Season One: The Fruit Job Part 1
Equestria, a truly wonderful place to be. The locations, the good food, the magic, and the great folk around here. Yeah definitely a place for any kind of pony.
Wait!
You think I'm one of those ponies. Well let me say that you are wrong.
No that's me right there, the handsome one.
He looked on over a tree over at the Ponyville School House and saw the fillies and colts playing, but one thing caught his eye. He saw a pink filly with a crown on her head, that heard was named Diamond Tiara, start picking on a small white and brown colt, that heard was named Pipsqueak.
The name's Surly, yeah I know it sounds like I'm character from a movie that was entertaining but got negative reviews, I get that a lot.
He looked down from the tree and saw a kick ball under it. He got down and positioned himself from the ball and aimed at Diamond Tiara.
If you are wondering no I don't have a problem with ponies, most of the time. Because most of the time I get a real kick out of them.
He raised his back left paw and kicked the ball right at Diamond Tiara's head. After it bounced off of her she looked around to see who did that but didn't see him since he went back into the tree. He didn't stick around for long and decided to leave right at the spot just in case if some pony decided to look around town for the culprit.
Don't worry sometimes these ponies are alright kind of like common birds. I mean sometimes they offer the occasional treat.
He went on over to a birds nest to look for food. Instead he found it empty leaving him a bit agitated.
Apparently not today.
He went ballistic and trashed the entire nest that the bird that owned. He left the sight wondering where else to look for food. When he was gone the bird that made the next came back and found its nest destroyed making it agitated. Surly went up to a building known as the Carousal Boutique and looked around.
Now I bet some of you think that I'm like a hero to ponies and to animals alike, well let me assure you that I'm not. Just like any other I'm just an animal out looking for something to eat.
He looked on over to an apple cart chuck full of apples being carried by an orange mare with a blond mane and tail wearing a stetson hat with a cutie mark featuring three apples as well as an old green mare an orange piece of cloth around her neck with some apple on it bearing a cutie mark featuring an apple pie. With them both was a dog that he assumed was their pet. The natural slave of the pony. He stuck two fingers in his mouth and called the others to come up over to where he was standing.
That there is my protege and adoptive daughter named 'Little One'. I raised her when I found her when she was much smaller.
That there is my buddy named, well 'Buddy'. He don't talk much, sometimes I ask myself 'What does that fox say'. Hm sounds catchy, I might make a song of that later depending on if someone didn't steal that idea from later on.
And that there is my high flying eye in the sky gal 'Sky High'. When it comes to snatching food we are the best in the business. Hate to cause ponies even more then I've seen them have, but after all they say life's there for the taking. And right now that's exactly what we are going to do.
Near the entrance of the Everfree Forest there was a group of wild forest animals gathered together. A group of badgers, falcons, pigeons, chipmunks, beavers, moles, and one male bear. It was late in the afternoon so there should be no signs of very dangerous creatures for any of the group of animals or ponies. Besides if there would be any than the bear would would try to drive them away. The group of animals were coming together to stash enough food for the Summer Sun Celebration which is tonight. The bear there is measuring the food to see if they will have enough.
"That's right everyone we need to get enough food as we can." The bear said. "Hurry up before any of those Timberwolves find it." The bear stuck it's head near the food stash to speak to one of the badgers. "So how is it coming? Are we close to our goal?"
"Almost there." The female badger announced. "Just a few more bits and we'll be set. I just wish that more ponies would care."
"So do we all." The bear said turning away from the badger and before he knew it a pigeon came on over. "Oh you finally came, I do hope you brought good news."
"Oh yes I did." The pigeon said as he flew near the bear. "I was in Ponyville looking around and I saw something that could fill us all up, possibly for longer than we thought." The bear and the rest of the animals waited for what the pigeon was going to say. "I saw an apple cart full of the best looking apples."
The bear was mostly intrigued by this bit of news. "Alright we will need someone to go and get those apples."
"If I could make a suggestion," The badger that the bear was talking to before started talking. "May myself and some fellow badgers could obtain them."
The bear thought about it a little and came to a conclusion. "Alright take a few others and bring back those apples. Every last one of them."
"I just hope it doesn't cause much harm to the ponies." The badger said getting a little sad.
Hearing the word 'ponies' made the bear form an angry look, however, he caught himself and put on a fake smile. "I assure you that nothing will happen, much." He said hiding his sarcastic tone. "Remember we are doing this for the greater good of each and every one of us." Hearing that made the badger calm down a bit. "Let's do it. For the forest!"
"For the forest!" Every animal said in unison.
"I wish you and the others you bring luck Lana." Lana the badger brought many other badgers with her, but before they could go any further the pigeon that brought the news went over to the bear and whispered something in his. Something that caught him by surprise but at the same time thought it was expected. "Also I want each and every one of you to keep a sharp eye out for...you know who."
All the animals got a little worried about what he was getting at. "Wait you don't mean-" One of the chipmunks started before the bear interrupted him.
"Yes I do mean...him."
In a tree right near the apple cart being carried by the two ponies named Applejack and Granny smith, Surly looked on over to the cart and admired it. He and his group were all in the tree and about to catch their food.
"There it is." Surly said not looking away from the apple cart. "Juicy goodness in the form of awkwardly shaped redness."
Little One looked on over and her mouth started watering. "It looks amazing." She said in a little squeaky voice. "Doesn't it dad?"
Surly looked on over to his adoptive daughter and smiled a bit. "I told you already that there is no need for titles." He said patting Little One's head.
Little One blushed a bit. "Oops my bad." She said while chuckling a little.
"Don't worry it'll catch on." Surly said. He then looked on over to the apple cart. "You are right though, it is an amazing sight." He and Little One went on over to the next branch with Buddy and Sky High. "Alright let's go over the plan." He grabbed a piece of paper with a plan that he made on it. "Here is us and there is the apple cart. First: Sky High will keep an eye out and tell when the moment to get down there will be. Second: Buddy will be the first to go down there an-"
"Surly." Little One said interrupting him. However, what she showed him got his attention. She pointed at a group of badgers headed toward the apple cart.
"Uh-oh we got company."
"Badgers!" Sky High stated. "Why does it always have to be badgers?"
Surly grabbed the plan and stood up. "Alright let's get moving I'll explain the rest of the plan on the way." Surly and the others moved to the branch right underneath the apple cart and got started on the plan.
Lana and the group of badgers hid from view of the ponies especially the ones with the apple cart. In truth they didn't really have a plan to get the apples or a plan to keep themselves hidden from the ones with the apple cart especially the dog that's with them.
"There it is." Lana stated to the other badgers who were looking at her for a plan. Lana hesitated for a bit and thought of something. "It looks like it'll be awhile until they leave so we must have enough time to think of how to get the apples without them knowing."
One of the badgers was the first to speak, being all furious with her not having a plan to start out with. "Let me get this straight you volunteer us to go get food and you don't even know how to do it?" Lana looked a bit sad and nodded her head. "Well isn't that convenient."
The best that Lana could do was look around for something to do in order to get the food. What she did see caught her by surprise. She saw Buddy being lowered to the top of the apple cart. She knew that if Buddy was there then Surly must up on the tree. She went away from the group while they were discussing what do so and climbed up the tree.
The badger that talked to her earlier looked up and saw her climbing the tree. "Looks like she's finally got a plan." He then started sniffing and thought he smelled something very peculiar. "I smell a fox." The other badgers looked at him in a serious look since they thought that he was flirting with someone. "What?"
Buddy was being lowered very carefully to the top of the apple cart just so he wouldn't be able to alarm the ponies and the dog of his presence. He listened in on their conversation as they were talking to pink mare with pink fuzzy hair with a cutie mark revealing three balloons who he assumed must be her friend. He saw that he must be selling some of the apples to her which meant that he needs to hurry.
"I'm telling you that this new cake I'm thinking of will go down in cake history just like the cake we made for the contest in Canterlot." The pink mare named Pinkie Pie said. "It'll be so awesometastic!" She said with a smile.
"Yall do realize that's not a real word right?" The mare named Applejack said. She waited for a response but she didn't give any which made her decide to continue with the sale. "So how many apples do you need?"
Buddy was half-way there while Surly and Little One gently lowered him down. They made sure to do it slowly so that way they wouldn't let the ponies know about it. They were nearly done until Lana came up to the branch.
"Surly!"
Her saying that got them both surprised that Surly accidentally let go of the line. Little One managed to hold her grip but since Buddy weighed more than her both her and Buddy landed on top of the apples. Thankfully that Applejack, the green mare named Granny Smith, Pinkie Pie, and the dog didn't notice them.
Surly looked on over to Lana before Sky High came down and stood right behind her. "Oh it's you. Don't you have Bear to listen to." He looked down to see if Little One and Buddy were alright and they both were.
"Listen, Bear sent me and some other badgers to get some food from this apple cart. We need this." Lana said to Surly as he searched around for something. "I'm not saying you can't have anything but how about we split the apples so we both get some food."
Surly then looked on over at Lana. "Look, now out of all the animals left in the forest, you are the one that I like." Hearing that made Lana blush a little. "But you still work for the one that made me and my friends outcasts so you can forget it." And that made her sad.
"It makes me sad that you think that Surly." She said looking down. Sky High looked at her with a hint of pity but she still had to be strong. "Wish we still could work together."
Sky High looked back at her. "You do know that if you do then Bear wouldn't be nice to you."
"Either way we still might be causing ponies problems." Lana said making Surly and Sky High have annoyed looks. "They already have enough trouble the least we could do is not cause more."
"I'm not saying that they are bad, it's just that I don't care what they think." Surly said grabbing a couple of sticks. "They don't pay much attention to us wild animals. Except for one, but that's just it, one not all of them just one."
Just then before any of them could say anything else the badger that Lana was talking to earlier came up and in front of Surly. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? None other than our old friend Surly."
"Who said that we were friends?" Sky High said getting his attention, but not the attention that she was looking for, especially from him. He started giving her lovestruck eyes as he looked at her. "Quit staring at my feathers Thatch my eyes are up here."
Hearing that made Thatch snap out. "I will say that I did miss you Sky High. You should know that I'm doing fine trying to take charge in stuff."
"Here's the thing." Sky High said. "First: Lana was in charge the last time I saw and second I'm not attracted to those that think power is everything."
"Give it time I know you'll budge." Thatch said now turning to Surly. "Anyway, you know the drill. We are ordered to stop you."
Lana stepped and tried to stop Thatch. "Listen I've got this one."
Surly grabbed some string and went on over to the ledge. "Sorry I wish I had time, but right now we have something that needs to be taken care of." On cue Sky High grabbed onto him and silently flew him to the apple cart.
If they saw anything it would have been Sky High flying back up to the tree. "Look and eagle." Pinkie Pie said. "They say if you see one than the rest of your day is full of good luck."
"That's doves Pinkie." Applejack corrected but kept her smile since she knew she was just being Pinkie Pie.
Sky High whipped her head of any sweat in her feathers not knowing that she accidentally attracted the attention of the other badgers that Lana brought with her. One of them quietly made it's way near the cart but wasn't quiet to not attract the dog. The dog they heard was named Winona checked around the cart to look for the source of the noise what she did find was Surly tying a knot on the stand that keeps the cart from moving.
Surly turned around and saw Winona right in front of him. "Oh great." After he said that he ran for it while Winona started chasing him. Her growls got the attention of the ponies and they checked to see what Winona was growling at.
While trying to escape the dog Surly was caught by the badger that sneaked to the cart. "Please you gotta help me." The badger pleaded. "I don't want to be dog food."
Surly thought about what he said and looked at the line he was holding. "Alright I got an idea. First you need to grab this string." Right about now the badger was desperate to try anything and grabbed the line. "OK now all you need to do is run like mad."
The badger ran as fast as he could away from the dog. "Why my eyes must playing trick on me." Granny Smith said looking at the badger. "Is that a badger ah see?"
While running and being chased by the dog he started wondering why he was carrying the string. That was until he heard the stand that kept the cart from moving away release. "You tricked me."
"Sorry it's nothing personal." Surly said while the cart started rolling away from sight.
All three ponies looked on over at what they saw and was surprised that something like that happened. "Now my eyes must be playing tricks on me." Granny Smith said to herself. Applejack looked and saw that on the cart was Buddy, Little One, and Surly. She also saw that eagle from earlier flying near the cart until the cart was no longer in sight.
Surly looked up and saw Sky High flying near. He grabbed another piece of string and lassoed it over to Sky High. She grabbed the string with her claw and flew as fast as she could. She got ahead of the cart but the weight of the cart was greater than Surly and the others thought it would be.
Lana looked over and saw that they might be in trouble. "Oh no!" She climbed off of the tree and headed straight for the apple cart.
"Wait a second." Thatch climbed up the branch that she was previously was on. "Where are you going?"
She maid her to the cart and saw Surly and Little One do their best to hold onto the string hoping to not let go. Surly looked and saw Lana and when he did he quickly became surprised. "What are you doing here?" He asked her not letting go of the string.
Lana grabbed another piece of string that Surly had and tied it to the top part of the cart. "Trying to stop this cart from crashing that's what." She faced the road they were traveling and saw a lamp post near the Ponyville Park. She used the other end of the string to lasso the lamp post. It worked and the were headed for a stream that they saw had no water flowing where the apple cart tipped over.
Lana got off of the cart and saw that Surly and the others were grabbing a whole bunch of apples. "Surly you don't understand. The forest needs this fruit."
"And so do we." Surly said still grabbing some apples. "Sky High, Buddy, both of you try and straighten that cart."
"Sure thing Surly." Sky High said and Buddy followed her still not saying a word.
Surly then looked over at Lana and felt a little bad. "Alright you can grab some of it, you know for saving us from crashing." Lana gasped in excitement.
"Um...Surly." Sky High got his attention. "Look behind you!"
Surly and the others looked behind them and saw a dam made by beavers. From the looks of it it could break if it has anymore weight on it. "Quick grab some planks from the cart and gather enough food." Surly said getting the others to do what he said. He looked at Lana and said, "By the way, thanks for helping us." Hearing that made Lana blush again. He looked back at the others and said, "And remember don't do anything that might make this dam collapse."
Just as he finished saying that Thatch came out of the sky and landed on the dam. "Did we win yet?" After he said that leaks were springing out of the dam like crazy.
They all just stood there mouths wide open after what he just did. "Oh great." Surly said right before the dam burst and all the water on the other side came flowing their way. The cart came up to the top of the water upside down and Surly, Buddy, Little One, and Sky High were on it. All of them were soaking wet from the water. "Is everyone here? Little One? Buddy? Sky High?" They were all soaked but they were all there which made Surly relieved. Surly looked at the water and saw all of the fruit from the cart flowing down. "The fruit! Quick how much string do we have left?"
Near the cart was a plank from the cart that Thatch and Lana grabbed onto. "Um..." Thatch began while panting. "This might be a bad time to mention this but I can't swim."
Lana couldn't believe that he said that and managed to break the dam without even thinking about it. She looked over and saw Surly and the others tying the pieces of string into a net. "Surly!" She called over to him trying to get his attention and it worked. At first he hesitated to try and get either the food or Lana, but then he made up his mind and used the net to grab Lana and Thatch. "Thank you Surly."
"Even though you work for Bear, I still owe you for helping us." He said looking at Lana, but then turned to Thatch and looked angry. "You however, should be thrown overboard."
Sky High looked ahead of them and was scarred and shocked at what she saw. "Surly look!" They all looked and had the same look on their faces when they saw what she saw. They were all headed for the pond. Sky High tried to fly but her wings were still wet. "My wings are still soaked, I can't get us out of here."
Surly looked and thought that he might be able to at least grab a few apples. He used the net to reach for the apples in his sight and he got them. "Quick let's get them before we hit the pond." All of them reached for the string and tried their best to get the apples. They weren't fast enough though since they were about to reach the pond. He looked and saw that they were near land. "Quick everyone off." They all got off of the cart and onto land. Surly didn't let go of the net while they all made it off of the cart before it went into the pond.
Surly, Little One, Buddy, Sky High, Lana, and Thatch all looked and saw the apple cart sink to the bottom of the pond along with the many apples that they didn't get. He pulled in the net and saw only two apples in it.
"Any of you know how to swim?" Surly asked all of them only for them to shake their heads saying no. "Alright then, I guess we're done for today." He looked bummed after what happened. Little One saw this and grabbed one of the apples and handed it to Surly. Surly put on a smile, grabbed the apple, and gently rubbed Little One's head making her giggle a bit. "I guess we'll have to make due with what we do have." He looked at the other apple, pulled it out, and gave it to Lana and Thatch. "Why don't you tell Bear what happened."
Before she could get to the apple she stood still and looked at Surly. "Surly...this didn't have to happen." He didn't pay ay attention to what she was trying to get at and just kept on walking with the others. "I'm sorry, Surly."
Thatch came up and stared in awe of what just happened. "Geez what happened with him and Bear?" The only answer he got out of that was Lana chocking him. "What are you...doing? I just asked...a simple...question." Lana let go of him and just grabbed the apple walking away.
Meanwhile back in the area where the apple cart was stolen Applejack and Pinkie Pie was looking all over Ponyville for her apple cart and the apples along with it, apparently not aware of what happened to it just yet. While looking for her cart she saw her friend Twilight coming her way. "Twilight!" Applejack said getting the alicorns attention.
When Twilight looked at Applejack she looked sad and bummed, Pinkie Pie looked surprised of something, but didn't look that much sad at all. "I can tell that something must have happened."
"Oh you wouldn't believe what happened today." Pinkie Pie said right when Applejack was about to answer. "You see her apple cart was stolen today." Hearing that made Twilight gasp in shock, but before she could ask who stole it Pinkie beat her to it. "You're not going to believe this but it was stolen by wild animals."
And that made Twilight not look shocked but a little bit serious. Before anything else could be said Applejack stepped in. "As crazy as it sounds I'm afraid she's telling the truth. Even I couldn't believe it, but I wouldn't believe if I hadn't seen it."
"Your apple cart stolen by animals?"
They all turned and saw Fluttershy. "That's right." Pinkie Pie getting right into Fluttershy's face. "It was fox, a rabbit, and a ferret."
Fluttershy thought about it and an idea came to her of who it was. "Was the ferret purple?" Applejack and Pinkie Pie nodded. "Then it must have been the animals I saw earlier near the park."
"Wait a second," Twilight began now starting to think that what they are saying might be true. "You saw them."
Fluttershy nodded. "Oh yes." She said in a quiet voice. "The Mayor and I were trying to talk the beavers out of continuing the dam so there wouldn't be a flood. But then out of nowhere a badger landed on the dam and it fell apart causing the animals to flow down the stream before I could get to them." All of this sounded hard to believe, but then again so was Nightmare Moon, King Sombra, and even Lord Tirek and yet they were real. "I tried to look for them and I looked everywhere but I lost them. I just hope that they are alright." Fluttershy hoped looking a bit sad that she lost them.
"Wait a second." Pinkie Pie thought of something. "You don't think that the apple cart was caught in the water right?" After saying that Applejack started to wonder about that. Before any of them could think of something else Pinkie just jumped up and said, "I'll look at the pond." Just as she said that she just zoomed on over.
"I'm going to keep on looking for those animals." Fluttershy said. "That is if you want for anything."
"No we don't go on ahead." Twilight said making Fluttershy relieved and flew off. Twilight and Applejack, just like Pinkie, started looking for apple cart too. "Wouldn't it be easier to get another cart?"
"Ah could." Applejack began. "If the farm weren't low on funds. And with the harvest going on."
Behind the tree near the ponies Lana heard everything and felt bad about what happened. She thought that the honorable thing that she should have been done was to get the cart back, but she couldn't do since it was heavy and she couldn't swim. Right then and there she felt useless. She wanted more than anything to help our Surly, but she couldn't go back on her word to Bear and all the forest animals.
She looked on over to the place where Surly and the others are staying at. It was a hole in a bush that they made in the park. It wasn't very big, but big enough for all four of them. She saw Surly and the others each eating a part of the apple that they kept. Lana didn't keep her apple with her and gave it to Thatch to give it to Bear. She was afraid that Surly might see her and Bear might wonder where she is so she left but didn't go back to the forest just yet.
She was wandering around Ponyville away from the sight of the ponies until she came across something that peaked her interest. She was staring at a tree that from what she thought must have been destroyed. She heard about this tree. She heard that this tree was once a library and home to a pony that became a princess who still lives in Ponyville today. Due to her curiosity she thought to go over there and look.
"It must have been terrible." Lana thought to herself. "Being forced away from her home by someone evil." She made her was to the inside of the destroyed library and looked around.
There was nothing that she could take with her or something that Bear would want. She did notice a small rock and picked it up. She moved over to a part of the tree and started marking on it with the rock she found. When Lana was done she admired it and felt embarrassed at the same time.
She made a heart with the names Surly and Lana in it. She looked down away from it for a moment and at that moment she noticed something in the ground that started to sparkle. Lana reached for it and saw that it was seek. She didn't know what the seed was for but it must have been important enough for her to notice, so she decided to keep a hold of it until further notice.
Meanwhile back at the place where Surly and the others were staying, it was getting to be sun down and they all decided that now would be a good time to get some rest for tomorrow. They had this thing where one of them, except for Little One, would go out and keep watch for any dangers. Tonight was Surly's turn.
Before he went out and kept watch he went over to Little One and tucked her in. "Don't worry tomorrow we are sure to have more food. Just get some rest until then."
"I sure do hope so." Little One said rubbing her stomach in hunger. "I'm really hungry!"
"All of us are. But don't worry." Surly said grabbing a big leaf for Little One to cover up. "I haven't given up on us yet." After that he began to think about Bear again. "Anyway good night."
"I love you Surly!"
Surly rubbed his adoptive daughter's head. "I love you too Little One!" After that he went outside to stand guard.
Surly looked outside of the bush and kept his ears open tor try and find something dangerous, however, it didn't take him long to hear something. He didn't wait around to see what it was that made the noise, he went back inside the bush to get Buddy.
He went over to Buddy and tried to wake him up. "Buddy! Hey Buddy!" After a couple failed attempts he thought of something that he knew would work. "Walnuts!" As predicted Buddy's eyes shot open but when disappointed when he didn't see any walnuts but quickly looked at Surly and saw that he had a serious look. "Buddy I think I heard something out there." Buddy didn't need any other explanation to know to go out there with him.
They both looked around and they heard the noise again. It sounded like a small group hisses. Immediately they knew what it was.
Snakes.
Surly leaned into Buddy's ear and said, "Get the others up and out, I think I've got an idea if it doesn't work then I'll just wing it." As told Buddy went back into the bush without saying a word.
The group of four snakes that they heard were coming up near the bush looking for Surly by orders of someone unknown. When they started looking they saw something walk up to them. It was Surly wearing some leaves to make him look enough like a snake.
"You guys looking for those animals?" Surly said sounding confident. "Me too." Just as he said that the leaves he was wearing fell off making the snakes hiss and move towards him. "Heh heh oops!" Surly said before he ran away making all of the snakes follow.
Little One, Buddy, and Sky High all looked at what Surly was doing and became scarred. "Oh no Surly!" Little One shouted clearly the most scarred out of all of them.
Sky High, with Little One on her back, spread her wings. "Come on after him." She said getting all of them to chase after the snakes and save Surly.
Surly was being chased all across the park and the market area of Ponyville. No matter how fast Surly is going the snakes just wouldn't stop following him. They did manage to stay away from ponies because the didn't know what would happen if they were caught.
It wasn't long before they finally caught up to Surly when when he came up near Carousal Boutique. All four of them surrounded him like he was rat. "Hey listen you can't do this. I'm an innocent bystander." Surly said trying to get them to leave him alone. "Plus you wouldn't want to. One of my friends is a vicious bird of prey." Just as he said that a brick fell on one of the snakes. The snakes and Surly looked up and saw Little One and Buddy carrying another brick and threw it at another snake. They all hissed at them but stopped when Sky High came into view and shrieked at them. "Ha you see that. She won't let you harm any of us."
"That and I wouldn't let any of them steal anything from us." Sky High pointed out. "Especially if it's our food. "Little One hoped on her back and Buddy grabbed onto her right claw. "Surly catch a ride!" After she said that she flew down and Surly grabbed onto her left claw, carrying him and the others away from the snakes.
"So long lizard freaks." Surly said before Buddy blew raspberries at them.
All the snakes got agitated of this. "Come on." The one they thought was leader of the group of snakes said in a hissing voice. "Letssssss go tell the bosssssss."
Sky High flew a little ways until the weight of all her friends finally caught up to her. She was slowly falling to the ground. They all looked at her and saw what the problem was. "Too much weight!" Sky High pointed out. "We're going down!" And just like that they all fell and rolled onto the ground. None of them were that much hurt. "Is everyone alright." She said looking at everyone. "Little One? Buddy?" She then looked over at Surly. "Surly?"
Surly looked up at the sky refusing to look away after what he just realized. "This can't be happening." Surly started saying. "First we have no food and now there are snakes after us. Let's face we will not survive this place since this is no place for animal like us." He then closed his eyes hoping that this was dream and he would wake up, but he does know for a fact this was real. Little One laid down next to him and never kept her eyes off. Seeing her like that made Surly smile a bit. "Well let's look at the bright side, now we have an opportunity to look for another home. I mean we might run into those snakes again so we can't be too careful. Maybe one much bigger, shinier, like the size of a castle." He then thought of something. "Oh who am I kidding where are we going to find a place li-" He cut himself off as he looked at the place right in front of all of them.
The place in front of him looked like it was made of crystal. It was light blue, light purple on the top, with gold yellow roof tops, railings, balcony, and door. On the side of it was a purple banner with the same shaped star. On the balconies were strings with different colored crystals. From the top there was a giant crystal like star with a shade of light blue and small shade of purple. Just as he thought, it was a castle.
Surly sat up and continued looking at the castle. In his mind he thought that this would be the perfect home for him and the others. He turned around and saw Little One, Buddy, and Sky High were as excited as he was."OK, first we find a way in. But," He looked at them all and saw that they were more than excited to hear his plan. "we do it my way."
They looked on each side of the castle and saw no windows on the sides of the ground level. They looked up on the balcony and thought that maybe there would be a way in. Sky high flew up there and saw that a glass doorway was closed and locked, so she went on back down to them and told them that they couldn't get in that way. They were afraid that if they break any of the windows some ponies would soon find out.
Buddy was instructed on making a tunnel into the castle. He kept on digging but saw that the ground would break apart. He tried using his claws but only made scratch marks that are barely visible. Surly went into the hole and tried to kick the floor of the castle only get a back paw cramp.
Surly thought that there must be a way in through the roof and Sky High flew him up there. He didn't see much of anything on the roof until Sky High let go of him. Until he realized that there wasn't a way in through the roof it was too late and he landed on the star part of the roof. In pain he fell off of the roof and landed hard on the ground near the door. Little One, Buddy, and Sky High looked at what happened and thought it must have been bad as they squinted their eyes and went like 'oooo'.
Surly got up and tried to walk off the pain. "Darn it, how are we going to get in?" He walked up to the door and kicked it. Just as he kicked it it suddenly, slightly flew open.
They all looked at the door which was opened slightly and then they all looked out in a distance with unamused looks. Surly opened the door more and was amazed at the view of the inside. From the inside it looked like almost all the animals in the Everfree Forest could fit in it. They all walked inside and were still in awe of the entire castle. Right at the moment there was no one else there, but that didn't matter to them right now, right now they thought that they found the perfect home.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing." Little One said still staring in awe along with Buddy who still wasn't talking.
"This is incredible!" Sky High said. She flew on up and landed on a chandelier she found. "This place looks like it's big enough for almost every forest animal."
Little One couldn't help but notice that some of the stuff around the area looked like stuff that would belong to ponies. Everywhere she looked she saw pictures of the pony they heard was named Twilight Sparkle on the walls. Buddy looked and thought what Little One thought.
"You don't think that someone might live here right?" Little One asked all of them.
A couple seconds of thinking made Surly think that Little One might be right. I mean since when is there ever a castle for animals and not ponies. It wasn't long before they heard voices. They all looked out the door and saw two of the ponies from earlier today along with a light yellow Pegasus with a cutie mark featuring three pink butterflies they heard was named Fluttershy and the pony from the pictures that they think might live here.
"Oh great!"
All four ponies were still a bit farther from the castle. "Please don't come way. Please come this way." Surly kept on saying to himself. The ponies weren't moving away from the direction of the door and it confirmed their suspicions. they started getting scared of them noticing them that Buddy's eyes grew bigger and for some reason they could hear a horn going off as that was happening. "Quick hide." Surly said getting all of them to run.
Before they could go inside Buddy quickly closed the door before they noticed it was open. Sky High then grabbed them all and flew up to the chandelier. Just then they saw the door open and were glad that they didn't know about them in the castle.
"Thanks for helping me try to find mah cart, sugercube." Applejack said to Twilight. "Even though we didn't find it yet." Hearing made them relieved that they didn't notice yet. "I guess we might have ta get a new one after all."
"I'm so sorry Applejack." Fluttershy said to her in a quiet voice. "If you want I could help you pay for it."
"It's alright Fluttershy." Applejack said. "You don't need to trouble yourself."
Pinkie then jumped and brought up another topic. "In unrelated news I can't believe that's it's been a year since the Summer Sun Celebration." She said hoping all around. "Even though it's only been a season later."
Applejack, Fluttershy, and Twilight didn't know what to make off what she just said but let it go since they knew she was just being Pinkie Pie. "I know right." Twilight said to them while looking for her bag. "I just wish that it would happen in Ponyville instead of Canterlot." That there made Surly and the others realize that they forgot that it was today. "I'm not saying that Canterlot isn't great, I just wish that it would happen here at home."
"Whoa." They all looked at Pinkie and saw that her left ear was flopping.
"One us is about to get covered in mud?" Fluttershy asked Pinkie.
"No that's when both my ears are flopping." Pinkie said pointing at her left ear. "Only my left ear is and that means that something is about to catch fire." Just as she said that from above the chandelier Surly's tail accidentally caught on fire from one of the candles.
He was about to scream until Buddy covered his mouth. "Fire!" Twilight pointed out. "You mean one of us?"
"That's just it I can't tell." Pinkie said. Pinkie's tail then started twitching. "Wait now my tail's twitching."
"Falling stars!" Twilight said starting to wonder what is happening. "And you girls said it couldn't happen."
Sky High quickly put out the fire on his tail making sure not to catch fire herself. Buddy tried to make sure that Surly wouldn't scream. Surly made sure of what he was trying to say and nodded his head. Buddy slowly let go of Surly only for him to scream in pain once he let go. Little One and Buddy quickly held his mouth shut which nearly caused them to fall.
All ponies could hear the scream and looked around. "Please tell me I wasn't the only one that heard that." Twilight said. They shook their heads saying that they heard it too.
They weight of the Surly, Little One, and Buddy made the chandelier tip forward making them fall. Sky High tried to grab them only for her to fall with them. They all fell to the floor and pretty soon caught the attention of the four ponies. Surly looked up and saw that they were all looking at them. Immediately they all ran out the door.
Applejack thought about it and finally figured it out. "Wait a second that's them." Twilight looked at Applejack. "The ones that stole the apple cart."
"I thought they looked familiar." Pinkie said.
"After them." Twilight said making all of them run after Surly and the others.
Meanwhile back in the forest Lana was going right back to her home with the seed she got from the burned tree. All the time she walked through the forest she couldn't stop thinking about who to help. Surly is always helpful to those he likes and he did say that he liked her, that and she has a slight crush on him. But then again Bear is technically the leader of the Everfree Forest and going against him would do what he did to Surly, Little One, Buddy, and Sky High and make them outcasts.
"Oh I don't know what to do." Lana said to herself. Just as she was getting closer to her home she saw a snake moving to where Bear lived. Afraid of something bad happening she decided to follow it. She followed it and her suspicions were correct and the snake really was headed for Bear but she was wrong about it harming Bear but what she did hear was something much worse.
"Is it as I believe it to be?" Bear asked talking to the snake and unaware of Lana.
"Yessssss." The snake said in a hissing voice. "There are no poniessssss guarding the tree."
Lana got confused on what this tree was until Bear confirmed about it. "The Tree of Harmony at last."
"I'm confussssssed Bear. What issssss it that makes the tree get the princessssss sssssse reasssssson?" Hearing about the princess immediately made Lana think that they were talking about Celestia.
"Why it's not just the tree my snake companion it's what on the tree." Bear looked in the direction of where the Tree of Harmony was said to be. "You see about a year ago the newest princess and her friends went there to stop our forest from becoming the cause of danger all across Equestria. But doing this had a price, they had to give up the mythical objects known as the 'Elements of Harmony' in order to stop this danger." Hearing this made the snake go in awe of all this. "Right now to this day the elements remain at the tree unguarded. If only my fellow animals understood."
"Wait a ssssssecond." The snake said interrupting Bear's train of thought. "Why don't they help you?"
"That's just it they wonder about the ponies being loyal to them, but they would never cause harm to them. They wouldn't understand. So I had to get them off the trail of my plan by the most obviously choice ever. It is both a trick and the truth. We need food in order to survive, but we wouldn't be like this if every pony were more loyal us. Tonight I told them that I myself will be going to a tree to help us, but I didn't tell them which one or what I plan to do." Bear explained to the snake. "It's about time that the princesses realize that ponies are not the dominant species in all of Equestria." He then turned to the snake. "Now with all that out I bid you farewell and make sure that no one knows of this."
Bear was about to move to the Tree of Harmony before he was stopped by the snake once again. "Wait a ssssssecond one lasssssst thing." Bear turned to face the snake again. "What about Ssssssurly?"
He was surly glad about hearing, he nearly forgot. "Make sure that he never gets in my way. Out of all the animals, even the ones that follow him, he's the one that I fear my interrupt my plan the most." He turned away from the snake. "It's been that way since I saw that he was more trouble than I imagined, which is why I had to banish him as well as those with him. They cannot interfere remember that." The snake nodded. "Good now I shall make my move." With that out of the way he left.
The snake started slithering back to Ponyville when Bear was out of sight. Once he moved a little bit he was caught by Lana. "Explain something to me. What is it that Bear plans to do with the Elements of Harmony?"
"Uhhh..." The snake just stared blankly that Lana was there and was afraid that she might have heard everything. Instead of saying a lie or making an excuse he just slithered really fast towards Ponyville making Lana chase after him.
Back in Ponyville Surly and the others were still being chased by the ponies. Twilight saw that her cyan Pegasus friend with a rainbow colored lightning bolt cutie mark was up in the sky. "Hey Twilight watcha doing? Why are chasing some animals?"
Before Twilight could answer Applejack did it for her. "Those animals we're chasing after stole mah apple cart with all the apples with it."
"You think you can help us get them to stop running?" Twilight asked Rainbow Dash.
"Say no more, I'm on it." Rainbow Dash said right before she flew off.
All of this noise got Twilight's white colored unicorn friend with a cutie mark featuring three diamonds named Rarity to open her door and look at what was going on. "What's with all this noise?" Rarity asked walking out of her house. "I'm in the middle of trying to make a dress for this years Summer Sun Celebration."
Fluttershy saw her and flew next to her. "Some animals that stole Applejack's apple cart are running off." Fluttershy said.
"Oh dear." Rarity was shocked to hear that that happened. "Allow me to help." After that they all went back to trying to catch up to Surly.
Surly, Little One, Buddy, and Sky High stop in their tracks and looked back. They saw that they weren't behind them. "Alright I think we lost them." Just then Rainbow Dash fell out of the sky and landed near Surly.
"Gotha!" Rainbow Dash said as she landed.
Surly and the others were about to head into another location but then Twilight used her magic to teleport herself to them. Pinkie hopped right in front of them as well. Sky High was about to fly them to safety but then Fluttershy flew right in front of them. Right now they were cornered and didn't know what to do so they just stood there not moving.
Fluttershy walked up to them at first with a not so mad face. "I'm really thankful that you are OK after what happened earlier today." Now she put on a serious face. "But this doesn't I'm not disappointed in what you all did. Don't you know that stealing is wrong?" Right then she started using the 'Stare' on them. "You should be ashamed of yourselves. Now say you're sorry."
They didn't know what to do, this was all new to all of them. Never once have they been caught by anyone especially not ponies. They always knew not to talk to ponies since most animals have never done that in like forever. They don't even know if any animal has ever talked to a pony. Then again the thing that Fluttershy was doing was really starting to get to them. Right then and there they decided to do the one thing the never thought of doing in front of ponies.
They spoke.
"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! WE'RE SORRY!" Surly was the first to cave in. "Just please stop doing whatever it is you're doing to us." Surly had his eyes closed the entire time but when he opened his eyes he saw all six ponies staring at them in shock, gasping over what he said.
Applejack was the first to speak out of shock. "Did he just...talk?"
They were all still shocked at him talking but before anything else could be said Sky High stepped in. "Of course we can talk. Who says we can't talk?" She asked them in a serious tone.
"The only one that doesn't talk is him." Little One said to them while pointing at Buddy. Buddy nodded his head confirming that he doesn't.
Right then they all knew that all of them, except for Buddy, could talk. They couldn't believe that this was happening and right in front of them. They never knew that animals such as them could talk. The animals they did here talk were cows, sheep, and a few others. However, they've never seen these kind of animals talk ever. They then started to wonder how many other animals could talk and if their pets can talk.
"That's right we can talk." Surly said sounding more serious and upfront to the ponies. "Now that you know I have something to say to all of you." He took a big breath and spoke again. "You don't know what we go through. You want to know why we stole those apples, it's because we have no choice and there's no pony willing to help us. Sure this yellow right here sometimes helps, but that's just it only one. The rest of you all just like to keep things for yourself. To us you ponies are bigger thieves then we are and you can't seem to see, your all as blind as bats." He looked up at Twilight. "We've seen much about you and your help to the other ponies of Equestria, but did it ever occur to you that maybe their might more to help than just ponies. Apparently not to you."
Hearing that made Twilight shocked. She's is one of the most friendliest of ponies ever know in all of Equestria and now she's not sure what to think. She's helped every pony and yet she was only thinking about helping them and only them. Never once has she thought about this. Knowing this now was like getting hit in the heart with the most hardest thing ever. Sure she still wasn't happy about them stealing, but from what he said, it was because them they had to.
"What am I even saying?" Surly continued. "Not like any of you can understand." Surly walked away from them with Little One, Buddy, and Sky High. All of them didn't know what to say they were all shocked to hear all of this. "Look I don't 'hate' you ponies, I'm just disappointed that none you started to care enough about us. Do you know how that makes us feel? Well I'll tell you one thing, we've been having really hard luck." Then then all looked at Twilight and her friends. "What with the Summer Sun Celebration happening in a few hours and we have no food, no home, and now we are attacked by-" Before he could finish they all heard a screaming.
They all looked at the direction and saw a snake and Lana run toward them. It took her some time, but she finally caught the snake and is now doing her best to make sure the snake doesn't slip away. She looked up and saw Surly, Little One, Buddy, Sky High, Twilight, and her friends. "Surly!"
"Lana?" Surly said wondering what she's doing. He then looked down and saw the snake. "Snake!"
"SNAKE?!" Twilight shouted moving away from the snake due to her fear of snakes.
"What are you doing with that snake?" Sky High asked Lana.
"Bear told him that he plans to do something with these things called the 'Elements of Harmony'." Hearing that made Twilight and her friends gasp again. She looked back at the snake while Surly and his friends helped pin the snake down. "Now spill it. What is it that Bear plans to do?"
"I'll never talk." The snake said. "You can't make me."
"Hold on now." Rainbow Dash said making them all stop talking. "Who is this 'Bear' and what is it about the Elements of Harmony?"
Surly spoke up. "Bear is obviously a bear, also the one who leads the forest animals, and the one who made us outcasts from the forest."
"As for the Elements of Harmony, we're still trying to find out." Lana said looking up at Rainbow Dash. She then looked back at the snake and started to interrogate him again. "You better tell us or else."
"No!" The snake said again. "Give me a reasssssson to tell you."
Before any of them could think of what to do with him Twilight and Fluttershy stepped up. "If you don't tell us then you'll have to deal with Fluttershy." Twilight said trying to ignore her fear of snakes long enough to figure out what's going on.
"Oh really now." The snake did not squirm a little bit and didn't look intimidated. "What can you do that will make me sssssspeak?" Right before he could say anything else Fluttershy used her 'Stare' on the snake. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity walked up and joined them hoping that he would say something. It a couple of seconds before her stare took effect. He wanted nothing more than to shake free from Surly and the others that are holding him, but no matter what he did they just strengthened their grip. He couldn't take it anymore and he confessed. "OK, OK I'LL TALK, I'LL TALK! Bear wantssssss the elementssssss in order to overthrow the princessssss." They all gasped really big over this much news.
"How in tarnation does he plan on doing that?" Applejack asked wanting to know more.
"I don't know." The snake said. Fluttershy took one step and the snake got more scared. "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! I SSSSSSWEAR I DON'T KNOW! He won't even tell that part of the plan. Apparently he doessssssn't trusssssst me enough for that." He then looked at Surly. "But I do know thissssss. He'ssssss willing to take any rissssssk he can for the plan to work. The reasssssson why he issssss doing thissssss issss becaussse he thinksss that Celesssssstia only conssidersss poniesss to be more dominant than anything elssssse." He tries hard to explain along his hissing voice so they can make what he was saying, thankfully the fellow animals could understand even if the ponies don't. "He thinkssssss there issssss no other choice."
Even though he said it all hissing Twilight and her friends knew very well what he was saying and was starting to get scared. "How could Bear do something like this?"
"Knowing Bear it be best to not know why." Surly said.
"Actually Sssurly thisssss plan isssss pretty much the reassson why Bear banished you all from the your home." Now that was what got Surly the most.
"What?"
"He thought that you might interfere with hisss plan." The snake said not looking away from Surly. "He didn't think of anything elssse."
All of this was a bit too much for them all to take in, but not as much as Surly. Yes he and the others did break some rules that Bear made but knowing that wasn't the reason he banished them, it was pretty much over the line.
"He was willing to do even that to get what he wants?" Surly asked. The snake nodded and made Surly more angry at Bear. "Bear?"
To Be Continued
Cast:
Surly...Will Arnett
Little One...Claire Corlette
Sky High...Nicole Oliver
Lana...Tara Strong
Twilight Sparkle
Pinkie Pie...Andrea Libman
Fluttershy
Rainbow Dash...Ashleigh Ball
Applejack
Rarity...Tabitha St. Germain
Granny Smith
Thatch...Brendan Fraser
Badger #1
Bear...Liam Neeson
The Snake