this story is about a young boy whose life is rooted thanks to a letter
Thanks to a mysterious letter, Ferkó ends up in Eqwestria, which King Sombra repeatedly forced to his knees, and with a handful of newly acquired friends, he tries to restore peace and harmony by his side. He is assisted in this by some magical talismans whose power rivals the elements of harmony. During the fight, he unexpectedly finds true love where he least expected it, and with this strength he finally sets out for the final battle, which will decide not only his fate but the fate of the entire world once and for all.
Life often repeats itself, though there are things that would be better if they never repeated.
Ferkó was an average schoolboy. He enjoyed hiking, especially in the city of Kőszeg, where he pursued his studies. He loved to read, but his peers often teased him for reading girly books, labeling him as an easy target with a weak character. He was a good student, and despite being slightly overweight, he had good stamina. When he went hiking, his favorite destinations were the Old House lookout, the Styrian houses, and the Written Rock. He often studied and enjoyed the fresh mountain air in these places. His life here was almost perfect until one day when everything changed.
"Good morning," Ferkó said in a sleepy voice as he began to dress, still half-asleep. His roommates tried to pull the covers over their heads. Ferkó got dressed, went to wash up, and then bumped into one of his big bullies. He didn't pay much attention to him and focused on packing his school bag before heading to breakfast. The bully didn't let it go and kept hurling insults at him, but Ferkó was used to it. His teachers called his self-control unmatched. Finally, he arrived at the cafeteria and prepared his usual breakfast.
His breakfast was routine, with a boiled egg, two slices of bread with butter, a boiled potato, and a cup of tea. Then, he headed to school before class to have time to read his book.
It was a beautiful sunny but chilly October morning. He walked along the stairs surrounded by evergreen trees, down the open promenade, and when he reached the park, he noticed the glistening frost on the grass in the crisp cold. His dormitory was a modern-looking building from the outside but had a more traditional feel inside, with granite floors and walls painted with lime. The room furnishings were modest but sufficient. The worn radiators, plastic linoleum floors in the rooms, well-used wooden beds, desks, and creaky cupboard doors all told the story of years of student life. However, the hallways and lobbies were spacious and inviting, exuding a sense of calm, inviting anyone to enter through the front door.
In contrast, the school resembled a castle, with a massive door adorned by an enormous metal handle. Inside, beautiful large windows provided light to spacious corridors and wide staircases, which had been fitted with finely polished granite floors. The walls displayed alternating paintings and plaques showcasing former students, classes, and teachers. The building had a magnificent ceiling, reminiscent of a city palace, at least in Ferkó's opinion. The corridors were always cold, but Ferkó didn't mind with his warm knitted sweater. The classrooms, on the other hand, had parquet and plastic floors and traditional school desks. Ferkó never liked the classrooms; he found them ugly compared to the beautiful marbled hallways. He sat down on a bench in the corridor, where there was a small red cushion. He often read here and had become accustomed to the hard, dark oak wood bench.
Unfortunately, Ferkó's knowledge of English was somewhat lacking. He took out a translation tool and copied the current chapter from his book. He found it fascinating that a closed world, brought to life by a series, could be unraveled by a few creative people who had the ability to recreate it from scratch. However, he didn't dwell on this thought at the moment and started reading.
Sweetie Belle was not exactly ecstatic but could put her ambitions aside and swallow the first bite...
Suddenly, his reading was interrupted by the loudspeaker: "Németh Ferkó, please report to the principal's office immediately." The announcement came from a crackling and hoarse voice from the old equipment.
Ferkó couldn't imagine what the principal wanted from him, but he had no choice but to go. The staircase leading to the principal's office was beautiful, adorned with various potted plants by the windows. The hallway provided a stunning view of the school's English garden, which Ferkó would have loved to gaze at all day, but he continued up the stairs. On the first floor, there was the assembly hall and most of the lecture rooms. Ferkó enjoyed being there because it was where the most interesting lessons took place. He looked around for a moment, exchanged greetings with the chemistry teacher, an elderly woman with graying hair, from whom he had learned the art of conducting beautiful experiments. However, he had to hurry and moved on to the second floor. The stairs leading there offered an even more breathtaking view of the English garden, and he could even see the sports fields from there. He rushed upstairs and found himself in front of the principal's imposing office door. He knocked and entered.
"Principal, sir?" he inquired with a somewhat timid voice and a hint of fear.
Ferkó didn't like going to the principal's office, as he was quite shy, but he would never let anyone offend him in this regard.
"Yes, thank you for coming," the principal replied with a slight unease in his voice.
Ferkó couldn't fathom what the principal wanted from him, but he had to comply. As he entered the office, he noticed how beautiful it was, with potted plants and a view of the school's English garden from the corridor. Ferkó would have loved to watch it all day, but he pressed on and approached the principal's desk. After a brief greeting, the principal got down to business.
"Is something wrong?" Ferkó asked, slightly sweating and anxious.
The principal's stern gaze unnerved Ferkó, and he could feel the blood draining from his face. After what felt like hours to Ferkó but was only a minute, the principal finally spoke.
"Well, if it is indeed yours, make sure not to leave it behind like this again. Someone might use it for cheating," the principal said, stern but not overly harsh.
Ferkó was almost overwhelmed by relief that the principal believed him, but he maintained a calm exterior and managed to stammer out, "Thank you for noticing, I promise it won't happen again."
With that, he hurriedly left the principal's office and bid his farewell. As he rushed down the stairs, the old bell, reminiscent of a church bell, signaled that the class was about to begin. The hallways were crowded with students saying their goodbyes, friends looking for a spot in the classroom to sit together and help each other. Ferkó took a seat in a solitary desk, took out his history book, and reviewed the material once more.
"Good morning, teacher, you look lovely today," he said as a greeting and a compliment when the teacher, a tall woman in her late thirties with brown curly hair, walked into the classroom, wearing a blue blouse and a traditional skirt.
"Good morning," the teacher responded, her voice tinged with irritation, and she gestured for the students to stand.
"Good morning, Mrs. Magdolna," echoed the half-hearted greeting from the class, delivered somewhat apathetically.
Mrs. Magdolna began the questioning. "Ferkó, which three countries participated in the 1800 Balkan War in the northern region?"
"Serbia, the Ottoman Empire, and the Russian Empire," came Ferkó's response, clear and confident.
"Correct. Rebeka, among the following, which state did not participate in the First World War: Greece, Sweden, or Czechoslovakia?" the second question followed in the same firm tone.
Meanwhile, Ferkó opened the letter with a pocket knife. It contained old-fashioned parchment and two intriguing objects: a peacock tail-shaped brooch and a small, peculiar coin with three small handles. He quickly stashed the letter, the brooch, and the coin into his bag and tried to focus on the lesson, but after twenty minutes, he couldn't resist the urge to read the letter, even if he couldn't do so during class.
"Teacher," Ferkó called out loudly, his voice somewhat hesitant and a bit embarrassed.
"What is it, Ferkó?" asked the teacher, Barbara, with a touch of annoyance.
"My head hurts. Can I go get an aspirin?" Ferkó asked while trying to cool his forehead with his hand, hoping to appear convincing.
"Of course, but hurry back," the teacher responded with skepticism in her voice.
Ferkó dashed into the bathroom and pulled out the letter from his bag. He slowly began reading the strange writing, which was somewhat messy but still readable:
"Sunset, I want you to know that you can never come back to Equestria. Twilight has fallen with her friends, and we can no longer help. Take this brooch and use its power to break the portal before a dark hand reaches your world."
Ferkó pondered how this letter had ended up on his desk. He wondered if it was a hoax, but he was curious to see how it would play out. He thought, "Either I'm mistaken, or I'm in for something big."
"If you ever want to return, the coin will grant you a protective shield against the curse. And if you activate it, a portal will open before you, leading you to me. But please, use it only if necessary. I send it to you now because if it falls into the wrong hands, it could be..."
The letter inexplicably ended abruptly, and a blot of ink marred the bottom. Ferkó couldn't help but burst into laughter. He joked with himself, "You've really fallen for this, haven't you?"
As he chuckled, he playfully activated the coin by turning one of its tiny knobs, but suddenly, a blinding light engulfed him. He could no longer see his surroundings. And just like that, he found himself in a dimly lit, medieval-looking cell with thick bars, barely letting in the feeble light of the moon. He tried to make out more details, but for some reason, his eyes were glued to something in the darkness.
(cough) "whe-where am I?" asked Ferkó, between two active coughs, when he regained consciousness. Suddenly, a turquoise blue light flashed with an incredibly strong brightness and warmth, and a pleasant feeling washed over Ferkó as if he were sitting by a fireplace, and he began to feel much better.
"Tell me, what are you looking for here, and how did you get in?" asked an elderly but thin voice.
"I-I don't know. I received a letter from someone called Sunset, Sunset, um... I can't remember the full name of Sunset, and I accidentally activated the portal or something, and..." Ferkó shook his head and suddenly got surprised. "Wait, am I a, horn, mane, HOOVES?" Ferkó suddenly wanted to scream and faint. "What, what is happening here?" he asked irritably.
"How do you mean?" asked a raspy female voice.
"We thought you came to rescue us," spoke a gentle childlike voice.
"Who are you, and why are you hiding in the shadows?" Ferkó asked, almost shouting.
Suddenly, light appeared again, the same turquoise glow, and the cell suddenly started to swim in light. "Are you happy now?" asked a lilac-blue-maned and tailed unicorn who showed signs of age, wearing a blouse-like outfit. Suddenly, a blue-bodied, red-chitined, turquoise-eyed bug-like pony, and an orange dragon appeared.
"Y-yes, but you... this can't be, Starlight?" Ferkó asked, confused and delighted.
"How do you know my name?" the unicorn asked angrily. Suddenly, her horn lit up and passed over it, almost blinding with light.
"Wait, Starlight, don't shoot!" he shouted, but it was too late. Starlight fired a beam. Ferkó suddenly thought of a magical shield to protect himself. He felt pressure, but not on his body, as if it were outside him, and when he opened his eyes, there was a shield in front of him, which suddenly collapsed. Starlight was ready for the next shot. Ferkó suddenly jumped and bit Starlight's horn. The unicorn's magic dispersed, and Starlight cried out in pain. Ferkó quickly spat out the horn and jumped to the ground.
"Listen, Starlight, I don't mean harm, but I don't know what's happening, and I'm afraid. Please stop," Ferkó said soothingly but with a hint of fear in his voice.
"Okay, let's assume you don't mean harm, but then why are you here?" the bug-like pony asked.
"That's a very good question, and I think Starlight knows the answer, Ocellus," Ferkó said with a mix of demand and question.
"First, answer something -" said the dragon.
"What, Smolder?" Ferkó asked confidently with a touch of sarcasm.
"How do you know our names, and what's your name?" Smolder asked with folded arms.
"Well, that's two questions, but it's understandable. My name is Scoald Bubble in your language, but it's pronounced Ferkó in mine, and I'd prefer if you called me Ferkó. As for the other question, I can't give an answer because it's too shocking... and too complex," he said uncertainly, but it was clear that his uncertainty was about how to phrase it rather than what to say.
"It's good to know that at least someone received my letter. I thought Sombra destroyed it before it fell into the portal," Starlight said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"What exactly is happening?" Ferkó asked.
"Well, to understand that, we need to turn back the wheel of time," Starlight said with a strong emphasis.
"So, are you using a spell that projects what happened into my head?" Ferkó asked, a bit annoyed.
"Actually, that's a great idea," Starlight said, somewhat uncertain.
Suddenly, a flash of light, and a massive metal door slammed shut, and Ferkó soon found himself back in the cell. A white-furred, blue-maned unicorn with dark green eyes, well-groomed but clearly hadn't seen a brush or mirror for a while, wearing dark purple armor with gold accents, was there. Ferkó suddenly found himself in a nearly transparent turquoise bubble. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't have to wait long for the answer. The unicorn brought some things that looked like hay and fresh water into the cell and then left after placing them on the ground. As soon as he left and the door slammed shut with a loud noise, the aura dissipated, and Starlight was left slightly panting. Interestingly, instead of the faint moonlight, a bit of morning sunlight filtered into the cell, which was almost blinding compared to the previous moonlight.
"Starlight, are you okay?" Ocellus asked nervously.
"Yes, I'm just a little tired," Starlight replied, still panting.
"Tell me, Starlight, the amulet will take me back to my world, right?"
"Unfortunately, this is a one-way trip," Starlight replied dejectedly.
"Fortunately, I brought my bag with me," Ferkó said, a bit fearful and angry.
"But I didn't see what happened, how you ended up here. Where are the others?" Ferkó asked in confusion.
"We don't know either. We were sleeping, and that's how they managed to capture us," Smolder replied while blowing smoke from her nostrils.
"Why are you still here? I mean, Starlight is a powerful unicorn. Why don't you just teleport out?" Ferkó asked.
"Look, Ferkó, I might be strong, but I can't challenge Chrysalis' throne, and the door is unbreakable, heat, and force-resistant," Starlight said sadly.
"Does the door only open with a key?" Ferkó asked in amazement.
"Yes," they all replied unanimously.
"Well, then we're getting out of here now," Ferkó said. He took out his knife, but accidentally dropped it.
"Oops, I forgot I have hooves," he said, surprised.
Ferkó turned inward as he read from the book and searched for the beat of his heart. He found it quite easily and charged his horn with a spell that suddenly sparkled as he levitated his knife.
"Is this normal?" he asked a bit nervously, pulling his neck away from the sparks.
"Yes, it's quite common among demi-unicorns," Starlight replied monotonously.
"What's a demi-what?" Ferkó asked strangely and then looked at his back, where he saw two featherless wings.
"Oh, great, I go through a portal, and I instantly become the lamest creature in the world. I'm a pegacorn! Super. But at least both my eyes are okay," Ferkó said a bit angrily.
Ferkó took out a butter and jam sandwich from his bag and accidentally pulled out the brooch in the shape of a peacock's tail, which fell to the ground and suddenly flashed with blinding blue light. When the light subsided, four pieces of jewelry lay on the ground, still shining: a black ring, a peculiar stiff hat resembling a unicorn's horn, the brooch, and a necklace resembling a fox's tail.
After the light had completely disappeared, the jewels lay motionless on the ground and would have been shrouded in darkness if it weren't for Starlight's light.
"Is this normal here? But what exactly happened now?" Ferkó asked with a slightly scared and puzzled voice.
"Well, this isn't too ordinary either," Smolder replied, emitting smoke.
Ferkó suddenly tried to direct his magic into his eyes, and when he succeeded, the entire cell became a little brighter.
"What are you doing for Celestia's sake?" Starlight asked Ferkó because of his large pale yellow eyes that were sparkling and sparkling.
"Well, I read that if you lead the magic into your eyes, you can see the magic of the surrounding things, and I can't believe it's still working even if it stings a bit," Ferkó replied rather straightforwardly.
Starlight tried to imitate him, but it didn't work very well. Meanwhile, Ferkó looked at the jewels, and he saw incredible magic compared to his surroundings, almost blinding. He cautiously picked up the brooch and clipped it to his mane. Unexpectedly, a blue light began to flicker around him. He was suddenly terrified, and the magic quickly disappeared from his eyes, but even without it, he could clearly see the fading light. Eventually, a blue peacock-tailed creature emerged from the fading light.
"Hi, I'm Dusu," said the strange creature in a thin, almost childlike voice.
"Wait, you can see him too, right?" Ferkó asked, a mix of anxiety and fear in his voice.
"Yes, but that still doesn't mean we know who he is or what this is," Ocellus replied, recoiling a bit.
"Oh, so unicorn ponies are forgetful. Starlight denied it a few days ago," the cheerful little Dusu explained.
"Starlight, who is this little creature?" Ferkó asked, a bit demanding.
"Well, I'll tell you," Starlight said, although not too enthusiastically. "Dusu is one of the 15 beings who guard the worlds from the beginning. Each of them is tied to a unique jewel and empowers their users with special powers that no other magic can provide."
"I see. They're like kwamis and these are talismans," Ferkó declared impatiently. "Exactly. But how do you know that?" Starlight asked in amazement.
"I've read a lot of books about Equestria in my own world," Ferkó said somewhat arrogantly.
"Now that we've cleared that up, can we move on?" Smolder asked, getting increasingly nervous.
"Given the circumstances, shouldn't we use these?" Ocellus asked, pointing to the talismans.
"Actually, it's not a bad idea... Uh... Dusu, open my wings," Starlight said, angrily looking at Ferkó, who didn't let him speak. Ferkó ended up in a beautiful peacock-like outfit with a strange fan in his wing.
"Oh, sorry, what were you going to say, Starlight?" Ferkó asked, realizing his mistake.
Starlight's response was concise and to the point: "It doesn't matter anymore because someone can't control themselves," and he pointed at Ferkó, who suddenly felt very embarrassed. Soon, the others also transformed. Ocellus looked like a fox, with a bushy tail, and a flute in her paw; Smolder resembled a black cat; and Starlight turned into a bird-like creature with star-throwing stars hidden in her wings.
"Now, let's clean up," Ferkó said as he stood by the cell door with his black bag.
"Wait, we can't leave it like this. We'd get caught right away," Ocellus said and suddenly produced a flute and started playing it. Starlight suddenly appeared and then Smolder and Ocellus, exact duplicates of the ones in the cell. The signs of the cuts disappeared quickly, and they moved in the direction from which the guard who brought lunch had come.
Ferkó, Starlight, and the others hurriedly moved as far away from the cell as possible. The corridors were dark, with empty torch holders and cell doors lining the walls. Ferkó, with his magical eyes, could see quite well, while Starlight used her horn to illuminate the way. However, Smolder and Ocelus had to rely on following Starlight's horn. Suddenly, the group came to a halt when they heard crying from the cell next to them. The cell was pitch-black, with two shadows inside, a unicorn and another pegacorn. Starlight cast light into the cell, and their breaths caught. Ocelus and Smolder were also startled, and Ferkó immediately tried to open the door. The whitish-green unicorn and the brown pegacorn were from Starlight's memory.
After a few minutes, Starlight finally managed to speak. "Sweetie Belle, Phinix Eyes, what happened to you?" she asked, tears in her eyes, defying the cuts and the searingly hot horn cuffs.
"H-help," they said weakly, their voices barely audible.
Ferkó immediately began using his powers and summoned a creature made entirely of water and ice. It slowly started to cool down the iron cuffs. Meanwhile, Smolder disintegrated the iron door that separated them. Starlight rushed over and started using healing magic on the two foals, murmuring incantations until some of their wounds were healed. The two foals almost immediately collapsed to the ground as the magic no longer supported them, and their eyes slowly closed.
Suddenly, two guards appeared, a rainbow-maned blue pegasus and a black-maned blue unicorn. Starlight conjured a large shield to hide them, preventing them from being discovered.
"What is this?" Ferkó asked as he removed the still-hot horn cuffs from their horns.
Starlight sighed heavily. "These are mind-breakers. When a unicorn resists a spell, they can be broken with this, thanks to the dark magic within. As soon as they give up the fight, it rewrites the unicorn's mind based on the magic inside them. The heat only intensifies the suffering that comes with it. Falling asleep with one of these on your head is like a death sentence to free will. They're almost cold compared to what Celestia used. Fortunately, we made it in time."
Ferkó was shocked but didn't question Starlight. He took out his knife again and went towards the foals while holding his largest knife.
"Wait, what are you planning?" Starlight asked, visibly irritated.
"Calm down, Starlight. If something burns too much, the best thing you can do is cool the area being burned. Since the golem would melt quickly if I did that, I'm going to use my knife to cool them down unless you have a handkerchief and cold water with you," Ferkó explained nervously.
Starlight and Ocellus kept watch while Smolder and Ferkó were occupied with the two unfortunate foals.
"Well, let's look on the bright side; if we manage to save them from brainwashing, we'll have six instead of four," Smolder said proudly.
"Seven," Ferkó corrected.
"Seven? How?" the others asked unanimously.
"Well, there's a young-looking pegasus nearby, and..." Ferkó suddenly felt a pressure as if someone were pushing him or trying to shut him up, like a bad cart.
"Scootaloo, give me back the coin," came the voice from the white unicorn's mouth, sounding quiet but clear.
The unicorn struggled and kicked. Starlight quickly went over and comforted the young unicorn.
"Hehehe, Sweetie Belle, everything's fine, shhh," she soothed the young unicorn.
The sun was descending from the sky, and the moon was rising again, making the prison even darker than it had been. Starlight quickly extinguished the magical torch she had used, and soon, only Ferkó could see in the pitch-black labyrinthine prison.
"I suggest you get some sleep, and I'll keep watch," Ferkó said while giving an anxious glance to Starlight, who appeared to be quite hungry.
"No, if we fall asleep... Ocellus started, shivering.
"Look, Ferkó, this is very kind of you, but all three of us have curses on us. If we fall asleep, the nightmares will be worse than the worst things we've ever dreamt of. Starlight said kindly but sadly.
At that moment, Ferkó had an idea. "Dusu, open my wings," he said, and soon, he was in his peacock-like outfit, with a feather he conjured into a lamp-like being.
"What is this?" Ocellus asked. "This is Drowse, a sleep-eater. If it detects sleep, it will devour it immediately. So, you can sleep peacefully."
"Wow, that's an interesting approach," Ocellus said and, using some textbooks as pillows from Ferkó's bag, soon went to rest. Soon, the others also made similar beds, except for Ferkó, who finally had time to think and eat.
For a while, Ferkó had been quietly munching on various sweets and sandwiches he had in his bag, guided only by the magic that allowed him to see in the dark. The guards often passed by them, but they never noticed that something was amiss, thanks to the concealment charm Starlight had cast before going to sleep. Ferkó couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. How did the letter end up with him? Where should they go now? He took out his phone from his bag, which still had about 10% battery left. Ferkó infused a little lightning into it, and suddenly, the phone was back to 100%. He resumed reading the book.
A few hours later, he heard a faint rustling and a gentle voice asking, "What happened, and where am I?" Ferkó turned around and saw that the little unicorn filly was awake, the one whose cell they were in.
"Pssshh, come here," Ferkó said soothingly to the filly.
The filly didn't hesitate and trotted over to Ferkó.
"Hi, I'm Sweetie Belle. What's your name?" Sweetie Belle asked curiously and a bit loudly.
"Hello, Sweetie Belle. I'm Ferkó, but please lower your voice because the others are very tired," Ferkó replied.
Sweetie Belle lay down on the cold stone next to Ferkó, and they began to chat. Slowly, the moon started to set, but Ferkó didn't notice it too much. He was just happy to have some company. Suddenly, as they reached the edge of the cell, a bright flash of light appeared, and two pieces of jewelry ended up in Ferkó's hooves: a small white coin that could be worn as a necklace and a beautiful pair of earrings. Sweetie Belle was amazed.
"What are these, and how did they come to you?" she asked puzzled.
"I don't know, but these earrings suit a handsome young mare like you," Ferkó said with a smile.
"Oh, thank you, I guess?" Sweetie Belle blushed at the compliment.
When she put on the two earrings, a small, cat-like creature with a red glow suddenly appeared. It quickly befriended Sweetie Belle, but by then, the sun had started to rise. Starlight was the first to wake up, followed by the others. When Sweetie Belle saw her pegacorn friend, she rushed over and hugged her.
"Phinix Eye, I thought I'd never see you again," Sweetie Belle said happily, squeezing the breath out of her friend.
"O-okay, Sweetie, I'm glad to see you too, but I can't breathe," Phinix said, gasping for air.
Soon, they all received their magical jewelry, and they discussed their next steps.
"Ferkó, you said there are two more ponies above us who haven't been broken yet, right?" Starlight asked skeptically.
"Yes, along with Sweetie Belle. Two ponies who still don't have that green aura, like the servants and guards," Ferkó confirmed, seeking Sweetie Belle's trust.
"Then let's head there immediately," Smolder said, trying to use her strength to break through the wall.
"Stop! Do you want to bring the entire castle down on us?" Ferkó asked angrily.
"Do you think I'm that foolish? I wanted to break the window, you know. Some of us can fly, unlike you with those flimsy wings," Smolder replied, pointing to Ferkó's damaged wings.
"All right, you don't have to be so reckless. But tell me, where do you want to leave the castle?" Ferkó asked confidently.
"Fine, I won't set the forest on fire for a little fancy flying," Smolder said with an embarrassed smile, holding her hand up.
Smolder soon shattered a window, and Phinix flew out to rescue the others. However, when he reached the outside, he realized that his power was one-time use only. With magical barriers and grates in the way, Phinix had some difficulty entering the cell. Smolder hurriedly flew back, but at that moment, four guards and King Sombra himself appeared, surrounding the small group.
"What do we do now? They've surrounded us," Sweetie Belle asked fearfully.
Ferkó sent a spell to his horn, grabbing Sweetie Belle and tossing her to Smolder.
"Smolder, catch her!" he shouted.
But she was hit by a dark magic beam from King Sombra. Smolder managed to catch Sweetie Belle just before she fell onto the sharp spires below the clouds.
"Take Sweetie Belle out of here. I know you can do it. Just go, Starlight, and Ocellus, you need to disappear as soon as possible," Ferkó said, looking at Starlight with determination.
"What about you?" Starlight asked worriedly.
"Don't tell me you want to leave me here!" Ferkó shouted insistently.
"But I can only take one with me," Starlight said, almost in tears, while their protective shields weakened, and Sombra broke through with a well-aimed kick. Ferkó suddenly understood everything.
"I said, disappear!" he shouted and threw his bag to Starlight.
Starlight and Ocellus disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Ferkó looked around and saw that Smolder's group had also vanished.
"Logic, please don't fail me," Ferkó pleaded, then threw himself out of the window and toward the continuous sea of clouds below. Ferkó knew that he had to stay on those clouds or else it would be the end for him.
Starlight and Sweetie Belle found themselves in a small, leafy forest with the others. Sweetie Belle anxiously scanned the area for Ferkó, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Ferkó?" she asked Starlight with teary eyes.
Starlight just closed her eyes and sighed heavily.
"That can't be... Sweetie Belle," she cried and collapsed.
"Without Ferkó, we wouldn't have gotten this far. As much as it hurts to admit it, this isn't the end of everything. It's a new day, and with it, the beginning of freedom," Starlight said, looking at the two fillies and pointing toward the sky.
Sweetie Belle slowly dried her tears and joined her friends, pushing the grief to the background. Tension was palpable in the group, but they all agreed on one thing—they needed a base where they could be safe. Sweetie Belle had a brilliant idea at that moment, but her bad memories overwhelmed her common sense. Meanwhile, Starlight and Smolder debated whether the mirror world or the dragon lands would be a better hiding place. As the sun reached its zenith, dark clouds gathered, and a storm quickly brewed. With no better option, the group ran into the forest, and thanks to Smolder, they set up a small camp and a fire.
"Okay, now that we have this, where do we go, ultimately?" asked Scoutalu, furrowing his brow.
"Well, we could stay here. We have food, water, and the camp is ready," suggested the blue-maned red alicorn who shared a cell with Scoutalu.
"Not good, Storm Scoalder. This sounds great, but it's not defensible, and it's too close to the edge of the forest," Starlight said, settling behind the foals.
"What about the hive?" Ocellus asked hopefully. "We could be safe there and gather forces against Sombra."
"If Ferkó can be believed, a large army is not effective against Sombra because his magic is too strong," Sweetie Belle said sadly and thoughtfully.
"When did he say that?" asked Phinix, wrinkling his forehead.
"Well, while you were all sleeping, we talked a lot, and he told me a story about some party, partiers, whatever, who hid in the shadows and struck where the enemy was vulnerable," Sweetie Belle said with a bittersweet tone.
"The idea isn't bad, but we are too few, and we're almost unarmed," noted Smolder.
"And you're still kids," added Starlight.
"To fight against Sombra, we need to break the law of nature. As Rainbow says, in the battle, it's the friendship and skills that matter, not age or personal disputes," Scoutalu confidently stated.
"He's right," added Phinix.
"Okay, I get it, but we don't have a safe hiding place yet. We can't do anything," Starlight said, resigned to her defeat.
"Let's go to the 10,000-year-old city," suggested Sweetie Belle.
"To where?" asked Smolder and Ocellus in unison.
Sweetie Belle began describing the city: "When I first learned to use magic, I ran away from Ponyville for several days and ended up in the 10,000-year-old city, thanks to Scodri. It's a huge ruined city surrounded by a wall that absorbs any magic that touches it. However, there's not much food, only a stream for water, and, um, shh." Sweetie Belle couldn't bear it any longer and burst into tears, remembering the bitter memories of her old and new friends.
"Oh, Sweetie Belle, forgive us; we didn't know it would affect you so deeply," Starlight said, taking the young unicorn into her lap.
"But where is this city?" Smolder asked, pouting.
"I know!" Ocellus said enthusiastically.
"Why am I not surprised?" muttered Smolder, burying her face in her paws.
So, as Sweetie Belle painted a picture of the city, they could easily find it because it was described in the ancient friendships textbook.
"All right, so should we go to the dragon lands or that city?" Storm Scolder asked.
"Vote by raising hands," suggested Scoutalu.
With a 3-4 result, the 10,000-year-old city won. Sweetie Belle wasn't thrilled about going to her former friend's favorite place, but she was happy to be safe.
The journey was long, dangerous, and exhausting. After three days and nights of walking, they reached a small stream. The area was surrounded by tall oak trees, various bushes, berries, and herbs. Starlight placed the brooch Ferkó gave her on the ground, summoned the teleportation gate, and slowly approached the city.
At that moment, Starlight said, "You fought heroically, and I see you know how to use the talismans well, but it's best if I lock them away for now. If a forest beast gets hold of one, it can become very dangerous." The others agreed, and as they discussed this, the brooch suddenly shone, and two more jewels fell to the ground—a comb and a turtle-shaped bracelet. Before Starlight could finish her question about these items, movement in the treetop caught their attention.
"Who are you?" Starlight asked loudly.
Suddenly, three shadows appeared in the tree with glowing eyes. Starlight and Sweetie Belle immediately cast a magical projectile that hit its mark.
"Aaaaah!" echoed the screams of the three creatures simultaneously. Then something covered Sweetie Belle's eyes. Frightened, she gasped and, in her panic, teleported herself behind a puff of smoke. "F-Ferkó?" she stammered, trembling.
The others could only watch as everything unfolded.
"How did you get here? We thought you were dead," Starlight asked, still surprised.
"Show gratitude to Sunset," Sunset said.
"Oh, but how?" Starlight's words got stuck again.
"You know, not everyone can teleport, so Twilight's palace was conveniently on my way," Ferkó replied nonchalantly.
Starlight decided to stop questioning and led them into the city, but Sweetie Belle didn't give up.
"Tell me, how did you get out of there?" she asked with great curiosity.
Ferkó closed his eyes, preparing for the pain he anticipated from impaling himself on the rocks. Suddenly, something soft struck his face, a sensation akin to cotton candy mixed with a springy texture. Opening his eyes, he found himself standing, or rather floating on a cloud blanket. He had sunk into the cloud, and if he hadn't paddled, he might have fallen through.
Sombra, however, was relentless in pursuing Ferkó. Two pegasi approached him swiftly. Ferkó began swimming, but it was evident the pegasi were faster. Sombra cast a spell on his horn, hitting the Rainbow-maned blue pegasus, who crashed into the rock wall with a resounding thud. The other one, however, reached Ferkó and engaged in a surprisingly feeble struggle. Ferkó quickly realized the advantage and, using his horn, began dragging the pegasus by its mane.
Suddenly, something hit his back. Sombra and the unicorn guards from the prison were using magic to shoot at him. It seemed Sombra cared little about collateral damage to his own men. On impulse, Ferkó conjured a magical net, capturing most of the projectiles, though not all. It was enough to allow him to move out of the line of fire.
"We're not done yet. I'm not leaving forever!" Ferkó shouted towards the prison.
Sombra took one last shot, but Ferkó was already too far. The pink-maned pegasus, who had been neglected until now, started getting Ferkó's attention. He observed the dark magic flowing within her and realized that if he let her go, she would immediately attack or worse. Slowly, he surrounded her with his magic, pushing out the black magic. The pegasus soon fainted from the pain, but after two hours of persistent effort, Ferkó finally expelled the last drop of black magic. The lilac smoke vanished from the unicorn's eyes, and she slowly opened her beautiful sapphire blue eyes. Ferkó was exhausted; the process had drained much of his energy and gave him a throbbing headache.
"Thank you," whispered the pegasus, attempting to embrace Ferkó tightly but managing only a feeble gesture.
"Shhh, you need plenty of rest now," Ferkó said, starting to hum a lullaby. The pegasus's eyes closed quickly.
Ferkó descended to the bottom of the cloud sea and saw their location more precisely. A beautiful marble palace with a golden roof and large ornate windows lay beneath them. Despite the abundance of black crystals, Ferkó was sure what he saw was Canterlot, or at least what remained of it. He swam back to the pegasus and, lacking any water, bit into a cloud for a sip.
Suddenly, something vibrated near his wing, and he realized his phone had gotten entangled. Glancing at it, he saw a notification: the daily memory cleanup was almost complete. He started reading his current book, turning minutes into hours. Just as a strange movement caught his attention at his back, the pegasus woke up. It was the one with the rose-pink mane.
"Good morning," she whispered softly but clearly.
"Morning? It's about to get dark," Ferkó chuckled.
"I know, it just sounded odd to say I just woke up. I'm Ferkó. What's your name?" Ferkó asked.
"I'm Fluttershy. Nice to meet you," the pegasus replied calmly.
"Tell me, where are we?" Fluttershy asked nervously.
"Above Canterlot, and we need to get to the Crystal Castle in Ponyville. There's a friend in terrible danger," Ferkó explained.
"Oh, then let's go quickly," Fluttershy said, lifting into the air. "Wait, you can't fly," she added understandingly.
"No, but I can teleport. See you in Ponyville," Ferkó said, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
Fluttershy arrived in Ponyville shortly, and Ferkó was waiting at the castle. The streets were nearly deserted, with a few ponies patrolling. All of them, however, were fixated on Fluttershy rushing towards Ferkó. The two ponies entered the castle and approached the mirror.
"Stay here if there's trouble. Cross if needed," Ferkó commanded, then stepped through the mirror.
Ferkó once again saw the multitude of bright colors, just like before, then suddenly couldn't believe his eyes. He stood in front of Canterlot High, and everything in his world was as colorless as back home. He stood up, realizing he must have looked quite foolish crawling on all fours. Quickly, he sent a message to his mom, claiming his phone screen had broken, and it was in service for a few weeks.
As he scanned the area with his eyes, a voice interrupted his thoughts, "Wow, Princess Twilight really irresponsibly guards the mirror if you managed to come through."
"Wait, how do you know Hungarian?" Ferkó asked the owner of the strange voice.
"I know nothing, and you're speaking pony. I understand you, though. Sunset, right?" the voice replied, laughing.
"So, since I understand you and you understand me, Sunset?" Ferkó asked, hopeful.
"Personally," she said, jumping down from a statue. "But who are you? Twilight didn't mention sending anyone."
"Well, she won't tell you much because... well, I don't even know how to say it," Ferkó mumbled.
"What happened to her?" Sunset inquired anxiously.
"She's cursed," Ferkó exclaimed, tears welling up in his eyes.
"What? By whom? Where?" Sunset's words trailed off.
"There's no time to explain now, but we need you," Ferkó declared, grabbing Sunset's hand firmly.
"Okay, I understand, but let me inform my friends. I'll be here in an hour," Sunset said, about to run off.
"Can you lend me some money? Since you're already here, I don't want to go back without food," Ferkó asked, extending his hand.
"Oh, sure, but how much do you need?" Sunset asked, somewhat incredulously.
"What country are we in?" Ferkó asked in return.
"America," came the straightforward reply.
"Then how about 40 dollars? Should be enough for this and that," Ferkó said hesitantly.
"Alright, but I expect to get this back, right?" Sunset asked reluctantly.
"If we manage to free Equestria, not only will you get it back, but I'll double it, okay?" Ferkó declared.
"Deal," Sunset said, handing him two 20-dollar bills.
Ferkó quickly went into a Walmart, buying various canned goods, fresh vegetables, and five packs of the candy called "Mentolos." In the end, he paid $36.90, leaving him with some money for a solar charger for his phone. In 20 minutes, he finished his shopping, went for a walk, charged his phone at a public outlet, downloaded some books, and was about to head back when he was suddenly stopped by a police officer.
"Good day. I need to see some identification for a routine check," the officer said in English.
"Well, the truth is, I don't have my documents with me," Ferkó replied, contemplating what consequences he might face for not having an ID.
At that moment, a disheveled, chocolate-faced teenage girl interrupted, and not far behind, Sunset and the others rushed towards them. Taking advantage of the distraction, Ferkó sneaked away and headed towards the mirror. Soon after, Sunset joined him, and together they approached the mirror.
"Tell me, what exactly did you buy with the money I gave you?" Sunset asked, eyeing the large bag.
"Things that hopefully the others will like, considering the Everfree isn't exactly a buffet. It's all about presentation, you know," Ferkó replied, panting.
"Alright, fair enough," Sunset said, letting it go, and they crossed the gate together.
Fluttershy and a bunny were waiting for them on the other side. They quickly distributed the load and followed Ferkó to catch up with the others. In two days, they successfully reached them, and Ferkó thought of surprising the tired little team. They decided that Sunset and the others would climb a tree while Ferkó led them to the surprise. Next part coming soon...
"So, this is how I got here," Ferkó concluded the story. "You're lucky to be alive," Sweetie Belle remarked and took another bite of the apple Ferkó brought. The others had long gone to bed, thanks to Ferkó's golem, but Sweetie Belle and he were still wide awake. They decided not to disturb the others with their chatter, so they strolled along the wall of the old city at a respectful distance. The wall, tall and marbled white with holes and collapses, looked more beautiful to Ferkó than even the walls of his own school, he claimed, though he admitted he wouldn't call it safer.
"Tell me, Sweetie Belle, where is that bush that supposedly bears the world's tastiest berries?" Ferkó asked, pretending not to know exactly because of the book.
"Oh, I'll show you," Sweetie Belle replied, then suddenly stopped. "Hey, how do you know about that bush?" She turned around and began to back away from Ferkó in fear.
"Sweetie Belle, I'm not a spy or anything. I just know your story; Twilight told me once. I asked because I'm genuinely curious if it's as delicious as she claims," Ferkó tried to salvage the situation.
"Well, in that case, come on, I won't wait!" declared Sweetie Belle and started running. Ferkó comically chased after the pony, who was barely 30 centimeters shorter than him, feeling the power within him. The pace was fast, but Ferkó didn't mind.
"At least the reward will be delicious," he thought to himself.
Soon, he caught up with Sweetie Belle when she looked up at the sky and saw a pair of dark green glowing eyes in the dark sky. The moonlight revealed a figure sitting on a cloud, but as Sweetie Belle ran out through a gaping hole in the wall, a greenish-purple light appeared above her head, intensifying and pointing straight at her. Ferkó knew who it was—Twilight Sparkle. The beam left her horn and headed straight for Sweetie Belle.
"Watch out, Sweetie Belle!" Ferkó shouted at the top of his lungs. "Stop!"
But it was too late. Twilight hit the young mare, who suddenly collapsed. Twilight almost immediately started flying towards her, so fast that Ferkó had almost no time to react. Quickly, he pulled out his phone, invoked his power, summoned a golem resembling four gigantic speakers, connected his phone to the golem, and played the first thing that came to his hand.
"I am Miklós Horty's soldier, the most beautiful soldier!" resounded from the speakers so loudly that Ferkó nearly went deaf. Disregarding this, he ran towards Sweetie Belle.
Twilight covered her ears with her front hooves, but it wasn't enough to drown out the incredible noise. Ferkó cast a spell into his horn, grabbing hold of environmental magic, and fired a powerful shot at Twilight. Another one and another one. Twilight took flight again, soaring into the sky above the trees, but instead of massive shots, Ferkó started firing many smaller ones, like a machine gun. He hit one of Twilight's wings before she could shield herself. However, she managed to land in the forest on the other side of the stream, about 400-500 meters from the city.
Rather than pursuing Twilight, Ferkó rushed to Sweetie Belle to attend to her wounds. When he arrived, he saw Sweetie Belle struggling, her horn continuously emitting dark and white magic. Ferkó quickly cast a spell on her eyes and saw a dark thorn lodged in Sweetie Belle's heart, spreading a dark curse throughout her body. Ferkó tried to grasp the thorn, but even with magic, it felt like poking a thornbush. Ignoring this, he began pulling the thorn with all his might, but it only sank deeper into Sweetie Belle's broken soul.
After a few seconds, the thorn completely engulfed Sweetie Belle's heart, and the light of her fundamental magic went out. She opened her eyes, shining green, and stood up.
"Sweetie Belle, fight it, please!" Ferkó said with tears in his eyes as the young mare headed towards the stream. "Stop, don't listen!"
Ferkó felt he couldn't save his friend alone and became incredibly angry. He quickly calmed down, knowing that being nervous wouldn't solve anything. He grabbed Sweetie Belle with a spell and pulled her back as much as he could.
"I need to reach the wall; that might help her. Maybe I can free her with your help," he reassured himself. His reserves were running low, so he borrowed magic from the trees and continued the dragging. The others woke up due to Ferkó's loud noises, courtesy of his golem, but when they saw Ferkó and Sweetie Belle, their concern replaced their anger.
"What happened?" Starlight asked frightened.
"Twilight cast a curse on her," Ferkó replied while struggling to bring Sweetie Belle closer to the wall.
"But why would Princess Twilight do that?" Ocellus asked bewilderedly. "She's kind, generous, and our friend."
"Twilight ran away?" Phynix questioned.
"No, she fell; she's over there on the other side of the stream, not too far," Ferkó informed. Smolder, Scoutalu, and Storm Scoald rushed to help Twilight, while Starlight, Ocellus, and Phinix joined Ferkó to help Sweetie Belle.
"What are you going to do?" Starlight asked, looking at the little unicorn struggling and trying to break free.
"The wall absorbs magic. If I can get her there, maybe I can free her with your help, Starlight," Ferkó said nervously.
After much effort, Ferkó managed to push Sweetie Belle against the wall. Magic began to flow out of her, but the dark magic seemed relentless. Ferkó persisted, and after nine agonizing hours, the black magic was almost depleted. However, Ferkó remembered that living without magic is impossible. He started pumping a small amount of magic into Sweetie Belle. Two more hours of struggle and fatigue passed, and the black magic was finally expelled from Sweetie Belle. The two ponies collapsed together, utterly exhausted.
At that moment, Smolder and the others returned with Twilight, who had a magic-sucking device on her to prevent her from teleporting away. Starlight looked at her friends and spoke confidently, "Sombra did a lot of harm to us, but now it's time to settle the score. From now on, we are the Partisans of Equestria."
The others erupted in cheers, and soon, the modified Equestria flag, representing the cycles of the sun and the moon with a crossed pegasus feather and unicorn horn, was flying on the city wall. And so, the story continued. To be continued
The sun had already set when Starlight, Sunset, Phinix, and Scold finally liberated Twilight as well. Everyone was exhausted and longed for nothing but rest. However, they dared not fall asleep because their friends were not yet well. The sun slowly descended behind the trees, and darkness began to envelop the entire city. The city, with its beautiful ancient but crumbling brick houses with thatched roofs, slowly faded from view. However, the flag still shimmered beautifully in the moonlight.
Ferkó began to wake up slowly when the moon was almost halfway across the night sky. The feeling in his head was very unpleasant; he couldn't decide what hurt and what didn't. He only knew that something hurt everywhere, and he felt dizzy. However, this didn't last long. Suddenly, everything came back to him, and immediately all his troubles disappeared.
"Where is Sweetie Belle? Did it work? What happened?" Sweetie Belle asked frantically, shaking her head from side to side.
Ferkó nervously ran out of the house, where he found Starlight and Ocellus with tired faces. His anger quickly diminished to a gentle bunny level, and he slowly went back into the little house. When he entered, he found Sweetie Belle deeply asleep, just like he felt, still very tired and only awakened by sudden fear. He walked back to the bed made of books and grass, lay down, and tried to doze a little longer.
As he lay there with his eyes closed, he felt something wrap around him from behind and squeeze, as if a soft plush figure was hugging Sweetie Belle. Although his eyes were closed, his mind was very awake, and he thought about why he cared so much about this young pony. Slowly but surely, he got closer and closer to a word that raised serious questions within him: Love.
Ocellus was very hungry, but only bitter emotions gathered in the exhausted group. The young changeling finally went to where Ferkó and Sweetie Belle were sleeping and suddenly felt something she hadn't felt in a long time—genuine, heartfelt love. Interestingly, it wasn't just that in the air; there was also a longing for gratitude, which most resembled when a sick patient falls in love with the doctor, at least according to Ocellus. Ferkó half-opened his eyes, and when he saw the young changeling, he suddenly thought about how hungry she might be. He started thinking intensely about the young mare next to him while watching Ocellus.
Ocellus didn't notice anything and delicately enjoyed the room filled with love. The taste was almost too good to just leave it there. Soon, she felt her hunger diminishing. In between bites, she glanced at Ferkó, and when she noticed his eyes were open, she suddenly stopped and froze.
Seeing this, Ferkó realized that he had been caught, or rather, he had caught someone. After the world's longest and strangest wolf-eyeing contest, Ocellus was the first to speak.
"I-I'm so sorry; I thought you were asleep, and, you know, I haven't eaten anything for days, and, uh..." Ocellus tried to justify herself, but Ferkó interrupted her, whispering softly.
"It's okay; at least now I know for sure." He said quietly and relieved.
Ocellus turned as red as a pepper and quickly left. She decided to keep it a secret from the others. Soon, she no longer felt the bitter anxiety she had felt earlier. Pure happiness filled the entire city. She quickly joined the others, but when she got there, she noticed a change—most of them had moved away or were preparing to sleep, and only three ponies remained together.
"Thank you, my friends," a voice echoed that Ocellus hadn't heard in a long time and had longed for.
"Princess Twilight!" Ocellus exclaimed happily as she ran towards the alicorn.
"Oh, you're here too? I'm glad my most loyal student wasn't Sombra's prey," Twilight said as she embraced her faithful student.
"I'm glad you're so happy, but Twilight needs to rest, and you should get some sleep too, Ocellus," Starlight advised.
"Oh well, of course, I'll let her rest," Ocellus replied and walked away.
Twilight and Starlight continued to chat for a while, but the setting sun eventually dampened their spirits, and they slowly prepared for rest.
Meanwhile, Ferkó was contemplating what to do with the fact that he fell in love with a slightly younger foal. On one side, the decisive argument was that love was more important than anything, and it was right for him to stay in Equestria. On the other side, the fact that he had responsibilities, plans, goals, and a family in the other world stood out. Ferkó had read a lot about this world, but he had never come across such a story. The quiet chirping of crickets slowly led him to the land of dreams, and suddenly, he found himself in a consciously manipulated dream.
Ferkó loved doing this; he could dream whatever he wanted, and the best part was that this pleasant memory remained. However, this time was different; he felt something he didn't want to believe. It felt like he wasn't the only one influencing the dream. The world slowly began to blur, and an alicorn figure took shape in the converging world.
"Good evening, Luna," he said confidently and loudly.
"Good evening, Ferkó. How did you know what was happening?" Luna asked a bit puzzled.
"It was quite obvious what was happening when I lost control over my dream," Ferkó replied a bit grumpily.
"I understand, but you know why I'm here, right?" Luna asked in a reproachful tone.
"If you came to help with Sweetie Belle's question, you came in vain. In my experience, forced help in such matters is like pouring oil on the fire and a lunar eclipse for common sense," Ferkó declared, turning away from Luna.
I know this well, but perhaps my story can help you find the real answer," Luna said.
Ferkó suddenly found himself in a snowy mountain forest that was very familiar to him. The trees were bare, a concrete road ran through it, and a thin railing separated it from a huge slope.
"Seriously, you brought us to the Kőszeg Forest?" Ferkó asked a bit dejectedly.
"Yes, but it's more than that; look who's there," Luna pointed to a little boy pulling a wooden sled with a red-painted bottom. He wore a red beanie with a blue pompom on top, a thick gray and red-striped knitted sweater, and a gray scarf. A black velvet pants completed the outfit, tucked into small black shoes.
"This is not me. I've never had clothes like these, and I've never been here alone," Ferkó declared grumpily.
"Hehehe, indeed, this is not you, but do you know this person?" Luna asked.
While observing the events, Ferkó fell into deep thought. Suddenly, he couldn't remember who this person might be, but one thing came to mind that he wanted to know.
"Tell me, Luna, is there a portal in the Kőszeg Forest that leads to Equestria?" Ferkó asked with interest.
"Yes, but how did you know?" Luna asked in astonishment.
"I just guessed," Ferkó said, feeling a bit down.
"Well, considering how young you are, you can deduce quite well," Luna said approvingly.
"Look, I appreciate your willingness to help, but I've figured out who this is, and I don't want to experience another phase of this monster's life. I want to keep it a secret," Ferkó said and wanted to leave.
"Yes, and tell your father how you can be a monster?" Luna asked humorously.
"You'll see soon enough, and then you won't be laughing here," Ferkó said angrily, and he began to shape Luna's world into his own.
Soon, they were in a small wooden house. Inside, there was a large metal stove crackling quietly, the house had one room, and only furniture separated the living room from the kitchen. At the dining room-like place, an old man and a young child with lively blonde hair and a beautiful red face were playing. The child suddenly stood up and headed for the dresser. There was a fixed shelf with a small stool, and on the dresser, a laptop sat quietly. The child tried to turn it on.
"I don't understand why you brought us here; everything is normal," Luna said a bit puzzled.
"Well, compared to how big an expert you are, you judge quite easily," Ferkó retorted.
In the meantime, the child tried to put something in, but the old man went over and pulled him off the stool.
"Hmm, what raw power, I like it," Luna thought to herself, unaware that Ferkó could hear her.
"I thought this was Sombra," Ferkó revealed.
Luna turned around.
"Not this, how did you—" she was puzzled.
"You forgot the first rule of dreams: you can do whatever you want," Ferkó declared confidently.
"I should have known that you would try to exploit even dreams to find us, but you completely misunderstood. Unlike you, I have complete control over my emotions; I've known it was you all along," Luna said.
"Don't think I'll leave the battle at this; maybe you won, but this wretched horn of yours will break in the war," Sombra said, arrogant.
Ferkó broke the dream and pushed Sombra out of his mind. When he recreated the dream, he erected a shield around him, which signaled with a loud clatter that Sombra did not give up his intrusion attempts. Ferkó then finally crushed the dream and opened his eyes. The moon was setting, and the sun was slowly rising, but what surprised him was the pose he woke up in.
Anyway, he tossed and turned a lot in his dream, but now he was lying towards Sweetie Belle, and one of his hooves was wrapped around the young filly, who was slowly yawning and trying to wake up with more or less success. to be continued
Ferkó could only think that the team needed to mobilize before Sombra arrived, but somehow the situation rendered them motionless. As he watched Sweetie Belle stretch and yawn, it felt as if he had turned into stone. However, when Sweetie Belle finally opened her eyes, suddenly every muscle in Ferkó's body tensed.
"Hmmm, good morning. Where am I, what happened?" Sweetie Belle asked, a bit puzzled.
"Good morning, little survivor. How does it feel to finally be free of dark magic?" Ferkó joked.
"Well, it feels pretty good, except for this splitting headache," Sweetie Belle said, holding her head.
"Well, draining your entire magic reserve will do that to you, but there's something here that can help," Ferkó said as he slowly tried to sit up.
"What did you dream about? I felt you tossing and turning," Sweetie Belle said as she stretched again.
"Oh, well..." Ferkó's words stumbled for a few seconds. He didn't know what to say. If he revealed that he dreamt about Sombra pretending to be Luna, he'd probably be laughed at.
"A round thing that rolled away," Ferkó declared, trying to lighten the mood.
"What?" Sweetie Belle asked, confused.
"Hehe, yeah, you probably haven't heard that one before. Where I come from, it's a humorous way of saying nothing," Ferkó said, cheerfully rummaging through his bag and pulling out a package of frozen peas and a large red apple.
"Here we go," Ferkó announced happily. "You probably like the apple, and here's some ice for your head," he said, handing it all to Sweetie Belle.
"Thanks! I'm really hungry anyway," Sweetie Belle said, taking a bite of the apple.
Ferkó pulled out a carrot and started munching on it. The sun bathed everything in light, and suddenly, a very loud buzzing sound was heard from outside. For Ferkó, it was no secret who was about to break down the door.
"Good morning, Ocellus," Ferkó shouted before the shape-shifter burst into the house.
"I thought Starlight wouldn't manage without me," Ferkó said, surprised but happy.
"Aren't you hungry?" Sweetie Belle asked Ocellus kindly, offering her some food.
"Oh, yes, I'm quite hungry. I haven't eaten in a long time," Ocellus said, looking at Ferkó with gratitude in her compound eyes, as much as it could be seen.
"Do you want an apple, or do you want the same as yesterday?" Ferkó asked cheekily.
"Well, if I get to choose, then yesterday's sounds good," Ocellus said, and suddenly, she thought about the delicious love she experienced last night, almost drooling at the thought.
"Alright, Sweetie Belle, could you go fetch some water? I want to make a little soup," Ferkó said as he winked at Ocellus.
"Sure," Sweetie Belle said, rushing off.
Ferkó thought only of Sweetie Belle again, watching Ocellus happily munching on food. Despite Ocellus's voracious appetite, Ferkó didn't feel anything special, but he knew that excessive lack of love wasn't healthy in the long run. When Sweetie Belle audibly approached, Ferkó gave a small cough to signal Ocellus that too much of a good thing could be harmful.
"Oh, sorry, but you know, I rarely eat such delicacies," Ocellus apologized, embarrassed that she had to be warned.
"Here's the water," Sweetie Belle announced, holding about 3-4 liters of water with her horn.
"Thanks," Ferkó quickly took the water and poured it into the small stone pot they had crafted.
The others woke up and were having breakfast when Smolder suddenly smelled smoke.
"Something's burning," the young dragon said.
"I can smell it too," added Twilight.
"It's coming from over there," Phinix said, pointing to the house where Ferkó and the others were.
"Let's see what it is," Scoutalu suggested.
The crowd stared as they saw Ferkó working with a pot filled with hot water on a crackling stove, while Ferkó sliced carrots.
"Good morning! What are you doing?" Twilight asked Ferkó, who was busy shaping dumplings out of flour and eggs with magic.
"Would you be so kind as to conjure up a bit of sour cream? I think there's some in the bag," Ferkó said as he stirred the soup diligently.
"Oh, sure," Twilight said, somewhat downcast.
"Mmm, it smells delicious. What are you making?" Sunset tried this time.
"Oh, just a little pea soup. It's delicious, and it's relatively quick to make, so it's ideal for now," Ferkó proudly declared as he threw some wood into the fire.
"Tell me when it's ready?" Fluttershy asked.
"Oh, it will be ready for lunch," Ferkó said, tasting the soup again.
Ferkó added a little more salt and a lot of dumplings, then put a lid on it.
"There you go, when the wood burns out, it's done," Ferkó said, heading out of the house.
Ferkó went to the stream, took a quick bath, then jumped into the water and started swimming. The others were busy trying to figure out what to do to weaken Sombra, but nothing came to mind that they could do with their limited resources. Ferkó felt he had enough of swimming and decided to go plan with the others. When he arrived, they seemed very indecisive.
"Hi, what's with the gloom?" Ferkó asked, trying to empathize.
"Hi Ferkó. Do you have a plan for what we should do?" Scoutalu asked, somewhat dejected.
"Well, I have a few ideas, but with so few of us, the risks are high," Ferkó admitted.
"Well, say one, maybe they're good!" Scoald urged.
"Alright, the first plan is to divide the team into 3-4 member groups, attack in a coordinated manner, or play decoy with a bird. What do you think?" Ferkó offered the options to the others.
"What if we have 4 groups of 3 instead?" Starlight suggested to Ferkó.
"That works too," Ferkó agreed.
"Then let's divide the teams," Twilight said.
"What's the goal?" Sunset asked, bewildered.
"For now, food, then we can think about the rest," Sweetie Belle declared.
"That's a smart insight," Ferkó said.
"What do you think about Appaloosa as the first target?" Scoald asked.
"I was thinking of a simpler place," Ferkó said and began outlining his plan.
"So, the goal is Sweet Apple Acres and a few shops in town, right?" Ferkó asked, seeking confirmation.
"Yes, but how do you plan to do this?" Twilight asked, looking at Ferkó strangely.
"Let me explain the plan. Sweetie Belle, Ocellus, and I will infiltrate Sweet Apple Acres and try to bring some apples to the Crusaders' house, where they'll be safe. Meanwhile, Scoutalu, Fluttershy, and Scoald Storm will guard from the air to make sure no guards come. Smolder, Sunset, and Starlight will simultaneously attack the Cake's bakery and bring back whatever they can. Finally, we need someone to stay here and guard—specifically, Phoenix, Twilight, and Angel. If things go south, they will be reinforcements," Ferkó outlined the plan.
"That's nice and all, but why doesn't Fluttershy stay here with Phoenix?" Scoutalu asked, puzzled.
"Because Fluttershy can communicate with animals, significantly expanding our observable area," Ferkó explained.
Ferkó and Starlight provided each team with a magic-based radio and quickly explained how they worked. Then the action began.
Ferkó, Sweetie Belle, and Ocellus swiftly marched towards the apple orchard. Ferkó engaged in conversation with Sweetie Belle, allowing Ocellus to feast on her emotions. Despite the team's forced brisk pace, progress through the dense vegetation was slow. Ferkó considered teleporting to their destination but dismissed the idea, remembering how disorienting it could be.
The sun was descending as they finally reached their desired location. Ferkó took out the radio and, with his limited Morse code knowledge, signaled their position. The response from Fluttershy came quickly, signaling that the area was clear.
"Okay, we can go. The end of the orchard should be empty, theoretically," Ferkó whispered.
Sweetie Belle wanted to light her horn to see in the dark, but as she attempted, Ferkó swiftly licked his hoof and dispelled the magic from her horn.
"What do you think you're doing?" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
"You can see without it, and if we light up, we'll become targets for any unicorns wandering around here," Ferkó explained instructively.
"But I can't see like this," added Ocellus.
"Don't be so sure," retorted Ferkó. "If I can see, why not you?"
"But I don't even know how you guys do it," Ocellus said, a bit frightened and sad.
"Then listen to my voice and try to do what I say," Ferkó instructed.
"Alright, I hope you know what you're doing," Ocellus expressed.
"Close your eyes and feel the beat of your heart," Ferkó began the lesson.
Ocellus concentrated for a while, but after a few minutes, she signaled with a small nod that she had succeeded.
"Now, feel how the blood flows through your body, and sense the magic in your heart that you can connect to wherever you want," Ferkó continued, becoming less confident in whether he was explaining it correctly, considering that a shape-shifter might not manipulate magic the same way as a pony.
After some minutes, Ocellus nodded again.
"Combine your magic with your eyes, and theoretically, we're done," Ferkó finished thoughtfully.
Ocellus slowly opened her eyes, and the enchanting magic surrounded her. Her compound eyes sparkled with amazement.
"Wow, this is incredibly beautiful," Ocellus marveled, captivated by the magical glow.
"I told you, if I can do it, so can you," Ferkó declared, not hiding his genuine joy.
"When did you meet Discord?" Sweetie Belle asked teasingly but with genuine curiosity.
"Never, I just read a lot and know how to think," Ferkó stated, diverting the topic.
Ferkó decided to split the team into two groups. Sweetie Belle needed to secure the small house, while Ferkó and Ocellus set out to collect apples from the few remaining crates. Ferkó attempted to engage Ocellus in conversation, but her fascination with the magical sight made it difficult for her to focus.
As the crates filled up, they headed back towards the house. However, Ferkó noticed a peculiar black magic behind one of the trees just ahead of them. His blood ran cold, realizing it didn't look like a cursed pony but rather like magic suspended in nothingness. They cautiously circled around it and eventually reached the house where Sweetie Belle awaited them.
Ferkó and the others were making good progress with apple picking and soon were ready to head back. However, Ferkó couldn't shake the fact that he heard nothing on the radio, and he didn't have time to ask the others questions, as it would cause delays they couldn't afford now. When they finished, they messaged Scoutalu that they no longer needed to watch Sweet Apple Acres, but there was no response. Then Ferkó tried to ask Starlight about their status, but again, no response. Finally, he managed to talk to Twilight and Angel, and they said they hadn't heard from them for a long time. Ferkó became increasingly worried about the others. Eventually, he decided to change the plan.
"Sweetie Belle, Ocellus, come here!" he called to his two companions.
"What do you want, Ferkó?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"There's a serious problem. I can't reach Scoutalu or Starlight, and according to Twilight, they haven't reported in for a long time," Ferkó said with a worried tone.
"But there must be a logical explanation, right?" Ocellus asked anxiously.
"Yes, probably, but we can't leave this to chance. You two, immediately head home with the apples. I'll go and find Smolder," Ferkó ordered.
"Wait! What if you can't find them?" Sweetie Belle asked, worried about her friend.
"Then I'll return to the base, but if I don't come back by tomorrow night, don't start looking until the day after," Ferkó said firmly.
"But..." Sweetie Belle was cut off before she could express her concerns.
There's no 'but.' This is an order, and you must comply," Ferkó declared with irritation and authority.
Sweetie Belle and Ocellus sadly started walking with the carts full of apples and backpacks. Meanwhile, Ferkó grabbed his radio and phone, heading towards Ponyville's downtown. The only thing he ate was using his talisman to create a golem that resembled a death droid but with better weapons. He painted it black, and the insect-like droid began rolling beside Ferkó.
Ferkó soon walked through the dark streets of downtown and headed towards Cake's bakery. However, he saw something he didn't want to see. Smolder, Starlight, and Sunset were there, trapped in a net that seemed to be magically stable. As Ferkó assessed the situation, a cage was pushed from the left towards the net by a brown-haired, braided girl with an interesting green coat on her back. In the cage were Scoutalu, Fluttershy, and Scoald—wings bound, covered in bruises. Soon, a rainbow-maned blue pegasus and a yellow-maned red pony joined them. When they were all together, dark smoke gathered, and Sombra's distinctive figure slowly emerged.
"So, you seriously thought you could sneak into one of the most heavily guarded villages unnoticed? What naivety," Sombra said mockingly.
"You won't get away with this, Ferkó, and Twilight will free us," Scoutalu shouted angrily in his unique high-pitched voice.
"Oh, do you think I'm so foolish not to expect that they'll try to free you?" Sombra asked condescendingly.
"Scoutalu, leave it; there's no point in provoking him. Our only chance is to surrender," Starlight declared.
Watching all this, Ferkó quickly began sending a message to Twilight that any requests for help from Starlight or Scoutalu should not be listened to because it's a trap. After that, Ferkó thought about what to do next. He then remembered he had his pocket knife with him. He quickly grabbed it and slowly began levitating it above Starlight and the others' net. Scoutalu noticed this and further irritated Sombra. Ferkó began slowly sawing through the rope, but nothing happened—the magic remained intact.
"What's this?" Sombra asked irritably as he looked at the fallen net.
"Surprise, Mr. Bronda," Ferkó shouted as he jumped between Sombra and Starlight's group.
"Catch the worm," Sombra yelled.
"Droki, fire!" Ferkó shouted to his golem.
The golem unleashed fire on Sombra and his followers. Starlight and Sunset joined Ferkó, and together they set the small private army on fire. Meanwhile, Smolder went inside to grab the prepared food and planned to leave quickly. However, she saw that her friends were starting to be pushed back.
"Now what, Ferkó?" Starlight asked between two powerful shots.
"I don't know. I improvised, but I have no idea about what comes next," Ferkó replied as he reluctantly retreated.
"Hey, what if we voted for a retreat?" Smolder yelled, taking out the radio.
"Not a good idea, but logical," Sunset said.
"Okay, I don't have a better plan," Ferkó said sadly.
They could run, but they couldn't escape from me. Sombra yelled after them.
Ferkó pulled back his golem, and suddenly, an idea struck him. He created a new golem that resembled a large magnet with wheels. The magnet started moving, and with it, the cage moved too. Sombra had only enough time to pull Scoutalu out of the cage before Starlight and the others, with the covering fire, pushed the cage to a safe distance from King Sombra.
"No," Sombra shouted in frustration seeing his defeat.
Ferkó and the others hurriedly headed towards the Everfree Forest, but before they could reach it, Ferkó shouted,
"Stop! Stop!"
The others immediately halted.
"Starlight, please, the dog and the dog and horse talismans," Ferkó demanded decisively.
"Why do you need them?" Starlight asked.
"I'm bringing Scoutalu back," Ferkó said.
"Fine, but if you mess up and lose the talismans, we're done," Starlight reminded him.
"I know," Ferkó said, annoyed.
Ferkó, as he received the two gems, quickly opened a portal to Scoutalu and touched the ball that brings back anything it touches. He quickly pulled the ball back and closed the gate.
"Bring him here," Ferkó ordered, and the ball suddenly levitated towards Scoutalu, who soon stood in front of Ferkó. It was clear he was terrified, but the fear vanished within a few moments. After that, the team hurriedly headed towards the base before Sombra's pegasi could catch up.
The cursed ponies soon returned to King Sombra since they lost track of the small team in the Everfree Forest.
"I'm sorry, my lord; they escaped," said the rainbow-maned blue pegasus.
"Let the cowards run; they won this battle, but they also lost. If they return to the base, my embedded agent will take action," Sombra declared before bursting into demonic laughter.
Ferkó and the others hurried towards the base at a forced pace. Meanwhile, Scoutalu tried to fly, but it didn't give him an advantage as it was still tiring for him. When they finally reached a small clearing, Ferkó stopped, and they all caught their breath.
"I think we shook them off," Ferkó said, panting.
"Yeah, we've been at it for a while; they must have fallen behind," added Scoald Storm.
"Nevertheless, we should head back as soon as possible," said Scoutalu.
Ferkó noticed that Scoutalu didn't like being in the city because he couldn't fly over the rooftops due to the magic suppressors. And now, suddenly, he wants to go back?
"I have a sneaky suspicion that we're not alone," Ferkó declared, a bit tensely.
"Why would you say that? Who's here?" asked a startled Scoutalu.
Ferkó charged his eyes with magic to see the inner magic of every pony, and his suspicions were confirmed. Scoutalu was completely filled with dark magic, waiting to erupt.
"Everyone, back off!" Ferkó shouted, then immobilized Scoutalu.
"Hey, what's going on here?" raged Scoutalu.
"Sorry, Scoutalu, this is going to hurt a bit," Ferkó declared and began stabbing the black magic with magical spikes.
Scoutalu experienced unimaginable pain as Ferkó pierced his soul. Tears not only fell but almost formed a Niagara Falls. Ferkó almost cried seeing his friend subjected to such torment but had no choice. The stabs gradually broke the black magic, and Ferkó was relieved. Finally, he captured it and forcefully ripped it out of Scoutalu's body with a determined motion. The little pegasus screamed loudly and collapsed to the ground.
Ferkó shot the dark magic into the air, then released it into the wind and hurried to Scoutalu. The small pegasus slowly opened his eyes and tried to stand, but he couldn't. Ferkó grabbed Scoutalu and put him on his back. The others, at the end of the 15-minute torture, looked at Ferkó with fear.
"Why and what did you do to him that hurt so much?" asked Starlight, frightened and saddened.
"Sombra cast a disguise curse on him. If we had taken him to the base, Sombra would have found us in no time," explained Ferkó, exhausted.
"That's all well and good, but I think we need to leave now," said Smolder, looking up at the sky where a grey pegasus foal was flying.
"Rumble!?" exclaimed Starlight, surprised and worried.
"Scoald, catch him!" commanded Ferkó.
Scoald Storm quickly rose into the air and caught up with the pegasus. With a swift move, Scoald Storm shot two blasts with his horn, the first missed, but the second grazed Rumble's wing, causing him to start falling towards the other side of the clearing. Ferkó tried to cast a spell on his horn, but suddenly a sharp, whistling sound and a piercing headache overwhelmed him. Starlight quickly reacted and caught the young colt.
Thanks to Ferkó and Sunset's cleansing magic, Rumble soon freed himself from the curse and ended up in a similar state to Scoutalu. Ferkó, with the two foals on his back, headed towards the base, in contrast to Starlight and the others who kept their distance for safety. Ferkó slowly approached the stream when something strange crossed his mind.
"What if Rumble and Scoutalu were together before the disaster?" he pondered to himself, but quickly dismissed the thought and focused on his book. The road next to the stream was quiet, too quiet. Ferkó kept his horn ready in case something appeared suddenly. A soft scream came from the other side of the stream, but Ferkó thought it might be a wounded deer. Suddenly, he felt movement on his back.
"Ah... Where am I?" came the question from Rumble, softly and tiredly.
"Rumble!" Ferkó exclaimed, surprised not because he was scared but because he thought Rumble hadn't woken up yet.
Rumble reluctantly climbed down from Ferkó's back and tried to stand on his hooves, but they trembled so much that he kept stumbling.
"Rumble, you're not heavy, sit back down," Ferkó said while trying not to collapse from exhaustion.
"Thanks, but I'd rather not show how tired you are. In fact, if you want, I can take over Scoutalu," Rumble suggested.
"Thanks, I see you have an eye for helping. Answered Ferkó and slowly slid Scoutalu onto Rumble's back.
At that moment, Ferkó's beauty mark became visible to Rumble, and he was quite surprised.
"Tell me, how did you get your beauty mark?" Rumble asked.
Ferkó didn't really care about his own beauty mark as he thought he didn't have one, but when he looked back, he spotted his golden beauty mark, a star formation created by a sickle, hammer, scalpel, and flask. Ferkó suddenly didn't know what to say and spoke up.
"You know, Rumble, I'm not from Equestria. I ended up here accidentally through a portal," explained Ferkó.
"Ah, so you still don't know the meaning of your life, right?" asked Rumble.
"I didn't say that, although now it might be true," Ferkó replied uncertainly.
"Why, how come? Do you know it now or not?" Rumble inquired.
"Well, you see, which would you choose: the dream you've been fighting for or a young filly you love for some reason and only met a week ago?" Ferkó asked Rumble.
"Well, originally, I wanted to be a Wonderbolt, but in the end, I promised to make Scoutalu one too, and until he becomes one, I won't be one either," replied Rumble.
"See, that's the thing. It's not easy for me to be both with my love and realize my dream. If I give up my dream and stay here, everyone I love will get sick. But if I don't give up, I have to leave him, and then I'll get sick. Ferkó explained.
"Why, who is it?" asked Rumble, poking fun.
"Well, you know her, but if I remember correctly, you don't like her," Ferkó said, sounding worried.
"Do you have something with Apple Bloom?" Rumble asked again, surprised.
"No, unfortunately not," replied Ferkó, dejected.
"Do you love Diamond Tiara? wondered Rumble.
"What? Where did that come from?" Ferkó asked back.
"Well, I thought pony. answered Rumble.
"No, no, she's a unicorn, and I think you already know who she is," said Ferkó with an uncomfortable tone.
"Sweetie Belle, but I don't think she's that into you," Rumble said cheerfully, realizing he shouldn't have said that.
"Yeah, you're probably right, but love can't be commanded," Ferkó declared.
"So why is this question so difficult for you?" wondered Rumble.
"Because... I don't know, Rumble, it's just like, why were you born a pegasus, and why not a unicorn? There's no really good answer to it," explained Ferkó.
"Ah, there's something in that," sighed Rumble, reacting to the conversation turning a bit awkward.
Rumble, by the way, how did you and Scoutalu figure it out? I mean, how did you, how, how, well, you know what I mean," Ferkó asked, trying to keep his composure.
"Well, it's an interesting story," Rumble said, looking down at the ground.
It was a beautiful sunny day, with few clouds in the sky. The Ponyville School building echoed with the sounds of foals as the bell rang, marking the end of the last Friday class. The Crusaders hurried to exit, trying to avoid running into Diamond Tiara. Despite having earned their cutie marks, the beauty marks still clung to them, testing their patience day by day. As the large crowd passed, they made their way towards the exit. However, Apple Bloom found a peculiar paper in her mouth – red and pink, heart-shaped, emitting a delicate rose fragrance. Meanwhile, Scootaloo attempted to take flight once again, with varying degrees of success.
Sweetie Belle walked sadly between the two; while the others could enjoy themselves today, she had to help her sister with her boutique, as the grand apple festival was approaching, and Apple Bloom was busy with relatives visiting for vacation. Scoutalu couldn't assist due to her inability to fly; she couldn't even drag clouds, let alone perform other flying tasks. As the schoolyard cleared, the three friends headed in a different direction than the rest of the group.
Scoutalu didn't stay with Apple Bloom for long, as she had flying lessons with Rumble and many other little pegasi today, led by Rainbow Dash and Split Fire. When they arrived, Rumble pointed to his watch, indicating that he had once again managed to be late. Scoutalu swallowed hard, quickly dropped her bag, and joined the others in line in front of Rainbow Dash.
"Alright, young ones, it's time for you to learn to fly like no one else can," Rainbow Dash said excitedly.
"Yay!" exclaimed Scoutalu, albeit with a hint of sadness and lack of enthusiasm.
Rainbow noticed this, but she had to stick to the schedule. "Alright, little ponies, Scoutalu, you lead the beginner group again. Warm them up while we work with the advanced ones," she instructed.
Scoutalu reluctantly organized the beginners into two groups. "Alright, little ones in the first group, practice wing circles. Those in the second group, practice wing stretches. We'll switch after 5 minutes," she announced, then began the exercises Rainbow Dash had given her.
After finishing the warm-up, Rumble took a step back and observed the beginners as Scoutalu demonstrated the basic wing techniques. Later, Split Fire took over the group.
The training proceeded as usual after the handover. Scoutalu focused on basic takeoffs and landings, as well as basic maneuvering. While her peers were learning various tricks and formations, Rumble was racing with some older ponies on the track. However, he kept finding himself watching Scoutalu, and because of that, he fell behind. Something caught his eye.
Rumble noticed that Scoutalu somehow couldn't or wouldn't stay in the air. He decided to help her, realizing that Scoutalu had only received her beauty mark because she assigned him to the kitchen; otherwise, she would never have discovered her exceptional cooking and baking skills. As Scoutalu was about to head to the clubhouse to watch the others practice sadly and alone, Rumble subtly separated from the group and landed behind her, just behind the flying Rainbow Dash and the imitating Day.
"Hey, Scoutalu, everything okay?" Rumble asked, the question carrying a touch of poetry.
"What do you want? Mock me again because I can't fly?" Scoutalu questioned, tears welling up in her eyes.
"What? No, not at all. I just see in you that, despite your efforts, it's not working, and it's slowly getting to you. I want to help," Rumble explained indignantly.
"Thanks for stating the obvious," Scoutalu replied, sniffling.
"Do you want me to help? I think I can," Rumble offered.
"I don't understand. How could you help me?" Scoutalu asked irritably.
"Come, let me show you something that will surely please you," Rumble said, invitingly.
"Fine, why not? I don't have anything else to do," Scoutalu accepted, trying to dry her tears.
Rumble and Scoutalu headed towards the Everfree Forest. At the edge of the forest, they took a left turn onto a small, almost completely overgrown path. Soon, they reached a beautifully enchanting rose tree, with flowers of every color imaginable – blue, yellow, orange, purple, red, green, and every shade in between. Scoutalu found it mesmerizing, forgetting all her troubles and sorrows.
"This is so beautiful. Thank you, Rumble," Scoutalu said as she walked slowly among the flowers.
"I didn't bring you here just because it's pretty. This is definitely going to be something you'll like," Rumble declared.
"What? Why, if not just for this?" Scoutalu inquired.
"Well, you see, I'm three years older than you, and when I was your age, I couldn't fly either, just like you. Probably, I still wouldn't be able to if it weren't for this tree. The flowers have magical properties – if a creature makes tea from the flowers, it can behave in two ways. If the creature drinks it out of self-interest, it releases a merciless poison into its body, draining the last drop of life energy in an instant. But if someone drinks it to help or fix something that life has messed up, it gives you what you've always wanted," Rumble explained.
"Wow, so this tree can make me fly?" Scoutalu asked in amazement, tears of joy replacing the ones of sadness.
After hugging Rumble tightly in gratitude, Scoutalu picked some flowers and headed home. The next day at school, she took a sip of the tea and felt a tingling sensation in her wings. She resisted the urge to try immediately, deciding to wait until the end of school. She invited Rumble and her two best friends to the clubhouse to witness the effect. Climbing to the top of the clubhouse, closing her eyes, Scoutalu leaped into the air, flapping her wings vigorously. The others watched in awe, but she soon fell to the ground. It turned out that she had once again gotten stuck in the same tree branch. Although this time, she had to skip two weeks of practice.
After that, Scoutalu could fly quite well. While still far from perfect, it was a huge leap forward compared to her previous results. Secretly meeting Rumble by the tree, the two foals realized that something serious had begun on that warm early summer afternoon. To be continued...
Ferkó found the story very intriguing and thought that it would be useful in the future. Ferkó and Rumble slowly reached the base, and Ferkó was relieved that he could finally eat and drink. However, his joy quickly dissipated with a loud noise. The small team rushed to the base and found a massive mounthicorn, its eyes glowing so green that even a blind pony could see Sombra's influence on it. Ferkó immediately shot it, hitting it with a sleep-inducing ray, and then hurried back to the others.
"Twilight, Ocellus, what happened?" asked Ferkó in a worried tone.
"We don't know. Sombra unleashed that monster on us, and he's likely on his way here," replied Twilight, lifting Sweetie Belle's bag while packing.
"Okay, then I think it's time to disappear from here," declared Ferkó, putting Scoutalut down and reaching for his bag.
The others hadn't returned yet, but they signaled that they were nearby, Sweetie Belle said while putting apples on her back.
"I know, I know, I also have a radio. However, we need to get to the Diamond Dogs' cave immediately if we want to survive this," shouted Ferkó angrily while putting Scoutalut back on his back.
Ferkó and the others quickly set off, and thanks to the radio, Starlight and the rest soon joined the small escaping group. When a large black cloud blocked their path,
"You cursed partisans," echoed an evil laughter from the cloud.
"Sombra! Back, back quickly," yelled Ferkó.
"Not a good idea," stated Starlight.
"We're surrounded," added Twilight.
Ferkó, desperate, tried to find a way out. The others transformed and armed themselves, ready for battle. At that moment, Ferkó saw a cave not far from them, and it seemed that Sombra's minions were not coming from there.
"Let's go there!" shouted Ferkó, directing the small group toward the cave with two covering shots.
The team managed to get into the cave, and Ferkó sealed the entrance with well-aimed shots, using the ceiling.
"Great, we're stuck here. Are you happy now?" asked Twilight angrily.
"Shhh, can't you feel the pleasant breeze?" replied Ferkó, silencing Twilight.
"But why is it important?" asked Starlight, puzzled.
"Because caves with only one exit don't have air circulation," explained Ocellus.
"Exactly, which means there's a way out from here," finished Ferkó Ocellus's train of thought.
"Let's go then; I don't want to spend time in this cave," said Sweetie Belle, looking down.
The small team almost unanimously lit some light and set off. The cave was dark, deep, and eerie. However, for Ferkó, it reminded him of Aggtelek and Tapolca, so he wasn't too scared. After a while, everyone fell asleep suddenly. Ferkó attributed it to magic-swallowing stones and continued. Suddenly, light attacked from the end of the cave, and intense heat flowed in. Ferkó thought it was just the cold cave making the sun feel hot, but he quickly realized it wasn't.
"What? Have we come this far?" he asked in disbelief.
As far as the eye could see, there were rocky deserts and mountains. Everywhere were sand, rocks, and in the distance, massive mountain ranges. Ferkó looked down, and suddenly, he understood why it was so hot.
"Huh. Ferkó, you didn't mention that you can shape-shift," said Ocellus, looking at him angrily.
"Oh, so we just came through a portal, great," declared Ferkó, putting the pieces together.
The others realized one by one that they had turned into humans. Except for Smolder and Ocellus, they turned into a dog and a fox.
"Okay, this is mildly weird," remarked Twilight.
"What? What happened to me?" asked Scoutalu, still groggy from waking up.
"Well, this is a long story," replied Rumble to his girlfriend.
"Now that we know we're in my world, let's find out exactly where. Explain, Ferkó," said Ferkó, explaining the map on his phone that marked their location in Iran, near the city where his sister's boyfriend worked in journalism.
"Yay! We're saved!" exclaimed Ferkó joyfully.
"How can I be saved in the middle of a desert in another world? We're hiding, for crying out loud!" Phoenix inquired.
"Fortunately, we're not far from the city where one of my relatives lives, so I just need to call him and find some explanation for you. We're in trouble, though," said Ferkó as he realized it.
The phone rang, and Ferkó wondered what to say to his sister. Why are there a fox and a dog in the group who can talk? What are they doing here? How did they get here? Etc. At that moment, a male voice came from the phone.
"Hello, this is Emese Stonivics's phone," greeted the voice in English.
"Oh, hello, would you be so kind as to give me to Emese?" asked Ferkó, hoping the person would say what he wanted, as he wasn't very good at English.
"Ferkó, don't force the English; it's not working, hehe," said a voice in Hungarian.
"Oh, hi Ármin! Listen, can you come to the coordinates I sent?'" Ferkó asked, desperately hoping the guy wouldn't hang up.
"Yes, but why?" inquired Ármin, sounding puzzled.
"Well, um, we'll leave it at that. I'll be waiting for you there," said Ferkó and hung up.
About 15-20 minutes later, a large Jeep stopped not far from them, and a man got out with his girlfriend.
"Do you know what Ferkó is doing here again, dragging us into the middle of the desert?" grumbled the man.
"Hey Ármin, Emese, I'm here!" shouted Ferkó at the top of his lungs.
"Ferkó! Oh, I haven't seen you in so long," said Emese as she ran over and hugged him.
"Okay, Em-Emese, I'm glad to see you, but compared to this hug, the straitjacket is a loose Hawaiian shirt," gasped Ferkó as he gasped for breath.
"Okay, okay! Hey, and who are they?" Emese asked, pointing to the small group.
"Uh... that's a damn good question, and you'll get the answer, just not in the middle of a 50-degree desert," Ferkó hinted.
Emese and her boyfriend took Ferkó and the others with the Jeep to the city where they lived. Tatar-modern glass-roofed skyscrapers and ancient sandstone houses alternated as they went deeper into the city. The house where they lived, however, was just a sandstone house with a door using rainbow-colored beads. When Ferkó, who was more worried about when he would get a heatstroke than when he would get a hot goulash, started telling his story, Emese didn't believe him at first. But after everyone was there, confirming the story, she reluctantly gave some credit to the story. The story continued.
Thanks to Ferkó's training, he and the others received a bit of guerrilla training from Ferkó's dear sister. Ferkó enjoyed the training, but he increasingly felt that he was no longer needed. Sweetie Belle, Scoutalu, and Scoald had become adept at fighting and using cleansing magic, just like him. Twilight and Sunset were excellent marksmen. Starlight possessed knowledge and medical experience to the point where she could perform brain surgery with a branch. Smolder and Ocellus excelled with swords. Fluttershy had become an excellent scout. Phoenix had become an outstanding strategist. Ferkó felt somewhat justified in feeling completely unnecessary. As time passed, he started leaning more towards returning to his former life and giving up on liberating Equestria. The only argument against it was the still profound love, but he knew that this love was unlikely to be fulfilled, especially because he was afraid to admit what he felt.
On the eve of the final return, Ferkó gathered the small team, who gladly attended the little party he organized, unaware that it was intended as a farewell party. At midnight, Ferkó summoned everyone, and he stood in front of them.
"Thank you for coming! Look, this is not with any ill feelings toward you, but this is a farewell party," Ferkó began, revealing the truth sadly.
"Oh, well, it's nice of you to organize a farewell party from this world, considering how many interesting things are here," Ocellus said, still taking it half-jokingly.
"No, you don't understand. I'm saying goodbye to you. This is my farewell," Ferkó explained a bit sadly.
The room suddenly fell silent; everyone stared at Ferkó with wide eyes, frozen like characters in a poorly buffered internet-related movie. Eventually, Starlight was the first to speak.
"Why are you saying goodbye to us?" she asked, bewildered.
"Look, I've thought a lot, and I realized that you don't need me anymore. In fact, you excel in almost every area. So, it's pointless for me to go back because I'm dispensable. I'm useless without you," Ferkó explained sadly.
"But, but we need you! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be a team today, and we'd still be languishing in prison," Sweetie Belle declared, struggling with tears.
"That's true. You freed us, and thanks to you, we're the partisans of Equestria today," added Starlight.
"Look, it's very kind of you, but if I hadn't been blinded by love, we wouldn't have been exposed, and we wouldn't be here now. I'm just a danger to you because I'm in love, and I can't help you like this because she is so important to me that it clouds my mind, and I can only hinder you," Ferkó explained, crying.
"What are you talking about now?" Twilight asked, outraged.
Ferkó realized that he had said too much, but he had already made up his mind, so he had nothing to lose.
"Heh... I messed this up too, because except for Sweetie Belle, nothing comes to my mind. I was so stupid. I believed I was talking to Luna and let Sombra find out where we were hiding. That's why he could track us down," Ferkó said as he started crying.
Sweetie Belle was hit by this fact like Japan by the atomic bomb – unexpectedly and surprisingly. The news made her blush, and she felt great guilt for not realizing this sooner.
Ferkó, sadly and with immeasurable frustration, rushed out and went back to pack up the house where they lived. As he packed, a faint knock was heard on the door. Ferkó didn't want to talk to anyone, so he tried to shoo away the knocker. However, the visitor was persistent. Reluctantly, Ferkó gave up and opened the door. Emese stood there, giving him an understanding but angry look.
"Ferkó, we need to talk, and I don't care about your excuses," Emese declared sternly and commandingly.
"Come in. I wanted to talk to you anyway, although I planned to do it in the morning, but whatever," Ferkó said, resigned to the lost battle.
"Look, I understand why you don't want to go back, but I don't get why you're not more selfless," Emese began her grand speech.
"Thanks, but you know nothing. I don't want to go back, not because I don't want to, but because I don't want to be a burden, and without you, I'm meaningless. Explained Ferkó sadly.
"Oh, it's funny somewhere because I really enjoy your company, but on a slightly smaller scale than you. I... I think I feel the same way, but I've never been in love, so I'm not sure," consoled Sweetie Belle, her face turning from red to more of a burgundy shade.
"You don't, but I do. Said a voice standing in the doorway.
"Ocellus, how long have you been standing there?" Ferkó asked, sniffling.
"For a few minutes, and Sweetie Belle, your feelings are not entirely the same, but similar. I noticed that from the first action. Sweetie Belle and Ferkó, at this point, the last barrier collapsed between them like a tornado demolishing a house of cards. Ocellus left with joy, secretly hoping that tomorrow she would get a little reward for dinner. Sweetie Belle and Ferkó talked for a few more hours, and both were overwhelmed by tired, happy, and long-awaited sleep.
The next day, before the others, Ferkó and Sweetie Belle went towards a peculiar store. Soon, they came out with a pendant around their necks, adorned with a yin-yang symbol and a special version for both the human and equestrian sides. Ferkó wore the human part, and Sweetie Belle wore the equestrian part around their necks. They hurried back to the others.
After breakfast, or rather lunch, the team, equipped with gear, headed towards the cave. When they returned to Equestria, Ferkó combined the two medallions and enchanted them. When one of them touched the medallion, the other would appear next to it. To be continued...
Winter had already arrived in Eqwuestria, and snow was falling in thick flakes. Ferkó decided who would let the sleigh madman lie dormant inside and made a small sledge out of a couple of tree branches. He and Sweetie Bell went up to the top of a small hill and started sledding. The others were snow-battling or sledding in similar ways, except for Flutershy, who moved away and began to sculpt. Sweetie Belle and Ferko enjoyed sledding so much that they didn't look over their heads. Suddenly, Ferko noticed a dark shadow, but by then it was too late. The sledge crashed into a tree with a huge battlenade as Ferko and Sweetie Belle flew forward about 20 to 30 meters until a tree stopped the frantic, impromptu flying show. Ferko quickly looked over the snowy, now bare trees, and saw none other than Princess Celestia herself.
Sweetie Belle run and don't look back. He said as he helped his Girlfriend to her feet
M-what happened? asked Sweetie Belle puzzled
Celestia shot at us. Ferko announced, a little panicked. Sweetie Belle didn't add anything to that, and they just ran and ran. The foal is running, he knows where he stops, or in this case, what stops him. Ferkó's family ran into a canyon with a huge robe, which fortunately was not deep, but still not shallow. Ferko quickly swam up using his wings.
Sweetie Belle! Where are you?! Answer! He cried out in fright
I'm here (Cough) ! Endured Back Active Cough During Sweetie Bele
Climb on my back, I can swim! Ferko said and quickly tried to swim there
Sweetie Belle climbed onto her back and was happy that she didn't have to use her non-existent swimming skills to stay up in the fast and undulating river. Ferkó soon realized that there was no way out of here until the canyon widened, so their chances of surviving into cold water were drastically poor, given that the 0 degree water is hot by comparison.
Ferko swam for 2 hours and tried to climb to a wider snow protrusion, but all to no avail, He felt his legs cramp and move less and less, but he thought that he would save Sweetie Bellet even if he met the fate of the Titanic. Finally, with a little scramble they managed to make land. it wasn't big, they were still trapped, but here was everything Ferko needed: old, wet but combustible wood and solid ground. Sweetie Bele climbed off her back and saw how much the cold water had worn her.
Is everything alright? he asked, worried about his Friend
ju-ju-ju-just fi-fifire-k-k-k-put a-and I'll be l-l-down-well. Ferko replied with a chuckle
Alright, wait, I'll warm you up right away. Sweetie Belle said and hurriedly ran for the tree that had fallen into this part of the crevice. Soon a small campfire was crackling and Ferko's frozen body began to warm up. The evening didn't help warm up intact, and Ferko slowly closed his eyes and breathed more slowly. Sweeite Belle hugged her tightly and tried to keep her warm, but she was wet too and couldn't help much. Ferko fell neatly together by the pleasant warm fire and fell into a deep sleep. Sweetie Belle stayed by his side all night, trying to warm him up somehow, until more than once his own limit caught up with him and slowly put her head to sleep next to Ferko.
The next morning, Ferko woke up with some ashes blown into his nose, thanks to the wind. When he woke up, he saw little Sweetie next to him, softly snoozing and lying on his warm fur, Ferko didn't have the heart to wake him up, and slowly put his head back and tried to think something meaningful. Sweetie Belle woke up about an hour later with a soft stretch
Uh-huh- good morning. He said with all kinds of sounds of good awakening
Good morning, you little sour sugar, am I comfortable? Ferko asked jokingly, as he slowly stood up:
Oh don't get angry, I guess it oppresses my chin. Sweetie Belle said as she blushed in embarrassment:
No, no, it's okay, after all, you're just my partner. Ferko declared as he matted into his wet bag.
Do you have a plan to get out of here? asked Sweetie Belle with interest
Unfortunately, there is none, because I did not dare to move so far. Ferko replied mischievously
Seeite Belle's mane looked like a load of hair had been sprinkled around her neck. Ferko doesn't look that way just because of his stiff wire-like hair. They ate the remaining apples that had been hidden in the bag and slowly debated how to get out.
Where can we go? The rock is unclimbable and the water is too cold for swimming. Sweeite Belle explained as she saw that Ferko couldn't cry or laugh
What's so funny? He asked irritably
Sorry, but your mane looks like you've been spat on by a hair monster. Feerko replied, trying not to be offensive: Come on my wing, not a branded comb, but maybe it will. He said, then sat behind her and tried to make something out of the mane that looked good.
What if we left teleported anyway? You also have pure benefits for me. Ferko said as he picked out a bigger tangle
But I can only teleport with environmental magic. Sweetie Belle replied sadly
Why am I not enough? Ferko asked
But I don't want to suck magic out of you, it ended badly last time. He said, and then walked away:
Then I'll do it. Ferko declared, and before Sweetie Belle could react, she was already gone, and she was on the top of the hill, Sweetie Belle also went up with her pendant, and they slowly made their way.
There were few creatures on the Ever free forset, and the mere one seemed untouched. Ferko was reminded of his former lowland kalangya by the small clearing that widened into a huge meadow. The two ponies walked slowly and admired the snow- and frost-covered landscape. Suddenly, a house appeared in front of Ferkó's family in the field. Ferko and Sweetie Belle headed gladly towards the house, hoping it was uninhabited as night had passed. When they got there, they saw piles of wood and an old car indicating that someone might have lived here. Ferkó's family quickly went inside, and after a few minutes the fire was crackling in the fireplace, and Ferkó started making delicious dishes from the leftovers. Sweetie Belle looked around for a line and marveled at how simple but great this humble shelter was: Who do you think owned this hut before we got here? asked with interest
I have no idea, the last trapper. Ferko replied half-seriously
HOW ABOUT STAYING HERE FOR A WHILE. Sweetie Belle asked jokingly:
You know what, if we liberated Eqwuestria I will live here with you. Ferko stated as a joke
Why then, since we are very far from Eqwuestria? asked Sweetie Belle
I think you're right, but you don't want Sombra to rule all of Eqwuestria, right? asked Ferko Back
I think that's legitimate. Sweetie Belle said as she closed her face in a barely visible pink blush
Ferko took out his soaked phone and looked at the date and was shocked: Friday 12.24. Suddenly, he took out a small piece of wood and began carving it with his knife. He worked with it for about an hour before it was finished. Sweetie Belle was napping in the chair when Ferko Hirteln put the little ornament in her hair
Oh what's happening. Sweetie Belle stood up screaming as she quickly filled her horns
Hehehe's happy heart warmth. Ferko laughed. Sweetie Belle was amazed. During training, he forgot that there is a warmth of the heart evening. Suddenly, she blushed and took off the beautiful comb from her hair, which resembled a miracle, beautiful red flower.
Oh thank you, but I can't give you anything. He said and began to feel ashamed of himself
The greatest gift for me is that I like it. Ferko declared and hugged his Girlfriend tightly.
I think if someone like you is, it's not just a benign lie. Sweetie Belle then charmed a small piece of wood with her horn, which was a pine branch. Soon, with a little help, a half-meter small pine tree stood there.
Wow, you're going to have to teach me this magic too. Ferko came out and started creating something out of a small piece of magic. You know, Sweetie Belle, in my world the warmth of the heart is called Christmas, and even with you national, it's just a celebration of love, and it's a symbol of it. Then he finished creating and held a five-pointed red star with its horn inside the heart . Gee, it's almost like our top ornament. The little unicorn declared, then took it and put it on top of the tree.
Yes, I know, because it's just our ornament at the star bands, the heart is yours. Do you really have heartfelt songs? He asked with interest.
Well, I can't, but I can't sing, and I don't know any of them by heart. Ferko neatly put the comb ornament back in place as he answered, and now it was literally red because he had dropped a little red pine resin on it, which gripped it beautifully.
Oh I see, well, if you want, I know a song from my world, I can teach it if you want. He declared and rang his phone.
That would be fantastic! Sweetie Belle raised her hoof high and then reacted to herself with an awkward blush and scratching her neck. Then Ferkó's music started, and beautiful melodic music began to play from the small tape recorder. https://youtu.be/T1Mp7YduNTU?si=9otD9EotQ4cIfzRo As he had to, Ferkó started the song.
When the first snow falls, ice flowers grow again through the window Sleigh bell, its voice rings, And the day comes what we dream of, when we receive and can give love. Nice holiday, take care of us.
White Christmas, we have been waiting for a long time,Today we light a candle on the feast of love. White Christmas, a hundred stars burn,Wherever on earth this melody accompanies us, accompanies us. Sweetie Bell was completely mesmerized by this song, and when she saw her lyrics on the phone where the melody was playing, she began to read it. And what he read he really liked. A holiday is true if it lives in their souls,For at least one day a person hopes only for good Real, true heartfelt phrases
Love is hidden everywhere in the windows. The velvet blanket for us is the freshly falling snow We wish the anniversary to be peaceful together,But today the smell of pine still fills the night Tomorrow the enemy should also be a true good friend,When he got to the point where he saw the chorus coming and almost felt where the next chorus was coming, and he also started singing: " White Christmas,
we have been waiting for a long time. Today we light a candle on the holiday of love. White Christmas, a hundred stars burn. Wherever on earth this melody accompanies us, it accompanies us. Then, as the chorus ended, a familiar melody came, and he just sang it and sang it. When the first snow falls, ice flowers grow again through the window Sleigh bell, its voice rings, And the day comes what we dream of, when we receive and can give love. Nice holiday, take care of us. White Christmas, we've been waiting for a long time. Today we light a candle on the holiday of love. White Christmas, a hundred stars burn. Wherever on earth this melody accompanies us, it accompanies us. White Christmas, we've been waiting a long time. Today we light a candle on the holiday of love. White Christmas, a hundred stars burn. Wherever on earth this melody accompanies us, it accompanies us.
When the song finally ended, he saw Ferko looking at him with sparkling eyes. Then it slowly comes closer. Sweetie Belle blushed because she didn't sing often in front of others.
Ferko was mesmerized by the beautiful voice in which Sweetie Belle sang, and hugged her tightly. Sweetie Belle reciprocated, and her little nose said just that. I think I already know what I'll give you next year. Ferko didn't hear this and just hugged and kissed his little mare, who couldn't believe what he had done to his sweetheart, this little singing. The two ponies then learned a bunch of songs.
and countless others. Sweetie Belle, despite how many times Ferko's heart burst into song, there was both a cauldron and a bucket full of water dripping out. The two little foals had forgotten even about time, and only a cuckoo clock in the house signaled midnight to them. Then the two foals sensed how tired they were, and how good it was, but now it was time to go to bed. Sweetie Belle was still humming "Let's light a candle" here this Christmas as she led herself to the land of sweet dreams. To be contined
Ferkó and Sweetie Belle woke up early the next day. Ferkó joked in his mind that they would become like the last fur trapper and his wife if they really moved here. The landscape was beautifully covered with thick snow, and ice flowers sparkled on the window. Ferkó reached for his books and started reading to himself. One book had an interesting title; he had randomly downloaded a chapter, and the translated title was "True Love." According to the description, the main characters were Sweetie Belle and Rumble. Ferkó opened the book, which consisted of only one chapter, and began reading about a poorly executed portal that took the two main heroes beyond the world. The book described a cozy hut similar to theirs, where they eventually moved in because they couldn't leave, growing old together.
Ferkó was astonished and looked out the window, where an interesting creature with yellow eyes and a red nose looked in. Ferkó went out, knowing what it was.
"I am the demon of true love, and you can only leave this house alive if you answer my question. If you answer wrongly, only one of you can leave," the creature said loudly.
"Ask the question then," demanded Ferkó.
The question was simple: which animal bears the name "love hal" among these, the fearsome anaconda or the gentle herring? the monster asked.
Ferkó knew that both options were wrong, and he had to choose. "The hydra," he answered, raising a red rage from the creature.
Incorrect. Now, mortal, decide which of you will stay here for eternity, the creature demanded.
"Then it's me. There's no treasure or freedom more important to me than her," declared Ferkó, happiest as only a pony could be.
The snake-like creature recoiled. "Is someone else's happiness more important to you than your own life?" it asked again in its deep, echoing voice.
"Do you think I don't know who you are? You are the demon of greed and the desire for freedom. No one leaves your house if they act out of self-interest because you consume their soul. But if the given being can put their own interests aside for another living being, your curse breaks. Fight me, kill me, but I'll never be a selfish beast again, not the man my father wanted me to become, and I won't let him be stuck here. " Ferkó confidently declared, sending magic into his horn.
"Insolent mortal, I was ready to give you the perfect dream world, but you choose the emptiness of your meaningless principles in this wretched reality. " The creature yelled, and it turned into mist.
Although it didn't show, Ferkó was very afraid of making the wrong decision under the influence, but he finally understood why he faced the curse of greed that affected those in the house. He ran to the waking Sweetie Belle and hugged her tightly. Sweetie Belle reciprocated the hug but didn't understand why she got it.
"Thank you," Ferkó whispered emotionally, tears streaming down his eyes.
Sweetie Belle didn't understand what happened, but she was happy. The pair soon headed towards Everfree and admired the scenery. Meanwhile, Ferkó read to Sweetie Belle, who visibly enjoyed the stories. She was surprised and interested in the book about the love between Ocellus and Smolder. Eventually, Ferkó got bored of reading, and they started chatting.
"How far do you think we are from the others?" Ferkó asked while thinking about how hungry they would be.
"Well, a 4-5 day walk for sure. We've drifted quite far," Sweetie Belle replied.
"Yes, that's true," Ferkó said happily and thoughtfully.
The journey was indeed long, and evening fell quickly. Thanks to the magic lantern, Ferkó and Sweetie Belle weren't bothered much, and they continued on. At dawn, they saw the mountain range where they had sledded, but it was just a small point in the vast whiteness. Ferkó and Sweetie Belle were very tired that night, and they prepared to sleep by making a small campfire. Suddenly, they heard a loud noise. "Back! Back!" A familiar voice shouted.
"Starlight!" they exclaimed simultaneously, and every dream vanished from their eyes. They quickly headed towards the source of the sound. The young unicorn was running towards them with three ponies in shackles on his horn. Ocellus and Smolder were fighting with swords, and Shining Armor was leading a losing battle.
"There's no danger here; we're here to rescue," Ferkó shouted, and they headed towards their two friends with a knife. Sweetie Belle covered her companion with shots from her horn. Ferkó suddenly got behind Shining Armor and thought he could easily bypass his magic and give him a cut on the horn. Ferkó suddenly felt a surge of black magic, as if trying to stab a knife through an aluminum wall. He quickly picked up the two master swords, embarrassed, and headed towards Sweetie Belle, who was still covering. Then, Scoutalu and Rumble emerged from the dense branches, barely escaping Rainbow and Split Fire. The small group soon reached Sweetie Belle, and Ferkó was not far away when Sombra got behind them, preparing to cast a curse from his glowing green horn. Ferkó accidentally did something he didn't know he was capable of. Ferkó and the others suddenly lost their physical bodies and ended up in a strange place where magic was solid, and they could move like magicians. They couldn't see much, but somehow they could perceive each other and communicate.
"Where are we?" Sweetie Belle asked, practically transmitting her thoughts.
"I think I know where we are, but I'm not sure," Ferkó replied, puzzled by the situation.
"What exactly did you just do?" Sweetie Belle asked while rummaging through thoughts.
"Well, I read about this place, and since there was no destination earlier, I just thought about teleporting. Probably, we are in a place between places," Ferkó explained, still puzzled by the strange situation.
"A place between places? That's a funny name, but I still don't understand why we're here," Smolder complained.
Ferkó, not deeming that worthy of an answer, began to "explore the world." Time passed differently here than outside, but he hoped the difference wouldn't be too significant. Ferkó gradually recognized the barriers of the soul, found the well of confidence, and discovered numerous things not mentioned in the book. However, one thing intrigued him. Regardless of the risk to their relationship, he wanted to try the soul connection that was the trigger for the plot in his book. Little did he know that as soon as he figured things out, one of his friends would accidentally make a mistake bigger than the Barbarossa operation. Ocellus, jokingly wanting to poke Ferkó, didn't pay attention and "collided" with Sweetie Belle playing behind him. This resulted in a three-way connection. Sweetie Belle and Ocellus began to see moments of each other's lives, and Ferkó also got involved in it at times. Ferkó sensed regret, a desire for service, lies, and much more. Ocellus felt all kinds of fear, accumulation of anger, but the sudden flow didn't last long because Ferkó didn't expect it. Reflexively, he broke the connection, sending the small group back into the icy snow.
Ferkó was completely out of breath and tried to clear his mind and cleanse his blurry vision. Ocellus was dizzy and not really aware of where she was. Sweetie Belle, on the other hand, faced an active headache and a strange evening of embarrassing memories marathon. The three friends were sweaty and didn't really understand what happened. As Ferkó gathered his thoughts a bit and realized what happened, he turned as red and hot as to start melting the snow, resembling a big pepper.
Slowly, he walked over to Sweetie Belle and tried not to make eye contact with Ocellus, dragging her aside. "Sweetie Belle, look, I'm sorry you had to see that. I hoped you were telling the truth, but I don't care about the lies anymore. I just want to apologize," he said, muttering the words into a mumble.
Sweetie Belle's mind was numb, and she couldn't utter a coherent word, but she did everything to bring some order to the primal chaos.
"Listen, at least now we don't have to hide anything, and we won't lie to each other anymore," Ferkó said, finishing with tears in his eyes.
Sweetie Belle finally managed to clear her mind enough to form understandable words. "No, I'm the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have lied to you, and to myself. Now at least I know what I feel, and I'm happy that you share this with me," she said in a tone of such intensity as if her family had just been murdered. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she hugged Ferkó tightly.
Ferkó didn't quite understand what had happened, as his mind was still in turmoil. The others had discreetly moved away, except for Smolder, who was trying to pull Ocellus aside. Eventually, Ferkó hugged Sweetie Belle back, and tears welled up in his eyes too. What overwhelmed them was nothing but pure and indistinguishable sadness and pain. Slowly, Ferkó tapped on Sweetie Belle's shoulder and felt the pure sadness that also tore at the heart of the otherwise calm and contented tired happiness.
Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle, from the depths of her heart, regretted what she had done, and simultaneously, the deep contempt she would receive haunted her like a nightmare and vision. However, her eyes widened when Ferkó's tight embrace suddenly sparked a drop of cheerfulness in her. Ferkó knew what he was doing, but he didn't care. His only goal was to make his friend happy again. When he felt nothing but sadness, an inexplicable joke came to his mind that he said to Sweetie Belle in Iran, where even shapeshifters would hear emotions because there were so many grumpy people. As the joke played out in his mind, all his sadness dispersed, and a feeling of pure, undisturbed tired happiness took over. Sweetie Belle also experienced similar emotions due to the random emotional suction that the soul bond awakened. Tears no longer fell from Sweetie Belle's eyes, and slowly, the seemingly beautiful situation restored her self-confidence and good mood.
When both sides finally calmed down enough, Ferkó released the little filly. She only opened her eyes at that moment.
"Thank you," came the deepest tone of sincerity from Ferkó's mouth with this simple word.
"No, thank you," countered Sweetie Belle.
After this, the two friends fell together, and their eyes led them to the land of sweet dreams. To be continued...
Starlight and Twilight were playfully frolicking in the snow. Starlight was busy creating a snow catapult when a massive roar caught her attention. The rest of the team froze, trying to locate the source of the noise, which Smolder eventually pinpointed.
"There it is. Look!" Smolder pointed towards a thick, solitary snow cloud.
"Is that Princess Celestia?" Ocellus asked in astonishment.
"Run, and don't look back!" came a distant shout.
Without hesitation, Storm Scoald took a shot at the cursed alicorn princess. Celestia retaliated swiftly, firing a powerful green magical projectile resembling a thunderbolt at the group. Twilight's protective shield barely withstood the attack, but witnessing the alicorn's strength, they decided to retreat. Flight was impossible among the thick branches, so Celestia gave up the chase quickly. Starlight and the others hid in the dense oak forest until the alicorn disappeared from the horizon, then cautiously emerged.
"So, we just attacked one of Equestria's leaders?" Phoenix asked ironically.
"Yes. Where are Ferkó and Sweetie Belle?" Twilight said, realizing they were missing.
"I thought they were with you," Fluttershy said, peeking from behind her wings.
"I thought they went sledding with you," Smolder added to the young pegasus.
"That's not important now. Let's find them," Twilight ordered, restoring order to the discussion.
The guerrilla teams split up and combed through the part of the forest where they had been, but found no trace of Ferkó and Sweetie Belle. Scoutalu spotted a yellow scarf near a canyon dotted with sharp rocks. The team quickly gathered, concluding that Ferkó and Sweetie Belle might have fallen. To their dismay, Ferkó's hat was stuck on a tree branch at the bottom of the canyon. Hoping they had managed to climb out, the team was about to search for them when a large group of about 70 individuals emerged from the trees and attacked them without warning. Sweetie Belle transformed into a humanoid creature alongside Smolder, wielding a sword, while Twilight unleashed covering fire. The others, mostly pegasi, quickly crossed the canyon with their wings. Phoenix and Twilight created a quick escape route, allowing Smolder and the others to fly out of the encirclement. The guerrillas successfully crossed to the other side, and as most of the attackers were ponies or yaks, they couldn't pursue them.
When the fighting ceased, a purple and green-spiked dragon and a white-maned, blue-mane elite royal-armored unicorn stepped forward. The attackers saluted, and a pony with a light orange mane approached the unicorn.
"Shining Armor, should we pursue them?" the pony asked, awaiting orders.
"It's pointless, Applejack. They have the advantage beyond the canyon; we'll leave the surprise element to them. Let the air fleet and the second army deal with it. Our task is done," Shining Armor said, issuing the order to return to the base.
As the team paused behind the trees, preparing for potential gunfire, Twilight watched in surprise as her own brother led an attack against them. The team ventured deeper into the forest, and Ferkó suddenly woke up, finding himself back in the real world. Sweetie Belle slept peacefully next to him. Feeling cold and a headache with every move, Ferkó questioned whether it was a dream or reality.
"Was that a dream or... reality?" he asked, trying to make sense of the strange dream.
"Sorry, I didn't realize I created such a strong connection. I only had a few bites since everyone has been sad since I disappeared, and that doesn't taste good," Ocellus explained apologetically.
"No problem. I know you wouldn't harm anyone intentionally," Ferkó said, forgiving her. "Did you take from Sweetie Belle, too, or just from me?" he asked, subtly addressing the awkward question.
"Uh, I think mostly from her. But her feelings are a bit spicy from self-blame," Ocellus explained softly, rubbing the back of her neck.
Ferkó began to ponder how much power Sombra could wield against them when he noticed a red-maned figure out of the corner of his eye. He quickly filled his eyes with magic and spotted a unicorn surrounded by swirling magic.
"Get down!" Ferkó shouted, firing two full-force shots towards the bush.
Ocellus quickly dropped to the ground, allowing Ferkó to open fire freely. The response was swift. A sudden green magical projectile emerged from the bush Ferkó targeted. Ferkó dodged it, but the shot hit the sleeping Sweetie Belle directly. Ferkó fired a tranquilizer shot at the bush, and the shots ceased. Ferkó and Ocellus rushed to Sweetie Belle. Once again, Ferkó saw the dark curse he witnessed on that fateful night. Knowing he could now wield magic better, he took matters into his own hands.
"Ocellus, get everyone out of here! If I don't contact you within three days, don't come looking. Unite the team and reclaim Ponyville!" Ferkó commanded, and then Sweetie Belle disappeared with him.
Ocellus quickly roused the others, and once everyone was up, they headed towards the ancient city with the two disarmed ponies in tow. The story continued.
Once again, Ferkó found himself in the in-between place with Sweetie Belle on the "shoulder" Ferkó immersed himself in Sweetie's consciousness, delving deep into her soul. What he "saw" was a frightened foal being besieged by an evil warlord, King Sombra. A piece of Sombra's dark magic, which attempted to break through the protective shield in his friend's soul, still lingered from that surreal night. Sombra's siege was interrupted by an impromptu barrage of gunfire. Sombra ceased the attack, grabbing a magical fragment resembling a scythe and charging at Ferkó. At that moment, Ferkó took an "invisible sword" into his "hooves" and cleared his mind of any distractions. In the depths of his consciousness, only a gentle melody resounded—a song sung by a nation upon returning to its homeland.
Once again, he felt his hooves gripping the sword's hilt. Ferkó managed to block Sombra's first strike, and a fierce exchange of blows ensued. Sombra defended himself with the scythe's blade, but he didn't stop there. He quickly grabbed his sword from the scythe's blade and continued the assault, unleashing strikes from various angles until Ferkó found an opening. With full force, Ferkó sliced through Sombra's twisted horn. Sombra let out a loud cry, dropped his scythe, and slowly lowered his head. Ferkó placed his sword against Sombra's forehead, ready to finish him off.
"Hahaha, foolish youth, you think you've won. But if you kill me, you'll seal your own downfall. You'll become the very thing you fought against—a creature driven by oppressive power and selfish desires," Sombra said triumphantly.
"You're mistaken. You may seek dominion and influence, but I, I am a member of the thousand-year-suffering Hungarian people. I seek good for everyone. The freedom of the people is more important to me than my own life, and you will never influence me," replied Ferkó arrogantly.
"Hah, you see your problem is that you're too merciful. Shouted Sombra, embedding his two massive fangs into Ferkó.
Ferkó felt the black magic slowly squeezing his own soul, losing himself more and more to everything he had done to stand against it. With his last strength, he grabbed Sweetie Belle, pushed her away with all his might, and closed the gate.
"What have you done?" Sombra asked angrily.
"This world may be my tomb, but you're also departing the realm of the living with me," declared Ferkó. He pulled all the remaining magical power into his horn and shot a massive blast beneath him. The world began to crumble into pieces as Sombra desperately sought an escape route.
Ferkó had accepted that this would be his final resting place when he accidentally reached for the medallion. The medallion began to glow, and in an instant, Ferkó found himself in a beautiful snowy field. The exhaustion he felt was beyond expression, but his soul was still not at peace. He felt the black magic slowly eradicating love from him—for his family, friends, and even Sweetie Belle. With his last strength, he erected a "barrier" around the remnants of his emotions and tried to hold onto them.
When Sweetie Belle regained consciousness, she saw Ferkó struggling not to completely break down. Sweetie Belle had slept through the ordeal but somehow sensed what had happened. She ran to Ferkó and did the only thing she could—pressed a heartfelt "kiss" on his face. Suddenly, Ferkó felt a surge of fiery power coming from outside, helping him. The effort eventually caused a magical explosion that completely expelled the Black Magic from him. However, along with it, he suddenly felt a profound pain where Sombra had bitten him. Still, he knew it was just a scratch compared to what could have happened.
Although his body was exhausted, he couldn't stay awake any longer and collapsed. When he woke up, he could open his eyes without feeling pain. Sweetie Belle was above him, casting a healing spell. Ferkó felt a bit weaker than a "Stalright" evening, but strong enough not to feel the burning pain in his chest. Little Sweetie Belle seemed very tired, and Ferkó didn't want to harm her.
"Hey, Sweetie Belle, you can rest now," he whispered.
"What? Ferkó, oh, I'm so glad you're okay!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, hugging her friend tightly.
"Now I know what it's like to be in a grape press," Ferkó thought to himself but chose to hug her back to avoid causing any harm.
Sweetie Belle planted a small kiss on his cheek, and Ferkó knew that nothing was false anymore. The embrace with Sweetie Belle slowly came to an end, and Ferkó, carrying her on his back, headed towards the thousand-year-old castle. His "girlfriend" peacefully slept on his back, occasionally making a noise or snoring. Ferkó didn't mind; he didn't even mind that Sweetie Belle almost tore out his fur. The sun was gradually rising, and the shadows in the forest were getting narrower.
As they walked, a branch snapped, followed by the distinctive sound of footsteps in the snow. Ferkó halted, trying to locate the source of the noise, but it was too late. Ponies, yaks, and even dragons leaped out from behind the trees and bushes. Ferkó attempted to channel energy into his horn, but the attempt was met with a sharp, stabbing pain.
"We've got you. Don't even try to resist," a voice said from among the surrounding group.
"Shining Armor, if I'm not mistaken!" Ferkó shouted, annoyed.
"Your intellect is as sharp as ever," replied the voice.
Ferkó strained his horn, and a spell managed to emit a burst of magic that reached his phone. Ferkó took out his downloaded items and started playing the only thing within reach. The phone struggled for a moment, then began playing a deafening noise that had been programmed. "The word has been uttered, the anthem resounds." Taking advantage of the overwhelming noise, Ferkó used a hoof to open his knife and attacked the weakest defense line, where only a pony of Sweetie Belle's age was protecting the circle. Breaking free, he rushed forward before the recovering army could react. To be continued.
With Sweetie Belle on his back, Ferkó rushed forward as fast as his hooves could carry him. The loud noise woke the little unicorn from her sleep. Pegasus, unicorns, and dragons began pursuing the two friends, and all sorts of spells and charms were hurled at them, even drinks from the yaks. Sweetie Belle was deeply involved in dodging the attacks as Ferkó tried his best to avoid them.
"W-what's happening? Who are these?" Ferkó finally managed to stammer out the question.
"Great question, but an even greater question is whether suppressive fire is a luxury item?" Ferkó retorted to Sweetie Belle, who was still somewhat dazed.
"Oh, sorry, right." Sweetie Belle apologized, then quickly started firing shots primarily at the pegasi.
However, the pursuers didn't relent and kept getting closer. Ferkó thought hard about what to do, but without the power of his horn, he felt helpless. One of the unicorn's shots hit Ferkó's leg, causing him to lose balance and soar into the air. Quick to react, he tried to regain his equilibrium and came up with a brilliant idea. As he ran steadily, he halted, executing the plan he had in mind.
"Sweetie Belle, in my bag, there's a little bag with a fuse on it. Light the fuse and aim for a tree!" Ferkó instructed his friend as he dodged two more shots.
Sweetie Belle didn't hesitate and started rummaging through the bag. Once she found the small bag and lit the fuse, she aimed it at a nearby stump. The bag exploded, and the tree began to topple toward the pursuing pegasi, forcing them to come to a halt. The shots from unicorns and dragons were deflected as if by a shield. Ferkó and Sweetie Belle seized the opportunity and quickly made their way. They hid behind two trees, Sweetie Belle preparing her horn, while Ferkó pulled out a pistol with his wing, ready to shoot.
They waited and waited, but the attackers seemed to have disappeared. Ferkó and Sweetie Belle decided it was time to make a run for it. When they were far enough, they finally stopped and awkwardly stared at each other for a moment.
"Ferkó, what happened to your horn?" Sweetie Belle asked, noticing that Ferkó hadn't used any magic during the battle.
"Well, that's a question even I can't answer. It's like I don't have control over my magic, or maybe there's not enough of it to use. That enchantment to mimic the voice even strained me so much that my head still aches. " Ferkó explained, both angry and sad.
"Yes, I understand what you mean. Like when I set the clubhouse on fire, full mastery of magic requires the help of another living being," Sweetie Belle said, recalling bitter memories.
Ferkó understood Sweetie Belle's hint, or at least he hoped she knew what she was referring to. "Sweetie Belle, are you suggesting that I absorb magic from you?" he asked with fear in his voice.
"Exactly," replied Sweetie Belle.
"Alright, but I warn you, it's not guaranteed that this will end well," Ferkó told his friend.
Sweetie Belle's blood ran cold at the thought that Ferkó might overdo it, but he had faced greater risks before. Ferkó delicately touched Sweetie Belle's magic with a tiny magical thread and slowly began to extract a suction-like behavior from it. He felt the playful and vibrant magic gradually transforming into his serious and calm magic, and the feeling was so pleasant that it was indescribable. "This must be what love poison feels like to changelings," Ferkó thought to himself. However, he saw how this wonderful source of power was diminishing from Sweetie Belle, who visibly started shivering. Ferkó felt like he could cast any spell now, so he quickly "cut off" the magic. Sweetie Belle, clutching her scarf, tried to warm herself but seemed to struggle. Ferkó, realizing he could now perform almost anything, rushed to her aid. He hugged her tightly and used his own body to warm his girlfriend.
"Is everything alright, Sweetie Belle, or did I go too far?" Ferkó asked anxiously.
"I-I'm fine, just a little c-c-cold," replied the young unicorn.
"Okay, good." Ferkó responded, and as they embraced, they slowly continued. The two friends walked side by side, carefully erasing their tracks, so as not to be discovered based on them. Ferkó and Sweetie Belle mostly talked about what they would do once this was over. In the end, Ferkó suggested staying here, but Sweetie Belle said she would gladly live on the other side. They didn't argue about it and had a meaningful conversation.
As the sun was winking down, they glimpsed the ruins of the thousand-year-old city, where Ocellus and Smolder awaited them. Ferkó soon spotted the watchful Scootaloo and Fluttershy in the sky. Starlight, who was preparing food, and Rumble, who was tending to wounds, also came into view. Ferkó hoped the others would catch up, but his hopes were in vain. Ferkó and Sweetie Belle first wanted to eat and then rest. Slowly walking through the ruins, the chilling magical drain was the worst part.
Ocellus raised her head from the fire at the sound of footsteps. "Ferkó, Sweetie Belle, you're finally here!" she exclaimed joyfully.
"Yes, we're here, but it's hard to escape from King Sombra." Ferkó said sadly and angrily.
"Well, to be fair, you carved an impressive advantage from the tools. I can't even imagine the destruction you could cause with more equipment. Praise to Ferkó!" Sweetie Belle complimented Ferkó, who felt a bit embarrassed because of the praise, but also because it came from his love.
"Why don't we attack then?" Smolder asked irritably.
"Hey, did you forget that last time we attacked, we lost half the team?" Rumble asked with determined anger.
By the way, where are the others? Ferkó asked puzzled.
Ocellus sighed heavily and began to tell what had happened.
After successfully crossing the canyon, Ocellus and the others began heading towards the distant mountains. Ocellus and Smolder were the two main defenders, guarding the front and rear of the group, their hands constantly on their swords. Scoutalu and Fluttershy kept watch from above the trees to avoid walking into traps. Meanwhile, Twilight and Sunset kept their horns ready for casting spells just in case. The goal of the small group was to find a well-defendable position. Starlight and the others, on the other hand, created crosses out of dried branches as a tribute to their friends.
As night descended upon the team, they reluctantly set up camp. Not that they were tired, but standing in one place was the best way to assess whether they were being surrounded, at least according to Twilight's guerrilla warfare book. The team constructed makeshift shelters from sturdy leaves and branches found in the damp undergrowth, but they couldn't exactly call them comfortable. However, thanks to the campfire, this wasn't too much of an issue. The group began to eat, with Smolder bringing fish from the human world, Ocellus deciding to absorb some love from Rumble and Scoutalu, and the others eating apples or salad sandwiches. In the dark snowy landscape, not much could be seen except for the shimmering icy snow in the beautiful moonlight.
The team peacefully retired for the night and slept soundly, except for Smolder, who went to practice with Ocellus. The clanging of swords didn't create a deafening noise, but it was certainly louder than the usual forest sounds. Among the dense trees, Ocellus's human form gleamed due to the leather straps reflecting the moonlight. The two friends' swordsmanship improved throughout the evening, although Ocellus performed much better than Smolder, as it was easier for her to keep the blade cold, unlike her dragon partner. Smolder had to turn his body with every exhale to prevent melting the blade with his breath, but he still performed admirably due to his minimal need for air.
Shining Armor received two more squads, equipped with two flag regiments each, for the capture of the rebels. In addition to the existing seven flag regiments of ponies, three divisions of pegasi, one corps of unicorns, and three flag regiments of centaurs he already had. He promptly dispatched the new units to scout, with a squadron of pegasi accompanying them. Applejack watched angrily as the other trained warriors went to scout, while she tended to the wounded. Shining Armor was preparing to retire for the night when a brown-coated blonde colt galloped towards him, carrying a bowl of water in his mouth. He halted in front of Shining Armor and saluted, panting from the run despite the winter chill.
"What do you want here, Smooth Furry?" Shining Armor asked arrogantly.
"Nothing, sir, nothing. But the Great Lord seeks your presence," the colt reported.
"Then go and fetch him. What are you waiting for?" Shining Armor ordered.
The colt placed the bowl on the ground, from which a large water bubble emerged. Out of it emerged none other than Sombra's terrifying head, bruised and blue.
"How may I serve you, my Lord?" Shining Armor asked, bowing before the great leader.
"Colonel Armor, you never cease to amaze me, but your failure surprises me. For example, your defeat today," Sombra said disdainfully and arrogantly.
"The rebels showed no signs of surrender, but a new military plan has been devised against them," Shining Armor reported, trying to conceal his wounded pride.
"In that case, I leave the implementation of your plan to you. I don't want to hear about another failure. Dismissed!" Sombra added, and then his head disappeared into the water, which no longer shimmered.
Shining Armor didn't hesitate and set the troops in motion. The scouts had already reported Ocellus and Smolder's situation, making them the main targets. The divisions slowly crossed the canyon and headed towards the location indicated by the pegasi. However, as they crossed, they noticed an orange Pegasus in the moonlight, peering into the canyon with a telescope.
"Fire!" Shining Armor shouted, pointing at the Pegasus.
The unicorns didn't hesitate and fired at the tree where the Pegasus was perched. Scoutalu quickly took flight, but still got hit by a shot. Fortunately, it only grazed his hooves, allowing him to soar into the air unharmed. The unicorns were soon out of shooting range, but they weren't alone; numerous pegasi, including Rainbow Dash, flew towards them. Scoutalu reached for his weapon and began firing shots. The pistol scattered the griffons, and most of the pegasi were either injured or retreated, except for Rainbow. The rainbow-maned Pegasus was getting closer and closer. Scoutalu had fired his last bullet, leaving him completely defenseless. Rainbow reached the speed needed for her sonic rainboom. As the rainbow exploded, Scoutalu's wings folded in from the sudden fear. As he plummeted, he noticed Rainbow streaking above him and crashing into the nearby mountain with a loud thud.
Scoutalu didn't waste any time and headed straight for the camp. However, when he arrived, it was already too late. As he approached the camp, he heard the gunfire, and he knew what it meant. The young Pegasus saw only Rumble and Fluttershy carrying Phoenix and Sunset to safety, while Twilight and Ocellus fought a life-or-death battle to rescue Smolder. Scoutalu also joined the fight, and as soon as he landed, he grabbed a machine gun and started firing at the jak and nir forces who had trapped Smolder. He managed to create an escape route for Smolder, but as the dragon and Ocellus took off together, Scoutalu felt his wings literally sticking to his body, gradually ceasing to move. Unfortunately, it wasn't just him; Twilight and Cold Storm were also affected. At that moment, Scoutalu noticed a white unicorn casting a curse from among the trees, slowly but surely heading towards Twilight, but then a herd of jak charged out from behind him. Scoutalu knew that there was nothing left to do; they had lost. He quickly grabbed a crate of ammunition with a machine gun on top of it, along with a bag full of supplies, and hurriedly left the scene. Twilight and Cold Storm were no longer as lucky; they were captured despite their best efforts.
As Scoutalu stepped out of the camp's clearing, his wings jumped as nimbly as grasshoppers again. Before anyone could notice, he took off into the air with the supplies, and as much as the rapid flight hurt his lungs, which now resembled glaciers due to the cold winter air, he flew as fast as a Wonderbolt. When he had flown at least a kilometer, he gradually slowed down and landed on a small snow cloud. His wings burned like magic at the forest festival, his lungs frozen like ice, and terribly painful, but after a short rest, and once he had regained control over his tears, he quickly set off again. Soon, he spotted the remnants of the group fleeing from hundreds of jak supported by unicorns.
Ocellus and Smolder were excellent fighters, but they couldn
't defeat so many opponents. The group headed towards a steep mountainside, and when they arrived, they attempted a counterattack, but it turned into another defensive struggle and an unsustainable front.
"Back, back!" Starlight shouted, and Phoenix followed suit, sprinting away.
The others did the same, unaware that if it weren't for two rescuers, they would all have been captured. Continued.
After Ocellus finished her story, slowly everyone else settled down for the night. Not Ferkó, though; he decided to keep watch to ensure they wouldn't be taken by surprise. The city walls were chillingly cold, the winter not sparing its freezing grasp. However, Ferkó didn't mind the cold. Despite showing signs of age, the old, dilapidated houses stood majestically, their solid white walls blending beautifully with the snow. Their straw roofs were soaked and weakly supported, but the boards underneath compensated for the stability.
Ferkó feared for his friends, as they no longer had the dream-catching golem to ward off nightmares. He enchanted his horn and conjured a small telescope in front of his eyes, surveying the landscape. He wasn't particularly searching for enemies; rather, he marveled at the world's beauty—the towering mountains in the distance, covered in pine forests at their base and crystalline snow at their peaks, rabbits skating on the frozen stream near the city, and the watchtowers and bastions a few hundred meters from the city.
As the moon reached its zenith, he began to hear faint crunching of snow, followed by the creaking of branches and a painful "ouch" cry. Unsure if his horn had adjusted properly, Ferkó decided to act cautiously and leapt down from the wall with his sword and knife at the ready. With determined steps, he moved towards the source of the noise. When he reached it, he stopped dead in his tracks. Magic guided his horn as he prepared for a fight.
"Come out, or I'll come in!" he growled in a gruff voice, followed by precisely 1.22 seconds of silence.
"Hi there, who am I talking to?" asked a cute, soft voice that was neither deep nor high. Slowly, a yellow-coated pony with a red mane and tail emerged from the bushes, prickled with numerous thorns.
Ferkó was momentarily stunned. "Apple Bloom?" he asked, surprised, fearful, and hopeful all at once.
The little filly eyed him oddly for a moment, then slowly formed words again. "Do we know each other?" she asked with embarrassment.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot you haven't met me yet. My name is Ferkó, and I'm a good friend of Sweetie Bele's," Ferkó explained.
"I'm very pleased to meet you, Ferkó," said Apple Bloom, hopeful, with a sweet gaze. "Are you the mysterious rebels branded as traitors by Sombra?" she asked.
Ferkó was not swayed by the innocent eyes. Using his magic to peer into Apple Bloom's basic magic, he was surprised to find it purely yellowish-red, devoid of any black magic. "Yes, we are, but why does that interest you?" he asked, still gripping his knife tightly.
"Well, when they took your friends to prison, one of the escapees freed me and a few other ponies with his last bit of strength. When this happened, he said to me that we're looking for a town that's cold in winter and summer, and there you'll find the one who will bring the age of freedom," explained Apple Bloom, first patting her neck, then her chin.
Ferkó was very surprised, but he didn't dispute the story. "Look, Apple Bloom, if this is all true, hurry and bring everyone here, and join us," Ferkó requested, still somewhat skeptical.
Without hesitation, Apple Bloom dashed away and returned ten minutes later with two other ponies and a hippogriff. The hippogriff had rose-colored "fur" and feathers, but its mane was a beautiful azure blue, with a string of pearls hanging around its neck holding a shell-shaped pendant in the middle. Ferkó knew who she was but kept to the rule of providing as little information about her as possible. One of the ponies was somewhat surprising, as he looked like a regal pony with a copiously braided purple mane streaked with pink, which was darker than her fur but radiated so much that it seemed they wanted to imitate the same color. A beautiful crystal tiara adorned her mane, matching her beauty mark perfectly. Ferkó knew they wouldn't come out with Apple Bloom, but he left them be. The other pony was slightly less surprising. She had a turquoise mane and tail with a blue coat, and her hindquarters were adorned with three little turtles. Kindness and innocence radiated from her face.
After a quick wall test, Ferkó led them into the camp. With four new members, the little group expanded, but Ferkó knew it wouldn't be enough. Slowly, everyone settled down for the night. Ferkó climbed back onto the wall and began humming softly.
"My homeland, forgive me; I won't return home again. The world awaits, and the battle calls. Whoever sacrifices their life will never be alone; fear not, for my life defends the sky. As the sun circles, so does my time pass, and as the battle quiets, a beautiful new day comes, at the end of which awaits a new life. Death may come if needed, but I won't leave my friends in exchange. The tower freezes, but life nurtures, and love warms and sets your path, whose end you'll never see until the end arrives," he sang softly, making sure not to disturb anyone, but Sweetie Bele woke up nonetheless. She heard the soft humming even from her deep sleep. The little unicorn slowly climbed onto the wall after Ferkó, and when she reached him, she sat down slowly and drew closer to Ferkó. The two friends didn't look at each other. Ferkó's shy, embarrassed self emerged, while Sweetie Bele waited for him to initiate, so she remained silent as well. This awkward silence lasted for an uncomfortably long minute, then they finally broke it together. To be continued...
Sweetie Belle couldn't bear the silence any longer. "Ferko, why do you say you're not going back home? Even if we defeated Sombra, there's nothing holding you here," she asked sadly.
You know, if this ends, I have to choose between my homeland, my family's plans, and you, and I have no idea what my final decision will be. My world needs a savior, but how many can fill that role, and how many ponies can make you happy in my place? Right now, I'm probably the biggest selfish person in the world. Ferko explained slowly, getting tangled up in his own thoughts.
Sweetie Belle thought for a while and slowly realized that not only she, but not even Twilight, could answer these questions.
Once someone told me: those who choose their heart are happy, those who choose their duty are useful, but those who don't choose have their lives decided for them. Maybe someday you'll find answers to everything, but for now, you don't need to choose, and who knows when the time will come. Sweetie Belle slowly embraced her friend, who was slowly shedding tears. "When the time comes, you'll know the answer. I'm quite sure of that," she said, then patted his back and hugged him tighter. Ferko held on like this for a while, then slowly let go of the embrace.
"Thank you, Sweetie Belle. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't be here anymore. It seems this friendship is deeper than I thought, maybe even more than that," he said, wiping away his last tears.
The rest of the evening passed quietly. The two good friends sat together on the makeshift construction, hunting for constellations. They found themselves a frosty cup, a peacock talisman, and even one that resembled Sweetie Belle's sister's boutique. The moon, always full, was descending. The two good friends slowly closed their eyes and started sleeping on each other's soft fur, against the cold snowy wall. Ferko felt Sweetie Belle's fur so pleasant and warm that the cold bricks didn't bother him at all. Sweetie Belle felt similarly, maybe even stronger.
The morning slowly illuminated the city, waking up the small group. They emerged from the ruined houses, first Silver Stream and Smolder, then slowly Ocellus, Scoutalu, Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara, Rumble, and finally Sunboar poked his nose out of his house. Smolder burned a hole in the stream, while Ocellus brought wood. The others set to work on the apples and the plethora of carrots. Ferko, Sweetie Belle, and Sunboar realized they smelled a faint but distinct smoke. Their eyes widened, and they anxiously searched for the source of the smell, which surprised them. Smolder was boiling water in an old pot, and the smoke was provided by a small burning bonfire. Ferko climbed down from the wall, while Sweetie Belle teleported closer. Meanwhile, the water in the pot had begun to steam by the time the two ponies arrived.
"So, did you come up for a little heartwarming?" Apple Bloom asked cheekily.
"Uh, well...?!" Sweetie Belle blushed as Apple Bloom openly hinted at what she thought.
"Good morning to you too, Apple Bloom!" Ferko interjected. "Actually, Sweetie Belle just had a bad dream and came to talk to me so I wouldn't be lonely," he added with a pushy tone.
The others left them alone, and Ferko started training the four new recruits with Sweetie Belle and Smolder. Apple Bloom and Sunboar practiced shooting, Silver Stream learned combat from Smolder, Diamond Tiara learned the basics of first aid. Ferko didn't know much about it, but he taught her what he could. Starlight, on the other hand, was an excellent teacher for him.
They practiced for three days until they roughly understood the basics. Ferko was satisfied with the progress, but the sand in the mystical hourglass was running out. Ferko was teaching Dimond Tiara resurrection magic when they suddenly heard loud hoofbeats. Since there was no doubt about the approaching sound, Ferko fired a magic rocket to alert the team. Except for the rookies, the team began to fight Shining Armor's legion until the others gradually secured the city wall so that no one could get through. Once this was done, Ferko teleported the small team inside the wall. Ferko and the others fired from behind the well-protected wall with their weapons and magical horns, targeting the pony and yak army. After an unsuccessful attempt to break through, the warriors had to retreat.
As the troops withdrew, Ferko and Sweetie Belle pulled the only wounded ponies behind the wall and, after much effort, expelled the dark magic from them. Unfortunately, they were only able to save 20 ponies and a pegasi foal who couldn't fly yet. Meanwhile, Smolder and Apple Bloom brought more apples from the beauty crosses' yellow wooden house, but they knew these supplies wouldn't last long.
That evening, Ferko couldn't sleep, his mind filled with thoughts of the day's battle. Did he really kill and order others to do so? Walking around the battlefield, he dug graves and slowly buried the dead, who could number from 100 to 300. Sweetie Belle approached him with Ocellus.
"Ferko, what are you doing?" Sweetie Belle asked with concern in her voice.
"You know, Sweetie Belle, in my world, this is a tradition. After a war, the dead must be buried to honor their heroic death and show respect for their lives before. He replied as he kneeled down and placed a cross on top of another grave, on which the yin-yang symbol was visible.
"Well, if it's so important to you..." Apple Bloom began.
"We'll help you. Finished Ocellus.
The others quickly started digging graves without hats, as Ferko said it was appropriate. Ferko collected personal items from every warrior. These were usually not interesting, a jade brooch, a badge shaped like lightning, a few old horseshoes, but one item was interesting. Ferko recognized that item, a white coin that could be hung around the neck. Ferko shuddered as he took the coin in his hoof, his heart filled with bitter sadness and fear, but to such an extent that Ocellus, who was meters away from him, began to gag. Ferko just stood there frozen until...
"Ferko, what's wrong?" Sweetie Belle asked anxiously. Ferko slowly turned his hoof, on which the small coin lay.
"They have all of them," he announced as he dropped the talisman into the snow. Sweetie Belle quickly ran over and picked up the talisman, but tears welled up in her eyes too.
After finishing the work, they went behind the wall, and Ferko sent the mouse talisman to a safe place between the locations. The others sat around a small fire, eating apples, carrots, and salad. Ferko received the last carrot as food, but he didn't mind, and he began to work with Starlight on a plan to acquire Ponyville, codenamed the Nix Som maneuver.
That day, Smolder, not Ferko, was the observer, so Ferko slept in one of the houses with Sweetie Belle and the rescued foals. However, in his mind, he only pondered how much time it would take to train these 20 new soldiers. "1 week, maybe 2?" he mused in his sleep. His dream was set on the snowy tundra, with the great Battle of Stalingrad playing out before his eyes, where the Soviets and Germans played all or nothing. However, his dream was beginning to turn into jelly, slowly turning into an alicorn.
"Sombra's disappearance," Ferko shouted, trying to wake up.
"Oh, how ironic, it happens again what you swore it wouldn't. By the way, my troops have never been defeated. Sombra declared.
"Well, your team has never had an opponent so far. The army of yaks has never lost because they are strong, not because they are good, just because there hasn't been an opponent. If you really want to know, I let you come here on purpose." Ferko retorted.
"Why would you want me to be here?" Sombra asked incredulously.
"Oh, it's just diplomacy, a prisoner exchange would be involved. Ferko made the first move.
"Hmm, he is indeed a good strategist, and I'm interested in what you would offer in return for Equestria's best commander?" Sombra continued the negotiation.
"Not a small price, but I think it's fair, hehe." Ferko said half-seriously. "I want my friends to be released unharmed, oh, and for each exchange, 5 kilograms of food," Ferko announced.
"Be there tonight at midnight at the castle of the two sisters, or there's no deal." Ferko gave Sombra a piercing look as if he were facing Stalin himself.
"I'll be there," Sombra sealed the deal, and flew away from the dream.
Ferko woke up and knew what he had just done, but some of the others needed it, at least some of them. He quickly woke up Ocellus and took Sweetie Belle's pendant. Then he outlined his plan to the young changeling. To be continued.
"This is a great plan, Ferkó, but what's plan B if this doesn't work?" Ocellus asked, trembling slightly.
"If it doesn't work, don't worry. Behind the jawbone, you'll hide a radio so if the plan fails, we'll have an insider. In fact, this might be even better than just increasing our numbers, hmm?" Ferkó explained, then pondered over the other plan.
Ocellus quickly transformed into a white-coated, blue and black-maned pony. He concealed the radio in his coat and the medallion under his hat. Ferkó led the way slowly, resisting the cold and slippery forest path, using his wings as grasping hands, which the rigid bony branches didn't appreciate, protesting with sharp pain. The landscape was deserted and quiet, almost too quiet. Ferkó had a bad feeling, so he cast a spell on his horn and they continued.
The castle of the two sisters was even more dilapidated and eerie than Ferkó remembered from his books. Facing the gate within the crumbling walls, Sombra awaited them precisely at midnight, with a cage containing their friends. Along the way, Ferkó caught a rabbit similar to Angel and held it under his hoof. He gulped as a cart filled with apples, carrots, cakes, and other treats appeared from behind Sombra.
"Here's everything you requested," Sombra announced. "Now, let's see if you brought what I asked for," he demanded his share.
Ferkó illuminated the space behind him with magic, revealing the disguised Ocellus. "I always keep my word. I hope I can say the same about you," he said confidently.
"Why wouldn't I? Your pitiful rebellion will be crushed eventually, and don't think this little trickery changes anything. If you try any tricks, you'll experience Tartarus's torment today. Sombra declared, unleashing his black magic from his horns. Ferkó watched his eyes carefully, but to his surprise, there was no deceit.
"I'll give you the rabbit, then you give them to me. Once I have them, you'll get your captain, and you leave the food here. I hope that's satisfactory," Ferkó outlined his intentions firmly, layering defenses in case Sombra attempted to deceive them.
"Fine, give me that rabbit." Sombra conceded, visibly irritated. Ferkó handed over the rabbit with relative calmness, which Sombra briskly took. He then pushed the cage, and Ferkó caught it. It wasn't what he expected, but it was better than them being pushed into the abyss.
"You can go," Ferkó commanded Ocellus, who hurriedly trotted over to Sombra's side.
"Well, it seems everything is in order, but remember, if you plan anything, you'll die with your friends. Sombra stated, then turned his back and walked away with Ocellus by his side.
Afterward, Ferkó approached the cage and opened it with a well-aimed strike. Their friends slept thanks to the aftereffects of the curse. With his horn and hooves, Ferkó slowly moved his friends to safer spots in the cart. The moon had long passed midnight when he finished, and he wondered where Ocellus was since they agreed he would teleport back after ten minutes, and more than half an hour had passed. At that moment, he led a magical thread into the mist, searching for the medallion. The thread elongated until it reached the medallion and activated it. Ocellus stood next to Ferkó again. He was disguised, but it was clear he was startled.
"It was supposed to be ten minutes, not thirty-five!" Ferkó scolded the changeling.
"I-I'm sorry, but you know Sombra was keeping a close eye on me. I wouldn't have had a chance to use the medallion. I'm glad you did it for me." Ocellus said.
"Okay, but we don't have much time. Let's leave quickly before Sombra returns. Help me push this monstrosity," Ferkó said, trying to get the cart moving.
Ocellus quickly joined in pushing, fluttering his wings in an attempt to assist. Finally, with a creak and a groan, the cart began to move, and they started to navigate it into the dense forest. As they passed through Sombra's mist, they pushed even harder. Sombra almost spotted them when they finally disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"Ferkó, couldn't we have done this earlier?" Ocellus panted as they glimpsed the city walls.
"Well, that wasn't me. This is strange," Ferkó said, perplexed by the turn of events.
"So, where were you two going in the dead of night?" a very familiar voice asked. "Negotiating with Sombra?" the voice continued.
"Sweetie Belle, spare me the Scodris temptation. It doesn't suit you," Ferkó said, firing a spell around them.
"Ah!" came the cry from the reformed Sweetie Belle. "What was that for?" she asked irritably.
"I don't know. Why are you here, and why did you save us?" Ocellus asked, not at all bewildered.
"You know, if you can feel and see magic, you also know when someone's up to something. Besides, where did the idea come from?" Sweetie Belle teased further.
"Well, there's a master thief named Twistite Fate who can outwit anyone. I figured, why not imitate him?" Ferkó explained.
"Ah, I see. Well, I don't care. Let's take the others to the base; they must not be doing well," Sweetie Belle said, getting nervous, as she stood beside Ferkó at the cart, which was difficult to get moving again. The story continued.
The Goal Corrupts the MeansThe small team warmly welcomed their old-new friends, Twilight and Phoenix, who took over the training from Ferko, so they made relatively quick progress with it. Meanwhile, Ferko had time to spend with the increasingly serious Sweetie Belle. The two good friends grew closer, but Ferko didn't really make any attempts at anything more. As the days passed, Sweetie Belle's longing for a new adventure was noticed even by the now relationship-savvy Starlight.
The first rays of spring began to melt the snow, which gradually disappeared with the arrival of spring. Snowdrops, crocuses, violets, and finally, roses appeared. Within a week, the snowy landscape was replaced by flower-filled meadows, budding trees, and a beautiful clear blue sky. Ferko believed the team was ready to carry out the anchollu operation. Starlight devised the final plan, declaring Zecora's hut as crucial. Ferko liked the idea of the charm potion but was also worried about what they might find there. It wasn't the magic books and other items that piqued his interest in combat; rather, it was the writings that could influence his relationship with Sweetie Belle. Still, he tried to focus all his attention on the operation.
That evening, Starlight, Sweetie Belle, Ferko, and Ocellus set off for Zecora's hut to ensure a good attack position for the team. Ferko led the group, with Ocellus bringing up the rear since they were the ones who could detect anyone with magic from a good distance. Sweetie Belle was at a disadvantage in this regard due to her only having been possessed twice. The small group quickly reached the unguarded hut and entered.
Ferko lit a lamp and began studying the books there, one book in particular catching his eye. It was a large yellow book, almost like a bible, with only one word on the cover: "manipulatir." Ferko knew that zebras wrote strangely and had their own letter usage, but the content of the book astonished him. It was full of spells for manipulation, enhancement, emotion dulling, and many other spells necessary for complete control over others, along with charm potion recipes and various other methods. Ferko fell asleep with the book in his hoof that night, but as the others slept, he began practicing on various rodents and insects with a combination that could manipulate any action of the subject while still maintaining their free will. It escalated to the point where he accidentally hit Starlight with a failed attempt, waking her up. In his panic, Ferko forgot that the spell had worked and just missed the target point, freezing as he watched Starlight slowly stir from her bed.
"Why are you practicing targeting on me?" Starlight asked, half-awake but very annoyed with Ferko as she tried to light some light.
"I, I'm sorry, I thought..." Ferko's words trailed off, and he reconsidered what to say, suddenly coming up with something stupid but seemingly good, "Command two dozen roses to come in, now!" The command came out to his greatest surprise, and Starlight actually obeyed it. Ferko quickly realized what had just happened and retracted the spell, but he feared what Starlight might say.
"What am I doing, and why does my head hurt so much?" Starlight asked puzzledly. "Ferko, did you drag me into some weird place again? Why do you always do this for the love of a flea-infested clover?!" she continued until she noticed the book in Ferko's hoof, which was familiar to her. "Where did you find that book?" she asked, irritated, which was quite justified.
"Um, well, I found it here in the house, and I thought it wouldn't hurt against Sombra, but during practice, I accidentally hit you, and I panicked, and I'm sorry." Ferko apologized as he realized the incredible power of the spell to manipulate anyone into anything, which frightened him. He cast a spell on his horn and set fire to the book before Starlight had a chance to take it away.
"No, you fool! This would have been the perfect opportunity with Sweetie Belle since you could have initiated without consequences finally!" Starlight scolded. "Why are you so afraid that when you have the opportunity in your hands, you don't take it? Why are you so cowardly?" she continued.
"I would be cowardly if I used this spell on her, not when I don't dare to try anything. Making others helpless isn't courage, just as attacking an unarmed opponent isn't glory," Ferko said with a strong admonishing tone. "If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, but I won't force what she doesn't want." Starlight began to feel ashamed as Ferko spoke out against manipulation, something she had used so much. Ferko finally finished his rant and slowly walked back into the house. Starlight followed closely, pondering what he had said.
The next morning, the small wooden hut was filled with bubbling flasks, which even woke up the good sleeper Starlight. As she slowly looked around, she realized that Ocellus was experimenting with potion making. The young changeling was breaking petals of a daisy into the existing purplish brew, causing it to suddenly turn turquoise. For the next step, Ocellus turned to the recipe book.
"Now, a drop of amethyst water?" she said oddly, her eyes swiftly searching for what the recipe stated. However, she noticed something else: a tired and angry-looking unicorn who didn't exactly want to give her a flower. "Oh, Starlight, good morning! Am I being too loud?" she asked, a bit embarrassed.
"Oh, not at all, just waking up Equestria's best sleeper," she replied with a grimmer tone. However, Ocellus found what she was looking for, and the potion continued to bubble and emit smoke. The burning sensation in her eyes was mitigated by a mild itch, something Ocellus didn't mind with her goggles on. Soon, the smoke woke up the others too. Ferko rushed out, breaking three bottles and knocking over at least eight others. The taste of fresh air and the fact that nothing was bothering his eyes anymore was quite uplifting.
"What on earth is this stuff?!" he yelled while trying to get back into the house with a protective magical shield. "Well, theoretically, it's a magic interrupter khhk.., but maybe I put too much lapis in it," Starlight explained amidst coughing. Soon, the smoke cleared, and in the flasks was an interesting lilac-turquoise liquid that began to expand and boil. The flask and the two 3-liter containers around it were quickly filled with the potion, which emitted an awful stench. Ferko and the others quickly poured the potion into grenade-like bottles.
When Sweetie Belle woke up, she was greeted by the incredible stench emanating from the potion. Between two bouts of retching, she managed to open a window and get a little fresh air. However, her beautiful morning was interrupted by Ferko, who had an interesting belt full of bottles, with another such belt in his hoof. Sweetie Belle suddenly fell back into the stench, thinking she was going to vomit, but eventually swallowed her nausea.
"Hehe, good morning, Sleeping Beauty! If you don't want to vomit, I'll come out in your place," Ferko joked as he extended a hoof. Sweetie Belle didn't need to be told twice and quickly crawled out of the immense stench.
"What in the name of horse dung is that smell? It's almost burning my nostrils," she complained.
"Well, this charm potion really doesn't have a good after smell, but it was worth making," Ferko explained as he handed the belt to Sweetie Belle. "Come on, the action begins," he said and hurriedly ran towards the bushes. Sweetie Belle followed, but her stomach tried to command a little break. However, the reemerging stench quickly dispelled this feeling. Sweeite Belle and the others rushed from the edge of the forest toward the soldiers guarding the city border, fiercely attacking before the others. to be continued
Ferko's Massive fire overwhelmed the 40-50 soldiers guarding the city's border, who tried to defend themselves, but Ocellus and Sweetie Belle disabled this with a well-directed sword and shield maneuver. Meanwhile, Starlight shot a signal flare into the sky to divert the soldiers' attention from the others. The soldiers in the city center rushed towards the light, and thus, unicorn snipers arrived to confront the small group firing from behind houses and fighting on the streets.
When this happened, from the direction of the Apple Orchard, Twilight Phoenix and the freed ponies launched a rear attack. Thanks to the weakened western defense line, they quickly advanced with minimal losses, all the way to the city's red school building and its playground. However, a group of pegasi and dragons blocked their path, halting their advance.
Meanwhile, Scoutalu, Rumble Sunset, and the remaining liberated soldiers reclaimed the Crystal Palace and the School of Friendship. However, the ponies arriving here also put up serious resistance. Time passed, ammunition dwindled, and the guerrillas, advancing from house to house, began to push the soldiers towards the city center. Ferko and Starlight were exhausted by the time they reached the city's only clothing store, their heads literally burning. The boutique, led by Sweetie Belle's sister, was almost a perfect hiding place for the small team, as it had as much furniture as Ferko's school. With the door barricaded, it was somewhat difficult to open. Ferko and Starlight grabbed a bite to eat and tried to keep intruders at bay with vials full of potions. The other teams were slowly but surely approaching the city center. Scoutalu even drove out the soldiers from the station building with Rumble, which was the only point in the city that was not planned to be under siege. Twilight and her team fought for the Cake couple's bakery and pushed Sombra's forces back to the main square.
The day was drawing to a close, and everyone was very tired. The teams set up makeshift camps. Rumble and Scoutalu, catching up with Storm Scoaldot, realized that only the main square was still under Sombra's control, and the siege had closed in. Ferko tried to alleviate Starlight's and his own headache with a strong ice pack, while Sweetie Belle and Ocellus defended with their pistols, preventing anyone from breaking in. Twilight and most of the ponies retreated to the market square and the school, where they began to defend themselves, allowing those without weapons to rest. Phoenix reached for the radio and started broadcasting messages to the other two teams. Ferko quickly picked up the transmission, which was short: "We've advanced to the school and the market. How about you?" Ferko didn't hesitate to respond immediately: "We've reached Rarity's boutique, so we'll be done soon." As he tried to Morse properly, another transmission was heard.
"The railway and the palace are clear." The message came from Scoutalu. This was not a question, but Ferko was afraid that Shining Armor and his legion might encircle them. However, he thought the potion would solve the remaining defenders' problems and get more soldiers on their side. The next morning, Ferko, tossing the potion bottles to the others, ordered the whole team to march first to the main square. They didn't have to wait long for the others, and eventually, a few grenades freed the defenders. The city officially fell, at least from Sombra's perspective, but Ferko knew this was just the beginning, and the real battle was just starting.
At the base, Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara, Sunburst, and Silver Stream welcomed the good news with joy. Except for Apple Bloom, they all set off to prepare for defense in case Shining Armor tried to reclaim the city. Thanks to the potion, Ferko and the others managed to liberate over 500 ponies and 109 other creatures. Among them were Spike and Gallus, who had no idea how heroic they would become. Ferko immediately began training with the two pegacorns as soon as he could. The training of the other ponies, pegasi, griffons, and dragons also progressed well; however, the yaks did not require training, so they provided defense along with the trainers.
Days passed, and the teams improved, but Ferko wondered why Sombra waged this war. The question was accidentally answered at this moment: because the question was wrong from the start. Gunshots were heard, and a herd of yaks broke through the improvised defense line around the city. The houses barely stood, but the yaks ignored the rubble falling on them. "Alarm!!" Ferko shouted at the top of his lungs, directing his horn at the yaks. However, when he fired, a strange bell appeared, seemingly ringing by itself. A yellowish vortex emerged from the green bell, swallowing the magical projectile and heading straight for Ferko. Sweetie Belle and Phoenix arrived just as the vortex reached Ferko; they were about to shoot, but then a booming voice sounded. "Stop! If you shoot, it will suck the rifle!" Ferko shouted in a dreadful booming voice. Ferko knew he would die there if he didn't do something, so with all his might, he placed a "lock" between his heart and his horn and cut off the flow of magic. The bell closed shortly after, and Ferko knew his horn had become completely useless, as it started to hurt badly, along with his head. He grabbed a pistol, but immediately realized it made no sense here, and he needed to find a safer place. With Sweetie Belle and Phoenix, Spike and Smolder arrived, and the four of them covered Ferko until he reached the nearby house. Ferko, what is this bell? Sweetie Belle asked between two shots. "That's Grogar's Bell; it can absorb all the magic of any living being and then transfer it to someone else," Ferko replied, shooting the yaks retreating in the meantime. One of the yaks had the bell on its back. However, the yaks just kept running away from the others. Ferko noticed this and shot a well-aimed shot, knocking the bell off the yak's back, and watched as about 200 yaks trampled over it. Once the yaks were chased out of the city, Ferko reached for the bell and absorbed its magic into himself. A wonderful feeling filled him as the magic he had absorbed returned to his heart and horn, as if he were replenishing himself in another way. The magical bell then dropped two small jewels onto Ferko's head: a ring and a peacock-shaped brooch. Without hesitation, Ferko sent the two talismans to the space between places. However, he took the bell with him and placed it on his horn.
The next day, Ferko and Sweetie Belle, using the melting magic they learned from Sunset, made a small airship filled with helium, allowing them to stay airborne continuously. However, trouble came crashing down. In the middle of their work, they suddenly heard gunfire, followed by the ground shaking. The yaks rushed forward around the house, but that was the least of their worries. As Ferko tried to launch a side attack, huge pieces of metal suddenly crashed in through the roof. They fell to the floor, and more and more kept
"Ferko, Sweetie Belle, are you both okay?" Ferko quickly glanced around, and Starlight ran towards them.
"STOP!!!" he shouted, firing a powerful shot towards Starlight before stepping onto a mine.
"What are you doing?!" demanded Sweetie Belle, but Ferko just shook his head.
"Sweetie Belle, you're standing on a pressure mine. If you try to step off it, everything here will blow up. I didn't step on any; I can get out of here. The mine will explode now no matter what, but if I manage to get out and you follow me with the necklace, then maybe, just maybe, we can get out of here in one piece," explained Ferko.
"So, am I stuck here now?" Tears welled up in Sweetie Belle's eyes, and she wanted to cry, but Ferko gave her a gentle tap on the shoulder with a piece of wood.
"Pull yourself together. If you move your hooves, you're toast." Ferko said this so nervously that Sweetie Belle's soldier spirit finally emerged, and she managed to remain calm.
"What's going on over there?" Starlight called out.
"Don't come over here! If you step on one of those iron pieces, we'll be toast with fried heads," Ferko shouted back, and slowly began to step through the mines. Walking from mine to mine wasn't the best, but Ferko hardly had any other choice. Eventually, he managed to get out with great difficulty.
"Sweetie Belle, you can come! Touch the necklace and come out," Ferko shouted. He didn't hesitate to leave the spot as soon as Feri appeared safely next to him. The house and its surroundings within a radius of about 4 meters exploded into pieces, fortunately without anyone getting hurt.
"Where did they get these pressure mines from? That's even a luxury item for us, something a simple peasant lad couldn't put together, but here..." Ferko lifted a non-exploded mine with his horn and took it to examine.
The mine was made of pure steel, and it was rust-free, a type of steel that was difficult to produce even in Equestria since smelting was not a very common practice there. At the bottom of the mine was an eagle with an interesting cross, made up of "t" letters with the left part missing. It was very familiar to Ferko, but he couldn't remember where from. However, he didn't have time to think about it because the ground started shaking again. To be continued...
Ferko didn't seek the source of the earthquake for long; the yaks were quickly approaching. Ferko and Sweetie Belle started shooting from cover, and Starlight hurried for the others. However, one of the yaks stopped and raised a strange tube to his shoulder, aiming at Ferko and Sweetie Belle.
"Run!" Ferko shouted, but the yak had already fired. Sweetie Belle barely avoided the shot. However, Ferko grabbed the gun, tore it from the yak's hooves, and shot back. The rocket hit the yaks squarely, causing them to turn and flee. Ferko and Sweetie Belle followed them. They pursued the yaks at a running pace, but soon lost sight of them.
The city lay mostly in ruins; the mines and the battle had caused immense damage. Most of the houses were damaged. Moreover, though primitive, Sombra had acquired a rocket launcher, which was inexplicable to Ferko, as it also bore the eagle and the curious half-T cross (this is actually a symbol of National Socialism, and therefore I don't name it).
Ferko was disappointed, trying to channel his anger through reading the book. The sun was shining less brightly; the clock struck six or seven, and Ferko just read and pondered. Finally, a funny idea struck him. He took a piece of paper and began writing, using his horn. He wrote and wrote, and wrote. When Sweetie Belle came to him, there was already a nice volume of ten papers beside him.
"Ferko, what are you doing?" she asked, looking strangely at the stack of empty and full pages.
"Oh, well, I thought I'd write a diary? Or a novel that describes our story," he replied, turning to his young friend. The young unicorn mare didn't hesitate and jumped onto the table, which was actually a large rock that had flown out of a house.
"You know, Sweetie Belle, stories, if not written down, get distorted and change, and everyone says what they want, but the real recorded stories, whether on the walls of caves or told with dusty stacks of paper, are immutable and inheritable. And our story deserves a book," Ferko continued writing, glancing at Sweetie Belle. The young one looked and looked, then slowly spoke up.
"I guess you're right, but aren't stories usually written down afterward, not during?" Sweetie Belle had other questions swirling in her mind, but this was the biggest, the pivotal question she desperately wanted to know the answer to.
"Well, not entirely. In my world, there was a man. History claims many things groundlessly, but he, he was surely there. His name was Miklós Horthy. When he led his people into war, he provided detailed descriptions of everything, and many of his soldiers did the same, which is why we know so much about our people from that time," Ferko paused for a moment, then continued after taking a deep breath. "As a matter of fact, he fought for what he believed in until his death, and even his death was meticulously recorded, how and why he died. If we didn't write during, then no one would know anything afterward," Ferko concluded his monologue. Before Sweetie Belle could respond, Ocellus stepped onto the scene with Diamond Tiara by her side.
"Hello, what's the charming conversation about?" asked the young pony, not really hiding her curiosity, along with Ocellus. Ferko tried to cover Sweetie Belle's mouth just as she was about to speak up.
"Ferko's writing a legend about us," Sweetie Belle said, smoothly thwarting Ferko's plans.
"Oh, that's great! Will it include the part where I held back 100 ponies alone?" Ocellus asked excitedly. "Or when..."
"Don't continue, or I'll throw that idea into the fire as well," Ferko intervened. With that, the conversation froze like a mirror in winter. Ferko spent the rest of the day writing, and he pondered the question of the landmine, how, and more importantly, why it ended up with the yaks. Eventually, his writing slowly buried his thoughts in sleep, and a pile of papers served as a pillow, while the belt with potion bottles acted as a blanket.
Though Sweetie Belle burned with questions, she couldn't disturb her friend, knowing that everything had its time. Along with Scoutalu, they needed to bring supplies back to the base.
Sweetie Belle and Scoutalu slowly trudged towards the city of ten thousand years, carrying a crate of apples and a smaller barrel of pears. The landscape was gently early spring; the wild roses bloomed, and raspberries had just appeared on the bushes. In the distance, owl eyes and deer antlers gleamed in the moonlight, and beyond that, only Sweetie Belle's horn provided some light. The journey passed uneventfully as Scoutalu recounted the events of her first race. Suddenly, they saw a light. Scoutalu spotted it first as she was higher up.
"Hey, Sweetie Belle, spread out," whispered the little pegasus, quickly descending beside Sweetie Belle.
"What's happening here?" Scoutalu asked bewilderedly, but before she could say more, Scoutalu made a small gesture with her horn, cutting off the magic's path. "Ow, Scoutalu, do you know how sensitive my horn is? What's wrong with you?" she exclaimed, rubbing her horn and trying to look around.
"There's something behind the bushes."
"Don't talk nonsense."
"But I saw it."
"Well, if it turns out to be a fox, then I..."
The voices were familiar to Scoutalu and Sweetie Belle, but they couldn't place them. In any case, they rushed behind a makeshift path and darted behind the bushes. "What now?" whispered Sweetie Belle. Scoutalu shrugged and reached for the radio, from which an unknown code could be heard. It continued. Follow.