Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

Chapters

prologue
1000 year nightmare
Sunny not Sonny
Goldie not Golden
Stallions at work
the impact and the plan
dinner with the family
Clearing the apples
Green dust and 3 Knights
a new member to the Apple family
Apple trees and shifting shadows
Apple Sweets ans Talking shadows
Ghost story?
Mysteries revealed?
Lending a hoof to a lady
Picnic at Fluttershy's
Rainbow's team challange
Silver lining
A Cranky-doodle-party
Party mishaps
Rarity's SSP
Meeting the Parents
To a Stallion's heart
Dreams Come True?
My Name is Custard?!
Fiends in Disguise
Bed Rest and Book Work
Twilight's first lesson
Lesson 2; relax, focus and breath
Cutie Mark Assistance
a Message Delivered
Big Mac's Plan
Family Pride
Stars down, Sun up
Answers Lead to Questions
a Message in Smoke
Silent Guilt
What a Fright
Nightmare Night
Talented Pets
The Talent Show part 1
The Talent Show part 2
Flim Flam Apples?!
Flim and Flam on the Farm
What is a Bull-doz-R?
Shaky Hearths
Hearths Warming on a Rock farm
Sweet and Sour
Hearths Breaking
Fireworks and Fallen Shadows
Sunny Missed Applejack's FlapJacks
Mixed Feelings
Sombra's Study
Home is where the Crystal Heart is...
Tired Eyes, Broken Heart
A Home to Go Back to...
A Hero Comes to Ponyville!
Oncoming Storm
Confrontation of Knights
Hard Mistakes and Sweat Deals
Sore Loser
Anger, the Fire Inside
Uneasy Sleepers
Wrapping Winter Things Up
A Magical Cure
Slumber Prank
Weaving Lies
Good Times
Best of the Worst
Father's Day
Questionable Knight
The Big Box
To the Past, to Save the Future
Soleggiato Cavaliere
Dark Deals
Nap Time
GoGoGo berry with whipped cream and a cherry on top
Secret's revealed!!!
Full Plate
The Black Knight's Home
Taking a Stand
Raising the Stakes
Two Flames
The Price of Victory
Bearer of The Amulet
To Protect Equestria
The Legendary Black Knight
Knight of the Crystal Empire
More Unanswered Quesgions
Discovered Hope
Sleepless in Equestria
Photographs
Sunny at the Fair
Present prince vs Former prince
Root beer memories
Large Scoop with a Spark of Lies
Enter! Draquis Discord!
Who Sunny Knight is...
Friendship 101 with Discord
Sunny on trial
Sunny's Birthday Suprise!
Insurance for a Mob Boss
Apple in the Sky
Return of the King
Calling upon a hero
First step to Forgiveness
Under the Blade
Stormy Thunder
Hiking, S'mores, and Campfire stories
Monsters of the forest
Shy Recruite
A Sunny time in Manehatten
Salted Revenge, Fall of the hive!
The Monster Bracelet!
The Monsters Within
Troubled Moon, mountains walk
Bearing the Weather
Dark Knights and Starry Skies
Tales of the Black Knight
Soleggiato on Trial
Newer Nightmares
Enemies on Every Side
New Planet
Daleks
Meet the Doctors
The Infamous Mark of a Prince
Smoke and Mirrors, no Tricks
Out With Good Behavior
Body of smoke, Heart of gold
New Guardians of Harmony!
into Untold Dreams part 1
“You’re Welcome!”
Into Untold Dreams part 2
An Honest Heart, unbreakable Bonds
An Honest Family
Melody of the Heart
Journey to the Dragon Lands
Dragon Lord VS Black Knight!
Warm Winter Memories
Hero at a Party
Within the Princes's Heart
Where We Stand
Return of the Prince
2 Kinds of Slumber
Attack On IronLock!!!
Jealous Apple
Connecting Hearts
Masquerade Gala part 1
Masquerade Gala part 2
Masquerade Gala part 3
Masquerade Gala part 4
Celestia's Story Time Part 1
Celestia's Story Time Part 2
The Pen is mightier then the Sword
Prince Sunny, Friend to all
An Unexpected New Friend
Canterlot Comic Con! Part 1
Canterlot Comic Con! Part 2
Mother of Shadows
Sombraverse
Changelingverse
Eternal Nightverse
Tirekerse
In Doc Discord's World!
FlimFlamverse
Endverse....
Who's your Pappy?
The Sun will come out Tomorrow
Das Empire Express
Sunny meets the Deer King
Rosewood's Puppet Army
3 Flower Sisters
Gaurdian Training
Carmel Smooth
Mother-Sunny-Bonging day!
Tapping into inner rage
Through the Looking Glass
Guardian Disharmony
What if...?
Listening to Yourself
Meet the Parents
Getting to know them
Sunny's True, True Friends
Back to Iron Hill
Iron Knight
Mother-Sunny day
Where the Heart is
Queen of Roses
Raging Storm
A Tale of Two Kings
Friendship dies, True Love Lies
King of the Changelings
The Dark Army
Endgame
Garganda Must Fall
Home of Shadows
The Road to Dawn
Everyone has a Tale to tell
3 Knights of Canterlot
Stone apologies and marshmallow memories

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..."

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"

-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.

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.

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.

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.

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'.

(Insert mlp opening)

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