Element of the Spirit

Dawn of the

The Summer Sun Festival

-24 hours remaining-

I had woken up this morning with a feeling of dread, almost as if I could tell that today would be very rough on me. That or it was the sound of those cuccos in the distance. I quickly put on my white woven shirt, placed my chainmail over that, and covered it with my dark blue, cotton tunic. I searched my closet for my leather belt and sword scabbard, finding only my belt. I looked around my bedroom and spotted my sword and scabbard lying at the head of my handmade maple bed frame. Gathering up the sword, I walked out of my bedroom and into the living room/kitchen of my small two-room house.

The room was not much, but it suited my needs just fine. A small sofa and coffee table sat in the center of the room, facing the eastern wall. Two chairs and a table lay against the north wall, directly in front of one of the two windows the room had. A woodstove lay in the northeast corner of the room, upon which I cooked my meals. I had tinkered with it and found that with the correct parts, I was able to add a small bread oven to the side of it. The smell of cooking bread filled the room; seems like Lily had decided to try and surprise me by making a few small loaves of bread. For a fairy of no more than five inches, she could actually lift an amazing amount of weight. Granted it helped that she could use magic to levitate most of the ingredients to make just about anything she wished to make.

I really wanted to stay, but I had already slept in too long. I worked as one of the protectors of the town, due mainly to the increase in evil activity in the area surrounding Ponyville. I was one of about thirty mares and stallions appointed to the task by royal decree of the Princess herself. Yeah, I worked for the crown. I had received a letter yesterday from her majesty telling me that her personal student was to arrive some this morning, and that I was to act as her protector and guide for the day, just to help he get situated in the town. How I wonder sometimes why I even bother waking up in the morning. Oh wait, it’s that fear of cuccos getting back into my house; I would rather face the wrath of Princess Celestia than have to be locked in a house that attracted cuccos from miles around.

I wrote a note and left it on the table explaining to Lily where I had gone. Then I grabbed my bit bag, placed it into my satchel, put on my hat, and walked out the door. Man was I going to get an earful from Lily later this evening, but with time she would forget about this morning, she always does.

I walked down the six streets of my sector, as was my custom every day, to check to see if the skeletal colts had damaged anything beyond repair during the night. On Mane Street, a few windows had been broken, but thankfully that was the only damage in my sector. I’d have to check with Dash and AJ later to see if the Apple family farm was alright, but other than that, things seemed decent enough. I’ll have to get the windows for the houses tomorrow.

I walked to the central fountain of my district. The plaza acted as the main meeting place for friends and family alike. Sugarcube Corner was one of the many buildings that surrounded this particular plaza. Seeing how I had rushed out my door without breakfast, I walked into the shop. I was immediately welcomed by the fragrance of baked goods, and Pinkie Pie, although the later was facing the wall opposite me.

“Good morning Pinkie,” I said through a yawn.

She twirled around faster than I could swing my sword. “Oh, hi Jonathan, I was just thinking about when you would get here. You know you really shouldn’t skip breakfast, so I already baked you a few banana nut bread muffins.”

“Thanks…” I said while trying to ignore the fact that she knew I had skipped breakfast today. I pulled out my bit bag to pay her, but she just shook her head and giggled.

“Don’t worry, they’re on the house. After all, today is the Summer Sun festival. Well, enjoy your muffins.”

I froze when she said Summer Sun Festival.

“Pinkie, have any of the other town guard come into the shop today?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t late to the morning meeting.

She looked thoughtfully for a second and gave me a nod. I sighed, looks like I’ll have to check with Applejack after I find Celestia’s student. I turned around and left Sugarcube Corner, walking back outside.

I took about three steps out the door before I ran into someone. Both of us fell down, and I instinctively apologized while hopping back to my hooves. “A thousand pardons. I should have been watching where I was…” I stopped abruptly when I looked over to see the pony I had run into. She was a purple coated unicorn.  She wore a white button-up shirt with a light purple V-neck that went over the top of the button-up. She also had a simple pair of black jeans that went down about a foot above her hooves.

“Sorry, here let me help you up,” I said, standing to the right of her. She grasped my outstretched hand and I pulled her back to her hooves. “I should have been paying better attention to where I was going. You seem new around here, I take it you just moved here?” I added.

She seemed very nervous around me and just nodded. So much for first impressions, I already made this more awkward than it had to be.

“Well, sorry that I ran into you, but I’m late. I have to meet up with a mare named Twilight Sparkle, the personal student of Celestia. Bye now.” I began to walk away but stopped when she called back to me.

“Wait up!” The mare rushed over to me, followed by a baby dragon that had been hiding behind one of the garbage cans next Sugarcube Corner. “Are you Captain Jonathan?”

“Yes,” and I visibly gulped. I must have been dumber than that box of rocks at my house; I was unable to put two and two together. ‘Oh gods in the stars above, I ran into Celestia’s student, didn’t I. I was going to be banished to the sun, or worse, sent to Canterlot as a guard.’ I thought to myself.

“Oh forgive me, my lady. Had I known, I would have…” She cut me off.

“Sorry, but I really need you to show me around town, so that I may check up on the preparations for the Summer Sun festival.” Twilight said earnestly.

‘Oh boy, this is going to be a very rough morning,’ I thought silently.

Mid-Morning of

Summer Sun Festival

-18 hours remaining-

I hobbled back to my house after helping Twilight with checking the preparations. I was weary also due to that fact that I knew I would have to act as one of the secret guards in the crowd when Celestia arrived for the festival. I opened the door and walked into the house. I turned, bolted the door and faced my living room. I paled when I saw Lily sitting on the back of a cucco, one of at least fifty.

“Ok, I’ll bite, what in Celestia’s name are the cuccos doing in my house.” I yelled.

“Well, somepony decided to just leave me a note on the table, left the house completely unattended, and let my bread burn. I saw all of these cuccos sitting around the house and invited them in for lunch.” Lily replied with a smirk.

I unbolted the door and let all hell come at me at once. I stood my ground for a second, and then felt myself fly out of my house and into the street outside. I hopped to my feet, swore an oath to get even with Lily later and ran like I was being chased by Cerberus. I ran through the streets, weaving in and out of everypony on the streets, hoping that the cuccos were smart enough to not hit any of the innocent pedestrians.

They were. I saw shadows fly past me and looked up to see the cuccos were flying to cut me off at the end of the street. If I was any other pony here in Ponyville, I most likely would have panicked even more than I already was. Well, I wasn’t going to be fooled by this tactic twice, or was this the third time they had tried this?

I leaped into the air and began to fly above the town. I looked around in earnest, trying to think about which pony would most likely help me hide from those dreadful fowl. Suddenly I was knocked out of the sky by a blue blur. At first I thought it was Rainbow Dash again, but when I looked up, I saw Him. It was that blue cucco from ten years ago. I’m sure my eyes had become pinpricks when I saw that god forsaken bird, but not wasting any of my precious seconds, I ran into the nearest building and shut the door.

It just so happens that that building was the Golden Oaks Library. I sighed as a book suddenly flew at my face, and didn’t flinch when it made contact with my nose. Better a book than a power-hungry cucco flying at my face.

“Sorry,” Twilight exclaimed as she turned slightly pale after seeing who it was standing in her library. “Thought that you were a thief with the way your dressed and all.”

“Well, with my dark clothing, my sword, and my shield, I don’t blame you.” I replied glumly, chancing a glance out the door’s window. I jerked back when I saw Him again. I swear that bird just never gives up.

“Is something wrong?” Twilight asked suspiciously, eyeing the door behind me.

“Umm, I guess it’s safe to tell you this. Ten years ago, I found a new species in the Everfree. I named them Cuccos. They look like your ordinary chicken, but are capable of flight, seem to have intelligence, and are very vengeful. There just so happens to be one such cucco is outside your door at this very moment.”

As soon as I stopped speaking, the door was flung open and the blue cucco entered the room. It stared at me, I at it, and neither of us moved. It had that predatory look in its eyes that said ‘pay up or else.’ There was no way I was getting mugged again by this bird and his cronies, so I threw my brand new bit bag at Him, and watched as he took it in his beak and flew off and out of sight.

“What was that about?”

“That’s not important, but isn’t the Summer Sun Festival in about two hours?” I replied, quickly trying to change the subject.

I swear that mare is faster than a cucco on Saturday’s batch of cider.

“Hurry up! We can’t afford to be late,” Twilight said as she dragged me, a large book, and Spike the dragon out the door and to the Town Hall.

I got a feeling of dread as we neared the Town Hall. This day was about to get very interesting, I knew it.

Noon of

The Summer Sun Festival

-12 hours remaining-