoy them.”

“Well, we'll see.” Fury said. “Let's just get this over with. Shall we proceed, Trotta?”

Trotta smiled a bit mischievously. “Gladly.”

Everyone kept going down the path for some time. The hallway started to open up, and what appeared to be grass with some tombstones. It looked as if they were in a cemetery. Fury looked even more anxious.

“You… sure did design this place well.” Twilight said. “Did you design this artificial cemetery yourself?’

“That would be right. Except for one thing. It's not fake.” Trotta said all too casually.

Everyone gasped at this revelation. “Are you saying, we are in a land of the d-dead?” Cadence asked.

“Yeah that would be right. Some say these were the bodies of those who built this place before we established our factory.”

Everyone was a bit surprised, but Fury had his suspicions confirmed. “I knew there was something shady about this place. Who would have thought a candy factory owner could be something so creepy?” Fury asked. 

“I haven't been alive for as long as I have just to be another generic candy maker. And besides, we haven't even gotten to the big facts of it all. Did you know that Nightmare Night is known as ‘The Night Of Mischief’?x

“Yeah real funny… Wait, did you just say mischief?”

“Yep.” 

“As in pranks and tricks?”

“Oh all the classics, my friend.”

At that point, Fury's eyes went slit, his claws extending and a sneer of a smile creeping across his face. It was almost as if the mention of no good deeds was the equivalent of a shark smelling blood in the water for him. “Now you've got me delightfully intrigued…”

“Uh oh, I know that face. It only takes a veteran babysitter to know when the fuzzball is up to something.” Queenie said.

Every princess and Pyro nodded along.

“So… where shall we see this… tools of mischief?” Fury said with something resembling an evil mad scientist. “Just curious.”

Trotta smiled. “Follow me, Fury. I have a place to show you. Only a few guests are allowed in this secret spot.”

Everyone followed Trotta as what seemed like lightning or wind gave some shudders to everyone. It was bewildering for the group to see a factory be able to simulate the outdoors.

“Ah behold, everypony uh I mean everyone! The Great Mansion of the Night!” He said as lightning struck, pointing to a fairly massive mansion with the usual sweets like licorice. But even those candies seemed dark and twisted.

“I don't know about this…” Pyro said. “Something seems very off about this. I don’t like how suspicious this looks.”

“Yeah, uh maybe we can move this tour along. I'm sure there are other places to go-”

Fury was not having any of that though. “Oh no you don't! We're here for a night or uh… day… I can't tell. But we're here for a night of revelry. A night of mischief and mayhem. And I ain't leaving till we go in that building.”

“That's the spirit, Fury! Now with that in mind, let us go forth and see what strange wonders there are to see!”

“Alright, let's go!” Fury said before stopping instantly. “Oh, I've got to go to the bathroom!”

“Really?!”

“Yeah, Trotta, this will have to wait. I gotta go!”

“Uh okay, follow me.” Trotta said awkwardly. “Just wait here, everypony.”

After the two split off, Fury's face turned from annoyance to happiness again. And he turned Trotta around. “Okay, we're alone now. So now we can do a little… preparation.”

Trotta then realized what Fury was on about. “I see… you're thinking just like me. You've got to plan out the experience beforehoof after all. So what do you have in mind?”

-

“Those two have been gone for fifteen minutes! How long could a bathroom break be?” Twilight asked. “We gotta find them.”

Just as they were about to search, they heard screams.

“Princess! Princess! Bad news!”

Trotta came with his hat missing. He was panting heavily.

“W-what is it? Are you alright?” Twilight asked.

“Barely. But not Fury. This monster, he, he, he took Night Fury. And he went into that mansion I talked about! I was so close to being snatched up!”

“Wait monster? In this place?” Cadence asked.

“This area has admittedly been abandoned for awhile. This place is underground after all. And there are occasional beasts that lurk around here. But I never thought it would be as horrifying as what I saw...”

Luna walked up to Trotta. “We must rescue my love right this instant. We will not let this beast get him. All of us together will bring him out.”

“Agreed. But we must proceed with caution.” Celestia said. “They might be expecting us through the front door. Do you have a better idea, Trotta?”

“Why yes. If we go into a secret entrance, we can enter without them knowing we are in there. But we have to be careful. As to avoid… the traps.”

Queenie was also impassioned. “Take us there, we'll get him back.”

Everypony walked to one of the gravestones. Trotta said what seemed to be a magic incantation. And the ground raised up revealing a cave entrance in the form of a bat with sharp fangs.

“Charming.” Pyro said sarcastically but with a tension. Everyone strode inside and walked the dark catacombs for a while before an exit was found. On the other side of the door laid a giant tank of green liquid, hoses protruding from its sides, leaks few and far between. No entity could be seen yet, but a sign could. A set of three equal length claw marks pulsating with red electricity.

“Those have to be his claws. No scratches I've seen leave a red static charge behind.” Twilight said observantly.

“But where could he have gone? It doesn't seem like there are many exits from here.” Cadence replied. 

“I guess we'll just have to pick one. Or… we could split up.” Trotta said.

“And let us get taken down one by one? This isn’t a children’s comedy act!” Pyro asked. “We're going altogether. And we'll go of course with the leftmost door first. So let's go.”

“And be ready for anything.” Twilight said.

They all walked through the hallway. They could see sets of horse armor, paintings and carpets. It gave an elegant feel.

“Well at least they know how to decorate.” Cadence admitted. “It does seem rather nice in here.”

Luna grumbled. “I don't care how nice this looks if they kidnapped my love.  Justice shall be served.”

“Guys!? Guys, you there!?” A distant but very recognizable voice echoed.

“Night Fury?! Is that you?!” Luna yelled out.

“Yeah. It's me. I don't know what's happening to me. I could use some help to get out of here. Please…” Fury said.

“I will save you!” Luna yelled out as she ran for the hallway. 

“Luna, wait!” Queenie called out but it was too late. Luna went in ahead.

“We gotta go after her!” Twilight said as everyone tried to catch up to Luna.

Soon enough, a clearing came into view and another tank was seen. This time a bloody red and along with it… a little blob inside. But that blob was all too familiar in shape and it was changing drastically. Spines came out of its back and claws turned into flat feet like an elephant. Its tail became a wrecking ball covered in spikes and its head became flatter with a singular dagger horn on top. The body was becoming wider set, broader shoulders and a heavyweight structure.

“Is that a… dino- Mmmm!” Twilight .

“Keep it down.” Pyro said, covering her mouth. “To answer your question, yes, but whatever it is it can probably detect us from hearing. Their sight's probably so as long as we don't make a noise we'll be fine-”

ROARRRRRR!!!

The beastly creature vocalized from within the tank, causing the mechanism below to release it. The liquid flowed down into a drainage grate while the creature hit the ground with a thunderous boom, the concrete floors cracking under its weight. It let out a snarl and looked at its surroundings. Not seeing much, it moved to the right, every footstep sounding like mini earthquakes. Then, they got a good look at its features. 

Its outer armor was black and scarred in multiple places, the dagger horn on its head scratched and no longer shiny. Its tail was chipped and many spikes were either barbed or bent. Then there was its face. Red glowing eyes held the forefront of the creature's prevailing figure, a jagged jawline and crooked yet sharp teeth protected from its upper lip.

To say the group was terrified was an understatement, even Celestia and Luna were somewhat shivering in fear. But at that moment, Cadence's eyes caught something. As the creature slowly heaved its way up a nearby ramp, she got a good look at its back. And what she saw both confused her and made her curious.

Is that… a lightning strike on its back? In fact, now that I think about it, he's dark and I saw this tracks with red energy around them. Hold on…

“Looks like it can see us! Everyone get ready to fight this beast!” Pyro said.

“You will pay for what you did to my lightning bug, you fiend!!!” Luna said about to launch into the monster with righteous fury.

“Wait, everyone! There's no need for that!” Cadence said. “This monster is Night Fury!”

“Say what?!” Everyone asked.

“Grrrr?” The beast looked in confusion.

“I’m serious! Look at his back. Notice anything significant?”

“Well it is black and a bit dark and- wait… is that a lightning mark on it?” Queenie asked. 

“I knew something was up! Something told me it was a little strange that Fury would be gone for so long. Plus, that scream we heard was a girl! Unless Night Fury's for an embarrassing secret we don't know… I think we just got pranked.”

At that moment, the beast did something no one expected. It started laughing. And even more strangely, Trotta did too.

“Ha ha ha ha! Oh we got them good Night Fury! Nothing like a little deception, ha ha ha!” Trotta said.”

“Whoo hoo hoo hoo hoo! Now that is what I live for!” Fury laughed.

“Wait… this whole spooky rigamarole was a set up?” Twilight asked.

“But that creature must have been extinct!” Pyro said. “How were you able to become a dinosaur?!”

Fury said it simply. “I figured that I'd have a little fun with all of you, so I worked with Trotta to give me a little help. Turns out he got an Ankylosaurus bone stashed away.”

“That's right. The biggest find I found digging up this factory was this bone. I saw it as a sign of good luck for my enterprise. But never had I expected it to actually make a brand new beast out of olden days! I have to give your feline friend credit for that idea.”

“Hey, when you're a god in a world where your powers are the epitome of everything that's wild in the world. You find a way to have fun with it. Also, babe, you have gotta get that love rage under control. You're the presiding ruler over the Thestrals, a tactician of epic proportions! Seriously, even I wouldn't be so blind to run out in front into unknown territory. C'mon beautiful, fog of war is still a thing!”

Luna blushed and sighed. “Indeed. I suppose my passion outweighed my logic. I've forgotten about when I used to fight in wars back then. I forgot to keep my passion in check.”

Celestia nodded. “Let this be a lesson, Luna, always keep a level head. So you will know what to do.”

Fury smiled. “Though to be fair, I don't think anyone in love with me could resist acting all crazy. So I find it understandable.”

Luna rolled her eyes at his cockiness. “Like you wouldn't also do the same with me.”

“Of course I would, it's only natural to go 50/50 in a relationship.” Fury smiled, turning back to his original form and nuzzling his love.

“I for one think this was unnecessary. All this wasted time could have been better spent elsewhere.”

“Oh for Celestia's sake, Twilight! Can you go one second without being a complete drag?” Fury moaned.

“What? I'm just saying tha-”

“Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope, not today.” Fury sighed. “Tia, please tell me this isn't some byproduct of her proximity to you.”

“I'd like to think not. I know Twilight was like this ever since she was a filly. It took my sister coming back just to go out and make friends.” She said with a giggle. 

“Princess!” Twilight said with a pout.

“Oh don't get huffy now, missy. As your mother, I can confidently say she is on the mark. You were the worst case of a shut-in study-holic anypony had ever seen. Seriously, Everytime somepony tried to relate to you, you'd disprove it with… as much as I hate to say it about my own daughter… boring nerd speak. Not to mention you were the biggest snitch on the playground in 3rd grade. Even the teachers were coming to me saying you were no fun!”

“I-I… Well, I was… Okay, fine. I can be a bit of a buzzkill. I know.” Twilight said, finally admitting it. “I guess old habits die hard.”

“Yeah, that's an understatement.” Fury said. ‘But let's be honest, you found it fun deep down. Inside you probably found it awesome. Don't lie to me.”

“Well I will say I'm impressed by your transformation and your bathroom break being part of your plan. I can't deny that.” Twilight said.

“Well, at least I can fix you somehow. Even if it looks like your sense of humor is rustier than an old battleship at high tide.”

“Yeah, he's right about that.” Cadence said.

Even Celestia nodded.

Even Twilight had to admit she was amused though by the battleship metaphor. “I guess I asked for this.” Twilight shrugged.

Trotta slammed his cane. “Alright everyone I see you were all impressed! So are you ready to venture from the dark and go back into the light?”

“Yeah I can say this was an awesome Nightmare Night exhibit. I think I'm gonna do some scaring every Nightmare Night now! Starting tomorrow night, I'm gonna be the biggest menace on the planet!” Fury said. “This is one of the best pony traditions!”

“Woah, hold yourself back, Fury. You may be powerful, but you're not that much of a menace at the end of the day.” Queenie said with a smirk.

“Huh? What are you talking abahahahahahahaha! Hey!”

“Cause you'll still be that ticklish little fuzzball that everyone loves.” 

Everyone laughed at that. Including Luna and especially Twilight.

“Dang it, you used my conversation as a chance to get behaha! Behind me! This was supposed to be my victory!”

“And that's why this is called payback.” Pyro said with a smirk. “Even the All Powerful cannot resist a good tickle.”

“Hmmmm, that gives me an idea for a new candy to make.” Trotta said. “I'll have to write that down!”

After the tickles were over. Everypony and Fury left the factory. Trotta promised to see them again. He would be ready to surprise them with new candies later. 

“As long as creatures like Fury exist, even if my factory went away, the spirit of excitement and fun will never die off.” He said to himself as waved goodbye to his new favorite customers.