Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

First published 28th of November, 2015

A story of love, loss, pain, and how finding and making friends is as easy as giving an honest smile.

1000 years ago King Sombra rueled the Crystal empire with an iron hoof. Celestia with her sister Luna defeated Sombra, turning him to shadow and sealing him beneith the artic. The empire vanished along with him. 1000 years later, a student of Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, along with her friends ventured to the recently returned Crystal empire and freed them from the dark powers of the shadow king Sombra. But is that the end,

As Twilight and her friends gathered atop a hill just outside of Ponyville to watch a metior shower, as well at catch a glimpse of the familiar 'Gazer commit' another adventure falls into their lives, one that will push the girls to look not only deeper inside themselves, but deeper into the dark that they thought long since past. The 'Gazer Commit' had circled Equeatria for over 968 years, lighting up the night sky with its bright green, burning flames that encased the space rock. Only, on this year, after so much had already happened, the females died, and the rock plummeted into the forest nearest to Ponyville.

A yellow stallion with an orange mane shows up in town, without a memory or a hint as to who he is. He seeks the help of Twilight and her friends to reclaim what he lost. Little will he learn that your past doesn't make you who you are, what you do with your life from from the present onward does.

Enjoy the possibilities....

My little pony: friendship is magic is opened by Hasbro

This fan fiction is written as a parody to the show, and it used for entertainment purposes only.

Images and based were provided by;

http://liliy.deviantart.com/
http://vaf50ym.deviantart.com/
http://vaf50ym.deviantart.com/
http://sakura-hishitori.deviantart.com/

prologue

As he climbed the never ending stare way, the haunting images of the empire continued to flash in Sunny Knight's mind. All his neighbors and friends, the ponie's he's known all his life of growing up in the crystal empire were now in chains, forced into hard labor of excavating more crystals from the now dead ground that surrounded the empire.

"What happened to my home?" Sunny asked himself as he continued the endless climb.

He could see the lush, green, grassy fields that surrounded the glimmering empire. Foals played while the adults worked and enjoyed the peace that the Crystal empire brought. As the sun shines down on the castle, the entire empire shines with the power of the crystal heart. It was the most beautiful sight in all of Equeatria. It was his home. But now... Something evil has taken hold of it.

"Where is the king?!" He worried what might have happened. King Sombra was a great and benevolent ruler, loved by all. He was a strong and skilled unicorn, with a wide knowlage of spells to tackle any challange. He could not have been defeated so easily.

"Whoever did this, is going to pay" Sunny vowed as he had almost reached the top. He was not prepared for what was waiting for him at the top of the tower.

Prepared for the worst, Sunny emerged at the top of the tower, ready for battle. Donning his silver crystal armor that he received when he graduated from the academy. He carefully looked around for the cause of this atrocity.

"There you are, Sunny" a horrid and heavy voice slithered into Sunny's ears. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up...." There, with his back still to Sunny, stood a stallion. His body covered in a red red royal cloak, his midnight black mane covered his head, flowing like black fire.

"Who are you?! What have you done with the king?" Sunny called out to the stallion.

"Why, I'm hurt, you don't recognize me?" As the stallion turned around, Sunny's heart sank. Even though his entire look had changed, Sunny couldn't see, nor, could he feel this was the King he had vowed his loyalty to. The same king he had always looked up to since he was but a young colt.the king who was loved and respected by every pony in the Empire!

"King... Sombra?...." Sunny slowly forced out the words, his stomach began to turn.

"Come here" he called out, a smile made of razor sharp teeth on the dark stallion's face as he looked down on the empire. "Look at my beautiful empire."

Sunny walked over, dropping his armor as he went, his body too weighed down by his heavy heart. As he looked down at the empire from the tower, he felt utterly sick. It was as if somepony had poisoned the land, his home, it was nothing but a corpse of its former glory. Even the inhabitants, the citizens looked of sickness and death.

"What... What have you done?" Sunny asked, unable to look away.

"I have taken what is mine!" Sombra called out, purple flames emerging from his glowing green eyes. "This is the way my empire is to be run! With my loyal guards by my side, and my slaves working day and night to serve me!"

Sunny stumbled away from the platform and shook his head. "No! No! This isn't right!"

Sombra's eyes weighed heavily on Sunny. "I want you by my side. Your potential and skill in the unicorn arts could help to expand the empire! Think of it!" His words tried to sway Sunny. "All of Equestria could bow before us! No pony could stop us!"

That struck a nerve with Sunny, and his sickness quickly burned into rage. "And what of the princesses in Canterlot?"

Sombra chuckled. "I have a special spot in the Dungeons just for them. I thought about turning them to stone, but I want them to see me in all my glory when I rule all of Equeatria!"

As the dark tyrant began to chuckle at his premature victory. Sunny cast his summoning spell, brining forth his life sized pony puppets from his vault. The pony sized weapons that were as skilled and battle ready as any royal guard. Maybe more so under Sunny's control. They were his signature weapon of choice. Three pony puppets; one earth pony, one pegusi, and one unicorn. All armed with secret weapons that Sunny could work with just a simple puppet manipulation spell. Not entirely difficult to do. As Sunny stretched out threads of his magic to attach themselves to the limbs of his puppets from his horn, they shook, trembled, then stood at attention, ready to attack or defend.

Sombra looked down at them, the fire in his eyes growing. "What is this?"

Sunny slowly turning around, to face the shadow of his king. "I'm not going to let you do that. This is your one and only chance, Sombra. Stop this madness. Change things back to the way they were. Free the 'citizens' and the royal guards. If you end this now, we can go back to the way thing were." Sunny swallowed his rage then turned back and looked into the tyrant king's eyes's one last time, pleading for him to stop.

For a moment, it seemed like King Sombra was considering the idea. But he quickly stood on his hind legs and slammed his front ones down, materializing dark rigged crystals from the ground. They shot up like flames themselves and struck at Sunny.

Thinking fast, Sunny used the manipulation spell on the puppets to move I front of him. One of the trio was badly damaged. The other two seemed mostly fine, give or take a few scratches.

"You think a few 'toys' can stop me?! ME!!!" The mad king cried.

With a quick flair of his magic, Sunny sent the two remaining puppets, the unicorn and the pegasus, to attack from opposite sides. The pegusi locked it's wings, the feathers acting like knives, ready to slice its opponent. While the unicorn's hooves began to stretch to fifty times their length, prepared to hold the foe in place, or if need be, strangle them.

As they approached the King, Sombra only smiled, closed his eyes for a moment, then when he opened his eyes again, everything ended in a bright flash.

Sunny was blasted back several feet, still standing on his hooves, but slightly blinded. As his eyes readjusted, he could see the horror that ended the battle in a mere moment. His remaining puppets had been impaled to the walls, they were struck countless times with dark crystals that cracked and destroyed their wooden bodies.

"Play time is over" the king spoke again as he calmly walked closer to Sunny.

As Sunny looked at the dark king, he could feel the fear in his heart growing. Not fear for himself, but fear that he had failed all the citizens of the empire, and quite possibly, all of Equeatria.

"I think you need to be taught a lesson!" The king declared. Before Sunny could cast a protective spell over himself, the king blasted a curse that blinded the young unicorn. It was a curse that the king had become quite fond of. One that showed a pony their worst fears. "Maybe after you break, you'll see my logic, that my rule is-"

"Sire! Pardon the intrusion!" A crystal empire guard entered from the stairway, out of breath. He kneeled with his red and green hazed eyes falling to the floor.

The king glared at the guard, the flames from his eyes grew. "What is it?!"

The guard gulped. "W-well your highness, it seems that the royal army from Canrerlot has been spotted at the empire's boarder." The guard reported, trembling still.

"Hmmmm" the king thought, then tuned to Sunny, who was shaking in a fetal position on the floor. "I'll have to deal with you later. I'll put you away for a while. So Celestia or Luna won't be able to find you. You will be my secret weapon incase something happens..."

King Sombra's horn bubbled with black and purple magic as his eyes glowed bright green. A large bolder that remained from the fight then began to levitate over to Sunny, as the unicorn's body began to glow. The bolder took Sunny's body into itself, in-prisoning him in the stone. And with one final flick of his horn, Sombra sent the bolder with Sunny locked inside into the sky, and to the stars.

He then turned to his servant. "Now, let's go deal with the Princesses..."

Author's Notes:

A special thanks to my good friend, Marceline Queen for editing and support. As well as to my countless friends who already knew of Sunny and could see this coming. I hope you all enjoy his tale....

1000 year nightmare

It was black and cold wherever he was. Sunny didn't feel like he was falling, but when he felt ground appear suddenly underneath him, landing face first, he guessed he had been indeed falling. Getting to his hooves, he looked around, images began to take form. It appeared to be some dark world who's only inhabitants, other then himself, were large cube like formations that just remained floating in the air all around him.

The temperature seemed to be dropping by the moment, Sunny felt a chill run down his spine as he called out into the void "h-hello!... Anypony there?!" The most eerie part of his action, was that there was no echo. It was as if the darkness just swallowed up the sound. Sunny gazed out into the vast open blackness, only to shudder both from the cold and the empty feeling he recieved from his horrable place.

Trying to keep warm, Sunny decided it was best to keep moving, and get a better look at his surroundings. The cube he stood on was rather large. About the size of a hoof ball field. And as he reached the end of it and looked down, his heart sank again. There, on another cube not far from him, were ponies he knew from the empire. Ponies, again, in chains, excavating and pulling carts full of crystals for the king. Sunny then looked around at the other surrounding cubes. More and more images of the enslaved crystal ponies began to pop up, until all the floating black cubes around Sunny were covers with the enslaved citizens of the Crystal Empire!

"Look!" One of the crystal ponies cried out. "It's him! It's Sunny!"

"Sunny!" Another called out in pain. "Why didn't you help us?!"

The other enslaved ponies began to drop their pick axes ans had siesed pulling their carts and now were chanting at him from the edge of their resprctive black cubes.

"I-I tried" he began pleading to them, his heart sank heavily. "I'm sorry, I tried but-"

"You failed!" Another pony interrupted him, rattling his chains. "You failed us!"

Sunny gulped, a slight since of fear began to build up "I'm sorry, I did my best."

The crystal pony's pain burned and changed into anger. A mare cried out while slamming her hooves on the ground "You failed us!"

"Because of you we are in pain!" Another called out, dropping her pic ax.

"We trusted you!" Another mare screamed.

"We believed in you!" A stallion yelled as he stopped pulling his cart.

"You were our friend!" Another stallion added.

"We hurt now, so much" a small filly told Sunny, appearing behind him, no anger to her voice, but tears ran fom her eyes.

"It's your fault we hurt" another filly added, taking her place beside the first filly. Both of their eyes were filled with tears now, as their necks were weighed down by heavy chains.

Sunny's sunken heart began to race, as the enslaved crystal pony's began to gather all around him, yelling at him. Their voices echoing in his ears, tearing at him.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I did my best!" Sunny pleaded to them, to the ponies that he cared for so much. His eyes darted all around, but only saw anger filled eyes with crystal pony body's that became swallowed up by shadows. Forming one dark mass of hate and pain. As the dark was began to engulf Sunny, the ponies' words still rang like war bells in his ears, rattling his very soul like the chains they were forced to wear.

"You failed us!"
"It's all your fault!"
"You hurt us!"
"It's all your fault!"
"We're in pain!"
"It's all your fault!"
"ITS ALL YOUR FAULT"

"ITS ALL YOUR FAULT"

"ITS ALL YOUR FAULT"

-1000 years later, atop a hill just outside of Ponyville-

"Hurry up Rarity! We're going to be late!" Rainbow Dash rushed her friend along. Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell already a few yards ahead of the two mares.

"Sorry Darling, but I simply had to dress for such a grand occasion". Rarity chimed as she flashed her newest dress. A midnight blue, accented with some sparkling gem dust that shimmered like starlight.

The girls, along with Spike and the Cutie mark crusaders had gathered for a meteor shower atop a hill not far outside of Ponyville. As the last two members of the group rejoined their friends atop of the hill, the first of the stars began to fall. They all released 'awes' and 'owes' as the stars began to shoot across the night sky. Princess Luna always loved to perform with her stars in such a way.

"They are so beautiful!" Flittershy spoke in her soft tone, eyes open wide to catch every sight.

"It's really somethin'" Applejack added, feeling a since of calm peace from the whole event.

"The best is yet to come girls" Twilight began, without tearing here eyes from the sky. "The real sight is the 'Gazer comet.' A comet that has been traveling the stars for 968 years!"

"Wait, are you sure?" Rainbow asked her alicorn friend, skepticism highlighting her tone.

"Most certain." Twilight held her head with pride as she pulled up a book she brought with her for he event. "Professor Star Gazer the 3rd, discovered it just a few years after he became a professor for Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns." She pauses and looked at her cyan colored friend. "Why?..."

"Hasn't anypony noticed that bad stuff always happens every '1000 years" the Pegasus with the rainbow colored mane and tail answered.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Like Nightmare moon?! Or Discord?! Or The Crystal empire?!Or Tirek?!" Pinkie Pie took an odd delight in listing off the girl's challenges over the years as she bounced around her friends in a circle.

"Ah' think ah' see what Rainbow is talkin' bout..." Applejack replied, now tearing her eyes away from the stars above to look upon her friends with slight concern.

"B-b-but Twilight said that she was sure of the time... And it's just a rock in space... Right?!" As Fluttershy spoke, her voice shake and started to squeak as she his behind her mane, slightly shaking.

"Unless it's really some horrible monster that was locked away 1000 years ago, but was only discovered 968 years ago, and this is the year it plummets to Equestria, crashes, and plans to threaten to conquer all of ponydom!" Pinkie Pie's explanation seemed to grow in volume as she continues to speak, her smile never fading. All the girls, including the cutie mark crusaders and Spike just stared at the pink pony as she stopped bouncing and started back at them with a look of excitement. Now Fluttershy had fully retreated into her mane, shivering and whimpering in fear.

Twilight sought to comfort her frightened friend. She put on an easy going smile and patted the yellow pegusi on the back. "It's OK Fluttershy, nothing is going to-"

Just before Twilight could finish her sentence, the last of the stars fell, and now a loud crackling noise filled the night air. As the girls, and Spike, looked up, they caught the amazing sight of the Gazer comet as it soared across the sky. It was set a flame in a blazing green fire that covered the entire rock.

Everypony was in such a state of awe by the beauty and amazing sight, they quickly forgot about he previous conversation. Even the nervous Fluttershy emerged from beneath her mane and watched the bright burning rock. It made it half way across the sky, then.... Something happened.

It's trajectory changed, almost as if it ran out of gas. The glowing green fire that surrounded the meteor dissipated, and the space rock began to towards the land of Equestria! All the girls watched in horror and surprise as it crashed down, maybe about 20 miles away from Ponyville.

After it fell, the group remained silent for a very long moment, until Spike broke the silence, tugging on the wing of the purple alicorn. "Hey Twilight... Should we..."

"Spike" she told her assistant. "Take a message, to the princess..."

-Canterlot-

Princess Celestia remained in her room, relaxing after a long and exhausting day in her Royal court, when her Sister, Princess Luna burst in, causing Celestia to almost spill her tea. "Sister! Something has happened!" Luna exclaimed as she ran past her sister and over to the balcony. "Look! What do you see?!"

Celestia rose from her seat immediately, not even donning her crown before stepping out into the open air and looking to the night sky. She looked long and hard, but saw nothing. Just a calm, quiet.... Then it struck her. "Wasn't the comet supposed to be out tonight?! Gazer's comet?"

"That is what we meant, sister." Luna explained, then maneuvered Celestia's telescope to a specific area just outside of Ponyville. About 20 miles or so to be more specific. "The comet fell, and crashed there. Not only that, Sister, but I felt... Something."

Celestia looked threw the telescope at the crash site. While still looking threw the telescope, Celestia asked her sister "what did you feel, sister?"

"It was..." Luna had a hard time pushing the words from her lips. "It felt... Like him... Like Sombra's Magic..."

Celestia remained motionless and silent for what seemed like hours. "Bring me Alister and his team."

Just then a scroll appeared or of bright green fire, causing Celestia to jump a little. But she quickly realized who's green fire it actually was. Celestia opened the note and read what her most faithful student had sent her. She half smiled. "I should have known that Twilight would report to me as well."

"Should I still send for Alister, Sister?" Luna asked.

"Yes. We'll need all the help we canget to investigate whatever happened to the comet." Celestia answered. "I'll also send word to Princess Cadence and Prince Shinning Armor, to double the guards at their boarders and around the castle."

"Do you think they might be in danger, Sister?" Luna asked, her tone cold, but behind it was great concern.

"I don't want to chance it... Not again..." Celestia said, her own words weighing heavily in her own heart.

Author's Notes:

Hope you guys enjoy chapter 2, dark, yes, but nessisary.

Sunny not Sonny

Chapter 3 Sunny not Sonny

The warm sun felt good on the yellow stallion's fur as he napped half under a tree on the side of a dirt road, his two toned orange mane half covering his face. He was sleeping so soundly when Goldie Delicious walks by him, almost completely missing him as she walked down the dirt road heading to her home in the woods.

She was about to leave him be, but he looked a little too red, possibly dehydrated. "He might be thirty" she said to herself, then decided it would be in his best of interest to wake him up and give him some water. She shook him lightly "Excuse me, Sonny, are you ok?"

The yellow unicorn began to stir, his emerald colored eyes flickered open, he smiles, stretched and yawned as he blinked rapidly, trying to adjust his eyes to the blinding morning light. He then looked upon the elderly mare before him. "Oh, ugh, hello miss..."

"Th' name's Goldie Delicious. Now what's a feller like you doin' out here, in th' middle ah' no where, gettin all dehydrated and what not? Here..." She pulled a large canteen out of her bag, after shuffling around a cat or two, and handed it to the young stallion. She never liked to travel unprepared, or without a cat or two as a traveling companion.

The stallion happily took it. He was feeling light headed and really thirsty. He popped the top and slowly began to drink until he had emptied more then half of the container. "Thank you Miss Delicious. I needed that."

"What's yer name, younyin'?" She asked him, digging in her bag for something else.

The stallion thought for a moment, thinking about something so simple, something almost everypony knew... But it's like... Like it was blurred in his mind, something he couldn't read. "I... I don't know..."

"Hmmmm" Goldie thought for a moment as she paused her search. "Well, yer awful close to Ponyville. Ah have a great grand niece about yer age. Maybe she could help ya out. Ah'd help ya mahself but I'm afraid these old bones ain't good fer much."

"Oh don't say that, ma'am" the stallion pleaded. "You were kind enough to wake me and give me water. If not for you I could have been in some serious trouble."

She chuckled lightly, then pulled out what she had been looking for. A hat. A Stetson hat with a large red delicious apple on it. "This was my grandson's old hat. He got a new one recently, and ah've been holding onto thisn' for just such an occasion." She then slapped it on top of the yellow unicorn head.

It was a little big for him, and it covered his horn, but it felt... Nice. He smiled as he looked up at it. "I love it! But are you sure it's ok?"

"Sure as sugarcane!" She laughed. "You do look mighty good in it. Now if ya take this road back the way I came, you'll come to a fork in the road. Go left, then keep goin' and you'll reach Ponyville. There'll be ah lake near the fork, ya'll can refill yer canteen there."

The stallion got up and fully stretched, then looked down the road. "Down the road, to the fork, go left, get water at lake. Got it!"

"And remember, ask fer th' Apple family, say Goldie sent cha." Goldie Delicious said to the stallion before heading back in the opposite direction, back to her own cabin.

The stallion saddled up and began down the road, only to stop a few feet away and wave back at the old mare. "Thank you ma'am! I hop I can repay you some day!"

She smiled back at the spirited young stallion and waved back. "No worries, Sonny!"

The stallion paused at the name. "Sonny... Sonny...Sunny..." He must have said it dozen times or so to himself as he walked. After a few moments of sitting on the name, he smiles and jumped into a gallop powered by his joyful bravado. "Until I find my real name, I'll be Sunny! "

-Canterlot-

Celestia was pacing in her private chambers, every moment or so looking back threw the telescope at the crash site of the comet. Concern and worry building up when a knock on the door caused her heart to skip a beat. She cleared her throat, and in her commanding, stern voice answers "come in"

It was a unicorn guard wearing a yellow cloak and special armor given to the elite spell casters. He had the basic white mane and tail, with a grey coat like the rest of the unicorn guards. "Alister, reporting for duty, your majesty." He answered and bowed, remaining in that position for a moment until Celestia instructed him to rise.

"Alister, one of our greatest unicorn guards, and one of the most brilliant minds to come out of my school. Tell me, what do you know of the 'Gazor comet'?"

He stood and cleared his throat. "I did a lot of research on it. It's discovery dates back ... 968 days as of last night I believe, discovered by Professor Star Gazer not long after he became a teacher in your school back when it first opened, am I right?"

She smiled at her bright student. "That is correct. What else?"

Alister's face grew more serious "it's a natural phenomenon, much like the Everfree forest. It some how operated outside of your highnesses control, as well as out of your sister's control. Some even believed it was the product of some ancient spell that never broke. But there was never any way or reason to delve into the theory."

"The comet has crashed into Equestria." Celestia flatly said, sending a shocked look across Alister's face. Her face was stone cold, and a fierceness flashed in her face, the likes of which Alister had never seen.

"W-w-what?! How?! Why?!" He could barely speak, his mind racing.

"That's what I want you and your team to find out. I have the coordinates marked on the map...." Celestia levitates a map of the surrounding area over to Alister in a golden magical aura.

The grey unicorn looked from the map back to the princess of the sun. "But ... Is the whole team really needed for this, your highness? If it's just a fallen comet-"

"There is more" she cut him off. "I don't know exactly what... But I fear it's something I never wanted to face again..."

Not wanting to press, Alister saluted Princess Celestia. "It will be done, your majesty!" With that he left the room to find his two closest friends and trusted royal guards.

Meanwhile, Celestia took a deep breath, her face and eyes began to relax, and looked threw her telescope again, wondering what trials await for her little ponies this time.

Author's Notes:

Ok guys, some of you might know of a Stallion named 'Alister' from some brony gaming pics. Little side story. Once upon a time, i had no custom pony pics, no way to make them, no friends to help me make them, so i simply used a unicorn guard as my oc. Maybe one day ill write his fim fic as well. But for those of you who know mt ocs, Alister goes by another name in my fim fic. 'Charming Knight', that should ring a bell to my closest friends, but if you dont know about him. No worries, you will soon.

Goldie not Golden

Sunny was now traveling down the second part of the dirt path that Golden delicious instructed him to take. He had passed the fork in the road not long ago, and had just recently stopped galloping as was just casually walking. He looked up and took a deep breath, soaking in the warmth of this summer's day. He enjoyed the peacefulness of the world around him. He heard the birds singing, insects humming, the faint sound of a small brook that lead into the lake he passed by, and it all seamed... Wonderful to him. This of course came to an abrupt end as wubs filled the air around the surrounding town. But it wasn't nessisarily a bad thing. Sunny quickly picked up the beat and soon enough, he found himself dancing to the amazing song that was playing!

(https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bo3Gl32gihM)

Before he knew it, the yellow unicorn with an apple family Stetson hat had danced his way, not only into Ponyville, but into the middle of a party being thrown by none other then Pinkie Pie. Almost no pony noticed the new stallion who joined their party, or if they did, they didn't really care. The more the merrier.

After a couple more beats, the DJ, none other then 'the' Vinyl scratch, turned the volume down to where it was just background. It was then the hostess noticed the new face and appeared beside him as he took another swig from his canteen.

"Hi there!" She surprised him by pooping up out of nowhere as she normaly did, causing him to almost drop his drink.

He looked over at the pink mare with a cotton candy like mane and smiled. "Ugh, hello. How are you?"

"I'm great! My name is Pinkie Pie! What's yours? I haven't seen you before, so I know you're new to Ponyville because I know everypony, and I mean everypony in Ponyville. And I would love to be your friend and help you make lots and lots of friends!" When her mouth stopped running a million miles per hour and made a huge smile along with a squeak, Sunny just chuckled at her a little.

"Wow aren't you an energetic pony?" He smiled and held out his hoof. "Call me Sunny. It's a pleasure miss Pie."

She smiled and grabbed his hoof, shaking it wildly, casing the bright yellow stallion to shake violently, but he held onto his smile the whole time.

"Call me Pinkie! All my friends do!" She finally stopped her hoof shaking.

"Friends?" The tremers in Sunny's body began to dissipate. "So.... You want me to be your friend?"

"Of course! I'm friends with every pony!" Pinkie exclaimed her smile and eagerness never fading.

"Wow. You're very lucky" the yellow unicorn commented.

It was odd, Pinkie began to calm down, but smiled sincerely at the new pony in town. "I know. Its really wonderful to make so many friends. And I would like to be your friends too, if you want."

For some reason, what that pink pony with the Cotten candy hair said to Sunny just now, made him feel better then he ever had. 'Friends' he said in his mind. "I'd really like that. Oh! Do you happen to know somepony named, ugh, 'Applejack'?"

"Yep! I sure do!" The bouncing returned to the pink pony's body. "She's one of my bestest, best friends! Why?"

"Well... I was told to come here and ask for her by a miss Gold -" Sunny began to explain but was quickly interrupted.

"Oh! Really?! Great! We've been waiting for you! Come with me!!!" She exclaimed as lifted the stallion up over her head and dashed off to sweet apple archers.

-back at the fork-

A brown earth pony stallion with a lime green mane and tail sat in the shade, looking at the map, extremely confused. "Oh apple cores! I promised Golden Delicious that is help at the farm while AJ was away! Ugh! I can't believe I'm so lost! Ok..." He looked at the fork then flipped a bit. Heads down stream, tails upstream.

The coin flipped, landed, and the stallion began to walk up the road leading right to Goldie Delicious's house, miles away from Ponyville.

3 Knights of Canterlot

The trio was traveling by carriage, being pulled by the two fliers of the team. Alister directed them to land as he spotted the area. As they got closer to the ground, the point of impact became more and more clear.

"Breath taking..." Alister said as he hopped out of the carriage, not even waiting for it to fully touch the ground. "Look at it! Oh, its a dream come true!"

"Glad you are on cloud 9 with a space rock, Alister" the white Pegasus guard commented as he took of his reins.

"Why the heck do we have to cart him around?!" The female, bat pony guard hissed as she tore her reins off, throwing them as hard as she could at the ground. "I'm not some pony's chauffer!"

"Take it easy Midnight Blossom, he can't fly" the Pegasi tried his best to calm the mare's but if anger.

"He knows that spell to give him wings!" She snapped at him. "He just doesn't want to do it and 'look like a breezy'!" Midnight Blossom mocked the unicorn guard, as he did his best to ignore her and examined the crash sight.

"Come on Midnight" the Pegasi pleaded. "Let's just focus on our job"

"Shhhhh!" Alister tried to silence them.

"Cloud Skipper, you are always sticking up for him. He's not better then us, so why do we always end up carting him around like he's royalty?!" Midnight was inches from Cloud Skipper's muzzle, looking like she might bite it off.

"Shhhhhh!" Alister shushed at them even louder, getting more annoyed.

"If you try and shush me again, white hair, I'll really give you-" the bat pony began, but her mouth was covered by soft front hoof belonging to Cloud Skipper. Before she could object, he pointed to something that quickly dissipated the aggressive bat pony's fury.

It was the meteor that was once 'Gazer's Comet', sitting there about six feet deep in the ground. But that they came to expect. That was normal. But what shocked them was the pony shaped burn mark. Which was outlined on the side of it in dark colored crystals. Their eyes followed similar burn marks and crystals that lead out of the crater and into the forest.

Alister approached one, examining it carefully. As Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom took to the air to get a better look. Midnight Blossom decided to scout ahead while Cloud Skipper returned to Alister. Before Cloud Skipper left Midnight Blossom licked his cheek, to rid some left over hay burger and fries from his face. Cloud Skipper floats down to Alister his face slight red.

"What do you make of it?" the pegusus asked his unicorn friend.

"I think it's incredibly unstable, rocky, and could lead you into an early grave..." The unicorn said, looking up at his friend. "But hey, if you like her, go for it."

This caused Cloud Skipper to almost fell out of the air. "W-will you stay on topic! We need to find out what happened here to determin if there is an immediate threat!"

The unicorn carefully broke a chunk of the dark crystal from the meteor and put it cautiously in a sealed bag. Then he did the same with one from the trail that lead away from the crash site. "You want to know what I think?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, I have an idea, but it sounds..." Cloud skipper trailed off.

Alister looked back at he meteor. "I think somepony was locked in that thing. And for whatever reason, it crashed, and when it did, he broke free and..." Alister then motioned with his hoof, traced the path that lead away from it. "... It walked away."

"Who do you think it could be?" Cloud Skipper asked. "Anypony who might be a threat?"

"You see these crystals?" Alister hit one that was on the ground.

"Yeah, what about them. They are everywhere in the crystal empire. The place is practically-" Cloud Skipper was cut off.

"These are dark, rigid, and don't refract light..." Alister held the piece up in the light overhead of Cloud Skipper. And he was right. No light came threw it.

"What does that mean?" Cloud skipper asked as Midnight Blossom landed on the groung, after doing a back flip in the air.

"One more thing" Alister said in a grim tone. "Look at that burn mark, tell me, what kind of pony do you think came from there, based on the outline..." All three started at it, but Alister knew the answer. He only dreaded it.

"So we are looking for a unicorn who makes dark crystals" Midnight Blossom casually said as she cracked her neck.

"And one that used green flames" Alister added. "If either of you had taken a good look at 'Gazer's comet' you would have seen it burned with a green flame."

"... We need to return to Canterlot and report this to her highnesses." Cloud Skipper ordered.

"No, you two go ahead" Alister objected. "From what I was told, one of Celestia's other students, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and some of her friends, will be here soon to check it out. I'll meet with them and work with them on hunting this unicorn down."

"Oooowww. Somepony wants private time with the princess!" Midnight Blossom teased.

Alister was now beginning to grow more annoyed at the bat pony mare. But before he could say anything to fuel the fire, Cloud Skipper lifted into the air. "We won't be long, Come on Midnight, let's get there and report as fast as we can!"

Alister then tossed the white pegusi the bag with the samples he collected. "Show these to her highness. She's had time to study magical crystals. She'll know more of what to look for then I would."

And with that, the two fliers of the group shot off as fast as their wings could carry them, back to the golden , white and purple kingdom of Canterlot.

Author's Notes:

Ando the trio arrives!

Stallions at work

"We're mighty glad you could come down and help us out, youn'yin." Granny Smith said as she and Apple Bloom delivered ice cold lemonade to both Sunny and Big Mac.

"Yeah, we didn't think ya' would get here so fast too!" Apple Bloom added, handing her big brother his third glass of lemonade as he wiped some more sweat from his brow.

"I'm glad to help out" Sunny replied taking another sip of the lemonade. "You all have been so nice to me, it's the least I could do. But when do you think Applejack will be back? I need to talk to her."

"Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Twilight went off to check something out in the Everfree forest." Apple Bloom told the yellow stallion. "They didn't say what, but ah bet cha it has ta do with that comet that fell from the sky the other night."

"Commit?" Sunny repeated the word, taking a small sip of his lemonade.

"Hate to say this, boys" Granny butted in. "But we're burin daylight. We need to get most of this field cleared if we hope to start baking tomorrow."

Forgetting about Applejack and the comet for the moment, Sunny smiled and shot Big Mac a look, that he knew the red stallion could read. 'Bet I could get more work done then you!'

To which the big, muscular farm pony only smiled back with a look that replied 'bring it on!'

And like that, the two stallions went to work, bucking as many apple trees as fast as they could. Apples rained down fom the sky faster and faster. Poor Apple Bloom tried her best to keep up with the high speed work stallions, picking up the stray apples and getting rid of the bad ones, but her work piled up fast as the two competing work ponys pushed themselves harder and harder.

When Granny Smith made it back to the farm house to catch a quick nap in her favorite rocking chair, she was greeted by not only the honorable apple family member, Pinkie Pie, but now Fluttershy as well.

"Well howdy miss Fluttershy!" The elderly mare called out, smiling at the young, yellow mare . "What brings ya by these parts?"

"Oh, well, you see" she began in her timid tone, half hidden behind her pink mane. " I was on my way back from picking up some food for Angle Bunny, when Pinkie Pie told me she had a new friend she wanted me to meet..."

"Yeah! I promised I'd help Sunny make lots and lots of friends!" Pinkie Pie burst out. "And look! He already made friends with Big Mac! Look how much fun they are having!" the pink pony exclaimed as she watched Big Mac and Sunny move from tree to tree, sweat dripping from their forheads as they picked up their pace.

"Um.... Pinkie. They dont really look like they're getting along too well...." Fluttershy commented.

"Nah!" Granny reassured the gently pegusus pony as she took a seat next to her and served her a glass of lemonade. "Them's how stallions make friends. Best friends even. Gotta' get all that steam out of their systems."

"Wow... Really?" Fluttershy looked confused as she looked out at the two stallions as they bucked the trees faster and faster.

"Eh'yep" Granny quoted her grandson and snickered. "Stallions. Ah've raised more then mah' fair share of ehm. And ah know how they work." The three mares just laughed at granny's comment.

"Yeah" Pinkie agreed. "Stallions are wierd like that."

"I'm still amazed that an earth pony smaller then Big Mac can move that fast or work that hard" Fluttershy stated as she looked to the yellow stallion doning a stetson hat with an apple buckle.

"Yeah! Sunny's amazing! Maybe he grew up on a farm but didn't eat his vegetables, or drink his milk and that's why he's smaller then Big Mac! But he ate a lot of sweets and ran around bucking a lot of trees or breaking a lot of rocks and that's why he's so fast and strong " Pinkie began to real off her differen theories.

"But doesn't that just come with being an earth pony, you know, being strong and stuff?" Fluttershy asked, not wanting to sound rude comment about earth ponies.

"Well whatever the reason, ahm' real glad Golden Delicious sent him to us" Granny said, her eyelids becoming heavy as she quickly fell asleep.

the impact and the plan

Chapter 7

Alister flagged down Rainbow Dash who was carrying Applejack while Rarity road on the back of Twilight Sparkle. When the girls attempted to land, Rainbow ended up dropping Applejack.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Applejack exclaimed as she picked up her hat from the ground, brushed it off, and placed it back on her head, glaring at her cyan colored friend.

"What? Not my fault you weigh so much!" The dare devil pegusus snapped, now hovering just slightly above the ground.

"What did you say?" The orange earth pony began to deeply blush, embarased, as she narrowed her eyes at the pegusus.

"Come on girls, we have work to do!" Twilight broke them up as she nearly crashed into them, landing face first on the ground.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry darling" Rarity told her alicorn friend. "I would have just let you carry me, but I was afraid that, well, you would do the same thing Rainbow Dash did to Applejack over there, only, well, up there..." She pointed to the sky.

"It's ok Rarity" Twilight told her as she got up and brushed herself off. "I know I'm not as strong as Rainbow Dash.

"Huh" Applejack exclaimed. "Apparently she ain't that strong to begin with"

"What did you say!" Rainbow was now in Applejack's face, both of the mares shooting each other a stair that could rival Fluttershy's.

Alister cleared his throat to get their attention. "Ladies" he exclaimed, then turned to Twilight and bowed. "Your majesty... I hate to be rude, but time is of the essence."

"Right! Sorry Sir Alister." Twilight and her friends walked over to the creator where the once 'Gazer Comet' lay, broken, burned, and now cold.

"Tell me, your majesty" Alister began as he stepped over to the edge of the crater. "What do you make of it?"

Twilight's horn began to glow with her brilliant purple aura as she waved it all around the meteor. The space rock became engulfed in the magical light. And in a flash, Twilight's eyes went wide open.

She could see images tied with the rock. Feel the burning purple and green flames. See the green and red eyes. The same ones she faced in the past. And that laugh. The laugh that she could never forget. A deep and wicked stallion's laugh. It echoed through all the Crystal Empire as she raced with Spike to find the crystal heart.

"Twilight! Twilight snap out of it!" Rainbow, Rarity and Applejack were by her side, great looks of deep concern on their faces.

"What happened darling?" Rarity asked.

"What could you see, your highness?" Alister stepped forward, both eager and hesitant at what the answer might be.

"It's him..." The purple alicorn began. "I don't know how... But he's tied to this some how..."

"Who, sugar cube?" Applejack asked.

"Sombra..." The words escaped Twilight's lips. "King Sombra."

Alister took a deep breath and looked back at the comet. "What has that monster planned now?" He asked himself. "Somepony or something came out of that comet... But who or what?"

"We need to warn the nearest towns" Twilight declared. "If I'm right, and I hope I'm not, something bad is still out there."

"I'll warn Cloudsdale" Rainbow Dash stated. "I doubt Sombra could get up that high, but they still need to be on the look out."

Twilight smirks and nodded at her friend. "Good thinking. And see if anypony had seen anything on the last couple of nights."

"Got it!" And like that, Rainbow Dash's was off, leaving a rainbow streak behind her.

"What are some of the other neighboring towns?" Twilight directed the question at Alister. "We'll send a pony to each location nearest to this site, then we'll regroup in Ponyville. I'll make an announcement there."

"I love it when a plan comes together" Alister smiled as he pulled out a map from his yellow cloak. "Ok, the next closest town..."

dinner with the family

- apple farm-

It had been a long hard day of work, but Sunny enjoyed himself. Between him and Big Mac, they cleared the entire orchard section they needed for the day and were all caught up and where they needed to be. Tomorrow 'real' work will begin. Or so Granny Smith told him. It made him smile. Not the work, or the 'real work' but... This feeling he got deep down inside. Was it from an honest day's work? The wonderful feeling Sunny got from helping ponies out in need? No, but those concepts did make him feel good. But there was more too it.

It started when he and Big Mac came in for dinner. Granny and Pinkie Pie, along with another mare around Pinkie's age named Fluttershy, had prepared a huge dinner for them all. As Sunny sat down and looked at everypony eating dinner, he felt something new. Or, maybe something he experienced before, but had long since forgotten. It was a warm feeling. A comfortable feeling, just being around all of them. Watching them talk and interact in their own special way.

Maybe he was reminded just then, that every pony is different. Some are big, like Big Mac, some are small like Apple Bloom . Some ponies are loud and are open like Pinkie Pie, and some are quiet and reserved but full of kindness like Fluttershy. No, he enjoyed each pony's uniquenesses, but something else was burning inside. A good burn. Sunny caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the mirror by the kitchen, and his heart sunk slightly as he looked at a stallion he didnt even know. This made the yellow stallion sigh for a moment. 'But... What am I? WHO am I?'

As everypony began to eat, Sunny forced himself to take a few small bites, but couldn't stomach that he didn't know anything about himself.

"Everything alright there, Sunny?" Granny whispered to the young stallion.

He forced a smile "nothing to worry about Granny Smith, just... Thinking..."

"What cha thinkin' bout?" Apple Bloom swallowed her bite of food and looked up at their newest guest.

He smiled at the yellow filly with a pink bow on her head. "Just thinking of how the lack of knowledge doesn't sit well in my stomach."

This just earned a confused look from the yellow filly. "Wha...."

"Ya know, Sunny" Granny put her hoof on his in reasurance as she smiled up at him. "Sometimes answers come to a pony who waits. And if anything is ever botherin' ya, feel free to talk ta any one of us. That's what family is for."

That warm feeling Sunny felt before now erupted from his heart like a joyful volcano as tears began to form at the corners of his eyes. "F-f-family?...."

"Yeah! We're not just friends!" Pinkie Pie somehow appeared behind Sunny and gave him, Granny, and Apple Bloom a great big hug. "We're one big happy family! We stick together and always look out for one another!"

Sunny then found his meal easier to eat after Pinkie Pie let them all go. 'Maybe I don't need to know who I was, but... But rather decide who I'm going to be, here and now!"

He took another look at the ponies at the table again, and smiled as it felt like his heart had exploded twice. "Family..."

-Canterlot-

Celestia levitated the crystal shards that Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom brought her. Double, triple, and quadruple checking it over to make sure it was what she suspected. Her heart sank when she realized it was.

"And you say these were growing out of meteor?" She asked the two guards who had just returned from the site.

"Yes ma'am" Cloud Skipper answered first. "From what Alister and I could tell, they, as well as burn marks on the meteor... In the shape of a unicorn, ma'am."

"As well as a trail leading away from the site?" Celestia continued, we voice firm as her heart was deeply troubled.

"Yes ma'am" it was Midnight Blossom's turn to speak. "I followed the trail for a good mile, but the trail began to shrink and it eventually disappeared deep intot he forest about half a mile away from the crash site."

She held the dark crystal shard up to a candle light, watching in horror as it absorbed all the light without letting any go. 'Just like its creator...'

"Go back and find Alister, begin the hunt. I will send reinforcements to all the neighboring towns and cities. We need to find him."

Midnight Blossom and Cloud Skipper bowed, then as quickly as they arrived, they left. They flew out the window, heading back to the crash site. Just then, a royal guard knocked on the door.

"Your highness, dinner is ready, your sister awaits for you" he told the princess of the sun.

Celestia signed and placed the dark crystal on her desk. She knew if she was to face this foe, then she would need all of her strength to do it. She followed the guard out of her room, leaving the dark crystal in the path of the candle's light.

Just as the Princess closed the door, the darkness in the crystal began to dissipate and it became a bright green color, then, it turned to crystal dust and was carried away but a slight gust that was let in by an open window.

Clearing the apples

9/7/2015
10:02 AM

Chapter 9 Clearing the apples

Applejack was happy to see her cousin Braeburn again, she just wished that it was under better circumstances. She spoke with him and the sherif about what had happened involving the comet and about the possible threat coming there. The sheriff promised her that they would be on guard and if they saw anything or had any leads, they would send a message to her right away.

Applejack said her goodbyes to her cousin and the sheriff, then hopped on the next train heading back to Ponyville, worried that her family back home had not yet pulled in all of the needed harvest. She knew she would have to hit the ground running. "As soon as I get to Ponyville and let Twilight and the others know about Appaloosa, I need to get back to the farm. Maybe we can still get the work done if I work till sun fall."

It only took the train about an hour to get back to Ponyville. Applejack enjoyed a nice little nap on the way back, hoping to be well rested for the long work day ahead. As the train pulled in, Applejack jumped off the train and was about to bolt to Twilight's castle when she saw the happy sight of her friends waiting at the station for her. Well, most of them anyway. It seemed that Twilight and Rarity had not made it back from Canterlot or Los Pegusus. 'Lord knows that sending Rarity to a big city like Los Pegasus, was probably a bad idea.' But Pinkie Pie, Flitttershy, Rainbow Dash along with her little sister and the rest of the cutie mark crusades had met her at the station.

"Welcome back AJ! Did you have fun at Appaloosa?!" Pinkie Pie asked as she ran up and gave the orange farm pony a big, lung crushing bear hug.

Applejack spoke as well as she could threw the gasps of air that escaped her lungs from Pinkie's tight grip. "T-thank ya... Pinkie"The pink earth pony then let Applejack go, and she fell half to the ground, grasping for air.

"About time you got back, what took you so long?" Rainbow Dash commented with a smirk on her face. Chances were she made it to Cloudsdale, informed them on the events, personally checked every square inch around the city as well as the ground be with it, and was back by lunch time.

"Snack time actually. A little later then lunch, but still yummy!" Pinkie Pie answered, looking directly at the reader with her signature innocent smile that stretched from ear to ear. Of course, to the reader this made since. After rereading this paragraph over again a few times. Hey. What do you want from me? I had to break the 4th wall her once. Pinkie pie's friends just started at their odd friend with a great since of confusion.

"Ugh Pinkie" Fluttershy spoke up. "Who are you talking to?"

"Don't worry about it" Pinkie said, now turning back to her friends and made a squeak as she smiled at them.

"Anywho...." Applejack began. "Ah checked in with th' sheriff and Braeburn . They han't seen anythin' like what I described to them. We searched all over with the Sheriff's posse, but found nothin. If they find anythin', they said they'd send ah message."

"Well I guess we can relax a little then" Fluttershy said with a slight smile. "Ponyville already checked out ok."

"Glad to hear it" Applejack commented then turned to the little filly with a big pink bow on her head. "But sis, we need to get back to the farm and pull in th' harvest! We are -"

"Already done, sis" Apple Bloom said with a huge smile.

Before Applejack could do more then look completely confused, Pinkie Pie answered her question. "You remember your cousin, Golden Delicious? Well she sent help a while ago when she heard from Red Delicious, who spoke with Granny Smith about the harvest, and being afraid that you might not be able to bring in the harvest and get everything ready on time. Sooooooo, Golden Delicious send somepony to go and help out. He's a yellow earth pony with an orange mane named Sunny, Sunny what though, I have no idea, he didn't say. But anyway he and Big Mac brought the last of the harvest in the other day!"

Applejack stood there with her other friends, jaw half dropped, still trying to let her mind catch up with everything Pinkie just shot at her at a million miles per hour.

"It's true" Fluttershy cooed in, breaking the silance. "And he seems really nice."

"Ya have ta meet him sis! He's amazin'!" Apple Bloom said jumping around her older sister.

All togeather, the girls walked calmly over to the Apple farm. Applebloom and her friends talking about what kind of things they've done to try and earn their cutie marks, making Applejack feel more at home already. When they arrived at the arch that stood in front of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack looked over and was shocked to see that the orchard that needed to be worked on was now clear of all its apples.

The small group migrated into the kitchen were Sunny and Granny were working in the kitchen. Big Mac had gone into town to run the apple goods stand. When Granny had seen her older granddaughter enter the house, her face lit up.

"Welcome back, Sweetie!" Granny took off her apron and hugged the orange earth pony. "Ah hope things went well."

"Eh'yep" Applejack was the one to quoted her big brother now. "And Braeburn wanted me to say he misses y'all a lot too an' ta come down and visit sometime."

"Who's Braeburn?" A yellow stallion with a Stetson hat on popped out from behind the table, half covered in flower and dough.

"He's our cousin" Apple Bloom answered, running up to the stallion. "You'd like him, Sunny! He lives in Appalosa, and has his own apple farm down there!"

The stallion just tipped his hat a little and smiled at the little yellow filly. "Well I'll have to go see him some time."

"Oh! We can make it a day trip!" Pinkie added with glee in her voice. "And we can see the buffalo tribes too! And eat apple pies, apple cobblers, apple fritters and drink lots and lots of Appaloosa Apple Cider!"

"I'm totally down with that!" Rainbow added. Then flew over to Sunny and began looking him over. "So Flutterst told me you might be as strong as Big Mac. How fast are you?"

Sunny just looked a little sheepish with a nervous and forced smile. "W-well I not know. But Big Mac is still a lot stronger then I am."

Applejack happily trotted over to the new arrival and held out her hoof. "Doesn't really matter now. Ah'm just glad that ya came. Ya really helped us out."

Sunny smiled and shook her hoof, and smiled as he looked into her emerald colored eyes. Then something hit him. "Wait! Your Applejack, right? 'The Applejack'?"

"Ugh, well yeah, why?" Applejack began to look concerned.

"Great!" Sunny's face exploded with joy. "Goldie Delicious told me to find you!"

"Wait" Applejack hesitates. " did ah 'Goldie Delicious' and older mare tell you to find me, or 'Golden Delicious' a younger mare send you here?"

"Goldie, she was a really nice older mare. She gave me this hat and a canteen and told me to find you so you can help me. You see, I've lost my memory and she told me you were the one who could help me."

Green dust and 3 Knights

"Thank you for coming Twilight" Princess Celestia half smiled at her star pupal. "I know this must be hard for you."

"I just don't understand," Twilight began, a worried look on her face. "How could he be back? I thought that he was destroyed with the Crystal heart when it was powered by the light of the crystal ponies... How can he be back?"

"Trouble in paradise, ladies?" That slick voice of Discord echoed, and out of nowhere, the master of Chaos appeared in a white flash on top of twilight's head, no bigger then Gummy. "What's the matter Twilight? Sky's falling?!?!" He chuckled and disappeared, only to reappear floating over the pile of crystal powder. He picked a small bunch of it up in his claw and rubes his claws togeather, the powder falling down and back into the pile. He then licked his claws clean.

"What do you make of it, Discord?" Princess Celestia asked, thinking the Draquis had some insight on the situation. Twilight let her anger annoyance for the half pony half dragon creature die down and was listening for an answer.

He then coughs up a cloud of green powder, acting like he was choking, then took in several breath before swirling his hand around in the air, making a glass of water appeared out of nowhere. He drank it. The cleared his throat. "Such a terrible taste. So delicious."

"And?!" Twilight pushed growing inpatient. "Did you find anything out?"

"And what was I supposed to find out?" He said with a smile. "Other then don't eat the dust?"

Twilight faces hoofed as Celestia let out a huge sigh. "Well by any means" Celestia directed her students attention back to her. "We need to keep an eye out for anything dangerous-"

" a unicorn" Discord interrupted. "A powerful one at that. Maybe a little bit more." He smiled at the two princesses. "Looks like you two will have a fun time looking." He chuckled at the serious looks on their faces before he pulled a out a paint brush, painted a black hole on the wall, then jumped threw it, the hole closing up behind him.

"He's our friend" Twilight began, her tone reflecting her annoyance for the reformed villain. "But sometimes I wonder if he really is here to help."

"Regardless" Celestia continued. "He told us what we were looking for. A unicorn. And ...." She trailed off.

"'A little bit more', right?" Twilight finished her sentence. "What do you think that meant?"

"I don't know. But we'll be on the look out." Her face softened. "You should get home. I have a feeling that trouble will find us in time. You should regroup with your friends. I have one of my best teams guard on the job. There is no doubt in my mind that between all of us, we will find something."

-forest-

"I can't believe we lost the trail!!" Midnight Blossom screeched while Alister examined the fading hoof prints and crystal dust.

"Calm down, Midnight" Cloud Skipper tried to reason with his companion.

"Calm down?! CALM DOWN?! I am calm!" She began to squeak in her high pitched bat pony

"We're in trouble" was all Alister said as he rose from the ground and looked to the sky.

"Well no kidding, Sherlock!" Midnight snapped.

"No" Alister added taking a few more steps forward, in the direction the scorch marked path had lead. "About 24 meters ahead, you said there was a road, right?"

Midnight Blossom began to calm down. "Yeah. One that split into four directions."

"And that's a problem" Alister replied.

"But her highness will have some troops here to aid us momentarily." Cloud Skipper added. "Splitting up shouldn't be a problem."

"More so then you think" Alister told his Pegasus friend. "We work best as a team because of our differences. I'm able to look at the finner details of things. You Midnight Blossom" he motioned to the bat pony "are quick to act and to react, giving me time to plan, and Cloud" he motioned back to the white pegusus with a golden mane. "Help to keep us leveled and balanced. Splitting us up might not be a good idea."

"Then what do we do? Just search the areas one by one?" Midnight Blossom snapped again, getting more annoyed.

"No, I'm afraid that would take far too much time." Alister thought for a moment not liking the cards he's been delt. "Midnight, I want you to take the road leading to Los Pegusus. The city is loud and fast moving, but I trust you can take it better then any of us."

"Bright lights, big city, and shopping malls" the bat pony began to lighten up. "Finally an order I like."

"Stick to the mission." Alister yet turned to Cloud Skipper. "I want you to check the desert and the mountain side. You are just as fast as Midnight, but you work better with other ponies more then her and I put together. See if you can dig up anything."

"Shouldn't you take the Desert area?" Cloud Skipper protested. "I mean, you did grow up near dodge-"

"I will take the small towns and individual houses all on the eastern area." Alister interrupted. "I will be able to spot the houses and homes that you two couldn't see above the trees. Besides that, the forests get to thick to fly threw. When I comes to walking and running, I could leave you two behind."

"Is that a challenge?!" Midnight began to growl.

"Enough Midnight!" now Cloud Skipper snapped. The bat pony recoiled and withdrew, her burning anger subsided. Cloud Skipper turned his attention back to his unicorn friend. "Are you sure you'll be ok?"

Alister nodded. "It's me we're talking about. When have I ever gotten into a scrape I couldn't get out of." He put a hoof on both Cloud's and Midnight's shoulders. "But my friends... I ask you, not as a solider... But as a friend... Please... Please be safe."

Midnight blushed, shocked, as was Cloud. Then both of their expressions softened and the three soldiers of Equeatria joined in for a group hug.

"Just like old times, eh?" Midnight commented as she smiled.

"Just like old times Cloud confirmed. And with that, the team Disbanded. As the two fliers took to the skies, Alister made his way towards the road that lay 24 meters ahead.

"Excuse me!" Alister heard a pony's voice cry out from a short distance away. He looked and saw an Earth pony, brown coat with a lime green mane and tail. "Excuse me, sir! "

"What is it?" Alister asked the panicked earth pony. "I'm busy. What do you need?"

"I need to get to Ponyville! It's an emergency!" The brown stallion frantically told the grey unicorn guard.

a new member to the Apple family

Chapter 11 a new member to the family?

"So let me get this straight" Applejack looked Sunny in the eye as she sat on the family couch, surrounded by her brother and sister, while Sunny sat in the easy chair, sipping cider. "You were just sleeping under a tree when 'Goldie', not 'Golden', Delicious, an elderly earth pony came up to ya and told ya to go find me, Applejack, in Ponyville, so ah can help you with gettin' yer memory back."

After swallowing a small sip of the apple based liquid, Sunny smiled, nodded and replied. "Yep! Oh, and she was kind enough to give me this nice had, and a canteen of water."

"That sounds like cousin Goldie to me" Granny commented, carying a plate of cookies into the room and setting it doen on the coffee table. "But why didn't you tell us you needed help when ya first got here?"

"Well it sounded like you needed my help with the harvest more then I needed to get my memory back. Besides Applejack wasn't here, so I would have had to wait for her anyways. At least this way I could do something useful." Sunny explained, twirling the liquid around in his cup as he shifted it in his hooves.

"But it was thanks to him that we got the harvest in as fast as we did!" Apple Bloom shot in to defend the yellow stallion. "And-and he was helping Granny with the baking!"

"That is true" Granny answered. "He has been awful helpful"

Applejack smiled, tipped her hat and looked over at Sunny. "Well Sunny. Until Twilight gets back and we get things sorted out, you can feel free to stay in the guest room. Provided you do help with the chores. After all, you don't work, you don't eat."

Sunny smiled at the decision as Apple Bloom bounced around with glee and Granny let out a 'yea ha!' "Thank you miss Applejack. I... I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it. You really did save our flanks though. Ah just hope Twilight can help ya out when she gets back from Canterlot" Applejack added shootin the stallion a half smile.

"What did she go there for again, sis?" Apple Bloom stopped bouncing long enough to ask.

"Oh right! Ah left in such a hurry ah forgot to tell y'all." Applejack shifted her hat again. "Well, I need y'all to keep an eye out for somepony or something. Ya remember when ma' friends an I went to the Crystal Enpire for the first time? And had to protect it from some ancient evil?"

"Oh! You mean with that shadowy feller?" Granny asked.

"Shadowy feller?" Sunny asked slightly confused.

"An evil king, turned to shadow by the' princesses over 1000 years ago. " Applejack began to tell the tail. She began with how he enslaved every pony, forced them to do his bidding, used dark magic on them and hide the Crystal heart. And when the princesses tried to seal him away, after turning him into shadow, how he placed a curse on the empire and it went missing for 1000 years. Then when it turned back up, Applejack and her friends went to it and help the crystal ponies as well as Shining Armor and princess Cadence. Ending the story with how Sombra was destroyed by the power of the Crystal heart, blasted into a million pieces, and all the ponies of the Crystal Empire were free.

"But now it seems that that meteor that we saw th' other night might have somethin' ta do with him. We found dark crystals all around the crashed meteor." Applejack concluded, her expresion hard and grim.

"So this Sombra feller might be back!!" Granny asked, on the edge of her rocking chair.

"Ah don't know" Applejack answered honestly. "But we need to be on our guard. It could be..." She looked over at Sunny. "You ok Sunny?"

"Yeah, wh-" he stopped when he felt something wet hit his front leg. He looked at it and it looked like water. When he put his hoof to his face, he felt it was wet, and it just dawned on him that he was crying.

"Sunny?" Apple Bloom asked. "What's the matter?"

"I-I don't know" he answered honestly. "... I must have been upset about the crystal ponies being hurt and mistreated so badly... That was so sad...."

"Oh nothin' ta worry 'bout, partner" Applejack added, smiling at the stallion. "They're doin' great! We just went there not long ago to visit with Shinning Armor and Cadence. Every pony was doing fine." Her smile faded. "But that's why we have to stop whatever came out of that meteor. For their sake. The crystal ponies. For Cadance and Shinning Armor. And for every pony everywhere."

"Ah know ya can do it sis!" Apple Bloom jumped up and tackle hugged her sister.

"It's a team effort sis, but thank ya." Applejack said as she fell over wrestling with her sister, her hat fallen off her head and to the ground.

Sunny half laughed and half yawned. Granny looked at the clock. "It's gettin' late every pony. Best be gettin' ta bed. We have tons of work in the' morning."

Applejack and Apple Bloom got up, brushed themselves off, hugged, and all the Apples went to their respective rooms. Applejack showed Sunny to the guest room which was fully furnished and ready for use whener company dropped by. She grabbed some pillows and blankets from the hall closet and began to make the bed. She looked over at Sunny who was caught staring at the moon.

"Who raised the moon?" He asked, not making eye contact.

"Princess Luna" Applejack answered, finishing up the bed. "She's really nice. And great at games and loves pullin' practical jokes."

"And the sun?" Sunny asked, his facial expression unchanged.

"Princess Celestia" Applejack now took a seat next to the stallion who kept his eyes on the moon. "Ya really don't have ah memory, do ya?"

Sunny forced a half smile as he now looked into the emerald eyes of the orange farm mare. "Nope. Nothing..."

"Ya don't have to do that" Applejack told Sunny, now looking just as sad herself.

Sunny looked back at her, confused. "What do you mean, miss Applejack?"

"Ah mean, don't force a smile" she told the stallion. "Ya hurt more when ya force ah smile, then when you just frown."

Sunny made a real smile as he looked at the mare. "I don't know how... But I think you are the second pony to ever tell me that."

"Ya mean you got some of yer memory back?" Applejack got excited for a moment.

"No" Sunny answered honestly. "But... I just have a feeling. Like you and only one other pony ever told me that... Thank you..."

Applejack smiled back at him as she stood up and went to the bedroom door. "Any time, Sugar cube" As she stood at the doorway, she looked back at the yellow stallion. "If there's anything ya need, ahm just next door, ok?"

Sunny met the gaze of the blond farm pony with his mirroring emerald colored eyes, gave her an honest smile, and replied. "I will, thank you".

And with that, Applejack slowly shut the door. She stood there, on the other side of the door, looking out into nothing as she felt her heart pounding like she had just run a race with Rainbow Dash again, or when she tried to buck an entire orchard by herself in less then a day. She couldnt help but smile to herself as she placed a hoof over her chest, closed her eyes, and became lost in this new feeling.

Sunny as well felt odd. But rather then excited, he felt at peace. He looked out into the night and over the apple orchard. It felt like.... Like a home. Maybe even... His home.

"No matter what" he declared, promising himself. "I won't let anypony or anything hurt this farm or this family..."

Apple trees and shifting shadows

Chapter 12 apple trees and shifting shadows

-just outside of Ponyville-

As the search raged on, Twilight felt it best to follow her teacher's advice and just head back to Ponyville. She was beginning to feel slightly home sick as well as worried about all of her fiends who lived there. If anything was going to happen, she wanted to be there to help prevent it.

As she flew over head she looked down to see a familiar face belonging to somepony she hadn't seen since she moved to Ponyville. She flew down to the trail just outside of Ponyville and greeted the stallion. "Hey Alister" she then noticed a frantic looking earth pony standing beside him. "Who's your friend."

Alister bowed when Twilight landed. "Greetings, your majesty." He then turned to his... Traveling companion, he would say. Not so much his 'friend'. "His name is Dash O'Lime, a farming friend to a miss Golden Delicious. He was on his way to Ponyville to help with the apple harvest when he got lost along the way."

"P-please, your majesty " the brown earth pony pleased. "I really need to get to sweet apple acres right away! Otherwise we'll lose half of the harvest!"

Twilight put on a determined smirk, then turned to Alister. "If you want, I can fly him there. I was on my way anyway. And I'd e glad to help."

"Are you sure, your highness?" The grey unicorn guard asked.

"It would be my pleasure. Applejack is one of my best friends, and I would hate for anything to happen to her harvest." Twilight explained, then flew over to the brown and green earth pony. Lifting him up tot her front hooves, and taking to the air. But before she was out of ear shot, she called back to the royal guard. "Besides, I think you have something bigger to deal with!"

Once they were out of listening range, Alister sighed. "Indeed... And now I have go back to start without collecting 200 bits..."

-Sweet Apple Acres-

Sunny had risen when he heard a rooster crow. He hopped out of bed, put his Stetson hat back on that he hung on the edge of the bed frame, and grasped when he saw the wonderful sight that lay just beyond the guest room window.

The sun was just raisin over the horizon, coating the entire orchard with a golden light. The dew on the leaves and the apples themselves sparkled like diamonds! The smell! Oh the smell, Sunny thought. It was fresh, clean, as if this was how Equestria was thousands of years ago before stone walls were built. This was how ponies originated. Everything built up from here. And yet, he thought, 'I bet no pony has time to look out and appreciate the simplicity, the complexity, and the wonder of such a place. Where a pony can live their entire lives, work hard, learn well, and exist in piece.'

"Breath taking, ain't it?" Sunny turned around, hoping to see Applejack at the door. But the voice was too deep.

"Oh, ugh, yes it is, Big Mac" Sunny smiled at the big red stallion. Who took a spot next to him and look out the window.

"Ah love it" Big Mac said with an honest grin. Saying more in that moment then he had in all the time Sunny had been there. In spoken words at least. Sunny was beginning to see that the stallion spoke more with his actions and motions, then with words. And there isn't anything wrong with that. "We better get started with th' chores."

"Oh, right!" Sunny tipped his hat. "Better earn our keep, right?"

"Eh'yep" Big Mac answered as he walked with Sunny out of the guest room, down the stairs and into the barn.

The two working Stallions made their way to the barn, where Big Mac gave Sunny the option to either plow the field or to clear the debris from the east orchard. "We're gunna harvest from that one next. Not right away, but we need to have it cleared and ready for when we go down there ta work."

Sunny offered to clear the debris, not because it sounded like less work, but because he was eager to go into the orchard and see more of it, especially after the sight he saw of it this morning. Big Mac then showed him the wagon they use for collecting the debris and told him were to dump the stuff after it was full. There were a few dumpsters behind the main barn were they dumped the debris, and twice a week a few earth ponies went around Ponyville to collect such discarded material, and break it down into mulch. The mulch is then distributed back to farms.

"So nothing is put to waste. That's amazing" Sunny commented as he harnessed the wagon up to himself. Big Mac also gave the yellow stallion a few tools to use incase he needed to break a broken branch off a tree, or needed to scoop up piles of rotten apples. With that, Sunny set out to the orchard Big Mac pointed out to him.

"Breakfast should be ready in about an hour or so!" The muscular red Stallion called out to Sunny, who waved back and smiled.

Sunny went right to work as soon as he arrived at the east orchard, he saw what Big Mac was talking about. There were branches broken from storms most likely, piles of leaves, and molded apples everywhere. Sunny didn't hesitate. He smiled, grabbed the biggest branch, and snapped it into smaller pieces. He scooped up the leaves and rotting apples and leaves with a shovel, plopping them into the wagon, and hummed a happy tune during the whole thing.

But all the wile, something lay hidden in the shadows, watching the yellow stallion who knew not that he was a unicorn playing the part of a farm, earth pony. From the darkest shadow in a hole in an apple tree, watching the young colt was an eye. A single green and red eye emitting a purple flame at it's corner.

Apple Sweets ans Talking shadows

Twilight landed not far from the farm house at Sweet Apple Acres, careful to let the brown and lime green earth pony she was carrying, down nice and generally. As soon as he hit the ground he ran up to the house and began knocking vigorously at the front door.

"Applejack!!! Granny Smith!!!" He continued to knock. "I-I'm here! I'm late but I'm here!!!"

Granny opened the door and smiled. "Yes? Can ah help ya, youngyin?"

"Golden Delicious sent me!" He began, Twilight joining him at the front door. "I'm sorry I'm late, but I was on my way here when I got lost and-"

"Oh don't worry 'bout that, child" Granny said with an easy going smile. "Harvest was brought in and the apple products have already been made. Some of them AJ took into town already."

Both the stallion and Twilight looked confused. The stallion was to shocked to talk, but Twilight was able to speak up. "How did you guys do that? I thought you would need extra help to bring it in while Applejack was away?"

"Well, funny story there, Twilight. And I'm gunna need you ta stick around for him when he gets back, if ya don't mind." The elderly earth pony asked.

"Who?" Both Twilight and the brown stallion asked.

Granny quickly told the two ponies about Sunny; How there was a mix up with him and Dash O'Lime, the Apples thinking Golden Delicious had sent Sunny instead. How he and Big Mac had a bit of a competition when it came to harvesting the apples, which it how they were able to harvest it all in such a short time. Then she went on to explain Sunny's situation with his memory loss, and how Applejack said that Twilight knew a memory spell that might help.

Dash O'Lime let out a huge sigh. "I got lost for two days for nothing...."

"Well, yah, ah guess" Granny lightly laughed. "Why don' cha both come on in for some refreshments. Sunny should be back anytime now."

"Thank you miss Smith, but I think I should be heading back to Los pegusus..." Dash O'Lime said.

"Wan' some apple sweets to take with ya?" Granny offered, seeing the stallion's ears perk up at the offer. "Ya did try yer best ta help us out."

"Maybe just a fritter... Or two" The stallion said, perking up a little and walked inside. Twilight followed afterwards, also wanting to have some of the Apple family's famous apple backed goods.

-east orchard-

Sunny looked to be about 3/4th the way done with clearing the orchard, feeling proud of his accomplishment when he thought he heard something. As he looked around, thinking maybe Applejack or Big Mac may have come to see how he was doing, Apple Bloom should still be at school, so it couldn't be her. But as Sunny looked around, he couldn't see anypony. He was ll alone in the orchard. The yellow pony shrugged and went back to work. But not long after he began working again, did he hear something again.

His ears perked up. He knew he heard something. "Is somepony there?" He called out. "Come on out. Don't be afraid."

"...You should be..." A voice worked around him like a calm breeze. He almost thought that he was just hearing the wind blow threw the trees, but something sent a chill down his spine.

"W-who's there?" Sunny stuttered by accident. He quickly regained control of himself and firmly called "Come on out!"

The wind picked up as the dead leaves on the ground began to swirl around the yellow stallion, capturing him in a swirl wind of shifting and changing earth colored leaves. Sunny held onto his had as he tried to look around without getting jabbed in the eye with a leaf or blinded by the kicked up dirt and gravel.

"You should be scared!" The voice was clearer now. It was deep and dark. Like the lowest Keyes on an opera organ.

Sunny forced his eyes open and saw something in the swirling leaves. A shadow. It was just a large blob at first. Then it began to take form. It looked to be a stallion that stood close to Big Mac's hight. Maybe even taller!

"Who... Who are you?!" Sunny yelled over the sound of the rustling leaves as best he could.

The voice began to chuckle evilly, as if it was just toying with Sunny. As Sunny starred more at the shadow of a pony, he saw dark green lights glow where it's eyes should have been. Then it did something that frightened Sunny to his very core. It opened its mouth, smiled with razor sharp teeth and uttered his name it a frozen voice. "Suuuunnnnyyyyy"

Ghost story?

Chapter 14 ghost story?

Sunny made a mad dash threw the spiraling tornado of leaves, running as fast as he could back to the Apple family home, frightened and shivering as he burst threw the front door of the farm house, nearly giving Twilight and Granny a heart attack. Dash O'Lime had left not long ago, this time taking the train rather then the dirt roads.

"What's the matter Sunny?" Granny asked, shocked at the state the poor stallion was in.

"Th-there's a ghost in the Orchard!!!!" Sunny began, his hooves trembling as he pointed to the east orchard.

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked the new stallion, a little skeptical to believe in 'ghosts' despite all she had dealt with.

"Yes!" He yelled. "It made the leaves go 'swoosh!' All around me! And it sent a chill up my spine! I felt so cold! And-and it called out my name! Like 'Ssssuuuunnnnnyyyy!!!" He explained and gave his best impersonation, not making the two mares believe him. "And- and it had green eyes! Glowing green eyes and sharp teeth! Like a dragons!"

This caught Twilight's attention. "Sombra? Are you sure?"

"I-I don't know! But it sounded horrible!" Sunny was panicked beyond much comprehension. "W-we need to do something! It could be on its way here!" He picked up the couch, the adrenalinpumpung threw his body giving him an extra but if strength, and barricaded the front door.

"I'll get the girls together" Twilight said. "We'll put a stop to that mounter once and for all!"

Before Sunny could ask what a bunch of mares could do against an evil ghost, Granny put a hoof on his shoulder and gave the frightened stallion a reassuring smile. He took a deep breath and began to calm down, but something clicked in his mind.

"Apple Bloom!" He jumped. "She walked right by that orchard this morning to get to school this morning! What if she has to take it back?! She doesn't know what evil lies in wait!!!" He looked at the time and saw he had seven minute to make it to her before she got out of school. "I'm going to go get her!"

He took a deep breath, calmed his nerves, stood up, and readied himself. Granny gave him a hug out of nowhere. "Good luck, Sunny."

"Thank you Granny, but will you be ok?" He asked, just now thinking of the elderly Mare's well being.

He then heard a loud flush come from the upstairs bathroom and saw the big red stallion emerge from it, looking at him, Granny, and the barricaded front door with slight concern.

"Big Mac!" Sunny called out as he straitened his hat. "Look after Granny and the house! I'm going to get Apple Bloom from school! There's an evil king's ghost haunting the east orchard!" Big Mac opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly cut off. "You're stronger then me, but I'm faster at running. I'll get to Apple Bloom sooner. I'm sorry, there is no time to argue!"

With that, the Stetson wearing yellow stallion flew out the back door, circling around the house, and bolted as fast as his legs could carry him in the direction of the school. Big Mac just shrugged and joined Granny down stairs, keeping an eye out the window for trouble while Granny decided to take a nap in her rocker.

-back at the east orchard-

Twilight gathered up all of her friends as fast as she could and arrived at the orchard not long after Sunny intercepted Apple Bloom on her way home from school. The yellow stallion also picked up her two friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell, who were glad to meet the new stallion in town. He took them to Rarity's boutique while the girls dealt with the ghost. The mane six stood at the edge of the easy orchard, the sun was beginning to set, which bothered some of the girls a little bit. More specifically, Fluttershy.

"A-a-are you S-s-sure th-that S-S-Sunny saw a... G-g-ghost?" Poor Fluttershy hid nervously behind Twilight as she stared into the orchard as its shadows began to grow with the setting sun.

"Yeah" Rainbow added. "What if he just think he saw something but it was just his imagination?"

"Ah don't think Sunny would make somethin' up like that." Applejack defended the yellow stallion.

"Beg your pardon, my dear, but we don't really know much about this 'Sunny'" Rarity commented. "For all we know he's a closet case fraidy-cat with an overactive imagination."

"Trust me girls" Twilight stopped them there. "I know he saw something. He was beyond frightened. Was terrified."

This made Applejack tip her hat. She didn't like showing emotions. She had always made sure her and her friends and family were ok. But at that moment, she wanted to make sure that Sunny was ok too. She had worried about him the night before. He seemed like a good stallion, but a little on the sensitive side. What with the tears he shed over the crystal ponies and all. But that just meant he had a good heart. She shook herself and stared into the orchard. "C'mon girls " she took a stand. "Ah ain't 'Fraid no ghost!"

"Yeah!" Rainbow joined in, landing by the orange farm pony.

"I am!" Fluttershy spoke up, still very shaky. "Does that mean I can go home?" Rainbow sighed, then went over and began to push the yellow Pegasus into the darkening apple orchard, following behind their friends.

The sun had almost completely set as the girls approached the site where Sunny was working. Applejack was impressed at how much he had gotten done in a day.

"Well? Where is it?" Rain now asked.

"Oh, no shadow ghost here?!?!" Fluttershy made a joking smile. "Maybe it went back to sleep. Let's come back, maybe in a hundred years, or more?!?!" Before Flutterst could run away, Applejack caught her by the end of her tail, clamping it tightly in her mouth.

"I agree with Fluttershy" Rarity began, lookin around at the seemingly shifting shadows. "This place is just terrifying."

"Come on girls" Twilight pushed her friends. "We have to keep looking, Sunny said-"

"Over heeeeeereeeee...." A deep hollowed voice called it to the mares. A voice they all instantly recognized as the one belonging to the late king Sombra.

"Where are you!" Twilight called out, ready for the shadow king to strike. "Show yourself!"

An eerie green glow began to shine off in the distance, illuminating black and grey smoke that floated on the orchard floor. The glow seemed to pulse, more and more with ever moment that passed.

"Awe yeah!" Rainbow Dash cried out. "Let's kick some ghost butt!"

"Let's get that no good varmint!!!'" Applejack cheered, waving we hat in the air.

"Alright girls!" Twilight said, bravado booming in her voice. "Let's send this ghost back to where he belongs!"

The girls, weather they all wanted to or not, charged into the distance, ready to sent the ghost packing, but noting is ever that simple, or soon they will learn.

Stone apologies and marshmallow memories

- east orchard after dark-

The girls pushed threw the black and grey fog unknowing of what lay at the end in the heart of the glowing green light. It didn't take them long to reach it. The light showed the horrible figure of the shadow king himself even threw all the smoke and darkness. The sun had now fully set, but the girls didn't need the rays of the sun to see the monster that stood before them.

"Alright Sombra, it's over!" Twilight called out to him.

But something was wrong. He didn't answer. Didn't reply. He didn't even move. He just stood there, atop of a rock, in a triumphant pose. As if he had already won.

Twilight squinted her eyes at him, then, with a flick of her glowing horn, she pushed the black clouds away with her magic. Revealing a statue of King Sombra, in a triumphant pose over some stallion dressed in Crystal empire armor, the stallion lay defeated under the hooves of the dark king.

"It's just a statue" Rarity said, looking all around it. " a very well done statue, high quality work, very accurate, but just a stone statue."

"Ummm... Girls" Fluttershy began to speak up.

"Is this what Sunny saw?" Rainbow asked. "A statue?! We came rushing I here to fight a statue?!"

"Girls..." Fluttershy tried to speak a little louder.

"But how did it get in here?" Applejack began looking all around the statue. "Ah don't see no trail marks of somepony pullin a cart around or nothin'."

"Girls?" Fluttershy was now at a indoor tone of voice.

Twilight looked the statue up and down. "Where could this have come from? Maybe if I perform a train spell, I could track down the rout that somepony who might have-"

"GIRLS!!!" Fluttershy now shouted. All her friends stopped and looked at the timid young Pegasus.

"Oh? You say something Fluttershy?" Pinkie asked. "I was just reading the message on the statue over and over again. Trying to figure out if there's a secret message encoded in it or maybe some smaller words written in each letter or-"

"What message?" Twilight asked as all the girls gathered around the side of the statue that pinkie was looking at.

There was a message etched into the rock. Twilight looked it over and read the words over and over again. But couldn't make since of it. She looked back at the statue, how Sombra looked, and how the stallion in Crystal empire armor looked laying down in a defeated position under the king's hooves. The stallion's face looked like it had been scratched off, but Sombra only looked violently triumphant.

"I don't understand, why would that be written..." Rarity chimed in after reading the message herself.

"Ah know... Why would that be engraved into such an evil statue?" Applejack pondered.

Twilight muttered the words engraved at the statues base out loud, hoping it would make more sence. "'I'm Sorry. I'm so sorry...'"

"I don't get it!" Pinkie Pie started looking over the statue herself, hooping and pooping out of everywhere.

"But girls, look!" Fluttershy pointed at Sombra's face.

"What is it Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, moving towards her quiet friend, trying to see what she saw.

"It looked like the statue was crying" Fluttershy admitted.

"But that's impossible, Darling" Rarity commented, waving a hoof. "Statues don't cry."

Applejack jumped up and looked into the face king Sombra's statue, saw some white marks trailing from the eyes, like dried water, then licked them. The girls looked disgusted at their overly daring friend. Well, all except Pinkie Pie.

"Oh oh! What does it taste like?! I bet it taste like-" she was about to list off a number of sugary things she hoped they tasted like, but was quickly stopped before she could begin.

"Salt water..." Applejack looked back at the group in horror. The rest of the girls froze just as shocked as the orange farm pony.

"Wait...." Rainbow began to speak with a slight shake in her voice. "Y-you don't mean...."

"Tears..." Twilight finished we sentence. "But that's..."

"Impossible..." Applejack finished this time, jumping down from the statue.

The girls didn't know what to say or do. The statue was a complete mystery, one that just added to the pile of things yet needed to get figured out.

-Carousel boutique-

"So Sunny, what is your cutie mark?" Scootaloo asked as she sat down with her cup of hot cocoa.

"Yeah! How did you get it!?" Sweetie bell smiled as she scooted closer to him, looking up at him with her big light green eyes.

"Sorry ladies," Sunny half smiled. "I don't really remember... And as far as I can tell.... It looks like..." Sunny looked at his flank which had what looked like a grayish blob on it. Almost a perfect circle of one, but missing a small sliver.

"Maybe you used to work on a rock farm!" Apple Bloom suggested as she blew on her cocoa. "And it means yer hard as a rock."

"It doesn't look like he's hard as a rock" Scootaloo commented as she began looking Sunny over, thinking he looked no different then any other stallion from town. No more toned or buff.

"Maybe he's like Maud, and he only looks like a regular pony, but he has really super strength!" Sweetie Bell pumped her front legs, striking several poses, almost knocking her cocoa over.

This just made Sunny laugh a little. "You girls. Are you always like this?"

The three crusaders looked at each other, shrugged, then Apple Bloom looked back at Sunny with a confused look on her face. "Ah guess so. Why? Is it bad?"

Sunny shook his head. "Not at all. I kind of like it. You all seem so... So carefree. Is the whole town like that?"

"Yeah, for the most part" Scootaloo answered before taking a sip of her cooled cocoa.

Sunny looked into his cocoa, blew into it a bit, then took a sip of the sweet, warm, chocolatey beverage. For a moment, he thought he had remembered something. A warm crack along fire, sipping coco, snow falling... And ... And...

"Is something wrong Sunny?" Sweet Bell asked.

Sunny snapped out of it, shook his head and looked at the innocent filly. "Oh, ugh, sorry just thinking..."

"Thinkin' bout what?" Apple Bloom pressed.

"Just how this would be better with marshmellows!" Sunny said, jumping to his hooves, smiling at the fillies who smiled back. "Who wants some?!"

"Me! Me! Me! Me!" They all called out at once, smiling and bouncing up and down.

"I'll be right back! Don't go anywhere or I'll get aaaallll the marsh mellows to myself!" Sunny told them as he went into the kitchen, ignoring the confusion of emotions he felt at that odd moment, the moment he thought about a warm fire with the first fall of snow....

Mysteries revealed?

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were going to stay the night at Rarity's after crashing from a sugar high. Sunny helped Applejack and Rarity get them into bed, then Applejack took Sunny to the far edge of Ponyville, to Twilights castle.

"Are ya sure this can't wait till mornin', Sugar cube?" Applejack asked the yellow stallion.

"If you want, you can go ahead and head back to the farm, Applejack" Sunny told her. "But I need to know... Something isn't right. My cutie mark, not knowing my real name, and all these things.... It just doesn't feel right..."

Applejack put a hoof on his shoulder and smiled at him. "Ah ain't about to just leave ya ta fend fer yerself. Yer an honorary Apple now. And we Apples always stick together."

This brought an honest and sincere smile to the stallion's face. It was something that he needed to hear. Even if he didn't know it. It was the first and maybe the only stable thing in his life right now, was Applejack, her family, and the farm. It was the first thing he could call home.

As they reached the tree like castle, Sunny knocked several times on the front door. A little purple and green dragon opened the door. He was wearing a night cap and a stripped pajama top, while holding a pony stuffed animal that looked a little like Rarity.

"Hey AJ" he said with a yawn, wiping some sleep from his eyes. Then looked at the stallion with dazed eyes. "And you..." He yawned again, "Must be ... Sunny. Twilight's in the library. You know where that is, Right AJ?"

"Sure do spike" she said to the baby dragon. "Why don't cha get some rest? We can take it from here."

"Ok" he said without any complaints. "And if anything happens... Let me sleep threw it." With that, the little dragon disappeared down a hallway.

"Who's the dragon?" Sunny asked, still trying to learn about all of Applejack's friends.

"He's Twilight's number one dragon assistant" the farm pony answers as she happily trotted in.

"She has more than one?" Sunny shut the door behind them, then followed behind the orange farm pony.

The two of them walked down a long, dark hallway, kept light by a few glowing, purple crystals, that matched the color of Twilight's cutie mark. After a few minutes of traveling, Applejack stopped at a door on their left, knocked a few times, then her alicorn friend opened the door and greeted them with a friendly smile.

"Hey guys" she also yawned. "Sorry, it's been a long day. Come on in."

Sunny was beginning to feel bad for keeping everypony up so late. "Sorry for pressing the issue so late, miss Twilight, but... I need to know."

"It's ok, Sunny. That's what friends are for." Twilight said as she walked Applejack and Sunny over to the center of the room.

"So... We're friends too?" Sunny asked, kind of taken back by the whole thing still. I seemed that everypony he meets is his friend.

"Any friend of my friends, is a friend to me" she said. "And I hope to get to know you better after you remember everything about yourself. Now, stand right there, Applejack, please stand back..."

Sunny stood perfectly still, waiting for Twilight's further instruction. "Ugh... This won't hurt, will it?"

"It shouldn't" Twilight answered honestly and to the best of her knowledge. "How close your eyes..."

Sunny did as he was instructed. Twilight then lowered her head , having her horn barley touch the stallions's forehead with her magical aura that had grown around it. Suddenly Sunny's eyes opened and images began to flash in his head, black smoke, swirling tornados of leaves, marshmallows, a warm fire, dark laughter, the morning sun. Sunny then stepped away from the princess of friendship and shook his head violently.

"Did... Did it work?" Applejack asked, watching Sunny with interest and concern.

"Sunny?" Twilight asked as the stallion hung his head low, but remained standing. "Sunny, are you ok?"

After his head stopped spinning, he looked up at the girls, straitened his Stetson hat, and released a held breath. "I got.... Bits and pieces..." He began, his eyes darting back and forth, as if trying to look threw his previous memories as if they were pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. "But... I only remember what happened after I woke up and saw Goldie Delicious...." He turned to the purple alicorn princess, slight confusion and concern spread lightly across his face. "Does the spell take time to work? Like, warm up or something?"

"No" Twilight answered, feeling slightly concerned. "There must be something more going on. Maybe you dealt with some past trauma and your suppressing a lot of your past."

"So it's a psychological affliction, not a magical one?" Sunny asked, thinking about what could have been so transfix that it would make him suppress his entire past.

"Maybe even a little bit of both" Twilight told the stallion.

"What do we do now?" Applejack, having taken in all what just happened and the conversation up until now, and was thinking of what to do about the current dilemma.

"Well, it would be best to keep a close eye on him for at least the next couple of days or so." Twilight began, "if you want, he can stay here at the castle. Spike and I can watch him and-"

"Um...." Sunny interjected. "I was actually hoping I could stay with Applejack and her family back at the farm." He cleared his throat and turned to Applejack, their emerald colored eyes locking as he shot her a hopeful smile. "I-if that's ok with you and your family, that is..."

To his surprise she returned the warm smile back. "Sure as shootin' it is!" She yelled it out without thinking, then toned her voice down a bit. "A-after all, yer like part of the family."

With that Sunny and Applejack thanked Twilight for their help, promised to let her know if anything happens, and wished her a goodnight.

As Sunny and Applejack continued their walk back to Sweet Apple Acres, they couldn't help but glance over at each other. But whenever one did, the other looked away. They made it half way home without even saying two words to each other. They just enjoyed the walk.

After they passed town hall, Applejack broke the silence. "Ya did a great job, ya know, clear in' th' east orchard."

"Thanks" he shot her another smile. "I meant to do more but..."

"That's ok. Ah'll go with ya tomorrow ta finish it up." She suggested. "If yer fillin' ok ta do it. Celestia had a couple ah guards come by and take th' statue away already."

"I still don't think it was just a statue that I saw though..." Sunny's face turned grim, his eyes darkened. "That voice.... So cold..."

A hoof landed on his back, startling him a little. He looked over at Applejack who just smiled back at him. "There's nothin' ta worry 'bout. Whatever's goin' on, mah' friends and I will stop it."

"Why is it when I look at you, I feel like I can trust your words more then anything?" Sunny bluntly asked.

"That's cuz' ahm tell in' the' truth" she tipped her hat, taking we hoof off the stallion's shoulder. "Ah' don't represent the element of honesty fer nothin'!"

That's where Sunny became confused. "The what of honesty?"

"A'll explain in th' mornin" she told the Stallion as they reached the arch that lead onto the Apple family farm. "And bah th' way. No more sleepin' in."

"What do you mean 'sleepin' in'?" Sunny asked. "I woke up with the roosters. The sun wasn't even fully up yet. Isn't that when we start?"

"Only the late risers" Applejack continued. "We ah'll wake up before the crack o'dawn, get ready, and start just before the roasters...." The both of them trailed off in conversation up until they reached the front doors of the farm house and quietly went inside.

Meanwhile, on a tree at the very edge of the east orchard that faced the farm house, a black shadow shifted in the knot hole of an apple tree. As it took a new form, an eye opened from the huddle of it. Green and red with a flair of green fire spouting from the edge of it.

"Suuuuuuuunnnnnnnnyyyy.....!"

Lending a hoof to a lady

Sunny set an alarm clock that Applejack gave him the other day to wake him up before the sun rose so he wasn't late for work. He was greatful to be living in the farm and wanted to show it through his hard work and dedication. Around 5 in the morning the alarm clock went off, Sunny then flew out of bed, rushed over to the bathroom, brushed his mane, tail, teeth and washed the sleep from his face. Though his vision was still slightly blurry from sleep, he grabbed and threw on his Stetson hat and slid down the railing of the stairs, which turned out to be a bad idea. He didn't know how to stop and ended up flying of the edge of the railing and right into the front door. As he picked himself up, he saw Applejack and Big Mac already outside saddling up.

He walked outside and met up with them. "Morning! I'm on time today!" He said with a triumphant grin as he straitened his hat. "So what's the plan for today? Bucking another orchard? Reprinting the barn? ... Finish clearing the east orchard??"

"Ah, go ahead and take the day off" Applejack said with a smile as she finished strapping one of the two apple carts onto herself, and the other to Big Mac.

As they both began to head out in their separate delivery routs, Sunny fell, face first into the dirt, fast asleep.

( http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SJMizrTFiFo )

Sunny found himself wandering around town for the first time since he came to Ponyville searching for Applejack in the first place, only this time, he really was just wandering aimlessly.

"Oh hey there Sunny!" A pink mare with a Cotten candy mane appeared out of nowhere and suddenly beside the yellow stallion, nearly casing the stallion have a heart attack. "What cha up to?"

Then Sunny's heart beat returned to normal and he felt like he wasn't about to go into cardiac arrest, he took a few deep breathes and smiled at the pink party pony. "H-hi pinkie, I was just, well, walking around. Applejack told me I had the day off, so I'm kinda just wandering around. What are you up to? Anything I can help with?"

"Oh, I wish I had known!" Pinkie began to say. "I told Mr. And Mrs. Cake that I'd run an errand for them. There's a potential catering service in Canterlot, and I'm going to meet them. If I had known I would have gotten you a ticket!"

Sunny just smiled and waved a hoof. "That's ok. I think I need to get used to Ponyville first before I begin to broaden my horizons. But what is 'Canterlot'?"

"Oh right!" Pinkie said with a wavered smile as she began to poke at the yellow stallion's head. "You lost your memory. Well Twilight could tell you more about it then I could! She grew up there! And was a student of Princess Celestia herself! I bet Twi's at her castle right now.! Why don't you go and see her? Oh! Maybe she even has some cookies to share with you while she tells you oodles and oodles of awesome stories!"

"That's a great idea, Pinkie!" Sunny said as the pink mare hopped off of his back. "And best of luck in Canterlot." He told the Pinkie as he watched her bounce away, heading for the train station.

Sunny remembered where Twilight's castle was from the other night, he only hopped she got some rest and wouldn't mind seeing him again so soon. He didn't want to bug her. But he also was very curious about the world around him. It was all so new. Even with taking in most of the sights of the town and surrounding area, Sunny still made it to the castle in no time. He hesitated as he stood there at the door, but went ahead and knocked anyway. It must have been a decent time for most ponies to be awake.

After a few moments a white mare with a silky purple mane and blue eyes answered the front door. "Oh, Good morning Sunny, Can I help you?"

"Oh, ugh, is Princess Twilight awake?" Sunny asked, nervously smiling, thinking he might have come when she was still asleep.

"I'm sorry dear" the white mare began. "But Twilight left for Canrerlot early this morning."

"Oh, well..." Sunny started to trail off. "I guess I could come back later."

"Actually" the Rarity caught his attention. "Could I get your help with something?"

"Sure" to this Sunny didn't hesitate, Rarity was a good friend of Applejack's, and he wanted to show the same kindness he had been shown since he first got to town. "What can I help you with?"

The white unicorn lead him inside the castle, down a different hall and into a large room with the door on the outside marked as 'Storage'. There were boxes and boxes of various items packed high to the ceiling in the room. Each one had been marked with what they were. Some 'paintings', 'books', 'scrolls', 'busts', and a few were marked 'other' which naturally intrigued Sunny.

"You see," the unicorn with a delicate accent began to explain. "I offered my assistance to Twilight, promising to have all this organized by the end of the day. But it seems I've become terribly warn out, using so much magic and what not. Would you be a dear and help me out? Even if just for a little bit?"

"Sure, it sounds like fun" plus he wanted to see what was in the boxes. "All I really wanted to to was find out from Twilight about this 'Canterlot' place anyway."

Rarity looked dumbfounded at the stallion who began shuffling around boxes. "Pardon me, darling, but did I hear you correctly when you said you didn't know about 'Canterlot'?!"

"Oh, right, sorry. I don't think we've been properly introduced." Sunny tips his hat as he holds out a hoof. "The name's Sunny. Well, they call me Sunny. I don't really know my 'real' name. I kind of lost my memory."

Rarity smiles and shook his hoof. "Oh, so you're 'the' Sunny that Fluttershy told me about. I'm sorry I didn't bother to ask more the other night when I saw you. Thank you again for looking after Sweetie Bell and her friends." She releases his hoof and circles him a few times getting a better look at him. Sunny just followed her with his head as she did so, his body remaining in place.

"Ugh... I-it was no problem..." He replied, not knowing if he needed to. "Her, Apple Blom and Scootaloo were all really well behaved. Full of energy, but cute."

"Oh she is darling. The bestest little sister a mare could ask for." Rarity added. "Oh, pardon my wandering eyes. I was just thinking what kind of a suit you would look best in. The Grand Galloping Galla is in a few months, and as my gift to you for being new to Ponyville, I insist on making you a suit to wear."

"The grand what?" Sunny asked, his head slightly spinning.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Darling." She waves her hoof elegantly. "Right now, why don't we get to work. And while we work I can tell you aaaallll about Canterlot, the Galla, and all you'll need l know to attend it."

The yellow stallion's ears perked up as a smile broke out across his face. "That would be great, thank you!"

With his new found motivation, Sunny dove head first into the work ahead of him. As he moved and sorted boxes, Rarity organized the boxes into various piles to be taken to certain rooms, or into a pile to be thrown out. Most of the scrolls and books were meant to be taken to the library, along with a few portraits and Busts of famous ponies. But a lot of the portraits were to be hung in the halls, the rest of the busts she explained that she and Twilight would decorate the specific rooms with.

While they worked Rarity spoke of Canterlot and all its shinning glory. The beautifully structured buildings and castle, made of marble, gold and purple stone. The artwork and fashions that were presented in town. The shoppes and restaurants that she and her friends loved to visit. The treater that her and her friends put on the 'Hearths Warming Eve' pageant at, for all of Canterlot and then some, to enjoy. Then she spoke of the castle where the two co-rulers of Equestria resided.

"Right! It's... Princess, ugh, something with an S?...." Sunny paused, pulling a royal guard's helmet out of a box, then instantly began to polish the metal why his foreleg.

"It's astounding, if you don't mind me saying so" Rarity said as she carried a tall glass of iced tea over to Sunny, offering it to him. " I can't believe that you don't even know who princess Celestia or princess Luna are. They've ruled for thousands of years."

Sunny chuckled as he took the glass and enjoyed a small sip of it. "What's even worse is I don't even remember my own mother's face. That's pretty sad."

Rarity's lady like smile fades as it was quickly replaced by a less elegant frown. "I'm so sorry. My heart truly cries for you."

But Sunny just shrugged as he placed the drink down. "I'm sure I'll remember all of that, eventually. Twilight did try a spell to jog my memory... But she said something else might be blocking my memory. Something traumatic, psychological."

"How terrible!" Rarity gasped. "For something to horrible to have happened to such a sweet stallion like you."

This caused Sunny to blush slightly. The only mare he could remember calling him 'sweet' is Granny Smith, and maybe Applejack, when he wasn't around to hear it. But before he could say anything else, a box fell from atop the large pile. It must have shifted when he was moving boxes around. As it hit the ground, a crunch like noise came from it. He approached the box and examined what was hanging half out of it.

It looked like a pony's leg... But it was made of wood and metal. Hinges resided where it was supposed to bend. Sunny carefully straitened the box up and pulled out the rest of the wooden contraption.

"What in Celestia's name is it?" Rarity asked, standing safely behind the yellow stallion.

Sunny didn't answer immediately, but slowly began to pull out of the box and entire thing that's form closely resembled a pony. It's body was a dense but light wood with its limbs attached with metal hinges. It's eye sockets were empty, it had no mane or tail what so ever. It looked to be... Just a base. A giant base pony puppet, ready and waiting to be given a form.

"It's... Beautiful..." Sunny said, amazed by what he held in his hooves. "Amazing really."

"Why would Celestia send Twilight that?" Rarity asked herself more then Sunny. "It's frightening, is what it is, and that's putting it mildly."

"Ugh, hey, was this going to be thrown out?" Sunny asked with a hopeful smile suppressed.

Rarity half smiled. "I'll put it aside for you, and see if Twilight doesn't mind letting you keep it." She winced as she look another look at it. "Although it might be better to use it for fire wood... But I will ask."

Without thinking, Sunny jumped up and gave Rarity a great big hug. Sending all the blood rushing to her head, changing the white unicorn into a bright red one. "You're awesome Rarity!"

After he let her go, the white mare shook herself a bit, trying to gather herself, then cleared her throat. "W-why thank you, dear. B-but why don't we break for lunch? It's about that time, and I know this lovely little place in town that you will just die for!"

Sunny finished the rest of his tea, carefully put the giant pony puppet back into the box, then smiled at the mare. "Sounds good to me. Lead the way?"

And together, the Sunny and Rarity broke for lunch, and went together into town. But something was off. Something stirred in the storage room. It's movements were hasty, antsy, it's wings made a buzzing noise as it flew out of the room as fast as it could. On its way out, it knocked over the box the puppet was in, sending the wooden figure to the floor again. This time, it's head fell out first, and a symbol carved in the wood was revealed. The Symbol was a hammer and chisel.

Picnic at Fluttershy's

Fluttershy was busy setting up for yet another picnic with all her critter friends in her back yard, when a friendly and familiar voice called out to her from the other side of her cottage.

"Excuse me, miss Fluttershy!" Sunny called out, hoping the timid pegasus was home as he stood in front of her front door. "Are you home, miss Fluttershy?!"

Just then a beaver approached the yellow stallion and grabbed his attention. Sunny looked down at the furry dam builder, and saw that the little woodland creature was directing him to the back. Sunny followed him to the back, lugging a large apple family cart behind him. It didn't take the farm pony long to see the yellow mare setting up for quite a picnic.

"Howdy, miss Fluttershy" Sunny smiled and tipped his hat to the shy young mare. "I have your order right here..." He then pulls out a check list and a quill as birds, beavers, mice, a raccoon or two, and a bear begin unloading the goods as he went over the list.

"Ok... We have; 3 dozen apple fritters, check. 5 apple crumble pies, check. 2 backers dozen of apple turnovers, check. 10 gallons of milk, check. 2 barrels of red delicious apples, check. And last but not least" Sunny concluded with a smile. "A barrel of Sweet Apple Acres signature apple cider."

Sunny looked down at a white rabbit with a stern look on his face as he checked off on all the products as the other animals carried them off of his cart. The white rabbit then mumbled to Fluttershy, who smiles and nodded in response. "All present and accounted for."

Sunny smiled and tipped his hat back a little. "You must be throwing one heck of a hoedown, miss Fluttershy."

The shy yellow mare with a log flowing pink main grabbed a large bag of bits and passed it to Sunny. "Oh no, no, no. It's just a small gathering of me and a few of my woodland animal friends."

Sunny looked around to see her backyard was now covered in animals that could fly, crawl, and swim. Birds, insects, fish, rodents off all shapes and sizes, and even a bear had joined in. "If you say so..." Was all he replied with, smiling at her 'small group of friends'.

(http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SJMizrTFiFo)

He didn't know what the shy young mare had done to persuade him, but somehow he was dinning with her and all of her animal friends. The yellow stallion sat there, nervously sitting on a mug of the apple cider watching Fluttershy talk to animals that only growled, chattered, squeaked, and tweeted back. It was amazing to him how she could communicate with them.

"Are you sure we can't offer you something to eat, Sunny?" Fluttershy asked in a chummed voice.

"Thank you for the offer, but I had breakfast not that long ago." Sunny told her again, feeling half bad for not at least taking an apple fritter.

"Oh no no, don't worry about that." She began. "I just want you to feel comfortable."

To this, Sunny couldn't help but smile and laugh a bit, which confused the shy pegasus. "Sorry, I don't mean to laugh, it's just... I don't think I've meet such kind ponies in all my life, like you and your friends."

This made the shy pegasus to blush a little, and retreat a little into her pink mane. The white bunny next to her then glared at the yellow unicorn as he clenched his soft white paws onto his apple fritter and took a hard bite into it. His eyes stabbing at the Yellow farm pony.

"But how can you afford feeding all of your..." Sunny paused and motioned to all the critters that had joined them for the picnic. "... Friends? If you don't mind me asking."

The timid mare began to emerge from her mane a slight smile on her face. "Well, I'm really good with animals so I-"

"FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY !!!" A young pink filly with a bright blue ran up to the two ponies at top speed, breathing heavily. "Fluttershy! Come quick! There's more trouble at the construction site!"

"Oh dear!" Fluttershy gasped, then turned to Sunny. "I-I'm sorry, but I'll be right back. I hate to ask you this, and feel free to say no, but would you look after my friends while I'm gone. if you don't mind, that is..."

"No problem, miss Fluttershy" Sunny tipped his hat to her again. "You can count on me."

Before she could give her animal friends a second worried look, the timid mare rushed off with the pink filly off to a construction site. While Sunny watched as Fluttershy and the filly flew off, he reached into the pile of baked Apple family goods without looking. He couldn't help himself, the aroma of the apple based sweets had grown on him living at the farm, and the smell of it was pushing the breakfast in his stomach aside to make room. His hoof found an apple fritter that was laying right in front of the white bunny, known as Angel.

The yellow stallion picked it up, his eyes still glued to the direction that Fluttershy left in, and he took a large bite out of the fritter as the white bunny tried to grab it back. He only took about four, large, stallion sized b bites and the apple fritter was gone, leaving Angel Bunny as red as Big Mac. The enraged bunny then moved over to a small group of brown bunnies and began plotting against the yellow stallion in a Stetson hat.

As Sunny whipped the crumbs off of his lips, a brown bunny jumped up onto his face, distracting the yellow pony, while angel jumped up, snagged the stallion's Stetson hat, then made a mad dash to the other side of the backyard.

"Hey!" Sunny yelled, and eventually was able to fling the brown rabbit off his face. He then noticed his apple family Stetson hat was gone! It didn't take him long to find where it had gone off to. Angle was waving it around, tauntingly about ten yards away from the yellow stallion. "Get back here you thieving varmint!"

As Sunny chased the white bunny, Angel decided to have some fun with him. Angel ran threw a pair of trees, two of the brown bunnies pulled a rope on either sides of the trees, stretching it as tight as they could. Sunny didn't see the rope before he tripped and landed face first in a puddle of soupy mud. He remained there for a long moment before whipping the mud out of his eyes. His sharp gaze taking aim at the smug little white bunny.

"I hope you know, that this. means. war. rodent." he growled threw his teeth.

But the triumphant Angel only waved Sunny's hat in the air, then suck his tongue out at the yellow unicorn.

After getting to his hooves, Sunny wiped the rest of the mud off of his face, then examined the mud closer and got an idea. A devilish grin grew across his muzzle as he looked from the white bunny to the pile of mud that lay before him. Sunny began to gather up globs of mud and form them into some what solid balls. Angel bunny was confused at first, but as the first mud ball flew threw the air and smacked him right in the face, the farm pony's intentions became clear. Angel and the brown bunnies were under attack by Sunny and his seemingly endless supply of mud balls. That is, until Angel looked over and saw the garden hose.

As Sunny began to make more mud balls, he was then hit with a powerful stream of cold water. He looked up and saw that Angel had enlisted the aid of the Beavers so he could control the strong kick back of the garden hose. The fiendish white bunny narrowed his eyes and smirked at Sunny as he gave the signal to the Beavers holding the hose to fire!

Sunny dodged the next shot from the hose and the one after that. After working on the apple farm, a pony grows some strong leg muscles. What with all the tree bucking, heavy lifting, and unearthing that had to be done. But the third shot hit its target, soaking the yellow stallion complexly. Sunny glared at the white bunny and his cohorts, then broke out into a trot across the now muddy back yard. It was hard for Sunny to move, which gave Angel and his pals the upper hand. But Sunny began to intimidate their next moves, and quickly dodge their strikes just moments before they got him. Every now and again Sunny had to take the brutal blow of the garden hose or slam down into the mud to avoid a strike. But once Sunny got within a few yards or so of Angel and the Beavers and other bunnies aiding him, he let them take a close range shot, to which , the yellow stallion easily dodged. But the blast created a large watery puddle.

Sunny anticipated this, and as his hooves stopped sliding in the thicker mud behind him, he jumped and cannon balled as hard as he could into the muddy puddle, creating a giant wave of mud water that covered Angel and his trouble making companions. As the Beavers and other bunnies tried desperately to clear their eyes of the mess, Sunny quickly grabbed Angel, who, was still holding Sunny's now mud soaked hat.

As Sunny grabbed the muddy had and plopped it back on his head, he raised the trouble making white bunny up to his face, the critter the hardest glair that he ever made. As Sunny held the white menace in his hooves, he began thinking what he should do with him to 'repay' Angel for his little 'fun' he had, soaking him and taking his hat. But before he could decide, Sunny heard a quiet grasp come from the far end of the yard.

"What is going on here?!" Fluttershy asked, outraged by what she saw. "Look at this mess!"

Sunny and Angel Bunny then began to look around at the entire back yard that had been completely devastated by their muddy battle. Most of Fluttershy's animal friends were either covered in mud or had run away. The food that Sunny had brought, along with his cart, had also been damaged the scrimmage. At that moment, Sunny and Angel Bunny's anger had died down and guilt filled their hearts.

Fluttershy hovered just barely above the mud soaked ground as she looked at the damage that had been done, before turning to the two who had caused it. Her eyes payed heavily on the two, weighing more than Sunny had ever had to bear.

"What do you two have to say for yourselves?!" She harshly asked, her tone never rising above normal for her.

Angel began to mutter something really fast while pointing at Sunny rapidly. Sunny wanted to fallow, but the bunny was speaking gibberish. Well, gibberish to anypony except Fluttershy, who listened to everything the white bunny had to say. Then she turned to Sunny.

"And what do you have to say to that?" Fluttershy asked Sunny coldly.

"Ugh... Well, I don't really know what he said." The yellow stallion began. "But after you left, I was just relaxing, watching the animals, then this critter comes out of nowhere, snags mah hat, trips me in the mud, then starts spraying me with a guarded hose!"

"And you threw mud at him and his friends?" Fluttershy asked, already guessing the answer.

"But he started it!" Sunny whined. "I don't even know what I did to the critter. He just came out of nowhere and snagged mah hat!"

The white bunny began to make more muttering and squeezing noises as he pointed at Sunny. Fluttershy listened intently, nodding, then turned back to the Stallion. "Angel said you ate his apple fritter right I front of him."

"What?" Sunny was confused. Then he remembered the mortal he consumed after Fluttershy left. "Ah... an apple fritter.... Ugh,yeah-"

"That was on his plate, I front of him, without even turning to look?" She said flatly, her eyes still weighing down on him as she hovered above.

"Well.... Maybe... Ah wasn't really lookin...." Sunny felt two inches tall as he broke eye contact with the yellow Pegasus .

"I think you owe Angel and my friends an apology, Sunny" Fluttershy told the mud covered stallion. The she turned to the white bunny who was sticking his tongue out at Sunny. "And Angel Bunny, you owe Sunny and the others just as much of an apology!"

The bunny looked back at his owner in protest and tried to argue threw squeaks and mutters, but the normally timid mare put her hoof down. "You started this all over a pastry. Yes, granted, I bet it did look really tasty. But now nopony else could enjoy their food either!" She motioned to the ruined picnic.

Angel sighed and hung his head low as he shot a defeated glance at Sunny, who returns a similar look back.

"Now get this place cleaned up!" Fluttershy ordered. "I want every critter not only given a nice bath but apologized to! From both of you!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" Sunny jumped right to work, Angel Bunny apologized in his own language as well and quickly followed suit.

It had taken most of the day, but Sunny and Angel had given all the birds, bunnies, and even the bear a nice bath outside. The Beavers, on the other hand, had more fun helping to clear the mud away, and didn't ask to be bathed afterwards. They simply swam back to their homes in the dams down the stream.

While Fluttershy took Angel Bunny inside to give him a bath and to give him a firm talking to about his actions, Sunny grabbed the hose one last time to wash off his cart. He still felt terrible about ruining not only the food and making a huge mess, but about ruining Fluttershy's picnic with her animal friends. His mind was racing with trying to find a way to make things right.

"The tub is free if you want to wash up now" Fluttershy appeared out of nowhere, half startling the farm pony.

"Oh, ugh, t-thank you miss Fluttershy..." He began, still unable to make eye contact with the timid yellow mare. "But I think it would be best if I just went back to the apple farm to wash up..."

"Well ok, if you would feel more comfortable with that." Fluttershy commented.

Sunny gulped and and tipped his hat to slightly cover his face. "Fluttershy.... I'm really sorry about today. I'll make it up to you." Sunny began and Fluttershy just sat back to let him finish. "I'll cover your bill today, and even throw in the next one on me... Just... Just know I'm really sorry about all of this..."

Se smiled and put a hoof on his shoulder. Their eyes met and she just replied in the softest of tones "it's ok. I forgive you."

"How can you just do that?" Sunny asked, his confusion began to spark a flame in his tone. He looked at the yellow mare, more confused then he had ever been. "How can you just smile at me and offer me and say 'it's ok' when I ruined your picnic? Ruined so much food? Freighted away your animal friends? Made a mess of your yard and house?! How can you be so kind?!?!"

Sunny had taken a deep breath and realized that he was now yelling his question at the mare, who, in turn, shocked Sunny by looking at him, unfazed by his rioting.

"It's what friends do" Fluttyshy simply answered. "I value our friendship more then some pastries or a yard. And I don't want to lose you over it. The same as how I know you wouldn't want to lose me the same way."

Sunny took a deep breath and I looked at all she raid in those few simple words. 'Does friendship really mean so much?.... Did I know that before?... Did I think that before?....'

Fluttershy put her hoof on Sunny again. He turned to her, eyes met again, as she saw the conflict and confusion in his eyes. "It's ok. Just know that i was mad at you and Angel for what you did, but I don't hate either of you. Tell you what" Fluttershy beamed Sunny a smile. "Why don't you come next week to my tea party? I'll order more snacks."

Sunny couldn't help but smile back and lightly laugh again. "That sounds swell. But I insist on two things."

Fluttershy tilted her head in slight confusion. "Oh?"

"1) I insist you allow me to pay for all the snacks and beverages. And that means no order in any less then whatever you and your other..."he looked to the animals that had dried off and were mingling around the yard. "Friends want."

Fluttershy smiled "and the second thing?"

"2) I get to use the hose next time" Sunny chuckled.

Fluttershy couldn't help but laugh. Half because of the relevancy of the comment, and the other because she was so happy to see her newest friend was able to move past the awkwardness of the situation and make a joke.

As Sunny waved goodby and pulled the now clean cart along with him back to the farm, he couldn't help but think more about this concept of 'friendship'. Would Applejack have reacted the same way Fluttershy did? Or Ratity?... Maybe not Rarity. Sunny didn't know her that well. But he could tell from her reaction to the dusty boxes, that she wasn't one for a messy area.

Still, the concept of 'friendship' intrigued the yellow stallion. What were it's limitations? How did it form? It was a mystery.

The sun had gone down quite a while ago. As Sunny put the cart into the shed he ran into Applejack. She had seen him approaching and wondered what had taken him so long... And why he was covered in mud.

"Mud wrestlin?" She asked with a smile on her face, kinda liking the thought of Sunny rolling around in the mud.

"Not exactly..." Sunny said as Applejack lead him around the corner to the farm hose. She didn't want to track mud in the house.

As Sunny washed off most of the mud, he told Applejack about what happened. Se didn't much care for Angel and his gang of carrot stealing buddies, but she was a little disappointed that Sunny let it go that far. She loved to hear that the stallion had fight in him, but it's obvious he needed to learn some restrain. Although she was kinda one to talk.

"... And it's just..." Sunny continued as he turned off the hose. "There's still so much about this 'Friendship' thing that I don't fully grasp.... Maybe I'm looking too deep into this..."

"Well Sunny" Applejack said as they walked up and into the farm house. "Th' best way ta learn about friendship is ta make friends."

"But that's just it" Sunny said as he walked with Applejack up the stairs. "I don't even know how to do that! All my 'friends' just came up to ma wand said that we were friends."

"Well first things first" Applejack said as she and Sunny stood outside the bathroom. "Get cleaned up, and get ta bed. Start I' tomorrow, we'll go and introduce ya to every pony around town. That'll help ya make some friends. Maybe even somepony'll recognize ya and ya'll get yer memory back!"

"That's a brilliant idea Applejack! You're a genius !" Without hesitating, Sunny kissed Applejack on the lips, mud covered al all. After a quick moment, Sunny released her and hopped in the shower, shutting the door behind him. He sung something to himself, soundin happy and cheery from the possibility of the prospects tomorrow promised.

Applejack however just stood there, petrified with shock, but melted on the inside as er heart leaped into her throat. 'Mah first kiss from a stallion....'

Applebloom walked past her sister and eyes her, looking confused. "Hey sis, you didn't eat the mud pies we made, right?"

"Sure Apple Bloom" Applejack replied from cloud 9. "That sounds great. Have fun."

With that, Applejack stumbled back into her own respective room and fell lightly on her bed, hugging her pillow.

Rainbow's team challange

"I just don't know, Sunny" Thunder Lane seemed nervous as he confided in his pal. He and Sunny became fast friends after Big Mac introduce the two at a pie eating contest the weekend before. For some reason, the dark grey pegusus always found comfort in talking to the yellow farm pony. "I want to ask her, but what if I do something stupid?! Or what if I have something in my teeth?! Girls hate that!"

It was Sunny's turn to run the apple stand, which he didn't mind in the least. He enjoyed meeting and greeting all of the town's folk. And more often then not, they stopped and would chat for a bit, then decide that they they were hungry, and buy even just a little something from the friendly yellow stallion. Applejack wanted to get Sunny out there and meeting the ponies in town. So having him run the apple stand in town more then harvesting or plowing on the farm was the plan. And the slight increase in apple sales was a bonus.

"Listing, dude" Sunny began as he tossed his friend a plump, red delicious apple. "The best way to talk to a mare is to get her by herself. You know, get her away from pressuring eyes. Then tell her how you honestly feel. But don't pressure her. Mares hate being pushed into a corner. But you know, the best way to win her over, is to spend a lot of time with her. Again, without pressuring her. Do things she likes to do. Offer to help her with stuff."

The pegusus chuckled as he took a bite of the apple. "Yeah, you would know. You're always hanging out with applejack and we friends." He chewed and swallowed. "I bet if you tried, you could date any mare you wanted. I bet they just fall out of the sky for you-"

As Thunder was about to finish his sentence, there was a loud bang, then, from out of nowhere, a blinding light flashed threw all of Ponyville. When he could open his eyes, Sunny looked to the center of town where a sea foam green mare, with a golden mane, stood in the epicenter of a crater that sunk about a good 12 inches into the ground. She stood in a battle ready pose for a few moments, then shot out of the crater as landed in front of the apple stand. As she removed her goggles, she shot a smug smile at Thunder Lane, who looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Sup slow poke" she smirked. He then took an apple from the stand, without paying, took a bite, swallowed, then threw the rest of the apple over her shoulder. "Tell Rainbow Dash that 'Lightning Dust is back in town'"

(http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SJMizrTFiFo)

Sunny had run back to the farm as fast as his hooves could carry him. After finding Applejack and Rainbow Dash locked in a hoof wrestling contest, he skidded to a stop, his heart still racing as he attempted to catch his breath. When he could, Sunny told the girls about the mare called 'Lighning Dust' who landed in the middle of town and wanted to challenge Rainbow and the Wonderbolts cadets to some race.

The three of them then raced back to town to find the egotistical, pegusus mare with the lighting colored mane enjoying some apple juice she snagged from the cart wen Sunny wasn't there. She was joined by two other pegusi, a brown stallion with an onyx mane and a white mare with a teal colored mane and tail.

"Well well well" Rainbow Dash began as she landed and narrowed her eyes at Lightning Dust, her tone a little less then friendly. "Look what blew into town."

Lightning Dust smiled as she glanced over at her old rival, a confident smile spread across her face. "You showed up. That took more guts then I thought you had." Her two accomplices began to chuckle lightly.

"What do you want Lightning Dust?" Rainbow wasn't kidding around any more, her eyes narrowing on her former team mate. "Looking to get some revenge for getting kicked out of the academy?"

"Pfft" she replied to the cyan colored mare. "They did me a favor. That place was just slowing me down. Now I'm with the real winners!" She threw her mug away and stepped into a triangular position with her company, her chest puffed out as she shot a sharp look at Rainbow Dash.

"An' just what 'real winners'? Are ya talkin 'bout?" Applejack asked, taking Rainbow's side.

"We're the team know as 'Thunder Storm'!" The stallion answered, proudly puffing up his chest like his leader, only his eyes were well hidden behind a pair of goggles and his over all look was more serious.

"We're only the fastest, most daring fliers in all of Equestria!" The mare chimed in, her voice screeching like dragon nails on a chalk board. She turned her head and flicked her mane at Rainbow Dash and her friends as she shot them an overconfident look.

"And when we're through here, we're going to head strait for Canterlot to show the princesses that 'we' are the best, then they'll declare 'Thunder Storm' to be the number one fliers, and get rid of those stupid 'wonder dolts'." Lighting Dust stared down Rainbow Dash, their eyes locking, the Sparks between them flying.

"You really think the princesses would ever make you and your goons her personal flying team?" Rainbow took a step towards Lighting Dust.

"Why wouldn't they" Lightning asked, tilting her head up at Rainbow. "We've already bested the wonder bolt cadet teams from Fillydelfia, Manehatten, and yes, Cloudsdale."

This made Rainbow wince as her ego took a hard blow. But she quickly regained her footing. "And you think taking on the cadets will be enough? Why not take on the Wonder bolts themselves? Or are you and your team.just.chicken?" Rainbow's confidence was regained as she smirked at the sea foam colored mare. But lightning dust didn't break. The two former partners were now inches from each other. A fire burning in both of their eyes.

"We'll take them on alright, after we take you and your team down" Lightning Dust spat at Rainbow, never breaking eye contact.

"Hate to break it to ya, but that's not going to happen" Rainbow replied. "Me an my team would never lose to a couple of wimps like you and your 'rain cloud'."

"So we're on?" Lighting Dust asked, her eyes denial narrowing on Rainbow, a slight since of annoyance seeped through the her confidant smirk.

"You bet you are" Rainbow replied. "You and your team are going down!"

While Rainbow took of to get the last member of her team, Flitter, Thunder Lane and Applejack filled Sunny in on the situation. How Rainbow met Lighting Dust at the wonderbolts academy, how they were paired together, how Lighting only cared about being the best and didn't care about who she had to step on to be the best, then how Rainbow indirectly got her booted from the wonderbolts academy after they created a tornado and nearly got Applejack and the others sent flying into next Tuesday.

Thunder Lane added that since the cadets from the academy came from all over Equestria, that teams of 3 or more were made, based on where they came from. And Rainbow was appointed ponyville's team leader. There was her, Thunder Lane, Flitter, and a stallion named Bulk Biceps. But only three at a time we're going to compete.

"Hey, Thunder!" Sunny moved in closer and out a hoof around his grey pegusus friend. "This is the perfect time to tell her how you feel!"

"Really?!" He began to look nervous. "Like, right now? With the competition?"

"Well now is the perfect time to show off your skills as a flyer and impress her with your skills. Then you make your move and ask her to hang out some time!" Sunny smiled and winked again at his grey colored friend. "It's full proof."

Sunny's words bounced around in the grey pegusus stallion's head for a while as he and the others watched the two pegusi who came with Lightning Dust set up the obstacles for the race. Thunder Lane and Sunny watched, studying the different things that Rainbow and her team would have to overcome. Not long after, Rainbow arrived with both Flitter and Bulk.

"What's wrong with your wing, Flitter?" Sunny asked the light purple pegasus.

"I pulled something last week at the weather factory." She moved her wing up and down, it was wrapped in gaze that covered almost all of the wing. "It was pushing it for me to just get down here, but I want to support my team!"

"Yeah, so it's going to be me, Bulk, and you, Thunder" Rainbow Dash began. "We can do this, guys, don't worry! We just have to give out 100- no, 120% in this!!!"

"Yeah!" The overly muscular white pegusus added, screaming and flexing his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

Flitter took a spot next to Sunny at about the same time Applejack, Twilight and the rest of the group arrived. They went to go and grab them while Rainbow got Flitter and Bulk, not wanting to miss their friend go up against her old time rival. But as the girls looked around, they couldn't help but notice that quite a crowd had gathered in their absence.
They heard the news of a new flyers team challenging Rainbow and her team to a race and had to be there. Looking around, Sunny saw that almost, if not all, of the entire town had shown up to observe the challenge.

Once Lighting Dust's team was done setting it up all the obsticalls, which were mainly made of clouds, and outlining the start and finish lines, they took their places. Lighting Dust smirked at Rainbow Dash as she placed a pair of goggles over her face.

Rainbow Dash, Thunder lane, and Bulk Biceps all took their place at the starting line. Both teams took their starting positions ready to spring forward at any moment. Mayor Mare, herself, stepped forward and began to make her declaration of the race and what was at stake. Slight whispers began to seep between the ponies that made up the crowd. Sunny listened intently but his attention was interrupted by a bump at his flank.

He turned around and saw a Brown, earth pony stallion with a spiked dark brown mane and an hour glass for a cutie make holding an odd looking metal device. The device had many buttons, nobs, lights, and two rods that looked like TV antenna. It was making a loud and rapid beating noise as the stallion pointed it at Sunny.

"Ugh, can I help you?" Sunny asked the stallion, a little annoyed by the interruption.

But the stallion just looked at his odd instrument, narrowed his eyes at it, then shook his head. "No no no.... This can't be right..."

And that's all the stallion said before he walked away, starting at his metal box, obliviousness to the world around him. Sunny was wondering what that was about when he heard the racers take off and the crowd cheering them on.

He looked to see Lightning Dust's team had taken the lead, each one flying individually, where Rainbow and Thunder lane were helping Bulk, who seemed to be struggling to just remain floating.

"That's not good" Twilight commented worry hanging heavily on her words.

"Oh, poor Bulk" Fluttershy added. "He's really strong, but his poor wings are too small for his muscular body."

"Well he's got spirit" Sunny commented watching the determination on Bulks face.

"He does indeed" Rarity chummed in, "but I'm afraid spirit might not be enough to win this..."

"Hey!" Flitter spoke up. "Why don't we all begin cheering him on! They are a team, and we need to show we believe in them!"

Sunny didn't know what this feeling was that felt like it was bubbling inside of him, like a volcano ready to burst, but he suddenly felt a strong since of bravado grow from inside that he needed to use to cheer his team on. "Yeah! Let's do it!"

With that, Flitter, Sunny, and the rest of the girls began to cheer not only for their team, But for bulk! "You can do it! You got this Bulk!"

Then the entire crowd looked to them, smiled, and began to cheer out the name of the white, muscular pegasus. "BULK! BULK! BULK! BULK!"

As Rainbow's team made it to the first hoop of cloud, several hoops behind Lighting's team, The crowd's cheering reached them. Bulk looked out into the crowd and saw how everypony believed in him. And suddenly he felt he could do anything! He felt their hope, their strength!

A strong gust of wind blew up from beneath team Ponyville and like that the stallion was no longer struggling to fly. His other team members flew now in a strait formation, with Rainbow taking the lead, followed by Thunder Lane, then Bulk carrying the rear. They wee now soaring threw the obstacle course that floated about half a mile above the ground, in no time they would catch up to Lightning Dust and her team.

Lightning Dust and her cohorts made it through the first part of the obstacles course, the rings of clouds, and had begun the second part. A strait shot threw a number of different mini tornados, each one pulling in a different direction, meat I to pull a pegasus off course. Nothing that wasn't kept in control and could easily be stopped in a moment's notice. Lightning of course made it threw without batting an eye. The stallion on her team struggle slightly, but made it through, following right behind Lightning. The mare on her team, though, struggled quite a bit. And before Lightning and her team could move to the next part of the race, all the members of the team had to make it through.

"Come on!" Lightning called out to the struggling mare, annoyed at the delay. "What's taking so long? We've done this a million times already!"

"S-sorry Lightning!" The mare called out panting heavily. "I-i need a little help!"

Lightning let out a frustrated sigh then told the stallion to get in here to help her. As the stallion rushed over to his comrade, Lightning caught sight of Rainbow and her team coming up fast. She knew it would take at least two of the members a while to get threw, but she didn't like taking that kind of chance. Not when she was this close to achieving her goal. She thought for a moment, then her eyes fell on one of the tornados, then onto the crow below. She knew how Rainbow had a soft spot for the weaker ones.

While the sea foam green Pegasus waited for her team mates to catch back up to her, Lighting whistled a little, acting innocent, as she casually moved over to the tornado closest to her, and wig a nudge of her wing, pushed it, sending it slowly over to the crowd down below. Lightning Dust then smirked at Rainbow and her team as they arrived at the tornado obstacle section just to see Lighting's team pass the second obstacle and move on to the next.

Rainbow and her team didn't hesitate. They immediately moved closer together, in a strait line formation, using Rainbow's slip stream in order to move past the field of tornadoes faster and with less effort. All still holding strong, about to reach the end of the second obstacle, when they heard screams come from the town's ponies below.

The small tornado that had casually flooded down had gained momentum and grew to one three times the size it started out as, and was continuing to grow! Rainbow immediately stopped their team.

"We have to help them!" Rainbow called out to the two stallions on her team.

Thunder Lane looked down and saw the mare he was so desperately trying to impress, there, in the crowd, screaming for help. Her wing, being bandaged up, was of no use for her to try and even bear the storm. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!!!" Bulk cried out as he and his two other team members made a B-line for the tornado.

Lightning looked back and smirked at her handy work as they reached halfway threw the third obstacle. That's when the stallion on her team got her attention.

"Shouldn't we go and help them?" He asked, sounding a little more then slightly concerned.

"Yeah" the mare added, sounding even more worried then the stallion. "Like, won't they get hurt?"

But Lightning waved a hoof. "They'll be fine! They have ponies who can stop it immediately if they wanted. Remember? They have that princess down there. Rainbow Dash just wants to be 'theatrical' again. Like when she got me kicked out of the Wonder bolts academy. Let's go finish this!"

With that, the pegasus with the golden mane took off, finishing the third obstacle with ease, her two team members following quickly behind.

Mean while, down in the crowd, Twilight and the rest of her friends were trying their best to keep every pony safe while Rainbow, her team, an a few more pegasi from town tried to disperse the tornado. Twilight had put up a barrier that covered most of the ponies in town, shielding them from the debris that floated in the air, as well as the strong pull of the storm. Applejack, Rarity, Sunny, Flitter and Pinky dashed all around to grab ponies stuck outside the protective barrier and get them to safely inside. Fluttershy went out with a few ponies to collect the animals up in a protective cave not far from the barrier where another unicorn, a grey Stallion by the name of Alister, would put up a similar barrier.

Rainbow Dash and the rest of the pegusi weren't having an easy time trying to break down the tornado. It was now eight times it's starting size and quickly growing stronger. Rainbow had an idea to use a sonic rain boom, but didn't want the shock wave to harm any pony. It was looking like they weren't going to have much of a choice. If she waited any longer, there wouldn't be a Ponyville to protect!

"Guys, listen up!" She called out to her team, catching every pegusi's attention. "I'm going to use a Sonic rainboom to get rid of this, but I need you all to make sure every pony is in that barrier, ok? Otherwise they could get really badly hurt!"

"You can count on us, Rainbow!" Thunder Lane gave her a confidant lol followed by a salute.

"Yeah! We! Can! Do! This!" Bulk declared, flexing his muscles.

"Let's go team!" Rainbow cheered as she dashed off into the sky, a rainbow trail following quickly behind her.

The other pegusi began to skim all around town, looking for any loose ponies to bring over to the barrier. Bulk and a few other pegusi saw some over by the school yard and quickly went there to bring them to safely. Thunder Lane was about to join them when heard the cry of a very familiar mare.

He jerked his head and saw that Flitter had been swept up in the tornado's pull and was now flying threw the air, being pulled higher and higher. He knew what he had to do! He had to get to her! To save her! He couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her! Without a moment's hesitation, he dove strait at the tornado and was instantly sucked inside, struggling as the tornado pulled him inside.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Bulk and the rest had gathered the last of the ponies in town, brining them into the barrier that Twilight had made. Twilight herself was struggling to keep the barrier up. She may have been a princess, with more magical power then any other unicorn, but even an alicorn who did specialize in protective spells couldn't keep this up forever.

"That's everypony!" Mayor Mare told Twilight as she counted everypony in the barrier.

"Wait! Look!" A mare in the crowd called out, pointing to an overturned cart about 25 yards away from the barrier. A white bunny was clinging to the cart for dear life as it shivered from the loud roaring f the tornado.

Sunny recognized the bunny as the loved pet of his friend Fluttershy, and without a second thought, shot out of the barrier making a mad dash to the cart. But the wind made it difficult. With every step, the stallion had to dig his hooves firmly into the ground. His vision was heavily impaired by dirt and wind that blew right into his face. But he still never stopped.

He kept thinking how ironic it was that the same Bunny that he hated with a burning passion, who clashed with him days ago, was the very creature he was risking his life for. But he wasn't just doing it for him. Sunny knew how much the little critter meant to his friend, Fluttershy, who, even after he had destroyed her day and made a huge mess, still wanted to be his friend. And Sunny would stop at nothing to help his friend!

Before he knew it, Sunny had reached the cart. Angel Bunny then looked up at the yellow stallion, shocked that this was the pony to come for him an not his beloved Fluttershy. But still, the frightened critter jumped into Sunny's hooves, and Sunny held him tightly as she hid with the Bunny inside of the cart, using it as a protective shield against the tornado.

Up above the cloud cover, Rainbow looked down and saw the giant, swirling mouth of the tornado, then, as fast as she could fly, the cyan colored pegusus shot strait at the tornado, diving strait into its heart. She quickly gained momentum and speed that was powered by her want to save her friends. Right as she reached the heart of the tornado, Rainbow Dash once again broke the sound barrier, causing a rubble of rainbow colored rings to appear and shoot out threw the entire tornado.
In that moment, the tornado went silent as it was destroyed from the inside out as a large rainbow ring spread across the sky, brining the destruction to a halt.

Chapter 20. Aftermath and patience

After Rainbow landed, she quickly ran over to her friends, who were still in Twilight's protective magical barrier. But once Twilight saw that the tornado was gone, she dropped the barrier, but also felt terribly light headed. She would have passed out if Applejack and Rarity weren't there to catch her. It was a lot of strain on the poor alicorn. But Twilight was able to stand after a moment taking slow and easy breaths. She felt a little light headed still, but able to stand.

Not long after Twilight's barrier fell did Fluttershy, Alister and the others return with the animals they protected . The yellow mare frantically looked around, asking every pony if they had seen her precious little white bunny, Angel. It's then that Pinkie pointed Fluttershy out to the overturned cart about 25 yards from where the barrier was. Her heart sank as she few as fast as she could over to cart. She and a few others flipped the cart over only to find Sunny clenching Angel in his hooves, and the bunny holding onto him with all his might.

When they both saw the light of day and the clear image of the other ponies from town looking at them, try quickly pushed each other away, crossed their arms, and turned the other cheek up at each other. the ponies laughed and Fluttershy went immediately and began hugging and kissing her precious pet. He gave her a bit of a fight, pretending that it was no big deal, but he eventually gave in to the soft spoken Pegasus, and returns the affection.

Sunny just looked back at them and smirks as he tipped his hat. Applejack bolted over to him, ta making the yellow stallion to the ground. Landing on top of him with her hooves on his chest as she glared at him, slight tears gathered at the very corners of her eyes. "Don't you ever let me catchin' yah do that again! Do yah Hear me!!!"

Applejack had a look on her face that screamed angry, relieved and scared all at the same time. "What would Ah have done if somethin happened to ya?! Ya dang brave fool!"

"Well, ugh..." Sunny didn't really know how to respond. But he really didn't have to think too hard. Before he could say anything, Applejack pulled him in for another hug, the tears Applejack caught back for a while now have way and ran down the sides of her cheeks and onto the chest shoulder of the yellow stallion. Who was embracing her.

"There she is!" A stallion cried out front he crowd with glee as he pointed to a Rainbow Dash as she landed. "She saved the town! Three cheers for Rainbow Dash!"

"NO!" Rainbow quickly silenced the town before it even had a change to cheer. She smiled as she motioned to all her friends. "We all did it! My friends, the other pegusi, everypony!"

"Rainbow dash is right!" Twilight stepped forward, putting a hoof on her friend and smiling at her. "We did this together! Three cheers for us all!"

The crowd all cheered for themselves, for each other, for every pony. They all had banned together and saved each other ! But before long, Lightning Dust and her team had landed near the towns ponies. Lighting Dust with a triumphant look on her face as she held her head high with pride, but her team members couldn't help but hold their heads in shame as guilt filled their hearts.

"Good job in fixing the 'little' problem, Rainbow Dash" Lightning began. "But we all know that if that hadn't happen, my team still would have won. So I guess we'll go strait to Canterlot with-"

There was a loud click, and the turning of small Metallic parts, as Lighting Dust looked down and to her back to find we hooves and wings were in chains!

"Lightning Dust" a white pegasus stallion, with a yellow mane stood before her and her team, who were now also in chains. The stallion glared at the confused Lightning dust as he lifted a scroll up and began to read from it. "You are here by under arrest for the following; 10 counts of destruction of both public and private property, 6 counts of dodging royal guards, endangering the lives of countless ponies and reckless behavior that has resulted in such counts. You and your 'team' will be taken to Canterlot, alright. But to stand trial for your crimes."

A bat pony mare smirked as she nudged the two other team members along into a large royal cart. After the white royal guard with the yellow mane pushed Lighting into the cart and slammed the door, Lightning looked out the barred window at the crowd. Her eyes fueled by fire of her hate for a very specific rainbow maned mare.

As the bat pony mare signaled for the other Royal guards to take them away, Cloud skipper and her then were approached by Alister. Even though the regal unicorn guard never liked to show much emotion, he couldn't help but smile at his friends, glad that they were safe. It was only after seeing The grey coat of Alister's that Sunny began to panic.

"Where's Thunder lane ?!?!" The yellow stallion with a Stetson hat called out.

-Ponyville town hospital a few days later-

Thunder Lane had been on some heavy pain medication most of his time there. It had been a few days since he had been discovered with Flitter in the remains of a house not long after Lightning Dust and her crew had been carted away. He had been asleep since. It was around noon when he began to wake up. Nurse Red Heart had heard his rustling, and upon seeing him finally awaken, called for the doctor to come in.

"Well well, mister gallant hero" the doctor gave Thunder a smile. "Looks like you made it out of that mess in one piece. Almost every piece is broke, but all still together."

"W-w-what about..." Thunder's throat was extremely dry, but he pushed himself to speak her name. "Flitter?"

"Oh yes. She was in here a few days ago. Insisted on sharing a room with her 'hero'" the doctor told Thunder Lane as Nurse Red Heart checked the machines and took note of Thunder's readings. "But she got to leave after two days. She won't be able to fly for a while, but sooner then you, I'm afraid."

It was then that Thunder Lane realized he was in a full body cast. Just about everything on him was held together in a specific position to help his many broken bones heal correctly. Before Thunder could talk more, a very familiar yellow stallion accompanied by a small group of mares and one baby dragon followed suit.

"Well looks who's awake. Mister 'saves the girl.'" Sunny walked up to the stallion and gave his a soft punch on the shoulder and an easy smile. "You got guts!"

"He's a wonderbolt cadet on 'my' team" Rainbow Dash added. "Of course he has guts!."

Thunder then got a slight since of pride as Twilight and her friends filled him in about everything that happened after the tornado broke up.

Lightning Dunst and her 'team' were taken to Canterlot and were put in prison for what they had done and were waiting to stand trial. It was discovered that Lightning Dust had caused the one of the obstacle tornados to go off course, wanting to distract Rainbow and her team. Apparently, her and her 'team' had pulled similar stunts in Fillydelfia, Manehatren, and cloudsdale which is how they had won. They didn't cause as much damage in the other places as much as Ponyville, but still enough to put themselves on the Royal guards most wanted list.

The ponies in town had begun to rebuild thanks to the financial help from Canterlot, and the combined efforts of every pony avalable. There were only a few ponies who received even minor wounds from the tornado Lightning caused, and Thunder Lane had gotten the brunt of it.

Thunder Lane had just finished several gulps of water that Fluttershy was more then glad to help him drink, given his current status of being in a full cast and unable to move his neck or hooves, when he took a deep breath and looked to the group. "But what about Flitter?"

"I'm right here" the light purple mare with a light blue mane mane and tail spoke up. She had on the biggest smile as she walked over to Thunder Lane with both of her wings now in full casts. "And I'll be here with you to make sure you have a full recovery."

"I-I-I" even though his face was covered by a cast, Sunny was willing to bet that Thunder Lane's face was bright red, lucky for him, it was hidden under his head cast.

"Oh, everypony" Twilight gathered her friends collective attention. "We should probably get back to work. There's still a lot of clean up left."

As the girls, Spike and Sunny began to leave the room, knowing just why they were 'really' leaving, Sunny shot Thunder Lane a wink on his way out. Knowing that, although it wasn't the plan he had originally talked to his friend about, it did work out for him in the end. Now his buddy was going to get a lot of personal time with the girl he liked, and he didn't have to life an awkward hoof to get it.

-on a train back to Canterlot-

Alister sat at the window seat looking out at the scenery of the forest area surrounding the train, disappointed by his fruitless venture. Hit thoughts of his depressing failure were, once again, interrupted by one of his closed friends.

"Quit your sulking!" Midnight Blossom nagged at the Unicorn. "So nothing happened, big deal! Isn't that good?"

"Midnight's right, Alister" Cloud skipper added. "We've been around the crash site for weeks, and still the only thing we did was bring in that deranged mare, Lightning Dust, help a few civilians with local disputes, and enjoy the fresh country air."

"Do you remember that escapade we had with that mare who was haunting the opera house in Manehatten about 6 months back?" Alister asked his comrades, never tearing his gaze from the window.

"You mean the one we investigated, turned nothing up, then about a month after a mare came forward and admired to being the phantom?" Cloud skipper asked, not really seeing the relevancy. "Yeah, why?"

The unicorn closed his eyes and rubbed the bad Ed his muzzle with his left hoof. "I have a feeling that 'this ghost' isn't going to be so kind when it turns up again."

"I thought you said we're looking for a unicorn? A real pony this time?" Midnight asked, her annoyance subtly subsiding.

Alister put his hoof down and looked solemnly at his companions and he clarified his worries. "What we are dealing with is more then just 'a unicorn'. Sombra himself was more then just 'a unicorn.' He was strong enough to rival the princesses. But weather this new entity 'is' or 'is not' Sombra, I have no idea. And that's what worries me...."

"It was inside of the meteor...." Cloud skipper began to think out loud. "A meteor that circled Equestria's skies for almost 1000 years...."

"Well whatever it is" Midnight Blossom spoke up. "We can't do anything about it now, chill and wait. Something that big and bad is bound to turn up eventually. Besides, worse come to worse, Princess Twilight and her friends will deal with it. Thy did the first time Sombra came back. "

No matter how Alister played it out in his mind, he knew that Midnight's words were true. It just bothered him to be so useless in such a situation. He enrolled into the Canterlot royal army, spent countless nights studying and practicing magic, all to help the princesses. Now he was 'chilling' while one was in danger and he could do nothing to help...

Silver lining

After Rainbow landed, she quickly ran over to her friends, who were still in Twilight's protective magical barrier. But once Twilight saw that the tornado was gone, she dropped the barrier, but also felt terribly light headed. She would have passed out if Applejack and Rarity weren't there to catch her. It was a lot of strain on the poor alicorn. But Twilight was able to stand after a moment taking slow and easy breaths. She felt a little light headed still, but able to stand.

Not long after Twilight's barrier fell did Fluttershy, Alister and the others return with the animals they protected . The yellow mare frantically looked around, asking every pony if they had seen her precious little white bunny, Angel. It's then that Pinkie pointed Fluttershy out to the overturned cart about 25 yards from where the barrier was. Her heart sank as she few as fast as she could over to cart. She and a few others flipped the cart over only to find Sunny clenching Angel in his hooves, and the bunny holding onto him with all his might.

When they both saw the light of day and the clear image of the other ponies from town looking at them, try quickly pushed each other away, crossed their arms, and turned the other cheek up at each other. the ponies laughed and Fluttershy went immediately and began hugging and kissing her precious pet. He gave her a bit of a fight, pretending that it was no big deal, but he eventually gave in to the soft spoken Pegasus, and returns the affection.

Sunny just looked back at them and smirks as he tipped his hat. Applejack bolted over to him, ta making the yellow stallion to the ground. Landing on top of him with her hooves on his chest as she glared at him, slight tears gathered at the very corners of her eyes. "Don't you ever let me catchin' yah do that again! Do yah Hear me!!!"

Applejack had a look on her face that screamed angry, relieved and scared all at the same time. "What would Ah have done if somethin happened to ya?! Ya dang brave fool!"

"Well, ugh..." Sunny didn't really know how to respond. But he really didn't have to think too hard. Before he could say anything, Applejack pulled him in for another hug, the tears Applejack caught back for a while now have way and ran down the sides of her cheeks and onto the chest shoulder of the yellow stallion. Who was embracing her.

"There she is!" A stallion cried out front he crowd with glee as he pointed to a Rainbow Dash as she landed. "She saved the town! Three cheers for Rainbow Dash!"

"NO!" Rainbow quickly silenced the town before it even had a change to cheer. She smiled as she motioned to all her friends. "We all did it! My friends, the other pegusi, everypony!"

"Rainbow dash is right!" Twilight stepped forward, putting a hoof on her friend and smiling at her. "We did this together! Three cheers for us all!"

The crowd all cheered for themselves, for each other, for every pony. They all had banned together and saved each other ! But before long, Lightning Dust and her team had landed near the towns ponies. Lighting Dust with a triumphant look on her face as she held her head high with pride, but her team members couldn't help but hold their heads in shame as guilt filled their hearts.

"Good job in fixing the 'little' problem, Rainbow Dash" Lightning began. "But we all know that if that hadn't happen, my team still would have won. So I guess we'll go strait to Canterlot with-"

There was a loud click, and the turning of small Metallic parts, as Lighting Dust looked down and to her back to find we hooves and wings were in chains!

"Lightning Dust" a white pegasus stallion, with a yellow mane stood before her and her team, who were now also in chains. The stallion glared at the confused Lightning dust as he lifted a scroll up and began to read from it. "You are here by under arrest for the following; 10 counts of destruction of both public and private property, 6 counts of dodging royal guards, endangering the lives of countless ponies and reckless behavior that has resulted in such counts. You and your 'team' will be taken to Canterlot, alright. But to stand trial for your crimes."

A bat pony mare smirked as she nudged the two other team members along into a large royal cart. After the white royal guard with the yellow mane pushed Lighting into the cart and slammed the door, Lightning looked out the barred window at the crowd. Her eyes fueled by fire of her hate for a very specific rainbow maned mare.

As the bat pony mare signaled for the other Royal guards to take them away, Cloud skipper and her then were approached by Alister. Even though the regal unicorn guard never liked to show much emotion, he couldn't help but smile at his friends, glad that they were safe. It was only after seeing The grey coat of Alister's that Sunny began to panic.

"Where's Thunder lane ?!?!" The yellow stallion with a Stetson hat called out.

-Ponyville town hospital a few days later-

Thunder Lane had been on some heavy pain medication most of his time there. It had been a few days since he had been discovered with Flitter in the remains of a house not long after Lightning Dust and her crew had been carted away. He had been asleep since. It was around noon when he began to wake up. Nurse Red Heart had heard his rustling, and upon seeing him finally awaken, called for the doctor to come in.

"Well well, mister gallant hero" the doctor gave Thunder a smile. "Looks like you made it out of that mess in one piece. Almost every piece is broke, but all still together."

"W-w-what about..." Thunder's throat was extremely dry, but he pushed himself to speak her name. "Flitter?"

"Oh yes. She was in here a few days ago. Insisted on sharing a room with her 'hero'" the doctor told Thunder Lane as Nurse Red Heart checked the machines and took note of Thunder's readings. "But she got to leave after two days. She won't be able to fly for a while, but sooner then you, I'm afraid."

It was then that Thunder Lane realized he was in a full body cast. Just about everything on him was held together in a specific position to help his many broken bones heal correctly. Before Thunder could talk more, a very familiar yellow stallion accompanied by a small group of mares and one baby dragon followed suit.

"Well looks who's awake. Mister 'saves the girl.'" Sunny walked up to the stallion and gave his a soft punch on the shoulder and an easy smile. "You got guts!"

"He's a wonderbolt cadet on 'my' team" Rainbow Dash added. "Of course he has guts!."

Thunder then got a slight since of pride as Twilight and her friends filled him in about everything that happened after the tornado broke up.

Lightning Dunst and her 'team' were taken to Canterlot and were put in prison for what they had done and were waiting to stand trial. It was discovered that Lightning Dust had caused the one of the obstacle tornados to go off course, wanting to distract Rainbow and her team. Apparently, her and her 'team' had pulled similar stunts in Fillydelfia, Manehatren, and cloudsdale which is how they had won. They didn't cause as much damage in the other places as much as Ponyville, but still enough to put themselves on the Royal guards most wanted list.

The ponies in town had begun to rebuild thanks to the financial help from Canterlot, and the combined efforts of every pony avalable. There were only a few ponies who received even minor wounds from the tornado Lightning caused, and Thunder Lane had gotten the brunt of it.

Thunder Lane had just finished several gulps of water that Fluttershy was more then glad to help him drink, given his current status of being in a full cast and unable to move his neck or hooves, when he took a deep breath and looked to the group. "But what about Flitter?"

"I'm right here" the light purple mare with a light blue mane mane and tail spoke up. She had on the biggest smile as she walked over to Thunder Lane with both of her wings now in full casts. "And I'll be here with you to make sure you have a full recovery."

"I-I-I" even though his face was covered by a cast, Sunny was willing to bet that Thunder Lane's face was bright red, lucky for him, it was hidden under his head cast.

"Oh, everypony" Twilight gathered her friends collective attention. "We should probably get back to work. There's still a lot of clean up left."

As the girls, Spike and Sunny began to leave the room, knowing just why they were 'really' leaving, Sunny shot Thunder Lane a wink on his way out. Knowing that, although it wasn't the plan he had originally talked to his friend about, it did work out for him in the end. Now his buddy was going to get a lot of personal time with the girl he liked, and he didn't have to life an awkward hoof to get it.

-on a train back to Canterlot-

Alister sat at the window seat looking out at the scenery of the forest area surrounding the train, disappointed by his fruitless venture. Hit thoughts of his depressing failure were, once again, interrupted by one of his closed friends.

"Quit your sulking!" Midnight Blossom nagged at the Unicorn. "So nothing happened, big deal! Isn't that good?"

"Midnight's right, Alister" Cloud skipper added. "We've been around the crash site for weeks, and still the only thing we did was bring in that deranged mare, Lightning Dust, help a few civilians with local disputes, and enjoy the fresh country air."

"Do you remember that escapade we had with that mare who was haunting the opera house in Manehatten about 6 months back?" Alister asked his comrades, never tearing his gaze from the window.

"You mean the one we investigated, turned nothing up, then about a month after a mare came forward and admired to being the phantom?" Cloud skipper asked, not really seeing the relevancy. "Yeah, why?"

The unicorn closed his eyes and rubbed the bad Ed his muzzle with his left hoof. "I have a feeling that 'this ghost' isn't going to be so kind when it turns up again."

"I thought you said we're looking for a unicorn? A real pony this time?" Midnight asked, her annoyance subtly subsiding.

Alister put his hoof down and looked solemnly at his companions and he clarified his worries. "What we are dealing with is more then just 'a unicorn'. Sombra himself was more then just 'a unicorn.' He was strong enough to rival the princesses. But weather this new entity 'is' or 'is not' Sombra, I have no idea. And that's what worries me...."

"It was inside of the meteor...." Cloud skipper began to think out loud. "A meteor that circled Equestria's skies for almost 1000 years...."

"Well whatever it is" Midnight Blossom spoke up. "We can't do anything about it now, chill and wait. Something that big and bad is bound to turn up eventually. Besides, worse come to worse, Princess Twilight and her friends will deal with it. Thy did the first time Sombra came back. "

No matter how Alister played it out in his mind, he knew that Midnight's words were true. It just bothered him to be so useless in such a situation. He enrolled into the Canterlot royal army, spent countless nights studying and practicing magic, all to help the princesses. Now he was 'chilling' while one was in danger and he could do nothing to help...

A Cranky-doodle-party

Sunny made his way through town down to the local bakery, Sugar Cube Corner. He was sent to pick up a couple sacks of flour for the next week's worth of Granny's backed goods. As he pulled the cart through town, Sunny watched as the ponies of the town went about their business as usual, all the damage of the tornado had been cleared away and all the homes and shops had been repaired. Distracted by the daily life of the town, Sunny didn't see the Pegasus guard who was patrolling the town, and ran into him.

"Hey, what he where you're going!" The guard grunted.

"Oh, A-ahm terribly sorry, sir" Sunny tipped his hat at the guard with a sheepish look on his face, then he hurried around the guard to Sugar Cube Corner.

The guard watched the yellow farm pony as he rushed away, eyeing him suspiciously. But he shrugged off his suspicion as he remembered that Alister had told him to be on guard for any suspicious 'unicorns' or 'shadows'. Not some dopy looking earth pony farmer. The guard shrugged it off and continued walking around town.

Worried about accidentally bumping into anypony else, Sunny kept his eyes forward and only paused to wave at the occasional waving townsfolk. Not long after his running in with the agitated royal guard did
the yellow stallion arrived at Ponyville's famous bakery, Sugar Cube Corner. Sunny raised his hoof to politely knock on the front door, despite the building being open for business to the public he still felt the need to be polite when working with one of Applejack's friends, but a business partner. He knocked once, but before he could deliver a second knock, he was pulled into the shop immediately by a pink flash! The door swinging shit behind him.

"Great! You're here! I need your help! I've been working like crazy all morning! But I can't do this all by myself! Well, most of the time I can, but this time it's different! And I need to make sure everything goes super-d-dooper ok!!!" Pinkie pie began to explain at top speed as she ran around the shop, tying balloons, setting up streamers, draping brightly colored table cloths over the tables, and carefully positioning party hats and noise makers at each seat.

"Ugh.... I was just told to come by and pick up some flour..." Sunny tried to say to the eccentric pink party pony, unsure of what was going on beyond the fact that Pinkie was setting up for a party of some sort.

"I know! And I rushed over to ask Aplejack if you could stay for a while and help out with the party, and she said sure! And that 'it would be great for him to meet more ponies.' So helping me out with Cranky's birthday party would great for both of us!" Pinkie finished off by tossing a splash of confetti at sunny and shoving a noise maker in his mouth.

"Who's 'Cranky'?" Sunny mumbles with the noise maker still in his mouth.

"Oh! He's one of my super-duper-special friends! We met when he first moved to Ponyville! And he's just the sweetest, kindest and most generous guy, ever!" Pinkie explained, the pupils of her eyes growing to almost the size of her whole eye, as she beamed a smile that rivaled the light of the sun.

-Cranky and Matilda's cottage-

As Cranky dragged his hooves to his front door, stretched, and yawned, and scratched both his back and his sagging chin as he looked through half open eye lids into the scenery that separated him from Ponyville. He enjoyed living near the townsfolk, but enjoyed it even more when he could get away from all their loud singing, tomfoolery, and what-nots that took place on a daily basis. He then realized he wasn't alone on his front porch. He looked down to see a young colt with a bright and shinning smile on his muzzle starting back at him. The colt didn't say anything, but held out a can with the word 'donations' on it. From the slight rattling noise it made, Cranky could tell the fella had a few bits in there already.

The wig wearing donkey frowned at the colt and growled. "I gave you a bit last month! What do you think I am, a money tree?! And why are you bothering me so early in the morning?! Don't you have school or something?!"

The colt's smile disappeared as tears appeared at the corner of his eyes as he ran off, half crying, but trying to be brave and hold it in. An unfazed, and very cranky, Cranky Doodle Donkey huffed, grabbed his morning paper and walked back inside.

(http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SJMizrTFiFo)

Sunny actually enjoyed setting up for the party with Pinkie. Every now and again Pinkie would do something outrage that made Sunny burst into a fit of laughter. Like put two balloons over her eyes and making a her mouth blub like a fish, cracking a joke when it got too quiet in shop, or when Sunny least expected it, she's sneak up on him and start a tickle fight. Sunny actually enjoyed her antics, and did his best to fight back on the tickle fights, finding out that Pinkie squeaked when her voice got too high pitched while laughing. Sunny repeated the jokes Pinkie told him in hopes to use them around town. But after Pinkie caught Sunny repeating one of her jokes to himself for the fourth time and she realized what he was doing, she vanished in another pink flash, then returned in a moment holdin a book in her mouth.

"Here! This is one of the best joke books I've ever read! I haven't told all of these jokes yet! Maybe you can get a few laughs out of the ponies in town!" Pinkie told him as she handed the book off to Sunny , 'a million and three jokes for ponies and pony folk'.

Sunny couldn't help but crack the book open and begin reading. A few jokes he did his best to memorize and repeat in hopes to use at the party. After a few moments, he put the book off to the side and continued working. Pinkie couldn't help but smile and shake her head, thinking how the yellow earth pony reminded her so much of her studious friend, Twilight.

'I wonder what he would be like if he was a unicorn?' Pinkie thought to herself. 'Oh! What if I was a unicorn?! Oh! Or maybe a Pegasus! I could work in the weather factory! Maybe even mark clouds that rained confetti! Or pull a Discord and make Cotten candy clouds that rain chocolate milk!' And like that, pinkie day dreamed of her beloved Cotten candy clouds, drooling all over one of the guest's seats.

Not long after the front end of the store was all set up, and Cleaning up the mess pinkie made in her day dream state, did guests begin to arrive. It was odd, there were ponies of all different kinds. Species, ages, colors. It amazes Sunny just how many ponies he hadn't actually seen, even after living in town for so long. 'Applejack was right. I should get off the farm and socialize more...'

As ponies began to mingle, Sunny went to find Pinkie Pie who was busy preparing the snacks in the kitchen. She was just adding dashes of sprinkles onto several dozen cup cakes when he walked in.

"Hey Pinkie, is there anything else I can help with?" Sunny asked, tipping his hat, half wanting to help, but the other half really wanted to start socializing and possible start making new friends.

"Yes! Actually! Would you mind taking that trey out to the guests?" She motioned to a mountain of cupcakes on a tray. The stack reached halfway to the roof, and as Sunny stared at it, his ears dropped, his pupils shrank to the size of needle pins, and he gulped. He knew he was strong, working on the Apple farm would do that for any pony, but balancing something like that?!

"Y-yeah! Sure!..." He gulped again, trying to swallow his fear. "N-no problem..." He then grabbed the plate firmly with his teeth, unsteadily lifted it up, then slowly and carefully begins to take it into the dining area of the shop.

Sunny takes each step very, very carefully, keeping a watchful eye on the mountain of cupcakes. About halfway to the snack table, Sunny felt his legs giving in.

"Here, let me help you" a sincere voice chimed in. The voice was female, but he didn't recognize it as bein any of Applejack's closest friends. Sunny couldn't see who the mare was who offered the help, but he was grateful. She grabbed the opposite end of the tray, and together they both carried the stack of cupcakes over to the snack table and set it down gently without dropping a single cupcake.

"Thank you" Sunny sad before he even got a good look at the mare. "They aren't as light and fluffy when they are grouped together like that."

The mare moved around the corner and came into sight. She smiled and pushed her dark grey mane out of the way and tucked it behind her ear, allowing her bright purple eyes to meet Sunny's. "My pleasure. It would be a shame if Pinkie's hard work were to end up only decorating the floor. My name is Octavia..." She help out her hoof to Sunny.

He smiled and met it with a gentle hoof shake. "A pleasure, miss Octavia."

She smiled back at the yellow stallion. "Aren't you the newest addition to the Apple farm help? Ugh... Sunny, I think I heard Applejack say."

"That's me" Sunny beamed with pride as he tipped his hat and stood up strait.

"I haven't seen much of you around town" Octavia went on to say. "I'm glad you came down to enjoy the festivities. I must say, Pinkie's parties are the best."

"That's what I hear from Applejack. Im trying to socialize a little more. I've run the Apple stand in the market, but I have been meaning to get out more." Sunny continued while pouting himself a glass of punch, then smiled and offered Octavia a glass.

"Oh, well thank you" she happily accepted the first glass, then took a small sip as Sunny poured himself a glass. "So," she began after swallowing her sip. "How do you like living in Ponyville? Enjoy and of the 'excitement' that comes with living here?"

Octavia meant it as a joke, but immediately Sunny's mind shot back to the ghost of Sombra that he saw in the apple orchard. It sent a shiver down his spine.

"I take it you have" Octavia continued to joke. "Trust me, you get used to it.
You wouldn't believe what normally goes on in town in a daily basis."

Sunny clears his throat. "He he... Well, ugh,..." He then noticed Octavia's cutie mark and was more the eager to change the subject. "Oh, that's an interesting cutie mark."

Octavia looked at her own flank and smiled, blushing a little. "Yes. My talents lie in the art of music, preferably, classical. But I do remain open minded to all forms of the musical arts."

Sunny then looked back to his own cutie mark, a grayed out, almost circle. He then looked awkwardly back at the musician, half forcing a smile. "I... Still haven't figured mine out. But I'm sure I'll figure it out, one of these days."

"That's the spirit!" Octavia sprang. With slight bravado. "Oh, pardon me, but may I say something?"

"Go right ahead" Sunny answered, heavily enjoying the conversation with the musician, then took a sip of his punch.

"Well, the way you speak, how you walk, the way you carry yourself, and even though you seem to take life in a nearly care free way, you seem... Oh I don't know, to come from a different branch of ponies other then that of a farmer."

This caused Sunny spit his punch out, thankfully away from the snack table and Octavia, and just out into the open air where it fell onto the wooden floor.

"I-if you don't mind me saying so" Octavia began to regret speaking her mind. "I mean, you are free to choose whatever path you wish, but you don't seem like you grew up in a farm. You seem some what highly educated, and well managed. Not that ponies who work on a farm aren't! Oh... I seem to be tripping over my own words...."

Sunny whipped the punch off of his lips and paused for a moment. Then he faced the grey mare with an honest smile. "You might be right about some of that. I don't know if I did come from a farm. But I do really enjoy living and working there. I'm sure somepony told you how I lost my memory before arriving in Ponyville. I don't know where I came from or what I did before. But for now, I'm really happy just living and working on the farm. "

Octavia was glad that Sunny wasn't mad or hurt by her free thinking. "Well, as long as you are happy, that's the most important thing. But I still can't help but think that maybe you came from Canterlot, trottingham, or maybe even the Crystal empire. But I'm glad you don't have to work on finding the answered out all on your own."

"What do you mean?" Sunny asked as he began to wipe up the mess he made on the ground.

Octavia grabbed a few napkins and joined him in the clean up. "Pinkie and her friends have been going all around town, asking if we knew anything about a yellow earth pony with an orange mane, that may or may not go by the name of 'Sunny'."

That made Sunny smile even more. "They really are a nice group of ponies."

Octavia gathered up the dirty napkins and tossed them into a nearby trash can. "Everypony is really nice around here. That's partially the reason why I stay here. All the friends I made hear in town really make it feel, well, like a home."

"So... Are we friends?" Sunny asked, tipping his hat again at the musician, giving her a hopeful look.

"I would have thought that was obvious" she said first with an emotionless look on her face, that quickly gave way to a bright smile. "Of course we are."

The two shared a few laughs as Sunny told a few jokes that he learned from the book pinkie leant him. Octavia, in turn, shared a few that she had picked up and found... Tasteful. But she did feel it acceptable to share a few her room mate had told her, that were for a less formal crowd. Sunny found them hilarious.

The two enjoyed each other's company for a little while longer until a velvet mare with various fruits for a cutie mark called out to everypony as she looked out the window. "He's coming! He's coming!"

With that, Pinkie turned out the lights and everypony his either behind furniture, tables, or anything they could, waiting for the guest of honor. After a few moments that seemed to drag in for hours, the front door opened and two donkeys walked through. The first one being a mare with her hair styled up in a modest way. The second to enter seemed to be a stallion donkey with a bright gold wig resting on his head, who was rather annoyed as he walked into the gingerbread like bakery and saw the lights were out. He assumed the worst.

"Surprise!" Everypony called out as Pinkie flipped in the lights, confetti and balloons fell from the ceiling, and everypony popes out of their respective hiding places. The mare seemed unsurprised by the notion, possibly having been in on the whole thing. But the stallion went from shocked, to even more annoyed, realizing his fear was very well placed. "Happy Birthday Cranky!"

The mare donkey looked as though she had to whisper something to him to keep him from turning around and leaving right there. It was then that Sunny began to think 'maybe he really isn't the 'social' type. Sunny quickly took a mental note; 'Name: Cranky, observation: doesn't appear happy at parties. Possible reason for staying: his wife.'

But Sunny shook it off and though. 'Shame on me! I don't even know the stallion! Maybe he just doesn't socialize like me, and doesn't know anypony from town. I should go over and introduce myself!'

Sunny then casually walked over to the birthday colt, and tipped his hat. "Hello, Sir, my name's Sunny. It's a-"

"Yeah?!" He growled. "What do you want, a metal?" He spat at the yellow stallion as he pushed passed him and made his way to the back end of the shop, pushing his way through more ponies as he did.

"Oh, I'm so sorry" The mare donkey approached Sunny with a very apologetic look. "He's.... Not really one for parties..."

"Then why would you want to throw him one with half of Ponyville here?" Sunny asked, scratching his head a little.

"Well..." She began, but the hostess with a cotten candy like mane popped out from the other side of the table.

"Matilda came to me last week and asked for my advice, since I'm the element of laughter, and asked what she could do to cheer up her poor hubby-hub who's been a little down lately, even when they do his favorite things. Like bird watching, cooking together, listening to music on their record player, or even just talking a walk in the woods."

"Right" Matilda jumped in. "He's just been so... So Cranky lately, but he won't talk about what could be bothering him."

"So it's up to his best friend, Pinkie Pie ! To cheer him up on his most special of special days! Hiiiiiis burthdaaaay!" Pinky exclaimed proudly, blowing into a loud noise maker after she did.

Sunny thought about it for a moment, and realized that this might be good for him to try and help this 'Cranky Donkey'. "Can I help?"

Party mishaps

Pinkie bounced over to Cranky, ready to help him enjoy his own birthday party. He was hovering over at the punch bowl, pouring himself a small glass when the pink party pony jumped up beside him, startling him, and casing the punch he just poured to fly threw the air.

"Hey Cranky!" She looked down at the spilled punch. "Oh, here! Let me get you a new one!" She began to pour the crotchety old donkey a new glass of punch. "It sure is a good thing that I waxed the floor with a special coat to prevent it from sticking with punch! After the last party we had, I thought it would be a good idea! So are you enjoying your party so far? I mean, you did just get here, but there's lots, lots, lots to do!"

Cranky cleared his throat. "It's, ugh, very nice" the old donkey stretched the last two words, putting some effort to try and be nice to his friend. "But why so many ponies?"

"Oh! It's not just ponies! Steve Magnum said he would be by later after he finished up at the spa! He said he got you an extra special something!" Pinkie added with a bounce.

That made the old donkey start to smile. Cranky and the sea serpent, Steve Magnum, had been good friends for a long time. Pinkie then handed Cranky the cup of punch, he took a small sip, then he spat the punch out all over the pink mare.

"W-what did you do to this punch?!" Cranky asked, disgusted by the red party drink. "It tastes like pure sugar!"

Pinkie pulled a towel out of nowhere and wiped her face off, cleaning off most of the punch, her cheerful expression slightly diminished. "Well.... It's the same amount of sugar I always use."

The grumpy donkey slammed the cup on the table so hard, that if it weren't plastic it would have shattered into a million pieces. He then grumbles as he walked away from the punch table and the slightly damp pink pony muttering "Taste horrible...sugar water....."

Matilda and Sunny cringed at Cranky's actions, then the donkey mare caught sight of a pile of board games stacked on top of a table and got an idea. She leaned in close to Sunny and whispered "Cranky loves board games! His favorite is shoots and ladders! Would you mind playing with him?"

Sunny caught sight of the game in the table and smiled back as he whispered to Matilda "Do I have to let him win?"

"If you can make it close, that would be best" Matilda winked at the yellow stallion who gave her a wink back as he tipped his hat and happily trotted over to the game table.

Sunny grabbed the box for 'Shoots and ladders' and walked over to the table where Cranky was sitting. The glum donkey was hunched over in his chair, mumbling as he nibbled on a plate of snacks.

"Hey! There's the birthday colt!" Sunny said, tip in his hat back a little. Cranky only looked in his direction slightly, then went back to glaring at the wall. Sunny cleared his throat and continued. "Hey, how about a friendly game?"

As Sunny then placed the board game on the table, he was surprised that the elderly donkey managed to crack a smile as his eyes landed on the box. After setting the game up Sunny offered Cranky to go first. Turn after turn, both players equally landing on shoots and ladders, Cranky only needed to roll a seven to win. The donkey had a triumphant smile across his face as he began to roll the dice in his hooves, Sunny watched as Cranky was about to roll the dice when a conga line began to dance right behind him.

Without meaning to, a mare in the line that stood behind Cranky kicked out and light nudged the old donkey. The dice fell out of his hooves, tumbled around the board for a moment's before finally landing on one and two. That put Crabkey's place holder on a ladder that shot him backwards, half way across the board. Both the yellow stallion and elderly donkey stared at the board for a good long moment, then Sunny sheepishly looked up at Crankey as the old stallion's face began to turn red, veins accenting.

"He he... W-well we can still play out the rest of the game... Or you could have a reroll, I mean-" The yellow pony suggested.

"What's the point?! In two rolls you win!" The donkey certainly lives up to his name. He pushed away from the table, walked angrily I cross the room, shoving several ponies out of his way as he did so, and planed his back side in a chair against the wall and glared at the partying ponies, who were now feeling slightly awkward.

Thinking quickly, not wanting to crew up his chance at making a friend out to the donkey, Sunny's eyes spotted a muffin on the table of treats and thought it might not be too sweet for the old donkey's taste buds. Thinking a snack might help the older stallion relax, Sunny hopped over and grabbed it. Picking it up on a plate Sunny began to walk with it over to Cranky across the room. The old donkey had been watching some ponies dance from afar and seemed to be cooling off. Sunny was almost to Crankey with the muffin when he tripped over something, sending the muffin flying threw the air, until it landed strait on the muzzle of Cranky himself.

Sunny was panicking at this point. But before the birthday boy could lose his temper again, Sunny rushed over and began to apologize to him while he wiped the remains of the treat from Cracky's face. But as Sunny brushed the mashed muffin off, he accidentally flipped the golden toupee Cranky had been wearing off his naturally bald head!

Sunny felt his heart sink as the donkey looked from him to the top of his own head. Shock spread across Crankey's face, but before he could flip to anger, Sunny made a mad dash over to where he saw the hair piece on the ground. Just as the yellow stallion made a jump for it, the kongo line reached it first. Ironically enough, the same mare that kicked Cranky moments ago, made another kick into the air without looking, flipping the toupee up and sent it soaring threw the air once more.

'Somepony needs to tell that mare to look where she kicks!' Sunny thought to himself as he followed the air born wig. He could have used some of that advice himself.

Without looking where he he was going, Sunny ran into a table and hit it so hard that he flipped over it, and landing on the far end of the snack table. Sunny watched in horror as plates, silverware and snacks of all kinds flew threw the air, landing all over the room and hitting several of the party goers. Mares, stallion's and even foals were covered in debris of snacks and dining ware. But the worst part, the punch bowl was sent on a collision course for none other then the birthday boy himself!

Watching in awe, unable to process everything that had happened, Cranky sat in his chair, and watched as a nearly full punch bowl of sugar enriched punch landed on him, dousing him with the sweet red liquid, making him red and sticky from the top of his nails head all the way to his aching hooves.

The entire room fell completely silent. All the party guests were either covered in food or drinks, the dining ware lay bent or broken on the floor, and there stood Sunny with the golden wig in his hooves. It and Sunny had been the only ones undamaged by his little 'accident'.
Thinking this to be the only thing to do, not necessary the wisest thing, Sunny went to go give Cranky his toupee back.

The yellow stallion pulled his stetson lower over his face to hide his shame as he walked up to the punch soaked donkey, removed the flipped over punch bowl from his head, saw the best deadpan face Cranky ever made, then he put the toupee back atop his bald head. Sunny then staggered back, feeling two inches tall, not knowing what to say, just started at the floor, afraid to look at any pony.

'So much for making friends.... I'll be lucky if I can ever show my muzzle writhing 10 miles of Ponyville ever again!' Sunny said as he hung his was low and avoided eye contact.

Before anypony 'could' say anything, the entire shop flashed filled with water from nowhere and just as fast as it appeared, the water flooded out. Racing out the front door leaving all the party guests soaked and confused. "I'm here! Now the party can begin!"

There at the door way stood the top half of a purple sea serpent with golden hair similar, if not the same, as Cranky's toupee. As Sunny got up, rinsed out his Stetson and places it back quickly I top of his head, he turned and looked at the late arrival.

"Sorry we're late everypony!" Pinkie Pie added, popping up out of the sea serpent's mane and jumping down. "Steve here wanted to stop by and get some fresh water"

"Oh one does need to freshen one's tank water when one travels." The purple serpent commented. "Don't need to smell like I've been traveling, and what not." He shuttered, then looked to the rest of the group. "So, what did I miss?"

Sunny just hung his head low and mumbled. "Just me destroying the entire party..."

"Psh" Pinkie replied as she waved a hoof. "The party isn't ruined, it's just begun!"

The pink party pony then pulled a light blue cannon out of her main and shot it several times across the crowd. Out of the cannon, instead of cannon balls came party supplies! Ones that landed perfectly as if they were set up by hoof! There were new tables with plates and silverware, a new snack table complete with freah backed goods, and yes, another punch bowl already filled with punch! It even shot out more balloons, confetti, and party supplies!

Sunny stood there, jaw dropped, completely in shock, as he looked at the room. It was like nothing has ever happened! Everypony, even Cranky, who had been hit with the party snacks had been washed clean by the flood. When the water was released from the shop, it carried away all the debris. And now, in a mere matter of seconds, Pinkie managed to bring everything back. Sunny sat there, dumbfounded and amazed as he looked across the room at the ponies who instantly began to go back to partying like it was no big deal.

"Some wild party, eh?" Octavia's voice rang as she approached Sunny.

"It.... But I...." Sunny couldn't form the right words to even begin a sentence.

Octavia just smiled and handed him a slice of birthday cake. "We've all learned to just go with it. With all that's happened here over the years, a ruined party being washed away and remade in a mere thirty seconds is nothing. Trust me."

As the grey cello player began to take small bites of her own slice of cake, Sunny was able to gather his thoughts and form a few sentences. "But, after what I had done..." He looked over at Crankey who's face had remained unchanged and very emotionless, he felt his guilt return to him. ".... What should I do?"

Octavia rolled we eyes and swallowed the small bite she had taken. "If you still feel bad, the just go apologize."

Sunny took another deep sigh and straitened his hat. "Your right. I'll be back. But if for some reason I don't make it back alive, tell the Apple family I love them..."

With that, the Stetson wearing yellow stallion made his way over to Cranky, once again. This time taking great caution with every step he took, making sure not to slip, trip, or crash into the newly reformed Kongo line. Eventually, he made it to the table where Cranky was sitting, his face still deadpanned as his sea serpent friend talked about shopping in one place or another.

The only indication Cranky gave that he was even remotely not made of stone was when Sunny stood about two feet from him and cleared his throat. The donkey's eyes moved for the first time in what seemed like forever, but his face was still expressionless.

"H-hey Cranky" Sunny smiles awkwardly as he nervously waved. But the only thing to happen was the purple sea serpent stopped talking and was now watching Sunny, which made him more nervous. Taking a deep breath Sunny gave up on being nervous and just met Crabkey's stone eyes.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about ruining your party, even if Pinkie did somehow miraculously make it all better in a flash. I did make a mess of things, and I just wanted to say-" Sunny was about to apologize again when he was cut off.

"Yeah yeah, I get it kid, don't repeat yourself" Cranky spat out as his wife Matilda returned with a picture of ice tea and some glasses. "Besides, I half expected as much."

Pinkie Pie then popped up behind Sunny to clarify for him before the yellow stallion became more confused. "See, Cranky and Matilda enjoy their quiet and peaceful loves, but also like watching the ponies run around, have fun, get into trouble, and even get out of it, as long as they don't get dragged into the craziness. But when I throw a party, they kinda guess that means that they will get sucked into the craziness anyway."

"So I just deal with it" the male donkey added in as he took a sip of his tea and smiled at his wife, looking upon her with sweet, gentle eyes. She blew him a kiss back.

"And now we can all be friends!" Pinkie shouted as she patted Sunny on the back. "And that reminds me!" She bent down and whispered in Sunny's ear "you know, Crankey, Matilda and Steve have all traveled far across Equestria, seen all kinds of places, things and met all kinds of creatures and ponies!"

This caused the gears in Sunny's head to begin to turn. Taking another deep breath he took a seat at Cranky's table and joined in on the conversation. Even though Sunny had enjoyed making friends with all the ponies in town who were so loud and full of life and energy, this small and quiet crowd seemed ok to him too. He guessed that maybe it's ok to have many different kinds of friends, at least, he hopped Cranky, Matilda and Steve would consider him a friend as easily as Pinkie and Octavia did.

As the sun went down and the last of the guests went home, Sunny stood by his cart and asked if there was anything Pinkie needed help with, feeling bad that she wanted to deal with the clean up all on her own.

"Nah, I can have it cleaned up in a flash" the party pony replied. "I'm sorry that no pony could help you with your whole 'I-don't-remember-who-I-am-or-where-I-came-from' Memory problem, Sunny."

"That's ok Pinkie" the stallion replied, tipping his Stetson at her. "I did manage to make some new friends instead."

"And that's just as great!" Pinkie commented, the bravado reappeared in her voice.

With that, Sunny began to carry his cart full of flour back to the apple farm, feeling like he was going to sleep like a rock tonight.

Rarity's SSP

The day was young, but Sunny knew he was already going to heavily enjoy it. For three reasons; 1) it was Big Mac's turn to run the apple stand in town. Not that running the stand is bad or anything, but it was the middle of the week, and that meant it would more then likely be a slow day. Unlike his more silent pal, Sunny heavily enjoyed talking with the ponies in town. So the yellow stallion was more then glad to have remained on the farm today. 2) Today Sunny was tasked with helping Granny Smith and Applejack make the fresh baked apple products they both eat and sell. He had spent a lot of time in town, running around, and meeting lots of ponies. Which was great and all, but staying on the Apple farm and being around most of the Apple family made him feel, well, relaxed. At home even. And 3) between the three of them, they would have all the orders done in no time, and that meant Sunny could spend some time with Applejack and her friends, or well.... Maybe just Appejack.

As the yellow stallion was being instructed by Granny on how to work the dough for the pies so they end up light and fluffy, rather then hard and crunchy, the stallion was finding it harder and harder to listen. Every chance he got he shot a quick look over at the Orange mare who was covered in little blotches of flour and dough. He couldn't explain it much himself, but he felt... Something....

"Are you paying attention, Sunny?!" Granny snapped, narrowing her eyes at the stallion as he flipped his head around to meet her frustrated gaze.

He gulped, fearing he had been caught with his hoof in the cookie jar. "Y-yes granny! Miss! A-ah was listenin'!"

But Granny seemed oblivious as to what Sunny was paying more attention to, or to be more accurate, 'who' he was paying more attention to, and just assumed the Stallion was losing interest in her words of wisdom when it came to the Apple family secret methods to baking. "Maybe ya' would prefer ta' be workin' on the filling. Why don't ya' go peal an' cut up some apple slices. Not too thin this time, ok?"

Sunny nodded sheepishly and moved from the table where the dough was being prepared and rolled out, to the table next to Applejack where she was carefully preparing the pie tins. As he grabbed a few apples and began to carefully peal the skins off then, Applejack took note of his work.

"Ya really improved since ya first started" she said as she smiled at him. "Ah remember when ya could barley move the peeler across the ' apple's skin. Now ya really got it down."

Sunny began to beam with pride as a huge smile spread across his face. He could feel his cheeks becoming red as he lowered his head and tried his best to focus on his work. His heart was beating a million milled per hour when the door to the kitchen flew open, slamming against a wall, with Rarity standing there, looking flustered and more frightened then Sunny had ever seen her.

Her entrance was so sudden, it shocked Sunny to where he accidentally sliced threw the apple and the chunk of apple he cut off from the whole flew across the room and landed on the fashionista's face! To every ponie's surprise, the mare who was all about her appearance and her looks simply wiped the sticky and juicy apple chunk off of her face, and ignored the trail of apple juice that it left behind. She instead homed in on Sunny, who was looking just as worried as Applejack and Granny at this point. Rarity flew across the kitchen and landed next to the yellow stallion.

"Sunny! I need your help! I've been summoned to Canterlot for business but I can't go alone!" The white unicorn gave him the biggest and saddest eyes she could. "Please! Please-please-please! Please! Go with me!" She begged as she batted her eyelashes, slight tears gathering at the far edges of her eyes.

Sunny turned to Applejack, looking concerned and unsure of how to answer. But the orange farm pony gave him a weak smile as she shrugged. "Maybe you should go with her. It might help you with your memory. Besides..." She looked down at her friend who was beginning to tear up, her make up beginning to run. "She looks like she really needs yer help. A true friend helps a friend in need, right?"

"Y-yeah..." Sunny replied half heartedly as he liked down at the fashionista on the brink of tears, as she gave him a small and sweet smile. He gave Rarity a half, but honest grin as he told her "if love to help you, Rarity, so what-"

"Splendid! I've already packed for the occasion, even for you, we can't have you going to this meeting without the proper attire, all free of charge and a gift for you help of course, now we have to hurry, don't want to miss out train!" Rarity spoke faster then Pinkie Pie at this point, and like magic, her make up seemed to fall back into place, even the apple residue seemed to have dissipated (or was absorbed into her coat, Sunny wasn't sure.).

Rarity grabbed Sunny around his right front leg and practically dragged him out of the farm house faster then when she arrived. Granny and Applejack just stood there and tried to take all of it in, looked to each other, and wondering just what kind of meeting had that mare all in twist like that.

(http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SJMizrTFiFo)

Sunny looked out the window of the fast moving train, amazed at not only how the landscape seemed to fly by in a blur, but also how beautiful it was. Other then the trees or rocks that lay in the front, closest to the train, the scenery beyond that was amazing. Being further in the background made it seemed to move a lot slower, allowing Sunny to observe it more. He hadn't been out side Ponyville other then when he first met Goldie Delicious. And off in the far far distance he saw the most amazing sight! His pupils doubled in size as his eyes caught the sight of a castle on the side of the tallest mountain! He couldn't believe his eyes, it was huge! A castle of white and gold stone with accents of purple and slight black. It was like a work of magic!

"Amazing isn't it?" Rarity commented, seeing Sunny gawk at Canterlot. "Every pony thinks so. And wait until we get there! You are going to love it! The glamor! The sophistication! Oh...." The white unicorn sighed with a the joy at the mere thought of Canterlot. "We have a few stops to make, then we'll head on to have lunch with my, eh...."

"Clients?" Sunny completed her sentence, knowing that it was common for business partners and clients to often share a meal together to get to know one another. "Mind telling me who we are meeting and why?"

Rarity heavily sighed as she felt guilty and slightly ashamed for tricking the yellow farm pony. "Well... You see... The 'business' aspect of it is... Well, really 'personal' business... We're... Meeting my parents."

Sunny was still confused. "You do business with your parents?"

"Well ... not really, my parents retired young. They owned several small businesses around Canterlot and Manehatten, and are just enjoying their time together. But because of that, they worry about me, being all caught up in my shop and what not. They think I should be settling down, getting married and having foals."

"Ah...." Sunny commented, not really sure of what to say. He can't really remember his own parents, and the only mother figure he has in his life right now is Granny. And the only parental advise she gave him was 'if you own a farm either have lots of kids or make sure you have lots of grand kids.'

"Sooooo.... I need your held to get my parents off my back." Rarity continued, brining Sunny back to the present. "For the past month or so, my parents have been trying to hook me up with all kinds of stallions. Mainly ones who they knew the parents of. And it's been... Annoying lately. I've been getting love notes and proposal letters from stallions I don't even know. "

"Sounds kinda frustrating" Sunny commented, imagining how weird it would be great some random mares to come up to him every couple of days and want him to marry her. "But I still don t se what you need me for...?"

"Well, and I know it's low of me to put you in this position, but..." The mare gulped. "Would you mind pretending to be my Special Some Pony to get my parents off my back?"

"Your.... What?" The phrase confused the yellow stallion.

"'Special Some Pony'" Rarity repeated herself. "It's a phrase meaning 'a pony you have personal feelings for'. You know, somepony you want to be close with, somepony who makes you feel all warm inside, somepony you want to impress and be with all the time, somepony who make your heart feel like it's going to burst, or burst twice."

Sunny didn't even need to think. As the white mare spoke the image of a certain blond mare with a light orange coat, freckles, and emerald green eyes filled his mind. He didn't know how long he was lost in thought before he realized that Rarity was trying to talk to him. But when she finally was able to snap him out of it, he only shook his head and muttered "huh? What did you say?"

Rarity chuckled, "it seems you might have somepony already in mind, darling. Makes me feel a tad bit more guilty for asking your help with this, but also a tad bit envious. Not to pry, but is she somepony I know?" The smile on Rarity grew as she tried to see threw Sunny.

"Huh? I don't know what you are talking about. Know who?" Sunny began to play a little.

"Playing coy, darling? Tsk tsk tsk. That's not polite." The fashionista commented as she continued to smile.

"Oh? And tricking your parents is?" Sunny countered, returning a cocky smile.

"Touché, touché" the white mare replied, her smug smile wavered.

Sunny let out a huge sigh as he turned and took a good look at the fashionista. "Rarity.... I'm not so sure I'm ok with all of this.... Lying to your parents... Maybe it's because I don't remember my own but... Don't they have your best intreats at heart?"

That added weight to the guilt Rarity had already been carrying. "I know, darling, trust me. I already feel absolutely dreadful about this whole ordeal. I know my Mother and Father mean well... But I'm not some old mare. I want to enjoy life in Ponyville, with my work, and have fun with my friends still...." Ratity's ears slightly dropped as she continued. "The last couple of stallion's who wrote to me explained, in great detail, how I would have to be the one to move in with them when the time came. And since their homes or businesses were located in places like Trottingham, Los Pegasus and even Dodge Junction, that would mean I would have to move away from my friends!"

"You can't do that!" Sunny's heart began to beat a million miles per hour at the thought of Applejack losing one of her best friends.

Rarity tossed her forehoof up to her head and rested herself agains the back of her seat. "I never wish to be separated from my friends, not in any way, shape or form... But these suitors Mother and Father keep sending after me are getting more and more persistent...."

"I'll do whatever I can to help you, Rarity" Sunny said with a smile on his face.

Rarity looked up and shinned at the thought that Sunny was now willing to aid her in her hour of need. "You will! Oh Sunny!" She flew over and jumped at the stallion, giving him a great big hug. "I'm ever so greatful! You have no idea what this means to me!"

'It means you won't lose a part of your world...' Sunny thought, the true emotion behind his smile was that of a saddened envy. 'Friends.... Family.... I will help you to keep them both so you don't lose anypony.'

The train ride lasted for a few more hours before they both arrived in Canterlot. They spoke about what they would be doing in Canterlot, other then just meeting Rarity's parents.

"Just a few small stops before we head to the restaurant to meet my parents, which will give us some time to practice." Rarity began as she happily hopped off the train, Sunny carrying her luggage behind her.

"Practice?" Sunny said between breaths. As usual, Rarity seemed to have packed for a while week rather then just one day.

"Well..." Rarity once again gave Sunny a sheepish look. "I never told them you... Worked on a farm. I told them you worked for the mayor. You know, a high end respectable job involved with authority."

Sunny stopped dead in his tracks, a frown and glair glowing on the stallion's face. "Working on the Apple farm 'is' respectable."

Rarity saw the stallion's anger and tried to recover. "I understand, sweetie, trust me, I have nothing but respect for the working pony. Applejack and I are some of the best of friends. But my parents would never believe I would fall for a stallion who works around, eh-yuck, dirt all day...."

Sunny just pushed out some held breath and frustration and tossed the rest of Ratity's luggage on his back. He was greatful for his earth pony like strength, it made carting the heavy cargo easier.

"Now, you work for the mayor" the white unicorn continued as they walked into the shopping area of Canterlot, Sunny getting a sickening feeling in his stomach that this was not going to end well....

Meeting the Parents

Sunny had accompanied Rarity through several shops, some clothing stores that Rarity insisted they drop by to get Sunny something 'decent' to wear for lunch, even though she had brought some cloths with her. She could help but admire Canterlot's newest attire available for stallions. Apparently my her then Spike, she didn't have many stallion friends to dress up, so this was a golden opportunity for her. They also visited several souvenir shops and stands, picking up a few gifts for their friends back home. And what Sunny found odd, Rarity insisted on stopping by a few hardware stores to pick up some pieces. But he didn't mind, Sunny was overcome by the sights of the enriched city. Rarity had told him that Canterlot was the jewel of Equestria, and w believed it. It was more beautiful then he had ever imagined. One thing that Sunny preferred about Ponyville, in comparison to Canterlot, were the ponies attitudes. A lot of the ponies in town seemed to either be too into themselves or act too good to even wave back when Sunny greeted them. But there were a few who seemed to smile and a knowledge Sunny's existence, they were far and few between.

'I guess that's the life of the rich and wealthy' Sunny thought. Ten remembered Rarity said her parents had several businesses that they owned and retired early. He wondered if they were like all of these ponies, walking around in their expensive outfits and thick heavy pockets.

By the end of the shipping portion of their trip, Sunny was surprised that it was just barley noon. He had changed into the suit that Rarity had packed for him. She decided that the one she packed looked to be more like one somepony from Ponyville would wear, which was the impression she wanted to make. Rarity herself self had made several wardrobe changes. She went between a dress she designed, to one se picked up at the first shop they visited, to the most recent one she bought, and back to her first one. Sunny never knew anypony could enjoy changing cloths so often. He was glad most of the time he just ran around naked.

"Black is so you color, dear" se said with a sweet chime as she readjusted his tie. Sunny was stuck wearing a black suit, which he agreed did look good on him with his yellow coat and orange mane. But it didn't allow much movement. He could never run, lift, or do any form of work in it.

"Now, let's not keep Mother and Father waiting. Do you remember what we rehearsed?" Rarity a makes the polished up farm stallion.

Sunny was only able to nod, as an answer. Between the tight suit he was wearing, plus the large amount of bags that he got suckered into carrying, it was a surprise he hadn't passed out yet. The bags, of course, were all Rarity's luggage and souvenirs she aquired.

"Oh wondeful! And again, I really do appreciate your help" Rarity elegantly strode ahead while Sunny barley wobbled several feet behind her.

After about ten minutes of carrying her things, Sunny stopped and set them down in front of a large diner. He looked around and saw many ponies sitting both inside the establishment at booths and small tables, as well as outside at moderately sized tables that sat outside, shaded by large umbrellas. Sunny's attention was caught by a pink unicorn mare who was waving him and Rarity down.

"Over here!" A pink unicorn with a tall purple hair styled mane waved again, sitting beside a white stallion wearing a straw hat. They both wore very bright tropically designed shirts and seemed very easy going. Not at all what Sunny had been expecting, especially looking at Rarity herself.

Sunny cracked a smile at Rarity as she smiled awkwardly back and whispered through her teeth "just relax and let me do most of the talking."

"Deal" was Sunny's only reply as he spoke through his teeth as well, walking casually beside her, picking up her belongings again.

They both walked as casually as they both could over to the table where Rarity's parents sat. Sunny carefully dropped all of Rarity's stuff not far from their table, stretched his back, taking as deep a breath as he could with that suit on, then took a seat with Rarity at their parents table.

"Oh! So this is the colt we've heard so much about, eh?" Rarity's mother began, seeming very interested in Sunny.

"Well he sure is a strong feller, eh?" Her father commented, tipping his hat back. "I like yer Stetson. Very classy. But what's the apple on the front for?"

It was only then that Sunny and Rarity both realized that he was still wearing his apple family Stetson hat. Thinking quickly, Rarity salvaged the situation.

"Oh it was a gift from the Apple family" not technically a lie. "You know, the ponies who run Sweet Apple Acres back in Ponyville? Because Sunny helped them get their financial paperwork in order and sorted out several technical issues, they deemed him an honorary Apple family member." Ok, lying mostly, but Sunny just kept smiling through it all.

"Oh! So you're the mayor's aid and an honorary Apple family member!" Rarity's mother started, then stopped her self with a hoof wave. "Oh, but where are my manners? My name's Cookie Crumbles."

The white unicorn stallion with a mustache then stretched out his hoof to Sunny "And I'm Hondo, Hondo Flanks, but you can call me pop pop if ya want."

Sunny gulped, he raised his hoof, trying not to break through the fabric of the suit, reached over and shook Hondo's hoof. Sunny smiled at the mustache bearing stallion and replied " if it's ok with you, I'd prefer just 'Sir', Sir."

"Oh! What a polite feller you nabbed, eh Rarity?" Cookie complemented.

"Why, that's a mighty firm hoof shake you have there" Hondo commented, "do ya work out?"

"Oh yes!" Rarity answered for Sunny as she wrapped her hooves around him. "Sunny is very strict of physical fitness."

"Oh, good on ya, Sunny" Cookie smiled at him. "So, not to bring up bad times, but Rarity told us you lost your memory a while back, before you started working for the mayor."

"Th-that's right" Sunny stuttered, not thinking Rarity would tell them that. "I actually only go by Sunny because it just kinda feels right. I'm not even sure it's my real name."

"That's so terrible!" Cookie's bright and cheery face began to fade. Without saying anything, she got up and hugged Sunny as hard as she could, which he would have appreciated more if he wasn't already being squeezed to death by his suit.

"We're both very sorry to hear that" Hondo replied. "But lucky for you Rarity came along, eh? Teaching you how to cook, clean, and read again, eh?"

This caused Sunny to stiffen a bit, he kept a forced smiling as he kept his head forward but his eyes fell heavily upon the white mare next to him. Rarity sheepishly took a sip of her water, and looked away from the glaring yellow stallion. He kept his teeth locked as he replied. "Yes. Yes I am very fortunate."

Rarity had the same awkward smile on as she lightly chuckled. "So mother, father, how were the Misty Mountains?"

The couple spoke about the good times they had skiing and drinking hot chocolate in the ski lounge. Sunny chimmed in after they finished and told a few jokes he read in the book Pinky gave him. They earned a few chuckles from Rarity's mother, but had we father in stitches. After several moments, her father began to gather himself from the last joke that Sunny told, and he whipped the tears from his eyes.

"Whahooo, Rarity, you nabbed yourself a real funny one here! Ohhh! He's a keeper!" He commented, still holding his sides.

"To true dear" Cookie smiled at her husband, then turned to Rarity. "So, your father and I had been talking, and in light of everything, we decided to move to Ponyville and get a home not far from your boutique."

This caused Rarity to spit out her ice water. "W-what?! But why?!?! I-I-I mean, there ain't any reason for you to stop your all across Equestria traveling!"

"Oh, your mother and I talked long and hard about it" Hondo added once he had fully stopped laughing. "And we decided that we want to settle down and watch our little girl's love blossom and grow" he grabbed his wife's hoof and nuzzled her cheek.

"Just like ours did" Cookie commented, nuzzling back.

"B-b-but! But you can't!" Rarity began to stutter. "I mean, we are both so busy with our jobs, we wouldn't have time to-"

"Well that's the beauty of it!" Cookie interrupted. "We'll be around for when you to are able to take time off of work. Besides, I want to help my little girl plan for her wedding."

"Wedding?!?!" Both Rariry and Sunny repeated the last word at the same time, both of their hearts sinking into the pits of their stomachs.

"Well of course dear" Rarity's father spoke up this time. "Your mother will help with the decorations, the planning, the dresses, and Sunny and I will get to know each other better. Maybe we can even hit the gym together, eh? Little father-in-law/ son-in-law work outs?"

Sunny then turned and whispered to Rarity "what are we going to do?!?!"

"I'll figure something out, hold on" she replied to the yellow stallion in her whisper voice. Then they both turned back and nervously faced her parents.

"Mother, Father, I don't know that we'll be getting married any time soon..." Rarity began.

"Oh? But your letters made it sound like you two were so ready to elope?" Cookie then pulls out a letter and begins to read a part in it. "'... When I am with him, my heart takes flight, I know I can rest easy knowing he is there for me, and will be by my side. His eyes are two perfect emeralds that outshine the sun, his voice the soothing jazz that calms the storm of my soul. He is my breath, my heart beat, and my morning rays....'"

Sunny begins to turn slightly red as he turns to Rarity who is now a really bright shade of pink and burying her face in her hooves.

"Sound alike true love to me, eh?" Hondo said as he took another sip of his drink.

"W-well, S-sunny is really busy at work! Doing all he can to help the good ponies of Ponyville. E can't take time off of work for that!" Rarity began, pulling herself out of her hooves.

"R-right! The mayor is tasking me with a lot of taxing work! I have a mountain of paperwork just waiting for me back at the office!" Sunny added, trying to help. "Especially with elections coming up, and there are some new taxes that need to be put to a vote..."

Both of Rarity's parents looked at each other, then her mother replied "didn't Ponyville just have their election at the beginning of the year?"

"Oh, ugh...." Sunny was trying to think fast. "I-I mean-"

"Elections for the PTA meetings!" Rarity added. "Have to have a proper school board."

"But isn't there just one school, with one teacher?" Rarity's father asked this time, now both parents becoming confused.

But before Sunny or Rarity could come up with another believable lie, a few very familiar set of voices chimed in.

"Hey look! It's Rarity and Sunny!" Scootaloo said heading towards the group.

"And my mom and dad!" Sweetie Bell followed behind her.

"Hey ya'll!" Apple Bloom followed behind with Rainbow Dash at the rear.

Sunny and Rarity felt like their hearts were going to pop right out of their respective chests as the fillies and their chaperon approached their table, feeling it grow more and more impossible to keep up the charade.

"What are you all doing here?!" Rarity cleared her throat and out in her best smile, desperately trying to remain calm. "I mean, what a pleasant surprise! What brings you all here?"

Rainbow Dash flew up and held out some tickets triumphantly. "We just got tickets to see the first ever showing of the Daring Doo movie! It comes out in a month and we already got our tickets before they sold out!"

"Oh?! That sounds great! Why don't you head back to Ponyville as tell Twilight-" Rarity tries to shoo them all away politely.

"Oh! That reminds me!" Apple Bloom spoke up. "Sunny, when we get back to the farm, Big Mac needs yer help fixing ' the old plow. He got some spare parts but can't do it alone."

Both of Rarity's parents looked confused, but her father spoke up. "Why can't Big Mac get somepony else to help him with that?"

"Yeah" Rarity's mother added. "Sunny has a lot of paperwork to do back at the mayor's office."

All the fillies and Rainbow looked confusingly at each other, then they turned back to Rarity and Sweetie Bells's parents.

"Since when does Sunny do 'paperwork'?" Scootaloo blankly asked.

"Does he help the mayor out too?" Sweetie Bell asked Apple Bloom.

"Ah don' know when he'd have the time" the little earth pony fully answered. "He's always so busy at the farm."

"At the farm.... You mean helping to sort out paperwork for the farm?" Hondo asked.

Apple Bloom shook her head. "Mostly helping with the harvest, but he also helps Granny with the backing. Oh! And he occasionally helps us with our crusading!"

Both of Rarity's parents turn to Rarity and Sunny who where now slouching in their seats. Well, Sunny slouched as much as he could in his seat with that tight suit on.

"Care to explain this one?" Cookie asked her eldest daughter, her gaze now showing a flair of suspicion.

Rarity sat strait up, let out a small sigh, and with a defeated look, fully prepared to explain herself and tell the truth, but something interrupted her.

There was a loud tearing sound that came from Sunny's suit as the back and the top of the sleeves all tore at the same time. After a moment of stillness from everyone, Sunny let out a heals breath as a button flew from the top of his button up shit and shot right between Rarity's parents. Nopony saw where it went, but a loud crashing could be heard from off in the distance followed by the sound of screeching tires. Sunny then cleared his throat to redirect everypony's attention at him.

"The truth is...Rarity and I aren't dating" Sunny flatly answered. Both of Rarity's parents looked shocked, frustrated and insulted. "But she had a good reason."

"What reason could sh have and for lying to us, eh?" Her father spoke up first, anger building up as he narrowed his eyes at the stallion. But Sunny stood his ground.

"You guys were-" Sunny began but felt a gentle hoof on his shoulder. Rarity stopped him.

"Thank you dear, but I should explain this..." She then looked her parents strait in the eye as she spoke calmly
And collectively. "For the past couple of months, you two have been sending every single stallion you could after me, trying to get me to find a Special Some Pony. But I don't want to settle down. Well, not yet, at least."

"But you spend so much time working darling" Rarity's mother commented. "How can you ever find a stallion when you stay all day in your shop?"

"But I don't, mother" Rarity countered. "I get out and meet ponies in town. I hang out with my friends. I travel all across Equeatria helping Twilight and my friends to spread the magic of friend ship, and trust me, I meet stallions all the time." Rarity then turned on the charm as she struck an elegant pose, batted her eyelashes, and flipped a Lon purple lock of her mane, "and when I find a decent one, trust me, I'll have no trouble getting him to fall for me. But until then, I want to keep living my life the way I do now, uninterrupted by weird stallions I've never met, who knock on my door and want to marry me on the spot!"

Both of Rarity's parents pause and look at each other, carefully taking in everything their daughter had told them, then they turned to her and smiled.

"Well if you feel that strongly about it honey..." Her father began.

"Then I guess we'll respect your wishes, and stop sending stallions after you." her mother finished up.

With that, a tearful Rarity gave her mother and father a huge hug as she leaned in from across the table. Sweetie Bell joined in as well as the entire family enjoyed a group hug. Scootaloo moved in a few inches closer to Rainbow Dash, who noticed, and pulled the little filly into her hooves and gave her a friendly noogie. Apple Bloom looked to Sunny, who returns a smile and patted her on the head, then gave the little yellow filly a side hug.

It was a warm moment to be sure, one that remained in Sunny's mind as he, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and the Cute Mark Crusaders took the train home after they all enjoyed lunch with Rarity and Sweetie Bell's parents. For some odd reason, as Sunny watched the sun begin to travel across the sky, all he could think about was going back to the Apple farm. Back 'home' to the Apple farm.

To a Stallion's heart

Sunny, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and the Cutie Mark Crusaders all arrived back in Ponyville just shortly before dinner time. As the group dispersed, Sunny walked with Apple Bloom back to the farm. As they walked, Apple Bloom expressed her enthusiasm for the up coming 'Daring Doo' movie and how she and the other crusaders were going to work hard to make their own Daring Doo costumes.

"Sure other ponies could just 'buy' their costumes, but where is the fun in that?!" Apple Bloom explained as she happily trotted along side the yellow stallion.

"And let me guess, you might get a cutie mark in 'costume making'?" Sunny half joked, knowing the crusaders turned everything into a project to get their cutie marks.

"Exactly!" Apple Bloom said as she jumped up and down amazingly more excited then she had been a moment ago. "Ya know Sunny, yer a great stallion! It's like yer my long lost brother 'er somethin'."

This made Sunny beam with delight. He always thought Apple Bloom was the perfect little sister figure, and it just made his heart, well, explode when she said that. She was cute, without being too girly. Halfway back to the farm from, the little yellow filly began to yawn, her eyelids began to bounce, wanting to shut fully and allow the little pony to sleep. Without asking, Sunny picked up the yellow filly and began to carry her on his back. By the time they made it back to the farm house, she was out cold.

Both Applejack and Big Mac met them at the door to the barn, both happy to see the safe return of the two yellow farm ponies. Big Mac offered to take his younger sister off Sunny's hooves and put her to bed. Sunny didn't argue. After the day's escapade, not to mention carrying all of Rarity's stuff around, as well as all the shopping she wanted to do, Sunny was a bit worn out. And tomorrow he knew it would be his turn to work in the fields again.

"Have fun?" Applejack asked as Sunny sat at the table with her in the farm house kitchen. She passed him a tall glass of milk as he began telling her all about what happened with Ratity and her parents. Sunny did his best to go over most of the story, but between the glass of milk and the exhausting day, he too was feeling slightly drained. The thought of that comfortable bed sounding more and more inviting by the moment.

"Well.... It was interesting" the yellow stallion then cracked his back. "Ugh... I'm thinking if it's ok with you, I'm going to actually call it a night. Got lots of work tomorrow, bright and early."

Applejack's heart sunk a little, but she never let her face show how disappointed she really was. "Yeah, sounds like a good idea. You sure ya ain't hungry, though? Ah could wipe ya something up really fast. Never good to go to bed on an empty stomach, ya know."

"I'm good, thank you" he said as he hopped out of his seat and stretched again. "But I'll be fine."

With that, the yellow stallion on the farm carried himself upstairs into the guest room where he had been staying the entire time, walked inside, shut the door gently behind him, then jumped and plopped into the bed, his Stetson falling to the ground. And like that, the stallion was out cold.

Applejack watched every step he took. And when he shut the door behind himself, she let out a heavy held sigh, her ears and eyes falling to the floor. She had hoped to spend more time with him today. She didn't know Rarity would have him out for so long. She remembered how this morning she struggled to keep her eyes off of him, not wanting to notice her catching sights of him whenever he wasn't looking. She sighed heavily again.

"Something the matter, Applejack?" Granny asked as she walked into the kitchen, ready to get supper started.

"Granny... Have you ever..." The orange mare began to say, but her words were difficult to spit out.

"What is it, child?" The elderly green mare asked as she began to pull out ingredients.

"Well.... Ah've been sendin' Sunny out an' about, here and there, hoping that somepony, anypony, would help ta jog his memory. Twilight said his memory loss wasn't magical. Something so bad happened to th' feller that his mind suppressed it.... "

"Yep, must have been somethin' really, dang awful ta do that ta a pony" Granny said as she began chopping up some apples.

"Do ya think I'm doing right by him?" Applejack asked, walking up beside her grandmother and helping her prepare the ingredients. "Ah just... Ah want to do what's best fer him.... But... But what if living here with us is what's best? Can he just keep living here with us? Forever? Become one of the family? Ah means, he works well, he's a hard worker! And Big Mac and Apple Bloom seem ta be gettin' along with him, and ah'..."

Granny continued to peel apples but looked up at her grand daughter, who had paused trying to gather her words and feelings. "You, what, Applejack?"

But the pony of honesty couldn't directly say what was bothering her. "Ah just... Ah really want him to stay here. With us... He's like family."

Granny smile and pulled her eldest grand daughter in for a hug. "Applejack, if yer afraid of losin' that wiper snapper, don't be. Ah see the way he looks at you. The way his face lights up when he sees you. How he jumps to yer aid, always tryin' so hard to show you he's good stock."

Applejack was on the verge of tears, but she held an honest smile. "Ah don't know what it is Granny... Ah've never felt this way before, not 'bout any pony before."

Granny released Applejack from her hug and bopped her on her orange nose. "That's called 'love' sweetie. You've been bit by the ol' love bug. And pretty bad to, he he... And you know the best way to ah stallion's heart?"

Applejack's tears clear up as she thinks. "Ugh... Hard work and determination?"

"Through his stomach" Granny corrected her. "And if there's one thing ah think ya've learned 'bout Sunny is his favorite Apple family breakfast is-"

"Apple Fritters!" Applejack then realizes all the ingredients that Granny brought out were for making the breakfast treat! "But how did you..." Applejack began to ask how Granny guessed to make them for the next morning. Did she plan to anyway?

"When you get to be 'bout mah age, sweetie, ya just know things" Granny said, cracking some eggs into a bowl with flour. "Now, are ya gunna help me, or do ah have ta make these mah self?"

Applejack laughed as she put her hat on the rack by the kitchen door and with much bravado, began making the best apple fritters she ever crafted, putting all her tender love and care into them, wanting to impress the stallion that walked into her life and stole her heart.

Dreams Come True?

-Dream world-

It seemed to be an average night of work as princess Luna made her way across the dream realm. Most of the ponies slept soundly, a few foals having a nightmare or two, but nothing she couldn't handle. It brought her joy when she entered a foal's dream and helped them to conquer their fears. Weather it was as rational as fearing a bully, creatures of the Everfree forest, or a parent's scolding or as Irrational as fearing monsters under the bed, it was all in a nights work for the princess of the night.

The dream world was a simple one to understand, when one traveled it as often as Luna did. Pony's dreams were held within large spheres that represented the world in which the pony dreamed they were in. When a dream was pure and the pony in it was resting easily, the dream bubble, as Luna had often called them, was clear and she could easily see into it, viewing the pony in their dream. But when the dream turned into a nightmare, the bubble could warp and change violently.

Princess Luna had seen all kinds of ways a nightmare presented itself. It could cloud the bubble like a dark storm, make loud and frightening noises, shake violently, pulse rapidly, even produce large amounts of heat or cold. All of which would attract her attention, to which, se dealt with accordingly.

But on this nightly venture something the princess had never seen before caught her eye. It was a dream bubble, that much was for sure, like most the dreams she dealt with. But this one appeared to be... Hard. Solid. Made of stone. She couldn't enter it. And when she places a hoof on it, it shocked her! Something in the dream world was working against her. Her! The princess of the night! The protector of dreams! How could this be so, she thought.

For a moment, she hesitated. Torn between caution in wanting her sister's advice in such an event, and wanting to deal with it herself this being a matter of her own 'area of expertise'. She started at the dark grey dream orb, wondering what contents it held.

"We've never dealt with the likes of this before" Luna spoke to herself. "It's unheard of... Somepony must either have a great and strong subconscious... Or be under a very strong spell..."

After observing the oddity a bit more, taking in ever inch of the stone colored bubble and obtaining from it little to no information about who could be having the dream, the lunar princess decided it best to speak with her sister and ask for her aid in researching the phenomenon.

-Sweet Apple Acres-

Before the sun rose and the roosters had a chance to crow, Sunny was up and awake, and readying himself for the day. Washing his face, using the restroom, some what brushing his mane (not putting much effort into making it look nice,it's going to be under a hat anyway), he quickly through on his Stetson hat, then took one last glance in the mirror before he made his way down stairs. He gave his reflection a nod as he tipped his hat and quietly moved out the door and down the flight of stairs. As he did, right as he reached the front of the kitchen arch way, a lovely aroma hit him like a tone of bricks!

"Is that...." He smiles as his muzzle rose high into the air, not wanting to miss a single scent of the delicious, fresh baked goods.

"Freshly baked apple fritters" Applejack said as she placed them on the counter to cool. "Just like you like them."

Sunny's mouth was drooling enough to water the entire orchard twice over! It was like a dream! The yellow stallion couldn't help but look at the spread in awe. Mott only Apple fritters, but a tall jug of cool milk, oats, and apple juice to go with it! "What's the occasion?" He asked Applejack as she placed the last of 3 dozen or so of the freshly backed apple goods on the counter.

"Ah just wanted to make you breakfast" Applejack said with a smile, as she felt her nerves began to eat at her, making her more jittery and nervous with the stallion around. "Well, you and Big Mac and Apple Bloom, but mostly you. I mean, they get some too, but I really wanted you to-"

"Thank you, Applejack" Sunny said, interrupting her. Not meaning to be rude, but at the same time, not wanting her to stumble across her words any more. "I really appreciate it, and all you've done for me."

The orange farm mare smile and looked to the ground as she adjusted her own Stetson. "Well shucks, ah just do what any pony would..."

"I don't think so" Sunny commented as he took a seat at the table. "You really have gone out of your way to help me. Both on the farm and with trying to get my memory back. And I want you to know just how much really appreciate it. It means a lot to me."

The made Applejack smile wider then she ever had before. Then the question slid it's way from the back of her mind. She let out a heavy sigh as her smile disappeared. "Say, Sunny... What if... What if ya never get yer memory back? What do you plan to do?"

The yellow stallion's ears dropped. "I... I haven't really thought about it too much... I guess I can't really ask you to put me up forever. That would be rude, and I don't want to be too much of an inconvenience-"

"No!" Applejack yelled accidently, then covered her mouth. "Ah mean, if ya want, yet free ta stay here 'slong as ya like." She began to smile again as she lay here eyes upon his. "We, ah mean, the ' family would love ya have ya here as long as ya like."

Time seemed to freeze as the two pair of emerald green eyes began to grow closer and closer together as the space between the two ponies in the kitchen began to shrink. Their muzzles just inches from each other. Their respective heart beats causing their bodies to tremble, the temperature in the entire room to rise, as they both leaned in and-

There came a knocking at the door!

Sunny slipped and fell to the ground as Applejack herself fell on top of the table. Both of them sat there for a moment as Granny trotted down stairs, yawning. "Now who could that be at this time of day?"

As she opened the door a tall yellow mare. She had a bright orange mane that flowed behind her head. She was an earth pony, who stood maybe a few inches taller then Big Mac, had perfectly white teeth, and grassy green eyes. She looked down at Granny with sorrow filled eyes. "Excuse me miss, I don't mean to intrude, but is this 'Sweet Apple Acres?'"

Granny smiled at the well mannered mare and nodded. "That it is miss, ugh, can we help you?"

"Oh I do hope so" she began as she dug around in her purse. "You see, I've lost my son and I was told there was a stallion who lived here who he resembled ... Ah here it is!"

The mare pulled out a photo and showed it to Granny. The elderly green mare pulled out her glasses and peered at the picture. Her jaw dropped almost immediately. "Well ah'll be! Sunny! Take a look at this!"

Sunny and Applejack stuck their heads out of the kitchen for a moment to see what all the fuss was about. The moment they did, the yellow mare's frown blew into a full smile, reaching from ear to ear as she ran into the house and up to the yellow stallion, wrapping him in a bear hug that knocked the wind out of him. "Oh my baby boy! There you are! I've missed you so so so much!"

Granny dropped the picture that the mare had handed to her and ran over to the mare who now had Sunny in a death grip hug. Applejack couldn't help herself but pick up the photo that Granny dropped. She looked it over and gasped. In it was a buff looking brown stallion standing next to the yellow mare with an orange mane and tail that came to the door, along with several smaller fillies and colts, all different colors of the rainbow. All happy and smiling, with Sunny right in the middle, beaming with joy.

My Name is Custard?!

It seemed to be one of the largest gatherings since the Apple family reunion. All of Sunny's little bothers, sisters, cousins, a few aunts and uncles and his mother had gathered at Sweet Apple Acres when they heard the news that he had been found. She had sent word and fast to call off the search for him as soon as she released him from her death lock hug. They all couldn't wait to come down and see that he was ok. Applejack and the rest of the Apple were more then happy to host a reunion party for Sunny and his family.

"So... My name isn't 'Sunny'?" The yellow stallion said, readjusting his Stetson hat nervously. He was sitting at the picnic table outside with his mother and Applejack,while all the little ones played with Apple Bloom near by.

"I'm afraid not" his mother replied, tucking a lock her mane behind her ear as she held out a family photo album. "We named you 'Custard Glaze' after your great grandfather 'general Custard Glaze IV', my grandfather, who fought in the Griffin wars..." She then pointed to a worn and torn photo on an open page of the album.

AJ peeked over and looked at the photo, slightly annoying Sunny's, or Custard's , mother. "Wow wee, Sunny! Never knew ya wer' related ta' a war hero! He even has yer strong chin!"

Custard's mother pulled the album away from Applejack's sight and began pointing out more picture's of their family out to Custard. Some of her and her mother, some of Custard's father when they first met. "Oh I do wish your father would just ask his mother for some of their family photos, he was such a good looking colt" she smiled at her son "you look just like him when he was your age."

The complement made Custard beam a little, but the joy was short lived. He looked at several of the photos on the open pages of the album, then at all his cousins, sisters, brothers and elder family members that had gathered at the farm who were celebrating, laughing, enjoying the food provided and seemed to be happy. 'A family... My family.... Why... Why am I not happier?... This is what I wanted... Right?...' Sunny, or Custard, gave his mother a half smile when Applejack spoke up and tore him from his thoughts.

"How about a big ol' family dinner tonight! Sunny, er, Custard's family and the Apples! One big happy family dinner!" Applejack suggested.

"Why that sounds just lovely" Custards mother commented, narrowing her eyes at Applejack, speaking through her teeth. But her face relaxes as she turned back to Custard. "Then after dinner, we'll head back to Boltimare, your father has been worried sick, and your grandmother-"

"Wait, what?!" Custard spoke up, his ears dropping down to the side of his head. "W-we're leaving Ponyville ?"

(Insert mlp fim opening theme song)

Twilight was walking with Fluttershy down the dirt road leading to Sweet Apple Acres, excited by the news that Rainbow Dash had told them.

"I still can't believe Sunny's family found him!" Fluttershy said in her quiet tone of voice. "He must be so happy!"

"I know, after months of wondering, he now has his answers" Twilight added, smiling at her timid friend. "Kinda supposed by his real name though..."

"I know, right!" Rainbow Dash joined them, zooming up beside them, still slightly hovering above the ground. "'Custard Glaze'? I mean, it's better then some names, but if I were him, I'd change it to Sunny."

Rarity came trotting up, almost completely out of breath as she was huffing and puffing when she finally rejoined her group of friends. "Really... He he....Rainbow Dash....you .... You could have waited ...up for me!"

"Eh, you were taking too long!" The cyan colored Pegasus said nonchalantly as she flew backwards casually in her back to face her friends as she took the lead. "Besides, you caught up."

"Yes, but just look at me!" The white unicorn mare pulled out a compact mirror and glanced at her reflection. "I'm sweating! Oh! Sunny's mother is going to think I'm some kind of a slob!"

Rainbow dash just rolled her eyes as the other girls lightly laughed. Then twilight noticed something about her group. "Hey girls, where's Pinkie pie?"

Rainbow dash did a slight flip and landed on the ground. "She's already at the farm, probably playing some games with 'Custard''s little brothers and sisters"

Rarity shuttered half as badly as Rainbow dash did at Sunny's real name. "My gosh, that name still isn't sitting right with me."

"I know" Twilight commented as she and her group of friends reached the opening arch for the apple farm. "But we need to use it. Apparently it's a name passed down in their family. Let's respect it and try and be supportive of him and his family..."

It took the girls no time at all to find Sunny, er, Custard and his mother, along with Granny, Big Mac and Apple Bloom around the field, where a giant table was set up with food of all kinds. Pinkie was setting up a bouncy castle that Custard's younger family members looked like they couldn't wait to play in. The girls quickly joined Applejack and Custard at the table in the field.

Custard's ears were dropping, and his normal sun colored coat had some what dimmed from its usual glow, but he was smiling, kind of. It was a hollow smile, he trying to be as happy as he could. But the girls could see he honestly wasn't happy about something. Still, they all tried their best to brighten up his mood.

"Hey S- ugh, Cuatard!" Rainbow was the first to approach the yellow stallion.

For a moment, the Stetson wearing stallion brightens up, but when he heard his name spoken, she light vanished, but the shadow of a real smile remained. "Hey girls, glad you could make it."

"Oh!" Fluttershy spoke up. "Thunder Lane wanted me to tell you he said congratulations on finding your family! He really wanted to be here, but he's still stuck in bed."

"Yeah, and don't worry about him" Rainbow commented. "Flitter has been taking care of him. I think she even moved into his place just to be with him around the clock."

This made Sun-, ugh, Custard truly happy. He knew his good friend must have been on cloud nine with that. Maybe Thunder could finally gather up the nerve to just ask her out in a date... When he gets out of his casts, that is.

"Oh, Custard!" His mother spoke up in a screeching way, pushing herself into the group. "Are these your friends? You must introduce me to them!"

"Oh, r-right, girls, this is my mother, Lemon Marmalade " Custard motioned to the rather tall earth pony mare who's mane and coat color almost fully resembled his own. She shot them a smile and tucked her mane behind her hear.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you" she said, holding out her hoof. Her words and physical actions seemed to scream two entirely different things. Perhaps even it was all the stress she had been under. But the mare seemed to grow more annoyed at the arrival of Su-Custards friends.

All the girls went around shaking her hoof, introducing thenselves. Well, all except Rainbow Dash who met Lemon'a hoof with a hoof bump rather then a hoof shake. But Lemon just forced a smile, gritted her teeth, and laughed lightly.

"It truly has been wonderful meeting all of you" Lemon began. "And it does break my heart to have to take Custard back home with us, but-"

All the girl's eyes go wide as a bolt of shock ran threw them. They then realized that's why S- er, Custard looked to grim, and why when she said that he ducked his head away.

"What do you mean?!" Pinkie Pie was the first of the girls to speak up. "He live here, in ponyville!"

"I'm afraid not" Lemon sad as she ran a hoof over the family album. "Custard is the soul Eire to a multi-million bit company, and now that his father is too injured to run it, the responsibility fall in him."

"What? Injured?" Custard's ears picked up a little, fueled by worry.

"Yes" Lemon spoke. "You see, we all had taken a Zeppelin cruse together, as a family. Your father, Fudge Brownie, felt as though he hadn't been spending enough time with you and his other children, so he arranged for a week long cruse aboard his best Zeppelin."

"Oh you lucky stallion" Rarity commented with a smiling sigh. "What I wouldn't give to go on such a cruse..."

Lemon cleared her throat as she angrily shot a look at the white unicorn. "As I was saying; but our ship was attacked by a few dragons. We must have interrupted their mating ritual, and they blew a hole right through the balloon!" All the girls gasped.

"Most of us were fine, my husband received most of the blow, but our eldest son..." Lemon pulled out a white cotton tissue from the family album. "He... He was no where to be seen! We assumed he had been blasted away!" She then began to wipe away fake tears.

"That musta been when Goldie found ya over on that side of the road!" Applejack finally spoke up and put a hoof on Custard's back.

"We've been searching this whole time! We looked back in Boltimare, Vanhoofer, Manehatten, Los Pegusus, and just last week, Canterlot!"

"Oh my! We where just there!" Rarity commented.

"You must have just missed them" Fluttershy added.

"But now our family is back togeather and we can all go home! You our big, wonderful mansion in Baltimare!" Lemon said with a faint smile as she placed the tissue back in the album.

"I think I need to use the restroom" Custard commented, then rushed off to the farm house.

Lemon marmalade and the girls watched as the yellow stallion rushed into the Apple family farm house, the front door slamming behind him. There was a still silance that lingered in the air for a moment before somepony spoke up.

Applejack chuckled lightly and told Lemon "jitters. This is a lot for him to take in. Ah'll go and see that th' feller's ok."

"Oh please" Lemon stood up and set the family Album on the table. "Allow me... I, ugh, need to show him a mother's love and tender care..."

With that, the tall yellow mare followed quickly, but not too quickly, behind her son, leading up to the farm house. All the girls watched as she entered the farm house after him.

"So... He's really leaving?" Fluttershy out of all the girls was the first one to break the silence.

"I guess" Rainbow commented, playing it off like it was nothing.

Twilight went up to Applejack and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Are you going to be ok?"

"Of course Ah am" Applejack said with a huge smile. "After all, the' feller has family. Real family. A mansion. All the bits he'll ever need. What more could a pony ask for?..." With those last words, Applejack turned away as tears began to glaze over her eyes.

"Awww! Isn't Sunny so cute as a little baby!" Pinkie interrupted the moment , holding open the family photo album. "Just took at that cute little smile!"

All the girls, Granny, and even Big Mac and Apple bloom gathered around and peered inside the album. There were tons of pictures of Sunny as a little foal, with his messy mop of orange hair. Some of just him walking around with a big smile, some with him and his parents, a few with him going to what looks like a private school, one of him with his hair all combed properly, a school photo maybe.

"Indeed" Rarity commented. "He is one fine stallion of pedigree."

" With one large Earth pony family" Fluttershy added as she looked at all the goals playing in the field, bouncing on the bouncy castle, and snacking at the table.

Just then, Lemon began walking back to the group of girls with S-Custard trailing behind. His eyes heavily glades over, almost making his eyes look completely green.

"Custard and I had a little talk" Lemon said, walking into the middle of the group, snatching the album out of Pinkie's hooves. "And we think it's best to cut this little party short, and head home."

All the girls and the Apple family turned to the stallion in question who just glumly nodded. "It would be for the best."

"Well... If ya think its best..." Granny said with a heavy sigh.

"Ee'yep..." Big Mac added with a heavy sigh.

"Ah guess..." Apple Bloom whimpered, holding back her tears.

Applejack remained silent as she walked up to Custard, and without hesitation, gave him a huge hug, one that opened up the flood gates on both of them. As tears pored from both sets of emerald green eyes, Applejack told Cu-... Told Sunny "no matter what, we'll always be here fer ya. We're family too. No matter what...." As she released him from hug she smiled at him and held his gaze.

Sunny smiled honestly at Applejack as his coat's color began to return to normal and his ears returned to their regular position. Then the green glaze over his saddened eyes cleared up. He looked up and readjusted his hat one last time. "Applejack, I want you to have this. Keep it, and remember me by."

As he said that, he took off his Stetson hat hand handed it to the orange freckled mare. "I want you to know that you'll always be in my heart and I'll always treasure this place, our friends, and all the adventure's we've shared. And that-" Sunny stopped when he noticed every pony looking at the top of his head, jaws dropped. Even his own mother began to look nervous, as her body stiffened. Then his heart hoped into his throat and he spoke softly "please tell me there isn't a spider on my head..."

No pony moved for the longest time. Then after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Rarity pulled out her compact mirror and flashed Sunny's reflection at him. Sunny studied his image for a moment before realizing what they saw. He turned his head from side to side, then poked it with his hoof to make sure it was real. It felt kind of sensitive, but it was real.

"Sunny... Y-yer ah..." Appejack began to say, but was still heavily confused.

"I'm a unicorn?!?!" Sunny finished her sentance. As he looked back at his own reflection in the company's mirror to see that a yellow horn, matching his own coat, standing tall amd proud in the middle of his forehead!

Fiends in Disguise

Everypony remained still, frozen in shock at Sunny's revolution. He stepped forward and kept looking in Rarity's compact mirror as e poked his horn over and over. "It... It feels real, I guess..."

"How long grave you been a unicorn?" Twilight spoke up, taking a closer look at the yellow stallion's newly revealed forehead

"Have you always been a unicorn?" Rainbow asked, half shocked and half annoyed.

"I don't think we had a chapter about Sunny becoming a unicorn, did we?" Pinkie asked, flipping through the printed out pages of Fimfic that discord had sent her for her scrap book. "Nope! None that I can see!"

But the stallion just shrugged. "I have no idea.... I've just always kept the hat on and never noticed."

"What about when you went to go bathe or brushed your mane?" Rarity chimed in. "Surely you would have noticed that?!"

The stallion turned a little red with embarrassment. "I guess I should have spent more time washing my
Mane and brushing it then I really did, he he..." He nervously chuckled.

"But that doesn't make since..." Twilight redirected every pony's attention. levitating the photo album over to her, she began to flip threw the pages, looking at all the photos. "All of these have Sunny as an earth pony, look! Even here with his mane styled back, he had no horn!"

"You know what else's is weird?" Pinkie popped up behind twilight. "See all his brothers and sisters? Here Sunny is really young and cute, but here he's older, but his siblings are the same age! Look! Look! Look!" Pinkie grabbed Twilight's head and began moving it from the photos in the album to the fillies who had stopped playing and began to circle Twilight and her friends.

All eyes fell upon Lemon Marmalade, even Sunny's, the mare's expression was hard to read. Sunny moved away from his 'mother' never taking his eyes off of her as he moved closer to Applejack. His eyes narrowed at the tall mare who seemed to look a lot like him. "Who are you? really?"

"There's only one pony that could be" Twilight said as she slammed the album shut.

The tall yellow mare began to chuckle as a green flame covered her, changing her coat to a dark onyx, opening holes in her hooves, releasing a pair of thin insect like wings on her exoskeleton back, then when the fire reached the end of her long neck, a mane of torn green hair flung down. A long and crocked horn grew from her forehead, standing tall and proud. When the mare opened her eyes, they were green as envy itself, and as she opened her jaws which contained two rows of sharp teeth, she let out a wicked laugh that echoed in through the entire farm. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle! It is I! Queen Chrysalis! The queen of the changlings!!!!"

The so called 'family members' of Sunny's then began to flow and in a bright green flash, took their original forms. They shot glares at the small group of ponies as they began to close in, circling all around them.

"Who, or what, is she?!" Sunny asked, backing up to his group of friends.

"Oh, where are my manners?" The Queen of the changelings taunted as she took prideful strides towards the small group. "Allow me to 'really' introduce myself. I am Queen Chrysalis, Queen of the changelings, devourer of love, and soon to be fueled of all of Equestria!"

"I was wondering when you would show up again" Twilight shot at her. "You're not going to escape this time, Chrysalis!"

"Oh? But why would I want to escape when I can set up a new colony right here?! " the evil Queen flashed a hoof over the Apple farm. "A great location, don't you think? We'll set up in this small town, drain all the ponies of their love, then slowly make out way across all the land!"

"But what does that have to do with me?!" Sunny spat at her. "Why did you have to use 'me' as a part in your plan?!"

The queen chucked lightly. "Well well well, don't you think so much of yourself. Trust me, you aren't anything special. You just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I wanted to get close to somepony who was close to her!" She pointed at Twilight who glared back at her.

"The photos, the names, the entire stage..." Twilight said under her breath.

"Those pictures were my subjects and I. But it seems I should have payed more attention to detail. Who would have guessed that pathetic farm pony would have been a unicorn. Probably doesn't even know a single spell..." She chuckled. " 'oh poor me! Poor me! I can't remember who I am! Are you my mommy? I don't know where my mommy is! Poor me! I don't even know I'm a unicorn!'"

All the changlings began to snicker, but never took their eyes off of the girls, the Apple family, or Sunny. But the more Chrysalis mocked him, the harder it was for Sunny to hold back the tears.

"Ya ain't gunna get away with this ya varmit!!" Applejack yelled over their sinister laughing.

"Oh? Oh I'm not?" The changeling Queen commented. "I'm sorry, I forgot, all I have is a entire changeling army. What do you have?"

"We have each other, and the power of friendship!" Twilight declared at she, Applejack, Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity all began to glow and float into the air. Their manes began to glow and alter as markings resembling their respective cutie marks began to spread to their hooves, upper bodies, and even as the iris of their eyes!

Sunny watched in amazement as the girls he had hung out with began to gather a large amount of magical energy that flowed around them! His own horn began to tremble as he retreated and stood between the changing queen and the rest of the Apple family, remembering the vow he made when he first arrived. 'I won't let anypony or anything hurt this farm or this family.' His words give him the strength to stand tall and face the army with all he had and then some.

Chrysalis began to panic and ordered her subjects to brace for impact! She then threw up a shield that coved 1/5 of her subjects and herself, but could not stretch it further. As the girls released a rainbow like blast, the changelings that weren't covered were pushed out to the farthest corners of Equestria, soaring thew the air like the fluffy seeds from a dandelion!

Eventually the shield the changeling Queen had cast began to crack and give way. But the deviant Queen refused to give in! She gritted her teeth and glared at the blinding rainbow light, her hatred for the purple alicorn princess fueled her magical drive, allowing her shield to hold up slightly more against the rainbow blast. By the end of it, only the queen and a few tired subjects survived the blast. The remaining changelings, say for one wearing some type of armor, were struggling to remain standing. The one wearing some kind of armor had forced himself to remain standing next to his Queen.

"Is that all you girls have?! Ha! It will take more then a few 'rainbows' to beat me!" The changing Queen growled, but even she was battle warn. Her body was covered in scratches, her breathing was hard, the only thing that had remained constant was the loathing anger in her eyes.

"Leave now, chrysalis!" Twilight said, her and the girls still empowered by the magic of friendship. "Leave, and never return to Ponyville!"

"Oh, I'll leave...." She said, her smile remaining as cocky. "But not without a few parting gifts!"

She then began to charge at Sunny, Granny, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom! The girls started to charge up again, but the armored changeling ordered the remaining changelings to charge at the mane six! With the last of their strength, the remaining changlings swarmed at the girls! With their hooves full, dealing with the remaining changlings, and the queen changeling at the Apple family, fangs barred, it looked grim.

'Don't hesitate' a deep and kind voice rand in Sunny's head. 'They are depending on you to protect them. Don't hesitate.' The seconds seemed to stretch on forever as the yellow unicorn starred down the charging rabid Queen. He took a slow and deep breath. 'I won't let anypony or anything hurt this farm or this family.'

Pressure began to build up as his horn began to glow with an emerald green aura as he focused on protecting the Apple family, his friends, and his home. "This place is my home..." He began to say, "these ponies are my friends and my family..." He shot up a hard glair at the queen who had now lunged at them and yelled "and no pony will take them away from me!!!!"

With that statement, Sunny released the flood gates and let the magic flow! A large green magical blast shot at the changlings Queen, catching her subjects in the cross fire, and with the force of 1000 rampaging manticores, sent them farther then the previous changlings had flown! The last thing the changlings Queen saw were the eyes of a very determined, and average looking unicorn. One who had something precious to him that he wanted to protect with all his might. She saw the will of a single individual who fought for those he saw to protect. She saw a sliver of herself in that ordinary looking pony.

'What makes you so different from me?...' Was the last thing she thought about as the image of the yellow unicorn stallion with the two toned, orange colored mane began to shrink and disappear from her sight....

Back at the Apple farm, the girls began to power down as Sunny stood triumphant and proud for a moment, watching the skies as Queen Chrisalis and the remaining changlings cut across the sky like a set of fly balls. But as they began to disappear and his attention returned to the Apple family members who were cheering behind him. Then to the group of girls running towards him, smiles on all of their faces, with Applejack at the lead, the world began to go black as all sound disappeared. Then his body when numb as the yellow unicorn fell to the ground.

The girls all ran over to make sure he was ok, but nopony noticed that the mark on the yellow unicorn's flank had grown darker and taken most of it's original shape of a black circle, minus a 15% sliver that remained yellow...

Bed Rest and Book Work

-Apple farm guest room-

Applejack never left Sunny's side as he slept. She kept looking down at the stallion, thinking he looked so peaceful. She had been so lost in thought that she nearly jumped out of her skin when Twilight entered the room and put a hoof on her shoulder.

"You ok, Applejack?" Twilight asked, very concerned about her friend. Sunny had been asleep for almost 24 hours after the incident with Chrysalis, and Applejack had insisted on staying by his side.

"Oh, Ah'm right as rain, sugar cube" Applejack replied, but her looks said other wise. She hadn't eaten much or even stepped outside and it was starting to show. "Ah... Ah'm just worried s'all."

"He will be fine, AJ" Twilight shot her a reassuring smile. "He just used up too much energy in that one blast. It's like running a marathon you didn't prepare for, but for your mind. It happens with unicorns. He'll sleep it off and be ok."

Both the mares look down at the sleeping stallion as he mumbled something in his sleep. It sounded a little like 'apple fritters'. That made the girls laugh a little.

"Stallions" Applejack commented, smiling at the sleeping yellow pony.

"Stallions" Twilight agreed.

"Hey sugar cube" Applejack turned her attention away from Sunny to her alicorn friend. "Ah hate ta ask ya, but when he wakes up and gets better... Do ya think ya could teach him to use magic?"

Twilight was a little shocked by the request, but nodded. "I would be honored."

Applejack half smiled as she looked back to Sunny. "Ah ask cuz, well, knowin' him, he's gunna want ya learn all 'bout magic and what not. And ah'd prefer if he learn it from ya. After all, who better ta teach him then the princess who learned from ah princess herself?"

Twilight blushed a little, "well, I'll do my very best to teach him all I know."

Applejack smiled easily at the oranges haired unicorn as she brushed some of his mane aside. "Ya hear that? Ah already got ya ah teacher. So ya better rest up. Get yer strength back... He protected them."

Twilight was caught off guard. "Huh?"

"Mah.... Our family" Applejack corrected herself. "He didn' hesitate ta jump in front ah' them and protect them from Chrysalis .... He's th' perfect stallion."

Twilight smiled easily at her friend as se put a hoof on her shoulder. "I don't think it really matters where he came from any more, does it. He's found himself a good home."

Applejack nodded and touch Twilight's hoof, never looking away from the sleeping yellow stallion.

-Canterlot castle, Celestia's chambers-

Princess Celestia had stepped away from her desk but for a short moment, her sister needed her help with some dream related research, and it caught the sun princes's sudden interest. She didn't really know what to expect, but ever since the incident with Gazer's comet, she's looked into every little off thing, fearing it might have a connection.

Meanwhile, the master of chaos, Disord himself, relaxed by floating in the air, reading some of the scrolls Twilight has sent to Celestia before she became a princess herself. After reading them, he tossed them over to another him who placed the scroll on a computer scanner, scanned it, and uploaded it into a desk top computer.

"Just about done!" The floating Discord said tossing the second discord another scroll.

"Shall I also add the parts after Twilight became a princess and got her own castle?" The Discord at the computer desk asked as he grabbed the newest scroll and scanned it.

A third Discord walked over, carrying several more scrolls in his paw and claw. "Oh! Don't forget these! All the 'lessons'" he used his fingers to make the movements for quotation marks, "from her friends."

The floating Diacord sighed and landed on Celestia's bed. "It would be so much easier if we could just get the season DVDs and show him!"

"Especially since they're all on Netflix" the third Discord chimed in.

The other two paused, then the first grew a cocky smirk on his face. "Well why don't we?" The first Discord pushed the second Discord out of the way of the computer and opened up Netflix. With a snap of his fingers, the images started flashing at light speed on the screen. Then the printer spit out an entire book, leather bound and all, at the second Discord who caught it and wrapped it in a light purple baby blanket.

"Awwww" the second Discord said as the third approached the freshly made book. "It's got it's mother's bindings...."

With a snap of his fingers, all three Discord's reformed into one, the computer disappeared, and the scrolls sent to Celestia returned to their proper shelves. Discord held up the book triumphantly. "The elements of harmony; a reference guide.... and then some" he chuckled.

As he held the boom in his paw, relishing in his victory, a scroll appeared out of mid air, forming from green dragon fire. The draquis looked over at it with a mischievous grin. He levitated it over to him and read it quickly. "What do we have here?...Another message to Tia from Little Twilight..."

Discord read through all the letter, but enjoyed the part about 'Sunny' the best. "Oh I wish I could have been there to see the look on old Chrissy's face! I bet it was priceless! And it taking them all this long to just realize he was a unicorn?! Hilarious!!! Oh! But we can't have that last part in there. Tia can't know about 'him' yet...."

With a snap of his fingers, all the parts of Twilight's letter involving A stallion named 'Sunny' were removed, and the letter shifted to make since without it. "There! All done!"

"What's all done, Discord?" Princess Celestia asked as she reentered her chambers, not to suspicious of the former trouble maker. She already guessed he was up to no good, but found it to be more entertaining then troubling.

"Oh, ugh, I just..." He pulled out the book he just made and presented it to the princess of the sun as he slipped the new scrol back to the top of her desk. "Made this! It's a new edition to add to Twilight's collection! All the adventures she and her friends have had since they met, in great detail!"

Celestia levitated the book up to her self and began to read it over. "Wow, great work Discord. But..." Celestia looked up at the master of chaos. "Why would you do that? What would provoke you to make such a , well, considerate thing?"

"Oh Tia, who knows when somepony might need to do a little research, who has no clue about Twilight and her friends, and will need to learn all about their adventures and issues, in order to progress themselves?" Discord replied as he snapped his fingers, and a large chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and strawberry garnishes appeared. "Now, how about a little treat, you've been working so hard."

Celestia knew Discord was up to something, but she was going to let it slide until the dominos began to fall. After all, he did know her favorite sweet treat. As Celestia began to cut her self a modest slice of the delectable cake, the master of chaos snapped the fingers he made from his bristly tail, and sent the book he just made to Ponyville. More specifically, to Twilight's library, placed neatly on a shelf, where he knew a certain yellow stallion would be sure to find it.

Twilight's first lesson

It had been a few days since the incident and Sunny was up and about, feeling like his old self again. Well, almost. He performed his chores around the farm like normal, and the entire Apple family treated him the same, despite his recent self discovery. He was the still same stallion they knew, but now he had a horn on his head. As he walked through town, though, he couldn't help but notice he had attracted more then a few shocked gazes. He kept his gaze at the ground to avoid their eyes, but he heard them whispering. It's not like it was a bad thing, but having all these ponies paying attention to him all of a sudden was making the yellow stallion uncomfortable.

Applejack had told Sunny the other day after breakfast that Twilight offered to teach him how to use magic when he was ready. Sunny didn't know how he felt on the topic. He had gotten along fine without it thus far. But he began to think that learning a little about magic might be a good idea. He had seen other ponies use it around town to levitate stuff, open doors, or even teleport themselves around. It did help Sunny to protect the Apples when that psycho Queen attacked. He had gotten lucky with that magical blast he fired, sending her fatter then the eye could see. But who knows, maybe next time he won't get so lucky. He had planned to meet Twilight after the morning chores were done on the farm, and was now walking through town to the far edge of Ponyville, where Twilight's castle was located.

But as he did, he couldn't help but notice the wide eyes that starred at him, the whispered he tried to ignore. He had pulled his Stetson back a little, revealing his unicorn horn. But it was beginning to make folk uncomfortable. Applejack told Sunny that the Appel family was mainly made up of earth ponies, but had the occasional pegusus or unicorn pop up every now and again. Sunny could guess folks in town weren't used to seeing a stallion they all knew and thought to be an earth pony suddenly with a real unicorn's horn on the top of his head.

Nervous, Sunny pulled his Stetson back over his horn and even over his eyes as he continued to press on, heading in the direction of Twilight's castle. He had been so focused on hurrying himself that he didn't notice the loud beeping or the brown earth pony heading in his direction, and they both ended up colliding.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry" Sunny apologized, shifting his Stetson so it covered his horn still, but not his eyes.

"Oh no no, I'm sorry" the brown stallion had replied. He picked up a metal box with buttons and light bulbs all over it, checked it over once or twice, then flipped switch and pressed a button on it. The device in the brown stallion's hooves began to make a large beeping noise as he pointed it at Sunny, and make less beeping as he moved it away. "Odd..."

That was the last thing the brown earth pony said as he straitened his neck tie and walked away. Shortly following after him was a grey, Pegasus mare with a walleyed pair of yellow eyes and a sweet and innocent smile.

"That was weird" Sunny commented as he pressed forward towards Twilight's castle. " I know I've seen those two somewhere before...." But he shrugged off the feeling, thinking only of getting to Twilight's castle. He was already out of the town now, and making his way quickly up to the castle. As he began to relax, he repositioned his hat to allow his horn to get some fresh air. When he arrived at Twilight's castle, he knocked on the front door again, only this time, Twilight herself answered instead of Spike.

"Hey Sunny" Twilight smiled at her guest. "I was wondering when you were going to come by. Come on in."

As the princess of friendship stepped aside, the yellow unicorn hesitated. He was still nervous about learning magic, and for what reason, he still wasn't sure. But he took a deep breath and walked inside. Twilight began to lead him down a hallway and to one of her favorite rooms of the castle, the library. From what Applejack told him, Twilight was a really big book worm, which he found kinda funny. When he thought of 'princes' he kinda thought more along the lines of Rarity, who was all about appearances, looking nice, dressing in the finest things and what not. Not spending hours reading in a library. But then again, Sunny didn't really know much about princesses to base that on.

"So how are you feeling?" Twilight asked, breaking Sunny from his thoughts. "I don't think we should do much if you aren't feeling back at 100%, but at the very least I could lend you some books to get you started. Maybe give you something to practice with back at the farm."

Sunny paused as they entered the library, and released a held breath. "To be honest, Twilight. I'm nervous, and I feel... Awkward."

Twilight looked to the stallion with slight concern, then she gave him a relaxing smile. "I know... It's not easy going from one thing to another, is it?"

"Well... I guess you could say that..." Sunny was feeling an odd stay of emotions and he couldn't really pinpoint their origin. But going from earth pony to unicorn was probably adding to the pot.

Twilight offered Sunny a seat at a table as she took one across from him. "I wasn't always an alicorn princess, ya know. I was originally just a unicorn, from an entire unicorn family. But once I reached a certain point, and realized my destiny, i
I became an alicorn, a princess. It was my destiny to learn all I could about the magic of friendship and to teach others its power too."

"But..." Sunny asked as he removed his hat, placing it on his lap. "Did... Did ponies look at you differently? And treat you differently? How did your family take it? Your friends? The ponies in town?!"

"Well" Twilight smiled as she looked back on her fond memories of her coronation. "My mom and dad were both very proud, my bother was so happy he was actually crying. He said it was 'liquid pride', but still. And my sister in law, Cadence, knew I could do it. As for the ponies around town well and my friends ..."

Twilight told Sunny all about the different treatment she received first from her friends wanting to put her above them to keep her out of harm's way, about how the kids in town wanted to spend time with her just to spend time with somepony famous, or about how she at first, wasn't even sure of what she was supposed to do as a princess.

"When I first became a princess, I wasn't even sure what my role in everything was" Twilight admitted. "I lived in the Ponyville library still, like I did when I first came to Ponyville, not a castle, and I had no official title. Heck, not long after my coronation, I began to question weather or not I was even supposed to be a princess. I didn't know what made me so special."

Sunny had been listening intently to every word Twilight had said. He had no idea she had dealt with so much, had carried such burdens, and made it out on top. Out of all of Applejack's friends, he had spent the least amount of time with Twilight. And now, it seems that everything was coming together. Maybe he was meant to get to know her only after he found out what he really was. "So what did make you special? I mean, outside the obvious."

Twilight smiled at Sunny, "my friends. My friends helped me to become a better pony. They helped me learn so many things. About myself, about how to see the world... You know, we all began writing a book, a journal really, about the lessons we all learned after I became a princess. That way, it could help some pony in the future. Just like the journal of the two pony sisters helped me...."

Twilight got up and walked over to a shelf and began pulling out a few books. "These don't technically have to do with unicorn magic, but the magic of friendship can be more powerful then any unicorn, or even alicorn, spell..."

The purple alicorn princess places three books in front of Sunny. He picked them up and read their titles out loud. "'The Journal or the two Pony Sisters', 'the Friendship Journal', and 'the Elements of Harmony; a reference guide, and-'"

"Before I came to Ponyville " Twilight interrupted and pointed to the last book Sunny was holding. "I read about the elements of harmony in a book back in Canterlot. It was the thing that kinda brought me to Ponyville. See, when I was younger, I didn't think making friends would ever save Equestria."

That made Sunny chuckle. "Says the 'princess of friendship'."

Twilight laughed too, "I know, right? I wasn't big on making friends back then. It wasn't until I met Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, and they joined me on a mission to save Equestria that I learned how much friends meant to me. They showed me the power of honestly, loyalty, kindness, laughter, and generosity. And in doing so, helped me to realize the magic of friendship..."

Twilight stopped and looked at the yellow unicorn its slight concern. "Ugh, Sunny, are you ok?"

"Yeah, wh-" it was then something wet hit Sunny's hoof. He looked from
Where his hoof was positioned, then trailered it up to his cheek. He didn't know when, but it seemed he was releasing some of that 'liquid pride'. "I-I'm sorry. I just... I guess it was such a touching story... I hope I can have good friends like you do one day. Friends I can be that close to. Friends I can trust no matter what."

Twilight didn't hesitate when she pulled Sunny in for a hug. "Sunny, you already do. The girls and I, the Apple family, Thunder Lane, Flitter, we all are here for you."

The 'liquid pride began to flow harder. "Is this how you felt when you questioned why you were a princess?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, it's how happy I was when I realized I had friends. When I realized that they made me a better pony. And how happy I was that I had them in my life."

Sunny smiled as he returned the hug now, feeling like he was glowing and could never be happier. He knew his home. He had friends. He had a family. It didn't matter 'what' he was or 'where' he came from. All that mattered was he was here, and he had ponies who cared about him.

Lesson 2; relax, focus and breath

"Ok, now relax, focus, but relax" Twilight instructed, bracing for the worst to happen, ready to throw up a protective shield or even catch the spell in her own magical aura, if need be. "And don't forget to breath."

The sweat was trickling heavily down the sides of Sunny's muzzle as he tried to focus on the task at hand. "How can somepony 'focus' and 'relax' at the same time?!" He took a deep breath and held it as he tried harder to focus.

The task was relatively simple. Twilight had placed a small plastic ball about two feet from Sunny and had told him all he had to do was simply lift the ball as high into the air as he possibly could. A simple levitation spell. Even most foals could do it. And one would think after Sunny blasted Queen Chrysalis into next week, that this task would be a piece of cake. But it was proving to be more taxing on the young stallion then Twilight had originally thought.

"Breath!" Twilight shouted accidentally when she realized Sunny was holding his breath and the yellow stallion had began to turn blue.

Sunny let out the held breath and fell to the floor, taking in heavy breaths of air. "How.... How does .... Anypony.... Anypony do.... This... Ugh...."

"I'm sorry, Sunny" Twilight said, taking a step towards him, patting him on the back. "I know you're tryin really hard, but you don't need to try 'so' hard. It's not like lifting heavy baskets of apples around. You just need to-"

"Visualize, focus, relax, and breath..." Twilight said along side Sunny, who repeated the words Twilight said to him so many times in the past hour or so.

"I know, I know" Sunny commented, feeling very frustrated. "Ugh! Why it this hard?! When I shot off Chrysalis, it seemed so easy!"

Twilight thought for a moment as she hit her hoof against her chin, remembering what happened at that moment. "Hey Sunny, do you remember what you were thinking and feeling when that happened?"

Sunny took another deep breath and stood up. "Yeah. I .... Well..." His cheeks began to turn red. He guessed be could trust Twilight with his little secret promise. " I....remembered a vow I made to protect the farm and the Apple family... I said I wasn't going to let anypony or anything harm them."

The gears in the purple alicorn's head began to turn. "Interesting... Maybe we should try a different approach..." She then walked over and cast her own magical aura around the ball, and after levitating it in the air, threw it without much warning at the yellow unicorn. "Think fast!"

But rather then try and stop the ball with magic, Sunny just simply dodged without thinking. The ball rolled down the hallway, disappearing from sight. Sunny turned back to face Twilight, kind of confused. "Was.... Was I supposed to catch that using magic?"

"Yeah... Or deflect it, or shoot at it..." Twilight answered then half laughed. "Why don't we take a break, have some lunch, and relax. Maybe we need to try another approach."

The two ponies made their way out of the library and into the kitchen. Twilight offered to cook something for bother of them, but Sunny insisted on helping. "I've been cooking as long as I've been bucking apple trees." He told the alicorn princess with a smile. "And I'm not about to have a friend cook alone. Besides, it's more fun to cook together."

As they worked, Twilight couldn't help but strike up a conversation. "That reminds me, have you had any break throughs? You know, memories come back to you?"

Sunny just shook his head and continued working. "I know you said that me forgetting everything about my past life might have been from past trauma and not magic, but wouldn't that just mean I shouldn't remember it. I mean, if it was 'that' bad?"

"I can understand how you feel that way, but wouldn't you-" Twilight began to say, but her little purple dragon assistant rushed into the kitchen, a scroll in his claws.

"Twilight! I got a message for you from the Crystal Empire!" Spike said as he handed it to Twilight, who just wrapped it in her magical aura and opened it.

After reading it for a few moments, the princess of magic let out a squee of happiness. "Cadence and Shinning Armor are going to be coming to Ponyville for a week next month! This will be so much fun! Oh! We can stay up late at night talking telling scary stories! Have pillow fights! Play games! Drink hot chocolate!"

Sunny chuckled lightly at Twilights excitement, never seeing her, or any pony for that matter, like this before. It was kind of up lifting. "so a week long sleep over?"

Spike just rolled his eyes. "Great. I'll stalk up on comic books and gems."

"Oh come on Spike! You're invited too!" Twilight tried to coax her assistant. "Shinning Armor will be there."

Before Spike could give a second thought, Applejack and Pinkie Pie rushed into the kitchen, saddle bags on their backs.

"Hey ya'll" Applejack said as she and Pinkie began packing some food super fast.

"Hey Applejack, Pinkie, what's the rush?" Twilight asked as she finished preparing her salad.

"The map's called AJ and I to Apaloosa! Oh! I wonder if it's trouble with the buffalos again! This time I have a song that will just knock them dead!" Pinkie Pie looked as though she was about to break into a song when Applejack put her hoof to Pinkie's mouth.

"Let's just stick ta findin' out what the 'friendship problem' is, ok sugar cube?" Applejack looked slightly worried, remembering what happened in the past when Pinkie sang in Appaloosa.

To which, Pinkie just nodded. As Applejack removed her hoof from the pink pony's mouth, she began to speak again. "But we're just going to make us some snacks to take with us on the train!"

"Hope ya don't mind, Twilight" Applejack adjusted her hat. "Ah'd just sooner go home and not raid yer kitchen, but we' we're in th' area, and-"

"Don't worry about it Applejack" Twilight smiled and waved a hoof. "The kitchens always full for anypony who wants something to eat."

Both of the earth pony mares made themselves a couple of sandwiches and stuffed a few bottles of sparkling cider into their respective saddle bags. As they said their farewells Applejack told Sunny that she might be staying the night in Appaloosa and to let Granny and the rest of the family know that.

"Not to worry, Applejack" Sunny told the orange farm pony. "We'll hold down the fort." Sunny then playfully saluted her.

"Ya better" she joked with him. "Take care of them while we're gone!"

As Applejack opened the door leading to the main hallway, two owls flew into the kitchen, carrying with them a strong enough gust to blow Applejack's hat right off her head. One owl, the one being chased, was Owlowisious, Twilight's pet. But the other was a larger, older, and obviously meaner, owl. For some odd reason, unknown to every pony and even Owluwishus, the elderly bird was furious with the younger one and found it appropriate to go after him.

As the two spun around the room, the gale they created tore Applejack's hat from her head, sending it flying around and around in the air. After a moment, the kitchen window flew open and the deranged, elderly
Owl few out it, forgetting what he was originally doing. But as he did, the wind began to pull Apllejack's hat along with it!

Without hesitating, Sunny dove for the hat, but came up short! Thinking only to save Applejack's Stetson hat, he focused and thought about just grabbing it. And like that, a magical green magical aura, like the one he used before on the changeling Queen, carefully wrapped itself around the hat, held it in place for a moment, then began to levitate it back into the kitchen and safely back on top of its owner's head.

Applejack smiles and adjusted it back into place. She then turned to Sunny and shot her a grateful smile. "Thank ya' fer the save there, partner. Yer gettin' pretty good with usin magic." She then turned to Twilight as she and Pinkie began to leave the room and shouted back "keep up the ' good work ya two!"

As the doors closed, Sunny turned to Twilight who was once again thinking. But this time as the gears began to turn in the alicorn princess's head, it made Sunny slightly nervous. "I think I see what 'triggers' your magic now. Come one! We have a lot of work to do!"

As she trotted happily out of the kitchen, recharged by the recent breakthrough, Sunny sighed as he could only imagine the trials that await him with what Twilight wanted to do next....

Cutie Mark Assistance

The day had begun to stretch on longer then expected. Sunny had trained long and hard with Twilight, working to develop his magical abilities. Knowing that the yellow unicorn's magic came out the easiest when somepony he cared about was involved and would need immediate action, Twilight involved the aid of the three ponies who she knew could help him out the best, with her supervision of course.

"Thanks you again, girls" twilight told Applebloom, Sweetie bell, and Scootaloo with a modest grin. "You three are the only ponies who can help right now"

"Awe shucks, Twilight. Anything to help " Apple bloom said waving a hoof.

"Yeah! And Sunny!" Sweetie bell chummed in.

"But what is it we have to do?" Scootaloo asked, still slightly confused.

"You know all those things you wanted to try but your sisters and I told you all it was a really bad idea?" Twilight asked the three crusaders with a more deviant grin this time.

"Yeah!" All three of them said at the exact same time with quite a bit of anxious enthusiasm.

"I want you to do all of them, but with me and Sunny supervising" Twilight answered. "Think you can do that?"

"So I can juggle chain saws?!" Apple bloom beamed.

"I can try my hoof at riding wild hydra?" Scootaloo asked, her eyes craving the dangerous adventure.

"I can taming toads?!" Sweetie bell asked. Both of her companions just looked at her, questioning how that could be dangerous. Reading their faces, the sweet little unicorn filly added. "Rarity said it was unlady like to play around with muddy old frogs."

Twilight cleared her throat. "Well, yes, all of that. You girls ready?"

"Yeah!!!" Try all cheered again as twilight signaled for Sunny to join them. He was asked to stand a couple of yards away while she talked to the girls. He gulped as each of the girls spread out in separate directions and began gathering their necessary items.

"Ugh, Twilight?" Sunny asked, readjusting his hat. "What are we doing?"

"Oh, don't worry Sunny" Twilight said, unfolding a blanket and spreading it out underneath a tree. "You're just going to help the Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Bell with some crusading."

Just as Sunny was brining to relax, remembering him seeing the girls try and get their cutie marks in stamp collection, painting, animal bathing, and even balloon blowing while he was working on the farm. His relaxing mood quickly gave way to fear when he saw Scootaloo being chased by a giant reptile with multiple snake like heads!

And so the day dragged on like so. One at a time, Sunny would watch the Crusaders attempt one thing after another trying to earn their cutie marks. One 'dangerous' thing after another. And each time he had to act fast and ended up running in and using his magic without a chance to think much about it! Eventually using magic to save the three little fillies made using magic second nature to the yellow unicorn in no time at all. As the sun began to set and the three fillies began to give in to their exhaustion.

Apple Bloom yawned as she checked her flank for the 23rd time today. "We worked all day and don't get one single cutie mark."

"Yeah..." Scootaloo stretched, casting a quick glance at her own still blank flank. "And I even got all those snakes from Fluttershy for nothing."

"Snakes" Sunny echoed, more exhausted then the three fillies combined, bairly able to stand. "I can handle snakes, but why did you go back for the-" he shuttered at the thought "SPIDERS..."

"Ah read it in a book once!" Apple Bloom explained.

"Yeah, this guy who worked in a circus trained a spider to spin a web in his mouth and all kinds of other cools stuff!" Scootaloo threw in there.

"But wasn't he a vampire?" Apple Bloom asked the Orange Pegasus

"Well..." Scootaloo smiled sheepishly, then redirected every pony's attention. "Hey! W-where's Sweetie Bell?"

"I have her right here" Twilight said as she walked up with the tuckered out filly draped across her back, sleeping soundly. "I think it's time to pack it up girls. You three have school in the morning" the purple alicorn then turned to the yellow stallion who shakily stood up and readjusted his hat. "Besides, it looks like you wore somepony out."

Twilight took Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo into town as Sunny levitated a tuckered out Apple Bloom onto his back and made his way back to Sweet Apple Acres. He actually found it easier to use magic then to try and move his hooves around at this point. Apple Bloom was so quiet the entire way home, Sunny had thought that she fell asleep like Sweetie Bell.

"Hey Sunny" she finally spoke up, slightly star talking the yellow unicorn.

"Yeah Apple Bloom? Are you ok?" He asked, nervously looking over his shoulder at her.

"Ah'm fine" she told him. "Ah was just wonderin, tomorrow after we get outa' school, could you help Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo and me get ready for the talent show?"

A shiver ran down Sunny's spine as he thought about going thru another day like today, all the running around and stress. But then he looked at the little yellow filly on his back, her eyes showing only innocence, never meaning to cause him any personal trouble. He smiled at her and told her "We'll see. I still have some chores to do, maybe a few more since your sister's gone on some adventure."

That thought caused Sunny to daze off in thought for a moment. He began to wonder if Applejack would be ok. Then horrible thoughts of these 'buffalo' capturing her and hurting her, or something else putting her and her friend in harm's way.

But then a small pat on his back redirected the yellow unicorn's attention. He looked back at Apple Bloom who was smiling at him. "Don't ya worry one bit about mah big sis, Sunny. She can take care of herself and anypony she's with."

Sunny smiled and chuckled lightly. "I believe it. She's a very strong mare, your sister...." Then he thought about that fight with Chrysalis. How she was wrapped up with the changelings that had distracted her and her friends. "But I don't want her to have to do it alone. I want to be able to help her..."

The little filly yawned again. "Is that why yer tryin' so hard ta learn magic? Ta protect us?"

That struck him. Sunny remembered Granny saying something to the effect of 'out of the mouths of foals', but never really understood what she meant until now. "Yeah... I want to protect everypony."

"Ah know.... Ya can..." Apple Bloom was loosing the fight against sleep. "Yer a good stallion... Sunny..."

Those words that that little filly spoke just then touched Sunny's heart. Something about them made him feel like he could forgive himself for... For something. But what was it? Had he done something wrong? He couldn't remember. But still.... He felt like a great weight had begun to lesson from his shoulders.

After arriving back at the farm, he handed Apple Bloom off to Big Mac who carried her up to her bedroom, then he told Granny about Applejack and how she and Pinkie went off to Appaloosa. Sunny wasn't 100% sure what that meant or what a 'map told them', but right now he was so tired he thought he could sleep for a week. After polishing off several tall glasses of water(Twilight insisted on him staying hydrated after using so much magic), the yellow stallion used the restroom then crawled into his bedroom, almost not making it to his bed. As he began to fade of into sleep, he saw something in a momentary dream. A crack of blinding light. And a voice. No. Two voices. They sounded female. And one more, male this time. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he was too tired to care.

a Message Delivered

It had taken some works, but Luna and Celestia were able to emerge the princess of the sun into the dream realm just like her sister. They had found a method that unicorns ,who worked under Star-Swirl the bearded, used back before Luna took control of Equestria's dreams. It was a form of mediation that allowed Princess Luna to draw out Princess Celestia's mind and submerge her into the dream realm. Needless to say, Celestia was in awe at the world that her sister visited so often. She viewed all the different bubbles that held every pony's dreams, even recognizing a few of them herself.

The princess of the sun followed close behind her her sister, but could not stop her wandering eyes from darting around to familiar ponies. She saw Twiligt dreaming about opening up a school for teaching unicorns, which made Celeatia beam with pride that her pupil would want to continue her work. She then viewed Applejack dreaming of being in another rodeo, winning all kinds of 1st place ribbons. Fluttershy playing with giant bunnies while ridding a giant butterfly. Rainbow Dash, Celestia could have easily guess, was dreaming of flying with the Wonderbolts. Rarity was being admired by a large group of ponies for some fascinating new dress she was wearing. And Pinkie Pie was swimming in a bowl of chocolate pudding while cupcakes rained down from the sky. It brought a smile to Celestia's face, she had almost forget her purpose for coming into her sister's domaine. That was, until she saw it.

Her sister stopped about 3 feet away from a bubble the same size as the other dream bubbles, but unlike the others that allowed outsiders to view its entire contents, this bubble was dark shade of stone, and the feel coming from it just as cold. Celestia saw what her sister meant by strange and troubling. As she stretched her hoof out to it, the solar princess was shocked by some electricity the dream was emitting.

"Do you see what we mean, dearest sister?" Luna asked, taking her spot by her elder sister's side. "We have never seen anything like this before, not in all the years we have spent protecting the realm of dreams."

"And you have no idea 'who' could be having this dream?" Celestia asked, her eyes looking over the orb, taking in every detail as Luna had done when she first came across the oddity.

Before Luna could answer, though, a crack began to grow from one side of the dream, and threw it a two voices could be heard. Celestia and Luna where still and silent as they tried to pear in through the crank and listened intently.

"Yeah... I want to protect everypony..." A stallion's voice spoke out, the voice was muffled.

"Ah know.... Ya can.... Yer a good stallion.... Good stallion.... Good stallion..." A filly's voice echoed after the stallion. It was one the two sisters swore they had heard before, but it too was muffled, making it hard to recognize.

Taking a deep breath, Celestia began to approach the crack, hoping to get a better look. From where she and Luna stood, all they could see where shifting shadow. But as she approached the crack, a chilling voice began to chuckle, one that belonged to a stallion Celestia thought was long since gone.

"My my, how are you, dearest Celestia?" The deep stallion voice echoed, sending a chill down both of the princesse's spines.

The sun princess moved back quickly, flapping her mighty wings to retreat to a safe distance. "No.... No it can't be!"

Moving through dream, looking through the crack was a single green eye, with a red iris, and at the edge of the eye burned a small purple flame. The voice chuckled as the single eye darted between the two alicorn sisters.

"Sombra?!" Luna growled. "But how?! You were destroyed at the Crystal Empire when Cadence used the power of the Crystal Heart!"

Sombra chuckled "Put out of commission, broken into a million pieces, but not gone. What's the matter?..." The eye focused on Celestia. "You aren't happy to see me? Aren't you glad I'm alive?"

"Where are you hiding? Why don't you reveal yourself!" Celestia yelled, her heart racing, never expecting to come face to face with the tyrant unicorn ever again. At least, she had hoped she never would.

"All in due time. But for now, a parting gift;

The Sun did rise,
The Sun did fall,
The Sun will rise again,
Bring with it the shadows long concealed,
The king will rise at the prince's fall,
True intentions be revealed,
Ponies gather at twilight's hour,
Not Sun nor Moon not Heart of Gem can save,
The pony of power,
From the path that destiny had cast,
His ship now sails,
Never slowing, ever fast,
Amongst a land or red and green,
Sweet and warm as honey and tea,
Under your watchful eye, dearest Celestia,
The pony in question is never seen.

The two sisters listened to the shadow king's words, repeating them over and over in their heads, but nothing about it made since.

"You truly have gone mad, haven't you?" Celestia finally said, looking down on the single eye of the former ruler of the crystal empire.

Sombra just chuckles in response. "If that is what you wish to believe. It is too soon for you to do anything anyways. I wonder... Will you be too late this time as well?"

As princess Celestia was about to ask him more about what he meant, the stone like bubble he was trapped in became transparent, it continued to do so until the stone bubble disappeared altogether. Celestia was slightly stunned. As she looked around, she saw that the other bubbles were disappearing as well.

"They are waking up" Luna explained, knowing how this realm worked, more so then her dumbstruck sister. "Sombra must have woken up as well."

Celestia thought for a moment, then sighed. "We need to put the guards in the look out. Both in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire. Keep an eye out for Sombra. If he makes a move, I want to know."

"We agree, sister" Luna said as she turned around and watched the other dream bubbles begin to disappear. "We should head back, it's time for us to lower the moon and raise the sun."

Celestia paused. 'Pony's will gather at twilight's hour...' She repeated his mad words over again. "Luna... What if he wasn't just speaking nonsense?"

"You think his poorly written poem might hold some truth to it, sister?" Luna asked, turning back and facing her older sister, concern spread heavily across her muzzle.

"I believe it might be worth looking into. When we get back I want to send a message to Twilight Sparkle, if anypony other then us can decider it, she can" Celestia walked up to her younger sister. "I'm sorry... But I'll have to ask you for your help on this once more..."

Luna smiled and put a hoof on her sister's shoulder. "We are always here for you sister. We know.... Facing Sombra won't be easy for you... But you will always have us by your side, dearest sister. "

The lunar princess proceeded to give her older sister a hug, which Celestia gladly accepted. A sharp and ancient pain burning in the solar princess's heart felt like it was reopening. The two stayed like that until Luna broke the meditation spell that held them both in the dream realm. In a flash, both Luna and Celestia returned from the realm of dreams. But the pain still lingered in Celestia's heart. One that she had done her best to forget about for 1000 years, with little to no success.

Big Mac's Plan

The next morning Sunny dragged himself out of bed and flopped down the stairs, any indication that he was in pain was numbed by the yellow stallion's lack of energy. As he pulled himself up to the breakfast table, Granny, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom all looked at the yellow unicorn, concerned about his half dead state.

"You ok there, Sunny?" Granny spoke up, passing him a tall plate of fresh pancakes.

He hated himself for not being hungry, he loved Granny's pancakes. But this morning, as his blood shot eyes fell upon the delicious breakfast plate, Sunny felt like eating them would do more harm then good right now. "Ugh.... Am I awake?"

"Eh'yep" Big Mac answered with his signature phrase, as he shoved the last bite of his own pancakes into his mouth, savoring their rich, fluffy goodness.

"Then I don't think so..." Sunny forced himself to sit up, but his head began to throb. "Ugh.... My head is killing me..."

Apple bloom lowered her head. "It wasn' all the crusading you helped us with yesterday, was it?"

Sunny shook his head, only half believing it. "I had a hard time sleeping last night."

"Bad dreams?" Apple Bloom asked after swallowing a bite of her breakfast. "Luna normally deals with that."

"No, well I did have a dream but....It was... Weird. Like I wasn't even there, I don't even remember much about it. I remember a poorly written poem being, but that's it." The yellow stallion said with a sigh. He then got up from the table. "I think I'm just going to get started on the chores. Maybe a little physical work will help clear me up."

Granny was about to tell Sunny she'll wrap his stack of pancakes up to go for him, when Big Mac grabbed them and took a huge bite out of them before she could get a word out. This earned the big red stallion a shamed look with narrow eyes from his grandmother, and a giggle from his younger sister.

Sunny started harvesting the apples from one of the southern orchards. It was funny, he thought, how a unicorn could learn to buck apple trees, plant new ones, haul around heavy farming equipment and even help out with the cooking and food preparation. Normally that was specifically meant to be earth-pony abilities. Sunny paused to look up at his own horn, he touched it, and even flicked it. It felt real, and even flicking it caused an odd sensation to vibrate down his back. It was real alright. ''Maybe I'm part earth pony" he said to him self as he got back to work.

As the sun began to rise in the east, Sunny watched as Apple Bloom met with her friends, Sweety Bell and Scootaloo, half way down the road, and they walk to school together. Seeing Apple Bloom smile and laugh with er friends made him think about Thunder Lane. "Maybe I should go see him later today" Sunny said to himself again, then chuckled. "I'd love to see the look on his face when I show him my horn!"

"Eh'yep!" Big Mac commented as he sneaked up from behind the yellow stallion.

Sunny nearly jumped out of his skin. "Big Mac! Geeze! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

The red stallion chuckled and began picking up the spare apples that missed the basket. Sunny shook off his shock with a smile and slight laugh, then started to pick up the stray apples as well. He paused, then thought maybe it would be a good idea to test and stretch his magic.

As the red stallion placed another stray apple in a basket, it was followed by another one, coated in a green magical aura. Big Mac saw it drop gently into the basket, then looked over at his harvesting buddy. The same green magical aura that coated the stray apple was also wrapped around his horn.

"He he, just thought I'd practice" Sunny explained. "No harm in just doing the stray ones, right?"

"Eh'nope" Big Mac answered, smiling at the yellow unicorn.

As the two continued to work into the day, a tan Pegasus with a brown, messy mane and a crescent moon for a cutie mark flew up to Sunny from down the road. The yellow unicorn stopped working and tipped his hat, greeting the familiar pony he recognized from town.

"How's it going, Crescent? What brings you around these parts?" Sunny asked the Pegasus.

"Hey Sunny!" the pegusus' eyes continued to stair at the yellow stallion's horn as he talked. " Ugh, well, Thunder Lane is getting out of his casts today. Well, at least the ones around his legs. So me and some of the other guys from the weather factory were planning to throw him a party this week end, and being one of his best pals and all, wanted to know if you would come. You and Big Mac, that is." Crescent added, not wanting to single out one of Ponyville's most popular stallions.

Sunny then turned to the big red farm pony and asked "think we'll be free that night?"

To which, Big Mac paused one moment, half way threw bucking a tree, smiled and replied "Eh'yep "

"Sweet! We have a party!" Crescent cheered, pumping his hooves in victory. After a moment, he stopped his victory dance and turned his attention back to the yellow farm pony. "So, ugh, how's it feel? Being a unicorn and all?"

Sunny shrugged. " kinda weird. You know, moving stuff with my mind and all. But Twilight's a really good teacher. She's taught me how to do a few spells. Like levitation or a small shield, but I still have a ways to go."

"Couldn't ask for a better teacher, but how does Applejack feel about it?" Crescent asked, picking up a stray apple and tossing it into a basket. "You know. You spending so much time with another mare?"

"Well Applejack was the one who asked Twilight to tutor me, and I get all my chores done before hand, so it doesn't interrupt-" Sunny went on to say but was interrupted.

"No!" Crescent stopped his friend mid-sentence. "I mean how does your Special Some Pony feel about you spending so much time with another mare?"

Even though Big Mac had been focusing on his work through most of Sunny and Crescent's conversation, he couldn't help but pause and listen when he heard the phrase 'Spacial Some Pony'. He pretended to still be working, but his ears were the ones that were really putting in over time as he homed in on the conversation.

"Oh? You think AJ might be getting jealous?" Sunny asked then it hit him, Crescent was kidding with him about Applejack. Even though they weren't really a couple, it was plane to see that the town's folk thought that. And most of the time the other guys would call them 'a couple'.

"Yeah, heck I would" Crescent continued. "And the last thing I want to see is you breaking the heart of sweet, sweet Applejack because you fall head over heels for the princess."

Sunny playfully punched Crescent on the shoulder. He knew how the other stallions and even some mares joked about such things up in the weather factory, having delivered some supplies to them a few times, which was how he met Thunder lane in the fest place. Not many ponies got their humor, but being exposed to it, Sunny knew how to joke back.

"You just wish you had a mare beating down your door" the yellow unicorn said. "And I don't mean your sister when you forget to do the dishes!"

"Oh whatever!" Crescent said as he began to fly away. "I'll see you and Big Mac at the party ok?! See you later lover boy!"

"Yeah yeah! Quit your yakin' and get to vacuuming! Ya lazy bone! Or Ah'll tell yer sister!" Sunny called out, and slightly chuckled to himself, realizing he's starting to get that accent back. That notion made him smile. It meant he was spending so much time with the Apples that he was ping up on the way they talked. With that happy thought, he went back to work.

As he went back to bucking the Appel trees, thinking about the party and wondering who else was going, a certain over protective older brother was hiding near by. If he wasn't already red before, he sure was now. Unlike the pegusi or other ponies who worked at the rainbow factory, the strong farm stallion wasn't used to hearing, much less understanding, such humor. Jokes like saying one was married to another, or was a play boy were over his head and thus were taken literally. With the thought of Sunny acting as a womanizing stallion, and even worse, as a womanizing stallion playing with his kind and loving sister's heart, made his blood boil.

Images of Sunny going out and charming mares all around town, leading them on, then breaking their hearts, filled Big Mac's head. He didn't know much more about Sunny then what he saw on the farm and at home. For all Big Mac knew, he could really be a play boy, a heart breaker, and they let him into their own home?! Maybe he knew the entire time that he was a unicorn, and wanted to just make fools out of him and his family! Maybe he never really lost his memory at all! Maybe he's using Big Mac and his family to hide out or something!