Chapters Prologue - The Black Stone
In one of the more remote locations in Equestria, there lies a small farm owned by a small family of Earth Ponies known as the Pie Family. They are regarded as Rock Farmers who dig and harvest minerals of all kinds and have them sent to every location in Equestria for money. It is a tough job, but the pay is worth it. Igneous Pie, the father, runs the farm with his wife and his three daughters. His wife, Cloudy Quartz Pie, helps him with some of the work, but mostly spends her time keeping their home clean and keeping their family safe. Their daughters, Maud Pie, Limestone Pie, and Marble Pie live with them mainly to take care of their slightly elderly parents. There is also a fourth daughter named Pinkie Pie, who lives out on her own as a party planner. Strangely, there is also a fifth daughter named Diane Pie, who was born through many magical phenomena but is still regarded as their family. Despite them living in a world of magic, this family of ponies is anything but ordinary. They each enjoy life like all living things until they found something rather...unusual.
"Hey Maud...! This rock is really funny looking!" called Pinkie. Her entire body was all pink and her Cutie Mark were three balloons. A Cutie Mark symbolizes a pony's calling in life. Like Pinkie's love for parties and bringing smiles to others. She is the second youngest sister and she never runs out of energy. She lives in a place called Ponyville after she moved out, but as of now she is visiting her family to help them with this stone. Her older sister, Maud, walked up to the stone Pinkie was talking about. While they were digging in the mines, they discovered this large black stone that stood in the very middle of an open cavern. Maud examined this stone and was amazed by it. Her coat was a dark-gray color and her mane and tail were a dark-purple. Her Cutie Mark was a diamond-shaped rock and it symbolized her love of minerals.
"This rock is unlike anything I have ever seen. I can't identify what it is made from." Maud is a rather monotone-kind of pony but when she needs to be, she can express emotions.
"Then maybe it's a new kind of mineral! We might have discovered something new!" Limestone, the third youngest had a lighter-gray compared to her older sister and her Cutie Mark was a green lime with a rock. There have been cases of Cutie Mark that tie into a pony's name. She has a rather hard-headed, tough personality.
"This rock is...scary...." The youngest sister, Marble Pie, had a light-gray coat with a dark-gray mane and tail. Her Cutie Mark were three small pebbles. She has a quiet, timid nature compared to her sisters.
"Don't worry, Marble! I bet we can mine this and get lots of money for it! This is so exciting!" said Pinkie as she ran around the large stone in excitement.
"Yes. It is exciting." Though Maud wasn't showing it, she was indeed very excited as she took a much closer look at the stone.
"Alright then, let's give this thing a good whack!" Limestone then pulled out a pickaxe and was ready to start mining.
"Wait Limestone. We need to study it first before we start hitting it. What if it explodes on the first hit?" Despite her excitement, Maud was still cautious. Limestone and Marble looked up at the stone with nervous expressions on their faces. Maud turned around and saw Pinkie poking at the upper region of the stone.
"Pinkie Pie, what are you doing?!" Maud's gray coat turned slightly lighter out of shock, though her expression didn't change.
"Hey Maud, I found something...! I found some funny looking crystals!" Pinkie Pie had found four colored gems at the very top of the rock. Maud climbed up to the top and looked at the four gems. A purple one, a blue one, a yellow one, and a red one. And they were all glowing.
"What are these things...?" Even Maud was confused by what they were looking at.
"Maybe they're magic...! Let's break it!" She then pulled a hammer out of her mane and was ready to hit it.
"No...!" Maud then knocked the hammer out of Pinkie's hooves to avoid anything dangerous.
"Aww...my hammer." Pinkie was sad for losing her hammer.
"We cannot be too careful with this stone or these crystals. We need to examine them carefully before we do anything." She then placed her hoof on the red crystal and it cracked. They both froze at what just happened.
"No fair, Maud...! You broke it anyway!" Pinkie was really annoyed.
"No...I...um...!" Despite not showing it, Maud was indeed panicking. Her great strength at times slips out and some things get broken. As they panicked, the cracks on the red gem crept it's way to the other three gems and they started glowing brighter.
"Ooh...! Pretty!" Pinkie then put on some sunglasses. The lights were quite dazzling.
"What is going on up there?!"
"Run...!" Limestone and Marble watched at the lights started getting brighter. Pinkie and Maud then quickly got down from the rock and the four gems finally shattered into pieces.
"What was that?!" Limestone was freaking out.
"I don't know...!" Maud was prepared for anything. The lights then shot out of the rock and spiraled into the air and then to the ground. The purple light resembled a powerful lightning, the blue light resembled a freezing ice, the yellow light resembled a beautiful wind, and the red light resembled a furious flame. They then each took the form of tall ponies. The purple and blue one became Unicorns, the yellow one became a Pegasus, and the red one became an Earth Pony. They became flesh and blood, and then hoods materialized over their backs. When they finally finished forming, they just stood before the four mares like statues. Pinkie and her sisters were very cautious of these four strangers that stood before them and it grew very silent.
"HI!!!" Pinkie's outburst broke the silence, echoed throughout the cavern, and gave her sister's whiplash from the shock.
"Pinkie, you nearly scared us to death!" Limestone started stretching Pinkie's cheeks out of anger.
"Iiim shaaawy....!" Pinkie's mouth was stretched out.
"HOLY F@%$!!! MY EARS!!!" The purple Unicorn shouted as his eardrums started ringing.
The blue Unicorn gave a deep yawn, "What time is it...? I was sleeping...." He seemed really drowsy.
"Oh...! Hi there! Nice to meet you! Who are you four nice ponies?" The yellow Pegasus seemed nice. Maybe a little too nice....
"WHAT THE F@$% IS GOING ON???!!!" The red Earth Pony started losing his mind and he then caught on fire without warning. Pinkie and her sisters didn't really know what to think about these strange ponies they just met.
"HEY YOU FOUR...! WHO ARE YOU?! WHAT IS THIS PLACE?! AND WHY AREN'T YOU ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS FAST ENOUGH?!" The purple Unicorn was starting to radiate electrical energy. He seemed to be in a very foul mood for some reason. Then his head got encased in an ice cube.
"Sparx, that is no way to treat ladies...." The ice came from the blue Unicorn. The purple Unicorn started freaking out over his frozen head.
"Yeah, you should listen to Chilly. They didn't do anything wrong...!" The yellow Pegasus flapped his abnormally large wings to stretch them out. A breeze then started to pick up in the cavern.
The red Earth Pony laughed, "PFFT HAHAHA!!! LOOK GUST! HE GOT A HEAD COLD!!!" He started laughing hysterically.
The ice cube encasing Sparx's head shattered, "THAT WAS COLD, YOU F@$%!!! AND THAT'S NOT FUNNY, ASH!!!" He then started fighting with the two ponies. Lightning, ice, and fire started flying all over the cavern.
"Guys...please! Don't fight in here!" Gust was starting to panic over being unable to do anything to stop them.
"Those guys are crazy...." Pinkie and her sisters agreed with Limestone. These four stallions were indeed...out there. In no time at all, Chilly stood up after beating some sense into his two dumb brothers and stepped forth in front of the four mares.
"Hey...uh...sorry you four had to see that. My brothers and I....uh...um....what was I gonna say again?" Chilly just forgot what he was going to say.
"HOW SHOULD WE KNOW?!" Limestone was beginning to lose her mind too.
"Who are you...?" Marble was frightened by them.
"Don't worry...! We won't hurt you! Honest! We're your friends!" Gust fluttered to them out of joy with a gentle smile on his face.
"YEAH...! BECAUSE WE'RE AWESOME!" Ash jumped back on his hooves all fired up.
"Ugh...seriously, what the hell is going on here?" Sparx also got back on his hooves after that beat-down and brushed off the bump on his head.
"Wow...! We made new friends! This is so cool!" Pinkie was ecstatic to meet these four strange ponies, but her sisters were very suspicious. Instead of just a large black stone, all they found was a lot of trouble....
Chapter 1 - The Spellbind Brothers
Pinkie Pie and her sisters took the four strange ponies they found in the cave to their home hoping to find out why they were in the black stone. They sat them down at a table and began asking questions.
"Alright you four, we're gonna ask you guys some questions. Is that alright?" Maud was still cautious about these four stallions mainly because they can conjure up a dangerous element.
"OK...!" Gust spoke cheerfully.
"Oh my god, you're killing my ears!" Sparx clamped his ears shut.
"Ask away...." Chilly then gave a yawn. He was still very sleepy after waking up.
"I'M READY!" Ashes' outburst was so loud, it scared Marble.
"What is up with them...?" thought Limestone. She and her sisters had many questions, but they left Maud with the questioning.
"Alright, let's start with an introduction. What are your names?" Maud then pulled out Boulder and placed him on the table.
Sparx then stood up all majestically, "I am Glint Sparx Spellbind! I am the greatest magic-wielder in all the world and no pony can match me!"
"Yeah whatever.... I am Chilly Hoof Spellbind. Just call me Chilly."
Sparx then got up at Chilly's face, "Don't ignore me, you ass!" His horn began to radiate electricity out of anger.
"My name is Gust Runner Spellbind! I hope we can be friends!" Gust waved his right wing as a sign of greeting.
"I said stop ignoring me...!" Sparx was about to lose his mind again.
"I'm Burnt Ashes Spellbind! I AM AWESOME!" Ashes mane then caught fire as he stood on the table.
"Stop ignoring me...!" Sparx was still asking for attention.
"Ash, no fire in the house...." Chilly then magically extinguished the flames.
"Oh...sorry." Ashes then sat back down in his chair. Sparx then became depressed from being ignored so much. The Pie Sisters had no idea who or what they were dealing with. These four stallions were all so different and they have incredible magic powers.
Limestone then walked up to them, "Alright you four, please leave this place and never come back."
"That's not fair...! We just met them! And they don't have a home!" Pinkie Pie stepped up to object.
"These four are both crazy and dangerous! Why would we even want them here?!" Limestone was correct. These four stallions were definitely unusual.
"We'll nice to meet you too!" Sparx said rudely. He was feeling rejected.
Maud sighed, "Moving on.... Here is my next question. Why were you four in that black stone we found in the cave?" The Pie Sisters were very curious when Maud asked the question.
"Oh, well we...uh.....um...." Gust wanted to answer the question, but he couldn't for some reason.
"Uh....we were in a rock?" Sparx couldn't answer either. He was very confused.
"I CAN'T REMEMBER...! MY HEAD IS EMPTY...!" Ashes began freaking out. Marble gave a slight giggle.
"I never noticed...." Chilly gave another yawn.
Limestone then got up at Chilly's face, "I know you guys are lying! You had to have been in that rock for some reason!" She was beginning to lose her patience with them.
Chilly looked at her for a few seconds, smiled and said, "You know, you're so cute when you're angry." Limestone then blushed bright red and then knocked him in the head and off his chair.
"I am NOT cute!" Limestone turned away feeling embarrassed.
Chilly then got back up chuckling, "I asked for that...ouch." He then froze his right hoof and placed it on the bump on his head.
Maud sighed again, "So you all can't remember why you were in the rock at all?"
"Sorry...." Gust and his brothers gave troubled expressions on their faces. They really couldn't remember anything from before. Their memories were blank.
Pinkie Pie then gave Gust and Sparx a hug, "It's ok! I'm sure you will remember soon! But right now, we should have a party!" Confetti then shot up into the air from her party cannon.
"Oh god, not another Gust!" Sparx then began shivering in dread at the thought of another pony who is like Gust.
"A party...? A bit sudden, don't you think?" Chilly was confused.
"SWEET!" Ashes was very excited.
"That might be fun.... It could help us...get to know each other." Marble stood by Pinkie in agreement.
"I'd love a party! That sounds like fun!" Gust's wings started shivering from excitement.
Limestone then slammed her right hoof on the table, "Are you out of your minds?! We just met four stallions that can electrocute us, freeze us, burn us, or summon twisters and the first thing you want to do is throw a party?!" Pinkie Pie and Marble then took Sparx, Ashes, and Gust outside to the barn.
"I AM TALKING HERE!" Limestone got really angry from being ignored.
"And here I thought you couldn't get any cuter...." Chilly tried hitting on Limestone again only to get hit in the head by her again.
"SHUT UP!" Limestone then ran after Pinkie feeling angry and embarrassed.
Maud then looked at Chilly feeling concerned, "Chilly, can I trust any of you with the safety of my sisters? You all don't seem like bad ponies."
Chilly then got back on his hooves after getting hit, "Don't worry, miss. Once you get to know us, we'll be like your best friends. I'm gonna go to the party." He then followed Pinkie and the others to the barn and Maud followed. Maud felt like something was very wrong with these four stallions. The question of why they were in the black rock still remains un-answered. But she knew that like all forgotten memories, they can be remembered...somehow.
After the Q&A, Pinkie Pie quickly prepared a big welcome party for the Spellbind Brothers. There were many sweets to eat, ribbons, and music began playing. And she did it in no time at all.
"Well, this is nice...."
"SO COOL!"
"Thank you, Miss Pinkie!"
"I've seen better...." The Spellbind Brothers were amazed by the party. Sparx was just hiding his excitement.
"Welcome to the Pie Family Rock Farm! My name is Pinkie Pie! Party Planner Extraordinaire!" She then quickly ran to her three sisters.
"This is Maud, this is Limestone, and this is Marble! I hope we can all be friends!"
"Nice to meet you." Marble bowed her head to greet them.
"Hi...." Marble gave them a nervous smile out of fear.
"Hmph." Limestone looked away from them. She was still un-trusting towards the four brothers. The party then began and they began interacting well with one another.
"So...um...Mister Ashes...um...." Marble approached Ashes feeling really nervous.
"HI! WHAT'S UP?!" He was having too much fun. His outburst then scared Marble and she fled underneath the party table.
"Ash, you need to use your inside voice...."
"Oh right...! Sorry Chilly!" Ashes then looked underneath the table and sees a scared Marble.
"Hi...! Sorry for scaring you! You were saying something?!"
Marble stuttered a little and said, "I....u-um....d-do you...um...li-like knitting...?" She was still scared of Ashes.
"What's knitting?!" Ashes was confused.
"It's...um...ha-having string...ma-made into....uh...blankets and...st-stuff...."
"That sounds SUPER BORING!" Marble then became depressed from what Ashes just said.
"I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING SUPER AWESOME! I'M GONNA STAND ON THE SUN SOMEDAY!!!" His body then began burning wildly. Then he got encased in an ice cube.
"Ash, calm down." Chilly then poured himself a glass of punch.
"So what about you? What are your crazy dreams?" Limestone walked up to Chilly with a grumpy expression on her face.
"Heh...I don't have any dreams or ambitions. I prefer to just sleep all day and be lazy." He then conjured little ice cubes in his drink.
"I'm already living the dream! Being powerful, awesome, and undefeated!" Sparx laughed arrogantly.
"But...you lose to Chilly every time."
"SHUT UP, GUST!" He then electrocuted Gust out of anger.
"That wasn't very nice, Sparx." Maud walked up to Sparx to confront him.
Sparx then stuck his tongue at Maud and said, "F#$% you, I do what I want." He then got punched by Maud, was sent flying, and he left a Sparx-shaped hole in the barn wall.
"HOLY CRAP...!" Ashes and his brothers were amazed at how strong Maud was. Ashes had already melted his way out of the ice cube.
"I'll go check and see is Sparky is alright." Pinkie then went outside carrying a plate with three cookies on it.
"Wow...! You're so strong! Only Chilly has ever beaten Sparx in a fight! You're so awesome!" Maud then gave a slight blush from Gust's compliments.
"Hey Maud, can you teach me how to do that too?!" Ashes jumped at Maud out of excitement.
"Hey Chilly, do you guys only think about fighting...?" Limestone felt a little concerned for these stallions at the thought.
"Hey now, don't lump me or Gust with those two bone heads. They pick fights all the time. And they just don't know any better...." He then re-filled Limestone's cup of punch with his magic.
"Hmph...show-off." Limestone then began drinking her newly re-filled punch. Outside the barn, Pinkie walked over to the defeated Sparx with her cookie plate. Sparx was sent flying a quarter of a mile away from the barn.
"Are you ok, Sparky? You kinda asked for that...." Pinkie then sat next to him and presented him with the cookies.
"My body is, but my pride isn't.... And I regret everything now. Hmm? What's that on the plate?" Sparx looked at the plate of cookies like he had no idea what it was.
"Um...those are cookies. Try them." Pinkie was actually surprised to see how curious Sparx was about cookies of all things. Sparx sat upright and levitated one of the cookies to his face and examined it.
"Hmm...these 'cookies' look a lot like bread yet they have these brown crumbs on them." He then took a bite out of the one he examined and his eyes suddenly opened wide and he began eating it like he hadn't eaten in ages.
"HOLY S@$+, THIS IS WONDERFUL! IT'S SO SWEET! SO CRUNCHY! SO WARM TO THE TOUCH OF YOUR TONGUE! I LOVE IT!" Sparx then began eating the cookies off the plate without stopping. Finally every one of the cookies on the plate were eaten without a single crumb left.
"Did you like it, Sparky?"
"LIKE IT?! I LOVE IT! IS THERE ANY MORE?! I MUST HAVE MORE!" Sparx then literally bolted back to the barn wanting more cookies. Pinkie was glad that Sparx loved the cookies, but she felt empty at how unfamiliar Sparx was about cookies. She could tell something was wrong. She then heard the sound of shouting and yelling coming from the barn. She ran to the barn to see Sparx and Ashes fighting.
"ASHES, YOU ASSHOLE! YOU ATE ALL THE COOKIES!"
"AND I'LL DO IT AGAIN, JACKASS!" Sparx and Ashes were fighting over cookies of all things....
"How do you live with those two?" Limestone and the others watched as they fought.
"It's much easier than you think...." Chilly then froze them solid to stop their fighting.
"At least they it's quiet again." Gust then ate the very last cookie they didn't see.
"Mister Chilly...will they be alright...?" Marble was worried about Spark and Ashes being frozen. The ice then shattered with an angry Sparx and Ashes at Chilly's face.
"THAT WAS NOT COOL, CHILLY!!!"
"Yeah, and neither is disrupting a good party." Sparx and Ashes could feel the stares of every pony in the barn.
"Uh...sorry."
"Fine...." Sparx and Ashes both stopped fighting and the party continued like normally.
"What is going on here?!" The party was then stopped when both Igneous and Cloudy Quartz arrived.
"Hi Mom! Hi Dad! We made friends who came out of a rock!" Pinkie said as she welcomed them back. Igneous and Cloudy Quartz were more confused with such a vague answer.
Limestone sighed and said, "Let me and Maud explain." Maud agreed and they explained everything that happened earlier today and how Sparx and his brothers showed up.
"So you're telling us that while we were out getting our replacement tools for the mine, you examined the black stone we found and it was actually holding these four ponies and they don't remember how they even got their in the first place?" The Pie Sisters all nodded. Igneous and Cloudy Quartz felt un-easy knowing that they each have dangerous magic.
"Um...can they...stay with us...?" They all looked at Marble like she lost her mind.
"Marble dear, we do not have an extra room for such...tall stallions." Cloudy Quartz felt small as she looked at the four brothers.
"And I don't want them fighting in our house." Limestone said harshly.
"We can't just leave them outside! They have nowhere to go and nopony to turn to...!" Pinkie then hugged Sparx out of concern.
"Don't touch me...!" Sparx was feeling uncomfortable. Igneous thought about it for a moment and then came to a solution.
"There is the old barn we don't use behind the house. Perhaps you four can stay there until you find a place for yourselves."
"Thank you, Mister Pie!" Gust then hugged Igneous out of affection.
"SWEET! WE GOT A PLACE TO STAY!" Ashes was so happy that he caught on fire.
"Better than sleeping outside...."
"Sparx, be thankful they're willing to let us stay at all...." Sparx and Chilly were relieved.
"But if you four want to stay here, there are some ground rules you four must follow." Cloudy Quartz declared.
"Ground rules...? What?" Sparx and his brothers were confused.
"You're not allowed to fight each other. If you want to stay here, then work off your rent. And do not use your magic for anything but work."
"F#$% you, I do what I want!" Sparx declared rudely.
"What did you say?" Cloudy Quartz glared at him intensely and all of a sudden Sparx, Ashes, and Gust froze in terror. They lowered their heads without hesitation.
"I'm sorry...! I'm sorry...! We'll behave...! I promise...!"
"Please don't kick us out...!"
"We'll work really hard...!" The three brothers were acting as if they were being threatened by a killer. This was very strange and concerning to the Pie family.
"Guys, it's fine.... As long as we follow the ground rules, everything will be fine." Chilly began nudging his four brothers off the ground. Sparx, Gust, and Ashes had terrified expressions on their faces. Even Chilly was having a hard time keeping a cool head.
Igneous cleared his throat, "Well, as long as we understand each other, follow me to the old barn. You'll start working tomorrow. No slacking off." He began making his way to the old barn.
"We'll work really hard, sir."
"You're the last pony I expected to hear that from...." Sparx said considering how lazy Chilly is. The colts left the barn while the mares stayed.
"Mom...did you notice something...odd about them?" Marble was really worried about them.
"Yes, I did. There is indeed something wrong with them. Like...something that happened to them in the past. But...what?"
"I wish we knew. But they don't remember anything. But I'm sure they'll remember soon." Maud then left to follow them and the mares followed them. They then arrived to see the old barn and it was indeed pretty old. There were rusty tools, lots of old hay, and even some old chairs. It was so dusty that just opening the door scattered the dust into the air.
"It isn't much, but I'm sure it will do. There are no holes in the ceiling and it should be sturdy against any storms."
"Thanks, Mister Pie. I'm sure we'll manage." The four brothers went inside and looked around the place.
"Hey...! I found some pillows and blankets!" Ashes found them in the rear-right side of the old barn.
"Yaay...! Hay beds!" Gust began preparing the beds.
"You four behave yourselves and don't break anything. This is an old place after all."
"Yes, Miss Pie." Sparx said nervously. The four brothers were still nervous from earlier. This was very strange to the Pie Family.
"We'll be having dinner in the evening. Be sure to wash up before arriving." Igneous and Cloudy Quartz began to leave the old barn.
"Yes sir." The four brothers agreed without any objection. They were still quite hungry. Igneous and Cloudy Quartz left them to get dinner ready.
"Dear, you noticed something was too, right?" Cloudy Quartz was very worried about the four brothers. Her motherly instincts were in full affect.
"Yes, I did notice. But right now, we should have them stay with us until we figure out who they are and why they were in that black rock. With powers like theirs, they may end up hurting other ponies by mistake." Cloudy Quartz agreed with her husband. As of now, the mystery of the black stone needed to be solved. But right now, getting to know each other is the first step.
Chapter 3 - Blank Memories
Later that day, the Pie Family began preparing dinner big enough to feed not only them but their new acquaintances. Igneous and Cloudy Quartz had made lots of bread, lots of salad, and a lot more Three Stone Soup. The Pie Sisters had brought out four more plates, four more sets of eating ware, four more chairs, and a separate table for the Spellbind Brothers to eat.
"Dad, are we really going to let those four crazy ponies stay with us?" Limestone was still very reluctant about the Spellbind Brothers staying with them.
"Why do you ask? They have nowhere else to go...." Igneous then placed the newly prepared salad bowl and the bread on the dinner table.
"Because they're all crazy and dangerous...! One of them literally bursts into flames! I can only see a lot of trouble in our future if we let them stay!" Limestone has made a good argument and her sisters couldn't really argue against her.
"Which is exactly why they need to stay with us. They act a lot like younglings and they need guidance. If we send them off on their own, who knows what kind of trouble they could get into." Cloudy Quartz came into the room and placed her soup bowl on the dinner table.
"But...!" Limestone tried to object.
"This is not for debate, Limestone. They are staying with us and that is all." Cloudy Quartz then left the room to go get the Spellbind Brothers. Limestone fell silent from the sudden objection.
"Limestone, we understand very well what you're saying and you could be right. But leaving them as they are with nothing is no better than turning away somepony in need of help. That is not what the Pie Family is known for. Please remember that from now on." Igneous then left to follow Cloudy Quartz. Limestone then sat at the dinner table feeling guilty and upset over the subject.
"I know they seem a little...strange, but can't we be...friend with them...?" Marble then sat next to Limestone while the other sisters took their seats. Limestone had an annoyed look on her face at the thought.
"She's just embarrassed about that blue stallion hitting on her earlier." Maud was the last to take her seat.
"Does that mean he's in love?!" The Pie Sisters then blushed at the thought. Limestone especially.
"I AM NOT!!! I don't even know that guy! He's probably a stuck-up idiot who doesn't know a hard day's work if it came and hit him across the-" Just before she could finish her rant, the sound of an explosion went off from outside the house. The Pie Sisters then ran outside to find their parents watching Sparx and Ashes fighting each other.
"F@$% YOU, ASHES!!!"
"NO, F@#% YOU, SPARX!!!" Fire and electricity were sent flying all over the place as they fought.
"What is going on here?!" Limestone ran next to Igneous and Cloudy Quartz out of worry.
"I have no idea...! We were about to invite them over for dinner and they just blasted their way out of the old barn fighting!" The Pie Family kept their distance from the fighting. They then saw a giant hammer made of ice smash them both from above them. The fighting had stopped with the hammer vanishing and Chilly walking passed the defeated Sparx and Ashes.
"Well, that was annoying.... Sorry about the noise. They were fighting over who was better and it got out of hoof." Chilly then dusted off his hood.
"WTF CHILLY?!!!" Sparx and Ashes both got back up even after getting hammered.
"Guys, please calm down...." Gust came flying in to calm them down and blow away all the dust that was kicked up during the fight.
"Are we seriously keeping these freaks here after seeing that?!" Limestone presented all that they saw to her parents. With what they just saw, even Igneous and Cloudy Quartz were starting to feel uneasy.
"That wasn't vary nice...." Gust was beginning to cry.
"I can't help it if I'm so awesome!" Sparx stood on his hooves proudly against Limestone's words.
"What's a freak...?" Ashes was confused. Chilly said nothing since he couldn't really deny what Limestone said.
Pinkie Pie the walked up to the Spellbind Brothers, "Do you want to join us for dinner?" She gave them a warm smile to welcome them.
"Dinner...? You mean food? YEAH!" Ashes jumped for the chance for food.
"Yes please...!" Gust became excited and flew over to the house.
"Heh...that's more like it." Sparx followed them to the house.
"Thanks miss." Chilly joined them. The Spellbind Brothers and the Pie Family left with Limestone just standing in place with a confused expression on her face.
"How...? How do they accept those insane ponies so easily?!" That question echoed in her thoughts multiple times without an answer.
"Limestone, dinner is ready...!" Marble called out to Limestone as they went inside. Limestone gave a deep sigh and followed them. Despite everything Limestone said and what they've seen, they still let the Spellbind Brothers join them for dinner. They all sat down at their designated tables and began eating dinner. Except the Spellbind Brothers were not expecting rocks in their soup.
"Hey, what the hell is this?" Sparx was quite rude and the Pie Family glared at him.
"That is my specialty. Three Stone Soup. Try it. I'm sure you'll like it." Cloudy Quartz tried to hide her annoyance.
"Yeah...! The soup is good!" Gust was enjoying it a lot.
"Can I have more please?!" Ashes had just finished his bowl.
"C'mon Sparx, don't be rude. Just a spoon full." Chilly was slowly eating his bowl. Sparx was hesitant, but he took a spoon full anyway.
"Mm...could use a little salt." He then levitated the salt shaker over his bowl, added some more flavor, and began eating more of it.
"I'm glad you four like it." Cloudy Quartz then poured Ashes and Gust a new bowl.
"It's pretty good, Miss. Even the bread. I can't remember the last time I had something this good...." He just finished eating his bread. The Pie Family felt sorry for them when they heard that.
"So you four really can't remember anything...? Like what your favorite foods are?" Pinkie was quite concerned when she asked her question.
"What's 'favorite' mean...?" Pinkie Pie then felt really empty with Ashes' reply.
"You don't even remember the names of your mother or father either?" Maud had just finished her bowl before asking.
"Of course we do...! Our mother's name I-" Suddenly, Gust just stopped in the middle of his sentence and fell silent for a minute. He then blinked and became confused.
"Um...what were we talking about?" Gust acted like he completely forgotten everything they were talking about. This left the Pie Family really confused.
"Oh come on, Gust...! Our mother's name i-" Sparx then stopped and fell silent just like Gust did.
"Uh...what was I talking about?" Sparx was drawing a blank. Something seemed to be keeping them from remembering anything.
"Um...do you know...Ashes?" Marble was the next to ask.
"Hmm...?" Ashes was too busy eating to even listen.
"Sorry, but we really can't remember anything.... Let's just enjoy dinner and talk about something else. Can I have some more?" Chilly just finished eating from his bowl. Cloudy Quartz then poured him another bowl and they all continued eating dinner. The Pie Family felt like pursuing the topic was pointless and left it for now.
"Hey Mister...uh...."
"Igneous Pie. But you may call me Mister Pie."
"Ok then, Mister Pie. You said we should work our stay here. What kind of work is it?" The Spellbind Brothers all looked at Igneous when Gust asked his question.
"Most of it will be here in the Rock Farm. You will be helping our family with digging, transporting, and other various tasks." The Spellbind Brothers then looked at Igneous with bothered expressions on their faces.
"So...you want us to work on...rocks all day...?"
"Yes. That is it."
"F@$% that! I am NOT wasting my magic on stupid rocks all day!" Sparx was not impressed. Maud then walked up to Sparx and looked up at him.
"What did you say about rocks?" Sparx and the brothers then sensed incredible danger as Maud stood before them.
"I mean...YES! Let's work! I can work with rocks all day!" Sparx changed his tune quickly after remembering what Maud did to him earlier at the party.
"SIGN ME UP!"
"Me too...!"
"No objections...." Sparx's brothers agreed without hesitation.
"That's better." Maud then left the room to put away with dishes and eating ware.
"You all better be up early for work tomorrow. And no slacking off!" Limestone began cleaning up with Marble and Pinkie.
"Yes ma'am!" said the Spellbind Brothers in unison.
"Be nice, ok?!" Pinkie Pie kindly hugged Sparx and Chilly.
"Don't touch me...!" Sparx then began trying to pry Pinkie off him.
"Ok...." Chilly and Sparx both felt awkward considering they don't get along so well. They then left the house and returned to the old barn. They then went to their own beds for the night.
"So guys, what do you think?"
"About what...?" Gust's brother's looked at him when they heard his question.
"About the Pie Family? I think they're all nice."
"F#$%ing slave-drivers, that's what I think!" Sparx was really annoyed.
"Big surprise.... I like them. They were nice enough to let us stay." Chilly then covered himself up in his blanket.
"You like that mean one lot! Lime...uh...something." Ashes then chuckled.
"Oh shut up...." Chilly turned over to hide his blushing cheeks. They all fell silent for a minute or two.
"Hey...do you guys remember anything from...before?" Gust tried to remember the past, but there was nothing.
"Nah.... Not a thing."
"F#$% no."
"I forget...!" None of them could remember anything. This even confused them.
"Well, whatever.... Maybe spending time with the Pie Family might help us remember. Let's just sleep for now...." They all agreed with Chilly's suggestion and they then went to sleep for the night. Their first day of work will most likely be hectic.
Chapter 4 - Work, Work, Work
The new morning came and a loud knocking rang at the door of the old barn. The Spellbind Brothers all jumped out of their beds from the sudden noise.
"Ugh...what the hell...?" Chilly woke up with a deep yawn.
"ARE WE UNDER ATTACK?!" Ashes was freaking out.
"Is somepony at the door...?" Gust dusted the hay out of his mane and tail. Sparx then got up feeling really angry from the sudden disturbance.
Sparx answered the door loudly, "WHAT THE F#$% DO YOU WANT?!!!" He then got punched in the face and sent flying through the back wall and left a hole.
"Good morning. Come and get some breakfast. We have work to do today." It was Maud who did the knocking and the punching. She then began making her way back to the house.
"YAAY! FOOD!" Ashes ran passed her feeling hungry.
"Um...should we go help Sparx?" Gust looked through the hole that was made with Sparx's entire body.
"He'll be fine. Let's just go eat." They then went to the house to get some breakfast. Sparx then poked his head through the hole feeling annoyed. His nose was bleeding slightly.
"I hate that bitch...." He then followed Maud and his brothers to breakfast. They then all sat down and waited for the food to be brought out.
"I can't wait...! I haven't had breakfast since...um...I can't remember the last time I had breakfast!" Gust's wings were shivering with excitement.
"Shut up...! You're killing my ears!" Sparx clamped his ears tight from the noise.
"Breakfast is ready...!" Pinkie Pie came out with plates stacked with lots of pancakes.
"Wow...." Ashes began drooling at the delicious sight.
"We have...syrup too...." Marble came out with a jar of syrup to go with the pancakes.
"Oh no...!" They could hear Cloudy Quartz from the kitchen. She was looking at the stove.
"What's wrong, Mom...? Is something wrong with the stove?" Limestone walked over to her in concern.
"I forgot to get more fire wood for the stove and the flame is dying. And I was going to make us all some grits to go with out breakfast." Limestone looked inside the stove and there was hardly any fire wood left.
"What do we do then...? The wood shop isn't open until 8 am."
"Don't worry, Miss Pinkie. You have another working stove sitting right here." They all stared at Ashes per Chilly's words. Ashes was too busy looking at the pancakes to pay attention.
Ashes then noticed them staring at him, "What...?" Five minutes later and his back and fire power were being used as a stove.
"Chilly, when Miss Cloudy is done with her cooking, I'm gonna kick your ass!" His anger was causing the pot to boil over.
"Language, please...! And not too much heat!" Cloudy Quartz was having a hard time cooking with Ashes being so angry. Sparx, Chilly, and Gust were trying to keep themselves from laughing.
"I hear you're all enjoying yourselves even this early in the morning." Igneous stepped down from upstairs looking cleaned up and ready for work.
"Good morning, Dad...! Look...! Ashes is helping!" Pinkie pointed at Ashes still being a stove for Cloudy Quartz.
"I AM NOT HAPPY!" Ashes' flames then caused the pot to boil over again.
"Ashes, please...! Just a few more minutes!" Per Cloudy Quartz's request, Ashes curved his anger and the pot stopped boiling over.
"So...Mister Pie, what do you have in store for us today...?"
Igneous took his seat at the table, "Well Chilly, as of today you four are to follow all of Limestone's instructions. We must have that black stone removed from the cave today and have it transported to Canterlot. We're behind schedule since we lost our old tools in a mining accident some time ago."
"You mean that black rock that we were in...? Why? It's just a rock."
Maud then quickly got to Gust's face, "You're wrong, Gust. This was no ordinary black rock. It is a completely new kind of mineral that I have never seen before. This is a discovery." She was very serious.
"I'm sorry...!" Gust and his brothers knew how scary Maud could be after she sent Sparx flying multiple times. This only enhanced it.
"Alright everypony, the grits are done! It's a little hot, so be careful!" Cloudy Quartz lifted the pot off of Ashes' back when it was finished.
"FINALLY...!" Ashes felt like his back became numb. He made hiss way to the table and was ready to eat. Pinkie then evenly divided all the pancakes on everypony's plates, Marble gave everypony some syrup, and Limestone gave them all a bowl of grits each. They all began eating and they all enjoyed it.
"I love the pancakes...!" Gust couldn't get enough of them.
"I love the syrup! It's so sweet...!" Sparx was also loving it.
"I'm glad you like it, Sparky. One of our sisters works at a bakery. She sent us the syrup." Pinkie had already made more pancakes.
"Give her my thanks...! And don't call me Sparky...." Sparx was annoyed by the nickname.
"Hey Limestone, when we're done with work today, you wanna go on a date? My treat." Chilly had just finished his plate.
"Chilly, you don't have any money and no, I won't go on a date with you." Limestone got used to Chilly hitting on her.
"Ouch...now that was...cold." When Chilly had just finished his ice pun, every pony in the room gave an annoyed groan. Pinkie was the only one who laughed.
"Get used to it.... He's got a million of them." Sparx then began eating his bowl of grits.
"F#$% THAT'S HOT!!!" He burned his tongue on the still burning grits.
"Oh dear.... I think it's still too hot." Cloudy Quartz was just about to eat her grits and almost burnt hers. They all left their grits alone until their bowls cooled. After breakfast they all left the house to get head out for work.
"Alright, I will go to the wood shop to get some more fire wood. You all get to work on the black rock. I will join you all shortly." Igneous then began to head out to the nearby town to do so.
"You heard him, everypony! Let's get to work! That rock is huge, so it might take a while to move!" Limestone and her sisters made their way to the mine.
"CAN I BREAK IT?!" Ashes was ready to start working.
"Not yet, Ashes...." Limestone had gotten used to their childish antics. They arrive at the place of where they found the stone and the Spellbind Brothers.
"Hey Sparky, do you remember anything in here? Maybe if we look around here you guys might be able to remember something!"
"That might work, Pink Pony."
"Um...Pink Pony? My name is Pinkie Pie." She was confused.
"I will only address you as such until you call me by my real name. No more of that 'Sparky' crap...." Sparx gave Pinkie an annoyed expression.
"But Sparky is a cute name...!"
"I am NOT cute!" Pinkie and Sparx continued their banter as the others kept searching.
"Ugh...let's start looking. You have five minutes!" Limestone began looking and the others joined her.
"You know Limestone, sometimes you just need to-"
"Finish that pun and I will knock your lights out." Limestone was not in the mood for any more puns.
"I'll shut up now...." Chilly kept his distance and his mouth shut.
"Um...Ashes...?" Marble quietly stepped up to Ashes nervously.
"Hi Marble...! What's up?!" Ashes stopped looking to answer.
"You said...that you wanted to...stand on the sun...? Why?" Marble did not know how to react to such a crazy desire.
"Because I'm gonna show the world who the hottest, brightest flame! And no one is gonna stop me!" Ashes was starting to sound even crazier than before.
"Well...say that you did stand on the sun. What will you do after that...?" Ashes then fell silent after Marble asked her question.
"Uh...um...." He never thought about what to do after that. He just fell silent and tried to think of something.
"Hmm...what's this?" Gust was looking at something at the upper region of the cave.
"What does it look like?" Maud looked up hoping to see what Gust was seeing.
"I don't know.... I don't think it's a rock. It doesn't look like a plant either. Here, let me show you." Gust then grabbed Maud then flew up to the upper region.
"See it...? What is it?" Gust carried Maud to what he was looking at and it was just an old bat skeleton. Maud however began to squeeze Gust tightly.
"Put me down. Put me down. Put me down." Maud kept saying this over and over. Gust was confused and then placed her back on the solid ground again. Maud was breathing fast and was feeling very relieved.
"Um...Miss Maud, are you ok?" Gust was worried.
Maud then grabbed his face, "Never...do that again." She was quite upset about being in mid-air so suddenly despite her un-changing expression.
"Yes, Miss Maud...!" Gust knew that he messed up. They continued their search for anything to help the Spellbind Brothers remember anything, but there was nothing in the cave that could help.
"Do you guys remember anything?" asked Limestone upon stopping the search.
"No...." The Spellbind Brothers all said in unison. This was starting to discourage them.
"It's ok...! I'm sure you'll remember something soon!" Pinkie Pie gave them a hug to cheer them up.
"Maybe if we send this rock to Canterlot to have it examined, maybe the scientists can find out where this came from. It might lead us to the answers we seek." They all agreed with Maud and they began their harvesting.
"We better start breaking it. It's too big to carry out as it is now." Limestone said as she passed out the pick-axes.
"HI-YAH!!!" Ashes went in for the first hit with his pick-axe and he stopped when the hit connected. The stone was completely un-scathed and he trembled from the impact.
"U-u-u-u-gh...!" Ashes tried to get over his trembling as he fell to the floor.
"Brother, are you alright?!" Gust tried to help Ashes get back up on his hooves.
"That thing is NOT a normal rock...." Limestone examined the rock further and not a single scratch was on it's surface.
"We may have to...transport it as it is...."
"Marble might be right. This stone might also be merged with various metals." Maud kept examining the stone out of curiosity.
"We can dig it out!" Pinkie had many shovels ready to start digging. She passed them out and they started digging. There was no telling how deep the rock was but they kept digging. As they kept digging, the ground began to crumble at it's base.
"Uh...guys, I think we should move." They all quickly kept their distance of the falling stone. Chilly magically levitated the Pie Sisters away from the stone as it then fell over towards the entrance of the cavern. It landed with a loud thud and the ground shook.
"We did it...! Now we can get it out of the cave!" Pinkie and her sisters were gently placed on the ground after the rock stopped falling.
"Hooray...we did it. Except getting this fat ass rock out of the cavern is not gonna happen with this tiny ass tunnel." Despite his crude language, Sparx was right. The rock was much too big to fit through.
"Can't we make the tunnel bigger...?"
"No, Marble. Not without risking the tunnel collapsing. We were planning to break the stone down to small size and transport it. But now we can't and we're stuck with it staying here." Maud was right. It was starting to look hopeless in getting the stone out.
"That sucks...!" Ashes smacked the rock out of anger.
"I hate to say it, but we might as well give up on it." Limestone was frustrated saying those words.
"Not necessarily.... Sparx, I'm gonna need your help with this one." Chilly stepped up to the stone.
"Wait...you wanna do that? We haven't done that spell in...uh...I can't remember when." Sparx walked up beside Chilly feeling reluctant.
"Do what?" Limestone was confused.
"Teleportation, Limestone. We're gonna teleport this rock outside...." Chilly began to shine a blue light from his horn.
"Ooh! That might work! We can get it out now!"
"That's...great...!" Marble and Pinkie hugged out of joy.
"Show-offs...." Ashes was jealous that he couldn't do magic like Sparx and Chilly.
"You can do it, brothers!" Gust kept the Pie Sisters at a distance.
"Fine, but I better get a reward for this. Where to, Chilly?" Sparx began to radiate his electrical light in his eyes. A light began to shine around the stone.
"I think...right outside the old barn. Now let's focus." Chilly and Sparx began to focus their thoughts on the outside of the old barn they were living in and the light became stronger.
"I think it's working." The Pie Sisters were dazzled by the lights.
"Let's do this, Sparx."
"See you guys outside!" Sparx and Chilly then vanished with the stone. They had left the cavern.
"Let's go! They might be outside right now!" Limestone and the others began running out to find Sparx, Chilly, and the black rock. Outside the mine, the black stone suddenly appeared near the old barn with Sparx and Chilly on top of it.
"Oh good, we got it outside...." Chilly was happy for their success.
"Uh...Chill, where is the old barn?" Sparx looked around and they both realized that they were a few miles above the old barn.
"Well...this is bad." Chilly then held on to the stone out of fear.
"OH FU-AAAAAGH!!!" They fell to the ground and landed with a loud crash. Thankfully, the stone didn't hit either the old barn or the Pie Family home.
"What in the world?!" Cloudy Quartz ran out of the house to see Sparx and Chilly lying beside the black stone.
"Sparx?! Chilly?! What is going on here?!" Cloudy Quartz was really confused.
"Ugh...hey, Miss Pie. We got the stone out of the cavern...." Chilly tried to get back on his hooves, but Sparx then punched him in the face.
"CHILLY, YOU F#$%!!! I THOUGHT I WAS DEAD!!! I AM NEVER TELEPOTING ANYTHING WITH YOU EVER AGAIN!!!" Sparx was radiating with anger. Cloudy Quartz couldn't wrap her mind around what just happened.
"Sparky...! Chilly...!" Pinkie had arrived with her sisters, Gust, and Ashes.
"You did it! You idiots actually did it!"
"Now we can send it to Canterlot."
"I'm glad you're all safe...!" Limestone, Maud, and Marble were so happy.
"You're the best...!" Pinkie gave Sparx and Chilly a hug out of joy.
"Heh...it was nothing."
"You bet I am!" Sparx and Chilly both felt good about their success.
"HEY...! WHAT ABOUT US?!"
"We helped too...!" Ashes and Gust felt left out.
Cloudy Quartz sighed, "Thank you, all of you." She then gave Ashes and Gust a hug for a job well done.
"What is going on out her-" Igneous came back from buying more firewood in town only to see the entire black stone they were working on outside of the cavern and in front of the old barn.
"Hey Dad, Chilly and Sparky got the stone out! We're almost done!" Pinkie bounced around on the rock in joy. Igneous didn't know how, but he wasn't going to complain.
"Well done then. I guess all we must do now is request a group from Canterlot to transport it there. We better move this to an open area before we do." Igneous inspected the stone and even he was amazed by such an unknown mineral.
"Just tell us where.... We'll just lift it over." Chilly began to shine again.
"I'd rather lift than teleport again." Sparx began to radiate again to join him.
"Over there. By that tree." Igneous pointed at an open area where on old lone tree was located. Chilly and Sparx then pointed their horns at the stone and a magical glow enveloped the stone. The stone was being lifted by their combined magic but was slowly starting to descend back to the ground.
"Are...you two alright?" Marble noticed both Sparx and Chilly were struggling.
"This stone...is really...heavy...!"
"Damn...this fat...ass thing...!" Chilly and Sparx were starting to lose their magical grasp.
"I can help!" Gust then flew at the stone and began to push it.
"HI-YAH!!!" Ashes went for another hit at the stone and with their combined strength they both pushed the stone near the tree like Igneous instructed. Sparx and Chilly both collapsed from exhaustion.
"They did it again." The Pie Family all agreed with Maud and they cheered from joy.
"You guys were great!" Pinkie hugged Sparx again.
"I know I'm great." Sparx was reveling in the praise.
"You're more useful than I thought!" Limestone hugged Chilly as thanks.
"So...does that mean we can date now?" Chilly was still persistant.
Limestone then knocked Chilly out, "NO!!!" She turned away from anger and embarrassment. Their first job was a success.
"You all did well today. I think you all deserve the rest of the day off." The Spellbind Brothers cheered for their reward.
"I hope you will work just as hard tomorrow." Igneous then went back inside the house with his family following him inside. The Spellbind Brothers then groaned in despair when they heard that. No rest for the busy after all....
Chapter 5 - TO THE SUN!!!
After getting the black stone out of the cavern, the Pie Family and the Spellbind Brothers were rewarded with the rest of the day off. It was still very early so they had lots of free time.
"ALRIGHT! I'M GONNA DO IT!" Ashes was standing on a cliff side getting ready to run for it. At the bottom of the cliff there was a small pool of water.
"Ash, is this really a good ide?!" Gust was worried that Ashes could get hurt.
"I GOT THIS!" Ashes scrapped his front-right hoof. He was about to charge.
"Um...what is Ash...doing up there...?" Marble walks up to the Spellbind Brothers out of curiosity.
"Oh, he's about to try to jump towards the sun off that cliff...." Chilly was eating some popcorn as he watched.
"This is going to be good." Sparx was filled with anticipation.
"He's what?! No...!" Marble then rushed over to the cliff side to stop him.
"CHARGE!!!" Ashes then ran at the edge of the cliff and jumped towards the sun. He shot fire from his hooves and propelled himself into the sky. But it didn't last long and he began to fall screaming.
"CRA-AAAAAGH!!!"
"No...! Ash...!" Marble was too late to stop him from jumping. Just before Ashes could hit the pond, Gust swiftly grabbed him and stopped his fall.
"I got you, brother...!" Gust then flew back down to the ground safely.
Thanks, Gust...! I was so close too!" Ashes was really annoyed at his failure.
"Heh...better luck next time, Ash." Chilly and Sparx then walked over to them chuckling.
"Haha...! You should have seen the look on you-" Sparx was then interrupted when Marble rushed at Ashes and hugged him out of worry.
"What's with you, Marble?!" Ashes was confused by the sudden hug. He then saw Marble's eyes streaming with tears.
"I was...so worried...!" Marble then glared at Sparx, Chilly, and Gust.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!!" Sparx, Chilly, and Gust were shocked at Marble's outburst.
"What are you-" Ashes was then interrupted when Marble grabbed onto Ashes' face.
"NEVER DO THAT EVER AGAIN!!!" Marble was quite angry at the Spellbind Brothers for doing something that stupid.
"Ok...." Ashes couldn't object to Marble. Marble then went back to hugging him out of worry and relief. Sparx then began to leave.
"Marble, you're a fool...." Sparx gave Marble an annoyed expression on his face. Marble glared at him out of anger.
"Sparx, leave her alone...." Chilly wanted to stop him.
"You know I'm right, Chill. If you have to worry about our safety, even after knowing how strong we are, then I can't see you as anything else...." Sparx then left for the old barn.
"Brother, wait...!" Gust then followed Sparx out worry. Marble was really angry at Sparx for everything he said.
Chilly sighed, "Sorry about him, Marble.... He's always been like that. I know it's hard to do so, but try to forgive him. He just has some...issues to work out. We all do...." Chilly then followed Sparx and Gust without another word. Marble felt really angry at them for letting everything happen in front of them instead of stopping it.
"Hey Marble, wanna do something together?!" Ashes stood back on his hooves feeling active again.
"What...?" Marble then looked at Ashes in confusion.
"You can help me get to the sun! With your help, I'm sure I can do it!" Ashes was getting excited.
"You...can't be serious...." Marble couldn't believe that Ashes was still going to attempt his crazy stunt.
"LET'S GO!!!" Ashes then rushed off to do some more stuff. His body was burning with excitement and he left burnt hoof-prints as he ran.
"Wait a minute...!" Marble chased after him. Ashes then began stacking boulders on top of one another in attempts to build a tower leading to the sun.
"Hey Marble...! Check it out! I'm gonna build my way to the sun!" Ashes even had wood stacked on top of the rock stack. He was quite high in the sky and he did it in no time.
"What the hell is going on here...?" Sparx came walking to see what Ashes was doing. Marble was still quite angry at him from earlier and didn't answer him.
"Hey Sparx...! I'm gonna reach the sun soon!" Ashes began to catch on fire again and the flames began to spread onto the wood that he was standing. Sparx and Marble knew this was not going to go well. The wood then began snapping as the flames burned and it began to collapse.
"OH CRA-AAAAAGH!!!" Ashes fell a the tower collapsed from underneath him. Dust clouds were kicked up by the falling tower and the flames were extinguished by the vast amount of dust. When the dust cleared, it revealed Sparx and Marble being protected by a barrier Sparx conjured.
"That didn't last long...." Sparx then de-spelled the barrier and cleared the dust.
"Where....where is Ash? Where is he?!" Marble began to look for Ashes amongst the wreckage but couldn't find him.
"He's up here...." Sparx had Ashes floating safely above them in his magic. Sparx then placed him on the ground.
"Thanks bro...." Ashes was frustrated by his failure. All that work and it went up in smoke.
Marble then hugged him, "Thank Celestia you're safe...!" She was so relieved to see he was safe. Sparx then began to leave them without a word.
"Sparx...wait!" Marble called out to Sparx and he stopped.
"What?" Sparx gave Marble a bothered expression.
"About....about earlier. Why do you and your brothers let Ash do these crazy stunts? He could get hurt...or worse! So why...?" Marble needed answers.
Sparx then gave an annoyed sigh, "And that is the reason why I think you're a fool.... We let him do these crazy stunts because we know he won't stop. Whatever we say won't stop him. He's determined to get to the sun and he'll do whatever he must to get there. The reason I am here is because it's my turn to make sure he doesn't get hurt or worse." It was all starting to make sense to Marble. Ashes is constantly trying to get to the sun despite it being impossible. Fueled by this determination.
"If we tell him that he can't do it, that will just make him more determined to do it. In fact, it's impossible to make realize that it is impossible...." Sparx then began heading back to the old barn. Marble felt like he had mis-judged Sparx and his brothers. It wasn't that they didn't care about Ashes' safety. It was because there really was no stopping Ashes.
"By the way Ashes, that Maud-pony is pretty strong. Maybe you can have her throw you." Sparx's suggestion then got Ashes' attention. Marble knew Sparx was doing in on purpose.
"YEAH!!!" Ashes then ran passed Marble and Sparx to find Maud. Sparx snickered wondering how this was going to end.
"You are such a jerk...!" Marble then ran after Ashes feeling both worried and annoyed. Ashes then convinced Maud to do it with the condition that he stands on a rock.
"ALRIGHT! LET'S DO THIS!" Ashes was very ready as he stood on the rock. He was wearing a helmet for protection provided by Marble.
"Here we go...." This time it was Chilly who was there to make sure Ashes didn't kill himself.
"Let the show begin." Sparx was ready for the show to start.
"You can do it, Ashes...!" Gust was rooting for his success.
"Oh dear...!" Marble couldn't watch. She covered her eyes.
"This won't end well...." Limestone knew something bad was going to happen.
"You can do it, Maud...!" Pinkie had pom-poms as she cheered.
"Are you ready?" Maud stretched her muscles in preparation to throw the rock.
"YEAH!!!" Ashes was burning with determination. Maud then lifted the rock with Ashes standing on it with ease and Sparx, Chilly, and Gust's eyes widened with shock. Maud then threw the rock far off into the distance.
"WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Ashes was sent flying as he held onto the rock. The rock flew over the horizon and for some strange reason, it made a huge explosion and a shock wave came from it. It then became silent. Sparx, Chilly, and Gust just stood there without a word.
"Um...is Ash...going to be...alright?" Marble was so worried her voice sounded like it was being squeezed.
" Oh s@$+...."
"Ashes...!"
"Not good...!" The three brothers ran out into the distance to retrieve Ashes. Hoping he wasn't in a million pieces. The Pie Sisters began waiting for their return. After hours of waiting, the Pie Sisters left for home to get dinner on the table. They had gotten dinner ready and had set the table. Marble kept waiting for their return filled with worry.
"Come on, Marble.... They're fine! They're all pretty strong. I'm sure they'll be back soon." Limestone was starting to lose her patience.
"Sparky and his brothers looked pretty worried though.... What if Ashes was really hur-" Pinkie was then interrupted by the front door opening with the Spellbind Brothers returning with Ashes all covered in dust. They were all exhausted.
"That...was....AWESOME!!!" Ashes was still filled with excitement. He then got hit in the head by his three angry brothers.
"NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!!!"
"You ruined our day off!"
"You could've died!"
"You are having too much fun!" They were not having any more of Ashes' shenanigans.
"They're back." Maud had just placed some newly baked bread on the table.
"I see they're as loud as ever." Cloudy Quartz chuckled as they watched them go crazy.
Igneous then sighed, "They're all insane...." Pinkie then stopped the four from their yelling.
"Don't be upset, guys! Look! There's some food for you!" Pinkie pointed at their table that had plates full of food. A salad with bread and a glass of apple juice for each of them.
Sparx groaned, "I don't get paid for this s@#+...."
"I'm so hungry...."
"I need a break...." The brothers then sat at the table and began eating.
"Hey Maud, do you have another rock I can ride?" Ashes had walked up to Maud while they weren't looking.
"NO!!!" Sparx, Chilly, and Gust then wacked Ashes up side the head again. The day ended without another rock-splosion happening....thankfully. Marble gave a sigh of relief and hoped Ashes would not do anything that crazy again.
A new day has begun with Maud knocking on the old barn door. Another day of hard work for the Pie Family and the Spellbind Brothers. They're now waiting for ponies from Canterlot to arrive and take the black stone in for examination and hopefully find out why the Spellbind Brothers were inside the rock in the first place.
Gust answered Maud's knocking with a yawn, "Good morning, Miss Maud...!" Even after just waking up Gust is as energetic as ever.
"Good morning. Are your brothers awake yet?"
"Oh, they'll be awake. They're just heavy sleepers." They look inside to see Sparx, and Chilly still sleeping. Ashes gave a deep yawn as he just started waking up.
"Be sure to wake them up. We have lots of work to do today." Maud began heading back to the house.
"OK! Hey, brothers...! Wake up!" Gust began to kick up a storm inside the old barn. He then got zapped by a cranky Sparx.
"Shut the f@$% up, Gust!" He then went back to sleep.
Chilly woke up with a yawn, "C'mon, guys.... We got work...." He stumbled out of bed and his way out of the old barn.
"Yeah...!" Ashes stumbled after Chilly with the top of his head on fire.
Gust back up, "Sparx...! Wake up! We have work to do! And Maud will get mad if you're late!" Gust began shaking Sparx awake.
"Ugh...fine. Just get me some coffee...." Sparx left his bed and the old barn to get to work. The Spellbind Brothers got their coffee, stretched their muscles, and began eating breakfast with the Pie Family.
"Good morning, Sparky...! Did you sleep well?!" Pinkie had just brought out warm cow's milk and placed it on their table.
"Agh...! Lower the noise! You're killing my ears!" Sparx clamped his ears shut. Pinkie's voice rang like bells in his ears.
"Oh...I'm sorry...." Pinkie left the table and lowered her voice.
"So, did you guys remember anything yet?" Limestone started eating her toast.
"Nope."
"Not a thing!"
"Don't care...."
"These grits are great!" The Spellbind Brothers didn't remembered a thing and Ashes was too hungry to even listen.
"Thank you, Ashes." Cloudy Quartz blushed at the compliment. This lack of answers was starting to bother the Pie Family. They knew this wasn't going to be easy, but now they're just running around in circles.
"Maybe...we can find somepony...to help?" Marble just finished her plate and took it into the kitchen.
"Maybe Twilight can help...! She's really smart and she knows lots about magic!" Pinkie's friend, Twilight Sparkle, is not only the Element of Magic, but also the Princess of Friendship. She and her friends have done many heroic acts throughout Equestria such as defeating evildoers and protecting the land. Their friendship is their strength.
"Pfft! Please! My magic can beat whatever she's got any day!" Sparx began bragging about himself after finishing his plate.
"Sparx, we're fighting anypony.... Besides, we don't fight unless we get a reason to." Chilly began drinking his coffee with an ice cube in it. The Pie Family then gave them worried expressions.
"You shouldn't have to fight. This is a peaceful land. Why would you need to fight at all?" Maud's question immediately got the Spellbind Brother's attention.
"Oh, that's easy. We would fight beca-" Sparx then stopped himself mid-sentence. He had the thought, then it suddenly left him without a trace.
"Uh...what?" Sparx was really confused. To the Pie Family, this was starting to sound familiar.
"C'mon, Sparx...! We fight because we-" Ashes then stopped mid-sentence just like Sparx.
"Wait...huh?" It was starting to become very obvious that something was going on with them. The Pie Family were starting to not only worry, but they were also starting to get suspicious.
"Uh...hey, we have work to do today, right?! We can talk about it after work!" Gust began to direct their attention away from the topic.
"He's right. We got the black stone out of the mine, but now we must get it ready for the ponies from Canterlot. We need to build a wagon. A large one." Igneous finished his plate, placed his hat on, and then made his way to the front door.
Chilly sighed, "No rest for the busy...." The Pie Family and the Spellbind Brothers had finished their coffee and breakfast and left the house to begin working on the wagon.
"So...what's step one?" Sparx and his bothers began examining the black stone with the Pie Sisters to determine how big the wagon should be for carrying. It would have to be both large and sturdy enough to carry such a large and heavy stone.
"Alright, we will need lots of wood, nails, rope, and your magic to lift it onto the wagon once it is built. After that, we'll call it a day." They all knew what to do and started working. Per Igneous' instructions, they began gathering wood from the nearby forest, lots of rope, lots of nails, and then began building the wagon. The Pie Family were in charge of making the wheels out of stones while the Spellbind Brothers were tasked with keeping the foundation from collapsing. As they were doing it, the Pie Family nailed down the foundation as instructed by Igneous Pie. They then made the carrier in no time and it was large enough to carry the black stone.
"Alright everypony, let's take a break!" They then stopped working on the wagon. They were nearly done.
"Ugh...this is a serious waste of my power." Sparx left the group feeling unsatisfied.
"Don't be like that, Sparky! You're doing a great job!" Pinkie skipped after the annoyed Sparx.
"Don't call me that, Pink Pony...." The two left the group to wait.
Limestone sighed, "How can Pinkie deal with that guy? He's such a jerk." She gave Sparx an angry look without him knowing.
"Heh...Sparx is a jerk, but he's not that bad. You just need to chill out more." Chilly began to rest from working so hard. Limestone then gave a annoyed groan from Chilly's bad pun.
"Working is so much fun!" Ashes felt accomplished with how much work was getting done.
"I'm glad...you're enjoying yourself...." Marble was happy to see Ashes happy.
"Hey Marble, maybe I can get a job in building things! I'm gonna go back to building my tower to the sun!" Ashes then ran off to do so.
"Oh no...." Marble ran after him to make sure he doesn't kill himself...again. Gust then sat down after all the hard work and was quite worn out.
"Are you alright?" Maud walked up to him and presented him a cup of water.
"Oh, I'm fine, Maud. I'm just not used to working so much." Gust gave a large gulp from his cup of water. Maud continued to give Gust her usual stare without blinking. It was starting make Gust uncomfortable.
"Um....do you need something...?"
"No." Maud kept staring unblinkingly at Gust. Gust felt like she was looking into his soul.
"Uhh...." Gust didn't know what to really say to a pony like Maud.
"By the way, I've been wanting to ask you this. Your wings are really large. I've read that Pegasi are relatively smaller than most ponies so they can fly better. Were you always so large?" Maud began examining Gust and was even more surprised to be right.
"Uh...maybe...? I don't remember." Gust felt even more uncomfortable from Maud's examining.
"It seems you're wings must fit your large size so that you can fly. And the fact that you can summon strong winds without effort is impressive. How fast can you fly exactly?" Maud finished her examination.
"Oh, wanna see? Ok...!" Gust then grabbed onto Maud and spreads his wings ready to take flight.
"Wait...what?" Suddenly, she was taken into the sky by Gust without wasting any time. The others noticed Gust flying off with Maud through the thick clouds.
"That idiot...."
"That's not cool...."
"HOLY CRAP...!" The Spellbind Brothers were not expecting Gust flying off like that.
"Wow...! They're so high up!"
"Will Maud...be alright?"
"What did your brother do with our sister?!" Limestone began strangling Chilly out of anger.
"Isn't Maud still afraid of heights?" Cloudy Quartz became very worried.
"Maud is not going to be happy when she gets back down...." Igneous felt dread at the thought. Gust and Maud got above the clouds in no time and Maud held onto Gust with her eyes closed tight out of fear. She was indeed very afraid of heights.
"Wow...! Look, Maud...! The sky looks so pretty!" Gust was above the thick clouds that covered the rock farm.
"Putmedownputmedownputmedownputme-" Maud kept her eyes closed, squeezed Gust tight, and repeatedly begged Gust to put her back down on the ground.
"But you gotta see this...! The sun is so bright and the sky is so blue!" Gust was really excited to see something new. Maud didn't have much of a choice, so she slowly squinted her eyes open and was then amazed at what she was seeing. The sky was so blue and beautiful, and the sun was so bright. Even she couldn't deny it.
"Hey Maud, maybe I should remove these clouds and show everypony the sky too! That would be so coo-AAGH!!!" Suddenly, Gust was being pulled back down to the ground with Maud. They plummeted through the thick clouds and back to the rock farm.
"Here they are...." Chilly pulled them back down. He was still being strangled by Limestone.
"Aaw....and it was so pretty up there too." Gust then placed Maud safely back on the ground. Maud took many deep breaths out of relief.
"Are you...alright, Maud?"
"What did you see up there?! What was it like up there?!" Marble and Pinkie wanted to make sure Maud was alright.
"Chilly, make sure your brother never does that again!" She released Chilly's neck and walked over to make sure Maud was alright.
"It was so pretty up there! I wanna show you guys!" Gust was about to kick up some wind to clear the sky. His wings were then frozen solid.
"Gust, I know you mean well, but I'd like to keep Limestone from choking me again.... So no more crazy stuff today." Chilly was scared at the thought of Limestone strangling him again.
"What was it like?! Did you see the sun?!" Ashes was really excited.
"Yeah...! It looked like a ball of golden light! And the sky was so clear!" Gust and Ashes were so excited.
"So you saw a ball of light. Woopee...." Sparx said sarcastically.
"Alright, enough messing around. We're almost done with our job and the ponies from Canterlot will be here any minute." Per Igneous' call, they went back to work on building the wagon. They finished building the wagon without wasting time. They then tied up the black rock to the wagon with all the rope they gathered. They then heard the sound of the train arriving at the nearby station. Many Unicorns from Canterlot arrived to pick up the black rock.
"Welcome, all of you. We have the black rock ready for transport." Igneous presented to them the result of their hard work.
"Like always, you never disappoint. Your payment is right over there." The leading Unicorn pointed at a big bag full of bits.
"HOLY F@#$!!! That's a lot of money!!!" Sparx and his brothers were amazed by how much money they got.
"I see you've hired some...rather tall helping hooves. I don't think I've ever seen them before."
"Oh...! They're visiting! They're our friends!" Pinkie happily hugged Chilly and Sparx.
"Well, if you say so. It has been a pleasure doing business with you. We'll take it from here." The leading Unicorn pointed at the black stone and his co-workers began loading it onto the wagon. The wagon was strong enough to carry the black stone and they began making their way back to the train station.
"Before you go, sir, would you perhaps give us a copy of your research on the black stone? For personal reasons."
"I suppose, Miss Pie. I'll be sure to have a copy sent over when we're done." The leading Unicorn and his team left with the black stone before the train left the station.
"Hey Mister Pie, what are you going to do with all this money?!"
"Well Gust, we're going to use most of it to pay our bills and the rest to pay for our food expenses. Especially since we have four more mouths to feed...." The Spellbind Brothers couldn't really object to that.
"Well, I suppose that is enough for today. You've all done well today. You all deserve the rest of the day off. My wife and I will head out to pay our bills and get groceries." Igneous grabbed the large bag of bits and began heading to town.
"Behave yourselves while we're gone!" The two left the rock farm to do so.
"Ugh...what a day. I want a nap." Sparx left to get a nap.
"I'm making cookies!" Pinkie dashed off to the house to make some cookies.
"F@#$ the nap! I get first dibs!" Sparx ran after Pinkie in a hurry.
"Sounds good to me...."
"COOKIES!!!" Chilly and Ashes followed them to the house in hopes of getting cookies.
"Wait...!" Marble chased after them out of worried.
Limestone sighed, "These guys are nuts...." They followed them back to the house. Maud and Gust were the only ones alone.
"Um...Maud, you're not mad about me taking you into the sky like that, are you?" Gust felt guilty about suddenly taking off without Maud's permission.
"No, I'm not. I thought it was...a fun experience. That being said...." Maud then knocked Gust out.
"Don't ever do that again." Maud then left for the house, leaving Gust behind with a bump on his head.
"Ok...." It was at that moment that Gust knew...not to make a pony as strong as Maud angry again.
After their hard work, the Pie Family and the Spellbind Brothers began working on dinner for all of them. Scientists from Canterlot arrived and received the black stone they got from the mine for examination and research.
"Hey Miss Pie...! Why am I the stove again?!" Ashes and his fire power was being used to boil some soup being made by Cloudy Quartz.
"Because until we buy more firewood, we need you to help me cook. Now hold still." Cloudy Quartz continued to make her special Three-Stone Soup. Sparx, Chilly, and Gust were trying hard not to laugh. Pinkie, without the brothers noticing, was staring at their blank flanks.
"Um...Sparky, can I ask you guys something?"
"Huh...? What is it, pink pony?"
"You guys don't have any Cutie Marks on your flanks. Why...?"
"The F@$%s a Cutie Mark?" Sparx's question was so shocking, it caught the Pie Family's attention.
"How can you four not know what a Cutie Mark is?! It's what show's a pony's purpose in life! Look!" Pinkie Pie showed them her Cutie Mark showing her love of parties.
"It looks like a tattoo to me...." Chilly wasn't really interested.
"So...your purpose in life is balloons?" Gust was confused.
"No...! I plan parties!" Pinkie didn't know how to take this unusual event.
Sparx snickered, "Hey Ashes, maybe you can be an oven...!"
"SHUT UP, SPARX!" Ashes' body then bursts into flames.
"Ashes...! Not when I'm cooking!" Cloudy Quartz backed away to avoid getting burned. This was unbelievable to the Pie Family. These four ponies were the first adult ponies without Cutie Marks.
"Maybe they've been in that black rock for a very long time. Maybe from a time Cutie Marks didn't exist."
"That does...make sense.... Maybe the black stone...is really, really old...." Knowing how strange that black stone was, it seemed possible.
"Then those four are ancient...." Limestone chuckled.
"Shut up, Limestone!"
"Unless you're into old colts." Chilly winked at Limestone. Limestone felt grossed out from the gesture.
"Alright, settle down, everypony. Dinner is ready!" Cloudy Quartz came into the room with a pot of her Three-Stone Soup and placed it on the dinner table with some bread.
"You colts are going to enjoy it. Also, I got a notice from the Weather Factory saying that we're going to get rain tomorrow. So we'll be taking the day off." They all cheered from Igneous' announcement.
"Aww...! It's no fun when it rains!"
"Thunder is...scary...."
"The rocks will get wet."
"I'll be so bored...." The Pie Sisters were the only ones who were not looking forward to the rain.
"I'm sure we'll find something to do.... Right now, let's just enjoy dinner." They all began eating dinner and enjoyed it a lot. They were then began getting ready for bed. The Pie Sisters were just about to head for bed.
"Hey Maud, what do you think about the guys?" Pinkie Pie hopped onto Maud's bed while she was reading her favorite book of minerals.
"What do you mean?" Maud stopped reading and went to petting Boulder.
"I mean what do you think about the guys no having Cutie Marks? They don't have a purpose...." This made Pinkie sad. Her sisters agreed. This was rather upsetting.
"Well...maybe they...just need to find it...."
"How? Those four colts have powers no pony has."
"And they're all crazy.... Even if they do get their Cutie Marks, no pony would be crazy enough to ever hire them for work." Maud and Limestone were both right. After getting to know these four ponies, it seemed hopeless for them to live normal lives.
"Maybe we can let them go to Ponyville! There are all kinds of ponies there! Maybe they can make friends there!" Pinkie became really excited at the thought.
"No, Pinkie...! There is no way I'll let those four go to a place full of ponies that could get hurt!" Limestone was highly against Pinkie's idea. Knowing how destructive they were, that was a possible disaster just waiting to happen.
"But...! But...!" Pinkie was persistent, but Limestone wasn't going to changed her mind.
"I'm afraid Pinkie is right. We can't have them stay here forever. It isn't healthy or right." Maud went back to reading.
"Maud, you can't be serious...!" Limestone hopped onto Maud's bed out of shock.
"She's...right. They need...to see the world...." Even Marble agreed with Pinkie and Maud. This was insane to Limestone.
"Then it's settled! They're coming with me to Ponyville! I can't wait to introduce them to my friends!" Pinkie had just turned their conversation into a vote and Limestone lost.
"I can't believe this.... Fine, but they will be your responsibility, Pinkie. The three of us will be staying here." Limestone was very serious. Suddenly, a flash of light and thunder came from outside. It began to rain like the Weather Factory announced it would. The sudden noise scared the Pie Sisters.
"I think we should go to sleep now...." They all agreed with Limestone's suggestion.
"Can I...sleep with you...Limestone...?" Marble was really scared.
"Uh...sure." Limestone noticed how scared Marble was and let her sleep with her for the night. They all went to sleep for the night. The Spellbind Brothers were sleeping through the heavy rain. A new morning came and the rain had left the area. Igneous woke up with a yawn and he then realized that it wasn't raining.
"Odd.... I'm sure the Weather Factory said they were going to make it rain here." He mumbled to himself as he opened the door. He then found out that it was actually snowing outside.
"What...?" This was very confusing to him since it was supposed to be raining. A thought just occurred to him and he then became upset. He then made his way to the old barn and opened the door seeing the Spellbind Brothers still sleeping.
"CHILLY!!!" His sudden shout woke them all up.
"Agh...! What did we do?!" Gust was so scared, his wings were trembling.
"Are we under attack?!" Ashes woke up ready for a fight and was covered in flames.
"MY EARS...!" Sparx's ears were ringing.
"What's with the noise...?" Chilly was half asleep.
"Chilly, why is it snowing?!" Igneous showed them the snow that was falling. There was snow all over the rock farm and it wasn't even winter.
"Um...reasons?" Chilly was the culprit. It was very obvious.
"Chilly, we were supposed to be getting rain. Not snow! What if the Weather Factory hears about this?! They might start asking questions!"
"Tch...who cares? They give us trouble, we can send them running like bitches...." Sparx went back to sleep.
"Sparx, don't you understand?! If you four cause any trouble for any ponies, the consequences will be dire!"
"What are consequences...?" Ashes was very confused.
Igneous gave an annoyed sigh, "You'll get into big trouble...." This quickly got their attention.
"What kind of big trouble...?" Gust became scared.
"The Princesses could send you to the moon! Or the sun!" Igneous' was very serious. Ashes then got up to Igneous' face.
"SHE CAN?! WHERE IS SHE?! SUN, I'M COMING FOR YOU!" Ashes then ran out to find the Princesses.
Igneous gave another annoyed sigh, "You four are insane...!" He placed his hooves over his eyes from how annoyed he was. Ashes kept searching for these 'Princesses' while melting the snow in his burning path.
"I've never seen snow before...! It looks like fun!" Gust flew out and began playing in the snow.
"WOW...! IT'S SNOWING...!" Pinkie bolted outside to join in on the fun. The Pie Family were amazed by the sight.
"I think we all know who did this." Maud and the others all looked at Chilly since it was obvious. Chilly gave a nervous laugh from all the attention.
"I'm going back to sleep. It is way too cold...." Sparx went back to sleep immediately. Everypony else began enjoying the unexpected snow day all bundled up..
"So Chilly, when did you start controlling the weather? I thought only Pegasi could do that." Limestone was helping Pinkie and Marble make a snowcolt.
"All I did was use a little spell on the rain clouds. It'll only work for today. When the sun goes down the spell will end. By morning, the snow will have melting." Chilly then crafted a big heart of ice and presented it to Limestone. Limestone cringed.
"Um...what is Sparx doing?" Marble looked around and didn't see Sparx anywhere.
"He said it was too cold, so he went back to sleep. And I thought I was lazy...." Chilly chuckled. They finished the snowcolt and huddled around Ashes like a campfire.
"I hate you guys...." Ashes was being used as a heat source again and he wasn't happy about it. His very presence was enough to keep them warm.
"You don't even need to wear a coat, bro...." Gust and the others were enjoying freshly brewed cups of hot cocoa made by Pinkie and Cloudy Quartz.
"I'm going to go and give Sparx his cup of hot cocoa. I'm sure he'll love it...!" Pinkie then made her way the old barn to do so. She then opened the door and cold air quickly entered the old barn with a gust of wind.
"HOLY F@$%, THAT'S COLD! SHUT THE F@$%ING DOOR!" Sparx then bundled himself in every blanket in the old barn from how cold it was with his magic. Pinkie quickly closed the door in a panic after putting the hot cocoa down nearby. Sparx then noticed who it was and calmed down.
"Oh...it's just you. What do you want, pink pony?" He was not expected any visitors.
Pinkie then gathered the hot cocoa and presented it to Sparx, "Um...do you want some? It's sweet and it'll warm you up." She was actually quite nervous after witnessing Sparx's sudden reaction. Sparx then levitated the cup towards him, sniffed it, then took a sip.
"AAGH...! WHAT THE F#$%?!!! MY MOUTH!!!" The hot cocoa was still pretty hot. He panicked from his tongue nearly being burned off.
"I'm sorry...! Do you need ice?! I'll go get some...!" Pinkie then opened the door again to go get some, and cold air entered the old barn again.
"SHUT THE DOOR!!!" Sparx began freezing again. Pinkie then closed the door again. The entire thing became a complete disaster. The Pie Family and the Spellbind Brothers could hear everything.
"You're brother is crazy." Maud just finished her cup of hot cocoa.
"Yes. Yes, he is...." They all agreed with Maud and continued to enjoy the snow day. Back at the old barn, Pinkie got Sparx some ice for his hot cocoa. They just sat down without a word after all that happened. Sparx was finally ably to drink his cocoa after it cooled.
"Oh...! This is really good! It's so sweet! Is it made with chocolate by any chance?!" Sparx was enjoying it a lot.
"Actually, it's cocoa. It's kind of like chocolate. I'm sorry about earlier...." Pinkie was happy about Sparx liking the cocoa, but she was still feeling guilty.
Sparx then looked away, "Uh...forget about it." He went back to enjoying his cocoa. Pinkie watched as he enjoyed his cocoa and felt like something wasn't right.
"Um...Sparky, you don't like it when it's too cold or too hot, right?"
"Huh...? Yeah. What of it?"
"You get frozen by Chilly and you get into fights with Ashes all the time. How come you don't freak out then?"
"Because the ice Chill makes and the flames Ash makes are all magical. I can easily deal with magical elements. So compared to the real thing, it's not as painful. Can I have more cocoa...that isn't too hot?" Sparx presented his cup to Pinkie, hoping for a refill. Pinkie then took out a pitcher full of hot cocoa from within her fluffy mane. Sparx didn't know what to make of that and just accepted it.
Pinkie then poured him another cup, "Be careful, Sparky. It's still hot." Sparx then carefully sipped at his cocoa. Pinkie then became concerned for Sparx more than before.
"Sparky, are you going to be alright...?" Pinkie got up to Sparx's face with a concerned expression on her face. Sparx did not know how to deal with that.
"I'll be...fine...." Sparx then turned away from Pinkie and continued to drink his cocoa.
"HOT!!!" Sparx completely forgot that his cocoa was still hot. Pinkie was still very concerned for Sparx. They all continued to enjoy their snow day. Igneous and Cloudy Quartz however were staying inside. Igneous was still annoyed from all this and lets out an annoyed groan as he watched.
"It's alright, dear. I'm sure Chilly meant well. Besides, there is something else more...concerning to talk about." Cloudy Quartz then sat down at the dinner table after just preparing them cups of cocoa.
"What is it, dear?" Igneous joined Cloudy Quartz at the dinner table.
"I heard Pinkie talking to her sisters last night while I was putting away the dishes before going to bed. She said that she was going to take the four brothers with her to Ponyville when her visit is done." Cloudy Quartz then placed sugar cube into her cup.
"I will not allow that. Those four are not just dangerous, but they're all just...crazy. It is non-negotiable." Igneous began blowing his cup to cool it.
"Limestone said the same thing. However, you two have been out-voted."
"And I am vetoing the vote. No exceptions." Igneous wasn't going to be deterred.
Cloudy Quartz then gave Igneous a disappointed expression, "You know you can't keep them here forever. Eventually, those four will start getting curious. Then they will start asking questions about what is outside this rock farm. Then they might start leaving this place against anything you say. What will you do then?" Igneous was beginning to see the picture.
Cloudy Quartz then took a sip of her cocoa, "Also, they each can use magic that is unlike anything we have seen before. Who knows.... They could be as powerful as the Princesses. Do you think you can deal with that?" Igneous definitely did not want to be on the receiving end of getting zapped, frozen, burned, or blown away. He then gave a deep groan and then sighed.
"Fine, have it your way. I can't guarantee they will keep themselves out of trouble...." Igneous felt really uneasy.
"I'm sure they will behave. Ponyville has seen some crazy things before from what Pinkie told us. I'm sure they'll be right at home."
"Hmm...you might have a point there." They were both in agreement and hoped that everything would turn out alright. Hopefully....
The Pie Family and the Spellbind Brothers all enjoyed the snow day Chilly made and were about to start enjoying dinner. They were able to get Sparx into the house through the cold. It wasn't easy to do that....
"Godammit...it's so cold." Sparx was wrapped up in three blankets at the dinner table.
"Oh boo hoo...! Life must SUCK FOR YOU, SPARX!!!" Ashes was being used as a stove again by Cloudy Quartz. She was baking bread this time around.
"I'm sorry, dear. Please keep the flames small for the bread." Ashes gave an annoyed groan as he kept the flames going.
"Sorry, Sparx.... I completely forgot that you don't like the cold."
"When this cold weather is gone tomorrow, I'm kicking your ass...." Sparx was very upset. Igneous was giving the brothers a tense glare.
"Snow is so much fun...! I hope we see more of it soon!" Gust was still watching the snow fall outside.
Maud walked right next to him, "Pegasi are supposed to make snow, rain, and hail fall normally. I'm sure you could get a job with the Weather Factory and you can make weather."
"Ooh...! That sounds like fun! And I could help out more!" Gust imagined all the hard work he was succeeding and how useful he could be.
"Um...Ash, are how is your back? The baking sheet must be heavy." Marble was checking in on Ashes and Cloudy Quartz. The bread was about done.
"I'm fine.... It's not that heavy. I still hate this though." Ashes was really annoyed.
"We're done now, dear. Marble, please go and give everypony their salads." Cloudy Quartz pointed at a set of plates full of salads prepared on the kitchen table. Marble nodded and did so. The Pie Family and the Spellbind Brothers began enjoying the salads and Cloudy Quartz got the freshly baked bread out.
"Sparky, are alright?" Pinkie noticed Sparx was still freezing and was having a hard time eating the freshly baked bread.
"I'm fine.... My mouth is still hurting from the cocoa. The salad is good though." Sparx was able to eat the salad since it wasn't too hot or too cold.
"Wait...you get burned and frozen all the time by your brothers. How is the cocoa from earlier too hot?" Limestone was very confused. This also confused the other Pies.
"Because it's all magic. Not the cocoa or the bread...." Sparx began nibbling at the bread.
"I'll make sure to not make the food too hot next time, Sparx."
"Thanks, Miss Pie...." They continued eating dinner. Finally, they finished eating and they enjoyed it. It was about time to go to bed for all of them. Marble and Maud took all the plates back into the kitchen and both Igneous and Cloudy Quartz cleaned up the dinner table.
Sparx yawned, "I want to go back to bed now...."
"Me too...."
"My favorite time of the day."
"Good night...." The Spellbind Brothers began to head back to the old barn.
"Wait a minute, you four. I want to speak with you about something." Igneous and Cloudy Quartz sat back down at the dinner table. The Spellbind Brothers were confused and they sat back down at their table to listen.
"Did we do something wrong...?"
"No Gust, you didn't. At least, hopefully none of you don't." Igneous was feeling stressed at what he was about to say.
"Uh...what do you mean by that?"
"What I mean, Ash, is that we have decided to let you four go to a place called Ponyville with Pinkie Pie tomorrow." Igneous' statement was quite surprising to all of them.
"Not you too...! Do you even hear yourself?! These four are crazy!" Limestone was still very against this idea. Hearing this from her own father was shocking.
"I agree with you, Limestone. But perhaps this might be good for them since they have apparently been inside that black rock for who knows how long. Having them explore Equestria should be a learning experience. Hopefully they'll learn to behave themselves as well...." Igneous gave the Spellbind Brothers a very serious look.
"I can behave...! Sparx is the jerk here!"
"WHAT THE F@$%, GUST?!"
"I AM SUPER BEHAVED!" Sparx and Ashes were radiating fire and lightning as they continued shouting. It was obvious that they weren't as well-behaved as they claimed.
Chilly sighed, "Who came up with this idea exactly?"
Pinkie rose her right hoof, "I did...! I think it could be fun!" Chilly wasn't surprised that she came up with the idea since she was brought up.
"I wanna go...!" Gust's wings flailed in excitement.
"I get to show other ponies how awesome and amazing I am!" Sparx was anxious for whatever praise he may get.
"Maybe they know how to go to the sun! YES!!!" Ashes was beginning to lose it. The Pie Family was starting to think this was a bad idea. Except for Pinkie.
"Boys, I would be very happy if you four would please behave yourselves while you're in Ponyville. The ponies there are all kind and unlike you four, they do not control fire, lightning, ice, or wind like you do. You all should know how dangerous you four are." The Spellbind Brothers all knew what Maud meant. They knew they could end up hurting other ponies by mistake.
Sparx made an arrogant huff, "You all insult me. I have full control over my power! Not a single pony wou-" Maud then got up to Sparx's face.
"Can we really hold you to that claim, Glint Sparx?" Without showing it, Maud was quite serious. The Spellbind Brothers all felt a chill down their spines.
"You four need to listen very carefully. You need to learn how to behave yourselves and learn how to act around ponies other than us. So no fights, no swearing, no fire, lightning, or any elemental junk of any kind. Or you'll be banished to the sun or moon forever. Do you understand?" Limestone joined in on pressuring the four brothers. The Spellbind Brothers knew this was very serious.
"We promise to behave."
"Uh...I think I can do that."
"Me too...!"
"I'll keep an eye on them...." The promise was made and so was the plan for tomorrow.
"Don't worry...! I'm sure the ponies and my friends will be happy to meet them!" Pinkie hugged Sparx and Chilly out of excitement. The other Pies were still very reluctant about all this.
"I hope...nothing bad...happens...." They all agreed with Marble's sentiment. They all then went to bed for the night. Except the Spellbind Brothers could barely sleep. Even Chilly was having a hard time to get to sleep.
"So guys, what do you all think abut this? About the trip to this...Ponyville." Chilly was still unsure.
"I wanna see it...! The ponies who live there all sound nice!" Gust really wanted to go to someplace new.
"How the hell am I supposed to watch my mouth and not shoot lightning?! It's like telling a bird not to fly! Or like telling a dog not to bark! F@$%ing BS...!" Sparx was really annoyed from all this.
"And yet you still ask that question...." Chilly wasn't at all surprised.
"I just wanna go to the sun! I would never burn any pony!" Ashes' bed was burning slightly. Despite everything they said, they knew nothing good could come from the powers they wield in a place where fighting is bad.
"Guys, if we want this to work, we need to not be our usual selves...." They all agreed with Chilly. They bro-hoofed and made it their mission to be more respectful and decent to other ponies during the trip. They then went to sleep for the night. The night went by like normally and a new day came. Pinkie was all packed up for her trip back to Ponyville with the Spellbind Brothers joining her as they wait for the train to arrive at the station. The rest of the Pie Family were there to see them off. The snow day ended and the snow melted last night at midnight.
"I can't wait...! Twilight and my friends will be happy to see you all!" Pinkie was really excited.
"Pinkie, be sure to write us and tell us if anything happened." Maud hugged Pinkie in affection.
"Seriously...? Do you not trust us?" Sparx was both sleepy and annoyed.
"I don't trust you as far as I can throw you...." Limestone was quite serious.
"Well...just you, Sparx."
"I hate you too, Limestone...."
"Ashes, please...be nice...to the other ponies...." Marble was still worried.
"No problem, Marble! I can do that with my eyes closed!" Ashes was confident in his ability to do this. Marble was still worried.
"Miss Maud, I'll see if I can get a job at making weather! I wanna do something cool!" Gust was as excited as Pinkie about the trip. Maud only looked at Gust un-blinkingly. Gust didn't know what else to say and felt uncomfortable.
"Do your best." Maud then looked away after saying this. Gust was left silent. He knew Maud was still skeptic about him and his brothers.
"Chilly, I expect you to keep your brothers in line while you're there. Can I trust you to do that?" Igneous was still pressuring the brothers to behave.
"Don't worry about it, sir. I promise we'll be...cool about all this." They all made an annoyed groan in reaction to Chilly's bad pun. The sound of the train could heard from the distance. The train was about to arrive.
"Be careful. All of you." Cloudy Quartz hugs Pinkie out of affection. The train arrived with a loud hiss of steam and a loud whistle. A couple of passengers got off the train and left the station.
"Let's go, guys! To Ponyville...!" Pinkie jumped on into the train.
"Trains are so cool!"
"ROAD TRIP!!!"
"Let's get this sh-uh...trip over with."
"Later." The Spellbind Brothers all followed Pinkie onto the train before it could leave. The Pie Family were still really worried that everything could go really wrong. Pinkie was confident that the brothers can and will behave especially since Ponyville has seen some crazier things in the past. Though, four elemental colts with powers no pony has ever seen before? That is definitely something new....