Meteor Star is almost exactly like his mother before him in the fact that he's invested in his studies, so Twilight sends him to Ponyville to get him to lighten up.
Meteor Star is the son of Princess Twilight, Queen of Equestria officially. He follows in his mother's hoof steps in sticking to his studies about magic and he aspires to be an astronomist, meaning again, more studies. Twilight recognizes his priorities and lifestyle as how she used to be all those years ago, so what's a worried mother to do? Why send him to Ponyville of course! There he will be surrounded by his honorary aunt's, and she believes he will get along nicely with his honerary cousins there too. . .and learn what she did so long ago.
Turns out the road to learning friendship starts with unexpected adventure!
Meteor Star sat hunched over on his writing desk, his mane was a mess and his back ached, yet he was too completely inraptored with his book to notice. When he got into a good book, everything, even aches, melted away as he was transported into the fictional world. His eyes scanned across the page, only glimsing each word before moving on to the next, yet all information in said words spoke clearly in his mind. He turned the page with his magic before pushing his indigo glasses up his snout to rest where they ought to.
He was so engrossed that he didn't even hear the door open behind him.
Princess Twilight Sparkle blinked at the mess that was her son's room. It was usually this way but what befuddled her was the fact that she had helped him clean up just that morning.
"Meteor, there's something I need to discuss with you." She announced, her golden clad hoof moving to kick a stray pencil case out of the door way.
Meteor didn't move a muscle, not a swivel of the ear or twitch of his tail to indicate that he had even heard her. She sighed and used her magic to pick up everything off the floor and float it in the air so she had a clear walkway up to the Prince's desk.
"Meteor Star, dear." She said again as she stopped right behind him and put her hoof on the top of his swirly chair, spinning it around in a swift motion.
Meteor let out a high-pitched yelp as he was suddenly ripped out of the world of “Ogres and Ooblets the Written Novel” and back to reality. First thing he saw of the real world was his mother's calm yet serious face and soft violet eyes.
"Mom? What gives? It was just getting good!" He huffed in annoyance. Twilight raised a hoof to silence him from saying more. "Ori, I know you love your books, and I understand completely how one can get sucked into a good read, and you can go back to it when I'm done, but right now I have something important to talk about with you." She said.
Meteor sighed, the firm look on her face telling him he wasn't getting out of this one. "Alright, what's up?" He asked, sitting up straight and using his magic to straighten out his messy forelock.
Twilight studied him for a moment before continuing. "As you know, when I was your age, your Aunt Celestia sent me to Ponyville to get my nose out of the books and—"
"—Make some friends." Meteor Star inturupted her, giving her a blank expression and resting his chin on one propped up hoof. "I know the story; Aunt Luna escaped so Aunt Tia sent you there to defeat her, you needed others to make the Gems of Harmony work and you defeated many other villains afterward and then you became a Princess and then became ruler and moved back here." He summarized half-heartedly, his voice deadpanning at certain words.
"Elements of Harmony." Twilight corrected him. "And making friends there wasn't just to get them to work, it was to teach me the value of friendship and teamwork, something you obviously don't know much about considering how much time you spend in this trash heap everyday." She said, gestering to the items she finally decided to drop back into place.
"I'm studying stuff, you know that, you should see the messes you make in the library when you study." Meteor retorted patiently, really itching to return to his book, he had just finished studying up for his tutor's teachings the next day and wanted to get his mind on to more enjoyable things. I wonder when Uncle Spike will visit next? This story is giving me all sorts of new strategies to try in our next game!
"I do see it, but that's not the point." Twilight corrected again, bringing his attention back to reality. At least I clean up my messes after I make them. She thought huffily, she hated being called out on such things. "The point is, this. . . lifestyle, that you have for yourself is exactly like how mine was back then, and I know from experience that it's no life for a young pony, you need to learn to make friends and live your life properly like I did, which is why—" Meteor felt a pit of dread drop into his stomach, he knew what was coming, "—I'm sending you to Ponyville. You will stay at my Castle of Friendship and your Aunties and Uncles will be there with you, aswell as their foals who are around your age."
Meteor Star felt his heart hitch, suddenly, his life of studies and astronomical findings and the royal pampering that being a Prince came with, seemed to be ripped away, from all his past, present, and future; behind him he saw only faded memories, and before him. . .why, it seemed like life just ended that way, like his future was no longer clear, it was dark and hazy; uncertain.
"You'll catch the train tomorrow at ten, so you better pack your things tonight."
"Wha- train?" Meteor gaped, breaking out of his dread. Twilight nodded. "So as to not draw attention to yourself, you don't need to be crowded as soon as you step a hoof out." She explained. Meteor had never stepped a hoof onto any transportation other than a chariot in his life, and he had never been away from home by himself before. Could it get any worse? "What about my teachings here? What about Professor Moondancer's tutoring?"
"I've already talked to Moondancer about that, she's agreed to cancel your teachings. You won't be needing any extended school next year when you turn eighteen anyway, so a few months of work taken off of that won't make much of a difference. Your lessons are now in Ponyville."
Cancelled?! Meteor couldn't think of anything worse, besides going to Ponyville of course, but that wasn't an important question at this moment. "B-but, what will I do there? I can't just go there with no plan or anything!" He exclaimed, grasping at any straw he could find. Twilight raised a hoof to calm him. "If it will make you feel more at ease, I will give you an assignment. Write to me, report to me anything you learn, anything at all about friendship, that's what Celestia did with me." She smiled, excited at the prospect of being on her former mentors end of the bargain this time and at the reassurance that she'd get to hear from her colt on a regular basis.
"So. . .I have to study it?" Meteor asked. Twilight thought for a moment before answering. "Sure, kinda like that yeah." She said, worried again about Meteor's priorities, and twisting her hoof in a 'half and half' motion. Gosh I really hope this works. She thought, suddenly thinking about all the negatives that could come from this decision.
Thinking of it as a form of studying made Meteor feel a little better about it, but not enough to erase the dread of leaving and spending his time with other creatures. There's so many foreign creatures in Canterlot alone, of course there's gonna be some there too. . . He wanted to throw back his head and complain, wanted to decline and refuse, wanted to have a choice in the matter, but the reality of it was that he had no choice, he was being given direct orders from the Ruler of Equestria, not only that, from his mother, whom he would still be obligated to listen to anyway if he was a civilian due to the fact he wasn't considered an adult yet. . .and he would just have to accept that.
He lowered his head in defeat, seeing no way out. "Please know that I'm doing this because I love you and I want what's best for you." Twilight said, reaching out a hoof to lift his chin up so she could look him in the eye. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think this was for the best or if I didn't think you could do it."
Meteor met her gaze, her gorgeous violet eyes were gleaming and soft and full of love. The young unicorn, only seventeen, suddenly felt a wave of something come over him, the desire to please her, to make her happy, and proud. He thought he had already been doing that by become as skilled a unicorn he could be, but maybe he had been wrong. No. He thought. She may want me to do this, but I'm not gonna like it! I've already made her proud here, I've got nothing to prove! I can't believe she would do this to me! He thought sulkily, refusing to see the obvious.
"Can I at least bring my telescope and charts with me?" He asked hopefully, if he could only bring those things maybe this assignment would be a little more bearable.
Twilight nodded. "Yes, no use leaving behind a hobby." She said, removing her hoof. Meteor felt a trickle of sanity return to his mind, at least she'd let him keep that. He watched as she left and he spent a few moments staring at the messy floor. His thoughts were racing, he was leaving, and leaving his life behind him, he would bring his things but that didn't make life the same as it was.
Swiveling around, he looked at his book and frowned. Suddenly reading didn't feel appealing, all he wanted was to curl up and wallow in his despair, to just sit there, staring, wondering about why the universe could treat him this way. But he had to pack, he had to listen to his parent's orders. . . Wait. . . Dad, he wouldn't allow this would he? He'd talk to Mom and convince her not to send me away, I'm sure of it! He thought, hope returning to him.
Just then Twilight cracked the door back open and stuck her head in. "Oh, one more thing; I've already talked to your father about it, so don't even try to go to him and weasle your way out of it." She said plainly, before leaving and closing the door again.
Meteor jumped to his hooves in shock and he gaped. "H-how. . ." He stammered, but he knew it wouldn't do any good, she had already left after all. Once again settling into the depths of despair, he trudged through his room and started to collect his things.
Waking up the next morning was a ride. Meteor could almost believe that the whole conversation between him and his mother had all been a bad dream, that he wasn't going anywhere and would wake up and go out to see Professor Moondancer preparing today's lessons. But then he drew the curtains open with his magic to see the train in the distance and looked down at the floor beside him to see most of his stuff packed up, and he remembered that it was all very real.
Twilight had said that his stuff would be shipped to him by Pegasus Mail after he got to Ponyville and that he needn't worry about bringing them himself, which he guessed was nice, didn't make him any less bitter about leaving. And he was bitter now, he had felt despair the night before but now he was just frustrated and ornery.
He flung himself out of bed before making it up neatly and placing his glasses on his nose. His mane was a mess, though he didn't really care at the moment, none the less he used his magic to make it at least look presentable. He looked at the clock —it was 8:41 AM— and exited his room, going down the corridors to the dining room for breakfast. His mother and father were already there. Void, Twilight's pet owl since Owlowicious had passed last summer, was on his perch in the corner, his bright amber eyes a contrast against his melanistic plumage and staring down at Meteor judgingly, which Meteor hated. He was so used to Owlowicious being so sweet and loving, it was hard for him to adjust to this daunting and aloof barn owl taking his place.
Breakfast was quiet and normal, the normalcy only broken by his father Star Tracker who tried to make the most out of the situation with dumb remarks like, "So, Ponyville huh? Pretty excited, wouldn't you agree?" Meteor didn't agree, but he didn't want to seem rude so he just kept his mouth shut.
Afterwards it was almost time to leave, Meteor Star got ready for the day and the trip, including grabbing his book to keep him entertained. According to Twilight, the train should get him there around 1:00 that afternoon. Seriously? On the rare occasions that his mother had traveled to Ponyville in a chariot, it had only taken her about half an hour to get there and half an hour to get back. And she's telling me that I have to ride in a civilian train for FOUR hours?!
Again, he wasn't allowed to complain and his parents and him walked through the Palace grounds, out into the city and to the train station. The train was a shiny, colorful, girly sort of vehicle, not that Meteor minded, dessert designs were very common in Equestria, but the destination ahead of him was made all the more real at the sight of it.
"All aboard for Ponyville!" A conductor shouted, the doors of one of the train cars opening as a crowd of ponies hurried in. "Better hurry." Twilight said, nudging him with her hoof and lowering something to him with her magic. "Just give this ticket to the conductor and get on." She instructed.
Meteor turned to his parents. Star Tracker immediately put a hoof on his shoulder. "You should be more excited, who knows? You might grow to like Ponyville more than you like it here." He said. Meteor seriously doubted it. He couldn't help himself even if he was mad, he hugged both his parents tight, realizing he was going away and who knew when he'd see them again.
"Last chance!" The conductor said again, already stepping into the driver door. Meteor Star wondered briefly if he should hesitate a little too long so the train left without him, but he decided that wouldn't be fair and that he'd likely get in trouble. He stepped forward, passed his ticket to the conductor with his aura, and boarded the train.
Twilight meanwhile, watched her son leave with a sharp pang in her chest, sad to see him go but glad he was finally going to learn true friendship. A wave of guilt washed over her. Have I failed as the Princess of Friendship? Maybe I wasn't there enough to really teach him, maybe I've been too busy and I should have known I would be before I had him. . .what Princess of Friendship can't teach her own foal simple harmony. . .? I just hope this can make up for my mistake. . .
Meteor Star was jolted awake by the sound and feeling of the train screeching to a halt and throwing him forward. He used his hooves to stop himself from hitting the wall in front of him before sitting back in his seat. He rubbed his eyes and straightened his glasses before standing up.
The ride, in his eyes, had been dreadful. There were a group of other ponies in the same car as him and he swore he could hear them whispering and feel them staring at him the whole way, which was to be expected when you were royalty, but knowing it was in such an enclosed space with no way to get away from it all made his coat prickle.
Now he was here. Finally. A wave of soreness struck his hindquarters and spine, and all along his back popped as he stretched out his legs. Chariot rides are much more comfortable. He thought; though sleep usually lulled bitterness and spite, Meteor found himself to be in just as sour of a mood as before his nap.
Before he could go anywhere, ponies began to rush past him to get out the door and he had to wait to avoid being trampled. If only they knew who I was, then they wouldn't be in such a hurry to get out first. He thought, though he knew it was better that they didn't, he didn't want to get swarmed by ponyrazzi as soon as he left the train.
Finally the wave dispersed and he broke out into the next car, making it out the door narrowly as it was closing. Steam rose around him and he wrinkled his nose at it, it fogged his lenses and smelled of metal, and he had to remove his specticals to rub them clear again. Stupid train, stupid steam, you just don't have these things back in Canterlot Palace.
Pesky steam wasn't really his main focus however, the strange surroundings were; He had been to Ponyville before with his mom but he had either never left the chariot or stayed inside the Castle of Friendship, so this time it was much different, for one, this way he was on the ground and level with the buildings.
He walked up to the wooden platform and looked around, trying to figure out where to go next. Most of the rows of houses were behind the station, and in the distance, on what looked to be the far side of the town, towered a huge purple castle with a big star at the top. That's the Castle of Friendship alright. He thought. Guess I'll just head there.He huffed and began his trek across the village.
Walking down the main street was strange to him, earth-ponies and unicorns milled about while pegasi soared up in the air. It was mostly ponies but he did catch sight of a griffon and a hippogriff swinging what looked to be a hybrid chicklet between them by his little forearms. There were a couple whispers but for the most part no pony seemed to realize who he was. The chatter was loud and definitely annoying though, he groaned at everyone's. . .social-ness. How could anypony be so cheery if they weren't studying their interests?
"Look out!" A squeaky voice sounded from behind him and he jumped out of the way just in time as three foals of each different pony breed barreled past, a orange pegasus and a brown unicorn seemed to be pulling their hot pink-headed earth-pony friend on a sled behind them. Meteor was both annoyed and puzzled. They do know Winter Wrap Up was a week ago right? He thought. He continued on, grumbling about almost running over royalty. Honestly seeing so many different kinds of ponies together was strange, Canterlot was mostly populated by unicorns, with pegasi and earth-pony's sprinkled among them, and of course the other types of sapient creatures.
He passed ponies standing around and talking to eachother in groups or in pairs, wether in the street or by their houses, there were some shops, foals were chasing eachother around the streets, and up ahead stood what seemed to be a stage, a large group of ponies gathered around it. Meteor tried to steer clear, community theater meant lots of sociable ponies. Yet he still caught the obnoxious voices of the two stallions on stage.
"Hey dudes! Up for some jokes?" The orange earth-pony asked the audience. "No!" The crowd answered, but something about the way it was said made you think it was all part of the show.
"Well why not? You all know when I start joking, you almost always want s'more." The earth-pony cracked a handsome smile. Meteor, who found himself going a bit slower than usual out of subconscious curiousity, didn't have any context, an therefore, didn't understand why that was even funny.
"Not today, the crowd wants to see trickery! Pranks! Something more sly than verbal comedy!" The other stallion, this one lanky and pink coated, hissed. "I, a comedic genious, present a banana peel." He said, holding up said peel in his hoof. The shorter, orange stallion turned his head to look at the audience, one thick maroon brow raised and face expressionless besides the ghost of a smirk at the corners of his mouth. A few ponies giggled, mostly young foals.
Meteor for one, didn't think the act so far was all that funny, and stuck his nose up at it. He certainly didn't want to stick around any longer, in fear that he soon would; he had glimpsed the shorter pony's cutie-mark, the well-known symbol for comedy, and he didn't want to take any chances.
He continued on, he could see the Castle up ahead now. Finally, time to get away from all this foolishness. Only one thing stood in his merry way now: a dragon.
It wasn't a big, kinda scary looking dragon like Uncle Spike, no this one seemed to be a teenager, maybe around thirteen or fourteen, with aquamarine scales and almond shaped ember-colored eyes. She was kneeling on the ground studying a trail of ants that were crossing the path, her face focused. Meteor, like he did with the stage preformers, tried to avoid her and gave her a wide berth as he headed for the Castle.
However, seems life wouldn't be coroperating with a anti-social colt such as himself today. The dragonets head suddenly shot up as if on cue and he could feel her eyes fixed intently on him. He couldn't just ignore it, he turned his head reluctantly to look at her as well. She was staring at him alright, in pure awe and wonder. She slowly got to her feet, fore-claws clasping together in front of her torso. Meteor, weirded out, began to walk away faster.
"Wait!" A shy voice called after his fleeting steps. "Are you really the Prince?"
Meteor tried to ignore her, but he could hear her claws pounding the ground as she ran to catch up with him. "Oh please wait! You can't deny it, I know you're the Prince and I've always wanted to meet you!" She continued. Meteor sighed and lowered his head, ears flattening. "You must have the wrong guy." He called back, he just wanted to get to the Castle already, why couldn't the universe understand that?
"Don't be modest, please! You don't need to pretend with me! I get it! I'm royalty too! I'm a princess! Princess Emerald at your service!" She called back. She caught up with him in that moment and he looked to his side to see her walking beside him, looking up at him with wide eyes, talons still clasped together.
"Sure, uh, kid." Meteor said, he had never found a reason to call anyone 'kid' before -usually it was him being called that by his father- and using it on another creatures kind of thrilled him. He obviously didn't believe such a claim from the little dragoness, and continued walking, picking up the pace just a little bit more.
The dragon, Emerald, continued to talk. "I've seen you in the paper, how smart and hardworking you are, nothing like how I would imagine a prince to be. My Aunts take me to see the Festival of the Two Sisters every year and I see you there next to Princess Twilight and I think how regal and brooding you look- oh! Forget that last part!" She gasped, reaching her talons to her mouth to stop herself, scales blushing furiously.
Meteor felt his own face heat up under his fur.
Emerald shook her head, recovering quickly. "O-oh, oh please won't you let me assist you? I'm good at cleaning, and cooking, and carrying stuff! I could carry your book! I could carry any books you ask me to in the Castle library any day if you'd like? I may be a princess but I'm very resourceful! I can-"
By this point, Meteor had walked up the front steps and reached the door, opening it with his yellow aura. Before the dragonet could continue to speak, he rushed inside and closed the door practically in her face.
He leaned against the other side of the door with an exasperated sigh before slumping to the ground, recovering from the awkwardness of it all. Our race must be crazy! Dealing with folks like that all the time. Friendship, pah! He thought, frustrated, not only with the situation, but also with himself. He was here on a mission, an assignment, and so far he was failing at it. He shook his head, too stubborn to let those thoughts reside in his mind for very long at all.
He looked around at the empty front room and long halls, suddenly realizing that he had nothing with him. Twilight had sent him to Ponyville with nothing and everything wouldn't come in until tomorrow and he was already starting to feel cold under the daunting crystal walls and ceiling. I'll freeze through the night! He thought, increasingly becoming more irritated. At least it was pretty clean, rainbows danced on the crystal floor from the prismatic stained glass windows and there were a few chairs along the foyer walls.
Of course, how could he forget? His Uncle Sunburst and Aunt Starlight took care of this place, they lead tours here, and Meteor would have to live here while ponies went in and out on exploration of this place. He groaned, could today get any worse?
There was a knock on the door. Meteor grumbled about how ponies didn't just come to the Canterlot's Palace and knock on the front gate whenever they felt like it, before standing up straight and opening the door just a crack, not wanting that pesky dragon to see him if it was indeed her standing on the other side.
It wasn't her however. Instead stood a gray coated pegasus mare with a blonde mane tinged with hints of silver and wearing some sort of uniform. "Packages for Prince Meteor Star?" She said uncertaintly in an airy voice, looking down at her clipboard as if perplexed on why a prince would even be here. Meteor Star nodded slowly, not familiar with civilian postage and looked around at the different sized boxes all around the mailmare's hooves. Sure enough one said: "Prince Meteorite Star - Castle of Friendship. Shipped from Canterlot.
He couldn't believe it! He kicked the door open and picked up a small package in his magic aura. Had he misheard what Twilight had said? Had the package just come earlier than anypony expected? He opened it neatly and beamed down at the collection of books and star charts that resided in it. Thank Celestia! He thought, before using his magic to slide all his stuff inside the Castle.
"Oh, uh thanks." He said before turning away and closing his door. He looked through a peep-hole he had just now noticed was there and saw that the mare was now retreating back into the sky. He turned away and began ripping open his boxes. All his books, blankets and pillows, his astronomy stuff, it was all here. I guess that means at least one thing did go right today after all! He thought, he was still sour about the move, but all his woes we're pushed to the back of his mind In his moment of glee.
One package however, he realized once he had opened all the boxes he recognized, had a different decent address on it: Sweet Apple Acres. Thats weird, where the hay is that? He wondered as he opened it. Inside was a smaller, squater looking box in white and red checkers, on top there was a small note. He opened it and read it to himself:
"Dear Meteor Star.
Nice to hear that you're moving to Ponyville for the time being! We at Sweet Apple Acres are mighty happy to greet you to our humble little town, it may not be the glamour of Canterlot, but it's your mother's home, and ours too, so we hope it can be forgiven. Anyway, here's a little something to welcome you, would have come myself but I'm very busy today, life sure can be a crazy ride. Anyway I hope you find life in Ponyville suitable and wish you the best of luck.
-Sincerely, your Aunt Applejack"
Meteor Star stared for a moment longer. He had met all his aunts before, they came once a month for the Council of Friendship after all, yet he still hadn't expected any of them to greet him so warmly, or help him out much. He looked down at the red and white box and opened it, grinning at the contents: a delectible smelling, still-warm apple pie. I guess having someone to rely on can be useful sometimes. . . He thought with a shrug as he picked it up and drew in a long breath of it's scent.
He sneezed. Though the Castle looked pretty clean, it was obviously still a bit dusty. No matter. He lit his horn and preformed a spell. A feather-duster, a broom, and a dust pan appeared and began to clean up the foyer in officiant, swift motions, before they all whisped down the halls and into the various first-floor rooms.
He had learned this spell from Sunburst one time when they were both in the Crystal Empire. Twilight often took Meteor to visit the Crystal Empire to visit his actual Aunt and Uncle, Princess Cadence and Shinning Armor, along with his much older cousin Flurry Heart, her fiance Pound Cake, and his younger cousin Princess Mi Luce Pura- yet just like Princess Cadence, she prefered to be refered to as the Ponish version of the name, Pure Light, despite this she also didn't seem to mind the nickname of Pura.
Sunburst visited often, as he was Pura's crystaler and a magic teacher to Flurry Heart, so he had no qualms about teaching Meteor Star some useful tricks when he could.
Meteor brought himself back to the present, he had to get his stuff into his new room. He'd been inside the Castle before and he remembered the interior as clearly as if he had lived there his whole life. But first, he was eager to have some of this pie. He found the kitchen and magically cut a slice, ate it, and put the rest in an empty cake stand to save it for later. It was then he noticed a note hanging on the fridge with a magnet. He lifted it up and read it:
"Hey Meteor, you may have already noticed but I took the liberty of setting up the kitchen for you so you aren't just dropped here with nothing to eat or eat with. Your mother has sent me all the furniture that used to be in the sitting/living room too so I've put everything back the way it used to be, I hope you like it! Also, I've toned tours down to only being open once a month so you won't be disturbed every week, as for the monthly tours, I'm sure you can easily just clear out, y'know, spend that time with your new friends. Speaking of friends, come visit me in the School of Friendship, there's all sorts of creatures and ponies here that would love to meet you, it sure would make your assignment easy! Anyway, that's all for now, your very attentive aunt and friend: Starlight Glimmer."
Meteor sighed. He was grateful to her setting stuff up for him, but it was just so typical of Starlight to want him to make friends with someone she's suggested. Back in Canterlot, his mother was always putting Starlight up to finding him a perfect friend match, and Starlight was definitely good at trying to push it. She'd find ponies his age who he had never seen before and set up dates to get them to talk and get to know eachother. He couldn't imagine why Starlight would have agreed to do such a thing, since he had heard the story of how Twilight had tried to do the same to her before she had found her own friend in Trixie and proved that you can't force ponies to be friends, but he hadn't really given it much thought, maybe Twilight payed her to do it or something, he didn't know.
Meteor always won the fight of course and avoided even trying to make the friendships work, driving the other pony away either from boredom with all the mathematics he spoke of, or being as unresponsive to them as possible. He put the note back on the door for now and exited the kitchen, ready to unpack his things.
He decided to take up Twilight's old room, which thankfully still had a bed with a mattress in it. He sat on it and ovaluated the rest of his surroundings. It was a decent sized octagonal shaped room, bigger than his in Canterlot alright; with crystal pillars, a tall window beside the bed, and the wall a few feet away from the door, as well as a few on the opposite side, all still covered by some dark purple curtains. I guess she left some things here, for her overnight visits she sometimes does.
He stood up and began dragging his boxes in with his magic. He made up his bed, unpacked his bookshelf and disassembled desk -and took a too long time trying to put it back together again- and placed his bookshelf between the bed and the door. Afterwards he unpacked his books, brought all his star charts and desk supplies to the desk that he decided to put near the back wall between two tall windows, and put his O&O book on the bedside table where a leftover lamp still stood.
Finally he allowed himself to sit down. That's when he started to get cold again. In one side of the room he noticed a fireplace, no doubt run by unicorn magic as the castle didn't have any chimneys. He hopped off his new bed and lit the fire with his horn, warmth immediately started to creep through the Castle, and he smiled softly as the heat returned to his coat.
Now with nothing else to worry about and his room starting to feel more like home, he decided it was a good time to return to his book. He laid back on the bed, switched on the lamp, and opened his book.
Knock, Knock, Knock
Meteor scowled, as yet another knocking on the door reached his ears. What now? He had spent the last couple hours setting everything up, and he just wanted to get off his hooves, he wasn't used to so much physical activity. He wondered for a moment if he should just wait for his interupter to leave, but he realized quickly, that he didn't want such loud knocking to grace his ears longer than it had to.
So he got up, dragging his book with him in the air as he headed for the front door. He grumbled as he opened it.
At the sight of this strange new visitor, he immediately slammed it back closed. Eyes going wide and breath hitching in his throat. Nope, definitely don't need visitors and definitely not paranormal creatures thank you very much! What is it? What does it want? Why is it here?! He thought frantically, before taking a deep breath, just like Mom had taught him to do in a stressful situation, hoof to his chest before slowly pulling it away.
There was another knock. He groaned and decided to take another look through the peephole. Okay, maybe this wasn't so bad, it had shocked him in the first time, but now that he looked at it again, it wasn't too bizzare looking, why it looked almost like a normal pony. He decided to open the door just a crack.
The creature beamed at him. She was definitely more pony-like than he had given her credit for at first. Before him stood a pale yellow mare, with ruby red eyes, and swath of rosy red hair that curled on her forehead before hanging limply down in an ending of silky curls beside her chest. She had two short blue horns peeking out in-between her ears, one covered by a silky red rose that she had woven behind her ear, as well as two fangs poking out under her dainty top lip. On her back we're two bat-like wings folded on her back and her front hooves were. . .lion paws.
Meteor immediately knew who this was now that he saw the creature, which was clearly a hybrid, more closely. This was one of his honerary cousins, the daughter of Aunt Fluttershy and Uncle Discord. There was no doubt about that.
Chapter Three: Ragtag Friends and. . . You Did WHAT?
"Hello!" The chimera-like mare greeted, a bright smile on her narrow, fairly pretty face. "I'm Scarlet Rosebud, and you must be Prince Meteor Star? I've got to say it's an honor to meet you. Our mothers are very good friends and I just thought I'd come over and welcome you to Ponyville."
Was this supposed to be Aunt Starlight's idea of a good first friend for him? Now, she had tried many different types of ponies before, but never a pony quite like this walking absurdity. But then he relayed the yellow mare's words in his mind. She thought she'd come over and welcome him, thought to do it herself.
"So, Starlight didn't send you here?" he asked after a moment, voice unsteady.
Rosebud shook her head and tilted it. "No. Why would she do that?" she asked, clearly confused by the question. "I just figured somepony should come and greet you, and I figured that somepony should be me. Oh, also, I'm very happy to help. If you ever need anything, anything at all, you just come find me at my cottage over near the edge of the Everfree." She pointed off to the side, though Meteor couldn't see it through the crack. "And just come to me with any problem, woe, or worry and let your pal Rosebud take care of everything!" She concluded her speech, wings fluttering happily.
Meteor stared at her. She was smiling, such a sweet, kind smile. It made the rest of her overwhelming overall appearance seem to melt away. Her eyes, demonic as they should seem, were just as bright and soft and kind as the curvature of her mouth. Meteor gave a little sigh. He didn't know what compelled him to open the door the rest of the way and give in to her visit, but he did it anyway.
The hybrid mare stepped forward. "So, how are you adjusting? I mean, I know you only got here, like what, a couple of hours ago?" She asked, stretching out a broad pastel paw. Meteor stared at it for a moment, before slowly lifting a hoof onto it and letting her shake it in greeting.
"T-that's right, I came on the one o'clock train. . . I'm. . . adjusting fine." Meteor silently cursed his inability to hold a normal conversation. It shouldn't have been so hard to answer a simple question.
"That's great to hear," Rosebud purred. . . like literally purred like a cat. Meteor was very confused by that. Did Uncle Discord do that too? he wondered, caught off-guard.
Rosebud didn't seem to notice, however, and continued. "Hey, so I heard from my mom that your stuff won't get here until tomorrow-"
"—Uh actually, I—"
"-so I was wondering if you'd like to maybe come over and hang out? It must be lonely in a big castle all by yourself. All my best friends are coming over too, so it should be fun."
Meteor opened his mouth to decline, wanting nothing more than to be engulfed back into the world of O&O back in his room, but before he could get a word in, Scarlet's gaze traveled down his side and landed on the book floating just behind him.Her eyes brightened and she pointed a digit at it.
"Oh, so you like Ogres and Oubliettes?" she asked.
Meteor blinked, surprised. He hadn't expected anypony here to even know about the game. It was so full of math and roleplay that he didn't think the average pony would even like it. Then again, this hybrid mare definitely wasn't the average pony.
"Yeah?" he answered.
"Hey, that's perfect! That's actually what we're all doing over at the cottage, playing the game with my dad; and he's the most exciting player around." Her smile became a bit more fond as she mentioned him. "You've gotta come along now. It's a very fun game when it's with my dad. You do like playing the game too, don't you? So what do ya say?" she asked, before waiting patiently for his response.
Meteor had to think about that for a moment. He really had to admit, the prospect of having new players to play against kinda thrilled him. So many new possibilities, new techniques, and tricks, new challenges! And it would be with Uncle Discord. According to Uncle Spike's stories, Discord was the cleverest player he knew back when they would play together when Spike was young, and he was the trickiest to best! Okay, maybe "kinda thrilled" was a bit of an understatement.
He sighed. As much as he wanted to go back and read his book, he also wanted to actually play the game; Uncle Spike hadn't been back from the DragonLands for a long time and he didn't know how long it would be before Meteor could return to Canterlot. . . it was a gamble. Then he remembered his assignment and mission. As much as he loathed the idea of it, it was still a form of study, according to Mother, and he had never been one to weasel his way out of study. . . .
He looked from his book, biting his lower lip, then back to Rosebud, who still stood there, patient and full of smile. Finally, he sighed, his mind made up. "Alright," he said in a tone he hoped came off as coolly. And I can read on the way there, so I might as well, he thought.
Rosebud fluttered her impressive wingspan excitedly, happy to have found a way to get through to him. "Great! Well, alright, let's go then shall we?" She was purring again. . . . Meteor nodded slowly and exited the castle as she trotted down the front steps. He pushed the door closed, the sun immediately beaming down at him and reflecting off his lenses.
He followed her down the steps, for the first time noticing that her back legs were that of a brown-coated goat, ending in pink cloven hooves that faded to blue at the tips. Even stranger than that was her complete lack of a cutie-mark. He blinked the confusion away before opening his book and continuing to follow her down the main street, keeping one eye on the book and the other on where he was going easily — he had a lot of practice doing that over the years.
Not so many ponies were out now, and thankfully Emerald was nowhere in sight. Seeing that there were fewer faces and noise, calmed Meteor down greatly. He was content to spend the walk in peaceful silence, reading, but Scarlet Rosebud clearly had other plans.
"So, tell me about yourself," she purred as they walked.
Meteor sighed, once again turning his mind away from his read and deciding to play along. "Uh, well, I like books and. . . outerspace. I study astronomy. My telescope just arrived so. . . ." He trailed off, absently wondering what information was normal to speak of first thing and what was best left to being discovered over time.
Rosebud's eyes flashed. "I love reading too, it's just so relaxing. I have a friend who likes space as well, she's always up for exploration if it's on our planet or beyond." She chuckled softly. "She's the same age as you y'know, and just as shy, I think you'd get along well."
Meteor Star wrinkled his nose. I'm not shy! I'm just. . . inexperienced. Still, like the O&O surprise, the thought of somepony here having the same interests as him had never crossed his mind, and at that moment he felt very stupid because of it. Then something struck him. If Rosebud had said that her friend was his age, that meant that she, herself, wasn't.
"Oh. . . how old are you?" he asked.
"Twenty," she said simply and Meteor stopped in his tracks a moment. Here he was, seventeen, hanging out with an adult that wasn't one of his immediate family. It was an age gap that was big enough that it just didn't feel right to him for them to potentially be friends. Why would an adult what to be my friend anyway? Before Rosebud could notice he had stopped, he regained the function of his legs and caught back up with her.
He shook his head, he really shouldn't have been so surprised by these things, but then again, it was a new environment. Or maybe I'm just dumb. . . , he growled in his head.
They were now passing by a nearby yard lined with bushes.
"Let's see, I do also like to study up on some things. . . ," Rosebud continued. "Like different school subjects, for example. I know I've graduated but there's always more to learn and teach. I tried teaching at the schoolhouse before but. . . uh, it didn't really work out."
Meteor was about to ask what had happened in an attempt to engage in the conversation, but there was a sudden rustling in the nearby bushes that distracted him.
It was quickly followed by a hushed: "Pssst! Rosie!"
The unicorn stopped and turned to look at the bushes, Rosebud coming up to his side to look as well. He was puzzled and jumped a little as a long light pink foreleg, ending in a reddish-brown hoof, popped out of the leaves and waved in a beckoning motion.
"Rosebud!" the owner of the leg said a little more urgently, and Meteor thought he saw the glint of green eyes and the shadow of a narrow face in the depths of the leaves.
"Strawberry?" Rosebud asked, an amused eyebrow cocked and a confused half-smile forming on her muzzle.
"Come here! Quick!" the voice said. It was a bit gravelly but not deep, anyway, it was hard to tell in such a hushed tone.
Rosebud trotted forward, Meteor following slowly as he closed his book. As soon as they stepped up next to the bush, another hoof immerged, and before Meteor knew what was happening, he and Rosebud were both being thrust into the foilage.
"Strawberry Sundae, what the hay are you up to now?" Rosebud asked, smirking as both she and Meteor crouched down so the bush concealed them completely.
Strawberry Sundae, now that Meteor was next to him, was a very tall, pink-coated earth-pony, with very curly brown hair of two different shades, and brows knitted together in concentration as he peered through a hole in the bush. His cutie-mark, from what Meteor could see of it, was a bowl of ice cream topped with a seemingly random assortment of items that he couldn't quite make out in the dim light.
"I'm trying to get back at S'more for filling our comedy act with standup! If this goes right, I'll show him that trickery beats jokes anyday," he answered in a mutter, before giving a small sinister chuckle that made Meteor flinch.
Rosebud chuckled at him delightedly, before suddenly gaining a more serious expression. "I thought bickering over which of your acts are better is what made everypony enjoy the show?"
Strawberry sniffed. "Well, yes, the rivalry is what makes us so popular! But I for once would just like a good show with only what is clearly the best source of comedic relief. I even told him that was what we were going to do this time, and what does he do? Start the show with his signature opening and does his joking anyway! As for you two, I simply called you over here to make sure you didn't get caught in the crossfire." He ended his explanation with a smirk, looking proud of himself.
Meteor blinked in confusion and pushed a branch down with a hoof to peer out across the street. On the other side, right across from them, stood a pastel orange stallion with dark pink and maroon curls that reached just above his broad shoulders. He had his back turned and he seemed to be chatting with a silver pegasus and a white unicorn mare with her hair tied back in a bun. Meteor, now that he saw both the victim and the pranker, immediately remembered them as the two stage performers he had passed earlier.
"So what's the plan?" Rosebud asked, fully invested as she leaned over Meteor to get a closer ear of the stallion's words.
Strawberry pulled out a cream pie, seemingly out of nowhere, and held it up. "This is a device shipped straight from my father's old factory. Now it may look like a regular old pie —and we both know S'more loves pie—, but! When I press this button-" He pointed to a silver bump located on the pie tin. "-It will activate a countdown, then all I have to do is slide it across the way to him, he'll see it, and just when he thinks he'll enjoy some of it. . . it will erupt in a huge explosion of cream! It's perfect."
Meteor looked to Rosebud, who glanced at him excitedly. "Is he always doing stuff like this?" he murmured to her.
Rosebud shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much. But it is entertaining," she answered before looking back out through the leaves.
Meteor sighed, "Ogres and Oubliettes" sounded much more appealing than pranks to him right now.
Strawberry shifted his hooves and placed the pie on the ground, then he lifted the edge of the bush slightly, readied a hoof, and shoved the pie into the open.
To Meteor's surprise, the pie slid unrealistically across the street, stopping only when it reached the spot of ground beside the other stallion's forehooves. The silver pegasus, who had looked very unamused up until this point, widened her eyes and pointed a wing at it. As she did so, the orange stallion looked down with half-lidded eyes, eyes that opened completely when he saw the pie. He looked around before returning his gaze to the unsuspecting prank.
Strawberry started snickering and trembling with excitement at Meteor's side. There was a dot of red light that appeared on the pie tin and immediately, the cream exploded at an angle towards the victim! Meteor thought for sure the stallion would get completely covered in it.
But, surprisingly, before the cream could even graze his coat; the stallion gave a skilled bounce upward, his short, poofy tail propelling him up like a trampoline. He leaped over the eruption, making a backflip before he landed a few feet away on the other side, away from the splatter. He turned around and smirked as the cream succeeded only in messing up the dirt road.
Strawberry's jaw dropped practically to the ground, Meteor's following. Rosebud's brows shot up, as if impressed, but she clearly didn't have the same shocked reaction as the two stallions. Strawberry recovered quickly however, his mouth reaching back up to form a frustrated grimace.
He shot forward, bursting through the bush as if to confront his comedy partner.
Meteor and Rosebud followed, though they didn't have to go very far, because as soon as they burst out of the underbrush, the pastel orange stallion was already there, grinning in Strawberry's face.
"Didn't take you for a litterer, Strawb," he said. The guy looked extremely smug while Strawberry glared at him, their eyes just inches apart, though not at all intimidated.
"S'MORE! I don't know what kind of trick you're playing at, but let me be the first to tell you that it's not a very funny one!" Strawberry hissed, stamping and scuffing the ground with his hoof.
"Well then, I guess you're just not the comedic genius you thought you were, huh?" S'more mocked, smooth and amused. Strawberry pinched his mouth and puffed his cheeks in fury at that, all while S'more's smirk grew even wider, his half-lidded eyes widening with delight.
"How'd you learn to do that move, Marshmallow?" Rosebud asked, putting a hoof on Strawberry's shoulder and pushing him back a couple of steps, changing the subject somewhat.
S'more —Or was it Marshmallow? Meteor wondered in confusion— rocked a little on his shaggy-fetlocked forehooves. "Oh, just a little something mom taught me. Sunny's just jealous because he was never able to do it properly." He turned his head to look at Strawberry again with his icey-blue eyes. "Your Pie Logic abilities are all out of whack, dude," he said.
Strawberry lifted his head indignantly.
Meteor blinked in confusion. Pie Logic?
He looked over the two again. Now that they were before each other, Meteor could see that while Strawberry was very tall, easily almost as tall as Rosebud; S'more was very short. The top of his head only reached just under Strawberry's chin and only his hair made him look a tiny bit taller. He also noticed for the first time the splashes of lighter coloration both earth-ponies had on their flanks, one of their legs, on one of their eyes, and on one of their ears, the only difference between their markings was that they were flipped, both ponies having them on different sides. The only pony Meteor knew to have those unique markings, was his Aunt Pinkie Pie.
S'more's eyes flicked over to Meteor as the unicorn prince stared at them. He raised a brow and turned his head to look at him fully. "What'chu looking at, Stretch?" he asked coolly.
Meteor recoiled, mildly offended. Hey! I'm an average 13 hands! he thought huffily, but he didn't think saying it would make much of a difference. "Nothing," he mumbled instead, looking away from him and instead watching as three other ponies approached them.
One was a black pegasus with a shaggy pastel rainbow of a mane, thick eyebrows, and intense magenta eyes that made her resemble some sort of raptor. On one side of her was a large white earth-pony with short sandy hair and vivid green eyes that seemed to glare almost like Prism's own, but there was a certain wariness to them too. The other was a pretty white unicorn – no, a very light blue colored unicorn – with a blue-violet mane streaked with navy, made up in a neat bun wrapped with a braid, well, except for two wavy locks of hair that hung over the edges of her face. She was one of the mares S'more had been talking to.
"Toast, what in Equestria was that?" the pale unicorn asked, sounding amazed, looking over the ponies before her. Her trailing eyes landed on the unfamiliar Meteor and a dusting of pink immediately graced her cheeks.
Now who's Toast?! Meteor wondered furiously, looking around. It seemed to him like they were just throwing names around now with no particular pony belonging to it! Maybe this was a bad idea. . . .
For some reason, S'more was the one who answered the pale unicorn's query, lifting a hoof in a tiny shrug. "Like I said before, just a little trick. Why? We're you impressed?" He gave her a sly look, making the unicorn recoil and her blush deepen.
"Ah-hah! So you admit it was a trick!" Strawberry exclaimed randomly, pointing hooves at S'more.
Rosebud spoke up again, walking into the middle of the group. "Alright, settle down," she chided softly and patiently. "Is this any way to act around a new friend?" she asked.
Meteor sniffed, thinking he was no such thing, but everyone quieted and Rosebud continued. "Everyone, this is Prince Meteor Star, he just came in from Canterlot. I'm sure all of our parents told us all about his coming to live at the Castle of Friendship?"
Before she had even finished speaking, Strawberry gasped loudly, his eyes going wide as he stared into Meteor Star's own. "Oh! I didn't realize— y-your Highness!" he exclaimed in shock. Immediately he dropped to his knees, spread his forelegs out in front of him, and bowed so low that his face was practically pushed into the dirt.
Meteor lifted a hoof and blinked, startled. "Uh, no that's fine, I-I may be a prince but I'm not important enough in the Hierarchy for. . . ." He trailed off. When he thought earlier that he should get more respect, this wasn't what he meant at all.
Strawberry lifted his head just enough to peek out at him with his gentle emerald eyes. His shorter counterpart chuckled heartily and put an arm across Strawberry's shoulder. "Now you're just embarrassing yourself. 'Genius'," he laughed and quotated with his free hoof, making Strawberry Sundae scowl up at him. If looks could kill. . . .
Rosebud shook her head at the two and pointed to everypony in turn. "Meteor, this is Pastel Prismarine, we just call her Prism." Prism, the black pegasus, lifted her chin, her eyes staring into his very soul. She lifted herself an inch above the ground and crossed her arms importantly.
"This is Honeycrisp-" Rosebud pointed to the big white earth-pony, whose hunched form straightened as Meteor looked at him.
"-Diamond Crest, the friend I told you about-" The pale blue unicorn's blush deepened yet again, turning her face a dark scarlet, and she looked away timidly.
"-Strawberry Sundae, though we all just call him Sunny because it's easier-" Strawberry Sundae jumped to his hooves and puffed out his pink chest proudly with a smirk, S'more still managing to keep his draped hoof in place.
"-and of course, his brother, Toasted Marshmallow S'more." Rosebud pointed to the orange stallion, her smile widening just a hint more as she did.
Toasted Marshmallow S'more grinned and waved slowly despite the short distance. "Hey, you call me any of those you like," he added with a wink.
"While we may be the same blood and the same age physically," Strawberry began. "Mentally, S'more is much younger and we are nothing alike!" he claimed bad-temperedly, turning away from his twin and crossing his hooves, doing so making him teeter forward so he had to catch himself before he could fall flat on his face.
Toasted Marshmallow shrugged his unoccupied shoulder. "Eh, I can live with that!" he dismissed happily, still leaning on Strawberry. The pink stallion rolled his eyes at him and immediately shoved him off.
Honeycrisp took a step forward, eyes searching Meteor quizzically, making the unicorn's fur prickle. "Do we really need Royalty in our. . . group? Seems a little late for a new addition," he asked, his Southern-accented voice was deep, slightly flat, and clearly grumpy.
"It's never too late to add a new friend," Strawberry pointed out matter-of-factly.
Rosebud nodded her slender head in agreement. "Exactly."
Honeycrisp snorted and dismissively rolled his eyes, leaning back on his hefty yellow hooves.
"Wait, hold up," Meteor spoke, before anyone could get any ideas. "I just got here. I'm not ready to just join your friend group. I'm not even ready to make friends at all—" He stopped himself, again remembering why he was here. "Uh, not yet at least. . . ."
There was an awkward silence for a moment before Diamond Crest cleared her throat, her face pleasantly pale once more. "Well, uh, then let's just start off slow. How about we start by going together to Rosebud's place and sharing that game of O&O?" she suggested, smiling softly.
Everypony brightened at that, and the more smiley of the group let out excited whoops.
"I'm ready to beat all of you," Prismarine claimed, a small smile slipping onto her short, stoic muzzle.
"Not if I beat you first!" Strawberry Sundae exclaimed, pointing a hoof at her.
Toasted Marshmallow stepped into the middle. "Guys, guys, don't lie to yourselves, you know I'm the champion," he said.
Honeycrisp gave a chuff of disagreement. "Just because you've won two times in a row doesn't mean you're going to keep winning."
"And Marshmallow only won because Discord let him. Uncle Discord could beat all of us with a snap of his claws if he wanted to, we all know that," Diamond added, nodding to Honeycrisp.
"But he doesn't. He knows it's only fair," Rosebud said. "And who knows? This guy might end up being better than all of us. He is Princess Twilight's son, after all." She lifted her elbow and nudged Meteor in the shoulder.
Meteor shrugged and blushed. “I'm. . . okay,” he admitted.
“Hey come on, let's see what you got, man!” Toasted Marshmallow exclaimed, stomping one hoof forward to emphasize.
“Yeah, think you can beat us, Princey?” Prism taunted.
Meteor sniffed. “Uh, let's just get there?” he asked, getting a little impatient and uncomfortable.
“Last one to the cottage is a rotten apple,” Prism shrugged, raising slightly higher into the air. Before anypony could say anything, she was gone. The only remaining indication that she had even been there was the blur of her multi-colored tail streaming behind her. Meteor blinked in surprise. Marshmallow let out a small hum and began to bounce along the road after her as if his hooves were attached to springs.
“C'mon!” Strawberry yelled to the remaining ponies, arching his hoof over his head. “We don't want to get left behind,” he too began to spring after Prism and his brother, though his bounds were comparably slower than either of them.
Meteor was puzzled. Was this something friends did? Race each other here and there for no apparent reason? Apparently so, as Rosebud, Diamond, and Honeycrisp began galloping after them hurriedly. Meteor followed, not really getting the point, but also not wanting to be the rotten apple of the group.
The journey there wasn't very long, just go down an alley, turn down a road, and go over a bridge. The cottage was right ahead now, though trees somewhat obscured it, it was still noticeable, especially since it seemed to be a whole story higher than when he had once flown over it in a chariot, complete with an odd purple tree protruding out from a balcony near the top. Maybe Uncle Discord expanded? It made sense, what with the family having grown since he and Fluttershy got married.
Finally, he skidded to a halt on the cute little grass-covered bridge, which bent over a creek that was wrapping around one side of the house. Prism had already gotten there and was leaning against one of the many birdhouses scattered about the yard. It really wasn't surprising to Meteor about her speed, she was the daughter of the Captain Rainbow Dash and Co-Captain Thunderlane of the Wonderbolts after all.
Marshmallow was also there. He had picked up the pace earlier on, seemingly to make sure he beat Strawberry Sundae and the others, and now he was chuckling amusedly at a butterfly that had landed on his nose.
“Took you long enough,” Prism grumbled.
Strawberry, who was panting heavily with hunched shoulders, all of his long legs spread in an arch, pulled himself up to Marshmallow's hooves as the butterfly finally floated away. “I *gasp* almost *gaaasp* beat you!” he managed to gasp out.
Marshmallow looked down at him and patted him on the head. “Nice try bro-bro,” he teased fondly.
Meteor himself was panting, and he glared in Prism's direction, not liking her one bit. She turned her eyes on him. “Hey, not my fault your all a bunch of slowpoke losers okay?” she snorted.
Rosebud gave her a look. “Rude much,” she said, putting a comforting hoof on Meteor's shoulder. Not that Meteor needed comforting, name-calling was very dry to him and it didn't faze him like it had when he was a colt.
“No, that's fine,” he said to the drac-pony. “At least I'm not a jerk,” he retorted to Prism, who merely laughed at him gruffly. There was nothing pretty or likable about her laugh, it sounded more like if an angry dog was panting, and that angry panting dog was in pain.
Diamond lowered her head. “Guess I'm the rotten apple,” she said dejectedly.
Honeycrisp put a hoof on her shoulder for a moment. “Hey, ah've seen rotten apples before, and you're not one of 'em,” he said before stepping off the bridge and up into the yard. It wasn't really a comforting tone, but it seemed to do the job; Diamond smiled after him with a warm light in her sea-green eyes and her cheeks turned a lovely rosy red.
“So, we're here!” Marshmallow exclaimed, coming up in-between Prism and Honeycrisp and reaching out his front hooves to pull them both under his arms. “Ready for me to beat you two again?” he asked, eyes flickering between the two.
Both ponies scowled at him, Prism glaring intensely, and Honeycrisp quickly escaped his grasp, pushing the other earth-pony back onto all fours.
“As if!” Strawberry retorted. “I'm going to win this time, I'm sure of it.”
“I'm pretty sure you got your hopes up, kid,” Prism hissed.
“Well, my character does have some of the more powerful stats,” Rosebud purred.
Everypony was now moving as a group up the last bit of path to the cottage, Meteor in the middle, feeling trapped between so many warm bodies.
“I distablized Squizard last time, maybe I can do it again?” Diamond mused.
Pretty quickly they were all chattering earnestly. Meteor felt exhausted at the buzz of voices in his ears, and he was grateful as they stopped once the ragtag group entered the building.
That gratefulness was cut short when he realized why they had stopped so abruptly. They were in the cottage living room, and from the doorway on the opposite wall came two distinct voices, one was frantic and upset, the other guilty as charged.
“How could you be so irresponsible?!” the softer, more upset mares voice exclaimed.
“T-to be fair, I've done stuff like this in the past and it's always worked out,” the deeper, guilty drake voice chimed quickly after.
Meteor recognized Fluttershy and Discord's voices immediately. What had happened? He'd never heard Aunt Fluttershy yell before; though honestly, her yelling wasn't much louder than her normal tone, but it was still a bit of a shock tp hear.
“That doesn't make it any better! Please, it's like your not taking any of this seriously!” Fluttershy retorted.
“I am taking it seriously Flutters, I. . . look, it will all be fine, I'll just go after them,” Discord reasoned. “That oversized kitten's magic might be strong but I can best her with some stealth and a little bit of luck,” he claimed, sounding completely in control of whatever situation had occurred.
The group of younger ponies exchanged bewildered looks and mutters. Rosebud raised a paw to silence their wonderings and stepped into the kitchen. She had probably also used that signal to stop the rest of them from following, but nopony was obaying the suggestion. They all began to slowly walk after her, Meteor bringing up the rear as he was reluctant to get involved in this.
“Mom? Dad? What's going on?” Rosebud's voice came as the group poked their heads around the corner.
Fluttershy and Discord turned to their daughter abruptly, Discord floating above the ground, his snakelike self twisted in angles in the air. “Oh, Rosebud we. . . ,” Fluttershy cut herself off and bit her lip, she hadn't changed much since her younger years, her hair was still pink and glossy, not a gray hair in sight; and her face was still youthful, only the faintest differences to her complexion could be seen if one really studied it hard enough. The only thing that one could see to be different at first glance was the way her mane was now pulled back in a Prench braid that draped over one shoulder, and it had been that way for many years now.
Discord spread out his arms and grinned. “Well heeeeey! Rosey, sooooo. . . uuuhhh, good to see you!” he exclaimed, grinning wide yet stammering slightly.
Rosebud cocked a brow at him and frowned. “What did you do this time?” she deadpanned.
Discord waved a paw dismissively. “Oh pfft, it's nothing really, everythingssssss- ALRIGHT, FINE!” he scowled for a short moment before speaking again. “I may have been setting up this, er, fake quest for you and your friends to go on that involved your Aunt Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Wonderbolts. I took them to this remote part of the Everfree Forest without consulting them and you kids were going to have to rescue them, buuut. . . I guess I didn't quite account for the possibility that a certain, arch-nemesis to them would send. . . a powerful Sphynx to come capture them. . .?” He trailed away, cringing as most of the group let out gasps of horror.
“WHAT?” they all exclaimed, eyes wide and jaws slack.
Meteor could only gape as he felt something sink in his belly like dread.
“Dad!” Diamond Crest squeaked, ears flattened against her mane.
“Aunt Rainbow!” Strawberry followed, lifting a hoof to his mouth in astonishment.
“Uncle Thunderlane. . . ,” Rosebud breathed, before scowling and looking up at her father with dangerous eyes. “Dad! You just let that thing take them? Why, would you do that?!” she yelled.
“I could do nothing to stop her,” Discord said quickly, holding his palms out before him in a 'calm down' motion. “Sphynx can paralyze the magic of any creature at will as long as they're in a certain range. I could do nothing magical to get them out of there, I only regained my powers once she left with them!”
“Why, were you setting up a fake quest for us anyways?” Honeycrisp grunted.
Discord eyed him before his gaze switched to Strawberry and then Marshmallow skeptically. His eyes finally landed on Meteor. “Oh, and who's this?” he slithered, avoiding the answer.
Meteor was wide-eyed. At the same time of his concern for his multi-colored aunt, he was also completely in awe of the draconequus before him.
“Prince Meteor Star,” Marshmallow said almost immediately, sliding across to Meteor's side to put a hoof over his shoulder, but Meteor flinched away. “Huh, huh?” Marshmallow prompted while withdrawing his hoof, his smile slightly crooked and one-sided.
“That's not important right now,” Honeycrisp snapped at them before Discord could say anything. “Tell us that you're going to get them back,” he demanded, stomping a hoof.
Discord crossed his arms indignantly. “Of course I will,” he scoffed.
Fluttershy came to his side, still looking sour. “Well, you better hop to it, Mister,” she huffed, reaching up and yanking Discord down to her eye level by his snowy beard, before glaring into his eyes fiercely. “Ponies, like Rarity, must have realized something's up by now and we don't want to cause some sort of panic.”
Discord's eyes half-lidded. “Yes, Ma'am,” he purred silkily, a terrible smile crawling across his muzzle. Fluttershy sighed and let go, letting his beard bounce back up to slap him in the face, not that he minded or that it did much. Suddenly, there was a flash of white light and he was gone.
Meteor blinked out of his daze. Fluttershy folded her wings and turned to the group of younger ponies. “Don't worry dears, he'll get them back,” she said, voice soft and promising.
Rosebud rubbed between her eyes with a paw before letting out a deep breath. “You're right. I just hope it's soon. . . .”
“Oh!” Diamond fretted, she had been pacing after being told the news, but now she stopped and turned towards the kitchen door. “Mom's going to be so distraught, I've got to get to her,” she said urgently.
Strawberry nodded. “All of our moms will be. It's best we search them out,” he added.
Fluttershy nodded in agreement, putting a hoof on Rosebud's shoulder. “Yes, you all go and be with them.” She turned her gaze to Rosebud. “I think you should stay and comfort your brother, he seems a little shaken by the news and I know you're better with calming him down than I ever have been,” she murmured, smiling a bit sadly.
Rosebud turned to look at the other side of the kitchen where a staircase stood, leading up to the second floor. Meteor followed her gaze to see a pale brown colt, around ten or eleven, huddled halfway up the stairs and half-hidden by the wall. His teal eyes were wide and his pink curls draped over one side of his face. He looked startled.
The drac-pong nodded and turned back to the others. “You all go, I'll catch up,” she said.
Everypony in the group nodded in agreement. Meteor wondered if this was his chance to escape back to the Castle, but the dread in his stomach wouldn't let him abandon the ponies his mother spoke so highly of. And so he followed the half-distraught group out of the cottage.
The group of seven speed-trotted, on the edge of galloping, back into town. The sound of a panicked voice, followed by a few others, brought them close to Town Square.
Meteor turned the corner at the back of the group to see a familiar white unicorn with a fabulously styled mane and tail of beautiful blue-violet. The locks that used to hang across her neck were now pulled into a bun at the back of her head, and she wore a purple polka-dotted kerchief around her neck. Alongside the practically famous Rarity were a few other ponies, including the confused gray mail-pegasus. Meteor had the suspicion that this was about the missing Wonderbolts, and these were the loved ones of said Bolts.
Diamond Crest shot forward immediately, heading towards Rarity. The white unicorn turned away from speaking frantically to the group to face her quickly approaching daughter. “Mondy!” she wheezed, pulling the slightly shorter unicorn into a hug once she was close enough.
“Mom!” Diamond exclaimed. “I heard about what happened. I-I can't believe Uncle Discord would—” She was cut off by Rarity's widening eyes. The Element of Generosity pulled away, keeping her hooves on Diamond Crest's shoulders.
“Discord is responsible for this?” She scoffed before clicking her tongue. “Why am I surprised? He's done a plethora of things like this before!”
A pale blue pegasus colt with a swept back dark blue and violet mane walked up beside the two. “What did he do, Di?” he asked Diamond.
Diamond Crest looked down at her brother. “He set up some kind of fake quest for me and my friends to go on that included the Wonderbolts, and this Sphynx creature came and took them away,” she croaked, eyes slowly lowering to her hooves in distress.
“What's a Sphynx?” the colt asked his mother, jordy blue eyes widening both quizzically and in concern.
Rarity bit her lip. “A giant winged cat, darling; from Somnambula's story. . . ," she said distractedly, as the other frightened ponies in the eavesdropping group started murmuring about the new information, a mumbling that soon turned into a buzz of frantic voices.
Meteor crept up to the front of his group. Rarity noticed him immediately. “Oh, Meteor Star, I'm so glad you're here. I'm sorry you had to arrive here at such an uncertain circumstance,” she said, grabbing his hoof and cupping it with hers.
Meteor sub-consciously appreciated the long silky fur from her fetlocks that pooled around his extended hoof. “O-oh, no, that's alright. I've heard of some of the crazy things that happened here in the past, so I don't know what I was expecting,” he stammered.
“Crazy stuff still happens here, bud,” Prism muttered. She had reacted little to the news of both her parents disappearing, and still she hovered above the ground with permanent crossed arms, expression pretty much blank. Surprisingly though, after saying those words, she landed beside Diamond Crest and placed a comforting black wing over the unicorn's shoulder.
“Does Ma' and the rest of our parents know about what happened?” Honeycrisp spoke up.
Rarity nodded. “Yes, I told Pinkie that Soarin hadn't come home from practice today and after we found out that other members of the Wonderbolts hadn't returned home either, she went up to Sweet Apple Acres to tell Applejack about what's going on,” she explained, before narrowing her eyes. “Tell me, have you seen Discord? Has he gone to get them back? Because if he hasn't, I'd like to give him an earful!”
Marshmallow responded accordingly. “Yeah, actually, he just left to search for them.”
Strawberry Sundae nodded, still looking a little shaken.
“Calm, everypony! Remain calm!”
Meteor perked his ears as the doors to a tall dome shaped building up ahead opened, and he watched as a plum colored earth-pony with a wavy lavender and white mane stepped out and started going around and talking quickly and gently to the various town-ponies in the frightened group that had started swarming her. She held herself importantly, but her clear turquoise eyes were soft as she tried to calm everypony down.
“I've gotten word from our Ruler, Princess Twilight,” the mare said once she made her way back to the front and held up a scroll. “Every Wonderbolt in the team has gone missing, not just the ones here in Ponyville,” she presumably paraphraed. “But, she has been visited by our, er, local draconequus—” She made a surly face when she read that. “—and reports that he has acted accordingly and has currently gone in search of the Flight Team to bring them back.”
She clapped a hoof on the ground, and an all silver earth-pony with blue spectacles hurried up from where she had been standing by the door. She took the scroll from the other pony and rolled it up.
“Mayor Tiara is right, guys.”
Meteor practically jumped out of his fur as Rosebud's voice drifted into his ears, and a flash of white light announced the arrival of said drac-pony. “Dad will get them back soon, we just need to sit back and remain calm,” she said, though her voice faltered a bit; clearly she wasn't as sure of what she said as she wanted them to believe.
Prism, Honeycrisp, Diamond, and the Pie twins turned immediately to their friend. Diamond Crest looked at her with wide eyes. “But what if it's not alright? It's like Uncle Discord said, the Sphinx has the ability to destabilize magic, what's stopping her from doing just that when he c-comes for them?” she fretted, starting to sway unsteadily on her hooves.
Prismarine used her outstretched wing to steady her.
Meteor felt awkward, he could only stand there and watch. He had no connection to any of the Wonderbolts and nothing he could say to try and console them would mean much of anything to these ponies, he was a complete stranger to them!
“That guy has gone too far this time.” Another new voice sounded behind them, and everypony turned to see Applejack and Pinkie Pie approaching from up the path. Pinkie had been the one to scold the draconequus, her usually bouncy steps were stiff and she looked perturbed. Applejack wasn't much better, but her steps were more purposeful and alive.
“If he doesn't get them back, he'll have to answer 't us,” she agreed. “Then it'll be up 't us to try and get them back. You'd think he'd learn after all the other times he's tried to meddle with affairs and they've miserably backfired.”
Rosebud sighed. “He may not think through things much, but. . . ,” she trailed away, having trouble thinking of a good counter to it.
“But nothing. If he doesn't succeed in retrieving them, the Elements are going to have to figure it out ourselves,” Rarity retorted, walking up to stand beside her friends.
Pinkie nodded in agreement, accepting the hug Strawberry was trying to give her. “Nothing we can't handle of course,” she said, voice normal and squeaky once more.
“Come on y'all, let's meet up with Fluttershy and think of a back up plan for should the need arise,” Applejack suggested, before she too spotted Meteor.
“Reckon you got my pie?” she asked.
Meteor blinked in confusion for a moment, before remembering the treat he had been sent. “Oh, yeah, I did, uh thank you,” he stammered.
He gasped as Pinkie sprang forward at him and lifted her hooves to grab his face. “Oh, I'm so SORRY! Your ‘Welcome to Ponyville Party’ will have to wait! I can't believe I hadn't gotten it ready sooner, but don't you worry! As soon as the Wonderbolts are safe, I'll get straight to work.”
She then proceeded to pull him into a bear hug. Meteor was caught off-guard, letting out a wheeze as she squeezed him with all her might. Despite her small size and dumpling stature, she was surprisingly strong. Ah, the wonders of an Earth-pony's magic.
Applejack came up beside her and ruffled his mane with a hoof. Meteor didn't know how to react, he felt very uncomfortable being hugged by ponies he didn't really know; ponies who knew more about him than he did of them. He waited it out patiently until his aunts backed off.
“Let's go,” Rarity nickered as she galloped ahead in the direction of the cottage. Pinkie Pie and Applejack followed accordingly.
“So, what do we do?” Strawberry Sundae fretted.
Rosebud was silent for a moment. Meteor hadn't any clue either, could they really just sit back and watch while family was in danger? But they're not my family. . . they're Mom's, he thought.
The drac-pony sighed finally. “We just have to wait and hope they come back safe. Just stay calm, like the Mayor said.” She didn't sound particularly thrilled by that aspect though.
Toasted Marshmallow S'more looked at Strawberry, then at the others, before he finally stepped forward. “Heh-hey, I see what you're saying Rosie, and the Mayor is a very wise pony and just wants what's best for the town, buuut. . .” He glanced back at the others behind him. "I think we would all feel better about the situation if we went out and did something about all this instead of, y'know, standing around. I mean, when have we ever backed down from adventure? Huh?” he asked in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.
Honeycrisp furrowed his brows at the smaller stallion. “And what do you reckon we could do about it?” he growled. "Equestria's most powerful ally is already out looking for him, and you're suggesting that we, a ragtag bunch'a normal ponies who can barely agree on anything, go on some big mystery quest to rescue the Wonderbolts from a place we know nothing about, and from some powerful enemy, that we again know nothing about? You're even more unreasonable than I thought!”
“Hey, I'm just saying, our moms went on impossible quests all the time, and don't act like we haven't seen some crazy stuff in our time too,” Marshmallow reasoned patiently. “Remember the timberwolves? Cattle Stampedes? When Fritter was taken by those magic condors? All of those crisis were averted by us. Sure this may be a bit 'over our heads'” —he quotated with his hooves— “but at the end of the day, so was all that other stuff when we first encountered it.”
There was a ripple of interested mumblings among Diamond, Prismarine, and Strawberry.
“I was great with those birdbrains.”
“Well, I-I guess so. . . .”
“For once S'more, you might actually have a point.”
Rosebud pursed her lips, mulling over his words. “Well. . . I guess that makes sense,” she breathed.
“Honeycrisp,” she said, lifting a paw to place on the stallion's broad white shoulder. “You're the strongest of us, and you, with the help of Toast and Sunny, have lured away stampedes many times.” She turned to look at Prism. “You're the fastest, you caught up with those birds and confused them until you could get little Apple Fritter to safety, and you've warded them off when they've come back for more every time since.” Prism lifted her chin proudly, fluffing up her wings. “Diamond, your chemistry skills were able to save us from the timberwolves attack last month, if it weren't for your vinegar and baking soda reaction, we would have all been dog food.”
Marshmallow raised a hoof nonchalantly. “Hey, I helped too,” he reminded her.
Rosebud nodded. “Yes, Diamond and your skills.” She was purring her words again.
Diamond furrowed her brow. “It was mostly me,” she puffed.
“Strawberry, you not only help to put up the cows, your distractions have come in useful plenty of times,” Rosebud continued.
Strawberry grinned. “Why, thank you,” he chirped, eyes glowing.
“And Marshmallow.” Rosebud turned to the orange earth-pony. “You're the voice of reason when you want to be, and you try to keep everypony's spirits high, plus you've got quick reflexes and you're the fastest runner out of all of us; very useful in a hyper-paced situation.”
Marshmallow chuckled softly. “Well, I try,” he quipped. “Hey, and with your chaotic powers, you can teleport us away from danger if it becomes critical. See? I told you we've got this.”
Rosebud nodded. “Exactly. If anyone can do something like this, it's us,” she concluded. Honeycrisp scoffed and Rosebud looked at him softly. “I think maybe we should give it a try.” Her gaze then traveled to Meteor. “I've heard that you're very smart and good with magic, if you'll also join us, you could be a big help.”
Meteor blinked a couple times. “I. . . .” He looked around at the group. They all looked hopeful now, but he could see the worry behind it. Then he glanced around the square. Ponies huddled together, worried to death for their dear loved ones in the Air Fleet. Then he looked at his hooves; they sure were scrawny, not to be of much help in a fight. Then he focused on his brain; it was constantly moving and thinking and calculating, his magical forces were strong, and he knew a thing or two about using stars for navigation. This team looked like they needed a calculated mind to keep things straight, if the constant bickering was any reminder.
These ponies. . . they mean so much to Mother, and some in the Wonderbolts mean so much to the ponies who mean so much to her. And. . . I'm the Prince. They're my subjects too, and anypony in the Royal Family should do everything they can for their subjects. It's my responsibility, he realized. He didn't like it, but it was his right, and if this mess of a friend group did decide to go on a quest to save the Wonderbolts, he would follow.
I can't believe I'm doing this. “Okay,” he breathed.
Rosebud's oversized ears began to wiggle. She returned her ruby gaze to Honeycrisp once more. Honeycrisp stared at her for a long moment, but eventually he lowered his head and mumbled. “Fine. But remember that this is serious. It's not an adventure.”
“Adventure!” S'more and Strawberry corrused immediately, ignoring him and making his green eyes twitch in fierce frustration. The others seemed happy with this conclusion.
Adventure? Meteor thought. I guess you could call it that. . . Oh Faust, what have I gotten myself into?
And so ensued the start of a awful journey with an incompetent group of unbearable ponies who couldn't agree on any one thing. . . at least that's what Meteor would tell you if you asked how it went.
"What other place to start than the Everfree Forest?" Rosebud asked as they approached the edge of the dark forest behind Aunt Fluttershy's cottage, regaining her earlier confidence and optimism. "It's where our mothers had their first epic mission together, and up until now we only haven't been accompanied by Auntie Twilight's kid, and now we are."
Meteor was walking along near the back, though it was hard to be called such with the Pie twins bouncing along beside him with audible springs of their hooves. Being called a kid by somepony only a few years older than himself, though Rosebud had not meant it in that way or fashion, made him grumble irritably.
“Adventure.” Marshmallow hummed, bouncing forward. “Adventure.” He said again as he sprang between Diamond Crest and Prismarine. “Adventure!” He sang as he bounced past Rosebud, who snickered at his antics. He bounced up to Honeycrisp. “Here-have-a-cupcake!” He then proceeded to pull a tray of said cupcakes out of nowhere and thrust one into the bigger stallion's mouth. Honeycrisp swallowed it, but still he glared and threw out a hoof in an attempt to hit him, though Marshmallow quickly sprang out of the way.
“It's not an adventure.” Honeycrisp growled through his teeth. “Its a rescue attempt, and you should stop being all excited while ponies' lives are in danger! We should be focusing on how to pull this off instead.”
Meteor agreed, but couldn't help but wonder where in Equestria the cupcakes had come from. Everypony else, instead of questioning it, shuffled up to grab a cupcake one by one. The darkness of the forbidding forest swamped over Meteor immediately, making him stare around him in anxiousness as everything around them faded like the light into deathly silence.
“Well, we can't exactly make a plan before we even know what we're dealing with.” Rosebud pointed out, obviously unfazed by the sudden ambiance of the Everfree, having lived alongside it her whole life. “Might as well have a good time on the way there, and take our minds off of what's ahead.”
Prismarine snorted, shaking a tangle of vines off her hoof while balancing her cupcake in the other and began to hover. “Can't have a good time in this wreck. Forests are for earth ponies, I don't do spaces where the sky isn't visible.” She grumbled. Rosebud shook her head. “C'mon guys, cheer up, this is exciting! Hey, how about a song?!” She exclaimed, and took a deep breath to sing.
Meteor cringed and sprang to action immediately. “Um! Hey! How about not?” He exclaimed. Marshmallow nodded, now hitching a ride on a scowling Strawberry Sundae's back. “Yeah, I'm sorry Rosey, but you know your not much for musical talent.“ He mused ruefully. Rosebud bleated boredly but shrugged and nodded. “Well then instead, why don't you si—
“—Aaaaand hey, instead why don't we play a guessing game, huh?” Marshmallow exclaimed, grinning as he cut off her line of thought. “Who's up for eye-spy?”
“Ugh, NO!” Was literally everypony's reply. Anything but that. Meteor thought, now thinking about the book he had teleported back into the castle before they had left, and furthermore, feeling extremely unnerved by the darkness and quietness around them — anxious that any more loud noises would get them into serious trouble. Marshmallow, despite the obvious disapproval from the others, initiated the game. “I spy with my little eye, two somethings that are perpetually disheveled and grumpy.”
Before both Honeycrisp and Prismarine could turn around and kill him, there was a strange sensation that overcame the area, making Meteor's heart lurch. There was a burst of red light; then Rosebud let out an excited noise and pointed ahead. “Ah! Would you look at that? We're here!” and she galloped forward.
“What just happened?!” Meteor croaked.
“Seems we've been teleported.” Strawberry Sundae answered.
She can do that? Meteor wondered, silently this time before feeling immensely embarrassed by his cowardice. She's not even a unicorn. He gaped at the drac-pony ahead of him for a moment before realizing that everypony was already feet ahead of him, and almost to the strange tree-like structure that lay ahead, surrounded by stringings of wind chimes and colorful gourds up in the trees around it. “Where are we exactly?” He asked once he had caught up.
“I thought that since we don't know where we're going, we might as well go and give a visit to someone who might. Ol' Zecora has traveled far and wide from the savannah continent of Zebrica. If anyone knows where to find a creature whose half lion, it's her.” Rosebud explained as they approached the door.
Meteor reached into his knowledge of his mother's adventures. “Oh, right, the zebra.” He said as the drac-pony gave a knock on the door.
There was the smell and sound of something bubbly and cooking as the door creaked open. There stood a pale gray zebra with prominent jet black stripes covering her body, large almond-shaped blue eyes and a swath of dark gray and white mane draping over her head, striped with high-lights of turquoise blue. “Oh! Visitors I see.” She said, her brows raising before she turned to look over her shoulder, a delighted smile spreading over her handsome face. “Mother, you will never guess who has come to see yee!” And then she walked back inside, leaving the door opened behind her, which Rosebud took as an invitation to come inside.
Meteor found himself looking all around as he walked in. The hut of the zebras was certainly. . . different, what with all the shelves of gourds and vials and the decorations of Zebricaian masks on the oak walls.
“I do not believe my eyes, you all must be in some kind of fix, what else would have brought to me the children of the six?” Another zebra, this one more closely matching the one shown to him in his mother's Memory Book, but with more stripes of white in her mane and a moderately lined face, said as she appeared from behind a curtain of beads on the far wall.
“Hey, Aunt Zecora.” Diamond Crest greated. “Howdy.” “Good to see you, Aunt Zecora.” “Hey.” “How did you know?!” Came a reply from everyone in the group, except for Meteor, who stayed silent as he got the sense that he was butting into an already close-knit group.
Zecora dipped her head, the shawl that she now wore instead of her neck bangles billowing a bit. “I know many things you don't young colt, but one does not need to be wise to recognize trouble from the offspring of an already troublesome group, in my eyes.” She answered Strawberry.
The younger zebra hummed merrily and nodded before trotting a few steps over to the bubbling cauldron placed in the middle of the hut. “I see there is one among you that seemingly does not belong.” She said with a wink as she lifted onto her hind legs to grab a ladle and struggled to push it through whatever was cooking. From the smell Meteor thought it must be made up of an assortment of strange forest things foraged by the two zebras' very hooves. It was a strong smell, not disgusting but certainly not very pleasant to breathe in. He lifted his chin slightly, aware that he must be the one who didn't belong according to the zebra.
Zecora, roused by her daughter's words, laid eyes onto Meteor, who in turn glanced in her direction. “So there is. But unlike you my child, I suspected he would be joining us before long.” She came up to Meteor, smiling softly. “Um, h-hi.” Meteor stammered. “I'm-”
“I know who you are, young colt.” Zecora interrupted, raising a hoof. “You are the Prince Meteorite Star. You really think your mother would let seventeen years pass without alerting me, her friend, of your birth and who you are?” She asked.
Meteor shrank a bit. “Oh, well uh-”
“No matter.” Zecora interrupted again, walking past him and joining the other zebra by the cauldron, taking a gourd from a small table beside it and sprinkling its contents inside. “Since you are new, you surely don't know my daughter, Zuri?” She asked, glancing back at the group when she was done. Zuri raised her hoof high and waved to them unnecessarily. Meteor gave a hesitant wave back, before glancing over his shoulder at his companions, all of which shrugged, indicating that the eager action was normal.
“That is fine, she will make herself known in a hurry.” Zecora said.
“I like food that is sweet, things that are soft and warm, and being a helpful hoof to those in need of assistance.” Zuri exclaimed, before continuing to push the ladle sticking out of the cauldron, though, as Meteor looked closer, it didn't seem to be moving. “So what can we do today to help you lot with? Is something direly amiss?”
“Yes actually, a Sphinx has captured the Wonderbolts and we need to know how to find it and get them back.” Honeycrisp stepped up, taking the lead.
Zuri and Zecora both gave a little purse of their lips, clearly thinking, looking identical as they did so. Zuri spoke first. “Ah, a sphinx you say? Well we know just the pony who can help!” She exclaimed.
“Yes, most of you may be familiar with the daughter of the great Pillars Somnambula and Flash Magnus, a miss Masika Maye. The dear is good friends with my Zuri and she often stays here with us when her family is away.” Zecora added.
“Oh yes, Masika, of course!” Rosebud exclaimed, clapping her paws together. “Somnabula once banished such a creature, so it only makes sense that she knows where to find one! Where is she?” She asked, looking around.
”Oh, she'll be off practicing her flying out in the forest, it shouldn't be long now before she returns though.” Zuri piped up. “You know, it's just awful to hear about the Wonderbolts. How on earth did a sphinx get ahold of them?” She asked, suddenly dropping her smile and looking quite sympathetic.
“Um well. . .my dad-” Rosebud started, but Zuri nodded in understanding. “Of course.” She sighed. “When will that drake learn?”
“I know many things from experience in my past, but understanding on how the draconequus's chaotic brain works always escapes my grasp.” Zecora said. “You need not worry long, Masika will soon be along.”
Diamond Crest let out a shaky sigh. “I certainly hope she has answers.” She groaned. Sundae nodded anxiously, shuffling his hooves. ”Ohh, me too. The suspense is killing me, and the rest of us! Right S'more?”
Marshmallow clicked his tongue. ”It definitely isn't very productive to our cause.” He agreed, scratching his neck. “But, best to be optimistic.”
Meteor snorted. “Kinda hard to be.” Considering.
And then there was a sudden sound from outside and immediately the creaking of the door filled the air and it opened with a soft thump against the wall, turning everypony's attention towards it. Meteor took a step back and followed suit to look at whoever was about to enter.
In walked a mare that sparkled. Sparkled as in she was encrusted around her ankles and tied into her hair by bangles of gold and studded with jewels of emerald green and ruby red. She was a narrow but strong structured pegasus with a coat not too different in color from Marshmallow's, though it was considerably more cinnamon in tint. Her extremely thick mane, tied back into a bejeweled ponytail, was a rusty red shade streaked in highlights of darker eggplant purple. Her face was narrow and almost filly-like, but her calm and focused expression told you that she wasn't at all childish. In fact, she had to be a few years older than any of them.
“Ah, here she comes now. Don't be afraid, she will tell you how.” Zecora said as the bangled pegasus closed the door behind her and stopped in her tracks upon noticing the visitors. She lifted a hoof as in surprise, but her expression of steady patience didn't falter or change in the slightest.
“Oh, visitors from Ponyville?” She asked, turning to look at Zecora and Zuri, who both were up on their hind legs trying to stir the contents of the cauldron with the stubbornly imobile ladle. “Hey, Maye!” Zuri said, smiling at the arrival. “Yeah these guys were asking questions about a certain Sphinx, specifically the one your mother sent away.”
Masika Maye nodded in understanding and took a step closer to the group. Meteor cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, we were wondering if you knew where we could find her lair?” He asked. Masika looked him over specifically before looking at the others around him. “Of course I know, I've heard the stories. My mother Somnambula tracked the mighty Sphinx for a long while before she was sucked up with her pillar friends. Before her rescue of Prince Hisan, the Sphinx lived in the pyramid located beside her hometown, and after, she retreated into the Forbidden Jungle.”
“Forbidden jungle?” Rosebud said, rubbing her chin in thought. Meteor blinked. I don't recall hearing about that before. He thought.
Masika Maye nodded slowly, let out a thoughtful hum, and brushed past the group to reach a desk that resided on the far wall. She opened it and rummaged for a bit before pulling out a long, yellowed and nicked sort of parchment that unfolded as she lifted it up with her forehooves. “This map will show you to where you seek.” She said, turning back to the others, bringing out her wings to grip the map at full length in front of her.
“And for now it's yours to keep.” Zuri added from over the bubbling cauldron.
“As long as you bring it back, that is.” Masika said with a shrug, and trotted over to the cauldron. She left the map gravitating in the air, and Meteor leaped forward to catch it in his magic. The pegasus then proceeded to fly over the cauldron, grip the ladle with all four hooves, and dragged it easily through the thick sludge.
They left Zecora's soon after, with a couple things per Zuri's insistence. Scarlet Rosebud clutched the map of Equestria beneath her folded wing as well as a canteen. The strong-smelling sludge bubbling in the cauldron had turned out to be a sort of all-purpose healing remedy, and the two zebras had insisted they take a canteen of the stuff just in case. “Lots of dangers out that way.” Zecora warned. “Better to be safe than sorry any day.”
“Well, we have a lead, so that's something, I guess.” Prismarine said as they continued on through the forest.
Meteor didn't think it was a bad start at all, they knew exactly where they needed to be and how to get there from the map. It's just a matter of how long it'll take. . .and what we'll do when we get there. He thought.
“According to the map we shouldnt have far to go to reach the end of the Everfree forest.” Honeycrisp pointed out.
Meteor looked up at the barely visible sky above. It was partially blocked by looming evergreens, but from what he could see, it was already getting dark. “We better hurry, nights not that far off.” He commented, pointing up at the sky. It had to be around five or six by now.
“Mm, we really shouldn't be out here in the dark.” Strawberry murmured.
Rosebud waved a paw. “Ah, don't worry, we'll be fine. You have me, remember?” She called back to him.
“But isn't it kinda exciting? Thrilling?” Diamond Crest asked, a little hop in her step. Immediately though, she seemed to frown and shrunk a bit as she walked, ears turning pink.
“Hey, it's okay Diamond.” Rosebud bleated, noticing the unicorn's change in demeanor. “You're with friends, you don't have to pretend with us, it's just us, no family around.” She said, drawing back to walk alongside her younger friend and bump shoulders with her. Diamond gave off a small smile at that, took a deep breath, and nodded silently.
Meteor didn't understand what she was talking about, but he got the feeling that it was none of his business and kept silent, just focusing on the path ahead.
As the sky darkened, everypony walked in silence, all on alert whenever a noise graced their ears. Meteor found himself jumping whenever an owl hooted or a tree root or vine came up on the path to trip him up. Finally, as it got almost too dark to see, Rosebud stopped. Meteor lit his horn, as did Diamond.
Prismarine, who had apparently gone ahead a bit, came back with news. “There's a clearing up ahead, there's still trees blocking most of the sky but it seems like a reasonable place to stop.” She reported to Rosebud.
Meteor's hooves we're killing him, to put it dramatically, and nothing felt better than a chance to stop and rest. Rosebud's drooping ears perked back up. “Ah, well spotted, Priz.” She purred. “C'mon everypony, once we get there we can settle down for the night.”
For the night?! Meteor thought, alarmed. He didn't know what he was expecting, it was getting late and they were nowhere near their destination. Bitterly, he followed the group into said clearing. At least we get to sleep. He thought, trying to follow Marshmallow's words and stay optimistic.
The clearing, in the light of his horn, was decently sized, with short grass, flat ground, and surrounded by trees and underbrush. Rosebud gave a hum of joy and trotted up to the center of the clearing. “Perfect, we'll camp here and make a fire.”
“But, how—” Meteor began, but Prismarine held out a hoof to cut him off. “Watch.” She said. Rosebud crouched down in the center.
With a press of her paw on a patch of bare earth, the light of a hot, orange flame appeared, along with a ring of stones and a couple of sticks underneath it. The drac-pony's paw retreated just out of reach as soon as it appeared. Meteor watched in awe as three half logs appeared around the magical campfire, and he smiled as he lowered himself onto one, grateful to be off his hooves. The other ponies in the group all gave off little utterances of their own, in awe and in thanks to their chaotically magical friend.
“I think this is also a good opportunity to get to know each other a little better. Well, have Prince Meteor get to know us a bit better I mean, and us to get to know him.” Rosebud bleated after politely brushing off the praise. She settled down right in front of Meteor's log, wrapping her tail around her like a cat and rubbing her paws together to magically add more flame to the fire.
Prismarine took her spot on the next log over, leaning back against it while Diamond Crest timidly lowered herself on the log's other end. In tow, Honeycrisp sat next to Rosebud's other side, and Marshmallow and Strawberry inhabited the log on the other side of the warm fire. Meteor stretched his hooves out in front of him, the cold of Luna's night seeping away as the flame did its job.
“How's that?” Prismarine asked, looking over at Rosebud, both fore-legs behind her head, though she was keeping an eye on the shadows gathered around them.
Rosebud looked at Meteor Star and Meteor met her gaze out of pure politeness. As much as it was cool that this drac-pony was all powerful, Meteor would have preferred to just fall asleep after all the walking he had done. But he would just have to accept that he couldn't be pampered out here, not anymore.
“Well, how about we all ask you a question, and you reply. Then you can ask all of us a question of your own, and we will answer honestly.” The chimera asked. Meteor didn't see any reason to argue, so he shrugged and nodded at the same time. Rosebud's ears wiggled excitedly again, and for a fleeting moment, Meteor absent-mindedly was reminded of a hippo. “Alrighty then!” Rosebud said. “I'll go first if nopony minds.”
Everyone gave small murmurs of approval.
“Okay, so, if you don't mind me asking, a-are you nearsighted or farsighted?” She asked, voice going softer and a bit hesitant.
Meteor had no qualms answering, he had had to live with his glasses since he was four. “Far.” He answered simply.
“Oh! I thought you'd think I was being rude.” She said, ruby eyes widening slightly.
Meteor shook his head. “I'm not insecure about it, so I don't care if I'm asked.” He said, and Rosebud smiled wide in relief.
“Me next, Princy.” Pastel Prismarine muttered and Meteor turned to her, albeit begrudgingly.
“Yeah, okay.” He said through gritted teeth.
Prismarine seemed to take humor in his dislike of her, and the corners of her mouth curled up. “How come you're not an alicorn like mommy Queen?” She asked nonchalantly.
Meteor, who was frowning, frowned deeper. “Just because she's an alicorn doesn't mean I have to be one.” He said, retaining his temper. “My dad's an earth pony and my mom used to be a unicorn, it's not that hard to understand, is it? My cousin, Pura, isn't an alicorn, and she also has a royal parent. Besides, has anyone ever heard of a male alicorn?” A bit of sarcasm slipped into his voice, which only made Prismarine's smirk widen.
“Fair.” She grunted with an ugly chuckle.
“You next, Dia.” Rosebud offered, and Diamond Crest stiffened up, a dusting of pink gracing her cheeks.
“Oh uh, um. . .well. . .” She put a hoof to her mouth to clear her throat, before continuing. “Do you. . . agree that Eluto shouldn't be classified as a planet?” She asked, cheeks reddening as if she were embarrassed that that was the best question she had.
Meteor jumped right in, he hadn't been expecting any space related questions, and about the controversial seventh planet no less. Not a bad surprise by any means. “Oh well, it is smaller than the other planets and I have even gone into study of it myself, finding that indeed Eluto hasn't cleared its neighboring region of other objects, just like the Union said, and that it just doesn't meet all the criteria of said EAU and therefore cannot be a true celestial body.” He said, straight from his known knowledge of it. Anypony would be dumb to think of that tiny excuse for a astronomical entity as a planet. He thought laughingly.
Diamond Crest turned much darker and hid behind her forehooves, bringing them up under her eyes. “Oh. . .okay. . .” She murmured, sounding disappointed. Meteor blinked at her behavior, but before he could dwell on it, Honeycrisp had asked his question.
“Dogs, cats, or guinea pigs?” He asked, arms crossed and leering down his snout at Meteor, as if this were the most serious and important question in the world.
Meteor shrunk under his gaze slightly, but remembering his status, he forced himself to straighten up. “Cats. . . and yeah, I like guinea pigs too, I guess. Dogs don't like me much, however.”
“Thank you! See S'more? I'm not the only one!” Strawberry exclaimed, making Meteor's ear swivel back towards him, but the rest of his focus was on Honeycrisp.
The farm pony's glare narrowed slightly before he shrugged. “Good enough.” He huffed, leaning back against his log.
“Me next.” Toasted Marshmallow exclaimed, and Meteor turned to the log opposite of his, settling into a more comfortable forward position. The poofy-haired stallion was leaning casually with one arm up on the log, yet his expression was bold and overly-chipper. “How many moles of sodium bicarbonate are needed to neutralize 0.8ml of sulfuric acid at STP?” He blurted.
Meteor was completely caught off guard by the question and he gaped for a moment, at a loss for words. Two nerdy questions in one sitting? Now this was more up his alley. . . too bad there wasn't a solid answer to this query. He was about to tell Marshmallow just that when the orange stallion's grin grew practically from ear to ear and he began to laugh. “Ha! I knew there was a way to catch you off-guard, smart guy! I know there's no real answer.” He squawked. He then proceeded to look very proud of himself for the rest of the Q&A.
Meteor felt his ears and face grow hot, and he knew he must be blushing from ears to neck like he usually did when he was embarrassed. Jerk. He thought sourly, scowling again as a few others laughed at the joke.
Lastly it was Strawberry's turn. The pink stallion, sitting normally beside his brother, took a dramatic gasp of air as if to spout out another complicated brainy question to go with the other two. Meteor was ready, whatever it was, he could take it.
“What's your favorite color?!” He said quickly, he too grinning ear-to-ear.
Meteor choked. What? Really? After that? He thought. Absent-mindedly he gave his autopilot answer for when anypony had asked him this exact thing in his colthood. “Violet.” He sputtered. He had always fancied his and his parents' bluish-purplish coats and manes. Diamond Crest, recovered, opened her mouth interestedly as if to say something, but closed it again pretty quick.
“Hey, not bad! Though I prefer maroon and pink myself.” Strawberry said. “Well, guess it's your turn to ask the questions, just throw them at us!”
Meteor sighed, he didn't have very many questions that weren't rude towards his companions personalities, and anyway they probably wouldn't be as good as the questions that he was asked to answer ( most of them ); but in an effort to keep up with his rescue team, he went along with them anyway. “Okay, um, Rosebud, do you have all of your dad's powers, or just some?”
“All as far as I can tell.” Rosebud answered, glancing at the sky a bit confusedly. “I'm not very. . . embracive of my powers, so I wouldn't know for sure. I-I don't practice much.”
She looked to Honeycrisp, who looked at her in turn. “You really should y'know, we all like your chaos magic.” He said steadily. Rosebud smiled at him, but didn't say anything more.
Meteor, recognizing the question to be answered as much as it could be, looked to Honeycrisp. “What's your special talent? I can't seem to figure it out.” He asked.
Honeycrisp glanced down at his flank, which was marked with a sphere shaped depiction of fields and a red barn. “Farmin' 'o course.” He growled. “Ah belong on the farm, always be'n good with the animals an' maintainin' the garden. . .”
“Me next!” Prismarine piped up, raising a hoof.
Meteor wasn't even sure that Honeycrisp had finished, but the farm pony didn't complain, so the unicorn shot his next question towards the brutish pegasus. “How fast can you fly? Like how much wing power from my mom's invention —that you've most likely heard of— to be precise.”
“13.5 wing power. Yeah, my mom still has it too.” She answered simply. “The Flight Meter machine, I mean.” She added when Strawberry raised a confused hoof. Meteor flashed his brows. Huh, that is. . . really fast. Is Aunt Rainbow really that much faster? He wondered.
“Diamond's turn.” Prismarine said. Diamond inhaled sharply and straightened up. Meteor, still a little weirded out by her behavior, stumbled over his words a moment before asking.
“I noticed some of what looked like black cat fur on you earlier, uh, do you. . . have a cat?”
The white unicorn suddenly broke out a smile and her tense shoulders seemed to relax. “Oh, I have two. Onyx is the black cat. He's really old and I've had him since he was a kitten, we sort of grew up together and he's really the best! Moon is my newer kitten, she's silver and white and my dad got her for me for my birthday last year. She's a little bit of a moody tsundere but she's really a cuddly thing once she gets to know you.”
Meteor was surprised again, to say the least, about her sudden ramble of words. He hadn't heard her sound so comfortable before. It was a complete change from her flustered state today, and he found he could talk to her a bit easier now that she had come out of her shell. “You. . . read Neighponese Manega?” He asked, quickly catching onto her use of the word 'tsundere' and now dying to know if it was so.
Diamond Crest gave a little squeak, and deflated back into her blushy state again, but she didn't turn completely unreachable this time. “Um. . . yes?” She said timidly.
“I read those too!” Meteor said, awed. I thought other ponies saw them as dumb, or for kids or something. . . He thought. “Well, w-which are your favorites? I'm quite partial to Apple Basket and Complete Iron Unicorns myself.” He said, smiling slightly.
“I like those too!” Diamond said, grinning and leaning forward to finally look him in the eye. “Though my favorites are Young Wizard Academy and Attack Alicorn. Oh! And I love Dark Servant.”
“That last one's one of my favorites.” Meteor Star agreed, smiling wide as he thought over all the other Manega he and her potentially both liked in common. “Dark Knight is just so interesting to read about.” He commented, with a swoony expression as he thought of the dark and mysterious fictional character.
“Well lookie here, it's a match.” Prismarine huffed from behind him, and Meteor immediately blushed.
He and Diamond Crest both glanced over at the dark pegasus, who was grinning teasingly at them. “Prism!” Diamond squeaked, turning red, and Meteor gave her a revolted glare.
“Oh, shut it!” He snapped as Marshmallow proceeded to wolf whistle at them from behind their backs.
There was a chorus of stifled giggles and Meteor sat back against the log, crossing his hooves testily. “Ehm” He cleared his throat, brushing it off. “I mean— interesting choices Diamond, those seem to be my preferences too.” He said in a calm, cool voice, and he looked across the way to Toasted Marshmallow, who still seemed to be snickering behind glittering eyes.
“So,” He began and the party pony shifted in his spot, focusing his whole attention on Meteor Star. “What do you specialize in Ponyville? Besides being a. . . comedian, was it?”
“Ehh, I prefer to think of myself as more of an entertainer.” Marshmallow shrugged. “Other than that though, I help with the party planning, decorating, baking - I work at the 'Corner, impress every mare I meet, that sort of thing.”
Strawberry Sundae, after rolling his eyes, unnecessarily leaned over into Meteor's line of sight. “We both act as entertainment at Mom's parties. We do comedic acts together for them, as well as perform one Comedy Hour in Town Square every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.” He said proudly, patting his twin on the head, which was followed by an exchange of unamused eyes on Marshmallow's side and a cheeky grin on Strawberry's side, which Meteor did not understand the meaning of.
Meteor prepared his last question, looking at Strawberry Sundae. “And what's your special talent?” He asked. Strawberry Sundae smiled and straightened up. “I got my cutie-mark after I was shown the art of card trickery and I preformed one such trick while also juggling for the first time, on stage, at one of Mom's parties—oh, don't ask— and that's how I found out I'm particularly good at jesting for the crowd! And since jesters are masters of trickery, that means it certainly spreads beyond just stage performance, and though some things can occur to make my pranks and conundrums backfire at times, I'm always upping my game to make even better and greater contraptions!” He answered confidently. “I range from whoopie cushions to animal traps in which I use to keep S'more's dog from ruining my stuff.” He shot Marshmallow with a quick glare.
“Can't blame her for having the instinct to chew.” Marshmallow shrugged.
“Remember when we found them passed out together on the couch?” Scarlet Rosebud asked, and everyone except Strawberry and Honeycrisp laughed. Meteor blinked, having no context and stayed silent.
Strawberry was suddenly flushed from ears to chest. “I can't control what she does when I sleep!” He hissed.
“Alright, alright, don't pop a vein there.” Marshmallow chided, smacking another cupcake from out of nowhere into Strawberry's babbling mouth.
It wasn't long until the group settled down from their giggles and Meteor yawned, his energy sapped. Rosebud let out a yawn of her own and got to her feet. “Well, I think we all know that we won't be getting anywhere in the dark, we're all tired so the only thing we can really do is sleep until morning.” She said.
“Oh, I hoped we would've been back home by now.” Diamond Crest sighed.
Prismarine shrugged, still keeping an eye out at the darkness of the Everfree around them. “Yeah, what are we gonna do if timberwolves or cockatrices or whatever decide to eat us or turn us to stone while we're off guard?” She muttered coolly.
“Wolves? Cockatrices?” Strawberry Sundae gulped, turning to stare out at the black void off to his left.
Meteor couldn't help but agree. So far as they had kept moving and stuck together nothing had dared to jump out and attack them, but what about when they were all asleep and defenseless? He turned his gaze quickly to Rosebud, hoping she had some trick up her sleeve that would keep them safe or at least reassure him.
Rosebud smiled confidently. “Hey, hey, you all know that if we ever were attacked, that I can deal with any animal the Everfree can throw at us.” She said, lifting her paw and readying the digits as if to snap them. “And anyway, I won't even need to deal with them. No animals will be able to get at us tonight.”
She let out a little chuckle and snapped her fingers. Promptly, a shield of red light enveloped over the small clearing in a dome-like shape. It shimmered brightly crimson once before settling into what appeared as a twinkling, slightly tinted bowl engulfing the clearing in which they stood.
Meteor jumped to his hooves in surprise. Woah! He thought, blinking a couple times in disbelief. Everypony else gave small exclamations of excitement and wonder.
“Magic never gets old.” Diamond Crest sighed.
“Especially hers.” Marshmallow added almost in a whisper.
Rosebud blushed softly. “Just a little something dad taught me.” She shrugged. Meteor had to admit, the drac-pony was beyond impressive when it came to magic. That almost looked like Uncle Shining's shielding spell. His uncle had tried to teach him multiple times but Meteor had never been able to do it. Shining Armor suspected it was because the spell he did was specific to his special talent and cutie-mark. Maybe Discord could teach me his own spell instead? Meteor wondered.
Rosebud snapped her fingers again, and Meteor startled as a sleeping bag appeared at his hooves. He looked around to see that six others had materialized around the fire as well. “Huddle down everyone, we'll think about where we're going next in the morning.” Rosebud said, unzipping her bag and laying it down up against the foot of the log.
We're sleeping on the ground? Meteor thought in annoyance, but unzipped his bag and settled it near the logs end, uncomplaining.
“But aren't there magical creatures out here too? I know your magic's powerful Rosebud, but it isn't impenetrable against other magic sources.” Strawberry Sundae pointed out, ears swiveling nervously as if listening to something in the trees.
“Everfree animals can have magic, yes, but they're all single-skills and not nearly powerful enough to break chaos magic, even if I have been using it a shorter time than my father.” Rosebud reassured, settling down in her bag. “And I can keep up spells even when I'm asleep — you and Toast out of all ponies know that. We'll be fine.”
Strawberry's gaze flickered away from hers and he shuffled his hooves as he stood to ready his bag, obviously still doubtful.
Marshmallow noticed, stood up and clapped a hoof on the other pony's shoulder, giving him a soft, reassuring smile. “Hey, if you're really that worried, how about I stay up on lookout for a bit? It's a good idea, even with your protection.” He added to Rosebud.
Strawberry's shoulders seemed to relax. “That would settle my nerves, yes.” He murmured shyly.
“True.” Rosebud agreed, though her eyes were unsure. “But only if you're sure you're up for it?” She asked.
Marshmallow brushed her off and stood up. “Of course I'm sure.” He said, before trotting towards the edge of the protective shield where the sky was most visible, shimmying up a leaning tree, and settling on a thick branch a few feet above them, dangling one hoof calmly over the edge. “I'll let you know if I see anything potentially of concern, Rosey.” He said, before fixing his gaze on the trees ahead.
Reassured that they were safe, Meteor climbed into his bag, as did all the others and tried his best to fall asleep. It was strange, seeing dark trees, a campfire, and companions all around him instead of his familiar bedroom. The ground was somewhat hard even through his cushy sleeping bag, and he huddled deep into the silky folds until he was comfortable. His stomach rumbled softly but he wasn't about to admit it and complain. He just closed his eyes, taking slow, steady breaths as to tune it out and get some rest.
“Goodnight Honeycrisp.” Rosebud's voice sounded after a moments silence, making Meteor's eyes fly back open.
“Goodnight Rosebud.” Came the hardy stallion's slow reply,
“Goodnight Diamond, Goodnight Prism, Goodnight Sunny.” Rosebud repeated to the others. They all replied in unison.
Meteor, perplexed by this lengthy exchange, blinked and looked questioningly down at Rosebud, who's rosey head was just visible down near his hind hooves.
“Goodnight Toast.” She added, shifting her head to look up near his perch.
“'Night Rosie.” Marshmallow replied from above.
“Goodnight Meteor.” Rosebud said finally, making Meteor flinch. He didn't know how to respond. This exchange of goodnights was so new to him, usually he only said goodnight to both his parents at the same time, they'd reply, and he went to bed, simple as that. He'd never heard it from or said it to anypony else, at least not ponies he barely knew.
“Uh, 'night?” He murmured uncertainly, feeling it strange to be included as if he were one of them.
Then there was silence for a moment, letting Meteor recompose himself from that unfamiliar experience.
“Goodnight, S'more, Diamond, Prism, Meteor, and Honeycrisp.” Strawberry chimed up a few moments later.
Diamond chuckled softly before answering. “Goodnight Strawberry, Honeycrisp, Pris—”
“Oh, for Celestia's sake! Everypony, go to sleep!” Prism snarled before any more unnecessary goodnights could be given. Everypony fell silent, some stifling snickers. Meteor had to admit that it had amused him as well as he stifled a snicker of his own.
Toasted Marshmallow gave an amused chuckle from up in his tree. “Goodnight, everyone.” He concluded fairly. Meteor nodded and closed his eyes again. Yeah, that's much quicker and more efficient. He thought happily, before he and everyone else finally focused on just falling asleep.
Meteor Star woke, looking up at a gray early sky through a gap in the dark trees above his head. He felt slightly stiff and blinked as the cold stung his exposed face. He was chilled yet his back half was caught in a sort of stuffy warmth. He ran a hoof over his forehead and shifted onto his side, somehow having flipped onto his back in his sleep, his back aching from sleeping on hard earth. It was cold and he moved around in his sleeping bag to bring feeling back to his limbs.
Vision blurry, he groped around at the short grass around him for his glasses. Feeling his hoof hit a lense, he brought the specticals back to his face and blinked a few times as his vision cleared. Taking in his surroundings, he lifted his head up slightly. The fire had gone out and the shield still shimmered softly, indicating it had held up through the night. All around him, the others were all waking. Only Diamond still seemed to be fast asleep, her ears poking out from inside her sleeping bag.
Rosebud was the first one to say anything, as she rubbed her eyes with a paw and rolled over onto her stomach. “Sleep alright everypony?” She yawned. Honeycrisp, who was already standing, approached her and offered her a hoof. She took it and got to her feet.
There was a murmur of positive replies as everypony sat up and Prismarine came over to shake Diamond awake.
A little stiff and cold, but not too bad. Meteor thought, sitting up and bringing his knees up to his chest to hug them and rid them of their stuffy restrictions.
“Could've been worse.” Strawberry grumbled, running his hooves through his curly mane —which was ruffled and sticking up at all angles— in a desprate attempt to tame it.
Scarlet Rosebud reached up a paw to remove the furled, browning rose from her hair, before willing it out of existence and conjuring a new one, this one was soft pink and luchiously full. She then stepped up to the campfire logs and rekindled the flames with magic.
Everypony gathered around it to get warm and stretch out their limbs. Diamond blinked slowly a few times, clearly struggling to clear the fog of sleep from her eyes, Prismarine seemed to be doing an entire stretch out routine beside her, and Strawberry Sundae was still pawing subduedly at a few curls that refused to go back into place. “Anyone seen S'more?” He asked, distractedly, tongue poking out the side of his mouth.
“Well, about time you lot woke up.” Toasted Marshmallow's voice came as he trotted out of the trees.
Prismarine blinked at him as he too sat down beside the fire. “And where've you been?” She asked, crossing her hooves.
“Just scouting ahead if you must know, Priz.” Marshmallow answered teasingly. “Checking for dangers, making sure we have a clear path out of the Everfree.”
“Nice." Strawberry said, giving Marshmallow an amused look. “Usually I'm the one waiting for you to get up.”
The smaller stallion blinked deliberately but then shook his head in dismissal, seemingly amused.
“How long until we make it out?” Honeycrisp asked him, holding out his forehooves to the warmth of the fire.
“Oh, it's not far now, just up over that rise a ways.” Marshmallow said, pointing a hoof behind him at where, in the light of the day, they could see the ground sloping upwards.
“You didn't stay up all night, did you?” Diamond checked suspiciously.
Prismarine answered for him. “Nah, he woke me up around three to take over, I simply saw him leave a little bit ago and decided to doze until you all woke too.”
Meteor was once again reminded by his stomach that he hadn't eaten since the slice of pie the day before. He tried to stifle it with a hoof but undoubtedly Rosebud who sat beside him, noticed. However, she didn't call him out. “Well, no use moving forward on empty stomaches now is there?” She said.
She swirled her paws before her and in the air appeared a stack of hay-cakes dripping in syrup. Everypony's attentions were turned to the sight of food and Rosebud floated one to each of her companions, who all caught them in their mouths as to not get their hooves sticky.
Meteor's mouth salivated as a hay-cake came his way, and he reached out his snout to grab it in his teeth, not even bothering to use his magic. He closed his eyes as he chewed, savoring the flavour of cooked hay batter and sweet, liquid maple on his tongue. It was a bit big to stuff into his mouth at once, and he half hid his face in embarrassment with a hoof.
It was a fulfilling breakfast and everyone gradually started to disperse a bit to their respective logs, starting one on one conversations while munching on seconds.
Meteor found himself on one end of his log alone while Rosebud and Honeycrisp conversed on the other side.
As he chewed on the last couple bites his thoughts enveloped him, going over yesterday's events and the current situation. How had everything changed so quickly? It had been just yesterday morning that he had been in his own bed, in his home, with his books and his parents and castle staff, and now he was out in the forest, camping with his honorary cousins, the grown and teenage children of his mother's Council of Friendship, of her best friends. Her family.
Technically my family, huh? He thought. It's all so strange, this friendship thing. These ponies, though they didn't always get along perfectly, seemed to know each other so well, maybe even trusted each other. Some of these ponies' parents had been been taken hostage and here were other ponies like Rosebud, and Honeycrisp, and the Pie twins, who hadn't been affected, but still seemed to care about it as much as if they had been; enough to go on a crazy journey to fight a villain they knew close to nothing about, that was for sure. I came on this crazy journey too. Meteor realized.
“Somthing on your mind?” Scarlet Rosebud asked, sliding down the log to his side. He blinked out of his thoughts to look at her.
He stood up and shrugged. “Just thinking. . .” He said. When the drac-pony didn't reply he continued apprehensively. “About the journey so far, and what's to come. . .and about you guys I guess.”
“What about us?” Rosebud asked softly, standing up and circling around to face him.
Meteor chewed his lip in thought for a moment. “Well, I don't know, it's just that you all seem so supportive and close to each other —well most of you, to a degree— and you haven't been talking to me as if I was a newcomer, you seemed to let me into the group, just like that, it seems to me that you're all acting like it's normal I'm here.”
Rosebud was silent for a moment before she pursed her lips and copied him looking off into the distance. “Well for us it kind of is normal to let others with some kind of connection to us into the group, and suddenly being thrown into a situation you're not used to has gotta be hard. I guess it's only moral and natural that we want to make you feel as welcome as possible, even if some of the others' methods can be a little. . . er, much.” She answered.
Meteor blinked in confusion. So they just. . . Care about me enough to want to make me feel welcome, like I was just another pony in their friend group? Just like that? Without even knowing me. . .? That didn't make much sense to him, how could you care about someone you didn't know? Meteor cared about ponies, he cared about his parents and his cousins because they were family, to love your own blood was natural to ordinary ponies with good-enough home lives. He cared about his subjects to the degree that he didn't want them to die, but that was it, wasn't that normal?
“By the look on your face I'd say you find that a little hard to believe?” Rosebud caught on, looking at him now, voice soft and nonjudgmental.
Meteor choked. Oh boy, am I that obvious? He wondered, clearing his throat. “Oh, w-well, I guess I just don't understand, I don't really do the friendship thing so I—”
“Yeah I gathered that too.” Rosebud interrupted smoothly, looking slightly amused. “I'm not going to judge though. To each their own. But I am willing to at least try and help you understand better and maybe once you see for yourself while on our journey what a wonderful and handy thing friendship can be, perhaps you'll change your mind?”
“Uh, I don't know—” Meteor began, feeling even more unsure about the way he saw the concept.
Rosebud held up a paw to silence him, catching him with a understanding look. “Just give us a chance. I mean you're stuck with us now, but really we're not so bad, right? Some of us may be a bit difficult—” Meteor followed her gaze over to Prismarine and Honeycrisp. “—or maybe a bit extra—” He followed her gaze to Strawberry and Marshmallow. “—but at the end of the day, we all have things to contribute, qualities that others will like about us. Pretty soon I think you could grow to like them too, if you just open your mind up to it — I know I have.” Rosebud's eyes were shining more and more as she spoke until Meteor could almost feel the affection she had for her friends when she looked past him to look at them.
The prince felt a bit taken aback. Could I really? I mean, I've only just been tolerating them this whole time haven't I? Then again, he did begrudgingly recall moments with them that he had enjoyed somewhat. She seems to believe I could, and it's obvious she feels like that herself. . . But still what is there to having friends that is even worth having them in the first place? Am I really missing anything? I've never needed friends before to rely on, I never needed friends before at all, so why would I need them now?
“So you're saying that I may be surprised.” Meteor concluded.
Rosebud nodded cheerily, “Ponies can surprise you with how much more there is to them then what you see on the outside. Once you get to know them you can find all kinds of good qualities or even just traits you can appreciate more, once you get to like them you start to care about them and trust them. Care and trust are the main aspects of friendship, and true friendship is stemmed from a sense of love, and love keeps us united, as if we were a family.”
“So because you care about them, your friends with them, and because you are friends with them—” Meteor began, calculating.
“They are like a part of my family.” Rosebud concluded for him. “And like I would with family, I love my friends, and I'd do anything for them.” A purr rumbled in her throat and she gave a little twirling side-step, looking content and so sincere.
“Anything?” Meteor wondered aloud, a bit skeptical. Well sure he'd do anything for his family, who wouldn't. . .but then he realized what she was saying. According to Rosebud, her friends were her family, just like how his mother was like family to all their parents. I never thought of it that way.
“Um, Rosebud?” Strawberry asked the drac-pony hesitantly, giving her a sheepish grin and shuffling his hooves. Rosebud looked at him questioningly, before giving him a knowing smile, conjuring a roll of a certain type of paper, and tossing it to him. “Thanks.” He hiccuped, taking it, before zooming off into the trees.
“Share with whoever needs it!” Rosebud called after him, smiling widely, before she turned to beam at Meteor. “Anything.”
When they got moving a little while later, Meteor thought about what she had said. So according to her experience, that's what friendships are about: caring so much about someone, loving someone so much, that you would do anything for them, like they were your own family. He reiterated. Seems like a lot of work to me. . . He thought in an attempt to block out any flaws that he had started to see in his pessimistic outlook on companionship. And yet. . .
“Whoo, boy.” Rosebud said from up front, holding out the map. “This seems like such a long way doesn't it? We don't know what that villain is going to do with the 'Bolts. We may need to get there really soon and this seems like a couple days' walk.”
“It would be much faster if we could just fly there.” Prismarine grumped, coming up to fly beside her. “I could be there in a couple hours tops.”
“Hey, not a bad idea actually.” Rosebud said, stopping. She turned to the group, who stopped when she did. “Why don't you and I carry them there?! I can enchant both of us to give us strength enough to carry one or two at a time. What do you think, everypony?”
Meteor drew in a breath. Fly? He thought, his conflicted ponderings interrupted and forgotten, replaced by a sudden adamant wishing that he was anywhere else.
Prismarine didn't look too pleased either. “Carry?” She spat, glowering. “Nuh-uh, not happening!”
“Oh c'mon! Live a little!” Marshmallow called to her.
Scarlet Rosebud turned to the black pegasus with patient eyes. “Please, Prism? It would get us there faster, and don't you want to save your parents?” She asked. Prismarine didn't answer, just averted her gaze and furrowed her thick brows.
“The sooner we get to them and bring them back, the sooner we can return to Ponyville and you can avoid us all for as long as you like.”
That got Prismarine's attention. Next thing Meteor Star knew, he was being hoisted onto Prismarine's feathery back, her fur and plumage uncomfortably rubbing against the unicorn's skin, who had never been one for physical contact, even from ponies he knew well. By the shutter under him, he thought that Prism thought the same.
Not only that but Diamond Crest was pressed against his side, trying to avoid sliding off, and he had to lean his head as far away from her as possible to retain some kind of comfort. As the pegasus began to rise into the air, great black wings obscuring his vision and making him feel inescapably inclosed with every flap, Meteor lurched forward and tried to grip her shoulders with his smooth, ungripping hooves, the sudden movement making his stomach flip.
Why did I agree to thiiiiiissss! He thought as in an instant he was suddenly many feet above the ground. There was a moment where Prismarine leaned back, before she flew forward, though not at top speed, yet it was fast enough to make Meteor shriek from the sudden momentum and the young stallion found himself clinging with his arms around Prismarine's neck, over lapping with Diamonds, who also looked terrified.
“Sit still, will ya?” Meteor heard the brutish mare yell at him, but he couldn't process her words, his heart was being thrown in every direction inside his chest, the ground now a mile away and freezing air blasting against his face, making him squint.
His head was pressed just above one arm and he could see Rosebud flying a few feet away, Honeycrisp clinging impossibly on her back, fidgeting awkwardly. Just behind her came Strawberry Sundae and Toasted Marshmallow, both of whom had tied bunches of balloons around their waists which somehow allowed them to fly alongside the pegasi, bouncy tails whirring like fluffy propellers.
Meteor lost track of time with the air stinging his eyes and the freezing wind blowing his mane and coat back behind him. Halfway through the few hour flight, he felt his nerves slowly loosening, and not looking down, he started to appreciate the steady flight pattern. He heard Diamond Crest let out a whoop of joy beside him, which somewhat settled down his rapid heart enough that he managed to enjoy the fun of moving through the open skies.
I probably wouldn't mind having been born with wings. He mused, finding himself laughing alongside Diamond Crest, looking out at the vast landscape before them.
"Beats walking, huh?" Rosebud exclaimed, and he turned his head to see her swooping closer to them, Honeycrisp still clinging for dear life, shaking his head in answer to the question that hadn't been directed at him.
Meteor went to shrug but hated how he shifted and clung tighter despite Prism's snort of discomfort. "I for one, can't wait to get the clingers off of my back!" She growled.
"I love it!" Diamond Crest exclaimed, before hollering happily again.
Meteor had to admit, it was thrilling at the least, and the happy laughter of many of the ponies around him sent a strangely warm feeling trickle down his spine.
He listened as a flock of geese flew by, watching them fly past them in the near distance, then looked in awe at a twirling, spiraling flock of starlings that dashed away into the distance. Meteor suddenly wondered with a little thrill what the stars were like from up this high.
Well, actually they weren't flying high at all, just enough to scale the trees, and he occasionally would feel Prismarine's hooves brush the tops of the sky-high plants, still it was higher up than he'd ever been. He remembered the few times his mother had let him ride on her back as she flew, but little Meteor hadn't the tolerance to stay up with her long and she never flew higher than he was comfortable with.
"Woah!" Rosebud exclaimed from the front, breaking Meteor out of his thoughts. He looked up to see what she was seeing and gulped. There, just up ahead was a vast dark smudge of treacherous terrain, and among it, the drooping vines of too-green trees.
I think we're close. Meteor thought with a shiver, this one cold and daunting, causing Diamond beside him to shutter as well. I think we've come to The Forbidden Jungle. . .
