He's here and he's willing to help!
It was around that time a year again; time for old Sandbox to move to a different town. He was never really sure why his parents named him Sandbox. It didn't have to do anything with his talent or their talents or their names, Zip Tie and Shoe Buckle. But they were dead now.... Not that he was depressed over it; sad, but not depressed. Anywho... Sandbox was on his way to his recently crowned most favorite town, Ponyville. He'd heard all sorts of rumors about this place, that the trees were green, the cake was delicious, and all the mares were smokin' hot! Sandbox smiled hugely at the last thought. Though, it faded once he realized something. He didn't know how to talk to girls. In a dignified and not pathetic way, that is.
Still, Sandbox wasn't easily put down by such thoughts. Even if they were so blatantly obvious that any mare within a five mile perimeter would start laughing her flank off as soon as he inhaled to speak. The young, unicorn stallion shook his head of these more worse thoughts. He had to stay on the bright side. He still had a fine brown coat, a short and well kept black mane, a cutie mark in the shape of a skull.... That wasn't too flattering but the TEETH!! Ah, yes the teeth! His teeth were so perfectly white and square! They were like spotless little dominoes just waiting to be knocked in by the first mare he offended...... The teenage unicorn stallion continued on his journey.
"Wait!" He shouted. "I can teleport!" It was true. Sandbox had learned how to teleport from his previous magic teacher back in Trottingham. The stallion stopped, prepped himself, then powered up his horn. Sparked sparked, light flew, and a few farts escaped him as he did this. But eventually, the pony disappeared.
It was a beautiful morning at Sweet Apple Acres. The sun was shining, the workers were happy, and the apples were big and delicious. But as the camera pulls towards Apple Bloom's room are we able to see that something else is happening.
The camera closes in on three teenage fillies sitting on the floor together. The room is outfitted with apple themed decorations and designs. Apple Bloom's bed is adorned with an enormous comforter that is also decked out with sweet apple brands all over the place.
Apple Bloom currently sat at the foot of the bed facing her friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Scootaloo was curled up into a ball with tears in her eyes. He mane was messy and dirty looking and her coat was a bit red. The pegasus' friends were very worried about her.
"Why don' ya tell someone?!" Apple Bloom shouted at her friend.
"It's just going to make it worse!" Scootaloo shouted back.
"Apple Bloom's right! You need to get someone to help you with this!"
It's been a few years now since the Cutie Mark Crusaders have gotten their cutie marks. Scootaloo's in the form of a flaming tire! Sweetie Belle's in the form of a golden bell with a music note carved into it, resting on a heart. Apple Bloom's as a hammer and wrench. Each of the crusaders took pride in their unique talents.
"The last time I asked someone to help me he started hitting me harder!" Scootaloo screamed. She dropped her hooves from her face to reveal a blackened eye, swollen lip, and bloody nose. The poor filly looked as if she'd been in a carriage crash.
"We'll call the police then!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed in anger; she'd been seeing her friend be beaten for too long now.
"NO! Please...." Scootaloo grabbed her friend. "Please don't..."
"Well it's the only way ah see to help ya. Yer father is a monster and we need to do somethin' about it!"
It was at that moment that the sky flashed. Rainbow streaks covered the sky and caused Scootaloo to flip out.
"Rainbow's coming! Quick, Sweetie Belle, fix me up!" Scootaloo said. Sweetie Belle looked to her bruised pegasus friend and sighed before healing her face with a bit of magic. After a few seconds of a glowing horn in her face, Scootaloo looked like she'd never been hit at all. A loud thump sounded as the three teens directed their attention to the windowsill where Rainbow Dash stood tall and proud.
"Hey, girls!" She said. "I thought I might find you here." Rainbow only thought this because the CMC weren't in the first five places she thought she'd find them. "How is everything?" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked back to Scootaloo who was flashing her biggest fake smile.
"Everything's great Rainbow!" Scootaloo said with convincing fake enthusiasm.
"Scootaloo was beaten again." Sweetie Belle said. Rainbow Dash gasped as Scootaloo punched her unicorn friend in the arm.
"Why don't you tell me when this happens?!" Rainbow demanded. Scootaloo avoided Rainbow's gaze. "Why is it that Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom are the first one's your go to? Because you think they won't tell anyone? Because Sweetie Belle will fix you up so no one will ask what happened?" Scootaloo was silently crying. Tears fell from her face onto the apple spattered carpet. Rainbow dropped from the windowsill and approached Scootaloo; she put the filly's head on her shoulder and wrapped her into a hug.
"Look, you're gonna be fine. You're a strong young mare. But that doesn't mean you're invincible or that things will get better if you ignore them. I know you don't like to bother me or your friends with your issues, but that doesn't mean that we won't try to help." Scootaloo looked up to her mentor. "We will do whatever it takes to help you through this." It was at this point that the other crusaders leaned in for a hug as well. The four of them sat there in silence, simply holding each other.
BANG!!!!!! BANG!!!!!! BANG!!!!!
The four mares looked over to the far wall of the room where light was focusing and exploding repeatedly. SUDDENLY a stallion appeared and was thrown against the wall.
"DAMN IT!!!" He shouted. As the dazed teen picked himself up off of the floor, he was able to look around at where he'd landed. It appeared that he was on the inside of somepony's bedroom. Somepony who seemed to have a fetish for apples. JUST THEN he looked to his left and noticed the group of mares just staring at him. Sandbox broke into a cold sweat. What were they thinking about him?! That he accidentally teleported to their bedroom? Or maybe that he was some perv that tried to get a closer look and got a little too close? His questions were answered by the rock hard hoof breaking his face.
"Trying to spy on some mares, huh?!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she beat the poor colt's face in. The Cutie Mark Crusaders quickly pulled Rainbow off of the pony and pushed her to the far side of the room.
"Let 'im explain 'imself would ya?!" Apple Bloom demanded. Rainbow stopped trying to get back at the stallion and sat down with her forehooves crossed. The CMC sat in front of Rainbow facing the mysterious stallion.
"Who are you?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"MY BUCKING FACE!!!!" Sandbox cried out through bloody lips.
"Who are you?!" Scootaloo demanded.
"ARE YOUR HOOVES MADE OF METAL!?!" Sandbox screamed.
"Answer the damn question!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"Damn it! Ugh..... My name is Sandbox." He said. Sweetie Belle smiled, finally getting an answer out of the stranger.
"Okay, Sandbox, why are you here?" She asked.
"Uh..." Sandbox looked around again. This wasn't where he'd meant to go. "I was trying to get to Ponyville."
"Well congrad-u-lashins ya made it!" Apple Bloom cheered. "At the cost of gettin' yer face busted in." She and Scootaloo snickered.
"I literally just learned how to teleport."
"You mean 'Wink-out'?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Whatever! I just learned how. That was the first time i tried it without supervision and I got a lead pipe in my face for it!"
"Sorry." Rainbow said in a half sincere voice.
"Is there a place where I can get some directions or something?" Sandbox asked.
"You'd be headed for Twilight Sparkle's library." Scootaloo said.
"Cool, thanks." Sandbox replied. The colt stood up and walked towards the windowsill. "I guess I'll try to teleport again." He looked back at the CMC. "You three are hot." He said with a smile causing the crusaders to blush. "Surprised you're not hanging out with your coltfriends. Anyway, see ya!" And with that, Sandbox was gone.
The CMC were left sitting in the middle of the room with small blushes still on their faces. Rainbow Dash sat behind them, snickering.
"Well, I gotta go." Rainbow said as she walked towards the window herself. "Got some clouds to clear and a bunch of other weather junk." She jumped up onto the windowsill and let herself fall almost to the ground before she opened her wings and shouted, "PEACE OUT!!!" back up to the crusaders.
At Twilight's library, the teenage dragon, Spike was cleaning around his home. Spike had grown a good foot and a half taller than several years ago. He was around the same height as Twilight. His spines had grown out longer and more jagged, but weren't as sharp as one would think. Spike also learned how to do dragon magic! Which was like unicorn magic, but with fire! And done by dragons!
Spike was nearly finished re-shelving the library. If a book's place was up to high, rather than getting a ladder, he'd simply breath lightly on it, and the smoke from his breath would carry the book to its place. After the last book had found its spot on the shelf, there was a knock at the door.
"Hm... Wonder who that is." Spike said.
"Who." Twilight's pet owl, Owlicious said.
"Don't even start with that crap!" Spike snapped back at him.
Spike opened the door and a tough looking stallion stepped in. The pony looked almost demonic. A dark and lifeless brown coat. An oily and sick looking black mane, and teeth that were so jagged and yellow, you'd think of them more as rock candy than chompers.
"Um... Hello?" Spike said.
"You're afraid...." The stallion said.
"What?"
"You are afraid." The stallion stepped closer and the door shut behind him. "You've been afraid ever since you were young. You've been afraid of not being loved. Never finding someone to have as your own." Spike took another step back.
"No." He said in mock defiance. The stallion only got more in his face.
"You've been afraid for as long as you can remember. It's the reason you spend so much time gawking at mares, but never talking to them. It's the reason you've always appreciated Twilight's affection, but never thought of it as enough. You want to be loved, and not in a platonic way, oh no no no.... You want a romantic burning passion of a love!" Spike had a few small tears in his eyes at this point. "But you're afraid you'll never find it. It is because of this fear that you were so crestfallen when Rarity turned you down." Spike's jaw dropped. He remembered back to when he'd actually told Rarity of his love for her and how she said it couldn't be. The age difference made sense now, but it was still a touchy subject.
"W-who a-are you?" Spike quivered. The stallion slowly pulled his lips into a smile. A great and disturbing smile that showed off all of his disgusting looking teeth. Then, he opened his mouth to speak.
"Sandbox is my name and fear is my game! I'll read you're mind and send you back in time! Back to when the world was new and you were utterly confused, but no need to cry because I'm here, and I'm gonna help you conquer you're fear!!" The stallion's grotesque features melted down into much more friendly ones and allowed Spike to relax a bit.
"Uh..."
"I know that life seems very dark for you right now. But I'm here to help. But before I help you, I need you to help me." Sandbox said. Spike just looked at the deranged stallion. "Do you have a map of the town or something? I'm new here."
"Uh, yeah... I'll get you one." Spike left and headed towards the storage room where he found the extra maps Twilight store when she wan't using them. Once he returned, Spike noticed that Sandbox was busy sniffing one of the lamps near the door. Spike tossed the map at the stallion, who caught it before he turned to face him.
"Ah! Thank you. This should be very helpful." Sandbox then turned and walked towards the door.
"Wait!" Spike said with and outstretched claw.
"Yes?" Sandbox replied as he spun to meet the dragon.
"How are you going to help me?" The drake asked confusedly. Sandbox simply chuckled.
"I'm simply going to show you that you're fears are nothing that should be stopping you in life. But first I need to evaluate the town." And with that Sandbox was gone.
Sandbox wandered the streets of Ponyville in search of anyone that may need a little guidance.
"Hey! Who are you?! I've never seen you here before!" Sandbox turned his head only to be met with a mass of Pink tackling him to the ground. "Hi! My name's Pinkie Pie! What's your's?"
"Uh, Sandbox. Nice to meet you." Sandbox replied.
"Well, it's super nice to meet you! So where do you come from?" Pinkie asked.
With a smile Sandbox answered, "I just recently left Trottingham. It was a nice place, but I felt that I'd done my job there."
"And what is your job?" The pink pony asked with eyes the size of bowling balls. She allowed Sandbox to stand again.
"Helping ponies." Sandbox replied. Pinkie still had a smile, but it seemed to be fading. Apparently that wasn't enough. "I help ponies overcome their fears."
"And how do you do that?"
"Well, I'm able to see inside their minds and gain access to a wide variety of what frightens them. For instance, you are afraid of broccoli." Sandbox said. It was a strange fear, but it was fear. And that much was certain to Pinkie Pie whom had assumed the fetal position.
"Because they're so weird!" She said; her mane began to sag. "It's like you're eating a tiny tree, but when you put it in you're mouth it feels like you're chewing on a sponge! It's got different shapes and textures all over it and it tastes bad!" She stood up and looked Sandbox directly in the eyes. "Really really bad!!"
"Hey, it's not a problem. I can help you. But first, I need to know, is there anypony around here that sort of gives off and aura? Like they are trying to hide something?" Sandbox asked. Pinkie thought for a moment.
"What do you mean?"
"Sorry, you probably don't. It's my special talent figuring out what people are afraid of. If it looks as if a pony is big and tough but may be hiding something, it's probably fear."
"Hmm..." Pinkie said as she tapped her hoof to her chin and looked around. "What about him?" Pinkie pointed off to the distance at a pegasus stallion with a light coat and a dark black/grey mane. He was busy talking to a few others at a bar of some sort. The pony looked to be the most confident guy in the group, but Sandbox was able to see through him like a Jock through a hole in the wall of the Cheerleaders' changing room.
"Perfect! Thank you, Pinkie!" Sandbox said.
"You're welcome!" Pinkie watched as Sandbox went off to address the stallion.
"YO!" Sandbox yelled. The group turned to face him. "WHAT'S YOUR NAME?!" Sandbox screamed pointing at the aforementioned pony.
"Rumble? Who's asking?" The pegasus said.
"WHO'S ASKING?!" Sandbox turned to his left then to his right while chuckling as if there were ponies there laughing along with him. "He's asking me who's asking-I'M ASKING!! THE GUY WHO'S GONNA KICK YOUR FLANK!!!!" Sandbox screamed. Rumble was confused at first, then began to laugh along with his friends.
"Okay! Bring it on!" Rumble flapped beat his wings hard and landed in front of Sandbox. "But before I kick your ass, what are we fighting for?" Rumble asked. He didn't really care, a fight was a fight, he just wanted to know.
"We're fighting because you're afraid!" Sandbox said.
"I'm not afraid of you!" Rumble replied. He swung his hoof at Sandbox, but missed.
"Maybe not of me, but I know what you are afraid of." Rumble swung again and Sandbox simply dodged.
"So what am I afraid of?" Rumble asked in fake wonder as he swung at his unicorn challenger.
"You see my cutie mark?" Sandbox asked. Rumble took a quick look. "STOP STARING AT MY ASS!!!" A pissed off Rumble planted a hit on Sandbox's face. The unicorn whipped his face back to where it was as if he hadn't even felt it. "My talent is fear! I'm able to see inside ponies' heads and pull out what scares them most!" Rumble took another swing.
"Sure you are!" The pegasus replied with sarcasm.
"Some ponies are afraid of spiders!"
"So?" Rumble said as he missed again.
"Some are afraid of being robbed!"
"So what?"
"Everyone has a fear!" Sandbox said as he cracked Rumble in the face. "You're afraid of looking bad!" Sandbox hit him again and sent him tumbling to the ground. "You're afraid of losing!" Rumble tried to block the next swing but only succeeded in slowing it down. Sandbox lowered himself down to Rumble's level. "But most of all..."
Rumble wound back to try for a sucker punch.
"You're afraid for Scootaloo." Sandbox smiled as Rumble went still.
"What?" He asked. Confusion riddled his face.
"You're afraid that she might not like you. And even if she doesn't, you want the best for her. You're afraid you couldn't give her what she deserves or that you couldn't treat her how she should be."
"Of course I am, dude." Rumble said as he stood. "She's amazing. Who wouldn't give their life for her?"
"From the moment you saw her, you've observed her from afar. Fearing the outcome of ever addressing her. You've always wanted to tell her how you felt, but you've never had the balls to do it. So you sit back and watch her. Maybe she'll come talk to you... But what if she doesn't? Will watch her your whole life? No... You just can't."
"How do you know all of this?" Rumble asked. "I've never told anyone about this... about her." Rumble sniffled. "Look I can't just go up to her and tell her that I love her! I can't risk it... I can't risk the friendship we already have and I'm afraid that if I do tell her.."
"...That you'll lose her completely..."
"Yeah....."
"There's just one problem with that."
"What?"
"If you don't get over these fears, she's going to continue to be beaten." Sandbox said. Rumble's eyes went as wide as saucers.
"What?!"
"Scootaloo has the world's best dad!" Sandbox started to chuckle. "One that doesn't let her go two seconds without telling her how worthless she is!"
"No..." Rumble said as he held his head in his hooves.
"A dad that is always willing to lend a hoof... Usually to her face!" Sandbox laughed as Rumble shook with rage. "Maybe her dad is right..." Rumble pulled his gaze from the ground back to Sandbox.
"WHAT?" Rumble said through gritted teeth.
"Maybe Scootaloo's dad is right... Maybe she is worthless."
"SHUT UP!!"
"She sure thinks so... And I don't see you doing anything to help her see otherwise."
"SHUT THE HELL UP!!!!!"
"MAKE ME!!!"
Rumble stood tall and towered above Sandbox before he swung downward. His hoof contacted Sandbox's face and knocked him to the ground. Sandbox spat blood as he stood back up.
"ARE WE FIGHTING OR PLAYING TAG?!" Sandbox yelled.
"SHUT UP!!!!" Rumble shouted back as he knocked the unicorn to the ground again.
"SCOOTALOO WILL NEVER LOVE YOU!!!" Sandbox screamed. Rumble cracked him in the skull again and, again Sandbox stood to face him. "YOU ARE JUST GOING TO LET HER KEEP GETTING ABUSED!!!!!" Rumble flapped his wings hard and dropped to punch Sandbox with another five feet of momentum. Sandbox stood again. "FACE YOUR FEAR!!!!" Rumble snapped his wings towards Sandbox and flew backwards, then flapped them again and sent himself sailing towards his enemy. His hoof and Sandbox's face made contact and the noise that sound was comparable to a small explosion. The last punch was heard for miles; apples fell from trees, birds were startled and flew off, why even Zecora was left wondering what the fuck just happened.
When the smoke cleared, a tired Rumble could be seen panting in the middle of a small crater. Rumble's friends stood back, gawking at the sight. Rumble was confused until he looked down. Sandbox lied at his hooves, dead.
"Shit..." Rumble said. Suddenly, the body shifted. The bones in Sandbox cracked and snapped as the Stallion was brought back up to a standing position.
"You have enough bravery to kick my ass. So why not kick the ass of your fear?" Sandbox asked. Rumble stood there dumbfounded. The whole fight had been a lesson. Rumble looked to the ground, then back up to Sandbox.
"How, though?" Rumble asked.
"You just talk to her. Be there for her when she needs someone to talk to."
"But what if I can't? What if she doesn't like me or she doesn't think I'm good enough?" Rumble asked with sad eyes.
"She won't. But you won't know for sure until you try. Go talk to her. Look after her." Sandbox put a hoof on Rumble's shoulder. "Protect her." Sandbox smiled at Rumble and Rumble smiled back. Then he turned to leave.
"Wait!" Rumble said. "Who are you?"
"I'm Sandbox. And I just helped you get over your fear. Now go get her!" Rumble smiled big at Sandbox.
"I will! I WILL!" Rumble flapped his wings and took to the air. As Sandbox turned to leave he heard a faint 'THANK YOU!!' Sandbox happily walked back over to where Pinkie Pie stood wearing a small smile of her own.
"Now, how about I help you with you fear of Broccoli?"
