Ballad of the Brobdingnag

Chapters

Chapter 1: Into the Rabbit Hole
Chapter 2: A thing about Lies and Truths
Chapter 3: Enter Schnookums
Chapter 4: Luna's Counter Attack; The Escape
Chapter 5: Proven Wrong
Epilogue: Signing the Custodi Bestia

Chapter 1: Into the Rabbit Hole

It is a rather cool afternoon in Ponyville, but everypony was preparing for a special occasion: the day when the three pony races found Equestria. The pegasi were tying ribbons to City Hall, the unicorns setted up shop in several locations, and the earth ponies were preparing parade floats and displays. And the Mane Six were performing no less as well. Twilight Sparkle is in the library preparing a speech with her dragon companion Spike. Pinkie Pie is at Sugar Cube Corner loading up her party cannon with confetti and candy. Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Big Mac were harvesting apples to prepare apple pies, cider, and apple fritters. At the boutique, Rarity was preparing dresses for such an occasion on request from the Canterlot Elite. Rainbow Dash was at Cloudsdale practicing with the Wonderbolts for a performance that would end with a sonic rainboom. Fluttershy usually doesn’t go to festivities like this, but she knows this would be a good opportunity to provide adoption for many of her animal companions.

Meanwhile at school, Ms. Cheerilee was in her class lecturing her students about the early history of Equestria. The students were paying attention to her, but Apple Bloom noticed something off from one class mates, a multiple toed yellow colt with purple stripes name Cosgrove. Cosgrove looked unusually focused on the lecture. She noticed that when Cheerilee started talking about the “Crusades.” Usually he would secretly be drawing his next costume design under his desk.

“Button Mash,” Ms. Cheerilee spotted Button’s glowing face as he played on his Joy Boy. “What have I told you about playing video games while class was in session?”
Button Mash quickly slid the handheld console under his desk and gave an innocent grin. The outburst was the one moment Cosgrove changed his focus. When class resumed, the three toed colt returned to his focused look.

A few hours later passed when the final school bell rang.

“Okay class,” Cheerilee happily announced, “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Most of the fillies and colts stampeded out of the class. Cosgrove however walked an a leisurely pace rather than ran to his home to continue work on his next costume.

“Hey, Cosgrove!” a voice called out.

Cosgrove turned to the sound and found Apple Bloom trotting up to him.

“Hey you have been actin’ awfully strange for the last couple days, what’s up?”

Cosgrove remained silent as softly scratched the dirt road as he looked to the ground. Apple Bloom widened her eyes.

“You’re not goin’ to the festival with me?”

“What-” Cosgrove raised his head up “of course I am still wanting to go with you. It is just that the lecture reminded me of something...” Apple Bloom cocked her head as Cosgrove looked away.

“Come on, Apple Bloom!” a voice cried out.

Apple Bloom turned to see Sweetie Belle in a wagon with Scootaloo on her scooter. As soon as the red hair filly turned back, Cosgrove was at full speed away from her. She immediately hopped onto the wagon and they began their travel to their clubhouse to plan their next crusade. Halfway to their destination, Apple Bloom’s ears perked up.

“Ah got an idea for today’s crusade.” she said with a smile.

It took some time before Cosgrove reached his home: a dingy looking house on a hill near the Ever Free Forest. So much thought has been going through his mind about today, among them how he just ran off on his good friend Apple Bloom.

“Pray Celestia that this didn’t hurt anything” he thought as he walked slowly through his hall of assorted costumes. His stopped and look at two pairs of hair extensions in a waste bin. He lifted one up and looked at it before closing his eyes.

Suddenly it was class time, but it wasn’t tomorrow, rather it was a year ago. Back then Cosgrove was doing his usual business before now. He introduced himself on his life in the circus and how he owned his own home. He talked here and there to Rumble, Button Mash, Dinky, and Indigo and occasionally stood up to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon when they made fun of Pipsqueak and Featherweight, only to be remarked as a “yellow zebra.”

In order to earn enough money to stay at his house, Cosgrove would work at Sweet Apple Acres. Because he hasn’t bucked an apple tree his entire life, he instead found a niche with the livestock, often herding the sheep with Winona. Aside from being classmates, Cosgrove did develop feelings for Apple Bloom, but it was only recently that she had found out his affections.

One day he and Apple Bloom were walking into the Everfree Forest.

“Ah know of another zebra who would love to meet ya.” As she said that, Cosgrove slowed his walk.

“Apple Bloom,” - The farmer turned around -“I’m… not a zebra.”

“What do ya mean? Ya look like a zebra to me.” Upon hearing it, Cosgrove gripped the leg hair extensions and pulled them away.

Which leads to the present day, now in the evening. Cosgrove is still in thought as one last phrase he remembered Apple Bloom saying, “Zebra or not you are always my best colt friend.” He looked outside, Celestia has lowered the warm sun to allow Luna to raise the cool moon.

“I will make it up to you later, right now I have something to do.”

Cosgrove walked down to his closet, loaded up a blue wagon with a radio and a bunch of pears. Wrapping his tail around the handle, he started his trek to the Everfree Forest.

Unknown to Cosgrove the entire afternoon and into the evening, the CMC was hiding behind a bush waiting for him to make his move. While Apple Bloom kept constant watch, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle appeared very bored.

“Apple Bloom, it is already late.” Sweetie Belle huffed.

“Yeah and just sitting here isn’t going to earn our cutie marks.” Scootaloo looked at her flank. “Why are we here in the first place?”

Apple Bloom turned her head towards her fellow crusaders. “Ah know Cosgrove is hiding something and I want to find out what.” Apple Bloom turned her head back to Cosgrove’s house.

“Didn’t we try spying already?” Sweetie Belle remarked.

“There he is!” Apple Bloom yelped. The other two fillies looked out of the bush as Cosgrove dragged the wagon towards the Everfree.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders, Go!” shouted the CMC upon looking back to each other.

A few minutes passed as Cosgrove walked through a path presumably made by himself in the forest. Fifty paces behind, the CMC crept up quietly so as to not be spotted. It was about half an hour before Cosgrove stopped at a break in the forest. He looked at the starry sky before unwrapping his tail. Cosgrove began placing the pile of pears onto the grass when he heard a twig snap. Immediately he perked his head up and looked around hard. He knew the risk of going into the forest this late in the evening.

What had really occurred is that Scootaloo stepped on the twig. The fillies hid behind a tree trunk to avoid detection. Scootaloo was then given the look from the other two.

“What,” Scootaloo moved the branch aside. “How was I supposed to know that twig was there?”

Suddenly, a sound was heard in the clearing. The CMC looked out as Cosgrove sat a couple feet away from the radio since it was blazing loud. Apple Bloom pondered why is there a pile of pears laying on the ground and a radio that plays what sounds like a bassoon.

An hour has passed in the Everfree Forest, and the radio was still playing at full blast. Again, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were bored and tired as hay while Apple Bloom kept constant vigil. She is basically risking getting into trouble coming home late just to investigate one tiny, but suspicious detail. Suddenly Cosgrove turned off the radio and started putting the pears back onto the wagon. As he placed the pears back into the wagon, the words “OH COME ON!” ring his ears.

Cosgrove turned around and saw the CMC walking out of the bush, with Apple Bloom walking faster towards him with a stern face.

“Apple Bloom?” Cosgrove looked around frantically, “What are you guys doing here?”

“The exact same thing Ah should ask you!” Apple Bloom replied back. “THIS is the reason you were feeling strange in class today!”

“You shouldn’t be here!” Cosgrove turned around to his wagon only to be stopped by the farm filly.

“YOU shouldn’t be here either,” Apple Bloom continued walking up to him. “We could be crying timber wolf right now...” She was into her rant that she didn’t know the trees rumble and the ground shaking. Cosgrove was looking upward as a massive overhead shadow casted upon them, the CMC looked as well but in utter horror.

“Why are you looking at a rain cloud?” Apple Bloom looked at the scared looks on their faces.

Cosgrove eyed her. “Turn… around…. slowly…”

Apple Bloom turned around in a huff, only for that expression to change to utter horror as a massive figure gradually looms down at her.

Chapter 2: A thing about Lies and Truths

At the edge of the Everfree Forest, bushes can be heard rustling as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo bolted out of the forest. Scootaloo hopped onto her scooter and as soon as Sweetie Belle hopped onto the wagon, they drove off as fast as they could. Cosgrove walked out of the forest with a very afraid Apple Bloom. The farm filly was staring at the ground the whole way, her face was red with dry tears. Ponyville had encounters with massive creatures, but none as remarkable as what the Crusaders saw more extraordinary. Cosgrove ran into his house, came back out with a chair, and placed it behind her.

“How long…” Apple Bloom rubbed the chair slowly . Cosgrove looked at the ground, took a deep breath, then looking back at Apple Bloom.

“It was a year and a half before I met you, after I left the circus to my home. I was walking along the Everfree forest to gather ingredients for green tea when I noticed a red object lying next to a berry bush. I thought it was a sweet potato, and took it home to prepare it for dinner. By the time it was dinner, the object was the creature. I would’ve smashed him first hand… but how could I? So I cared for him, gave him a name.”

“What kind of name?” Apple Bloom asked

“A simple dog name”- Cosgrove turned to the forest -“Schnookums. “I fed him berries I have picked from the bush. The next morning” - The past Cosgrove walked down before being startled - “I noticed Schnookums grew in size. At first it wasn’t a problem, but the days passed and he was growing faster; Schnookums was the size of a buffalo by the time I released him into the Everfree Forest.” -the vision fades to a present Cosgrove- “By the time I met you…” -Cosgrove turned to Apple Bloom- “Schnookums was already four-fifths the size he is now.”

Apple Bloom’s eyes have less of a shocked look to them.

Cosgrove offered to take her back to Sweet Apple Acres, to which she softly agreed. The two foals didn’t talk to each other as they made their way back to Sweet Apple Acres.

Cosgrove asked Apple Bloom, “Can you promise that you and your friends won’t tell?”
Apple Bloom looked unwilling to do so.

“It’s alright if you tell Applejack.” Cosgrove added. It would be easy to keep it a secret from everypony, but it is especially tough when you’re a very good friend to the sister of the Element of Honesty. When they reached the farm, the pair saw a figure with an oil lamp galloping towards them. The figure revealed itself as Applejack upon reaching them.

“Where in the hay have you been,” Applejack shouted, “Ah and Rarity were worried sick since sunset!”

Apple Bloom was about to talk when Cosgrove intervened.

“I saw the CMC walking by my house and I invited them over for tea and we played a game of hide and seek.” - Cosgrove stood up with a straight face -“I wanted to invite Rumble and Button Mash over, but they had homework to make up.”

Bold… Very bold of him... to tell a lie at the honest Applejack. The farmer craned her neck down to the colt, giving him a good look at his straight face.

Applejack’s stern face softened a little.
“At least you held yourself responsible,” - She then raised her head up - “You better return home.”

Cosgrove started to turn around, looked at Apple Bloom, then walked away. When he was at the Sweet Apple Acre property line, Cosgrove started going into a full gallop. He continued at full speed until he was at Sugarcube Corner, where he stopped, hugged his back against the wall and sneaked a look at the town square. He practically did the impossible and came out unscathed (which would be asking a lot). Cosgrove exhaled with a shiver, then continued his gallop back to his home.

Applejack and Apple Bloom entered their house and started walking upstairs to their rooms. However, Apple Bloom noticed her sister following her into her room. When the filly sat on her bed, Applejack closed the door and walked up to her. Cosgrove told his side of the story, now it is her turn.

“Apple Bloom, I think there is something you’re not tellin’ me,” -Applejack pulled up a chair -“If you stayed out all night, you must’ve done somethin’.”

Apple Bloom just remained silent and kept looking away from her sister.

“Y’know I can keep doin’ this all night.” - Applejack shuffled to her sister’s line of sight- “Apple Bloom, you’re covered in dirt and I see dried tearss on your face. Who hurt you?” -She noticed Apple Bloom’s straight face started becoming a sad one- “Did Cosgrove-”

Apple Bloom immediately hugged her sister and started crying.

“Applejack! It was horrible! Ah-ah an’ Scoots and Sweetie Belle we-were-”

“It’s all right sugarcube,” -Applejack rocked her sister back and forth -“Ah didn’t say Ah was angry, Ah was worried, and so was Granny and Big Mac.” She placed Apple Bloom back on the bed. “Would you feel all right if you talked to me? I am always here for you, sis.”

Apple Bloom briefly looked away for a while, took a deep breath and started to talk to her what had happened on that night, including what she saw. What surprised Applejack was that despite her sister’s tall tale claims and gestures to show off the thing she saw, she actually felt that she was being told the truth. As Apple Bloom was finishing, she started to yawn.

“All right, sugarcube. You need to rest.” Applejack guided the listless Apple Bloom to her bed, tucked her in, turned off the light and walked out the door. If Apple Bloom told the truth, then why did Cosgrove lie to me? she thought to herself as she walked to her room.

The following morning, school became in session. However, what happened yesterday evening continued into today. Cosgrove and Apple Bloom appeared very tired, along with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Button Mash was also tired also, but that was because he had a video game binge last night. As they walked at the school before the bell rang, Apple Bloom told Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo not to tell anypony of what they saw, to which they immediately Pinkie Promised. As class continued the three fillies and colt started succumbing to their exhaustion. At one point, Ms. Cheerilee spotted something odd about Cosgrove.

“Cosgrove…” Cheerilee cocked her head as the colt raised his sleepy head, “Are you… chewing on your crayons?”

Realizing this, he immediately wiped his mouth on his drawing paper and made a crude picture.

“What? Thith ith how cave drawingth are made!” he answered to his confused classmates before going to the sink to wash his tongue.

Recess followed after lunch. Everypony was having fun except the mentioned four late nighters. Dinky would try to show her improved magic skill to Cosgrove only to see him dozing off on the swing set. Indigo Blue along with a few others foals were playing marco-polo with Apple Bloom as the latter. The game ended soon as Apple Bloom tripped and fell face first into the sandbox and stayed there. Sweetie Belle and Button Mash did play videogames, but Sweetie Belle was oddly playing Tetris rather than Minecraft, much to Button’s confusion. Rumble looked at those three and seeing Scootaloo with her head laid down on the wooden table prompted him to get some answers.

“Hey Scootaloo.” Rumble asked.

Scootaloo opened her eyes slowly.

“What…?” she said with a groan.

“You, Cosgrove, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle are awfully strange today. And I was thinking if you had done anything strange.” - Rumble didn’t notice Scootaloo shifting her hear away - “Did you eat too much at Sugarcube Corner? Those cupcakes pack quite a lot of sugar...” Rumble continued on until Scootaloo could take no more of it.

“Apple Bloom thought Cosgrove was acting strange, so we followed him to the Everfree Forest and we were scared the bejeebies out of us when we saw that monster!” Scootaloo shouted at such a loud voice it could have been heard across Equestria.

The voice reached Pinkie Pie’s ear and gasped, “Someone broke a Pinkie Promise!”

Back at the school, everypony was looking at Scootaloo, who then eyed Apple Bloom, who tilted her face upwards out of the sandbox. She then eyed at Sweetie Belle, who was distracted long enough to constantly lose Tetris games. And finally she eyed Cosgrove, with one of his hooves covering his face as he shook his head with an agitated growl. Rumble, after have a scared look on his face, soon started to chuckle. Scootaloo looked at the grey pegasus before the other colts and fillies joined in the laughter.

A couple hours past when the end of school bell rang, as usual all the fillies and colts ran out the door. Rumble stayed by with Cosgrove and the CMC for a moment.

“Say, what happened during recess… no offense?” Rumble fluttered in front of them.

“None taken.” Cosgrove emphasized his answered with a very nasty glare at Scootaloo. The two colts pounded their hooves. Rumble asked Cosgrove to get well tomorrow before flying off.

The CMC decided not to do any crusading for today. Sweetie Belle has been imposed a curfew by Rarity because of arriving back at the Boutique so late last night, and Scootaloo just wanted to sleep. Cosgrove, for just getting this close to getting a certain thrashing from Applejack, offered to help out at Sweet Apple Acres. Because of his exhaustion, he was put into watching the chickens. The sun began to set, and the Apple Family started returning to the house. Applejack however, spotted Cosgrove walking towards the barn, went inside and began to sleep on a hay bail. She wanted to wake him up to ask what happened the night before, but felt the colt has gone through so much that she decided to leave him be after giving him a blanket and a pillow.

Chapter 3: Enter Schnookums

Everyone has a dreamland, and Cosgrove is no exception. What is different is how his dreamland is shown. While largely based on his life as a circus performer, Cosgrove’s dreams are relatively tropical. The big top was composed of palm trees and the circus animals also were creatures nopony has ever seen in life. His audience consisted on those he had in the past, which can be saying a lot, his supervisors were a pair of ponies, but there was something off about them; most of their body has vanished. Cosgrove usually would dress up in costumes for circus shows, hence his name, but he always had a very deep dream that he never did before leaving the circus; he wanted to go on the trapeze. Cosgrove swung through the trapeze after his supervisors jumped onto each swing. Cosgrove then repeated the cycle again to reach the previous side of the big top. He knew he would be happy just to see the ponies around him laugh to tears.

Suddenly he turned to a limp body of a mare. He held the body and cried. The Ringmaster appeared with a very grim smile on his face.

“Why…?” whispered Cosgrove as he clenched the dead mare’s mane. The Ringmaster didn’t answer as he prepared a lion taming whip, wrapping the tip around a piece of metal. Just as the tip reaches Cosgrove’s flinched eye, it stops and fades away including the dead mare. When he opens his eye, all that he could see is a bluish glow. Looking closer, he saw a figure of a pegasus coming closer. When it landed it revealed itself as Princess Luna.

“Princess Luna? No, your a vision in my dreams.” Cosgrove reprimanded.

“I am very much real.” The Princess answered. “I have never appeared to you before now.” While he didn’t know much about Luna, he has heard of recent events involving her cursed alter ego, Nightmare Moon.

“Well then, as your…” - Cosgrove gave a little cough - “humble subject, may I offer you something to drink?”

“My visit is short, young stallion, so as I could ask you a question.”

Cosgrove cocked his head. “What do you want to know, your Highness?” he asked.

“The night before I have heard screams from the Everfree Forest. I investigated the site and found tracks that match yours and those of a Brobdingnag.”

Cosgrove lowered on of his ears. “Brobding-what?” he asked, causing Luna to tilt her head.

“It would seem time has forgotten one of our past ventures.” Cosgrove widened his eyes.

“Those weren’t crusades were they?” he asked to which

Luna nodded. “The Brobdingnag is a gluttonous beast, it consumes everything, which is why I convinced an Ursa Major to slaughter it.”

“Then how do you explain Schnookums?” Cosgrove questioned.

“That of which I do not have the slightest idea.” Luna answered. “Child, what you are nurturing can and will cause the same destruction as it did a millennia ago.”

“How did I know that Schnookums would be dangerous?” Cosgrove raised a hoof at her -“Besides he is smaller than a dragon and can’t cause that much harm.”

“Schnookums as you call it is still growing.” Luna replied. “Which is why I ask of you: where do you know of it’s location?”

Cosgrove lowered his ears. “I don’t know.” - he back away slowly -“He could be anywhere in the forest.”

“Then will you help me lure it?” Luna asked.

“I… can’t… I’m sorry.” He asked regretfully.

Frustrated, Luna approached Cosgrove. “Child you are performing a terrible feet for you fellow ponies. If you don’t, many will be killed.” -Cosgrove doesn’t reply to her statement -“It took several hundred ponies to drive it to the Badlands, would you want to risk that many again?” Luna stated in a louder voice.

“But he is just a living being…” Cosgrove whispered.

Suddenly the world around started to get stormy, with Luna rising high into the air, eyes glowing at the colt.

“Sombra, Chrysalis, and Discord are living being but they are not innocent,” Luna yelled in her Canterlot Voice “they have caused destruction well before you were born! You are a fool to think that beast is an innocent soul!”

His eyes blinded by the wind, Cosgrove pointed his head to the sky and shouted, “What if your wrong?”

When he opened his eyes, he was in the barn. He looked outside, a clear sunny morning. He whacked his foreleg a couple times. He turned around at the sound of hoof clops to find Big Mac staring at him while loading up barrels of cider.

“Is this a dream too?” Cosgrove asked, to which the burly red pony looked around.

“....Nope.” Big Mac continued to load the wagon.

Cosgrove helped out the Apple Family prepare for the event tonight. Once they have everything prepared, they left for Ponyville. Upon arrival, they set up shop. Applejack and Big Mac helped set up the jockey box, while Cosgrove, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith set up the stand for the pies and apple related treats. Sales where beginning to start at about three in the afternoon as the crowd got bigger.

Cosgrove turned over to Granny Smith, “I have something I need to do at home.”

“Sure thing young un’. Be back here quick, the crowd’s gettin’ big!” The elderly mare waved a hoof at the massing crowd.

Cosgrove weaved through the crowd and was able to make it into the outskirts with very little effort. When he reached his home, he placed his radio onto the wagon and set up a wind up mechanism. Twisting the dial, he positions it at the Everfree Forest with the radio’s timer set to five pm and releases the wagon. Cosgrove gave a smug look before galloping off to Ponyville.

The town is now much more crowded than before, forcing him to make several detours. It was already sunset before he reunites with the Apple Family.

The crowd gathered around City Hall where Twilight Sparkle walked up to the podium and began her speech.

“Dear Mares and Stallions, foals of all ages. It is my pleasure to sponsor the celebration of the day Equestria was found. It is within our unity, between earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi, that has kept Equestria strong. Not even Discord’s power could have stopped our eternal friendship. So with our ancestors as our witnesses, let us continue that tradition.” The ponies around Twilight began happily stamping on the ground.

Back at the forest, the music was playing on the radio when it rolled onto a curve and went back the opposite way in an arc. Back at Ponyville, music began to play courtesy of the Canterlot Symphony. As pairs of ponies arrived onto the dance stage Applejack looked at Cosgrove and Apple Bloom as they watched the crowd. She gave a smile.

“Why don’t you two go out and have fun” -Applejack held the two foals together- "business is slowin’ down anyway.”

The two foals looked at each other with confusion before Cosgrove gave a “why not” gesture.

Meanwhile, at Fluttershy’s cottage, Fluttershy was sound asleep, having done with ponies adopting animals for the day. She wasn’t even interrupted with the bassoon playing wagon passing by. But the sounds of crashing trees and birds chirping woke her up. She opened the door just as a massive shadow loomed past her from the left. Immediately she screamed and slammed the door shut.

Cosgrove and Apple Bloom walked around the festival and played games such as Pin the Tail on the Pony. They met up with Rumble, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Button Mash, the latter of whom was in a tuxedo.

“Huh, I haven’t heard this was a formal occasion.” Cosgrove remarked, rubbing the suit

“Mom wanted me to try on a uniform.” Button Mash groaned before scratching himself.

The three pairs of foals eventually reached a ferris wheel. As the three entered the ferris wheel, they each had mixed feelings; When one of cars tilted, Scootaloo held onto Rumble. When Apple Bloom and Cosgrove’s car reached the top and stopped, the filly laid her head on his shoulder. Cosgrove wasted no time to enjoy the moment and laid his head down as well.

“Shut up Rumble.” he softly said as he heard snickering.

Something was still left in detail that worried him. Cosgrove still remembered the dream he had with Princess Luna. How things will become worse. But how could he let that ruin a beautiful moment? The three pairs of foals were lucky to be on the ferris wheel, for now they have a good view to see the Wonderbolts perform. While this mattered to Scootaloo, the same wouldn’t much applied to Sweetie Belle as Button Mash snuck in his Joy Boy. Cosgrove and Apple Bloom were still in a cuddle. However, a noise began to ring Cosgrove’s ear.

“Do you hear something?” Cosgrove looked around. The noise gradually got louder, sounding more like a bassoon. Worried, he eyed at the Canterlot Symphony. He couldn’t fully make it out, but Cosgrove saw none of the performers with a bassoon. His iris and pupils shrank as he saw the wagon roll to the right of the ferris wheel. To the other ponies, it was a matter of wondering what is that for. To Cosgrove, bad things follow.

A few moments later another, more baritone, sound became heard. Screaming is heard further down the street from the ferris wheel as ponies stampeded down. The operator of the ferris wheel ran as well once he saw what was coming. As the running crowd met with the ponies in the Town Square, Applejack called for Apple Bloom and Cosgrove, with Rarity doing likewise for Sweetie Belle. As the ponies in the ferris wheel called out for help, stomping noises were heard louder as the massive being began to pass through them. They all watched in awe… until someone took a photo. The beast flinched, causing his tail to break the holding harness for the ferris wheel causing it to roll out of control. The carts shook wildly as it reached a building in the Town Square. The ponies on the ferris wheel screamed as they realized this would be their final ride…

...Or it would seem as the ferris wheel was suddenly stopped in it’s tracks. Cosgrove’s eyes opened up to seeing the beast’s eye staring right back. It looked at the other passengers, who looked back in dear fright (Button Mash even wetted himself). The beast immediately placed one of his hands on the bottom and began tilting it while the crowd screamed. Once the ferris wheel was lain flat on the ground, the ponies struggled out of their seats and ran off. Cosgrove grabbed a small filly out of the ferries wheel just when the foot of the beast crushes the wheel.

The ponies of the town square looked in horror as they were shown the creature they haven’t seen for over a millenia. The beast is crimson with a series of dermal plates in shades of red with a spiny tip on top of each. What appeared to be a head opened up to reveal a real head as it emitted a bellow. The beast scanned the area when he spotted food; what is left of the apple pies on the wagon.

However, once he began to advance to the pies, a suddenly explosion occurred, causing the beast to be suddenly flung off his elephantine legs and into a corner of Ponyville. The crowd began to cheer because what they saw was a sonic rainboom, done no other than Rainbow Dash.

“Aw yeah! No one’s crashin’ this party!” Rainbow Dash remarked as she began a little dance.

Cosgrove however started to move back just started to run when he bumped into Applejack.

“You have some explainin’ to do!” the apple farmer clutched him.

“Can it come later,” - Cosgrove pushed her aside - “Right now we have to evacuate everypony!” a series of clicks are heard along with loud stomping sounds. Cosgrove turned his head around. “Schnookums is angry…”

The sound became much louder as Schnookums appears again, this time with a large bruise on his right shoulder. He was frothing at the mouth as it emitted a series of growling sounds at her. Rainbow Dash looked at the wounded creature.

“The Rainboom wasn’t enough?” Rainbow raised her hooves in a boxing motion. “Come and get some ya overgrown slug!”

Schnookums screeched and charged towards the rainbow-maned pegasus. Rainbow Dash flew towards him at a high speed. At the last moment, Rainbow suddenly moved to her right. The Brobdingnag slowed down as quickly as he could, but he couldn’t stop fast enough to crash into buildings. He lifted itself out of the rubble.

“Ya missed!” Rainbow Dash made funny faces at him.

The Brobdingnag retaliated by resuming his charge. Meanwhile Soarin and Spitfire helped out with evacuating rest of the ponies out of Ponyville. Cosgrove and the Apple Family hid themselves into an alleyway. They appeared to be in the middle of a conversation.

“And that is how I found Schnookums,” -Cosgrove continued his answer- “I thought I could distract him by luring him away further down the Everfree with my radio, but-”

“So how do we get ‘im to go away?” Applejack remarked with a stern face. “Rainbow Dash can only distract ‘im for so long-”

Suddenly a shadow loomed over the alley. Schnookums just missed Rainbow Dash again, crashing into the building above them. Fortunately they were able to move away in time.

Cosgrove looked around quickly for an idea. The wagon was probably smashed. He didn’t see any food lying around either. When he spotted Vinyl Scratch running among the crowd. This gave Cosgrove an idea. After weaving through the stampede, he cut right in front of her

“Wait up, Goggles! I need you to do a favor!” He hastily asked.

Rainbow Dash again continued making faces, but this time Schnookums acted quickly by almost crushing the pegasus. Rainbow Dash immediately started flying upwards. She thought she was gaining enough altitude to perform a Sonic Rainboom until she looked behind her. She was still close to Schnookums’ mouth. It wasn’t that Schnookums suddenly became fast, he was actually inhaling deeply in an attempt to devour Rainbow Dash. She tried to fly faster, but this barely did anything to break her out of the vortex.

“Nice… set.... of lungs!” Rainbow she strained herself to get away.

Schnookums’ eyes suddenly widened as he heard a massive blast of sound. The beast screeched in pain, allowing Rainbow Dash to escape. Schnookums turned to the source of the blast. Vinyl Scratch held in her hooves a massive techno bazooka. Dubbed the “Bass Cannon,” the yellow-white unicorn continued blast a stream of loud sound at Schnookums’ ear canal.

Schnookums tried to shrug off the sound, but he couldn’t handle a long term exposure. Immediately he started moving the opposite way. he didn’t care about crushing buildings as long as he got away. The beasts shape quickly disappeared under a cloud of plaster.

Cosgrove walked to Vinyl, the Bass Cannon now “smoking” a soft static sound.

“Modern technology....” He raised a hoof, his eyes looking slightly off camera.

As he turned around, he saw the Apple Family along with the rest of the Mane Six sans Fluttershy and the CMC looking at him. Cosgrove lowered his ears and looked at the ground.

Applejack walked up to him and placed her hoof on his shoulder.

“Lets go home…” the farm pony said to her friends.

The Apple Family and Cosgrove began their journey back to Sweet Apple Acres. The cider barrels and pies were smashed in the carnage, making it a very easy walk for Big Mac. Cosgrove didn’t bother to say a word. Apple Bloom looked at Cosgrove and saw him begin to shed a tear. The three fingered colt began to slow down and when he was at a good distance behind the Apple family, he sat down on the filthy road and began to sob. He would’ve been left alone to mourn what went wrong when suddenly he was lifted off the ground.

Chapter 4: Luna's Counter Attack; The Escape

Cosgrove’s sadness became fear as fast as the wind dried up his tears. Though his vision was blurred, Cosgrove looked back and saw his foal napper. The colt recognized him as a pegasus, but his wings are leathery, his eyes catlike and his teeth have fangs. Cosgrove’s eyes widened; he knew who that guard belonged to. He turned looked ahead and saw Canterlot Castle dead ahead.

The pegasus landed at the entrance of a chamber tower. After releasing Cosgrove, he shoved the colt with his head. Cosgrove shakingly breathed and began to climb the set of stairs with the guard following him. As he climbed up the tower, Cosgrove began to think of all that had happened and what will the future now hold for him. Would he not be able to go to school? Would he ever see his friends again? What about Apple Bloom? How would she feel if he was innocent?

Cosgrove reached the top of the tower where a pair of similar leathery winged pegasi guarded the door. The escort nodded at the door keepers, allowing them to open the door. Cosgrove entered the room slowly, knowing that this could be the last time he may ever see the outside world. The door closed slowly once Cosgrove was in the middle of the bedchamber. Cosgrove continued walking ahead.

Princess Luna was standing on the balcony looking over at the horizon. As Cosgrove walked out into the moonlight, Luna breathed in the crisp air.

“What was it that you said during our little talk,” - Luna continued to stare into the horizon - “What if you were wrong?””

Cosgrove didn’t say a word. Luna turned around as Cosgrove displayed a submissive pose.

“So now you know the damage a Brobdingnag would do. And you now know what must be -.”

“It wasn’t Schnookums’ fault…” -Cosgrove interrupted, adding more frustration to Luna - “It was mine. I had hoped to distract him long enough with the radio for the evening.” Cosgrove returned to a normal stance with his eyes still closed. “Schnookums has left Ponyville, we could rebuild the town…” Cosgrove then lowered his head again - “Or I can rebuild the town on my own.”
Luna raised the colt’s chin.

“You are just a young pony, you don’t need to be punished.” -The colt raised his ears at Luna’s words. “Lessons are not found, they must be earned.”

“What will you do now?” Cosgrove asked.

The alicorn raised her head. “The Brobdingnag will once again be destroyed.” Luna answered.

“Would an Ursa Major be needed?” Cosgrove asked.

“An ursa major will not be necessary.” Luna answered to Cosgrove’s surprise. “I still will use outside help if I am so inclined.” Luna began walking out of the door.

“And what about the other pieces of the first Brobdingnag,” -Luna stopped at those words - “What if there is more than just Schnookums?”

“Then I will hunt them to the ends of Equestria,” -Luna continued her walk out of her room - “until then... you are in my custody.”

The door closed, with the sound of a key turning on the lock. Cosgrove hopped onto the princess’ bed, crossed his forelegs at his chest and pondered. Why would anypony be scared of Schnookums if by just what happened last night Schnookums is probably more scared of them. He looked at the moon.

“I have no intent to disrespect you, but my thought still stands.” Cosgrove talked to himself.

Ballad of the Brobdingnag Part 12

Fluttershy awoke from under her bed after seeing Schnookums passed by her last night. Having a rather messy bed head, she groomed herself. The yellow pegasus walked downstairs to feed the animals she shared her home with. After she feed the song birds and small mammals, Fluttershy heard a series of loud clicks. She opened the top half of the front door and her eyes began to shrink.

Schnookums was right at her house. Birds flew and chirped in protest around him as Schnookums feed off a tree adorned with birdhouses. Fluttershy wanted to run away, but at the same time she didn’t want him to eat the birdhouses as well. Angel Bunny looked up in fright as Fluttershy flew up to the beast.

“Uhm… excuse me… Mr. Monster,” -Fluttershy’s presence caught the beast’s brown eyes - “My friends have homes on that tree.”

Schnookums merely stared at the yellow pegasus. In his defense, Schnookums was still recovering from his wounds from last night. The bruise he received had largely healed, but his hearing was still a ways to go. Schnookums can hear better, but in his perspective a loud whine prevented it from hearing Fluttershy’s soft voice. He continued to eat. Fluttershy felt she was out of options. She flew right in front of the Brobdingnag and used “The Stare.” However, the Brobdingnag didn’t falter, so she increased the intensity of “The Stare”. When Schnookums stopped eating and tilted his head at her, Fluttershy stopped using the stare.

“Thank you, now there a several-” Fluttershy remarked before Schnookums opened the top two folds of his armored head and snorted her away. “Or I can find other tree’s.” Fluttershy finished as she noticed that some of the more invasive trees were torn down.

Schnookums turned to a sound, again like that of a bassoon. He walked slowly towards the source of the sound. He walked around Ponyville this time as he felt he wasn’t in any rush. Schnookums found the source of the sound and carefully approached it. The owner of the bassoon suddenly flung into the air, revealing itself as a creature Schnookums had never seen; serpentine in appearance with mismatched animal parts.

“You just got Disc-Rolled!” The Draconequus snapped his fingers.

Just as he disappeared in a flash of light, soldier unicorns popped out of trenches and shoot Schnookums with their magic. Schnookums stumbled to the left until he fell into a massive Burmese tiger trap. As Schnookums struggled to get out, squads of pegasi drop metal nets onto top of the Brobdingnag. They aimed so that the nets would wrap around Schnookums’ dorsal spines. The squads then began to form a massive raincloud over the beast. Schnookums spied Luna flying above him. She gave a hard look before flying up to the pegasi.

“Begin the execution…” Luna flew away as the pegasi began to stomp on the raincloud sending out bolts of lightning.

Metal is a good conductor for lightning, and so Schnookums began to feel the pain. He screamed and moaned for dear life as his muscles spasmed from all the electricity coursing through his body.

“Your Highness” -Captain Ironhoof landed behind Luna -“The cloud is growing smaller, it may not even be enough to-”

“Add more clouds,” -Luna eyed the captain- “continue the execution.”

The remaining pegasi added more clouds to the shrinking cloud until they can find none close enough to be readily available. The cloud began to shrink, but the operation continued. Eventually the cloud became too small for even one pegasus to stand. There wasn’t any noise to be heard. Luna flew over to the pit and found something unnatural. There was no body. The rain must have made the ground so soft that the body sank in the mud.

“It is done…” As Luna turned around, she heard a rumble coming from the other side of the pit. The ground started to rise as mud slid off the thought to be dead Brobdingnag. Luna opened her wings and propelled herself towards the beast.

Back at Canterlot, the guards of Luna’s bedchamber continued their watch duty. However, since last night, there was hardly any sound coming from the chamber. The two looked at each other and gave each other a nod. They entered the bedchamber and found it in shambles. When they looked forward at the balcony, their eyes widened.

Cosgrove actually cannibalized the bedsheets and the metal springs to make a pair of wings. The guards ran towards the colt.

“Stop! You don’t know what you are getting yourself into!” They pleaded.

“You ponies get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’, I on the other hand have somepony worth fighting for!” Cosgrove replied as he lept arms spread. To his miracle, the fashioned wings actually worked.

The ponies of Canterlot looked upward at the winged figure. Canterlot Elite member Fancy Pants was in the middle of wine tasting when he spotted the colt gliding past the window. Princess Celestia was just walking onto her carriage when she spotted the Colt gliding past her.

In a sudden flash of purple magic, the Mane Six arrived at Canterlot and began to trot. Applejack ran fastest next to Twilight.

“Twilight, are you sure that thing took Cosgrove to Canterlot? There are several other pegasi you know.” Rarity asked

“Applejack said that pegasi had chiropteroid wings, only Luna’s guards possess those.” said Twilight.

“Well Ah sure hope so! That varmint got a lot of nerve just swoopin’ in like that!” Applejack said angrily.

Cosgrove was still in the middle of his glide when he spotted the Mane Six.

“Wait is that-” Cosgrove suddenly crashed on top of the rampart. He tried to get a hold, but the weight of the metal supports, dragged his body off. He fell down fast. Cosgrove tried to grab the wings, but the weight, combined with the force of the fall, kept his body in a straight nose dive. He closed his eyes tightly when he fell into the river.

The Mane Six continued to run until when Applejack spotted one of the guards that took Cosgrove.

“There they are!” Applejack shouted.

Rainbow Dash immediately flew above one of the guards and pile drove him to the ground.

“Okay fella, we can do this the easy way or the Rainbow Dash way!” Rainbow Dash yelled as the rest of the group came over.

“Okay, okay, you win!” The guard pleaded.

“Where is Cosgrove?” Applejack asked as she pounded her hoof next to the guard's head.

“He… flew… off the balcony… said something about somepony worthy.” The guard struggled as Rainbow Dash pressed down harder

“Yeah right, like anypony would just-”

“No, he is right.” A voice called out. The Mane Six turned around and saw Princess Celestia walking towards them. Rainbow Dash let go of the guard as they show their respects.

“Why would they do such a thing after what happened at Ponyville last night?” Twilight asked.

“What happened last night?” Celestia wondered. She had noticed that about three fifths of the army was missing, but now realizing she was kept out of the loop of last night’s event, Celestia levitated the guard towards her. “You will tell me everything you know.”

Chapter 5: Proven Wrong

Back at the desolate Ponyville, the battle was growing very intense. The majority of the army was knocked out cold. Even when not at his full size, Schnookums was a force to be reckoned with. His wounds varied from the net marks from the failed operation to various burns caused by the ponies’ magic. Luna was in a much better condition than Schnookums, but she was starting to get exhausted. She constantly dodged building debris as Schnookums made his advances. Luna all of a sudden charged towards him and shot a string of magic at the Brobdingnag. He faltered a little before he saw the crushed ferris wheel slam at his collar.

Schnookums crashed into a building and laid there for some time. Luna hovered over him. Is this it? Is it done? She waited for ten seconds, then exhaled and turned around.

Suddenly Schnookums lunged out of the plaster and caught Luna’s left wing with it’s head armor. She screamed in pain as the Brobdingnag flung her side to side before flinging her into City Hall. The battered Alicorn laid in the rubble. Her wing clipped, there was no was she could escape now. Schnookums made his advances, shrugging off any weak spell Luna tried to cast him. He grabbed her and started to open his mouth. Luna started to activate her magic; if she cannot kill him from the outside, she most certainly could from the inside. However, Schnookums’ sense of hearing actually recovered over the battle and can hear the hum of magic. Schnookums closed his mouth and lifted Luna even higher to the air. Luna, accepting her fate, calmly closed her eyes.

Just as Schnookums began the final blow, Luna’s “big help” arrived. A dragon suddenly latched it’s jaws onto Schnookums. Luna was released from the death grip into the hard floor. The question of why it came so late didn’t matter to her as she tried to stand up to no avail.
The dragon continued to drag Schnookums across Ponyville. It unlatched it’s jaws, flinging Schnookums into the Carousel Boutique. After the dragon landed in front of him, Schnookums gave a bellow before being slapped in the face. Before he could respond, the dragon gave a double hammerfist to his back, crippling the Brobdingnag.

As Schnookums laid there panting, the dragon walked over to the wounded Princess Luna.

“Why do you come here,” -Luna eyed the giant reptile -Finish that thing!”

The dragon looked back at Schnookums and then made a sneer. Unless the dragon is Spike, dragons are opportunistic mercenaries. The fire breather turned to the injured Brobdingnag.

“Yes. First him…” the dragon turned back to Luna, Then you….”

The dragon made it’s advance to Schnookums, who tried to get up.

“Stay down!” the dragon roared as he kicked Schnookums onto his back. His cry of pain started to be heard for a long distance.

Cosgrove slowly awoke to being inside a hut adorned with tribal masks and shelves containing several plants and pickled animals. He groaned a little as he felt a bandage wrapped around his head. He slowly turned his head to the sound of cooking to find a zebra working on a brew. Apple Bloom said she knew of a zebra, could this be what she was talking about? She turned her head around to see Cosgrove sitting up.

“Thank all of Equestria’s sake you are awake.” Zecora greeted with a warm smile. “It was quite an endeavor for you to have been floating along the river.”

Cosgrove cocked his head a little at how Zecora would rhyme, but if Apple Bloom was okay with that, so would he. He attempted to hop off the bed when the Zebra came up to him and placed her hoof on his bandaged chest.

“You have suffered a lot in your chest. Please continue to rest.”

Cosgrove laid back down on the bed as he heard a faint wail.

“That sound is going about all day. It is no wonder you are determined, Cosplay.” said Zecora.

Cosgrove sat back up at the mentioning of his nickname.

“How do you…? “ He asked.

“No need to feel silly, much was talked about you from a certain filly.” Zecora answered.

Cosgrove scratched the back of his head, he wasn’t expecting to be that well known. Zecora came forth with a teacup in hoof. After receiving the teacup, Cosgrove smelled the fumes, he grimaced.

“It is much more tasty than smelly. Please, have some tea.” Zecora said. Cosgrove took a brief sip. His eyes widened at how delicious the tea is and quickly, but respectfully drank the rest of the tea.

But the loud wails of pain kept him from being happy. The striped colt stared down at the tea cup. “

I have heard of how Apple Bloom has told me of your gloom.” Zecora said.

“I just don’t understand. The way everypony views Schnookums… its… its.” Cosgrove said.

“Your friend would be truly alone if you too feared the unknown” Zecora answered, “I am certain that you were told by Apple Bloom, that I was once viewed as a being of doom.” Zecora continued, “Apple Bloom has put herself to the test and put this bitter fear to rest.”

While Cosgrove hasn’t been told that much about Zecora, such a thought had him raise his ears.

Cosgrove looked at Zecora again before looked at the direction of another painful wail.

“He may not have much time now, but surely you have the means how.”

Cosgrove frowned a little before he looked at Zecora’s shelf of potions. He walked up to them and fondled his chin.

“Apple Bloom told me how she helped you cure her friends from the poison joke” -Cosgrove eyed the Zebra -“Have you ever cured a dragon?”

Zecora exactly knew what Cosgrove had in mind. She grabbed a vile and walked up to her cauldron.

“I do not have enough ingredients to make such a brew, but a similar potion I can do.” the zebra stated before putting the contents of the vile into the cauldron. Smoke immediately rose from the cauldron as she returned to the rack.

A few moments have passed before Zecora opened the door to let out the smoke. She looked back as Schnookums dashed out. He had a saddle bag worth of potion bouncing on his back.

“Go with speed and nothing shall impede!” Zecora shouted as Cosgrove continued to galloping. He raced up the steep hill a short distance away from Zecora’s hut. The Crusaders were just walking down a path by the Everfree Forest when Cosgrove jumped out of the bushes and continued galloping.

As he continued to gallop, the forest became less dense until he finally made it to the Ponyville area. Alongside hearing the painful wails getting louder with each stride, Cosgrove also noticed a good ring of smoke covering the airspace of Ponyville. He climbed up a hill and saw the place his fellow ponies called a stomping grounds.

Down the hill, what remained of the army laid in hospital beds. The doctors and nurses ran by each on to administer medications. One of the active guards looked to his left and sees Cosgrove running toward the camp.

“Well what are you waiting for?”

The soldier turned around and found Ironhoof in bandages right next to him.

”Make sure he doesn’t pass…” Ironhoof groaned, “Orders from Luna.”

The unicorns that stayed at the camp lined up at the edge of Cosgrove’s direction.

“Ready!”

Cosgrove noticed the guards lining up.

“Aim!”

The unicorns lowered their horns, yet Cosgrove continued his charge, despite the world of hurt he going to be in.

“Fi-!”

Just as that order was issued a burst of light came between the colt and the soldiers. As the light faded away, Cosgrove lowered his foreleg and saw Princess Celestia along with the Mane Six. Celestia glared at her men. The soldiers, both of Luna’s and Celestia’s uniform, bowed down quickly.

Applejack turned around, walked slowly up to Cosgrove, and hugged him in a tight embrace. Cosgrove started to tear as he returned an embrace. As they released each other they looked at Celestia who then raised up her right wing. Cosgrove walked up the alicorn and eyed the rest of the Mane Six walking up to him as well. The three toed colt then looked forward moved forward, increasing speed with each step as the Mane Six followed him.

Back at the destroyed Ponyville, carnage resumes. Schnookums, now covered in nasty wounds, constantly tried to get up as the dragon kicked and punched him. At one point the dragon, more agitated than happy, grabbed Schnookums.

“You are much tougher for one smaller than I,” the dragon craned its neck around, “But it matters not, you will perish. You and the one pony who called you enemy.”

Schnookums then laid his head back. At the look of this, the dragon started to laugh. But that joy was short lived when Schnookums upchucked his last meal onto the dragon’s face, causing him to release Schnookums. As the dragon tried to clean his face, Schnookums charged up at him, slid, and delivered a heavy blow with his massive tail. The dragon was sent flying, not by wing power, into a corner of Ponyville. Schnookums looked at the direction of the fallen dragon before looking down to pant. Now he is wounded, tired, and now dehydrated.

Princess Luna managed to struggle onto a rock while the dragon was beating the stuffing out of Schnookums. She looked down on the ground, thinking about her moments of regret as the ground shook.

“I hardly make thee a meal.” Luna looked up, seeing Schnookums with his mouth agape. “Well what thou wait for?! End me!” Luna shouted.

Schnookums did nothing, but close his mouth. He could just as well have eaten Luna as one last meal, but why doesn’t he? Luna wondered as the two continued to stare into each other. She has been in battles for a millennia, but there was one thing she noticed for the first time in her enemy. Schnookums’ eyes weren’t shown to be fierce, they were soft and calm. The alicorn now understood what Cosgrove meant and one that she was always blind too.

Suddenly a fire ball smashed into Schnookums’ left side, causing him to topple over. Schnookums turned around to the source and, despite being dehydrated, attempted to upchuck again. But the dragon pounced on him with little effort. Schnookums was now too weak to get back up. The dragon raised his head back and just started lunging forth when he was struck by a purple stream of magic. Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash flew up to the dragon and began toying with him. Rarity and Spike arrived to Princess Luna with a first aid kit. Cosgrove, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy came up to the wounded brobdingnag. Applejack lifted his upper jaw and head armor as Cosgrove loaded up Pinkie’s party cannon with the potion.

Though Schnookums didn’t see them, he did hear a soft voice saying, “Don’t worry Mr. Monster, you will be okay.”

Suddenly a loud boom is heard.

The dragon was continued to be toyed around by Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle. He would usually attempt to breath fire at one of the ponies before being pummeled by the other. However, the dragon wisened up and grabbed Twilight Sparkle and showed her before Rainbow Dash, preventing the pegasus from performing a Sonic Rainboom on the dragon. The dragon then grabbed the pegasus. The two mares were raised up to his face.

“This is exactly why I hate ponies!” the dragon roared.

Suddenly he spotted Fluttershy flying towards him. When she is at a close enough range, she performed “The Stare.” The dragon’s fierceness became fear itself as he started to cower away. However, when Twilight and Rainbow Dash were released, Fluttershy stopped staring and flew with them to a safe distance.

“Fluttershy, why have you stopped?” Twilight Sparkle flew up to her.

“Yeah, you could have scared him away!” Rainbow placed her hoofs to her sides

“I didn’t want to stop either,” Fluttershy turned around, “but-.”

A loud sound is heard in the fog. Then a series of thuds appeared, louder with each succession. As the dragon regained his senses, he squinted at the direction the sounds were coming from. Out of the smoke came Cosgrove, then Applejack and Pinkie Pie. The three winged ponies soon landed in front of the group when a massive foot landed to their left/Cosgrove’s right. Then another foot. All except Cosgrove looked up and saw Schnookums. Though Zecora’s potion didn’t heal his wounds fully, it was enough to regain his stamina. The dragon’s eye brows lowered as he bared his teeth. Schnookums then emitted a very long bellow at the dragon before beginning to walk.

Rainbow Dash started to spread her wings when Applejack placed her hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder and shook her head. Suddenly Discord appeared right behind them.

“My, my, Ponyville is in turmoil,” -the Dracaonequus snaked around the group - “And you put your faith in this one little colt with extra hooves” -Discord pinched Cosgrove’s cheeks but noticed the ponies not looking a bit worried. Discord smacked his lips, “If you need me, I will be in my room.”

Right after, Discord disappeared in a flash of light. They look ahead to see Schnookums and the dragon push each other around.

Despite being smaller than the dragon, Schnookums is actually putting up a much better fight this time. The dragon tried to push Schnookums away from him, even using his wings to grab the buildings, but it proved futile when the latter toppled the dragon over. Schnookums then began placing his foot on the dragon’s neck. Schnookums gave a very harsh look as he applied more weight to the dragon’s throat. When scratching the brobdingnag with his feet didn’t work, the dragon attempted to release the pressure by lifting the foot with his claws. He was able to do so enough to breath a small flame to Schnookums. The latter backer away, allowing the dragon to get up and fire another stream of flame. As the smoke cleared, the dragon began to smile, only to be disappointed when the brobdingnag was still standing with a very bad burn on his chest. The dragon attempted another stream of fire only for Schnookums to keep the dragon’s head from aiming at him. When the dragon ran out of breath, Schnookums grabbed him by the chest and threw him away.

Princess Luna, now bandaged up, was held up by Rarity. As the two and Spike joined the rest of the group, Luna looked at the battle. Schnookums raised the dragon by the tail before slamming him down repeatedly. Luna’s vision soon started to fade as the battle continued, later becoming black.

Epilogue: Signing the Custodi Bestia

Luna awoke in a hospital bed. Surrounded around her were “get well soon” cards no doubt drawn by the foals of Ponyville. She looked to her right to see Princess Celestia right next to her.

“Sister…” Luna said as she tried to move around, but ached because of the bandages.

“Rest, sister.” Celestia said calmly, placing a hoof on the bed.

Later a nurse opened the door. “Your Highness, you have a few visitors.” Luna looked at her sister before giving a nod to the nurse.

The nurse opened the door to allow the Mane Six and Cosgrove into the room. the latter pulled up a chair and sat in front of the bed. Celestia gave them a smile before walking out of the room. Two ponies looked away for a while before Cosgrove took a deep breath.

“I wanted to say-”

“No. I am the one who should be sorry.” Luna interjected. “While I have returned to a new age, my beliefs were still as they were one thousand years ago. Many good ponies risked their lives because of my stubbornness. I would not have thought that a thing like Schnookums would be changed… But you… You have reminded me entirely that things change. Schnookums is your example of change, Discord was my sister’s example. And… even I changed...” Luna placed a hoof on him, “Child, you have my deepest thanks for changing my perspective from the old and into the new. Such vigor would have thee knighted.”

Cosgrove scratched his chair a little bit. “I owe you my deepest thanks as well… and an apology…” He eyed away from the Night Princess, “a few in fact.” Cosgrove cleared his throat. “One, I tore apart your room to help myself escape,” He then licked his lips, “Two, letting Schnookums and the dragon just fight kinda smashed Ponyville… 85 percent of it to be exact.” He rubbed his hooves together. “And finally-”

“I’m sorry sir, but the Princess needs her rest.” A nurse interjected.

A little frustrated for not finishing his apology, Cosgrove placed the chair back and walked out of the room.

“I forgive you…”

Cosgrove walked back down a level to reach the exit. Because of the destruction of Ponyville, Canterlot was crowded with refugees. Nonetheless he continued to walk until he reached the Canterlot Zoo. Having been given permission, he entered a holding place akin to that of holding elephants in winter. Cosgrove walked over to a balcony and looked down. Schnookums was there fast asleep from the intense battle yesterday.

“There is hope for you yet, pal.” Cosgrove said.

A week later, the recovering Luna and her sister have signed a pact called “Custodi Bestia.” The description of the pact is simple: Should the animal considered a foe be proven helpful, it is provided with amnesty and is occasionally summoned when needed under supervision. However, should the beast become rogue, it is immediately revoked of those privileges. Likewise, the perpetrator that controls the animal would be sent to Tartarus. With that said, Schnookums is protected by law.

It was a month or so before reconstruction of Ponyville was underway. Discord could have restored Ponyville with a snap of his fingers, but that would be too tempting an offer. Once funding was distributed, hundreds of construction pony’s began hard at work. The resources they required to rebuild completely destroyed buildings was astronomical, but transport was not impossible. Schnookums, his wounds healed and well rested, was used this time as a beast of burden to carry the wood needed to form the structures. The entire Apple Family would occasionally provide snacks for the workers and help with reconstruction.

Because of the traffic to provide for the horsepower of the reconstruction, school was relocated at Sweet Apple Acres. Most of the time, the class was held outside unless it was a rainy day. Diamond Tiara, having pampered her entire life, despised sitting on the dirt if there were no hay bales to sit on as well as the smell. Apple Bloom also felt weird to be “homeschooled”, but fared much better. Although the conflict was far from over, Cosgrove kept his distance from the farm filly unless they did chores around the barn.

Throughout the last five months, Ponyville was restored with a slightly rushed deadline to meet a the date Ponyville was founded. After a very thoughtful speech provided by Granny Smith, the ponies celebrated with dancing, games, and cider. Though the town was mostly the same, there were a few new additions, most notable being a fast food restaurant called the Hay Burger. Largely because of the playground in the back, foals have come their more often than Sugar Cube Corner or Joe’s Donut Shop. However, Hay Burger doesn’t have the same quality of sugary treats as the other two and so they would go there to satisfy their sugar cravings.

School resumed at Ms. Cheerilee’s class as usual. As the foals wrote in their notebooks, Cosgrove decided it was time to close the gap between him and Apple Bloom. When lunch time bell rang, the foals sat at their usual tables. As Cosgrove sat in front of her, their respective friends walked away in order to give them a private conversation. The two haven’t even touched their food, but eyed each other occasionally. Cosgrove’s hunger eventually gave in and began to eat his turfwich when he was suddenly embraced. Apple Bloom muttered something though Cosgrove couldn’t hear it. At the end of the embrace, the two gave a smile before eating their food.

Four months later, word spread that there was trouble in Las Pegasus. Reports of an ape like monster with snake like nostrils would come over to wreck the casinos, losing tourist visits by the truck load. As the monster continued to wreck the city, it suddenly spot a glowing energy behind it. The energy gradually took shape as Schnookums. The two beasts bellowed at each other before the “Las Pegasus Monster” swung forth on its gnarled knuckles. Schnookums is not alone in the fight this time. As the pact stated, the Mane Six were sent there as well. Schnookums walked ahead first and began to speed up. When the two collided, they disappeared into the smoke as Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle flew in.