Far From the Tree

by Rust

Chapters

The Crusaders Go Crusading
Roots of the Apple Tree
The Storm Breaks
Thawing Out
Full Moon
Coming of Age
An Overdue Homecoming
Second Chances
Hell's Kitchen
The Immortals
Attack of the Ankle-Biters
The Five-Leaf Clover
Time Keeps On Slipping
Ironhorse
Royal Pain in the Plot
The Day of Black Sun
Divine Intervention
The Elder's Wrath
The Crucible
When Worlds Collide
Dark Horizons
The Tough Get Going
Higher Learning
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Fire in the Sky
Everfree Fight Club
A Wonderful Hearth's Warming
Leading the Pack

The Crusaders Go Crusading

Note: I do not own My Little Pony.
Hasbro does, and they aren't sharing. Greedy bastards.

CHAPTER TWO

THE CRUSADERS GO CRUSADING

Like all other days, the Ponyvile school house was ominously silent, seeming to hold its breath in.

Like all other days, the moments before the bell rang were thick with tension; you could cut it with a rubber knife.

Unlike all other days, the second the bell rang in Cheerilee's classroom, an explosion of desks, books, and students occured as the occupants of a few particular seats rocketed through the classroom doorway.

Three small torpedoes of energy, one orange, one light-grey, and one yellow, left tiny flaming hoofprints in the school hallway as they blazed a path toward the main entrance . In tight formation, the trio of pony-bullets would have resembled a squardon of jets, such was their speed and precision as they wove their way through the rapidly filling hallways. Papers flew through the air as the blurs zipped an easily startled teacher. A janitor foolish enough to be caught in the path of destruction was left in a comical spin before recovering a few moments later, eyeballs still rolling around dazedly. Several students would later claim to have been knocked over from the wall of wind following the rush a few seconds later.

One of the rapidly moving objects; the orange one, spoke to it's companions above the roar of moving air.

"Rainbow-3, checking in! Main thrusters are at fifty-five percent capaticy, over!" it said, guesturing to the small wings on its back, which were beginning to vibrate rapidly.

"Copy that, Rainbow-3, execute escape plan 'Scoot-de-loop'!" the center object, the one of a creamy-yellow coloration, barked with the hint of a southern accent. "Lancer-1! Release the payload in t-minus five seconds, over."

The light gray blur nodded in acknowledgement, producing a red, ball shaped object. "Count it out at three, Red-2, over!" the blur cried.

The end of the main hallway was in sight, the doors to the outside still unopened. Anypony who had the hint of an ounce of common sense had moved against the sides of the hall by this time, creating a channel running in a clear shot to the doors for the trio of bolts.

"...3!" barked the yellowish object.

The sight of the crowd on each side of the group started to blur from the speed, forming a kaleidoscope of color.

"...2!"

The orange creature piped up, "Thrusters at one-hundred percent! Turbo-drive engaging!" The wings on its back were moving so fast that they were emitting a sound similar to a racecar in high gear.

"...1!"

The yellowish bolt increased its speed, pulling ahead from the group a ways before jumping off the ground, hurling straight for the closed door.

"Fire!" it yelled.

A red apple, sent from the hoof of the light-grey wingman, sped into the doorknob, hitting with such an impact that the door opened slightly.

The yellow blur slammed into the door at top speed, aiming low so that it's rapid decrease in speed did not hinder the ones behind it. The door almost flew off its hinges from the force of the blow, and the three objects shot through the portal at different altitudes, the yellow one being the lowest, with the light grey one sandwiched in the middle by the orange bolt higher above, which had grabbed the top of the doorway with its fore-hooves. The orange object used its momentum to swing upward and nick a scooter from the very edge of the roof of the entrance pavilion while in the midst of a series of flips, arcing off in the direction of a nearby path. The light grey blur had pulled into the lead and had jumped into the back of the a red wagon parked nearby. The inertia of the object's movement sent the wagon screeching forward into the road. The object, which had slowed down enough by this action to be identified as Sweetie Belle, a unicorn filly with a pink and blue mane, who whipped around just in time to haul the yellow blur, which had caught up after hitting the door, into the back of the wagon.

"Apple Bloom! Where's Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle cried.

The yellow blur, now revealed to be Apple Bloom, a sturdy earth pony filly with a deep red mane topped with a bow, responded only with a gasp. She lunged forward, pulling her freind down as Scootaloo buzzed down over the wagon from above, the scooter's back left wheel delicately nudging the bow on Apple Bloom's head. The little Pegasus landed in front of the moving wagon, attaching the back of the scooter to the wagon's handle in one smooth motion. The wagon, now being propelled by Scootaloo's wings, settled into a steady, but still quite rapid velocity.

"Sorry I'm late girls, but I had enough height to do a barrel roll!" Scootaloo crowed pridefully.

---Somewhere in the deepest reaches of space, Fox rolled over in his sleep. "Got it, Peppy..." he mumbled.---

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS ESCAPE ARTISTS!" They all cried at once. Eagerly, they inspected their flanks.

Still blank.

"Awwwww!" Sweetie Belle whined, "I was sure we were gonna get them this time!"

Apple Bloom patted her back reassuringly. "S'okay, Sweetie. Ah'm sure we'll think of something tonight at Rarity's."

Scootaloo glanced back and nodded her agreement vigorously before returning her attention to driving. Sweetie Belle pouted. "I'm beginning to think we will never get our cutie marks, Apple Bloom! That was the fifth Crusade this week, and still nothing."

Apple Bloom put one hoof under her chin, adopting the universal thinking pose, or at least as best as she could in the back of the bucking wagon. "Why don't we change our strategy a bit?" She mused.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, lately we've all been tryin' ta come up with new ideas for our marks, but why don' we just go and try an' get a mark that somepony else already has?"

"Like who?"

"The crazy colt in town who lives in that blue boxy thing has an hourglass cutie mark. We could try to get one 'o those!"

Sweetie Belle pondered this. "Mr. Whooves? No, I don't think we should bother him. That cutie mark seems really... unique."

"Hmmmm... What about Dr. Pones?"

"You mean stallion who came to talk to the class today to talk about his job?"

"Eeyup! He had some kinda fancy-shmancy cup for a mark. Ah think your sister might 'ave liked it."

"It did have a lot of jewels on it." Sweetie Belle grinned, "Wasn't that what his mark was about? Finding treasure?"

"Somethin' called archeology, Ah think."

Further conversation was interrupted as Scootaloo drifted onto Stirrup Street, a broad avenue lined with shops that runs through Ponyville's center. Congested with ponies going about their day, it was a rather busy place. Barreling along at a fast clip, Scootaloo barely had the time to swerve wildly to the side, neatly avoiding crashing into Apple Bloom's older brother, Big Macintosh, who was busy hauling a large cart full of apples to the family apple stand. The two Crusaders in the wagon gave him a wave as they continued on, to which the enormous red stallion lazily returned to the quickly vanishing trio before to the continuing on his way, thoughtfully munching on a sprig of wheat.

"Eeeeeeyup."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A left turn (and a quick snack, thanks to the physics-bending properties of Pinkie Pie) at the tastefully decorated Sugar Cube Corner brought the Crusaders to the home stretch before they arrived at Rarity's house. The Carousel Boutique was a rather ostentatious building covered with intricate designs and ribbons, three floors high, and circular in nature. Each floor was smaller than the last, so from a distance the shop looked like a rather fashionable cake, capped with a small purple dome. Standing outside the store, attending to some garments handing from a line, was Sweetie Belle's sister, Rarity. Rarity was an elegant unicorn with a pristine white coat, an impeccably styled purple mane, and a trio of diamonds adorning her flank for a cutie mark. Her horn lit up a pale blue aura as she used her magic to carefully shake a large piece of linen free of water droplets before tossing it to hang over the clothesline. She turned at the sound of the approaching group, recognizing the sound of Scootaloo's engine-like wingbeats from the many times the Crusaders had stayed at her house.

"Girls, there you are!" She called as the Crusaders pulled up to the store. "I've been wondering where you were. Come inside, I've got dinner ready for you."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders obliged, following Rarity into the store. Passing through the front room, which served as the building's shop, they entered the kitchen. On a round table towards the right, a large bowl of hayfries gave off some light steam, indicating that they'd been completed quite recently. Surrounding the hayfries were several plates piled with leafy greens and assorted grilled vegetables. Scootaloo, who had been working hard since leaving the school, eyed the smorgasbord in a manner similar to a human teenager spying a particularly juicy double-bacon cheeseburger. Rarity noticed the eager filly and tutted, "Uh-uh-uh! Wash your hooves first, Scootaloo. That goes for both of you, as well" she added, looking at the other Crusaders. She closed her eyes in thought. "That wagon of yours is so dirty. You must let me spruce it up for you sometime." The Crusaders had vanished when she opened her eyes again, to reappear at the kitchen sink, all three attempting to wash her hooves at the same time. More water landed on the ceiling than it did on hooves, but the job was done after a little more scuffling and everypony settled down at the table to dig in.

Scootaloo simply dunked her entire head into the bowl of hayfries, eating ravenously. A Pegasus had a high metabolism normally, but an active one like her needed the extra fuel. Sweetie Belle mimicked her older sister, daintily taking bites from the fork she held in hoof. Apple Bloom, not exactly the most cultured pony, switched from stabbing large bites off of her plate to swiping a hooffull of hayfries from the bowl every time Scootaloo surfaced for air. Rarity tried to strike up a conversation; "So, what did you three do in class today?"

"Thhhherr wath uh guethhst thhhpeakur." Came the reply from the face buried in the bowl of hayfries.

"Scootaloo said that there was a guest speaker today. He came in to talk about his job." chimed Sweetie Belle.

"Oh? Who was he?" asked Rarity.

Apple Bloom paused, her fork halfway to her mouth. "It was Indianna Pones!"

"Indianna Pones? Here? In Ponyville", Rarity shrieked.

Scootaloo pulled her head up for a breather, cheeks stuffed with hayfries, and nodded once before returning to the feast.

Rarity wailed: "A famous celebrity like Indianna Pones was here! And I didn't get to see him! Oh! I could have showed him my new line of hats! He's sooo into his hats! He's never lost one on any of his adventures! Not one! Now there is a stallion who appreciates good head-wear!" She sniffled. "Of all the things that could happen, this is, the worst possible. THING!" Her horn lit up, and a fainting couch slid into place next to her, which she promptly fell onto in an unconsolable sulk. Sweetie Belle shrugged at this.

"She'll be fine in a few minutes." she stated to the other Crusaders. Scootaloo pulled out of the bowl, now empty, and contentedly lean back in her chair to let out an enormous, window-rattling belch. Apple Bloom giggled, "Nice one, Scoots! But I was doin' em at that level when Ah was three! Lemme show ya'll how we do things down at the farm."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Many burps later...

The darkness fell gently, like a soft, dark blanket being lain over a foal by its mother. The stars were out in full force, twinkling brightly in great multitudes. The nights had been exponentially more beautiful ever since Princess Luna had returned to her duties.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders, however, were too busy planning their latest escapade to notice.

"...and when we find it, POOF, our marks will all appear!" said Sweetie Belle.

"Just think, having cutie marks of priceless treasure! It'll be the coolest thing ever!" cheered Scootaloo.

"We'll be just as cool as Indianna Pones!" finished Apple Bloom.

A hoof-drawn map was spread out inbetween the fillies. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS ARCHEOLOGISTS!" was written in thick lettering at the top of the illustration. It depicted a crude sketch of Ponyville and the surrounding countryside done in crayon. A meandering dotted line snaked its way from a poor replica of the Carousel Boutique, out of town, and into the dark green patch taking up the lower half of the map. The line comically looped around a few times before ending in a red "X" drawn over what looked to be a ruined castle. Next to the castle was writing in smaller lettering:

"Destination: The Everfree Forest Royal Castle Ruins"

The three fillies rolled up the map and jumped into bed. They needed the rest.

After all, they were leaving first thing in the morning.

Author: Welp, there ya have it. The CMC are up to no good (no suprises there). Written in blood, sweat, and tears. But its the sweat that makes it good. Right Pinkie?

"Right, Mr. Author Guy! See ya next time, everypony!" said Pinkie Pie.

Roots of the Apple Tree

Note: I do not own My Little Pony.
By Celestia's nipple-hair, I will change that!

CHAPTER THREE

ROOTS OF THE APPLE TREE

Equestria, one-thousand years prior to the events of Episode 1...

Buckshot gamely trotted down the path to Ponyville. Darkness had fallen, but he'd made it out of the forest before the nocturnal predators of the Everfree awoke from their diurnal hibernation. A half-moon lit the way back to town, and the few stars out tonight glittered furiously, seeming to shine brighter in the absence of their nearby fellows. A few clouds were moving from the forest behind him towards the town, but that was nothing the town's new weather-Pegasus couldn't handle. Buckshot grinned as he thought about the newest addition to Ponyville.

Crikey, that filly could make gold from those clouds if she ever had half a mind to. 'Bout time we got one of those bloody fliers, I was gettin' fed up with not knowin' what the weather would be.

He adjusted his path towards the side of the road, unwilling to step in the deep ruts left by the supply caravans that had been coming in from Canterlot on a weekly basis. Supplies to the fledgling town of Ponyville had been fairly steady, and for that Buckshot was grateful.

Ponyville had been founded not five years earlier, and his family had been some of the first to sign the town charter. Originally just a few stores clustered together on the road from Canterlot to the Royal Palace, Ponyville had begun to grow after Buckshot's father, Crab Apple, moved his family here to start a new life. The Apples had come to Equestria two decades ago from the far off continent of Austailia, across the southern ocean. They had spent the first ten years roaming their new land, never settling down for long as Crab performed odd jobs in various towns and cities. Then, after renting rooms for a while at a ranch, the Apple family had tried their hoof at farming, for which they seemed to have a natural aptitude. The Apples soon bought a stretch of land outside Manehattan, in the village of Stable, located at the base of Stable Mountain. Five years had gone by, five wonderful years of full harvests and even fuller bellies, until the fateful day that the ironically named Stable Mountain had revealed itself to be a volcano, violently erupting.

Great clouds of smoke had blackened the sky, and if it wasn't for the timely intervention of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, many miles of surrounding countryside would have been buried beneath rock, ash, and fire. Sadly, the area directly around Stable Mountain had been lost, including the village and the Apple's farm. Both of his parents had been lost to the inferno, swallowed up by cloud of superheated gas that raced down the mountain at near super-sonic speed. Buckshot and the rest of his family had barely escaped with their lives. A few meager possessions had been hastily stashed into saddlebags, and now they were all the Apple family had left. A few hundred bits, the family didgeridoo, two bags of food, various items of clothing, and a new cutie mark.

Buckshot had earned his mark through sheer determination and and a strength born out of desperation to protect his loved ones. The Apple farm had had a large basement used for preserving crops and barrels of grain. His family had hunkered down there, before hearing of the Princess' evacuation order. As they raced to pack up, a boulder had fallen onto the house, crushing the top two floors together like a pancake, and rendering the staircase out of the basement an invalid escape route. The house's collapse had broken large holes into the basement ceiling. His mother and father had been buried by falling debris coming through the biggest of these holes. Buck had heard his father's muffled voice, coming from under the wreckage, calling for him to take his kin and flee. The sky could be seen through several large gaps in the newly damaged ceiling, and the family realized they were now trapped in a hole, which is never a good thing with lava heading their way. Buckshot had risen to the occasion, and pounded his way through solid stone slab used as a basement hatchway to create the only path out. His cutie mark appeared on his flank once they were all outside. He didn't even notice it until several hours later, when they had all managed to get to safety. To this day, the image of the horseshoe on the apple-red shield on his flank gave him bittwersweet feelings.

I found my special talent all right... But at what cost?

Mourning the loss of their land and kin, the now diminished Apple family had struck out once again, this time settling in the most peaceful place they could think of, halfway between Canterlot and the Royal palace. Five more years had passed, and as the Apples built up their new home, the few scattered thatched huts around them had grown as well. Thanks to the new source of food coming from the farm, the area could sustain more inhabitants. Almost all of the new arrivals had been Earth Ponies, whose innate connection with the land had tipped them off to the potential for new life here. The town had not grown overnight, and it wasnt until recently that they had been getting raw supplies for building shipped from Canterlot, which had recognized the importance of a stopover on the long path between it and the Royal Palace. A lot of hard work had gone into building the town, but there was still much to be done. With barely over one hundred and fifty residents, Ponyville was the smallest official settlement in Equestria. Buckshot was proud to say that he knew the name of every single pony in town, though. Every new addition to the population was meaningful.

Now, with Ponyville's first Pegasus resident managing the skies from a newly constructed cloud-tower, crop production had risen threefold at the farm. The trickle of new arrivals had blossomed into a small but steady stream. The loud bangs and crashes associated with the building of houses had become a constant companion to the town's inhabitants. Although initially bothersome, it had grown into a comforting background noise.

As Buckshot made his way through town, many ponies stopped to wave and call out their respective greetings. Buckshot was one of the most prominent members of their burgeoning community, both figuratively and literally. His farm fed the entire town, after all, and there was nopony else in the closet hundred leagues that even came close to resembling him. Buckshot plodded up the newly worn path that ran through the rough center of Ponyville; the one that ponies were beginning to call "Stirrup Street". The large stallion stumbled a little on the ruts left by the latest caravan to have passed through. He dimly remembered seeing cobblestones in some of those wagons. That explained the deep tracks they left.

Maybe we're gonna pave the streets with 'em. 'Bout time those wankers in Canterlot got off their plots and sent us something useful. What was their last shipment? Oh, right. Fenceposts. Next we'll be getting scones stuffed with dynamite! Unhelpful bastards.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The Apple family house wasn't much to look at. A squat, unpainted two story ranch house with a small roofed patio circling the front to overlook the fields, it had been hoof-built by Buckshot and some of the older members of the clan.

They weren't very good builders.

But as they say, home was where the heart was, and Buck's heart was definetly in that house.

"Daaaaaaaaaddyyyyyyy!!!"

A small yellow mare with a long, curly strawberry-red mane and ocean green eyes shot through the front door and off the deck at near the speed of light. She proceeded to slam into her father, wrapping her forelegs around his neck in an embrace. Caught off-guard, Buckshot was knocked flat onto his hindquarters. Not an easy thing for a half grown mare to do to a pony so big. He cracked a dazzling smile as he returned the gesture, squeezing his daughter tightly to his chest.

"Blossie!" he said warmly. Buck simply couldn't put his happiness into words, so he just called her by her nickname instead.

Apple Blossom stopped nuzzling his chest to hopefully looked up into her father's eyes. "Did'ja get 'em, daddy?" she asked hopefully. She spoke with a curious mix of Austailian and Equestrian accents. A human overhearing it might have thought it sounded like she was from the American South-lands.

"Eeyup." He set his saddlebags down and pulled something out of the left pocket. "Gotcha something' too, ta boot."

He opened his hoof to reveal a small pink bandanna, with which he carefully folded into a strip before wrapping around Blossom's head, pushing her long mane out of her eyes.

Blossom's eyes grew to enormous size and her smile grew with them. She felt the new accessory on her head with a hoof.

"Good onya, daddy! Ah love it soooo much!" She hugged him all the tighter.

If cutenesss could kill, this would have been a death sentence for the universe.

"Oh, righto, I almost forgot. Blossie, I found a new way to pick things from trees. You just give it a whacko with your hind legs, and the fruit falls like rain in the outback."

A new voice spoke up. "Hey there, handsome."

Leaning on the porch railing was a slender, light red mare with a spiky, shortly cut (but highly stylish) golden mane, and cyan eyes. Adorning her flank was a trio of leaves, silhouetted by a sun.

This was Leafdapple; Buckshot's beloved wife.

Buckshot rose off his haunches to stand, slightly off balance due to a giggling Blossom still dangling from around his neck. He ran to his wife and proceeded to tightly embrace her. He breathed in her scent, burying his nose in her mane.

Discord's dingleberries, she smells like seven kinds o' wonderful.

"Happy to see me, dear?" she said with a smirk, slightly out of breath. Buckshot's hugs tended to compress one's lungs a bit. Buck answered by Planting a long, tender kiss on her lips. After finally surfacing for air, he looked at his wife. She was blushing furiously, eyes still half-lidded from the kiss.

"You've got no bloody idea." he growled.

Apple Blossom, sandwiched between the two, let out a gagging sound. "Blech! Botha ya'll stop that nonsense 'afore I hurl my lunch!"

Buckshot stepped out of the embrace, slightly embarrased to have done that in front of his foal. Leafdapple shot Buck a wink that said, "We'll continue this later." She motioned back towards the ranch. "Are you going to stand outside all night, or do we have to bring out some blankets?" Buckshot sheepishly picked up his saddlebags by the teeth and nodded towards the house, indicating that he'd follow her in. Apple Blossom disengaged from her iron grip and fell down to the ground on her hooves. She happily pranced around her father as the three Apples made their way through the threshold of the building.

The first room of the house was a large eating room. An enormous, thick slice out of a pine tree trunk served as a table. Several threadbare cushions were thrown haphazardly around it. The kitchen could be seen behind a wooden countertop. Leafdapple and Apple Blossom sat down around the table, eagerly motioning for Buck to join them. Buckshot sat his saddlebags down onto the pine slab. Before he sat down, he asked, "Where are the others?"

Leafdapple shrugged. "They're already in bed. It's very late, and we volunteered to be the ones who would stay up on watch for your return." She guestured to the saddlebags. "So... did you find it?" She half whispered, half sang. Her husband nodded eagerly. He opened up the bags and dumped the apples onto the table in a red tide. Apple Blossom picked one up in her hooves, eyeballing the fruit like it might burst into flame.

"Do they really do what the Princess said, daddy?"

Buckshot didnt answer. He got up from the table and trotted into the kitchen. Apple Blossom and Leafdapple could hear the large stallion rummaging through drawers. Mother and daughter shared a look. Buckshot tended to speak only when he felt it was needed. If he was going to answer that question, it would be in an interesting way. Buckshot returned to the table with a knife in his mouth.

"What are you...-" Leafdapple started.

Buckshot quickly drew the tip of the blade over his hoof. A thin red line appeared as some blood began to ooze out of the shallow cut.

"Daddy?!" Apple Blossom couldn't make heads or tails out of this. What was her father doing?

Buckshot set the knife on the table, and picked up one of the apples. "Watch." he said. He took a large bite from the apple and set it down. Then, he held up his wounded hoof. His family's eyes widened as the small gash closed itself up. Not even a scar remained to tell of its existence. The apple's magic was flawless. Leafdapple slumped backwards to lean against the wall. She closed her eyes in thought, brow furrowed. A long time passed.

"This will change everything." she eventually stated with a sort of regretful finality.

Apple Blossom nodded sagely in agreement. "Eeyup. Folks will be comin' over from all over Equestria, Ah reckon."

Buckshot picked up the bitten apple. "Not yet, sheila. There's a hitch to this grand scheme of ours." He presented the face of the apple which he had taken bite of to his family. "What do you see?" he questioned them.

Silence. Then, Leafdapple's eyes widened as it hit her. "There's only one seed!"

Buck sighed wearily. "Righto. That means I'm going ta have ta go back for round two."

"But why? We've got at least fifty apples here! Thats fifty seeds, eventually growin' inta fifty trees!" Blossom reasoned.

Leafdapple answered this one. "We plowed our field for double that number. We can't let half of our work go to waste. There are no other spare seeds to plant there, either. Might as well fill it to the brim with magic apples."

Buckshot broke in. "And time's slippin' by like water through a barbie grill. I'm leavin' tomorrow for another haul."

Blossom shook her head. "Jus' seems like a waste of a day to me. Ah don't see the sense in goin' out fer more when ya'll got a perfectly good stock right in front of ya."

Buck rubbed his temples with his hooves. "Your mum and I have been hoping for this for years, Blossie. Now that the Princess has so generously let our dream become real, I dont plan on throwin' any bloody half-strength kicks. Its all or nothin', savvy?"

"Iffin' ya say so." Blossom's voice agreed, but her eyes blazed with a stubborn dignity.

Buckshot rose from the table and cracked his weary joints, starting with his fore-legs and ending with his hind ones. This signaled that it was time to go to bed. The discussion had taken a long time, and the night was beginning to lighten as Celestia's sun approached the horizon. The three Apples would only have a few hours of sleep tonight.

I'm not heartless, I'll let them sleep in. Bless their hearts for watching out for me. But I'll be up with the sun. I've got another bloody trip to make, after all.

Author: Creating a whole family history is hard work. Rate, comment, and subscribe, or I'll flay you with a kielbasa. Also, I used Chatoyance's lovely work, "The Taste of Grass", to get an idea as to what a new village would be like. Read it. It's bucking amazing. DO IT NOW.

The Storm Breaks

Note: I do not own My Little Pony.
Seriously! Shocking, I know. Hint-hint, Hasbro.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE STORM BREAKS

Pinkie Pie woke up rather abruptly. Granted, she also woke up in the bathtub, covered in bubble wrap and chocolate sauce, and with a very hungry toothless baby alligator gnawing on her tail. Ponyville's Premier Pink Partier, Pinkie Pie had often woken up in situations like these. Just last week, in fact, after a party she threw in honor of the party she'd had the night before, she had woken up duct-taped to the underside of Mayor Mare's desk. The mayor's office had been coated in a thick, even layer of strawberry cake frosting. That one had taken a bit of explaining. Pinkie Pie giggled as she climbed out of the tub, fondly reliving other notable aftermaths in her head. She called to the baby alligator, who was trying to pop a bubble from the wrap in his mouth with no success. "Common, Gummy! I got a feeling something big is gonna happen today!"

The small green reptile let out a gurgle similar to the noise of toilet unclogging.

Pinkie Pie snorted. "No, you silly-filly! My Pinkie-sense is going off the wall. It's a new one; I don't think I've ever felt this before!" She gestured to various places on her body. "Tingly tail, itchy kneecaps, twitching nose, and a slight build-up of acid in the kidneys!" She stopped and thought for a second. "Oh, scratch that last one off. I just need to pee!" Pinkie Pie tossed her pet gator out of the bathroom and shut the door. "No colts allowed in the fillies room!

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had woken up the moment Celestia's sun shot it's first beams of light through the bedroom windows. They'd crept past Rarity's room on the edges of their hooves. They'd left a note on her door explaining where they'd be and what time they expected to return. Now nopony could say they ran off without telling anyone where they'd gone. Provided Rarity didn't wake up in the next hour, they'd already be in the Everfree. That was unlikely. Rarity always slept late. Something to do with "Getting my beauty sleep, darling!". Older-mare stuff like that.

Ponyville's streets were always quiet this early. Few ponies were out; usually the ones that were spent their time in the marketplace, prepping the merchandise stands for the days sales. The Crusaders did have a few close calls, though. Rounding a corner, they'd almost collided with Ditzy Doo, Ponyville's beloved cross-eyed mailmare. Ditzy had been flying through the streets like a pinball, yelling something about how "the muffin was coming!". Luckily, she had been too distracted to notice the caped foals hugging the shadows.

Once the Cutie Mark Crusaders had reached the edge of town, they switched from walking to riding in the wagon. While this method if travel was significantly faster, the noise of Scootaloo's hummingbird wingbeats would wake up half the town had they used it there. The trio buzzed along at a brisk pace. They'd be at the Everfree Forest in a few minutes. As long as they didnt pass anypony on the path from the village, they were in the clear.

Apple Bloom dug around through her saddlebags, performing a last minute check in the back of the wagon. "Snacks, rope, a hammer, matches, stakes.... What in tarnation is this?". She removed a stick of dynamite. "Scootaloo, Ah thought you said you wouldn't be bringin' any 'o this stuff! Remember what happened last time?". Scootaloo looked back briefly and shrugged, indicating she didn't know anything about the explosive.

"Sorry Apple Boom, I thought it might be a good idea to bring, you know, in case we have to blown open a collapsed doorway or something." Sweetie Belle bashfully stated.

"Sweetie Belle? You brought this? Where did ya even find it?" Apple Bloom looked at her friend in amazement.

"Rarity uses it sometimes to get gems out of cliffs and boulders."

"Tarnation, girl! We gotta be careful with this stuff! Fluttershy's chicken coop still has sum scorch marks on it, ya know."

Sweetie Bell shuddered involuntarily. Fluttershy had given them an extra powerful version of The Stare for that particular incident. It still gave her nightmares. "When I look back, trying to get our cutie marks in demolition may have been a bad idea."

Scootaloo looked back again and nodded vigorously, eyes wide.

The trio fell silent as the wagon passed under the first trees of the forest. They were now in the Everfree.

Next stop, the castle ruins.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Equestria, one-thousand years before the events of episode one...

Buckshot grimaced as he felt a fat raindrop fall through the trees and smack into his snout. He'd left at dawn, affectionately kissing goodbye his sleeping wife and daughter in their beds.

Horseapples. Forgot there was gonna be a thundie t'day.

The sky above was roiling with black, tumultuous clouds. Thunderheads soared upward before cresting into the traditional anvil-head shape. The sun's light barely penetrated the thick cover, and was dimmed even further by the Everfree canopy. While it may have been late in the morning, the darkness made it feel like a particularly black night. Spectrum Sprint, the multicolor-coated weather pegasus, was enjoying her new job a bit too much. Ironically, Buckshot had been the one to schedule it with her. But that had been a few months ago. A lot had happened since then, and the storm had completely slipped his mind.

Few month ago, I wasn't Ponyville's bloody Champion. One month ago, magic apples were still a bloody myth.

He turned his bandanna around his neck. The moon on his chest began glowing brightly underneath, casting enough light to see by.

Few months ago, I wasn't a bloody hero.

He remembered the tournament. It had been held at the Royal Palace and attended by ponies from every place in Equestria. Literally. Every town was supposed to send a few representatives, and Buckshot had been nominated to go along with Rust and Ragdoll, a couple that had recently arrived in town. The Tournament was intended to select a sort of lieutenancy from the Princesses for one of the chosen ponies from each town. The idea was that with competent ponies managing their towns and representing the Crown, the Princesses could rule their subjects more effectively. It was like being elected mayor, only you had to protect your settlement from everything that threatened it if you were chosen.

And the only way to leave office was to die.

The events in the Tournament had been designed to test a pony's bravery, their capability, their intellect, and their heart. Various scenarios had been presented to each contender by the Princesses themselves by the means of a magical simulation. The events had made no sense to Buckshot. For his first challenge, he was instructed to defeat an Ursa Minor. Armored to the teeth, he'd knocked the beast out with a swift kick to the side of the head. He was the only one who managed to do it. He'd expected to win right there, but the Princesses barely acknowledged his feat. Even stranger, for his next task, he was asked to change a diaper. Buckshot chuckled at the memory. Despite the randomness of each challenge, he'd performed to the best of his ability. Many, many challenges had tested him in everything from how he lead others under stress to how he folded his laundry. He'd done the best of the three Ponyville; Rust and Ragdoll had forfeited under mysterious circumstances. In the end, he'd been given the title of Sir Buck Apple, Champion of Ponyville. And to his suprise, he'd done better than almost all the others there. After the awards ceremony, after he'd been knighted and recieved his golden bandanna, an audience with the Princess Luna had been requested, and he'd nervously obliged.

The Princess of the Night had blessed him, and then the mark on his chest had appeared.

"You have proven thyself to be a courageous, intelligent, and noble stallion. We give you the blessing of the Night, that thou mayst serve Equestria in a form far beyond your abilities." she'd said. Buck had no idea what she meant. Still didn't.

She'd also offered him one wish as a reward. After much thought, he came up with the perfect one. He'd asked for a way to ensure his family's well-being. It had been granted by the creation of the magic apple tree. Princess Celestia had seen him after, and presented him with his golden bandanna.

The Princesses had invited him back to the Royal Palace on a later date to explain their actions. The tournament left them too busy to spend time with more than one pony for more than a few minutes. Buck had decided to go once his orchard was up and running.

Sorry, sheilas, family matters come first. I'll be sure to have that talk with ya, but in me own time.

A twig snapped somewhere behind him, bringing Buckshot back to reality. He turned his head to look behind him as he walked. Suddenly, his hoof caught on a root while his head was turned. He fell over the side of formerly hidden slope and proceeded to bounce down a long decline, coming to rest in a misty depression. He landed facedown in the mossy turf. An enormous silver oak tree towered above him to the left. The stallion spat out some dirt and looked around. This area did not look familiar.

"Celestia's mane, where in blue blazes am I..?"

He tried backtracking, but the fall had disorientated him. The now-raging storm above didn't help one bit, either. He focused for a bit, then the glow coming from his mark increased, effectively becoming a silver flashlight, cutting through the velvet blackness around him. The forest seemed especially sinister all of a sudden. Buckshot felt bile rise in the back of his throat. He had absolutely no idea where he was.

No. This can't be happening.

Buckshot began sprinting. He had to get find his way back. He couldn't just stand there. He tore off through the dark forest, barely avoiding running head on into trees thanks to his moon's light. Shapes whipped past him as he crashed through the undergrowth. A clearing opened up in front of him, and in his panic, Buckshot forgot one of the most basic rules of survival in the Everfree Forest: never go into open spaces. Realizing his mistake, he turned around to exit the clearing.

Nonononononono...

Lightning crashed overhead. The flash illuminated the forest for a split second. In that one second of brilliance, it revealed the one thing nopony should ever see.

A cockatrice stood before Buckshot. It was looking him dead in the eye.

Horseapples.

That last thought was frozen as his body turned to stone.

Author: -wipes a tear away- Pinkie, hand me that box of tissues.

Pinkie Pie: Awww, that was so sad!

I know. And if you guys dont rate, comment, and subscribe, I'll remove your tear glands so you'll never be able to cry again.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Right, so I thought I'd make things a little interesting. How would YOU like to be a part of this story? Send me a message explaining why you feel you could make this story better, and a description of the OC you want put in. I'll announce your entry into the story at the beginning of the chapter they are introduced. Keep in mind, your part may be major, or nothing more than a cameo. Depends on how I like your character. You have until New Years Day. Good luck.

Thawing Out

Note: I don't own My Little Pony.
But I DO have a double bacon cheeseburger.
Nom nom nom. Delicious.
Suck it, Hasbro.

CHAPTER FIVE

THAWING OUT

It was approximately five minutes after noon when the ground began to shake. As earthquakes go, it was a rather small one, and the effects were barely noticed in Ponyville. A trembling cup of water, a chandelier swinging slightly, or a sudden tingly sensation in the hooves were all that was noticed. However, at the direct epicenter of the quake, the Everfree Forest, the unleashed forces manifested themselves much more violently. The shaking devastated a certain stretch of the Everfree, and three particular fillies bore witness to the upheaval.

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle had managed to travel quite some distance, using the position of the sun as reference to their direction and their crudely-drawn map. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had paused on a ridge line overlooking a depression in the forest floor for some snacks. The slightly mushed apple-fritters dug from Apple Bloom's saddlebags tasted delicious, and the Crusaders were busy munching away when they noticed the area they were overlooking was acting strangely. Scootaloo, being a Pegasus, had the sharpest eyes and spotted the disturbance first. "Hey guys... Why are all the trees over there shaking?" Almost immediately after she said that, the ground under the fillies feet gave a heave and all three tumbled onto the ground. Apple Bloom stood up, spitting out leaves.

"What in Celestia's mane was that? Scoots, Sweetie, ya'll okay?" She brushed some dirt off her coat with her tail.

Sweetie Belle frowned. "I think that was an earthquake. I read about these when I was visiting Twilight's library with my sister. They only happen in the Everfree, apparently."

Scootaloo gasped, and pointed over to the stricken area of forest. "I can see some trees have fallen down! Come on, lets check it out! I bet there are some neat things over there!" She picked up her fallen scooter and reattached it to the wagon.

Apple Bloom hopped into the back, while Sweetie Belle stayed where she was.

"Sweetie Belle, les' git a move on! Ah bet we'll find all kinds o' stuff in the holes them trees ripped up." Apple Bloom motioned for her to climb in the wagon.

Sweetie Belle looked doubtful. "I don't know, guys... What if another earthquake happens? I read something about how they have 'aftershocks', or whatever that means."

Scootaloo turned around and laughed. "Sweetie, you're starting to sound like Twilight. Do you want your cutie mark in something cool, or something lame?"

Sweetie Belle pouted for a few seconds, then climbed into the wagon. "Fine, but if something goes wrong, and it usually does, don't say I didn't warn you."

Scootaloo revved her wings a few times, and started off towards the epicenter.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

If trees were considered sentient, then ground zero of the damage would have been considered genocide on all things covered with bark. Not a single tree was standing in an area the size of a couple city blocks. The fallen debris made travel with the wagon extremely difficult, so Apple Bloom took over pulling, using her teeth to pull the wagon. Scootaloo acted as as scout by climbing up the broken spars and stumps, calling out where the other landlocked Crusaders should go next. She used her underdeveloped wings like a sugar glider, moving from vantage point to vantage point by jumping from her perch and drifting down across otherwise rugged terrain before climbing another piece of woodland wreckage. It was a technique she often had to resort to; her wings were still too small to give her any lift, regardless of how fast she could flap.

From atop a particularly jagged spear of a tree-trunk, Scootaloo paused to pick a splinter out of her hoof. She looked down at her two friends carefully snaking their way through the wreckage. The fallen trees had created a sort of maze. The thick trunks acted like walls, and were often too mossy to climb over. From her vantage point, Scootaloo could see an uncharacteristically open area that had remained clear of most of the downed forest. Must have been a clearing before the trees came down.

"Hey! Sweetie Belle! Apple Bloom! There's an open spot around that tree on your left!" Scootaloo gestured to the clearing with a hoof. "I'll meet you guys over there!" she called down.

Apple Bloom didn't look up from her task. The forest floor wasn't exactly smooth, and without Scoots' wing power the going was tough. Sweetie Belle acknowledged the call with a wave and set off in the direction Scootaloo had pointed.

Satisfied that they'd understood, Scootaloo threw herself out into open space with a mighty heave and began gliding toward the clearing. She had passed over the two Crusaders on the ground when she noticed something strange happening to the ground intended as her landing zone. A faint rumbling hummed in her ears as the earth began to form a sort of shallow bowl-shaped depression about the size of a house. Unable to stop herself, Scootaloo landed right in the newly-formed crater. No sooner had she set down when the ground let loose a rumble of protest. The dirt gave way beneath her. Scootaloo let out a startled yelp as she plummeted into blackness.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Sweetie, what in tarnation was that?!" Apple Bloom yelled. There had been a weird sort of thunder, as if it was coming from the ground.

Sweetie Belle's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "It came from over where Scootaloo went!"

The pair abandoned the cart and rushed toward where their pegasus friend had headed. Rounding a mass of torn-up roots, they entered an clearing surrounded by the carnage the quake had wrought. In the center of the clearing was a large hole. It looked like it had been created recently. The two Crusaders approached the edge of the hole cautiously. They could faintly see Scootaloo far down at the bottom of the dark shaft, pulling herself out of a pile of dirt.

"Hey, Scoots, ya'll ok down there?" called Apple Bloom, her voice thick with concern.

The reply was faint. "Yeah... I think so..."

Sweetie leaned over the edge. "Just stay put, alright? Just stay put! We'll be right back!"

Down in the hole, Scootaloo couldn't help but laugh a bit. "Where else could I go?" she said to herself.

Sweetie Belle turned to Apple Bloom. "You brought the rope, right?"

Apple Bloom nodded.

"Good. We need to pull her out of that pit."

The two returned to the wagon, where Apple Bloom had left her saddlebags. After a bit of somewhat frantic rummaging, the rope was produced from the left bag. Apple Bloom picked up the bundle in her mouth and they returned to the pit. They could hear Scootaloo yelling something from the depths. Sweetie Belle poked her head over the edge.

"What's wrong, Scoots?" she called out.

"There's....something....down here..!" came the reply.

Apple Bloom spat out the rope and joined her friend at the edge. "Like, the bad kind of somethin', or the good kind?"

"I think... it's the good kind..!"

"What is it?"

"It's... some kind of... statue..! Of... a pony!"

Apple Bloom looked at Sweetie Belle. "We should git that outta there as well. We might jus' get our cutie marks from bringin' it back for everypony ta see!"

Sweetie Belle nodded in a agreement. She yelled over the edge. "Scoots! We're going to get you out of there! Give us a minute!"

Apple Bloom uncoiled the rope. With a casual flick born from years of practice at the farm, she spun it into a lasso. Sweetie Belle took the loop, making sure her friend was holding on to the other end, and tossed the line of rope over the edge. They soon felt a tug. Taking that for Scootaloo's all-clear, the two fillies heaved on the rope. They heaved and strained for a good minute before they realized that they couldn't budge the rope. They were just about to let go when an orange hoof appeared over the edge. Panting, the two fillies raced over to help their friend up.

"Scoots, how did ya git up here? We couldn't move the rope."

"I looped the rope around the statue, and climbed up myself once it was taunt! Now come on! We gotta get that statue out of there to bring back home."

The now full strength Crusaders brought to bear all the power they could muster, but they only managed to move the rope a few feet before they collapsed. Not even together did they have enough strength to lift up the mysterious statue from the pit. The little ponies collapsed onto the grass, exhausted. How were they going to get it out? The question was answered when they saw a familiar zebra step into the clearing.

"ZECORA!" the Crusaders shouted. They ran up to the exotic pony to greet her. She was a zebra with a striped, mohawk mane and golden ring she wore around her neck and front-left foreleg. Zecora had been feared in Ponyville for a while before the Elements of Harmony had convinced everypony she was nice. Nowadays, she lived in a hut near the edge of the forest, making potions and medicine from the plants of the Everfree for anypony who came by. She had felt the quake more than anypony from town due to her proximity with the epicenter. She had been checking out the damage when she'd stumbled upon the infamous trio.

Zecora wasn't entirely surprised to find the Cutie Mark Crusaders at the center of all this destruction. They had a reputation for disaster whenever and wherever they went "crusading". She gave them a stern look. "Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom. Why are you here at a place so recently touched by doom?"

Oh, and she always speaks in rhyme.

The Crusaders filled her in on everything that had happened in the last two days.

"...and now we have something to bring back, but it's stuck in that hole!" finished Sweetie Belle.

Zecora nodded. "If I help pull that statue out, will you go home without a pout?"

The Crusaders made a Pinkie Promise as one. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" That was more or less a life sentence around Ponyville. You followed a Pinkie Promise or bad things happened.

Zecora took the rope and brought it around one of the still standing trees. She then tied the end around Scootaloo.

"Zecora, why am I attached to the rope?" asked Scootaloo.

"Use power of your wings, and over gravity you'll be king." She pointed a hoof toward the way the Crusaders had entered the clearing. "Fly that way when we say, you'll soon ensure we have the day."

Scootaloo revved her wings, emitting that characteristic engine noise. She nodded eagerly, ready to go. Zecora trotted over to the rope and took hold with her teeth. The other Crusaders joined her.

Sweetie Belle called out the countdown through the rope in her mouth.

"Fwone... Fwo... Fwee!"

On "fwee", the three ponies and one zebra heaved at the rope. Scootaloo wings were moving so fast that the wind they produced ruffled the leaves on some of the trees still standing around the clearing. Apple Bloom's hooves sunk deep into the dirt as she flexed her toned muscles; farm work was hard work, and hard work makes you strong. Sweetie Belle strained mightily, letting out a soft growl. Zecora pulled too, sweat soon gathering on her brow. They didn't know how long they kept at it. Inch by inch, the ponies crossed the clearing, occasionally slipping back a little as one of them lost footing. Finally, the object of their efforts crested the edge of the pit and came to rest on the grass. The four fell down, momentarily spent. Scootaloo undid herself from the rope and approached the statue. The other three followed.

The statue was lying on its side. It was a smoky gray in color, but lightly caked in dirt and dust. It was exquisitely detailed. It appeared to be a large stallion wearing a bandanna around its neck. It was in a position that seemed like it was about to run, and a grim look of anguish was on its face. Apple Bloom wiped some dirt from its face.

"Apple Bloom, the statue kinda looks like you." observed Scootaloo.

Zecora ran a hoof over the sculpture. She frowned. "A statue this is not, I fear. Quickly, get your hooves in gear!" She pointed towards Ponyville. "A certain purple unicorn, is the only hope for this one to be reborn!"

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened to enormous proportions for the second time that day. "You mean this is like when Twilight got turned to stone by that cockatrice? So this is..." she looked at the statue. "...actually somepony who's frozen?"

Zecora simply nodded. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at the object carefully, half expecting it to spring to life.

Apple Bloom spoke up. "Ah guess we'd better get him to Twilight, then. Cummon, girls! Les' load him into the wagon! We can get our marks for savin' somepony's life!"

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS LIFESAVERS, YAY!"

Zecora winced as her ears took a beating. The Crusaders were notoriously loud when they did that.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Night had fallen once again. Ponyville had gradually fallen dark, as it's many residents turned in for the day. The Ponyville Town library, however still had its' lights on inside. One occupant in particular was known for staying up far later than anypony else.

Twilight Sparkle was brushing her mane for bed, using her superb magic to control several brushes at once to finish the job quickly. She had some late night reading to do, and by Celestia she'd have the time to do it. Twilight was purple-eyed lavender unicorn with a straight, raven-blue mane streaked with pink and purple. Her cutie mark was a pink star surrounded by a flurry of smaller sparkles. Twilight was the sixth Element of Harmony: Magic. Her skill in the arcane arts was unparalleled, and many would argue that she was the most powerful unicorn-mage in Equestrian history.

"Ouch! Horseapples!"

The most powerful unicorn-mage in Equestrian history had just snagged her mane. She glared at the offending brush with fire in her eyes. "You... what have you done!? For once, I was going to be on schedule for tonight's reading! I had it all planned out! Modern Physics first, followed by a chapter of Shakespony's A Tail of Two Cities!" Nothing gets in the way of Twilight Sparkle when she wants her books.

The brush maintained its composure. Admirable, considering its victim was able to bend solid steel with a thought.

Twilight charged up her magic, considering various ways that the offending hair-care product could be dealt with. Incineration, maybe. Vaporizing? No, too quick. Compression into a singularity? Hmmmm.... now there was a thought. As she was about to unleash her energy, a knock was heard coming from downstairs. She shot the brush a look that could have frozen fire. "You live... For now."

Twilight vacated her bedroom. She passed by her assisstant, a baby dragon named Spike, sleeping in his basket. As she descended the stairs to her door, she had to carefully manuver around towering stacks of books. Living in the library as the town librarian did have its ups and downs. The ups being she had almost unlimited access to whatever book she wanted. The downs being she and Spike had to put them all away again once they were finished with them. Twilight reached the door.

"Yes? Who's there?" she called.

A familiar voice answered, slightly muffled through the door. "A freind in need of some heat and light, on this cold and dreary night."

Twilight smiled. Only one pony spoke like that. She opened the door to greet her friend from the Everfree. "Hello, Zecora! What are you doing out so la-..." She stopped as she saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders standing beside Zecora. "Oh." This should be interesting.

Sweetie Belle took a step forward. "Sorry, Twilight, but we found a pony that's been turned to stone by a cockatrice. We need you to fix him."

Twilight shuddered. She remembered being turned to stone. It had been so unpleasant, that she'd spent countless hours developing a spell to return anypony frozen back to normal. She'd never had the chance to test it. Until now, it seemed. "Well, where is he?"

Zecora pulled a wagon out from around the building. On it was the stone pony. Twilight levitated the statue with her magic and brought it through the doorway. It barely managed to fit through the small entrance. She motioned for Zecora and the Crusaders to come inside. They entered, and Sweetie Belle closed the door behind them.

"Now, care to explain where you found him?"

Scootaloo piped up. "The Everfree Forest!"

Twilight whipped around, concentration suddenly gone. The statue made the library shake when it landed. "You girls went in there again? Don't you remember what happened last time? Fluttershy's chicken coop still has scorch marks!"

The Crusaders grimaced. Fluttershy had given them a Stare that left each with nightmares... for a month.

Zecora interrupted Twilight's rant. "Twilight, you have much to do, to make this pony's heart beat anew!"

Twilight lowered her head bashfully. "Ehehehe... Sorry. I'm a little testy right now."

She turned to the statue so she could examine it closely. Her horn lit up and she swept it over the stone staillion's form. She muttered to herself as she worked. "There is an absolutely enormous amount of magic coming from this guy. Funny, he's an earth pony. Wait... What is THIS?" She stopped her horn over the statue's chest, directly over the bandanna it wore. "This... It's the same magical aura that Princess Luna has. How could you have it, eh?" She talked to it as she paced around. "I think we need to get you out of there right now." She looked over at Zecora and the Crusaders. "Stand back, please. I've never done this before, so I don't know what will happen." Her horn began to glow once again as she powered up. A violet aura enveloped the statue for a few moments, before condensing on its surface momentarily and then sinking deeper. Bright, sparking chinks appeared on the figure's skin, each crack appearing with a sound like a glacier breaking up. Twilight gave out a groan of effort. Her horn suddenly shot out a bolt of energy, slamming into the figure and shattering the stone completely. A dark teal shape flew out of the fractured encasement and hit the wall with a bang before slumping to the ground. Twilight cut off her magic, breathing heavily. She approached the stallion lying on the floor. The side of the dark teal pony rose and fell, but faintly.

"Is he alright, Twilight?" asked Apple Bloom.

"I think so. He's either asleep, or hitting the wall knocked him out. We'll put him on the couch for tonight. Help me move him. This guy is almost as big as your brother, Apple Bloom, and I'm spent on magic for a while."

With much struggling, Twilight, with the help of Zecora and the Crusaders, managed to lay the big stallion down on the couch. Twilight turned to the four, and said, "You all can sleep at the library tonight. I've got some spare pillows and blankets upstairs. We'll all sleep down here, in case he wakes up during the night. I'll send the Princess a letter about this in the morning."

Twilight chuckled a bit as she climbed back up the stairs to fetch the extra bed furnishings. Late night studying? Not in this town...

Author: Whoa! Longest chapter yet! Wrote this one in a day. On an I-pod. Cuz I love you guys. Seriously. I'm gonna love and tolerate the shit outta you. Shoutout to my new editor, Nathan Traveler, author of the critically acclaimed (well, at least by me) Omnius the Travelling Guardian series. Anything to add, Pinkie Pie?

Pinkie Pie: Yup! Have a cupcake!

Yummy! -takes a bite- Oh, these are so good! what did you put... innnntoooo... theeesseeeee....what the.......... -falls to the ground, unconscious-

Pinkie Pie: Just a "dash" of love, silly!

Lol, sorry, couldnt resist some cupcakes.

Full Moon

Note: I do not own My Little Pony.
Fine, Hasbro, be that way. Jerks.

CHAPTER SIX

FULL MOON

Princess Luna looked up from her desk and sighed. Her night sky was magnificent tonight, though she hardly bothered to admire her creation, choosing instead to shut her eyes and rub her temples with her hooves. It was late, and although she tended to follow a nocturnal sleep schedule, tonight's work had left her feeling particularly drained.

Roughly six months had passed since her release from the moon and subsequent redemption at the hooves of the Elements of Harmony. Only recently had her sister, Princess Celestia, allowed her to resume some of her former duties. While Celestia (or "'Tia", as she was affectionately called by her sister) had always preferred being a visible leader, attending banquets, forging treaties, kissing foals, that sort of thing, Luna was always more comfortable with flexing her power from the shadows. Her brilliant mind had recently overhauled the decrepit tax system, drafted out plans for an irrigation system the size of Manehattan, and her most recent project: a categorization of the entire Canterlot library. Celestia had welcomed the change of duties; one thousand years of doing a job meant for two tended to exasperate even the best of ponies. Luna's backstage doings worked to her advantage, too. With the new upgrades to Equestrian legislature and infrastructure, Celestia could focus more on attending to her subjects, promoting the goodwill of the Royal Sisters and ushering in a general feeling of contentment that hadn't been seen in Equestria for hundreds of years.

Princess Luna lightly massaged her head, near the base of her horn. For the past few hours, she'd found herself unable to concentrate. There was a strange sort of something in the air she just couldn't seem to identify. There'd been reports of a tremor near Ponyville, and then she'd detected a spike in magical energy mere moments later. Oddly enough, the source of the power surge had seemed familiar, almost like a long lost friend had her name.

Luna brushed her ever-flowing mane from her face absentmindedly. She'd resolved to leave the matter up to Celestia. After all, her sister had taken a peculiar fondness for that town after sending her prized student, Twilight Sparkle, there to live with the other Elements. Luna looked back down at her desk with distaste.

"Curse this paperwork. It drives me to drink," she thought. She decided to go flying.

After magestically sailing out of her bedroom window, the midnight-blue alicorn unfolded her vast wings to catch the cool night air. Ascending over Canterlot Castle in long, lazy circles, she came to rest on top of the mountain the city had been built on the side of. She liked it here. The mountain's height gave her a commanding view of the land for many leagues. The stars always seemed nicer up here, away from the brightly lit capital of Equestria. Silhouetted against the moon, the Goddess of Night surveyed her jointly-ruled territory. She had been gazing down at the world for a while when she sensed the strange magical tick of energy for the second time that day. She whipped her head towards the direction of the disturbance. From this height, she could just make out the distant lights of the source of the arcane commotion. Ponyville.

Now would be a good time to mention that Alicorns see differently than other ponies. On top of their normal sight, they can use their eyes to actually see magical auras and energies. Magic manifested itself to them in a way one would observe a ripple on a still pond. The difference being for an Alicorn, the pond was space and time.

And there was a VERY big ripple coming from Ponyville.

"I sense a disturbance in the force..." Princess Luna muttered to herself.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Twilight was jerked from sleep by a large crash coming from upstairs. She looked around the room. All the ponies were still sleeping. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were sleeping in a pile of tangled pillows and sheets. The sight was so adorable Twilight had to look away almost immediately or risk burning her retinas. Zecora had fallen asleep in a meditative pose, leaning against one of the bookshelves. The recently thawed stallion was still sprawled on the couch where he'd been dumped, snoring quietly. Where had the noise come from?

"Uh... Twi? The Princess just broke our balcony. She wants to see you." came Spike's hushed voice from upstairs. The Princess? What would she be doing here? Twilight hadn't sent her the letter yet regarding her mysterious guest snoozing on her sofa. Once again maneuvering the treacherous staircase, Twilight entered her bedroom. Spike was standing over by the doorway to the balcony, holding it open. A dark shape had landed heavily on the outside ledge, splintering it slightly. The figure straightened up, and in the moonlight Twilight could make out faint twinkles that shone like stars in Princess Luna's ever-flowing mane. Wait... Princess Luna? Twilight had been expecting Luna's sister and her personal mentor, Princess Celestia.

The Princess spoke up in her Royal Canterlot dialect. "Our apologies, Twilight Sparkle, we are... still a little rusty on our flying skills. Your balcony has proven itself to be quite sturdy, however."

Twilight's face met her hoof with a thick smack. That reaction was becoming almost habitual nowadays. "Err... it's quite alright, Princess. What brings you here tonight?"

"We were observing our lands when we detected a large surge of magical energies from this area. We identified two sources; one being yourself, which is a normal occurrence given your adept skills with the arcane, but the other is unidentified, and even stronger. And..." she pursed her lips momentarily in concentration. "We can still sense it nearby, although quite faintly."

Twilight thought for a moment. "Well, the only magic I've used tonight was a De-stonification Spell, so that must have been what you noticed from me. As to the other source, I may know of what you speak of."

Princess Luna's left eyebrow shot up. "Please, do tell, Twilight Sparkle. A source of magic on this scale could be a major threat to Equestria."

Twilight chuckled a bit. "The 'major threat to Equestria' is passed out on my couch in the library, actually. Sleeping like a foal."

Luna raised her eyebrow even further, imploring Twilight to continue.

"Some fillies from town found a pony frozen by a cockatrice in the Everfree after today's tremor. They brought him back here for me to thaw out. There was something strange about him, however. He seemed to have the same aura as you, Princess."

The Goddess of the Night's eyebrow ascended to stratospheric heights.

"It faded soon after I released him, and he's been unconscious ever since." Twilight carefully left out the part about knocking the poor stallion into her bookshelf at half the speed of sound.

Luna paced around the damaged ledge for a few moments, musing. Twilight wondered who the mysterious guest on her sofa was, for to possess more power than her was strange enough alone, but to be an Earth Pony? They didn't even have any accessible magic. On top of that, his aura was the same as a Goddess.

"Could you... describe to us what this stallion looked like, Twilight Sparkle?" questioned Luna.

"He's very big, almost so much so as Applejack's brother, Big Macintosh." Everypony knew of the massive workhorse down at Sweet Apple Acres. "He's got a dark greenish-bluish coat, brown mane, and his cutie mark is an apple with a horseshoe over it."

Luna stood stock still. Even her mane, the streaming waterfall of a midnight sky, stopped dead. "Was there anything else?" she asked in a small voice.

Twilight was suddenly apprehensive. What was going on here? "Oh... Um, I don't think... Actually, yes."

The Princess' ephemeral mane slowly began to move again.

Twilight continued. "He has a golden bandanna around his neck, and there are four metal bands, really heavy ones, he wears around his hind legs, two on each leg."

At this, Princess Luna's face shifted to surprise, but only for a split second. It quickly settled into an emotion Twilight couldn't identify. "Twilight Sparkle, we will arrange for the other Elements of Harmony to assemble here in the morning. We also would like your permission to spend the night."

The Princess spending a night here? In her library? It wasn't like Twilight could refuse royalty, but she had to wonder why Luna seemed so interested in the recently thawed stallion. "Of course, Princess. I'll get something for you to sleep on. But how are you going to get my friends in the morning if you're sleeping here?"

"We rule over the night, Twilight Sparkle. Ponies dream at night." Luna allotted a small smile at this underestimation of her power.

"Ah. Right. You can influence dreams. Forgot about that." Twilight made a mental note to go over the Royal Sisters' many godlike abilities. There were so many.

She set about getting some more pillows and blankets from the closet. "My, the library has suddenly become quite the place to bed for the night." Twilight thought to herself.

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Celestia's sun shone brightly through the overcast skies. Roughly around nine in the morning, the five other Elements of Harmony all found themselves at the Ponyville library doorstep.

"Why are we here again?" grunted Rainbow Dash, rubbing the sleep from her magenta eyes. Normally in bed till mid-afternoon, the cyan, rainbow-maned Pegasus was having a hard time staying awake.

"I'm not sure, darling. I woke up with the strangest sensation in my hooves, telling me to come to the library. Can't imagine why, though, not much else in there besides dusty old tomes," sniffed Rarity, who was feeling slightly peeved at having her beauty sleep interrupted. "Maybe it's about Sweetie Belle. She left a note at the Carousel yesterday morning before vanishing with her friends. They never came home," she added with a twinge of worry.

"Well that explains where mah sister got off ta," put in Applejack in her usual drawl, adjusting her trademark Stetson to shield her emerald eyes from the morning glare. Her braided golden tail whipped half-heartedly at a fly that had landed on her flank. The orange mare had been up late worrying about her sister, and the paltry few hours of rest she'd finally gotten had not been enough for the hardworking farmpony.

Fluttershy looked out from behind her long, pink mane. "Should we... should we knock? I mean, Twilight's usually up by this time," she murmured softly. Her pale yellow wings ruffled slightly in the gentle breeze. She readjusted them and retreated behind her mane-veil, looking at the ground.

Pinkie Pie was the only one of the group who was showing any excess of energy. But then again, this is Pinkie Pie. Nothing short of a sugar coma would slow this mare down. "I dunno, you guys, but I'm feeling really, really good about today! I woke up and I was all like 'WOW! I LOVE EVERYTHING!', and then I came here and I found you guys here too so that just made everything even better!" She was interrupted by a cyan hoof in her mouth.

"Chill, Pinks, you're going to give me a headache." grumbled Rainbow Dash, removing her hoof from the noise machine that was Pinkie Pie.

A sudden flash behind them caused the five to turn around. Twilight had teleported to them from inside the library, and she'd brought some company. Behind the Ponyville's resident librarian, the Cutie Mark Crusaders stood side by side with Zecora, Spike, and Princess Luna.

Nopony spoke for a full minute. Applejack looked at Princess Luna, then shifted her gaze to the Crusaders. "Tarnation, girls, what didja do now? Ya'll even got the princess involved!"

Rainbow could be heard chuckling softly. "Thats a new record. Good job, you three."

Sweetie Belle hurled herself at Rarity, and the two hugged. Apple Bloom approached Applejack, who glared at her for a few seconds before giving in to the adorable ball of cuteness that is her sister. "Ah can't stay mad at ya. Ah'm jus' glad yer safe now." Scootaloo tackled a sleepy Rainbow Dash in a flying leap. Rainbow was not related to her, but the two were quite close.

Twilight gave the ponies a few moments before speaking up. "Now that we're all gathered, I believe that the Crusaders have a story to tell." The three fillies detached themselves and gathered together in between the two groups. They then recounted the events of the day before, with Zecora adding a verse or two here and there. Princes Luna then explained her presence to the five, ending with her arrival on Twilight's now structurally unsafe balcony.

After all had been told, the Elements of Harmony knew the situation at hoof inwards and outwards. There had been an earthquake yesterday, in which a petrified pony had been uncovered by the shifting earth. The Crusaders had managed, with Zecora's help, to bring the stone stallion to Twilight. Twilight had been able to thaw him out, subsequently releasing a large amount of magic that Princess Luna had honed in on. They now had a large, magically potent, unconscious earth pony with a mysterious connection to a goddess asleep on the couch inside. Just another normal day in Ponyville.

A crash sounded from inside the house, cutting off the wrap up. The group exchanged a look. Their guest was awake. A few more bangs and thumps sounded from the library. Twilight, followed by the others, approached the door cautiously, horn aglow in case the stallion tried anything funny. The library door opened slowly with a creak. A large pile of books had fallen from the shelves, and the couch was overturned. There was no-pony on it. "Where did he go?" said Twilight.

"G'day!" a gruff, strangely accented voice called from above.

The group looked up as one. There, heroically posed upon the chandelier, was the dark teal stallion. He looked down at them seriously, which was quite a feat considering the predicament he was in.

"Any 'o ya lovely sheilas mind tellin' me where the bathroom is? I've a piss in the tank that'll raise the oceans."

Author: Ay carumba! And, YES, Princess Luna is a fan of Star Wars. (or whatever the MLP equivalent is called). Makes sense, if you think about it... I just love cliffhangers, don't you? Now that our hero is awake, the debauchery shall begin! Allons-y!

Coming of Age

Note: I do not own My Little Pony.
I think Hasbro gets some kind of sick satisfaction every time I have to say that. Bastards.

CHAPTER SEVEN

COMING OF AGE

The Cutie Mark Crusaders, the Elements of Harmony, one zebra mystic, one baby dragon, and the Goddess of the Night milled around the inside of Ponyville's library. The stallion, once a hoof had been pointed towards the toilet, had neatly dismounted from the chandelier with a double backflip spin that even Rainbow Dash had been impressed by, trotted off to the bathroom, and promptly proceeded to open the floodgates on one thousand years worth of bladder buildup.

"Oooooooooooooooohhhhhh yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaah..." came the relieved moan from behind the closed door.

Everypony blushed and tried to pretend they hadn't heard that, besides Spike, who, being the only male in the group, was cracking up hysterically.

"Err... So, Princess," Twilight tried to lessen the awkward atmosphere. "Last night you gave me the impression that you've met this pony before."

Princess Luna nodded, eyes misting up with faraway memories. "The pony you just saw is called by the full name of Sir Buck Apple. But he prefers to be called 'Buckshot'. He and I have a bit of a... history."

Several eyebrows raised in a mix of disbelief, humor, and shock.

The Princess immediately understood what the others were thinking. "Oh, no! Not like that. We would never consort with a married pony in such a manner."

Rarity, who's ears had perked up at the mention of this pony's prestigious title of a knight, now looked downcast. "He's married, is he then?"

Luna's demeanor turned downcast. "Not anymore," she simply said.

"What do you mean by that?" Twilight spoke up.

"Sir Apple has been away for a long, long time."

Applejack's eyes narrowed. "How long wuz that, Princess?"

Luna turned away from the others and stared out the window at Ponyville. A light drizzle had begun to fall outside. "He vanished roughly two months before we fell to the corruption of Nightmare Moon. We had no idea where he'd gone, and a great search was called up. We regret not searching harder, for his presence during these times may have spared us a millenia of imprisonment."

Silence fell the thick across the room. The muffled sound of a toilet flushing could be heard.

"That was over a thousand years ago," Luna murmured softly. "Almost everypony he knew has long since passed on by now. Including his wife and daughter."

"Uhm, excuse me," Fluttershy broke in gently. "Is there any way that we could, you know, send him back?"

Luna turned from the window to look at Fluttershy. "No." It was barely a whisper.

A new voice sounded, gravelly and oddly accented. "Righto, g'day everypony. Apologies for the odd first impressions and all that, but when a bloke has to go, he has to go."

The group turned to the source of the voice to see Sir Buck Apple stepping into the library, visibly more relaxed than before. The ancient knight trained his gaze over the room, taking in his surroundings with a trained gaze. His ocean eyes finally settled on the Princess. "Allo, Luna! Fancy meeting you here! We gonna have that discussion about the you-know-what now?"

The Princess shook her head slowly. "No, Sir Apple, we have something much more grave to discuss with you than before," She turned to the group assembled in the library. "Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Apple Bloom, please stay here with us. Everypony else, we must ask that you leave for a time. We shall send for you once we are done here." The zebra, baby dragon, and other ponies filed out of the library in a colorful yet somber line.

"Huh, they all look like they caught the business end of the frowning-fever," Buckshot said wryly.

Luna went into the kitchen, followed by the others. "Twilight, is it possible to have some tea prepared for everypony?"

Twilight nodded and set about the task of heating up the teakettle.

Applejack spoke up. "Uh, Princess, Ah wuz-"

"Call us Luna, please, fair Applejack."

"Sorry, uh, Luna, but ya see, Ah wuz wonderin' why ya asked me an' mah sister to be here fer this."

Buck's eye's widened, noticing the two Apple sisters for the first time. "Oi, you sound like somepony I know. I like the hat, by the way," he said, staring at Applejack. His gaze shifted to Apple Bloom. "And you look like somepony I know, too. Come to think of it, botha' you sheilas seem a mite familiar. What did ya say yer names were?"

"Jackie Apple, but Ah'd prefer it if ya called me Applejack."

"Mah name's Apple Bloom, sir. Pleased ta meet ya!"

"You're both Apples?"

"Eeyup!" came the simultaneous reply.

The knight looked at the pair quizzically. "How is that? Last time I checked, the only three living members of the Apple family were me, my lovely wife, Leafdapple, and my daughter, Apple Blossom."

Princess Luna interrupted the conversation. "Sir Apple, do you happen to remember what occurred to you right before you woke up here?"

Buckshot thought for a moment, before shaking his great head. "Not entirely, Luna. I was in the Everfree, lookin' for somethin'. I can't remember what it was though, for the life of me. Then... everythin' gets blurry. I think I was runnin' somewhere, and then poof! 'Ere I am wakin' up in a library, of all places, havin' ta piss like the dickens. Where is this library, anyway? The Palace? Canterlot?"

Apple Bloom answered his question. "Yer in the Ponyville town library, Mr. Apple!"

The dark teal stallion snorted in amusement. "Mister Apple was my father. I'm not that old yet, so you can call me Buckshot, iffin' you'd like. As for bein' in Ponyville, that ain't possible."

Twilight sat down at the table, placing several mugs of herbal tea that had been sweetened with honey in front of the various ponies sitting there. "Why is that, Sir Buck?"

"Because I've been diggin' the foundations for the town library for the past few weeks with some mates from the village. We haven't even begun building it yet. So I know this can't be Ponyville when you say we're in a library."

Twilight winced slightly, remembering the size of the time difference that was present here. But she also couldn't help but be a little awestruck. The stallion sitting at her table had dug the foundations to her home over a thousand years prior. She'd no idea the library was that old.

The Princess spoke up again. "Sir Apple, do you know what a cockatrice is?"

"Aye. Nasty buggers they are. Look 'em in the eye, and they turn ya to stone. Then they drag ya off to their hollow to use like some kinda trophy for attractin' mates, or something like that. 'Orrible way to go out, if ya ask me," Buckshot scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Why do ya ask, Luna?"

Luna gazed down at the table as if it had challenged her to a stare-off. She decided to be blunt about it; Buck would appreciate that eventually. "You were frozen by one," No response came from the dark teal knight, so she continued. "This filly here," she motioned to Apple Bloom with her hoof, who smiled at bit at being recognized by a princess. "And two of her friends, retrieved you from the cockatrice's den in the Everfree Forest, which has been recently exposed by an earthquake. They brought you here with the help of the zebra who was present earlier. Twilight here," she gestured to the lavender unicorn. "Performed Equestria's very first revival from petrification on you." She ran out of words at this point, electing instead to fix Buckshot with her midnight-blue eyes.

Buckshot's face held a spot-on impersonation of a member of the Royal Guard, revealing no emotion whatsoever. He did not say a word. Slowly, he got up from the table and went into the main library area. Exchanging a look, the others rose to follow. They found him looking out the same window Luna had been earlier. The knight said nothing, only continued to look out on to Ponyville.

Applejack started forward. "Look, uh, Buckshot-"

Buckshot silenced her with a raised hoof. He didn't even bother to glace in the her direction; his eyes were fixed on the outside world.

"If it were anypony else sayin' that, Luna, I'd have called 'em loony. But I know you'd never fool around on something like this, so I have no choice but to believe you."

Nopony moved, or spoke for a good five minutes.

In a calm, yet tired, voice, he finally offered a few words. "So that's Ponyville." It was more of a statement than a question.

Princess Luna joined him by the window. "It is."

"And this is the town library."

"Yes."

Silence.

"So then I'm guessing I've been away for quite a spell, then."

"Yes. One thousand years, to be exact."

Silence.

"So that means..."

"Yes. They are."

Silence.

"Did they go out happy, at least?"

"We know not. Our sister was present at the time, but we were not."

"You'll have to tell me about that sometime."

"We will."

Silence.

"I had grandfoals, didn't I."

"You did."

Silence.

"And they had grandfoals."

"Yes."

"And so on?"

"And so on."

Silence.

"So those two behind us are..."

"They are."

"So that means..."

"The farm is still there. They never left it."

Buckshot turned toward the two Apple sisters. They held his gaze evenly, a mixture of curiosity, respect, and pity visible in their eyes. He spoke to them gently. "I helped build this town. I raised the first wall, set the first brick, reaped the first harvest, and danced in the first storm with my family," he paused. A tear collected in his left eye as he remembered. He brushed it away quickly. "But those days ended eons ago. Ponyville carried on. My wife and child carried on. You two are the latest in what is now, at least to me, a long line of noble ponies that was created over a thousand years ago. I am proud to call both of ya my family. You kept up a tradition of growin' the land for food, and providin' for others. I know that ya don't know me very well, but I feel like I can ask ya for a favor."

"What do you need, Mister Buck?" asked Apple Bloom softly. Applejack sniffled.

Buckshot gave a small smile that failed to reach his eyes. He stepped up to Apple Bloom, towering over her. His presence conveyed no threat, however. Instead, Buck reached down, picked Apple Bloom up by the scruff of her neck, and set her gently on his back, her giggling slightly all the while. He then turned to Applejack and swallowed her in an emotional hug, which she returned. He released her and backed a few steps.

"You can call me 'Uncle' Buck, if ya like. I need you ta take me home. I'd like to be with my family again."

Author: I felt bad about leaving off on the last chapter, so I wrote this one in two hours right after the last one was published. I plan on releasing at least once a day at my fastest pace. Hope you like it, I'm new to writing in such a way that people are saddened. Tips and criticism welcome.

An Overdue Homecoming

Note: I do not own My Little Pony.
Honestly, I'm getting tired of having to admit that.

CHAPTER EIGHT

AN OVERDUE HOMECOMING

A steady drizzle was falling over Ponyville. If one looked carefully, and from a distance, it would appear that a faint mist had covered the town, blurring straight lines of architecture and softening the sharp corners. The thatched-roof buildings took the rain in with a muffled, stacatto rapport that faded into the background. The cobblestones produced a static-like hiss as the soft sheets poured down from above. Streams of clear rainwater collected at the sides of streets and in various depressions, funneling through grated sewer entrance ways.

At the Ponyville town library, Twilight sat watching the fat drops of water plummet from the leafless, overhanging boughs of the tree-building from the kitchen window. Princess Luna joined her at the table a while ago. Neither pony spoke; both had too much to think about. The mugs of tea in front of their hooves had long since grown cold. They sat alone in the kitchen, as Applejack and her sister, Apple Bloom, had departed with their recently thawed forebear from a thousand years ago to Sweet Apple Acres to show him what his former abode had become.

In the library, the other Elements of Harmony and the remaining Cutie Mark Crusaders were keeping busy, making small talk, playing games, or browsing Twilight's extensive collection of knowledge. Princess Luna had summoned them once the Apples had left. They had then been filled in on what had happened after they had exited the library earlier to give the Twilight, Luna, and the Apples some space. At this point, all were simply staying indoors, reluctant to venture out into the rain or depart from where their friends were.

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The downpour had caught the Apples halfway to Sweet Apple Acres. Electing instead to continue on rather than seek shelter, the three plodded gamely on down the path to home through the rain. Apple Bloom walked beneath her new uncle's massive frame, taking advantage of the moving dry spot the stallion created. The dark teal knight had acknowledged her presence by widening his legs slightly and slowing his long stride, accommodating the small filly seeking shelter from the weather like a tiny plane might be housed in a hangar used to store passenger jets. Applejack was walking on the right, her hat tilted down to prevent any rain from getting in her eyes.

Buck's mane was plastered to his skin, but that didn't bother him. The rain felt soothing. It was like somepony had rubbed him with mint leaves and sprinkled a mist over his coat. He felt strangley aware of himself, feeling each individual drop as it impacted against his large body. Buckshot had always loved the rain. He loved any kind of weather where other ponies opted to stay inside. He remembered how he had spent days like that with his long-dead family. The Apples of ancient times had lounged on the porch of the ranch home when the weather prevented them from working, watching the world go by. Actually, Buckshot had never stayed on the porch, he preferred sitting out from under the roof, letting the snow, rain, or wind, buffet him like a welcome breeze in the middle of summer. His wife had never understood why he did that, and often scolded him fiercely when he came back inside. But she always had a hot bowl of soup and a towel to accompany the verbal lashing. Buck had loved that the most about his wife. She knew he'd come back inside because he'd missed her company, not because he couldn't take the weather.

But now she's gone. For one thousand bloody years she's been six feet under.

Apple Blossom had joined him out in the weather sometimes. He could remember the feeling of her sitting next to him, her small body a prick of heat pressing up against his side.

Blossie always knew what I needed. Sometimes before I needed it.

But they're both gone now.

He looked at Applejack, striding along next to him, focused on the path ahead. She had the same stubborn glint in her eyes as Leafdapple. Buckshot could tell that trying to win an argument with this mare could only result in failure. He stopped looking at his orange coated descendant to glance down at Apple Bloom, walking underneath him. Apple Bloom noticed him looking at her and smiled.

Crikey. She smiles like Blossie. The apple never falls far from the tree, eh?

Buckshot chuckled quietly at his joke, returning the smile warmly before looking back up at the road passing by. His hooves made thick, muffled thuds on the wet dirt path. The trio had made it out of Ponyville by this time. Buckshot could remember the way to the farm, the route hadn't changed very much in in the milennia he'd been gone.

Right, should be right around this hill. I wonder if the house is still there, or if it's been replaced by-

Buckshot's thoughts were interrupted as he came within view of Sweet Apple Acres. He stopped dead in his tracks. Apple Bloom carried on a few steps further before realizing that her cover had vanished. She emitted a cute little squeak of surprise as the rain claimed another victim before scurrying back underneath the oldest Apple.

Before him sprawled several acres of farmland, slightly hazy due to the drizzle. Apple trees beyond number stood tall in neat rows that stretched off into the distance. It was winter, so Buckshot could see the leafless knobbly branches stretching up in salute to the sky. Never having seen this amount of growth before, he was speechless. The orchard he'd established back in his time had contained only fifty trees. This orchard easily contained thousands.

Applejack noticed his astonishment with a proud grin. "We like t' plant a few more every year. Been at it fer a while, as ya can see."

Buck nodded, and with his vast intelligence and education, replied in the most dignified manner he could muster. "That's a lot of trees."

Apple Bloom could be hear slamming her hoof to her face from underneath her uncle.

The trio walked through the orchard, Applejack filling Buckshot in on some recent family history. The droplets of water raining down on them were thick and fat, due to the overhanging tree branches providing many places for droplets to collect. They eventually emerged from the rows to be greeted with the current Apple family ranch house.

It was a lot bigger than Buck's house. The home was three stories tall, and painted a rough burgundy color that Buck assumed had originally been red. A puff of smoke was coming out of it's ramshackle chimney. It had a large wraparound porch in the front. Buck particularly liked the new porch. It put his old one to shame. A cavernous red barn stood off to the side of the house, and a tall silo could be seen poking out from behind it.

"Good onya, I like what you've done with the place," complimented Buckshot.

"Thanks, we here at the Acres put a lotta hard work into what yer seein' now," Applejack pulled ahead towards the house. "C'mon, ya'll need t' be introduced to the rest of yer kin."

"More? Crikey, I thought it was just you two lovely sheilas."

Applejack laughed. "There's many, many more. We'll show ya at th' family reunion in a few months. But as fer those of here at Sweet Apple Acres... Trust me when Ah say this, there's no way in hay we could run this here place without the ponies yer about t' meet."

Curiosity aroused, Buck followed her close behind, Apple Bloom keeping pace beneath. When they reached the porch, she moved off to Buck's right, behind Applejack.

Applejack reached the front door and held it open. "Welcome home, Uncle Buck!"

With a deep breath, the oldest Apple stepped through the threshold of his family's abode for the first time in a millennium. He was greeted by the sight of a large eating room, faded wood paneling the floor. The walls were of an indiscriminate cream coloration, but it seemed faintly green to him. Sitting smack dab in the center of the room was a large slab of a tree trunk, nicked and scored by generations of Apples eating on it. Buck walked up to the slab and rubbed his hoof on it tenderly. He bent his great head down and took a whiff of the scarred wood.

Pine. Well, at least the bloody table's still here.

He turned to Applejack and Apple Bloom, and pointed at the slab. "I made that," he said proudly. Apple Bloom gazed at the table with a new found reverence. She'd no idea it was that old.

Applejack grinned. "There's a lotta good memories mah family and Ah have had at that there table. Speakin' of them, lemme fetch 'em." She headed out of the room, and the sound of hooves on stairs could be heard as she climbed upwards to fetch the rest of her kin to meet their newest (and oldest) member. Apple Bloom bounced out after her sister.

Buck suddenly had doubts. What if they didn't believe Applejack? What if they didn't like him? He began to pace, looking down at the floor.

If somethin' like this had happened to me, I don't think I would've believed it. I'd probably 'ave sent that poor sot who claimed it to the loony bin, wrapped in a happyjacket.

Buck continued to look down, increasing the speed of his pacing.

There's so much I've missed out on. How could they accept me with that in mind?

His train of thought was interrupted when he crashed into a certain red workhorse. Both stallions sat down hard. Buck looked at him hard, and was astounded. The red pony looked almost exactly like him. They both stared at each other in shocked silence. The red reflection eventually stood up and offered him a hoof. Buck accepted, and stood up face to face with him. They were almost the same height, although the scarlet mountain had a few inches on him, Buck was slightly more toned.

The dark teal knight broke the awkward silence. "Er.... G'day. Name's Buckshot Apple." He extended his hoof.

Buck's counterpart shook his hoof forcibly. "Big Macintosh. Yer an Apple?" he asked in a slow, laconic drawl.

Buck was still in shock, so he answered with a weak "...Eeyup."

Big Macintosh's ears laid back in amusement. "Ah c'n tell."

"I'm, uh, a bit of a..." Buck searched for the right word. "... a distant relative."

"Ya look like ya could be mah brother, providin' Ah ever had one."

"I'm a little older than that, mate..."

Big Macintosh's eyebrows rose, but he said nothing. Buckshot liked this one. A stallion of few words.

Applejack returned to the room, followed by her sister. "Granny's still sleeping, so... Oh! Ah see ya met Big Macintosh!" She walked up to the big stallion and threw a hoof around his neck. "This here's mah brother, the proud owner of Sweet Apple Acres! Big Mac, this here's the one and only, Sir Buck Apple!"

Big Macintosh's eyes flew open. "THE Buck Apple? AJ, Ah know yer the element of honesty and everythin', but that's a little hard t' believe. Buck Apple wuz the original owner of this here farm, an' that was hundreds and hundreds of years ago. That'd mean this feller here is over a thou-"

"Don't use yer fancy mathematics t' muddle the issue!" Applejack butted in. "Ah think we need to have a talk about this. Uncle Buck, Apple Bloom, lets take a seat around th' table. Ah think we got a story fer mah brother here."

And so, the Apples sat around the table and recited the events of Buckshot's unfortunate circumstance. It was long into the night by the time they finished, but Big Macintosh was now up to date, and more importantly, just as welcoming to Buck as his sisters had been. He offered Buckshot a room, which Buck gratefully accepted. The Apples, now with their newest member, went upstairs to bed. Buck was shown into the first room on the left. It was a spare bedroom, with aging wallpaper and a lumpy bed, but to the dark teal knight it looked like paradise after the long and eventful day.

The second his head hit the pillow, he was fast asleep, entering the shifting world of dreams...

...Where a certain midnight-blue alicorn was patiently waiting for him.

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He was floating, that much was sure. A strange, dark void surrounded him like a black velvet screen. His immediate surrounds were impossible to decipher. Translucent, smokey images of places and things flickered by. Things he had no name for, and places he'd never been. He glanced down, to find that his body had vanished, replaced by a dimly glowing vapor.

Ugh. It's been a while since we've done this, Luna. Gimme a sec ta get me bearings.

A monolithic shape cut through the fog. It reared up before him, dwarfing the little puff of smoke many times over. Black as pitch, with the exception for two humongous eyes that housed the reflection of a full moon, the leviathan's figure emerged into the visage of the Princess of the Night. From her head came her mane, that starry waterfall which shimmered lazily in some unknown breeze.

Greetings, Sir Apple. We have much to discuss with you in the following days to come. The voice shook the very substance of the realm.

Well, you know where ta find me. I'll be waiting for you, yer Highness.

Do not address us in such a way. You have proven yourself to be far above one of our mere subjects. You were our first real friend, sir knight, and your company served to stave off a fate almost worst than death.

I'm not sure what you mean by that. The only thing I can think of that's worse than kickin' the bucket is being taken away from everythin' you ever loved for a thousand years.

You were not the only one who served an involuntary exile.

I think you need to explain yerself, right now.

This recounting will take some time, Sir Apple.

We've got till mornin' Luna. And it's not like I'm goin' to be dissapearin' anytime now, either.

Very well. It all began after your disappearance. Our descent into jealousy began to accelerate...

Author: BUM BUM BUMMMMMMM!
Oh, this is just too much fun, you know? Cliffhanger after cliffhanger... Anyway, I have a surprise for every pony on Christmas day! be sure to check in for a special chapter...

Second Chances

Note: I do not own My Little Pony.
No comment. Surprised?

CHAPTER TEN

SECOND CHANCES

Roughly two weeks after the Hearth's Warming party, life at Sweet Apple Acres had drifted back into the backbreaking routine common on most Equestrian farms. The Apples would usually rise with the sun to complete the morning chores, while either Big Macintosh or Applejack stayed indoors to get a hearty breakfast going. By the time the chores were done, there were usually a piping hot stack of cinnamon flapjacks waiting as a well deserved reward. The Apple family's newest addition had already established himself to have the appetite so common with his kin, and sometimes out-ate Big Macintosh himself, a commendable feat. After breakfast, Apple Bloom went off to school, escorted by one of her elders. This usually meant that for a while there was only one pony out in the fields, but Buckshot's recent addition to the roster tended to speed things up. The stallion often worked so hard that Applejack often found herself with nothing to do at this time, something the orange farm-pony hadn't experienced since she was a filly.

Today, Big Macintosh was taking Apple Bloom to school, so she found herself alone on the farm with Buckshot and Granny Smith. Once again, the morning chores had been finished, and Buck was nearly done with the work that needed to be done before lunch. Applejack couldn't help but be amazed by the the stallion's strength and speed. Jobs that had taken her an hour tended to take him less than half that time. She was concerned for him, however. Lately, he'd been pushing himself harder and harder in the fields, plowing, clearing the snow, and hauling carts of goods as if his life depended on it. Applejack resolved to confront him about it. She could tell when something was bothering a pony, and, as usual, her instincts served her right. She found him out behind the barn, strapped to a train of no less than five wagons packed full of apples, his head lowered as he plodded his way to the silo to store the apples for the winter.

She wedged a hoof in front of one of the wheels, halting the motion of the train like a stick being shoved into the spokes of a bicycle. "Uncle Buck, Ah think we need t' have a little talk, ya hear?"

Her uncle looked up from the ground suddenly, as if he'd been caught daydreaming in class. "What's goin' on, Applejack?"

Applejack walked up to him and looked him in the eye, her emerald green gaze boring into his calm face. "Ah'm noticin' that ya'll've been workin' like a madpony. Ya just plowed the back field in record time, and now Ah find ya out here, cartin' five wagons of apples to the silo."

His expression didn't change. "And?"

Applejack chuckled a little. "Big Mac can barely do two at once. You've more than doubled that."

Buck looked at her strangely. "Then... you want me ta slow it down a mite, then?"

"Not exactly. See, Ah've noticed that ya only work like this when somethin's got yer tail."

"So?"

"So, Ah think somethin's botherin' ya, and Ah also think that aren't movin' another hoof 'till Ah know what it is." Her words were final. Applejack's word was law on this farm.

Sadly, Buck followed his own laws. With a small grunt, he got the train moving again and mumbled something, avoiding her eyes with a lowered head. Applejack refused to give up. She placed herself directly in front of him, forcing him to stop once again or risk running over her.

"Look, AJ, I just don't wanna talk about it, savvy?" he said with a sigh.

"No, Ah do not. Spill it, buster."

He said nothing for a while, simply standing there, a pained expression on his face. Applejack thought he looked like he was deciding whether to jump off a bridge, or stick his neck onto the railroad tracks. Finally, a large puff of steam came from his nose. "I don't feel like I belong here." he said slowly.

Applejack had no idea what that meant. "Whaddaya mean by here, exactly?"

Buck gestured in a wide circle. "The farm. Sweet Apple Acres. I don't feel like this is my home."

"Yer actual home was here a long time ago, so I can imagine why ya'd think that."

He snorted. "Not like that. I've got a family here, too, so I don't feel alone. It's different," he searched for the words to accurately convey himself. "...it's like this isn't what I should be doing."

"Like, ya shouldn't be workin' on the farm?"

He winced, as if he'd been hit with a sharp pebble in the eye. "Aye. That's it."

Applejack was suprised by this. Every Apple since, well, him, had always spent their life working the land. Her uncle looked right and left, like he was checking to see if anypony was around, before leaning in close to her. "Can I tell you somethin'? It might be a bit of a shocker, though," he said quietly.

"Uhh... sure?"

"I've never liked farming. Not one bit. It's so bloody tedious, you know? I only really started this place up because it was the only thing I'd known. My father was a farmer, and he taught everything he knew to me. I passed that on, and, well, what do you know, here we are!"

Applejack was almost speechless. "But, yer an Apple! Yer the Apple! How could ya not like what ya do? Ya'll got an apple cutie mark, fer Celestia's sake!"

"That doesn't mean I'm into apples. I got my mark for protecting my family with the strength of my two back hooves." He shook each leg as he mentioned them.

Applejack started pacing. "So... If ya don't wanna be here, why didn't ya just say so?"

Buckshot's face turned downcast, guilt in his eyes. "Look at all I've been able to do around here. Two weeks, and yer almost a month and a half ahead of schedule. I might not like doing this, but I'm far too good at it to just stop helpin' my family."

At this, Applejack's pride flared up. "We wuz gettin' along just fine 'afore ya showed up! Ya never had t' do this much fer us in the first place!" she spat angrily.

Her uncle's ears fell flat against his head. "What else am I supposed to do? I can't just sit around all day while my family works."

Applejack calmed herself down. She had had no idea that this was what was going on inside his head. She decided on a different approach to the dilemma. "Well... what have ya always wanted t' do?"

Buck looked like he was going to say something, then paused. "Nopony's ever really asked me that before. I honestly don't know how ta answer that'un." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Never had a chance ta find out, either. I've been a farmer and a knight, but I can't say I liked either o' those things very well. I don't like fighting. Only do it iffin' its necessary."

Applejack unhooked him from the cart. He didn't try to stop her. She signaled him to follow her, which he did, his long strides easily setting the pace. "Ah think ya should git the chance t' find out, sugarcube. Everypony deserves t' find something that they love t' do. There's probably somethin' fer you t' do in town, if ya'll would check and see." They passed around the front of the house and began walking through the barren orchard in the direction of Ponyville. "Tell ya what," Applejack continued. "Why don't ya stay in town fer a while? Until you find yer callin' and whatnot."

Buckshot shot her a worried glance. "What about the farm?"

She chuckled at this. "Ya'll said it yerself, we're already a month and a half ahead of schedule. Ah think we'll be fine at the Acres fer a while."

He digested this information slowly. Applejack swore she could hear the gears turning in that great big head of his. Here was a chance for him to finally discover his true calling. He could be anything he wanted.

Finally, he spoke up. "Fine. But only for a month. I've got enough bits to buy half the houses in town, finding a place to kip for the night won't be too much of a problem. But if I can't find something in that time, I'll be staying here at the farm," he paused for emphasis. "For good."

Applejack gave him a hug. "Now git goin'." She swatted him affectionately with her tail. Buck laughed and continued onward down the path out of the orchard. Applejack stayed where she was to watch him go, until he was a dark speck cresting the final hill out of the farm in the distance.

She noticed, somewhat bittersweetly, that never once did he look back.

Author: Righto, short chapter, but necessary to set up the rest of the story. Anyway, I think I'll be introducing a central antagonist once I find a way to fit one into the plot. Like the yin to Buck's yang. The plot, by the way, I make up as I go, and usually my mind works faster than I can type. Hence, weird shit is in store for the future.

Hell's Kitchen

Note: I do not own My Little Pony. Wrote this chapter on my Ipod, so it might be a little hairy.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

HELL'S KITCHEN

Ponyville, though a rather small town, was known for having a large amount of activity. Under the noonday sun, vendors hawked their wares, schoolfoals dashed around underfoot, and a rainbow plethora of ponies went about their business. The residents often tended to avoid the hustle and bustle of the central market row, however, preferring to keep to the multitude of small, gardened squares and shadier side streets that branched off of Stirrup Street. The vast multitude of ponies trotting along Stirrup were actually tourists who had fallen in love with Ponyville's quaint charm and the occasional wanderer who found themselves in need of supplies and a pit stop.

As a particularly large dark teal stallion worked his way through the crowd, he couldn't help but feel amazed. He adjusted the old Stetson on his head thoughtfully as he looked around.

This is what it's like nowdays? Crikey, this is almost what the old Royal Palace town used to be.

Buckshot hadn't been into town since the day he'd woken up at the library. Even then, it'd been raining out, so nopony was outside, and he'd taken the back roads, so he'd never actually been into the center of Ponyville until now. All of his free time had been spent at Sweet Apple Acres. Now that he had left to find his own calling, though, he needed a place to start. Might as well look in the town he'd helped build with his own two hooves all those years ago.

I need somewhere to kip for the night.

On the side of the road, he noticed a familiar red giant behind a vending cart stacked high with apples. Grinning, he approached his kin. "G'day, Big Mac! How's the business today?"

Big Macintosh or his sister often took the cart into town on nice days like this to make a haul of extra bits. Usually the ponies that sampled some of Sweet Apple Acres delectable fruit came back for seconds, sometimes even thirds. The small, but smug smile on the stallion's normally laconic features indicated that so far today had been quite profitable. After seeing his uncle approach, he tossed him an apple. "Not too bad," he answered in his usual slow drawl.

Buck caught it and trotted around behind the cart and leaned up against a nearby building, out of the way of the passing crowd. He began munching the apple. "Say, ya happen ta know where I might be able to buy or rent a place to sleep for a few weeks?"

Macintosh nodded, but he clearly had a question on his mind. "Eeyup."

His uncle took another bite of the apple. "I know what your're gonna ask, mate. I'm tryin' ta find me own way in life. Gonna start lookin' around town for a job."

The red giant closed his eyes for a moment in thought. "There's a place over by Sugarcube Corner that's been up fer sale fer a while now. Ah reckon yer bits'll be welcome iffin' that's where ya decide t' go." He adjusted the sprig of hay that constantly seemed to be in his mouth. "But Ah dunno. Pinkie Pie lives next door. That could be a lil' problematic."

Buck had to think for a moment. Pinkie Pie was one of Applejack's friends, also one of the Elements of Harmony that had saved Equestria twice in recent times; once from Nightmare Moon, and again from the malevolent spirit of chaos, Discord.

I've heard some pretty whacko things about that'un. Good thing I like crazy.

Resolving to check this place out first, he got directions from his kin and said farewell. Buck's stride lengthened almost unconsciously as he strode down the road. For some reason, he felt on top of the world. His head bobbed a beat only he could hear as he sauntered along. A large grin was plastered to his face, eyes half closed, as he imagined the possibilities ahead of him.

What could I be? I could resume my duties as Champion, I supose, but the mayor might not like it if I bump her out.

Now there was a thought. A champion could only leave office if they died. Buck hadn't exactly died when he'd vanished one thousand years ago. Technically, he was still in charge of Ponyville.

Nah, I'm sure Celestia has taken that little rule out by now. Besides, what with all the weird stuff that pops up around this place, I'd have to bloody up my hooves more than I'd like... which is not at all. I'll leave it ta AJ and her friends. They seem capable enough. Especially that purple one. What was her name again? Twilight? Nice mare. Clopping powerful magic user.

His thoughts turned into a tailspin as he rounded the final bend on his way. Sugarcube Corner loomed in front of him, a marvel of all things delicious. The building was constructed normally, at least from the roof down. The roof itself was made of what appeared to be giant slabs of gingerbread, covered with frosting and sprinkles. The top of the building was crested with a two-floor tower capped in a roof that caused the structure to look like a humongous cupcake.

All in all, Buck got extremely hungry just looking at the place.

I wonder if that roof is actually made of gingerbread...

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Pinkie Pie was thrown from her dangerous perch atop the stool when a large bang shook Sugarcube Corner. She had been trying to reach the jar of cookies that the Cakes kept for snacking. The pink party pony picked herself off the floor. "Wow!" she said to herself. "That was COOL! I wonder what that was, though. I don't think there are supposed to be any earthquakes today..," abruptly, she froze as various parts of her body twitched and spasmed. When the fit had passed, she narrowed her eyes into a dangerous expression.

"Somepony's eating my house!" she growled. Pinkie Pie produced a bright yellow cannon from behind her back. "Only I get to do that!"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Buck was in heaven. After jumping up to the roof with his powerful back legs, he had made a discovery worthy of the history books. Sugarcube Corner was made out of food. And it was GOOD. One small test lick had turned into several small bites... which had turned into several large mouthfulls. The roof now sported a comical assortment of bite marks.

"Uuuggggghhh," he moaned as he took another bite of roof, his mouth full of food. "Thif if fffoooooo goood!"

His culinary pleasure was rudely interrupted as the roof around him sudden exploded into a conflagration of light, noise, and confetti, and he collapsed into the building below. Buck let out a very un-stallion like yelp as he hit the floor with a loud, wet smack. He looked up from where his face had left a reasonably good impression off himself in the tiled floor. He noticed his hat lying nearby, so he rolled over and put it back on his head. His bandanna was slightly singed. Taking in his surroundings, he immediately froze. He was in a kitchen, there were delicious pieces of roof lying everywhere, and a decidedly ticked-off looking Pinkie Pie with straight hair was looking at him threateningly from down the smoking barrel of the the most intimidating yellow cannon Buck had ever seen. He held up a chunk of gingerbread sheepishly. "Want some?"

Pinkie Pie's stare was almost as bad as the cockatrice's.

"Errr... guess not. G'day, Missus Pie. 'Ow are ya on this fine winter day?"

The reply's tone was cold, the words colder still. "I was okie-dokie-lokie, but then somepony decided to have snacktime on my roof. Without asking."

Buck gave out a nervous chuckle. "Well, I hope you catch 'em. Nasty business, those types of ponies. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I hear me laundry callin'..," he attempted to rise, only to be greeted with the muzzle of the cannon being pressed into his face.

"You don't wear clothes."

The stallion who had faced down a manticore, an ursa minor, a tournament of champions, and several extremely nasty diaper changes had never felt more afraid in all his life.

So this is all how it ends? Might as well apologize before I go out - preserve what shred of dignity I have left.

"Look, I'm sorry I was eatin' your roof. It just looked so good from outside, and frankly I happen ta luv gingerbread. I can pay for the damage, too," he pointed up to the large, smoking hole in the roof above them.

Suprisingly, Pinkie Pie lowered the party cannon. "It IS pretty good, isnt it?" she asked brightly.

Buckshot was completely dumbstruck by her sudden change in attitude.

"I mean, sometimes after my shift's over I go up there and eat a few bites. I like the frosted bits!" Pinkie helped the confounded stallion to his hooves. Her hair had returned to its poofy state by this time. She took the piece of roof that Buck had offered her earlier from his hoof and popped it into her mouth. "The Cakes really know how to cook a good roof!"

The ancient knight brushed off some crumbs from his mane, still not believing he had come that close to a confetti filled death and escaped. He glanced up to the masssive hole in the roof. The edges of the gap were blacked to a crisp. Faint traces of smoke leaked out of the particularly burnt patches.

How in Celestia's mane did I survive that? More importantly, where the clop did she get a bloody cannon?

The ring of a bell coming from the store area of the house put that last thought on hold. The pink baker bounced into the store room, followed cautiously by a still shell-shocked Buck. The storefront of Sugarcube Corner was typical in its furnishings; a few tables and seats for ponies eating inside, a throw rug or two to spice things up. However, it was the merchandise that really held the title of centerpiece here. A glass counter housed a plethora of baked delicacies ranging from the simple to the ludicrous. Simple chocolate chip cookies fought side by side with quadruple-layered cakes for the attention of potential buyers. There were colors of frosting under the glass that Buck had no name for, such was the incredible display.

Eyeing a particularly delicious looking set of puffy concoctions was a gray Pegasus mare with blond hair and golden, crossed eyes, and several bubbles adorning her flank for a cutie mark. She looked up at the two as they came in behind the counter from the kitchen. Or, rather, one of her eyes did, while the other did a sudden loop-de-loop. "Hiya, Pinkie!" she said brightly.

Pinkie Pie's enthusiastic response was just as cheerful. "Hi Derpy! What can I get for you? Oh! Silly me, I bet you're going to ask for the usual, right?"

Derpy nodded eagerly, a silly grin now on her face. She turned to the knight beside Pinkie. "Hiya, Buck! Nice job at the Hearth's Warming party!" Her bad eye wobbled around crazily. It was cute, in a kind of silly way.

Pinkie Pie reached into the counter and pulled out several of the strange pastries. She launched them all up into the air, where they seemed to hang momentarily before neatly falling back down into a take-out bag that had mysteriously appeared in her pink hooves. The bag was set on the counter and the gray pegasus picked it up in her mouth, setting a few bits onto the counter at the same time.

Buck was curious as to what the pastries were. He turned to Derpy, who had one eye looking at him, and the other at Pinkie.

"'Scuse me, miss. But I was wonderin' what those are," he pointed a hoof at the bag.

Derpy's jaw dropped straight down. The bag of pastries would have hit the floor, had she not stuck a hoof out to catch it in the nick of time. "Wha-huuuuuhhh?" was all she could say.

"Errr... See, I'm sorta new 'round these parts, and I don't really know much about what's what." Buckshot rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof bashfully.

One of Derpy's golden eyes filled with shock, while the other took a nose dive downwards. Quickly, she opened up the bag and placed one of the pastries on the counter. She lowered her face up against the edge, so only her wonky eyes were exposed. She motioned for Buck to do the same. The stallion complied, if somewhat confused.

They stared at eachother from across the counter, the pastry in between them. Two ocean eyes looked into two golden ones, as rebellious peeper had suddenly stopped its acrobatics. Derpy spoke up in a conspiratorial whisper. "This..," she moved her hooves over the pastry like she was reading a crystal ball. "is a muffin."

"A... 'muffin'?"

She nodded reverently. "Yes. It has many uses."

"What does it do?"

"Everything."

Buck stared at the muffin in awe. "You're pullin' me leg."

"Try it, and you'll see."

Buck cautiously picked it up in his hoof, eyeing it like it would explode. Slowly, ever so slowly, he took a small bite out of the muffin. Immediately, his pupils shrunk to pinpricks.

By Discord's dingleberries...

The innocent pastry was devoured as if it was the last morsel of sustenance left in Equestria.

Derpy's face proceeded to break the barriers on the smug-meter. "You like muffins, don't you, Buckshot." it was undoubtedly more of a statement than a question.

The stallion did not answer her immediately, as he was still riding high on the effects of the muffin. "That was..," he swung his front hooves around in an almost drunken manner. " SO CLOPPIN' GOOD!" he turned to Pinkie Pie, who had been watching the spectacle through a fit of laughter. "Pinkie!"

She managed to reply through a storm of giggles. "Yeah?"

"Your muffins. All of them," he slammed a bulging sack of bits onto the counter. "and so help you Celestia if there aren't enough," he added in a low growl.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Buckshot and Derpy walked side by side away from Sugarcube Corner, each scarfing down as many muffins as they could. Atop the stallion's back was bulging burlap sack of no less than fifty pounds worth of Pinkie Pie's delectable baking. The two were chatting amiably as they walked, although with no real direction in mind. Derpy, the town's mailpony, was on medical leave after suffering from a concussion she'd received when she had collided with Rainbow Dash during another attempt to create a Sonic Rainboom. Needless to say, in the battle between Derpy's head and an athletic Pegasus traveling at almost the speed of sound, the latter turned out to be the victor.

"Fffo," Derpy spoke through a mouth stuffed full of muffin. "you're wookin' fffer a pwace to wive?"

Buck nodded enthusiastically. "Yeff!" Crumbs sprayed out of his mouth.

"Wew... I fffink I know a pwafe." She swallowed her mouthful. "Hit me."

The stallion reached into the bag atop his back and tossed her another muffin. "Weawy?"

Derpy pointed up ahead. "It's just up there, these two nice ponies are offering up a room to board," She popped the pastry into her mouth. "Fey're kinda fwierd, fough."

"Eferypony 'round fere iff a widdle fwierd." Buck immediately replaced the muffin he'd just consumed with two more. "Fut I finda fike fhat."

The sound of chewing made up the rest of their conversation as the two made their way down the road. Derpy stopped in front of a large, three-floored tower. There was a large, metallic and glass dome on top of the building with an enormous telescope poking out through the observation hole. The tower itself was painted a deep dark blue with stars drawn here or there to produce a night-sky effect, and all of the windows on each floor had a little window box stuffed full of strange plants.

"Fiff iff fuh fwace!" mumbled Derpy through the baked goods.

"Fhwat?"

She swallowed another mouthful. "This is the place!" she said brightly.

Buck also swallowed. "Thankee' for showin' me here, miz Derpy." He offered her his hoof.

"Call me Ditzy. It's my real name, after all. Everypony just calls me Derpy because of my eye." she shook it warmly. "Thanks for sharing your muffins with me!"

"Thanks for introducin' me to 'em."

She giggled. "No prob! I'll see you around, okay? Good luck with your new home! Buh-bye!" And with that, she flew off, her erratic flight path drawing chuckles from Buck as he watched her go.

Buckshot faced the tower. It loomed over him, but in the afternoon sun, it provided some welcome shade. He bounded up the front stoop in a single jump and set the bag of muffins down before the door. Anxiously, he adjusted his hat and bandanna. First impressions never had been his forté.

Righto, here goes nothin'.

He lifted the large steel knocker and hit it against the door three times. A shuffling noise came from the house and a muffled yell sounded forth from the second floor. Buck could hear the sound of hooves on stairs as the resident neared the door. A bolt was unlatched. Then another. Then another. And another. Buck lost count of how many safety mechanisms this pony had on the other side of their door. He was beginning to have second thoughts when the door opened.

"Allo. What can I do for you?" a soft, and strangely familiar voice issued forth.

Buckshot took in the sight of the owner of the house. It was a unicorn of average size with a deep orangey-red coat, a short, very dark brown mane, green eyes with unusual gold rims around the pupil, and several rubber bands wrapped around his right front hoof. Buck could't help but shake the feeling that he'd seen this stallion before.

The unicorn gasped, a look of fascination, horror, and complete befuddlement gleaming in his strange eyes once he had had a good look at Buck. The unicorn let out a faint sigh, and promptly collapsed to the ground in the doorway. Buck stepped foward to help the unconscous stallion, but froze when he noticed the unicorn's cutie mark, now in sight with it's owner lying on the ground.

It looked like the paw of a monkey, dark black against the rusty coat of the unicorn. The paw had a wider palm, however, and the five fingers were somewhat thinner. The mark looked like some strange ape-creature had slapped it's owner's flank with a fiery strike.

Recognition suddenly dawned in his head. There was only one pony Buckshot had ever known to have a mark like that. The unicorn's name was Rust.

He, along with Buck, had been one of the three representatives at the Tournament of Champions from Ponyville.

That had been one thousand years ago.

And with that thought, he too, passed into a faint on the front stoop of the tower.

Author: Wow. That was weird, huh? I felt like I needed to have a little fun with the story, all the sadness was really bumming me out. Anyway, if Rust's cutie mark doesnt make sense to you... Well... hold up your hand. All will be revealed in the next chapter, along with several bottles of vodka.

The Immortals

Note: I do not own My Little Pony
All hail the Ever-powerful Faust, Master of this Universe!

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE IMMORTALS

The soft fabric of a blanket was the first thing the ancient knight noticed as he woke up. He could hear the sound of voices coming from somewhere off to his side, but he couldn't make out the words. Groggily, he opened his eyes. He was in a well made bed in a rather spartan room with barren, whitewashed walls. Racking his brain for a reason why he was here, the dark teal stallion remembered with a start.

Rust! Rust is here! But how..?

Shaking his head with confusion, he determined to put that question aside for a time when he didn't feel quite so shell-shocked. There was a window next to the bed so he decided to look outside. Through the portal, Buck could see the streets of Ponyville several stories below him, softly illuminated in the glow of the setting sun. The view only served to confuse him even more, however. The tallest building in Ponyville was the Town Hall, and that was only four stories. The view before him suggested a view of at least ten. Waking up in a strange place was one thing, but waking up in a strange place that shouldn't exist was another matter entirely. Buck needed answers, and he needed them now. He jumped out of bed and opened up the door.

He stepped out into a large, circular room, warmly furnished and brightly lit by the sunset streaming in through many windows. A multitude of bookshelves lined the single curving wall, stuffed full to bursting with old tomes. There were several throw rugs and chairs scattered about, setting the ambiance of the room to that of a cozy library. In the center of the room, a wrought-iron spiral staircase came up through the floor and disappeared into the ceiling above, indicating that there were more floors in either elevation. Buck could still hear the voices, louder now, sounding from downstairs. Determined to get answers, he descended the metal staircase, his hooves announcing his descent with a loud clang on every step.

He emerged into a homely kitchen area, still with one rounded wall circling the room. Two ponies were sitting at a thick oak table off to his side, but a window directly above the table was letting the setting sun shine directly into the room, blinding Buck as to who the table's occupants were.

"Look, I think we need to have a talk, man," came Rust's soft voice. One of the figures at the table rose and approached Buck. As he stood up, he blocked out the light shining into the window, revealing his full dimensions. As ponies go, he was a bit smaller than average, but surprisingly lean, with muscles that spoke of an active lifestyle. He carried himself with the confident gait of one who's seen it all and then some. "Because, quite frankly, we are just as clueless about this whole shitstorm as you." The unfamiliar wordings bounced Buck's head. He had never understood why Rust spoke in that strange slang of his.

"Ya cloppin' right ya do," he growled in response. "And whaddaya mean by we?"

Another familiar voice emerged from the second figure, who proceeded to get up and join Rust at his side. The figure emerged from the sunlight silently, her hooves not once making a noise on the wooden flooring.

She's here, too? Shoulda' known, these two have been inseperable since I met 'em.

The second pony was another unicorn, with a shaggy, pure white coat except for a light brown around her hooves, flank, and a darker brown around her muzzle. Her chocolate colored tail was extremely bushy, and lashed back and forth in obvious agitation. She had a spiky brown mane and pointed, constantly shifting ears of similar coloration. Two icy blue eyes peered at Buck with odd, catlike pupils. Her cutie mark was the black shape of a feline paw-print, claws extended. She spoke up in a rough, exotic accent. "Privet, comrade. We have words for you, as I am sure you have same for us, da?" Her Equestrian was laced with the strange tongue of a foreign language.

"Ragdoll, I was wonderin' when you'd show up." Buckshot greeted the odd mare cooly.

"As was I, friend." She smiled, revealing a row of sharp teeth.

Rust let out a somewhat nervous cough. "Pop a squat at the table. We've got a story to tell you."

The three ponies sat down at the kitchen table in the fading twilight. Buck couldn't help but feel apprehensive. The last time he'd sat down at a table with two ponies who had something to tell him, he'd learned his wife and foal had passed on a millennium ago.

Rust began. "I know how you appreciate it when ponies don't beat around the bush with you, so I'm going to hit the nail on the head right out of the gate. The reason Rags and I are here right now is because we are immortal."

"Like, the 'live-forever no matter what' immortal, or the 'live forever until somepony breaks your neck' kind."

Ragdoll gave out a harsh, barking laugh. "The first one, comrade. Trust us, much has happened to prove this."

Buck narrowed his eyes. "So you've been around this whole time, since I was frozen by that thrice-blasted cockatrice."

"So that's where you went, eh? Everypony wondered what happened to you."

"Aye... I'd rather not think of that right now, though," Buck pushed thoughts of his family broken by his vanishing from his mind. "But how is it that you two have defied kickin' the bucket for so long?"

"That is complicated answer, Buckshot." Ragdoll's tail lazily flicked at a mote of dust hanging in the air. "We were exposed to very strange magics, ones that changed us into what you see today."

Buck pondered this. "What kinda magic?"

"The magic that was used to create Equestria," said Rust. "Back before Celestia and Luna were Princesses."

"How old are you two exactly?"

"We've been here since the beginning."

Buck couldn't comprehend that. "The beginning of what?"

Rust spread his hooves around in a grand arc. "Since well, everything."

"You're makin' about as much sense as a dingo in a clown costume, right now, mate."

The sound of Rust's hoof colliding with his face in frustration rang out loudly in the quiet room. Ragdoll, filling the gap, spoke up. "We have been alive since creation of this universe, comrade. Ponimat?"

The knight thought for a moment, soaking it all up. If what she said was true, Rust and Ragdoll were the two oldest beings in existence. Something didn't make sense to him, though. "What do ya mean by this universe, Rags?"

"We come from other universe. We were different there. When we come here, the magics of the forming of this existence change us."

Buck drummed the table softly with his hooves. "So, how did ya get here, then? And how did ya get changed?"

"Somewhat changed," Rust interrupted. "We weren't always ponies, dude." He gestured to the cutie mark on his flank, a handprint of some kind of ape. "I used to have that instead of hooves. As for how we got here... Well, that's none of your damn business. Not even the Princesses know that."

"Righto, mate. So... you used to be a monkey."

Ragdoll busted out in laughter, while Rust frowned slightly, a red blush tinting his cheeks. "Not a monkey, dude. A bit more advanced. I'd rather not delve into that particular pool of mystery, though." He suddenly looked very sad, as if all the years of his existence suddenly came crashing down on his shoulders.

"Why is that, mate?"

"My kind were... Extreme." He was clearly unwilling to say more on the subject.

Ragdoll gave her companion a reassuring pat on his back before turning to Buck. "His people were the gods of his world. They tame the seas, voyage into cosmos, build great wonders. But they also stupid, da?" she shook her shaggy head sadly. "They fight over every little thing. By now, our world has probably been blown to tiny bits because of this."

Buckshot put his head in his hooves, feeling the waves of regret that came from the orangey-red unicorn sitting across the table. Anxious to shift to a new topic, he pointed at Ragdoll's cutie mark. "What about you, sheila? Ya got a different print on ya."

"I used to be type of cat. I was this one's pet, actually." She ruffled Rust's short mane affectionately. "Here though, in new motherland, we are equals."

"So is that why ya got those eyes?" Buck pointed to her pale feline pupils.

"Yes, and no. We were not completely changed when we come here. We still have some things about us that are same. My teeth still the same," she opened her mouth to show Buck a dangerous assortment of sharp fangs. "My claws changed, though," she held up her hoof and flicked it a little, and a large, curving bone spur shot out from the back of her hoof, midway from her first joint to the hoof itself. "And yes, we do eat meat," she added, giving a feral grin.

Buck shuddered. Ponies eating meat were unnatural in Equestria, but it wasn't like he could ask her to stop. "What about him?" he asked, pointing to Rust.

Rust looked up from where he'd been staring at the table in contemplation. "I got these," he smiled, revealing four small canines nestled into a regular set of pony teeth. "I just couldn't give up having bacon..." Buck wasn't sure if he wanted to know what that was. "And we both kept the way we think."

"What do ya mean, mate?"

He scratched his hoof to his chin. "Our thought processes are different. My kind were the top predator, but we also ate plants. So I think in terms of self preservation first. It's like, do you know how a child's behavior is determined by the parent?"

Buck nodded; he knew only too well.

"Well, Mother Earth, that's the world we came from, was the coldest bitch you'll ever meet." He gave a rueful chuckle. "That made us ruthless. We're able to cross certain boundaries with a lot less difficulty. Believe me, it's not as bad as you'd think. Having a psychopathic murderer in the house is actually quite a boon." To answer Buck's questioning stare, he nodded his head at Ragdoll. "For instance, we've never had a problem with mice, if you catch my drift."

Ragdoll let out a satisfied purr. Buck gave off another involuntary shudder.

He continued, "And I use magic in a different way then every other user in Equestria."

"Like how?"

Rust tapped his head, a sly smile on his face. "It's called thinking outside the box. Unpredictable is my middle name, you see. I can make things, to boot." The questioning look on Buckshot's face implored him to continue. "Instead of just summoning something from somewhere, I can create it!" He laughed. "Not even the Princesses know how to do that, and I'm not telling them either, no matter how much they bother me. Breaking the law of conservation of mass is enough of a discovery not to have to. I got along very well with Discord, as you can imagine."

"They know about you two?" Buckshot briefly considered why they hadn't told him, but quickly came to the conclusion that unless he'd heard it from Rust and Ragdoll themselves, he'd never have believed them.

"Dude, they are, like, gods. Only thing they can't do besides break the laws of physics is predict the future. Ragdoll here holds that unique title."

Buck stared at the shaggy mare in astonishment. "You can actually do that, mate?"

"Da. Though it is gift that often reveals things better left unknown." She paused for a moment and let out a cackle. "Though it does make me best at poker. Is that not right, Rust?"

"Bitch, you're never going to let me live that one down, are you? You very well knew I would take that stupid bet. And, for the record, my ass still hurts from that." He slammed his head into the table. "Don't ask, Buck. It was horrible."

Ragdoll denied him the pleasure of secrecy, however. "This stuipid tupitsa here had to jump into cactus farm because he ran out of bits after ten minutes of game," She said with laughter dancing in her eyes.

Buck attempted to steer the conversation back on track. "So, basically you're sayin' that botha ya can do things the rulers of night and day can't?"

"Da, comrade."

"And that ya both came from a different universe?"

"Your damn right, dude."

"And that you weren't always ponies?"

Rust bared his hybrid dentistry again, while Ragdoll flicked out one of her bone spurs. "Yes," they said as one.

"And you've been around since the beginning."

"Of everything, and then some,'" said Rust cryptically.

"So, you've watched the entire civilization of Equestria form over the course of thousands of years."

"Dude, it's been a long, strange, trip."

Buck finally got to what he had been aiming at. "So how do ya cope? I mean, ya obviously had ta have ponies ya knew, right? What happens when they die? How do ya soldier on with that for all eternity?" That question had been in the back of his mind since the beginning of the conversation. The weight of his lost wife and child had never truly left him, and asking these two immortal ponies for advice was the next best thing to asking Celestia herself.

To answer, Ragdoll's horn began to glow an icy blue, and a nearby cupboard opened for a large bottle of a clear liquid to levitate out into her hoof. She slammed it onto the table with gusto. "Vodka! Lots and lots of vodka!" she cried with zeal. Rust shook his head and ran a hoof through his short mane before answering.

"Everyone copes differently, dude. I can't exactly say I've dealt with this myself, even after all this time. The faces of the ponies I knew from eons ago I can still see as clear as day in my head. When I think back, yes, we had some great times with these guys, but they're long dead. That doesn't make sense to me, though. We die for a reason. Living forever isn't natural." He stared at his hooves intently. "Eventually, I just kind of accepted the fact that they had moved on, and I should too." He opened up the the bottle of vodka and took a hard swig. "The way I see it, I'm disrespecting their memories by feeling sad every time I remember. So I don't. I think about all the good times we had together, and nothing else." He took another swig and hoofed the bottle to Ragdoll. "...and the vodka helps, too."

Ragdoll poured the vodka into three shot glasses. "Now, comrade, I would like to speak of reason you are here tonight."

Buck looked out the window. Sure enough, night had fallen by this time.

Crikey, I've been here all bloody day!

Ragdoll continued. "You are here about room, da? You wish to live here?"

Buck nodded. This place was undoubtedly the weirdest building in Equestrian history, but for some reason the prospect of staying with his two oldest friends, regardless of their peculiarities, appealed to him greatly. "I'd luv ta."

The three ponies picked up the shots, clinked them together in a toast, and downed the fiery beverage. Rust let out a belch. "Fucktastic! We'll give you the grand tour of the place tomorrow. Rent is two-hundred bits a month. Pay up or get out. You know that room you woke up in? That's yours. Welcome to the Eternal Tower, Buckshot."

Author: I hope I handled the introduction of humans well enough, that shit is hard to do without falling into the usual story holes. Oh and, in case you were wondering, the language Ragdoll speaks is Russian. Actually writing the language requires a different form of lettering, so I wrote it phonetically.

Attack of the Ankle-Biters

Note: I do not own My Little Pony.
What a cruel, cruel world this is...

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ATTACK OF THE ANKLE-BITERS

The sun rose over Ponyville, sending its cheery rays down onto the land. The effects of this blinding display of warmth and happiness were lost on a particularly large dark teal stallion, who, upon realizing he'd been so rudely awoken from his slumber by the bright sunbeams ricocheting around his whitewashed bedroom, promptly pulled down the window shades and retreated farther under the covers. He attempted to return to sleep, thrashing about as he tried to regain that peculiar position of comfort he'd had until mere moments ago. As if to combat his efforts, the morning sun retaliated with the peppy calls of chirping birds, driving the blissful silence of the day into oblivion. The stallion groaned and peeked out from under the covers, wincing as the blinding light of the sun bouncing off his white walls seared his retinas. A rather large headache began to pound a samba into the inside of his head, the result of a night filled with over-indulgence of a certain fiery brew. He rolled out of bed and fell to the floor, still wrapped up in his covers like a cocoon. The sharp crashing sound of glass hitting the wood paneling indicated that he'd gone to bed with more than one bottle under the covers. A few attempts were made to wiggle out of his prison, but eventually the stallion decided to simply lie there, eyes closed, until his head cleared enough to think rationally.

With a bang that seemed louder than a jackhammer plugged into an amplifier, the door to his room flew open. "Rise and shine, featherweight!" A familiar voice barked out. The stallion on the floor looked up at the intruder standing in the doorway with heavily lidded eyes, debating whether or not to beat him to a pulp now or later. Rust returned the gaze with his own stare, green gold-rimmed eyes dancing with amusement. "Oh, so sorry, Buck. Can't handle a few shots?" The unicorn's horn lit up with a pale green glow, and the blankets wrapped around their prisoner unraveled with blinding speed, sending the former occupant of their embrace into a spinning barrel roll that launched him onto his bed. A few bottles flew upwards with the impact.

Buck resisted the urge to vomit, the headache suddenly increasing its power. "G'day," he said weakly. Rust entered the room in his usual manner, with a quiet confidence and an odd, predatory grace. Buck couldn't help but wonder how the unicorn looked so well; he'd easily drank twice the amount Buck had.

The tone of Rust's voice suggested he was trying not to laugh. "Up and at'em, you lazy bastard! We've got a big day ready." as he spoke he went over to the shades and ripped them up. He gave a sadistic grin as Buck groaned at the increased level of lighting. "We'll show you around your new digs, and then we need to take you to the Town Hall to get your residency paperwork all filled out. Got to make this official, you know," he added as he turned around to go. When he passed through the threshold, he paused and looked around at the knight, who was valiantly attempting to rise from his bed on shaky hooves. "Oh, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders are at my front door. They're asking for you." Rust let out a cackle. Having to deal with the Crusaders on a hangover was one of the worst punishments he could think of.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo sat on the front stoop of the tower. Thoughts of various cuite marks danced through their young heads as they patiently awaited Buck's appearance. The Crusaders had heard Buck was looking for a new place to stay from Applejack, who'd related to them the events of his departure from Sweet Apple Acres. With their usual ear-splitting enthusiasm, they had resolved to help him out. By any means necessary. While Buckshot had been staying at Sweet Apple Acres, they'd taken immensely to him. Several sleepovers at the farm had shown that Apple Bloom's uncle got along famously with the mischievous fillies. He stayed up late with them, cooked them breakfast, and had even shown them some tricks he could do with his legendary leg strength. He was also one of the few adults who actually bothered helping them in their continuous quest for their cutie marks. Such dedication from a stallion who was literally a hundred times their age had won over the Crusaders, and they now viewed him almost like an honorary member of their society.

After searching fruitlessly for most of the morning, a chance encounter with a certain cross-eyed mailmare had revealed the building Buck was last seen at. A soft-spoken, yet incredibly foul-mouthed unicorn who called himself Rust had answered the door. After accidentally imparting the fillies with a few choice words that would make even Celestia blush through his usual lingo, he reported to them that their friend had indeed arranged to live here from now on, and was currently upstairs nursing what he fondly called, "a giant shit in his head". Whatever that meant.

Scootaloo looked up from where she'd been scuffing the stoop with her hoof. "Hey, Apple Bloom, what does 'shitfaced' mean?" she referred to one of the strange words the rust-colored unicorn had spoken earlier while explaining why Buck was going to take a while to come down to greet them.

"Ah dunno, Scoots, Ah'm still tryin' t' figure out what he meant when he mentioned 'the fiery nectar of the gods'."

Sweetie Belle chimed in. "Maybe it's like what happens to ponies when they have too much of Big Macintosh's special cider?" The fillies had been present one night when Buck and Big Mac had decided to have a friendly drinking game after a particularly hard day of work. Apple Bloom's brother had fought valiantly, but eventually succumbed to the cider and had passed out, slamming violently onto the table and sending a brewery's worth of cider bottles into the air. Uncle Buck had then proceeded to make a vulgar thrusting gesture at his defeated offspring before also collapsnig onto the floor, muttering something about a "dirty leprechaun" trying to steal his "lucky charms." All in all, it had been a very funny night.

Further conversation was interrupted when the front door was suddenly blown off its hinges, flying twenty feet into the road before crashing down onto the cobblestones. The Crusaders turned to the now-open portcullis, now filled by Buckshot. His mane was ragged, his bandanna was rumpled, and Applejack's old stetson now had a large scorch mark on the brim. The big stallion shrugged sheepishly, rubbing bloodshot eyes with a hoof. "G'arn... Sorry, sheilas, couldn't get the doorknob ta work. What can I do for ya?"

Scootaloo was the first to recover from the shock. "We're here to help you move in!"

Sweetie Belle launched the set up. "Because we are..." The three fillies took a deep breath. The world seemed to tremble in fear of what was coming next.

Buckshot covered his ears. "Wait, wait, wait, please don't do tha-" His pleas for mercy were denied.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS HOUSEWARMERS!" Their cry was powerful enough to disintegrate a few of the clouds over head. Some of the more delicate glass window panes in town cracked. The three fillies looked back at Buck, only to find him cowering on the ground, two hooves pressed firmly to the sides of his head while he moaned in pain.

"Hey!" came the sound of Rust's voice from above. The Crusaders gazed up to could see his head poking out of one of the upper windows. "Chill the fuck out, guys!" he yelled. "If you wake up Rags before noon she's going to claw my balls off!" He pointed to the broken door Buckshot had kicked into the street. "And tell Captain Klutzbucket down there that he's going to pay for that!"

Buck managed to haul himself back to his hooves. "Ughh..," he groaned. "Come on in, I guess. Wipe your hooves first, though."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders buried him in an avalanche of pain in a mad dash to be the first one inside.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Buckshot on the stairs on the floor of the tower with the kitchen, an ice pack pressed firmly to the side of his head. The Crusaders were sitting around the table, chatting amiably. Empty plates and glasses were set before them, as of yet untouched by food. Rust was busy working at the open-top stove, managing a plethora of skillets all cooking simultaneously. As he moved from one skillet to the others, he was constantly adjusting the heat, flipping the contents of the pan over with a experienced flick of his hoof, or adding a pinch of this and a pinch of that. His hooves danced over the stovetop like a master pianist in his element, yet as Rust worked he barely glanced at the cooking food. "Now, my little ponies, you're here for the grand tour, right?" He addressed the Crusaders at the table.

Scootaloo picked up a fork and raised it in the air. "Right now, I'm here for the food! How long's it gonna take, huh?" she asked impatiently. Rust answered by picking up a sizzling piece of seared broccoli and pegging her between the eyes with it. The broccoli bounced off her forehead and landed in the center of her plate. Scootaloo rubbed her forehead, grumbling about lousy service, but nonetheless speared the offending vegetable with her fork and popped it in her mouth.

Rust continued as if nothing had happened. "Anyway, the Eternal Tower is a marvel of magical engineering." He tossed a pinch of salt from around his back into a pan without even looking. "See that staircase your lightweight of a friend is sitting on, nursing his fat head with an ice pack?" Buck glared up at him from his spot on the staircase. "That bitch right there runs through the center of the whole tower, top to bottom. Now, as you may have already noticed if you'd bothered to look out the fucking window, you're roughly four stories up."

Sweetie Belle pondered this. "Yeah, what's up with that, Mr. Rust? We only went up one flight of stairs! And from the outside, your house only has three floors. How can we be higher up than that?"

Rust proceeded to slam down on the handle of a skillet on the edge of the stove, sending its contents arcing across the room in a graceful rainbow of culinary delight. The entire serving of food landed onto Sweetie Belle's plate in an artful arrangement. "Because, my little pony, this tower has as many goddamn floors as you want it to." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Probably should have added an elevator, now that I think about it."

"Whaddaya mean by that, Mr. Rust? Are you sayin' that this here tower just goes up forever and forever?" Apple Bloom mused.

"I don't know, actually. And don't call me mister. I might be really fucking old, but I'm not that fucking old." He paused to slam another skillet down, sending a second stream of food onto Apple Bloom's plate. "See, this place has a spell on it. When you go up or down a floor, you end up on a floor that relates to what you want at the moment." Rust pointed to Buckshot, who had his head in his hooves, groaning softly. "Hey! Fatass! Do me favor, will ya?"

Buck looked up from his misery and groaned faintly.

Rust took this as a yes. "Go downstairs, and while you do so, think about curing that hangover of yours." Buckshot stood up on shaky hooves and plodded downstairs, the metal staircase sending out loud clangs that made him wince with every step. Rust gave a sly grin to the Crusaders. "Watch this shit, It's going to be hilarious."

There was a surprised yell from downstairs. Buck's head poked up from the staircase. "Oy! Where's the front door? The room down there is completely different now!" Scootaloo, who still had no food, zipped over from the table to confirm this. She jumped down the staircase and joined Buck on the floor below. Sure enough, instead of the ground floor of the tower, the room was different. It was very dark, there was a strange coffin-shaped device filled with a blue glowing liquid off to the side, and there was a bubbling fountain off to the other. Scootaloo went over to a draped window and looked outside. She could see for miles, the view was so high up. The hung-over knight joined her at the window, staring in disbelief.

"What the clop? We went downstairs. How are we higher up?" He gazed out at Equestria spread out before him. They could see the clouds far below them, and small traces of frost coated the window. The mountains were so distant they looked like ants. From above, they could hear Rust roaring with laughter.

"Featherweight!" he called down. "See that big blue tank? Jump in that fucker! It'll cure that headache of yours!" A loud clang sounded, an the soft plop of food hitting the table indicated that Scootaloo's breakfast was ready. She bolted back up the stairs, leaving Buckshot alone in the dark room.

Cautiously, he approached the tank. It was roughly as tall as him, and shaped like a large barrel. Through the glass walls he could see a pale blue liquid that shone with a faint light. Throwing caution to the wind at the prospect of relieving the unbearable pain, Buck flexed his powerful hind legs and leaped up and over the edge of the tank. The impact of the large stallion hitting the liquid didn't stir it, however; it just jiggled a little like gelatin as his bulk broke through the surface. Even more interesting was that the substance gave him a strange, yet oddly satisfying, tingly sensation that was not unlike having a fan blowing at you on a hot summer's day. Without thinking, Buck let out a gasp at the experience, forgetting he was under. Immediately, the cool blue stuff shot down his throat and into his lungs. He panicked and began to thrash, albeit slowly because of the high resistance of the fluid around him. His vision began to fade from holding his breath in, continuously struggling to climb out of the tank.

That was when it hit him.

Why aren't I drownin'?

Strangely, he hadn't actually felt like he was choking on something when he inhaled the mixture. In fact, the stuff inside his lungs felt surprisingly good, as if he had just swallowed a mouthful of fresh mountain air. Buck took another tentative breath, resisting the urge to cough as more of the liquid entered his windpipe. His eyes, tinted a bright blue from the surrounding environment, widened in surprise. He was breathing underwater. He exhaled, and the stuff flowed freely out of his mouth, although he did have to push a little bit harder due to the denser nature of it. Now that Buck had restored some semblance of rationality, he proceeded to reach up and out of the tank, wrapping his hooves around the edge, and slowly pulled himself out. He fell over the edge and hit the floor with an earth-shaking boom.

He lay there for a while, eyes closed, as he coughed out the stuff from his lungs and replaced it with air. Buck felt a hoof poke him in the gut, so he opened his eyes to look up. Rust was standing over him, a mischievous grin on his face. Buck spat out the last of the glowing substance. "What the hay was that, mate?"

"That, my dear Watson, is a goddamn bacta tank. With a few modifications, of course. I poofed it up a few centuries ago on a whim of Star Wars nostalgia. It's been curing hangovers ever since." Rust helped him up. Buck noted with surprise that his coat, bandanna, and hat were completely dry, despite being submerged. He had absolutely no idea what Rust was talking about, however.

"Bahhch-tah tank?" he rolled the unfamiliar word around his tongue. He could hear the sound of the Crusaders upstairs performing a holocaust on all things breakfasty. "In Equestrian, for the love of Luna."

Rust walked up to the tank and patted it fondly. "For the benefit your diminutive equine cranium, I will elaborate." he said in a sarcastic, scholarly tone. "Pony sick. Pony jump in tank. Pony jump out of tank. Pony get better. By the way," he added. "How do you feel?"

Buck was about to bark a particularly scathing retort when he noticed that his headache was completely gone. In fact, he felt like a million bits. "Better," he admitted grudgingly.

"Fucktastic! Now let's go. We need to get to the Town Hall before it closes."

"What about the tour?" Buck asked. A crash sounded from upstairs. It sounded like breaking china. "And the Crusaders?" he added.

"They'll be coming with us. It's going to take us half the day to get there with those adorable balls of destruction tagging along anyway." He pulled Buck close. Buck could see the fear in his unusual gold-rimmed pupils. "And between you and me," he whispered, nervously glancing around. "Rags is not a morning pony. I'd like to spare the girls any unnecessary mental scarring."

"Errrr... all righty, then."

Rust slammed his hooves together, resuming his usual calm swagger. "Aaaaalllllllll righty then! Let's boogie!" He began to run up the stairs. Halfway up, he paused and looked back at Buck, who was following a little less enthusiastically. "Oh, and we're all going out tonight for drinks. To celebrate your official residency."

Buck gaped at him. "But we did that last night, mate!"

Rust returned his look with a blank stare. "I don't understand. Why is that a problem?" He pointed to the Bacta Tank. "No more hangovers, remember? And besides, I've got to introduce you to a few of my friends." And with that, he sauntered off to the kitchen.

Buckshot was left on the staircase, staring at the space the eccentric unicorn had just occupied.

This place is off it's cloppin' rocker.

I like it here.

Author: Happy New Year's everypony! Anyway, fan-created OC's will be announced next chapter. I have resolved to celebrate the entrance of these delightful characters by introducing them in the most colorful way possible! And what is that, you might ask? STAY TUNED AND FIND OUT.

Pinkie Pie: He's sending them to the moooooooooooooooooooon!

Author: Shut it, Pinks. And I WAS, but now I can't because you just ruined it.

The Five-Leaf Clover

Note: I'm tired of disclaimers. No more.
To quote, they are like "Running up behind an old lady, warning her that you'll be taking her purse, knocking her over as you rob her blind, and then sprinting away yelling 'I told you so!' over your shoulder.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THE FIVE-LEAF CLOVER

"... All right, seriously. How did you fillies manage to do it?"

"Do what, Mr. Rust?"

"We were in there for ten minutes. In that time, you three have somehow managed to completely destroy the fucking place, duct-tape Mayor Mare to the flagpole, and, to top it off, I think you traumatized Featherweight over here!" Rust gestured to Buckshot, who was sitting on the ground, slowly rocking back and forth with a glazed look in his eye.

"No more lima beans, Mum, I'm full, I swear..." The stricken stallion muttered to himself.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Buckshot, and Rust were outside the Town Hall, or, at least where the building used to stand. There was an enormous pile of wreckage in place of where the local government of Ponyville had once existed. The group had come here to fill out Buck's residency paperwork, and in that time the Crusaders had lived up to and exceeded their destructive reputation. The fire department had parked a firetruck out in front, with a ladder extended upwards. A lone firemare was perched in the basket, trying to cut down Mayor Mare, who was tied upside-down to the flagpole at the very top.

"I'm not mad at you or anything. At this point, I'm just curious as to how in the hell you were able to do that."

Sweetie Bell pulled a red, tubed shaped stick out of Apple Bloom's saddlebags. She held it up for the unicorn to see.

"Is that... Holy shit in a box, Batman, is that dynamite?!?!"

The reply was as swift and coordinated as it was detrimental to hearing health. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS PYROTECHNICS EXPERTS! YAY!"

The earspiltting cry seemed to snap Buck out of his mental stagnation. He looked up and shook his head, as if he'd just been hit with something heavy. "What about Mayor Mare? Crikey, she must be at least thirty feet up!"

For a response, Scootaloo revved her wings, and Apple Bloom pulled a miniature trampoline from her saddlebags. Strangely, the trampoline itself was bigger than the bag she pulled it from. To this day, nopony knows how she does it.

"Righto, so Scootaloo used her wings and the tramp to tie her up. But how didja get Mayor Mare up there in the first place?"

Sweetie Belle sheepishly waggled the stick of dynamite. Rust burst out into hysterical laughter, rolling around on the cobblestones in a fit of hilarity. Tears leaked from his eyes as he held his stomach, giggling madly. Buck facehooved and sighed, mightily resisting the urge to join him. "Gimme that, Sweetie; you'll blow your eye out with it. Or worse." Somewhat reluctantly, the light gray filly gently hooved it over to him. Buck gingerly put it in his own saddlebags. "I think it's time you girls went home," he stated. "And please, for the love of Luna, next time you go Crusading, try something that isn't likely to level the town."

"Awwwwwwww! But why?" The reply was simultaneous, and its effect was only increased as the three proceeded to activate their Ultra-Cute faces. The word "adorable" doesn't even come close to describing it.

"Dude, that is so fucking cute that I think my eyeballs are going to burn up." Rust covered his face with his hooves. "Make it stop before I go on an uncontrollable rampage of love and toleration," he pleaded vehemently.

Buck simply pointed to the wreckage of what was once the Town Hall. "That is why, my little sheilas." As he spoke, an unbroken stretch of wall collapsed, sending up an enormous crash and great clouds of dust.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

After the Crusaders had left, Buckshot and Rust headed into town. As promised, Rust was going to take Buck to a local pub to meet some friends and neighbors of his. They strolled down Stirrup Street, admiring the town in the evening sun. As they walked, Buck found himself constantly having to adjust his pace; his long legs took one step for every two that Rust did.

Around this time of day, the vast majority of tourists and vistors to Ponyville tended to leave the broad avenue of Stirrup in favor of the smaller side streets. Shops with open counters that directly catered to the passerby on the street tended to make a killing. Colorful confections, trinket shops, and street kiosks took advantage of the influx of potential buyers enjoying the cool air of the shaded streets by offering special deals. For a few bits, and a respectable sense of haggling, one could walk away from these small shops with a decent haul of knick-knacks and fatty foods.

While the surge of daily visitors migrated to the more back-door ends of Ponyville, the town's main street came alive with its true denizens. Making full use of the space that the wide road provided, a nightly festival, put on by those ponies who felt inclined to do so, would take place under Princess Luna's moon. Street musicians played for free around this time, seeking only to brighten the atmosphere with a colorful sonnet or a warbling melody. As the two stallions made their way down the street, they were assaulted by the sudden barrage of neon glows, emitted by the windows of many establishments seeking to attract more customers by having the best and showiest signs.

They stopped outside a particular building, halfway down Stirrup Street on either side of town. It was a few stories tall, a squat brick building that had a bar situated on the top floor. The bottom two floors held various apartments and storage rooms, but none of them were used very often, due to the chaotic nature of the business over their heads. A slightly faded large green sign advertised the pub's name in an elegant script.

The Five-Leaf Clover

"I like the name," Buck murmered, gazing at the particularly iconic neon sign that displayed the bar's namesake. "That's where we're headin'?"

"Da, comrade." A new voice spoke up. Buck turned around to find Ragdoll calmly gliding down the sidewalk from the way they had just came. The rainbow of colors shining from nearby windows dyed her fluffy white coat an unusual spectrum of hues. Ragdoll approached them in a strange silence, padding towards them on silent hooves with all the veiled grace that a lion with a full stomach might approach a wounded antelope with. "This place has been second home to us for many years," she explained. "We have sort of tradition of coming here at least once a week to meet friends, ponimat?

Rust's voice sounded softly from where he was standing, holding the door open for the two ponies still out on the sidewalk. "A word of advice. Frankly, these guys make about as much sense as someone telling you that we're a pair of immortal aliens that live an tower with an impossible amount of flooring; where you can go upstairs and end up in the basement."

Buck scratched his head in confusion. "But I've already been through that."

"Otlichnyi. Then you know what to expect." Ragdoll entered the doorway and ascended the staircase in bounds, taking the steps four at a time.

"Trust me, I gave up tryin' ta figure out what's gonna happen next a long time ago, sheila," Buck muttered as he followed her up.

The inside of the bar was lit in the way that only a place devoted purely to alcohol consumption could be: bright enough to see your drink in front of your hooves, but dim enough so that your eyes wouldn't hurt too much when you woke up on the floor the net morning. A long, darkly-stained oak bar took up the left side of the room, ending where the floor rose up a few steps to a sort of elevated seating area in the back of the pub that contained a few booths. The right side of the roof contained a various assortment of tables, all different sizes. The chairs that sat next to them were also all different. The entire setup of furniture indicated that the original barroom furniture had either been destroyed by now, or the place had started out with the slapdash assortment of tables and chairs that would look more at home in a grandmother's garage sale. Buck assumed it was the first cause, due to how each piece seemed to have numerous nicks and scrapes that can only come about from having it slammed around into something hard.

At the bar a stocky dark gray Pegasus with a yellow buzz-cut mane was busy cleaning a wall of glasses with numerous cloths held by his wings. While his two extra appendages were occupied, he used his front hooves to set drinks down for the four or five patrons at the long bar. The vast majority of ponies in the room were sitting at the tables or booths in the back. One of them in particular, a chocolate brown unicorn with a short, wavy mane of a darker coloration, square glasses, and magnificent goatee put down the harmonica he'd been playing as the three newcomers entered the room.

"R 'n 'R! How are you two doing on this fine winter's night?" he called out with exaggerated eloquence. Rust and Ragdoll, whom Buck had supposed were the ones the unicorn had referred to by "R and R" went up to him and exchanged greetings.

"Omnius, you son of a bitch, when'd you get back here?" asked Rust as he bumped hooves with the bearded pony.

Ragdoll gave him a small hug. "More importantly, where did you go this time?"

Omnius gave a chortle. "Oh, you know, I get around." He slammed his hoof down on the bar and called to the bartender. "Hey, Shwartzenneighger! Two of the usual for R and R, and my own special for me."

The stocky gray pegasus looked up from the glass he'd been cleaning. "Omnius, this is a bar," he said with a ridiculous Germane accent. "You don't have to drink just the soda here."

"But I LIKE the soda!"

The bartender hit his head onto his bar. "Confound these ponies," he muttered. "They drive me to drink!" He turned around and gazed at the vast plethora of brews on the wall behind the bar. "Good thing I own the place!"

Omnius turned back from the bar and eyed the third member of his friend's party with interest. "Who's your friend here? He kinda looks like Big Macintosh, you know." He scratched his beard thoughtfully. "I like the hat by the way. I feel like I've seen it before." The unicorn hopped off the stool and stood before Buckshot, holding out his hoof. The sheer size of the massive stallion towering over him did not seem to intimidate him in the slightest. "My name's Omnius the Traveler. Traveler's the name, Traveling's the game!" Buck shook his hoof in the usual Apple fashion and admitted himself a small grin of amusement as he watched the smaller pony shake violently from the exchange.

"G'day, mate. Name's Sir Buck Apple. But you can call me Buckshot, or Buck, for short." He tapped the old Stetson on his head. "As for the hat, my, uh, niece gave to me for Hearth's Warming."

The bartender slid a bottle of soda down the bar, which Omnius caught, popped the top off, and drained in one smooth gulp. "Apple, huh? Say, you wouldn't happen to be related to the delightful ponies down at Sweet Apple Acres, eh?"

"As a matter 'o fact, I'm their uncle. Why, you know 'em?"

Omnius' eyes lit up with the light of experience. "You know, when I first came to this town, they were the first ponies I met. I don't recall seeing you at the Acres, or at the Apple family reunion, though."

"I've been away for a long time, mate. Only recently got back," Buck said with a twinge of melancholy.

Sensing he'd hit a sore spot, Omnius dropped the subject. "Well, seeing as you're new here, why don't I introduce you to a few ponies I know? I'm sure the readers would love for you to do that!"

"The readers..?" Buck was suddenly reminded of PInkie Pie.

"Hah! Did I say that? I meant... You know what? Just come with me, big guy."

The two left Rust and Ragdoll at the bar and headed to the raised area in the back. Seated at corner booth against the wall and a window were three ponies, all nursing drinks of some sort or another. Closest to Buck and Omnius sat a muscular, white, gold-armored pegasus who looked like a member of the Royal Guard. He gave a stiff nod of acknowledgement at the pair's approach. Another Pegasus sat to his left, smaller, his coat the blackest of black, with large, extremely feathery wings, and dark shaded goggles covering his eyes. He was busy reading a small book, too absorbed to look up. Sitting across from the two pegasi was a massive unicorn who was built like a tank, also quite black, with a short, ragged black mane, who was also reading a book. He put it down when he noticed Buck and Omnius, though, and rose up from the table to greet them.

Buck almost had to do a double take, the black unicorn was almost as big as he was. Almost. With a smug sense of pride he realized that he and Big Macintosh were still the biggest ponies around, save Princess Celestia, who easily had half a foot on Big Mac, and Princess Luna, who was of the same height as Buckshot.

"Hey. Name's Obsidian," the dark mountain introduced himself gruffly with a hint of a northern accent. The two enormous stallions shook hooves. Buck immediately decided he liked this pony. The unicorn sat back down at the booth and edged over to the window, patting the spot near the edge, indicating Buck should sit down.

Omnius grinned from where he was standing at the head of the table as Buck sat down next to Obsidian. "I guess I'll leave you four to yourselves, then." He turned to Buck and said teasingly, "Play nice now, I don't want to have to leave because of you." With a laugh, he sauntered over to his open space at the bar next to Rust and Ragdoll, playing a merry tune on his harmonica as he went.

Obsidian grunted with a bit of annoyance. "I just love how he's always so giddy when he's here, and yet all he drinks is soda." he said dryly.

The armored pegasus looked up from his drink, which was non-alcoholic. "What's wrong with just drinking soda?" he barked. The white hoof holding his mug moved left and right, mixing the contents. "Maybe someponies just like to keep a clear head, have you ever considered that?" The tone he used indicated that he was used to having people listen to him without raising his voice.

The smaller black Pegasus next to him looked up from the little book he had been absorbed in. "For shame, Cloudhammer. Why must you be so argumentative? Calm down; our friend was just making an observation. We do a have a new face amongst our midst, after all." He murmured gloomily. He turned a page and adjusted one of the silver bands worn on his legs. "The world is bad enough as it is, no need to make it any more unpleasant." he added rather melodramatically. "And besides, you're off duty for the next two days, you need to loosen up."

Cloudhammer snorted. "That's Captain Cloudhammer. And I don't drink alcohol. As a member of the Royal Guard, I need to be on the tips of my hooves at all times. This includes when I am currently not on duty."

Buckshot interrupted. "Royal Guard, y'say? Aren't they supposed to be, you know, with the royalty?"

"I was ordered to come here explicitly by Princess Celestia herself. Her sister, Princess Luna, is coming to town in a few days and she's having me scout out the town advance before the other Guard arrive." He looked at his beverage like he'd just lost his appetite. "I wouldn't dream of leaving Princess Celestia's side unless she forced me to."

Princess Luna was coming back to Ponyville? Buck digested this particular bit of information as the conversation continued. Obsidian gave out a chortle, emitting a sound similar to two large boulders grinding together. "She threatened you with the 'Brushie-Brushie' again, didn't she?"

The Captain reddened slightly from under his helmet, but otherwise maintained the famously rock-solid facial expression of which the Royal Guard was famous for.

The smaller black pegasus spoke up again, reciting from the small book in his hoof.

"From more than fiends on earth,

Thy life and love are riven,

To join the untainted mirth

Of more than thrones in heaven."

Buck scratched his head in confusion. "What's that suppose to mean, mate?"

Obsidian thumped the table with his hoof in approval. "Edgar Allan Poney. Good stuff." He turned to the other large stallion sitting next to him. "Kashiro here is basically saying that the good Captain needs to see the humor in life before it's over." Kashiro nodded in agreement.

"You aren't the one whose services are being horribly misused. My helmet bristles are not a hair-care product, despite what the Princess will say." The Captain ran a hoof through the tough blue hairs sticking out of the top of his helmet crest and shuddered slightly with the memory.

Kashiro placed a reassuring hoof on Cloudhammer's shoulder. The Captain shot the smaller Pegasus a look that could thaw ice and freeze it all over again. The extremely feathery wings on Kashiro's body wilted in fear from the stare, which had been perfected on generations of Royal Guard trainees at the Palace in Canterlot. Desperate to change the subject, he looked at Buckshot. "So, my friend, I believe you have not introduced yourself yet."

Buck nodded. "The name's Sir Buck Apple." He noted the Captain's eyes widen slightly at the mention of his title. "But you can call me Buck. I'm new in town, and I'm lookin' for work, too, if ya have any ideas." Ignoring that the Captain had just struck a small salute, Buck continued. "I'm livin' with Rust and Ragdoll over by Sugarcube corner."

Obsidian rumbled with laughter. "Oh, I love those two. I was wondering when somepony would answer their ad for renting out a room." He rubbed two massive hooves together. "As for a job, I have an idea."

"Do tell, mate."

"How about down at the railyard? I work there myself, and I know we have a position up for opening. We need a big stallion like yourself, and you look plenty strong enough for the job."

Buck rolled the unfamiliar word around in his mouth. "What's a railyard?"

Kashiro spoke up. "The railyard is the place where the cars from trains that stop at Ponyville are sorted and arranged for their respective departing or arriving lineup."

"Errr... What's a train?"

Cloudhammer gave him a look of disbelief. Buck just shrugged. "What? Like I said, I'm not from around here."

"Clearly..." The Captain muttered.

Obsidian re-entered the conversation. "Why don't you meet me at Sugarcube Corner at dawn, and I'll show you the railyard. Who knows? You might like what you see."

Buck pondered this. Here was an opportunity to find a new job, and one which clearly seemed physically demanding, if ponies like Obsidian and himself were the normal workers. It sounded like a very good idea.

"I'd love ta. I'll see ya at dawn, savvy?"

Author: This chapter was fun to write. Anyway, Say hi to the newest members of the FFTT character lineup! Omnius, Captain Cloudhammer, Kashiro, and Obsidian are all fan-made creations. Also, Omnius and Cloudhammer also have their own respective stories, both of which are excellent, and both of which can be read by finding their profiles in the comments below. (Omnius goes by Nathan Traveler, FYI)

Time Keeps On Slipping

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

TIME KEEPS ON SLIPPING

Equestria, one-thousand years before present day...

Spectrum Sprint slowly flew over the forest, completing the most recent of many passes for the day. Her wings felt heavy, and hot, like somepony had replaced her blood with molten iron. The usual hazy streak of color that followed her path was nowhere in sight, an unusual occurrence for her, given that it failed to appear at low speeds, something that Spectrum strongly disliked. Under different circumstances, the athletic, multicolored Pegasus might have enjoyed that familiar burning of over-worked flight muscles. But Ponyville's first weather-pony was too exhausted to even acknowledge the strain.

She'd spent the last few weeks scanning the Everfree in her spare time, looking.

"I owe Leafdapple that much at least. I can't give up on him now," she murmured to herself.

A quiet, persistent voice in the back of her mind reminded her that anypony who'd gone missing in the forest had never been seen again.

"No!" Spectrum yelled out loud to herself. "Not him! He's better than that!"

You've heard the stories. Ever since he got back from the tournament, he's been acting different.

"Shut up! It doesn't matter! I can't turn my back on him OR her!"

What do you owe them?

"They gave me everything! I was nothing until I came here, just another washout on the streets of Cloudsdale."

It's been weeks. He'd have come back by now.

She snorted. Spectrum couldn't tell if it was the fact that she was arguing with herself out loud that bothered her or whether it was the fact that she was losing.

Everypony else has given up by now.

"Except his family. Except his daughter, Except his wife, who also happens to be my best friend!"

You could just tell her that it's hopeless. You know she'd believe you.

Spectrum growled back. "I would never be so disloyal."

And yet the thought has crossed your mind.

"Oh? And how would you know!"

For starters, you're arguing with yourself; you already know what's going on in here.

Spectrum circled in a shallow, banking turn, barely flapping. She relished the break her sore wings got. The strange pillars of warm air that circulated out of the Everfree buoyed her light frame upwards. She had spent hours like this, during times when she needed to think, simply rising higher and higher until her breath misted in front of her eyes. Riding the thermals was a great way to spend some time alone, but Spectrum quickly realized if she allowed that to happen she'd eventually convince herself to abandon all hope. That was unacceptable. The Apples were counting on her.

With a grunt, she rolled out of the thermal and streaked down towards the forest to make another pass.

I will not let them down. Until they've given up, neither can I.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Apple Blossom sat on the porch of the Apple's ranch home, watching the wind playfully tease the leaves of the tiny seedlings that sprouted up from the soon-to-be orchard. She ran a hoof over the pink bandanna she was holding, remembering when her father had given it to her. She remembered being so thrilled when he'd presented it, pulling it out of saddlebags bursting with apples. She remembered the cool texture of it as he wrapped it around her head, carefully pushing her unruly red bangs out of her eyes as he did so. She remembered the reflection of herself in his eyes, as he looked down on her with a look of happiness that only a proud father could give. She remembered thinking to herself how cool it was that both she and him both had bandannas now.

She remembered the day she'd gotten her cutie mark. The last one in her class to do so, she'd endured the taunts and verbal jabs to the point where she ignored them as they simply washed over her like a stream washes over a pebble. She remembered how happy they had been that day, when the image of the budding flower of an apple tree had finally appeared on her flank, symbolizing her special talent for creation. She remembered how hard her father had smiled when it had happened, how he'd picked her up and spun her around and around until she felt like she was going to sick, and how she didn't care what else happened as long as he didn't stop. She remembered how he had roared his happiness up to the sky, proclaiming to the Goddesses his pride and joy for her.

She remembered how badly she'd wanted to be like him. He had been their rock, as well as their pillow; soft when he needed to be, and hard when he didn't. She remembered how she'd appreciated that. Her father had always known what to do when his family needed him. He had always protected them and cared for them. She knew that he'd throw down his life if it meant her's could last a mere moment longer.

A single tear fell down onto the pink bandanna, darkening the cloth in a perfect circle as she remembered her father. She put it back around her head and tied it firmly, her eyes steeling up.

She had to be the strong one now. Apple Blossom knew her father would have come back by now. There was only one possible explanation for his absence.

He wasn't coming back.

All she could do was remember him.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Leafdapple stared at the painting hanging over the fireplace. It showed the image of the home, just after completion, with its future occupants standing proudly on the front lawn, proudly bearing a number of nicks and scrapes associated with construction. Every face showed a smile, despite how hard the work had been. Her eyes lingered longingly over her husband's massive form, taking in his face. He had that look on him, that proud, if somewhat smug one that said "I knew we could do it". His heavy-lidded eyes were practically laughing with joy, the artist had done them so well.

Leafdapple shifted her gaze to the figure next to him, intently watching her own familiar red figure. The mare in the painting had a longer mane than she did now, spiky golden locks covering one cyan eye. She was leaning against her husband, sporting a terrific scrape on her hoof, but she was seemingly oblivious to it. Her eyes were fixed on the tiny yellow filly, barely a few years old, who had been painted in between the two, caught mid-bounce. Leafdapple fondly remembered that day; Apple Blossom couldn't sit still, despite having helped with construction earlier that morning.

The red mare turned away from the painting with some difficulty. That was one of the few images of her husband in the house. Paintings were expensive to make, and they'd never had many extra bits to spare. Leafdapple made her way into the kitchen and splashed some water on her face, attempting to clear her head. The cool liquid felt soothing on her eyes, which were red and puffy from many a sleepless night. For a while she managed to focus solely on the sensation, relishing the relief it brought.

Eventually the cold water began to numb her face, so she stopped the flow and reached for a towel. The fibers felt strangely nonexistent to her; she could feel the pressure, but not the texture. The chill of her wash had desensitized her face thoroughly. Leafdapple straightened up and set the towel down before trotting over to her place at the kitchen table.

Despite only being used for a few years, the massive pine slab was scored with innumerable marks from careless mistakes with silverware, crashing dinnerware, and other various objects brutally slamming into it's ringed surface. Idly, Leafdapple sat down and began counting the small rings that spread outward form the center. As she did so, a memory flashed through her mind.

It was the day they'd brought the slab into the house. The roof wasn't even completed yet, so the sky could be seen through the several gaps present. Leafdapple dimly recalled the ceiling had looked kind of like a piano, except where the black keys went there was only the blue of the great beyond instead. She and Buckshot had finally finished rolling the great wheel through the door way, and both were covered in sweat, panting. They'd sat down against the wall, admiring the wooden monstrosity.

"Look at the size of it. How old do you think it is?" she'd asked him.

He'd pondered this for a while. "Few hundred years at least."

She remembered being surprised at this. "How can you tell?"

He stood and picked her up, placing her in front of the table with about as much effort as one would use to lift a napkin. The table was currently on it's side, it's freshly revealed rings creating a slightly disorientating spiral. He had placed her hoof on the surface, gently running it over the uncountable lines. "See those?"

She'd nodded, intently watching them.

"These are the growth rings. Every cycle of seasons, the tree makes a new one as it grows up and out."

"There are so many, though," she'd said in wonder.

"Exactly. This tree might have been the oldest in the forest for all we know."

"And we cut it down?" her voice took on a twinge of guilt for the fallen monarch.

"Aye," he wrapped a massive forelimb around her neck. "But don't think badly of it."

"Why, Buck?"

"The rings might show it's age, but they also reveal how well it lived."

She'd snuggled up to him, breathing in his warmth as he spoke. "How so?"

Buck had pointed to the rings again. "See how they're really thick? That means the tree grew a lot that year. When a tree has a growin' season like that, it makes a lot of seeds in the spring." Her husband rubbed the wood reverently. "How many seeds do ya think this thing made a year? You saw how big it was 'fore we cut it down."

Her eyes widened as she imagined the sheer scale of reproduction. "Thousands, maybe," she'd breathed in realization.

"Aye. And that's just in one year."

"So... What's your point?"

"This here tree has sired maybe half the forest if your guess is true. It had a good run, but it had ta come down."

"But why? Why not leave it there?"

He gave her a squeeze and looked up through a hole in the roof. "If we didn't take it down, it woulda fallen soon anyway, taking out a huge swath of bush when it did. We did the forest a favor, savin' it from unneeded harm."

"Trees fall all the time, why is this one any different?"

"We cleared room for more growth. With this biggun-," He slapped the slab fondly. "-Outta the way, ten more trees can grow up in its place."

Leafdapple had thought about this for a moment. "And so those trees could grow up and make more?"

"Good onya. Now yer gettin' it." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Sometimes ya need ta take out a giant to let his children grow."

Those last words echoed around in her head. Whether he'd realized it or not, those words had lately come to define her.

Now the question was if she could let herself grow in her giant's absence.

Author: Yup, I know its a bit of detour, but I find myself enjoying writing about the life Buck left behind. There's more to be seen from our ancient friends, I promise you that. Anyway, my delightful editor, a certain Traveler of Good, has once again concocted a literary masterpiece. I suggest you check out his gem of a new work here.

Ironhorse

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

IRONHORSE

Of all the strange things one experiences in life, quite possibly one of the most peculiar may be waking up in an awkward situation. Perhaps with another entity in your bed that you don't even remember meeting. Perhaps you might find yourself in somepony else's bed, and you've no idea where you are or how to get home. Maybe you'll find yourself in your room, but on a completely new bed that you never remember purchasing. Or even, maybe you will be waking up all alone, when you know there was another figure by your side when last you closed your eyes.

Or perhaps, like a certain dark teal earth pony, you'll wake up screaming.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

As Luna's moon fell over the horizon, and its brighter counterpart began the long climb into the blue abyss, a bellowing cry shook the Eternal Tower to its foundations. The racket was so great that it succeeded in frightening off the bolder species of birds that used its roof as a hunting perch. A passing pony would have thought that the noise greatly resembled a mighty Ursa bellowing out in pain and fear. A passing psychologist would have recommended that the pony meet them in their office at once for immediate trauma therapy. A passing filly or colt would probably have wet themselves. A passing Fluttershy would have given Rainbow Dash a run for her money by managing to create Equestria's very first Sonic Flutterboom in her haste to flee. The echoing roar was raw and savage, as if it had come from the deepest of instincts, yet tainted with the pitch of desperation.

Buckshot was sitting bolt upright in his bed, back flat against the wall. He was breathing as if somepony had tied another set of weights around his legs and had him participate in the Running of the Leaves. A bead of sweat descended from his shaking forehead, the moisture cooling against the hot coat as it traveled down to the tip of his nose. His ocean eyes flickered around the bare room, frantically, searching for some kind of danger. When he had determined that there was none to be found, he relaxed and took inventory on himself.

His upper half was tightly wrapped up by some sheets, constricting the motion of his forelegs to a minimum. He duly noted the large, jagged, hoof-shaped chunks in the stone wall to the side of his bed. He'd been kicking in his sleep apparently. Buck took the sheets in his mouth and slowly began unraveling himself, thinking to himself as he craned his neck this way in that due to the lack of his dexterous front appendages.

What the clop was that?

His efforts were rewarded by the significant relief in his left foreleg as it was released from its bonds. Buck continued onto his right leg, still breathing heavily out from his nose as he worked. With the added assistance of his freed hoof, the work went less slowly, but was still hindered by several rather large knots in the blanket.

I can't even remember why I'm so spooked.

He grunted a bit as he wormed his way out of the linen prison. Buck had never been a deep sleeper, always the first to wake if there sounded a bump in the night. He often thrashed and kicked in his sleep, much to the annoyance of his wife, who had, on occasion, sent him to the sofa simply because his nighttime movements had a tendency to get a little violent if he was having nightmares. Buck stuck his back hoof into one of the large indents in the stone wall. A perfect fit. He snorted with frustration. What a way to start the day. Resolving to attempt to reach a few more minutes of slumber, Buck turned to lower the shades; the light in the whitewashed room was almost unbearable for so early in the morning.

With a start, he realized the shades were already drawn, and the blinds were down as well. Almost no light was coming through the window from the outside. Buck eyed the single lamp on the dresser warily prodding it with one hoof. It was off. But where was the light coming from? He rolled out of bed, all thoughts of extra sleep put out of his mind. The last sheet wrapped around his body was pulled off as he stood up, stretching his massive frame like a cat. Abruptly, the intensity of the light in the room increased to an almost painful level, a silvery sheen seemingly coating the air itself.

Oh. You again.

He looked down to his chest, wincing slightly through the glare. The white crescent moon emblazoned into his hide shone brightly. He rubbed his hoof against it, and to his surprise, the mark felt a shade cooler than his surrounding coat. Buckshot noticed with slight worry that the edges of hair bordering the emblem had grown significantly darker in color. He took a few deep breaths and felt himself relax for the first time that day, and as he did so, the moon's glare waned greatly. Buck's eyebrow shot up. The shining light faded to a dull glow, greatly resembling a dying flashlight bulb.

I can control it?

He forced himself to take even slower breaths, regaining his normal relaxed composure. The moon soon stopped glowing altogether, flickering briefly before extinguishing.

Well... That's one way to wake up, I suppose.

Buckshot grabbed one one of the few articles of clothing he owned, a threadbare towel from Sweet Apple Acres, and wrapped it around his bare neck, covering up the mark. He opened the door to his bedroom, only to find Ragdoll standing in the portcullis, a hoof raised as if she had been just about to knock.

"Dobroe utro, comrade." She spoke in her odd, lilting voice, now tinged with concern. "I was coming to check up on you. That sound you make... It not seem good." She shuddered slightly, cat-eyes half closing with the memory. "You are well now, da?"

Buckshot was a little touched by her concern. "Struth, Rags, I'm not sure what happened. Musta been a nightmare or somethin' of the like."

Ragdoll's ear twitched. "As you say. Do you not have a meeting with Obsidian in little bit?"

"Aye, I'm meetin' him by Sugarcube Corner once the sun clears the horizon."

"When you see him, tell him I say hi. Ponimat?"

Buck nodded. "Will do." Ragdoll returned the gesture and padded down the stairs on silent hooves, the tip of her bushy brown tail flicking side to side. Buck proceeded to trot across the circular library room to a door on the opposite side. Rust had shown him this earlier; his own private bathroom. After relieving himself of the usual morning buildup, he fired up a hot shower. While the water heated up, Buck planted his hooves onto the sink and looked in the mirror. The stallion staring back at him gave a slight smile. He laughed.

"Well, g'day ta you too, mate!"

Now unreasonably cheerful despite his rather eventful awakening, Buckshot hopped into the shower. He didn't move at first, simply standing in the hot water as it cascaded down around him. He savored the sensation as it ran off his massive head and splattered onto his powerful shoulders. Buck absentmindedly focused on a particular shower tile as he blew some wet mane out of his eyes. The water was very hot; almost scalding, but the stallion didnt seem to mind. Rather, he reflected on how different things were now.

In his day, running water itself was something of a luxury. His had been one of the first houses to receive it. Buck remembered that day well, as he was the one who'd dug the ground up for the piping to be laid. It had been backbreaking labor, but the reward had been worth it. Fresh, clean water for his family to do whatever they wished with. He smiled as he remembered how thrilled his wife had been once the pipes were running. They had "broken in" the new shower that night. Thoroughly.

Oy! Stop thinkin' bout that! She's dead and gone.

The salt content of the water running down the drain increased briefly. Buck was glad his face was already wet, he never liked how tears felt. Images of his wife flashed in his mind's eye.

No. I can't keep doin' this. She's gone, aye, but that doesn't mean I should forget her. What was it Rust had said? 'Don't mourn them, remember them fondly.'

Upon reaching this resolution, Buckshot let out a snort and began vigorously cleaning himself. The employer of the railyard might be one to judge on appearances, and he was never one to disappoint when somepony was counting on him.

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Obsidian trotted slowly down the road, savoring the cold winter air. He'd been born up north, in the distant mining town of Steelshod, on the other side of the mountain range that made up Equestria's northern border. It wasn't often he got to experience weather like this; the Princesses usually scheduled mild winters with little snowfall. The brisk, chilly morning brought back a mild pang of nostalgia as he remembered his hometown. Obsidian blew a hot jet of steam from his coal-black muzzle. For some reason, there was something satisfying about doing that for him; it reminded him of the mighty blasts of smoke that came from the trains he pulled from time to time.

Obsidian had come down from the mountains roughly a decade ago, after a collapse in the main mineshaft at the Steelshod mine had rendered the facility unable to operate. He'd spent most of his adult life hitched to the small rail carts in the mine, hauling mounds of rubble to the surface. He'd never minded the work, in fact, he enjoyed the physical toll it took on him. It had molded him into the dark mountain of solid muscle he was today. There had been a few times when he'd been ahead of schedule, so instead of finishing up his quota early, he'd simply leaned against the tunnel wall and read a few pages from one of the many books he read.

Sometimes he had been mistaken for the "dumb ox" kind of pony. This could not be farther from the truth. While growing up, Obsidian had been best friends with the daughter of Steelshod's town librarian. He could recall the vast amount of time he'd spent in the library with her, building forts out of books and then slowly destroying them from the inside out by taking out books from the walls they'd made and reading through their fortress of knowledge. Eventually, the forts had collapsed onto the pair, so they'd simply take out another bundle from the shelf to begin anew, giggling all the while. Obsidian had learned much from his childhood friend, and despite his appearance and line of work, was actually quite knowledgeable, provided he was in the mood to show it.

As he turned around the side of Sugarcube Corner, he entered the small square, complete with a small (but frozen) fountain capped with a Seapony figurehead.

"'Bout time ya showed up, I was beginnin' ta think you'd gotten lost in the bush somewhere." Came Buck's oddly accented voice. Obsidian noticed him leaning against Sugarcube Corner, his hat and bandanna seemingly freshly cleaned, the weights around his hind legs practically sparkling. Buck held out a muffin with one hoof. It was steaming warm. "Here. I take it you aren't a morning pony."

Obsidian snorted, but accepted the gift. "Ach, I never liked it. Sorry for the wait, I like to take my time, you know?"

"Aye, I know a lot more about time than you'd think," he said cryptically. Obsidian shrugged. This guy suddenly reminded him of that strange stallion who lived across town in that blue box. He was always going on about time. What was his name again? Doctor... something.

"Come on, then, railyard's this way." Obsidian tossed the muffin into his mouth and headed out of the square, due south. Buckshot joined him on his side, walking slightly behind. The two massive stallions marched together, eventually falling into the same rythym. They said nothing on the way, simply letting the clack of hooves on the cobblestones do the talking for them. After roughly ten minutes or so of trotting, Obsidian hooked a right onto Manesburough Blvd., the road that ran alongside the railroad tracks into town.

Buck noticed the tracks. "What are those, mate?"

Obsidian looked at him blankly. How could a pony not know what railroad tracks were in this day and age? "That's for the trains."

Buck's eyebrow rose, silently asking the question for him. Obsidian continued. "Trains are like big metal carts that run on the tracks instead of the ground. There are often multiple wooden carts attached to the train itself. These smaller carts hold passengers, freight, you name it. These go behind the train as it pulls them."

"So the metal cart is powered somehow?"

Obsidian's ear twitched. "Used to be. The trains used to run on magic, but there was an accident a while back where a train ran into a landslide and nopony could stop it. Nowadays, we use teams of ponies," he slugged Buck on the shoulder. "Like us, to pull it so we can stop the train if need be."

"So what's the metal part for then? Why don't we just pull the wooden carts?"

"That part is used nowadays to give power to the train. It takes in the energy of the rolling wheels as we pull it, and magically converts that energy into power for the train's utilities, like lighting, water, that kind of thing."

The dark teal stallion scratched his head. "Oh. I guess that makes sense."

Obsidian laughed. "Come on, you'll see when we get there!"

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Buckshot stood on the packed gravel of the railyard, his tail hanging limply behind him. His eyes were wide and fixed dead straight ahead, filled with awe and wonder. He turned to Obsidian, who was standing beside him, resisting the urge to laugh at his fellow giant's foal-like wonder. "So... that's a train, mate?"

"One of many." Obsidian trotted up to the object of Buck's amazement and fondly layed a hoof on it. The monstrous metal megalith towered over the two, all shiny wheels and freshly bronzed tubing. The construction was long and shaped like a cylinder, somewhat like a black tube sticking out of a squat box at the rear. The box part had windows in it, so Buck assumed that's where the engineers rode in. There was a line of metal plating lining the side of the tube, painted a bright shining orange with red highlights. The massive black unicorn continued, his voice showing pride. "This here is the Southern Equestrian Engine No. 4449, but we here at the yard like to call her 'The Daylight'."

Buck cautiously approached the engine, sensing the power it could make. "She's beautiful, mate." He reached out a hoof to touch it.

"Hooves off, buddy." Obsidian slapped his hoof away none too gently. "She's my girl. I've pulled The Daylight from here to Elder Mare's Cape, and only me and her crew are even allowed to so much as think about her. You'll probably be assigned to a different engine, one that isn't as critical to the work here at the yard. The Daylight hauls all the important loads, like expensive goods and those snooty rich ponies from Canterlot. Hay, we're even taking Princess Luna to Ponyville in this thing."

"Princess Luna's riding here on this train?"

"Yes, and my crew and I are going to be the ones pulling her," Obsidian said proudly, his already enormous chest puffing out to ridiculous proportions.

Buck chuckled at his friend's inflated ego. "I'm sure she'll appreciate that, mate."

"How would you know? It's not like you've met her or anything," Obsidian gave him an incredulous look, before realizing his error. "Ohhh, right, I forgot... You're a clopping knight!" He laughed heartily. "In that case, I'll take your word for it and spread it on to the others! Now come on, we need to see the forepony about getting you a job here, Sir Buck," he added teasingly.

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Whistler held the her clipboard in front of her with one, mottled grey and white hoof. The forepony of Ponyville Railyard, she'd been working here so long that her original coat color was buried under a permanent smoke stain. Her brown eyes looked down the list as she called out the names printed. "Easy Peasy!" she barked out in a commanding voice. The announced member of the list replied back.

"Here, ma'am!"

She moved down a name, adjusting the train engineer's hat worn on her head unconsciously. "Lickety Split!"

"Present!"

"Runningwind!"

"Present, ma'am."

"South Star!"

There was a muffled scuffling for a few seconds, then the voice rang out. "Right here, ma'am!"

"Obsidian Tempest!"

"Present."

She eyed the dark unicorn carefully. "No slacking off today, you hear me, colt?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Good. That's The Daylight taken care of. You five will be taking her out on a tourist run from Stableton around the red line to Pasture. Be there at nine 'o clock." She glared at Obsidian, who innocently pointed to himself as if to say who, me?. "Sharp," she added. The selected ponies trotetd off in the direction of their engine. Whistler was about to turn around to head back to the office when an unfamiliar voice rang out.

"'Scuse me, sheila, but I need to speak with ya."

Whistler eyed the last pony left standing in front of her. He was probably around the size of that giant from Sweet Apple Acres, Big Macintosh. Judging by the hat and bandanna getup, he was probably related to him. The stallion adjusted his hooves nervously, revealing a flash of metal as she caught sight of two weight bands strapped to each of his dark teal hind legs. "What's your name, big guy?"

His voice was heavily accented; it sounded like Austailian to her. "Name's Buck Apple. I'm here lookin' for a job, and I was told you'd be the one ta see for that."

Whistler gave him a once over. He was big, but tipped slightly more toward the lean side on muscle mass, with the exception of his ridiculously strong-looking back legs. Those weights of his must weigh a ton. He held her stare evenly through heavily lidded eyes that gave him a slight look of boredom. She nodded brusquely. "All right. Come with me." She turned around and headed for the freight yard, not bothering to look and see if he had began to follow. The sound of large hooves crunching on gravel confirmed that he had.

After a few minutes, she stopped in front of an old, rusty hopper that was filled with a very dense form of dried out cement. A few worn out looking harnesses dangled from a cross brace welded to one end. The ponies around the yard used it for training, be it for endurance as a group, or individually attempting to move the heavy hopper. Scrawled on the side in blue spray paint, somepony had wittingly written, "Old Mercy". Whistler turned to the giant and motioned to the scrap heap. "You know how to pull, Buck?"

He nodded. "You could say that."

She snorted. He sounded way too cocky for his own good. "See that clump of weeds down the track?" She pointed a smoke-stained hoof at the particular patch of green, roughly a hundred yards down the line. "Move "Old Mercy" here to it, and I'll give you a full time job at one of our engines."

Buck looked at her with a small amount of disbelief in his ocean eyes. "That's it?"

"That's it." Whistler resisted the urge to grin. This was one of her favorite tricks to play on the newbies that showed up here. It took a team of at least four strong ponies to move this bucket of bolts an inch, let alone a hundred yards. Truth be told, she never actually bothered to see how far the potential employees had moved it. She just wanted to see for how long they'd keep at it. An important trait of a train-puller is perseverance. Her ponies often had to travel long distances for even longer periods of time. No quitters allowed.

The dark teal stallion simply shrugged and trotted up to the far end of the car, on the opposite sides of the harnesses. Whistler raised her eyebrows. What was this crazy foal up to? Her questions were answered when an almighty BOOM rang out, seemingly shaking the heavens themselves. "Old Mercy" shot forward like a rusty rocket, somehow accelerating blindingly fast for an object so large and heavy. The old hopper's wheels screeched like nails on a chalkboard as they spun faster for the first time in years. Abruptly, the friction between the wheels and the rail came to a head, and flames shot up from the bearings. As the hopper roared by her, Whistler saw the stallion pressed headfirst against the back end, growling like a diesel engine as he seemingly effortlessly pushed the now-flaming behemoth forward. Farther down the track, she saw his dark teal form suddenly flash out and around the screeching hopper. Another groundshaking BOOM was heard as the car screamed to a halt, coming to a jerking stop right at the clump of weeds.

Whistler blinked. The entire process had taken less than eight seconds.

"Oy! How'd I do?" The stallion's distant cry reached her ears.

Whistler blinked again. The hopper had been weighed once, coming in at roughly ten tons. He had moved it one hundred yards in the blink of an eye. She pinched herself to check if she wasn't dreaming. Nope. She was awake. She looked down at the tracks, which were still smoking heavily from the violent movement of the hopper. She looked back at Buck, who was standing to the side of the hopper off in the distance, waving his hat around cheerfully. Whistler pinched herself again. Still awake. She took a shaky breath collected herself.

After a minute or so she had somewhat regained her gruff exterior. She finally yelled back. "You're hired! Now get your flank in gear, you've got some work to do!"

Author: FYI, I like trains (If that wasn't obvious). Also, the engine I modeled The Daylight on can be found below. This chapter was actually quite the pleasure to write, I had fun expanding on the legendary physical ability that Buck seems to possess.

Royal Pain in the Plot

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

ROYAL PAIN IN THE PLOT

Princess Celestia furrowed her brow, concentrating on the battlefield spread out before her. The enemy, emblazoned with dark colors and the emblem of the Night, a silver crescent moon, held their positions for the moment as they waited for the Sun Princess to make her next move. Celestia chewed her lower lip worriedly. The enemy had her trapped like a ship in a bottle. All her cavalry had been lost early on in the struggle, quickly stonewalled and then methodically crushed underhoof by a joint counterattack from the enemy infantry and cavalry. Once Celestia's mobile forces had been destroyed, the enemy magi had sliced diagonally across her ranks, effectively cutting off her access to the two fortifications on either end of her side of the battlefield. The opposing infantry had then risen in a single massive swell and had gained much ground, forcing her to retreat a bit and cutting off her maneuverability in the rear, pinned against a cliff edge as she was. Celestia raised her head up from the field to look the opposing commander in the eye. An almost reptilian pair of irises gazed back steadily, filled with a cold confidence and intelligence.

Nightmare Moon idly flicked her ethereal mane this way and that, like a scorpion positioning its tail for the final blow. "Please, dearest sister, why must you prolong the inevitable?"

Celestia calmly spat back, "Your inevitable defeat, maybe."

"Oh, how you wound us." The armored alicorn chuckled darkly from across the battlefield. "My sympathies go out to your fallen brethren, but we must digress - you cannot keep this up forever."

"Actually, I can. Being a goddess does have some advantages, you know," Celestia bluffed, stalling for time as her ancient mind raced for a possible path to victory. Her heart sank as she realized there was none; Nightmare Moon was poised to assault her commanding officers in one fell swoop. There was nothing she could do at this point.

Her sister blinked slowly, before shaking her head. "You would use the immortality-card, 'Tia, despite it's obvious drawback." She smiled wolfishly, pulling back midnight lips to reveal a mouth full of serrated teeth. "We can do this forever as well."

Celestia returned her gaze to the massacre about to take place right in front of her, a small amount of panic creeping into her usually placid features. "So what now, Nightmare Moon? Are we to be to eternal foes, locked in battle until judgement day and the world's ending?"

Nightmare Moon snorted with amusement. "That, or you could just surrender."

"Never," Celestia growled.

The Dark Queen of the Night casually shrugged in a laissez faire guesture. "So be it." Her long, black horn shone with a midnight aura, and one of her two remaining cavalry moved into striking distance. Celestia gulped. There was no way out. This was where it ended, after all these years of rule, finally, finally, she would be toppled from her perch... of Equestria's greatest chess player.

Nightmare Moon reached a hoof over the battlefield and flicked over the king piece. She leaned back and smiled smugly. "Checkmate."

Celestia bowed her head in submission to the victor. "Do I have to say it?"

"Yes." The reply was smooth and silky, an evident pleasure at her discomfort rang clearly Celestia's ears.

Celestia let out a sigh, before speaking out in her rarely used Royal Canterlot Voice. "I, Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria and Shepherd of the Sun, hereby decree that... I... That I smell like dragon dung."

"Aaaaaaannd?" NIghtmare Moon's eyes glittered with malice.

Celestia shot her a look of pure venom. "And that Princess Luna does not suck at chess."

A lightish-blue smoke began to swirl around the other alicorn like a miniature tornado, eventually swallowing her dark armored figure whole. There was a bright flash of light, and the tornado abruptly dissapeared, to reveal the smiling features of Princess Luna. She clapped her hooves together excitedly and let out a girlish noise of excitement. "Oh, 'Tia that was so much fun! Thank you so much for playing with us!"

After learning to how to control the transformation into her spiteful alter-ego, Luna had occasionally used it's boons to her advantage. Being Nightmare Moon gave her unprecedented amounts of power, tactical skill, confidence, and not to mention every stallion in the castle had been caught staring at her flank at one time or another. Secretly, she rather enjoyed that last part.

Celestia rubbed her hoof to her temple, trying not to listen to the snickers and chortles coming from spectators. "I am so going to get you back for this."

Luna's horn lit up and all her black chess pieces reassembled themselves back in their appropriate starting positions. She reached around her back and picked up an abacus, fondly rearranging some of the beads on it's strings. "Please. By our calculations you had no chance at all."

The smoke sharply emitted from Celestia's nostrils was from the ozone itself being vaporized with the pure energy of her snort of vexation. "It's not my fault I didn't know you'd gotten so good at chess. You spend all your time in the library, I never get to see you." The Sun Goddess pouted. "I wish you would spend some more time outside. That trip to Ponyville will do you some good. After all," she winked slyly. "If memory serves, a certain knight will be there, undoubtedly happy to see you."

Princess Luna turned her nose up. "We and Abacus need no company from the stuck up nobles here at the palace, so we will gladly welcome the change of scenery."

Celestia giggled. "Abacus? You named it?"

Luna bashfully stroked the outdated mathermatical instrument in her hooves. It had served her well in the recent days. "...Maybe."

"Well then, I'll be sure to tell Sir Apple that he has some competition!"

"...Shut up, 'Tia."

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"Hey, Uncle Buckshot?"

Buck paused at the entrance to the hallway. Her turned his great head around to peer back into the dark bedroom. Apple Bloom's shape could barely be seen, snuggled up deep into her bed. Her pink bandanna, now a staple of her appearance, was folded neatly on the bedside table.

A few days had passed since he'd landed the job at the Ponyville Railyard. Since that time, he'd been able to bring the place completely up on track with its orders, thanks to his seemingly legendary strength allowing him to move entire sections of cars to and fro in the yard. In the little time he'd been working, he had been doing so as a shunter, sorting the cars and placing them in front of the station for the ponies pulling the train. He hadn't actually pulled a train yet, but Whistler had been so pleased with his work that she'd promised him he'd be on one after he took a celebratory day off (and a pay raise, to boot). Buck had decided to spend his free day with the Apples down on the farm, and after giving them the good news, they had insisted on celebrating his new found success by having him over for dinner. After much feasting on all kinds of country delicacies, Buck had taken Apple Bloom upstairs to bed, as she had eaten far too much and had been nodding asleep at the table.

"What's on your mind, Bloomie?"

Apple Bloom's voice was hopeful. "Do ya think ya could tell me a story tonight?"

Buck thought for a moment. "Righto," he accepted and sat down on the edge of Apple Bloom's bed. "What would you like to hear?"

Apple Bloom burrowed under the covers even further, so only the top of her adorable face was sticking out. "Ah'd like ta know the story of how ya got yer Cutie Mark, please."

Buck flinched slightly, as if he had been hit.

Shoulda seen that one comin'...

The memories of that particular day had been burned into his mind. Literally. It wasn't often a volcano erupted in Equestria, and a cataclysm like that happening in one's back yard, destroying one's home, and killing one's parents tended to prove memorable. While the act of getting his mark had been acheived through desperation, Buck had to admit that his special talent had been realized on that day. Looking out for his family truly was how he defined himself.

Then again... I guess that wasn't the only good thing to happen that day.

Buck smiled broadly as he remembered meeting his best friend on the day of the eruption.

"How 'bout I hit ya with a double dose, Bloomie?"

"What's that, Uncle Buck?"

"A two-for-one deal. I've got two... No, scratch that. I've got three stories to tell about how it happened, because they are just so intertwined."

Apple Blooms face lit up with excitement. "Three? What are they?"

Buck scratched his chin with a hoof. "Number one is how I got my cutie mark," he said, gesturing to the horseshoe and apple mark on his dark teal flank. "Number two is how I met the best friend I ever made." He paused, and slowly rotated the yellow bandanna around his neck. "And number three is how that friend gave me this." The silver moon on his chest was revealed to the filly, softly glowing in the darkness.

Apple Bloom's eyes grew ridiculously huge. "Is that... Is that another Cutie Mark?" she gasped.

He chuckled. "Struth, I've got no idea what it is, to be honest. But, I can tell you how I got it. Let's start at the beginning of story number one, shall we?"

Apple Bloom nodded and leaned back into her pillow ready to listen to the ancient knight's tale.

Author: By Odin's beard! Do I smell a story arc? I do! And it smells gooooood.....
The bit after the chess match was heavily influenced by "Luna's Progress" by a Mr. Talon.

Anyway, Super Lunas and Bedtime Stories and Friendship, oh my!
Rate and Comment, or I'll make you cry!
Seriously. I will. I know where you live. My spies are everywhere.

Nopony is safe.

The Day of Black Sun

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

THE DAY OF BLACK SUN

Otherwise Known as the First of Uncle Buckshot's Bedtime Stories

Crab Apple stood perfectly still, slack-jawed in astonishment. The burgundy coated stallion barely felt the scorching summer sun boring into the back of his neck, such was his condition. Crab looked at his son, and then looked to the gaping hole that had formerly been a tree stump the diameter of a small minivan. He scratched his magnificent sideburns in wonder, trying to make sense of the scene before him. The shattered remains of the where the stump had been rooted in were smoking slightly, as though the fissure that was torn from the ground not ten seconds ago had simply vaporized the stump out of existence. Crab turned his gaze once again back to his son, who was standing next to the crater with a grin of pure delight on his face. He had asked to take care of the troublesome stump for his father, so that the family might have room to plant some more onions this season. Crab had expected him to dig the blasted thing up somehow, not outright yank it out of the ground with one solid heave.

Buck was the oldest of his offspring, as well as the only one left. Crab had had another foal with his wife, Kanga Roo, but she had died while she was very young, passing away in the night due to some terminal illness. Buck himself had been a young colt at the time, and barely remembered her. Crab gave his son a once over, attempting to discern the secret of the young stallion's feat. Buck was big, he'd give him that, but he had yet to fill out his adult frame, only recently having a set of growth spurts that signaled the end of his adolescence. Despite eating phenomenal amounts of food, typical of ponies his age, that had seemed to fail to put any meat on his bones. Kanga often compared her son to a ravenous pack of dingos. "No matter how much food ya give 'em, they always come back ta swipe whatever vittles ya have left," she often said, drawing a distinct parallel between the two subjects.

Crab shook his head in resignation. "All right, I give. How didja do it, sonny?"

His lanky offspring modestly brushed a hoof over his bare chest. "Trade secret. Sorry, Pops."

The elder Apple cracked a rugged grin. "Maybe this 'secret' 'o yours will finally getcha that cutie mark, eh?"

Buck glanced at the bare dark teal coat of his flank, and sighed wistfully. "I hope so. I'm tired of bein' the only one in town without one, and at the age of nineteen, no less." He snorted in frustration. "I'll be older than you by the time I get it."

Crab Apple laughed and brushed off the joke on his age, knowing his colt meant no harm in the jest. He might be getting on in his years, but he was still one of the fittest stallions in Stable. But now he was certainly not the strongest. "I'm proud of you, colt. It was a good thing we gotcha fitted for those leg weights, eh? Next you'll be moving mountains!"

His son nodded and self consciously shuffled his back legs, letting the heavy weights clack together. A few months ago, after accidentally shattering the kitchen door with one hoof, his father had taken him to the local blacksmith, a unicorn, and fitted him with the weights. The blacksmith had cast an enchantment on them that allowed the metal to increase in density depending on the wearer's strength. In this way, no matter how powerful Buck's leg's got, he'd always have the right amount of force to dampen the motion of them, ensuring that he'd no longer be accidentally destroying his home.

Apparently they didn't bother him that much, considering the gaping trench sitting on the place of Crab's future onion garden. Crab nodded his head back at the ramshackle cottage he'd built with his own two hooves. "Why don'tcha take a breather, sonny. I'll handle cartin' the stump for a while." He brushed away his colt's protests with a wave of his hoof. "You just did a job that would take me a whole day in a second. I think you've earned a little reward," he stomped one of his burgundy hooves into the ground for emphasis, sending up a small cloud of dust. "Now scoot!"

Buck sighed and plodded towards the cottage. Arguing was useless when his father had his mind made up. Nothing short of a natural disaster would ever make his father budge even an inch.

Ironically, that's exactly what happened next.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Your papa sounds a lot like you, Uncle Buck," said Apple Bloom thoughtfully. All thoughts of sleep had been put out of the filly's head as she listened with rapt attention.

Buck chuckled and ruffled her mane. "Eeyup. Reminds me of somepony else I know who's got a stubborn streak a mile wide."

Apple Bloom put on a fearsome scowl, or at least tried to. "Ah hope yer not talkin' bout little ole me, now, right?"

"That depends, what are you gonna do about it?"

She pondered this for a moment. A mischievous gleam crept into her eyes as an idea took root. Abruptly, she exploded out out from under the covers and tackled her uncle, knocking him on his side and pinning him onto the bed. "Tickle fight!" she cried out with glee. Apple Bloom shoved her hooves into Buck's side and began tickling him furiously. He roared with laughter and attempted to get up, but was held firmly in place by his niece's merciless onslaught.

"Hahaha! Hoho-hoooo! Stop it, Bloomie! Ah!" He gave a very un-stallionlike yelp as Apple Bloom dug her hooves in for the kill. "All right, all right, I give!" Apple Bloom ceased her tickling and struck a heroic pose standing atop her uncle's still giggling body.

Buck reared up and flung her off him. She landed neatly back under the covers, the fierce fire of victory shining in her face. "You win this round," Buck muttered darkly.

"Ah win every round."

He chuckled, still trying to catch his breath after his fit of laughing. "See? Stubborn. Now... Where was I?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Buck was sitting at the kitchen table, a glass of water in his hoof. His mother sat across the kitchen table from him repairing a worn out blanket, her root-beer eyes intently focused on restitching the intricate designs with a needle she held with her magic. Kanga Roo was a compact, yet slim, tan unicorn mare with a brown mane knotted into cornrows. Her body was laced with peculiar golden stripes, a trait that the aboriginal pony tribes who lived deep in the interior outback of Austailia seemed to share.

She'd met her husband while out foraging one day. He was a hopelessly lost, windswept wreck from the coast, covered in the reddish dust that was common around the outback. She could tell he hadn't drank or eaten for days, at least. After taking back to her tribe's camp, they'd nursed him back to health over the course of a few weeks. In return, Crab had shown the tribe how to farm the harsh, arid soil of their territory. He'd left the camp with Kanga, whom he had fallen in love with during his stay. The rest was history.

Kanga lifted her head up from the blanket abruptly, the golden glow of her magic fading as she lost concentration. "Did you feel that, Bucky?" She asked. Buck shook his head. His mother had truly grown up as one with the land, and as a result carried a unique connection to it. She could sense a change in the wind before it happened, and accurately predict the amount of rain that would fall during any given storm. The fact that she was noticing something that he wasn't was a common occurrence.

"What's up, Mum?"

She hopped off her chair and stood up, bending her knees slightly. Kanga frowned. "Somethin's not right with the earth. It feels..." she shuffled around to look Buck in the eye. "Angry."

Buck raised an eyebrow worriedly. As cryptic as she could be, his mum was almost always right about this sort of thing. "What's got it ticked off?"

"I'm not sure. There might be..." She trailed off. Her eyes zeroed in on the glass of water her son held in his hoof. "Buck. Put the glass on the table."

He complied and inspected the glass carefully. Nothing seemed wrong with it, apart from a small bit of soapscum lining the bottom of the outside. But... wait a moment. Was the water inside trembling?

"is it just me, or does the water look like it's-" he started.

"-It is," Kanga finished for him.

The water in the glass began to shudder violently. A deep, baritone vibration, just bordering on the edge of hearing, echoed in both ponies' ears. The shaking of the water suddenly spread to the glass, and the the table began to buzz as well. The entire kitchen began to tremble a bit. Dishes stacked up in the sink wobbled precariously. A vase containing a few flowers shattered as it fell off a shelf. Then, as quickly as it began, the movement stopped. The pair let out a breath as one. Neither realized they'd been holding the air in.

"Was that an earthquake?" Buck mused.

"I don't think so." Kanga shook her head slowly. "Or if it was, it was no ordinary-" She was cut off as Crab Apple burst through the back door, his eyes wide with fear.

"Mt. Stable's gonna blow." That was all he said, yet the effect was instantaneous. Both mother and son rushed to the kitchen window and looked outside. There, directly behind their backyard, stood the impressive monolith that towered several thousand feet above the surrounding countryside. A staggering amount of smoke was pouring out from the just behind the peak.

Buck looked at the unfolding calamity and closed his heavy-lidded eyes. "Well, this bites." That statement pretty much summed up the general feeling in the room.

The floor beneath the three suddenly gave a mighty lurch, and all but Kanga remained standing. The rumbling in the ground resumed in full force, and several dishes skid out of kitchen cabinets, shattering where they fell. Buck's leg weights cracked the floorboards where he slammed down. Kanga bent down and hauled her husband to his hooves by the scuff of his mane. Crab shot his wife a look of thanks before speaking up again. "We nedd to hunker down somewhere safe," he paused and frantically looked around. "Wait! The basement! It's perfect!" He turned to his wife and colt. "Buck, I need you to round up the others and gather them there. Kanga, I need your help clearin' some space for everypony. It's tight quarters down there."

Both ponies nodded in agreement. Kanga trotted out of the room towards the entrance to the basement, Crab close on her hooves. Before he exited the room, he turned back to Buck. "Be careful," He said in a pained voice. "I already lost one foal, and I'm not gonna lose another. Come back in one piece, ya hear?"

"I can't say that, but I'll promise ya that the rest make it."

Crab nodded. That was about as good as a promise as he'd get. Buck had a wise habit of only making promises he could keep. "Good." He let out a long shuddering breath, and left the kitchen.

Buck raced out the back door. Stable Mountain was visibly shaking now, the great plumes of smog and smoke spewing from the peak laced with the red glow of fire. Buck gritted his teeth to keep them from chattering. The ground sent a strange tingly sensation up his hooves as his whole body shook with the eruption. He glared up at the mountain. "WHO THE CLOP NAMED YOU 'STABLE', EH? STABLE MY FAT FLANK!" He roared. The mountain groaned in reply, and a massive explosion sounded as the peak suddenly blew apart. Huge chunks of debris flew as far as twenty miles away. A particular slab of mountainside blotted out the sun before thundering downwards, carving out an enormous crater in the cabbage field, not thirty feet from where Buck was standing.

The lanky stallion flew backward as the shock wave from the impact sent a ripple of energy outward. He landed onto the packed dirt with a thud . Buck let out a groan as he picked himself up, his head ringing. The jolt had addled his head; everything was spinning around now. "Well played, mountain," he slurred. The stallion shook his great head from side to side rapidly, clearing out the disorganized mess that had been his thought process.

Buck took off due south-east, following a well worn track that took him around the main crop fields to another cottage located on the far end of the farm. The Apples used this as a sort of a guest house for the few times they had company, and it doubly served as a space for the hired help and the Apple's kin. There were a few ponies from town that lived here full time, in addition to the two or three distant cousins that called the place home as well.

Crashing through the front door, he could see how the eruption was affecting other places. A thin layer of dust coated everything, having been shaken down by the constant vibration. Several windows were spider-webbed with minute cracks. Others had been shattered completely. Buck took a deep breath and roared out into the cottage, "Everypony get to the main house's basement on the double!" A door opening at the end of the entrance hallway, followed by the sudden motion of several ponies told him that they'd heard his message. He wheeled around and stood outside the guest house, occasionally fighting to keep his balance due to the irregular lurches of the ground. A rock whipped by his head, smashing into the dirt with a terrific whump, no doubt launched from the thundering monster looming above.

Another quick glance at the mountain told him that time was running out. Large sections of the mountain side had collapsed, and the sheer energy from the great plumes of fire leaking out from the gaps in the slope almost hurt his eyes, despite the distance. Squinting to avoid their glare, he glanced upwards at the billowing stack of smog that had risen several thousand feet by this time. He noticed two faint pinpricks of motion, circling the column. They rapidly approached the town, rocketing downwards at an incredible speed. Buck could make them out; one was a whitish thing with some kind of colorful streaking around it. The other was a midnight blue, accompanied by a strange black coloration. The two shapes whizzed overhead, and Buck caught sight of elegant wings extended in flight. Both objects headed off towards the town, soon lost to view.

A voice at his side broke his concentration. "Were those Pegasi?"

Buck turned his head to see the others standing behind him, gazes raised to the direction of town. Clearly they'd seen the anomaly too. He resolved to ponder the sighting at a more appropriate time, one that did not involve a possible death by falling debris and fire. "I dunno, mates, but we've gotta go. Pops and Mum are already in the basement. Come on, then!" Buck pointed towards the main cottage. "Move it!" he barked. The group set off towards the house at a gallop, occasionally darting out of the way of a piece of smaller debris coming down from the eruption. Buck took up the rearguard position, carefully following the group to make sure there were no stragglers.

Another large section of mountainside slammed into the earth to his right, knocking everyone off their hooves. A shrill yelp from up ahead told that somepony was injured. Buck forced himself back to his hooves and coughed out some dust thrown up by the collision. His eyes stung, he could barely see anything now. He caught up with the group to find them gathered around one of the hired help, who was lying on the ground with one leg awkwardly extended. It was clearly broken. One of the group turned to him, but Buck couldn't see who because of the veil of dust in the air. "We need to get her in! Can you carry her?" the voice said.

"Aye," without hesitation, he bent down and scooped up the crippled mare onto his back. The others voiced their thanks and carried onwards, heads bent down low to the ground to see where they were going. They followed the dirt path without any other incidents and arrived at the house more or less in one piece. Once through the back door, they stormed through the hallways towards the basement. Buck couldn't help but notice that there were several hairline cracks appearing on the walls. The group burst down into the cellar, which had been hurriedly cleared out by Crab and Kanga.

The cellar had a surprisingly high ceiling, allowing most of the barrels and out-of-season farm equipment to be easily piled in one corner of the room. A few candles had been lit at various points in the room. The lights constantly shivered from the ever present rumbling. Buck gently set the crippled mare on the ground. She winced as she touched the stone floor of the basement, but did not cry out. Buck realized this must be one of the hired help from the village. He realized he did not even know her name.

"Scuze me, ma'am. Are you gonna be all right?" he asked her softly.

The mare sneezed some dust out of her nose. "Yes. Thank you. I would have been left behind if you weren't there."

Buck scratched the back of his neck bashfully. "Shucks, I'm sure somepony else would have carried you."

"It doesn't matter. You're a hero in my eyes."

"Just doin' the right thing, ma'am." Buck tried not to blush under the praise. Ordinary acts of kindness did not qualify for that kind of status. Anypony else would have done the same thing if they had been in his hooves.

Once everypony had assembled, Crab and Kanga gave roll call. After all had been accounted for, water and rations were passed out to the group. They ate silently, brooding in the dim light of the cellar as the steady rumbling gradually became worse. Buck wasn't sure how much time passed in this manner, as nopony had brought any kind of timekeeping device down with them.

BOOOOM!

The dark tranquility of the basement was suddenly interrupted when a truly colossal impact shook the house literally to its foundations. The cellar cracked and split into several chunks, dirt pouring in from gaps in the walls. The ceiling opened up in several places, and debris from the floors above poured down into the basement like a title wave. Eventually, the ebb stopped, but only after a significant amount of the basement was covered.

Buck groaned as he once again picked himself off the floor for what seemed the thousandth time that day. He coughed several times and wiped his hooves over his eyes to clear some of the dust the impact had stirred up. He glanced up at the ceiling and found it rent in several places; in fact, he could see faint, smoky daylight streaming in through some of the gaps. It seemed to sag inwards, as if there were some great weight pressing down from where the house stood above. Buck had serious doubts that the house was even standing above-ground. He guessed that another falling rock had probably scored a direct hit on the house.

"Sonny!" a weak, muffled voice called from the far corner of the room, where most of the debris had come down. Buck waded through the debris like an icebreaker, occasionally stopping to pull a half buried pony out of the wreckage.

"Da?! 'Sat you?"

A sarcastic reply came from under the largest section of the collapse, although it was faint and laced with pain. "No, ya bloomin' dinkhead, it's the princess! Who do ya think it is?"

Buck tried to get through the pile, but more debris spilled down to fill the gaps he created. Beginning to panic, he furiously attempted to carve his way through the pile, to no avail. "Da! I can't dig you out!" He scooped up hoofful after hooffull, but it was like trying to carry water in a bucket with no bottom.

His father's voice fell a few notches in volume. It sounded like he was struggling for breath. "'Sall right, Bucky... Get the others outta here!"

Buck froze, realizing what that entailed. "But... Da, I can't leave ya behind!"

"I can't feel my legs, Buck. Me back's broken. Your mother isn't faring any better either," there was a terrible pause. "We ain't goin' anywhere."

It was as if a giant hammer had suddenly come down and squashed the lanky stallion to a pulp. Buck reeled momentarily, trying to take in that information. His parents weren't going to make it. He frantically tried to bite back tears and redoubled his efforts trying to dig them out.

"Bucky! Stop that! You're just causin' more ta fall on me!"

"I can't just leave you!" Buck hoarsely yelled back.

"Ya have ta. Get yourself and everypony else ta safety! This place is gonna come down!" Crab's voice was getting fainter by the second, and he could clearly be heard panting for breath as the pile slowly crushed him alive.

Buck tried to control his breathing, which had become ragged and strained due to the poor quality of the air. "But... But..." he tried protesting again. A small peice of ceiling fell onto the floor to his left.

His father's voice rebounded in volume, seemingly making the ground shake even more than it already was."SO HELP ME CELESTIA, BUCK, IF YA DON'T DO AS I SAY, I'LL COME BACK FROM WHATEVER HELL I'M GOIN' TA AND DRAG YA THERE WITH ME!" he roared. "NOW GO!" Realizing how much that effort that must have cost him, Buck hesitantly obliged, if only to prevent his father from releasing anymore precious air.

In one of the gaps in the ceiling, Buck could see straight up through where his house used to stand. He could see Stable Mountain framed clearly against the smoggy sky. With a gasp, he realized that there was an enormous amount of glowing, hot, lava, quickly pouring down the mountain. It incinerated any trees it came into contact with, and seemingly melted the surface of the mountain itself, warping the slope and increasing it's speed. They needed to get out of here now. Buck turned to where the staircase led up to the first floor, only to see it had collapsed. He growled in frustration. The only way out now was the hatchway.

In the back of the cellar, a small staircase led upwards till it met the hatchway. The hatchway itself was a slab of solid granite, two feet thick and several feet wide, that served as a thief-proof entryway to the underground of the farmhouse, where oftentimes valuable ciders and preservatives were stored. Buck remembered helping to install the thing. It had taken a team of ten ponies just to lift the thing with a complex crane system. It was only ever moved when there was a large quantity of items too big to carry upstairs blocked up the cellar.

And it was the one thing standing between his family and freedom.

Buck called out into the rubble of the basement, "Oy! Is everypony all right? We need to scoot, pronto!"

A muffled assortment of assentments were made that indicated that yes, they were more or less ready to go.

"Somepony carry the lovely mare who broke her leg. I'm gonna bust us outta here."

He waded back through the wreckage to the small staircase and positioned himself backwards on it, his hindquarters aimed right at the slab covering the entrance. The lanky stallion's leg weights clanked together. Buck took a deep breath and reared back on his front hooves, angling his hind legs upward. He let out a grunt and proceeded to let out the hardest kick he'd ever made in his life. He struck for his father. He struck for his mother. He struck for the loss of his home. Most importantly, he struck for the rest of his kin, staring at him with wide eyes.

There was an audible crack as his back hooves broke the sound barrier.

The solid slab of granite shattered immediately, the peices flying upwards and out in an almost nonsensical explosion. The smokey daylight suddenly filtered into the dark basement, hurting Buck's eyes. Buck felt a strange sensation on his flank, but he didn't bother to check it, preferring instead to ignore the feeling. If he was injured, he'd sort that out later. More pressing matters deserved his attention now. He managed to call out to the basement, "Way's open, now clear out!" He stood next to the staircase as the ponies in the basement hauled themselves through the now-open portcullis, somewhat in awe of what they had just seen. The crippled mare, who was draped across the back of an older stallion, mouthed a word of thanks as she went. Buck merely nodded. Once everypony had managed to get outside, Buck turned back to the pile of wreckage in the opposite corner of the room.

"Da!"

There was no reply.

"I just wanted to thank you. For everythin'. You helped shape me into the colt I am today. I don't care if ya can't hear me, either." He wiped a few more tears from his ocean eyes and involuntarily shuddered. "I'll see ya on the other side." He turned and bounded up the stone steps to the outside.

Under the pile of wreckage, Crab Apple smiled, his heart bursting with pride. He struggled around with his remaining strength and embraced his wife's motionless body in the blackness. Side by side they lay, together in the end. Crab let out a ragged breath as his lungs refused to fill up with air. He murmured his final words into his wife's braided mane.

"We'll be waitin' for ya."

Author: Honestly, this was a bitch and a half to write. The original chapter was over ten thousand words, so I decided to split it up into three because I couldn't seem to put that special focus into the rest. I will put more effort into the remaining segments of Uncle Buck's Bedtime Stories and release them separately over a few days.

I put out a commission for some artwork, so that is in the works, but if anypony feels generous enough to draw something, I'll feature it in the story.

Anyway, the usual threats apply here. Rate, Comment, and Subscribe.

Divine Intervention

CHAPTER NINETEEN

DIVINE INTERVENTION

Otherwise Known as the Second of Uncle Buck's Bedtime Stories

Stable Mountain gave another mighty roar, and the flume of smoke pouring from the peak was suddenly streaked a bright crimson by an enormous gout of fire shooting several hundred feet into the air. A second rivulet of lava spilled out from the cracked rim of the newly formed crater adorning the top of the volcano, slipping downhill in a glowing tidal wave of molten rock. The town of Stable, nestled below the trembling slope, had little time left. Already some buildings had caught fire, some outright crushed from falling rocks, similar to what had happened to the Apple farm. The sun had been completely obscured by this time, hidden behind a thick veil of black haze extending for miles in every direction. Ironically, the major source of light in this darkened, apocalyptic world were the fires blazing out from the volcano, the very thing that had caused the devastation in the first place. Now, it served as a demonic lighthouse, its glow tinging the air a hellish red.

The group of survivors from the farm made their way into Stable, moving as quick as they could possibly go given the conditions. Several had makeshift rags and the like covering their mouths and face, as to prohibit the breathing in of the foul smog that seemed to hang in the air. Buck's nose wrinkled upwards due to the unpleasant aroma as he trotted along at the back of the group. He thought that it smelled something like a cross between a burning carcass, rotten eggs, and vaporized ozone. He eyed the other ponies with their improvised coverings somewhat jealously. The mare with the broken leg, draped over the back of another stallion from the farm, was traveling in front of him. She eyed his discomfort with some amusement.

"You want something to cover your face?" she asked him, her voice shaking due to the motions of the pony beneath her.

Buck initial reaction was to outright refuse her. However, a sudden intake of a particularly noxious batch of atmosphere that greatly resembled the scent of a burning outhouse caused him to go into a hysterical fit of coughing. The mare giggled softly at this. It was an odd sound, at least in this situation. The last thing anypony would expect during a natural disaster is the sound of laughter, after all. After managing to wheeze out a few clear breaths, he gasped in reply, "Aye. That would be nice."

The mare nodded and proceeded to take off the soot-stained cloth wrapped around her neck, taking it in her teeth and flinging it to Buck. He caught it in his mouth. "Fffwhat about foo?" He mumbled through the cloth.

She laughed again. Buck found that he rather enjoyed it when she did that. The sight of the pretty mare with a smile on her face almost made him forget the hardships he'd been through that day. "I'll be fine, Buck. The smoke isn't bothering me too much."

Buck wrapped the cloth around his neck, examining it. It was a bandanna of some kind, although the original color of it was now completely obscured by the dust and soot in the air. He nodded to the mare in thanks before drawing it over his nose and mouth. His voice was muffled slightly as he spoke through the cloth. "Thankee kindly... Uhm..." He realized he didn't

even know her name.

Her sparkling cyan eyes shone in the dim light. "My name is Leafdapple. It's alright, I worked in the kitchen at the helper's house. I didn't get out that much." She absentmindedly brushed some dust off of her foreleg. Buck could see the deep red of her coat through the gap in the filth. "Anyway, I should be the one thanking you."

Buck shot his eyebrow up in confusion. She was the one breathing in the smog while he used her bandanna. What reason could she possibly have to thank him?

Leafdapple continued, wincing slightly as a small stumble from the pony beneath her shifted her broken leg. "You've saved my life twice now today. It's the least I could do."

"Twice?" Buck could only remember that he picked her up off the ground and carried her to the temporary safety of the farmhouse.

"Once when I was hit by that rock, and again when you broke through that cellar door." She gave him a small smile. "Come to think of it, you saved everypony back there, not just me." Several of the group who were travelling near the two, including the stallion carrying Leafdapple, turned their heads to nod in agreement, murmuring words of thanks.

Buck flinched involuntarily, and turned his gaze away from Leafdapple. "I didn't save all of you," he murmured to himself. The noticeable gap made by the lack of his parents should be evident to the others. He felt that didn't deserve their thanks; he deserved nothing he hadn't earned. Leafdapple, sensing his sudden downturn in spirit, leaned out from her perch on the stallion's back and gave him a peck on the cheek.

Buck was completely dumbstruck. He tripped and fell flat on his face. As he got back up, blushing furiously, he could hear the sound of the pretty red mare laughing once again. He sighed and continued on his way, contemplating how strange this day had been.

The group eventually came to Stable after following the path from the Apple's farm for some time. A steady stream of villagers were heading out of town with them, trotting along the town's main street, which pointed directly away from the volcano, which was still erupting in the background. The destruction even here, although much farther away from the volcano then the farm, was highly evident. Several buildings had collapsed completely. Fires burned on several rooftops despite the best efforts of the local fire brigade. Buck passed a former shop that had been completely crushed by a falling boulder twice the size of a school bus. He shuddered. Hopefully nopony had been in there when it had come down.

There was a sudden rush of air behind him. Buck turned his head to see the two blurs he had spied before, one a whitish color, the other a midnight blue, whip above the town. The blue one peeled off and bolted back toward the mountain, while the white one descended upon the village, contrails streaming out behind it. A hundred or so feet above the ground, it abruptly halted. Buck could make out the sudden movement of powerful white wings moving in a single flap. A massive gust of wind pushed down on him from above. All the rooftop fires were extinguished by the wall of air that blew past. He covered his eyes, suddenly extremely grateful for the raggedy old bandanna Leafdapple had given him, as it protected his nose and mouth from sucking up any more larger particles of soot stirred up by the object's wingbeat. A voice called out, full of confidence and serenity. It would almost have been soothing, if it weren't for the fact that the volume of the words were turned up to incredible levels.

"Citizens of Stable! We, Princess Celestia, hereby order an immediate evacuation! All ponies are to proceed five miles due northeast, where a relief center has been established on the banks of the White Brook Fjord. My sister and ourselves will attempt to quell the eruption, but in the meantime we must ask that everypony must vacate the current zone of danger. ". The Sun Goddess cried out in her rarely used Royal Voice, referring to herself in plural form, as tradition dictated.

Buck was astonished. The Royal Sisters? Here? He glanced back up at the volcano, which was still churning out massive amounts of fire and smoke. The constant trembling of the ground had not ceased one bit. If the Goddess themselves had to come here, then things do not bode well for anypony at all.

Above the town, Princess Celestia flapped again, releasing another concussive downstroke. The force propelled her straight up several hundred feet. With her new altitude, she took off back to the volcano at an unnatural speed.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Apple Bloom sat next to Buck on the bed. They were both staring at the night sky through her bedroom window. The cosmos were ablaze with pinpricks of light. A few thin wisps of clouds scattered across the upper stratosphere absorbed the moonlight like sponges, glowing a bright silver around the edges, turning a shadowy blue towards the center. The moon itself was in full glory, the entire circumference giving off almost as much light as the sun.

Apple Bloom turned to her uncle, who had fallen silent for a time, lost in memory of ancient days. His eyes were locked onto the universe spread out before them, and she could see the starlight reflecting off his ocean eyes. Apple Bloom wondered what was going through his mind. He had rarely opened up to anypony about his past like this. Not even Applejack, who treated him like an overprotective sister sometimes, and who he often confided in for her sage-like country wisdom, knew of the tale he'd been spinning tonight. She chewed her lip thoughtfully. "So... What exactly does yer mark mean, Uncle Buck?"

Buck held his gaze on the twinkling ocean above. "Protectin' what I care about with every ounce of strength I have." He did not mince words.

Apple Bloom pondered this. "What is it that ya care so much about?"

He said nothing for a while, carefully thinking over his response as if it carried more weight than he would let on. Finally he spoke, slowly rolling the words around his mouth like he was tasting a new flavor. "At this point, I'm not entirely sure."

"Whaddaya mean?"

"Well, most of the ponies I deeply cared about have long since gone away." He traced a constellation with the tip of his nose. "Aside from you here at Sweet Apple, I've got nothin'."

"Most of the ponies?" She looked at him skeptically.

Buck chuckled. "Aye. There's one left," his gaze quickly flicked down at her, then back up through the window. "Maybe two." His eyes stopped roving around the sky and held position, peering at something with great intensity.

Apple Bloom fixed him with a questioning gaze, but held her tongue.

He continued, "Maybe ya heard of her?"

Apple Bloom was about to say that no, she hadn't, when she realized what her uncle was looking at. She could see it's bright glare reflected directly from his eyes. It covered the entire black pupil, so that it seemed his eyes had turned into silvery, glowing, ocean rimmed orbs.

"Princess Luna?"

"You got it, Bloomie."

She snuggled into his side, felling the rise and fall of his powerful lungs as he breathed. Buck kept talking, "Ya see, it was just after we'd reached the edge of town. Our group was in the back of the herd, on account of Leafdapple slowing up the pace. Wasn't her fault of course, I'd have carried her if it weren't for the fact that I had to turn around..."

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The ground began to vibrate with a higher frequency. It seemed that the eruption was taking a turn for the worse. Buck looked back from where he was walking at the very end of the line of ponies vacating Stable. The caravan of refugees were situated on a hill directly overlooking the town. He could see the entire situation from up here, and it wasn't good. The two dots from earlier, which Buck now knew to be Princess Celestia and her sister, Luna, were flying over the crater of the volcano, using their magic to deflect the worst of the eruption away from the town.

Buck watched as the speck that was Princess Celestia ascended and began to whip around the edges of massive pillar of smoke, circling it and shaping the cloud with her powerful wingbeats. Her motion slowly began to shape it, narrowing the tower until it was a super-condensed, rapidly spinning line of smoke that stretched up past the clouds. The Princess was moving so fast that it seemed like she had turned into a line herself, a white blur that spiraled up the smoke tornado at a sickening pace. The smoke, which now resembled a giant rope, blasted it's material upward at incredible speeds, straight through the atmosphere and into space itself, removing the harmful gases from the world completely. Buck was impressed. The Princess had used a common technique he'd seen performed by weather pegasi, although in this case on a truly massive scale. He directed his attention to the other speck, the midnight blue one that he now knew to be Princess Luna.

The tiny pinprick of darkness was slowly circling over the volcano crater itself, using what seemed to be an invisible force field to deflect the torrents of lava and flaming debris that shot out of the mountain. The streams of material seemed to strike some kind of magical wall, and bounce back straight into the crater. This served as a corking action, plugging up any further eruptions. Buck watched in awe as the Princess shunted away a stream of lava, the hot substance sending out bright sparks when it touched her magical shield that could be seen for miles. Abruptly, the mountain decided to fight back. To counter the Princess of the Night's efforts, it had built up enough pressure now to release it's biggest payload yet.

A flaming meteor with roughly the mass of an oil tanker rocketed out of the caldera, heading straight for the princess. It impacted into her shields with a flash of light accompanied by a terrific thunderclap, and then proceeded to tear straight through them as if they were made of wet paper. Buck gasped in horror as the molten hunk of fire swatted the midnight-blue speck out of the sky like a pesky gnat. The stricken princess, now a blue fireball, was knocked away from the volcano, arcing high over the dim landscape. Buck faintly realized that she resembled a great comet in her descent. The fireball roared across the sky, picking up speed as it fell. Buck's eyes widened. She was heading straight for the town.

"INCOMING!" he roared before ducking behind an overturned cart for shelter. The refugees behind him scattered like leaves in the wind, most simply running away as fast as they possibly could. Ponies screamed in panic as the blazing cerulean streak got closer and closer. The noise of their distress was soon masked by the rumble of the incoming missile.

Buck turned his head away from the volcano and braced his back against the side of the upturned cart. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, preparing for the coming collision. He didn't have long to wait.

With the force of a freight train, the Princess impacted onto the outskirts nearest to the volcano of the town, releasing a mighty kinetic shockwave that blasted over everything left standing (buildings and ponies alike). Her fireball was traveling so fast that it bounced off the ground and rammed clean through half the buildings on main street before slamming into the local banquet hall, which collapsed on top of her. Buck staggered back to his hooves for the upteenth time that day. The others behind him attempted to the same. The stallion with Leafdapple on his back was struggling to stand, so Buck went over to him and helped him up. He felt a hoof tap his shoulder, and turned to find Leafdapple pointing towards the town.

"I think the princess is hurt!" she yelled over the noise of the eruption. Buck looked back to the devastation of the town, and sure enough, the banquet hall that had collapsed over the fallen monarch was eerily still. His eyes narrowed. He turned to Leafdapple, who was worriedly watching him. "You aren't going back there, are you?" she asked. The concern in her eyes deeply touched him, but he chose to ignore it. Buck got the attention of the pony she was draped across.

"Make sure you get clear of here." His voice was iron, his resolve even harder. "I'm going to go and see if she's all right, savvy?"

The stallion carrying Leafdapple nodded in acknowledgement and began to plod as fast as he could down the path to the fjord. The mare on his back could only watch as Buck held her gaze for a heartbeat longer, and then whipped around and plunged down the hill toward the ruined settlement.

Buck used the added speed of his downward momentum to almost fly over the dusty ground, his large hooves sending up little clouds of dust as he went. The bandanna wrapped around his face whipped the back of his neck as he sped along the path, but served the job of filtering the air well enough. Soon, he arrived in the ruined main street. The going got tougher here; fallen buildings, destroyed market stands, and overturned carts littered the road. Bounding over a collapsed chimney, he hooked a left at the intersection in the center of town. He was now running alongside the path of destruction caused by the Princess' impact. A long, jagged gash had been carved through the buildings on his right, stretching back toward the outskirts of town. Buck realized the Princess had punched a hole clean through every single building in her path before grinding into the banquet hall.

The hall itself was shaped roughly like a loaf of bread, with a high ceiling and small entrance on the side. The long roof had collapsed right along the middle, cutting the building in twain A gaping, slightly smoking hole in the side near the entrance revealed the fallen Princess's path. Buck hopped through the hole and looked around, letting his eyes adjust to the dark gloom of the ruin. The dirt floor of the hall was littered with broken tables and pieces of fallen masonry from the roof. The gash carved in the ground continued to the center of the room, where it abruptly ended in a pile of large support beams. The Princess had slammed straight into the heavy ironwood center support column, shattering it and causing the surrounding roof to fall around her. All in all, the scene eerily reminded Buck of the pile of debris that had crushed his parents.

"OY! PRINCESS! YOU ALL RIGHT?" he called. The second he said that, he realized he shouldn't even have bothered. Of course she wasn't all right, she'd been smacked out of the sky by a ticked off volcano. Buck cautiously approached the pile. If he was going to have to dig her out, he didn't want to cause the wreckage to shift and bury her more. He'd learned his lesson the first time.

"If you can hear me, I'm gonna try and get you outta there! Gimme a tic!" Buck set his shoulder against a solid support beam and heaved at it. With a groan, the ironwood log rolled off the pile. For the next piece, the stallion set his nose under the end of a slab of roof at the edge of the pile. He strained his neck and the slab lifted up a foot or two. This gave him enough room to wedge his head under there and begin using his legs. Powerful muscles contracted with frightening speed, and the slab was sent flying across the room. Buck continued this process for several minutes, picking off the debris along the edges of the pile first so as to not cause the rest to shift.

After heaving another log off the pile, he revealed a midnight-blue hoof, shod in a silver gauntlet. The hoof twitched faintly, and Buck could hear a faint groan coming from under the pile. She was still alive! Buck redoubled his efforts, working frantically. He changed tactics; instead of shunting the debris away, he began kicking it off. Chunks of wreckage the size of mid-sized sedans began flying away from the pile as if thrown by a wood chipper. Buck grunted as he sent another ironwood support column zipping away like javelin. "Princess Luna!" he shouted.

There was another groan, and the entire pile of wreckage shifted slightly, as if being pressed upwards from below. A silky, though somewhat addled voice rang out, using the Royal "We" in a manner similar to Celestia. "We are trapped, there is a large beam preventing our escape!"

"Hold tight! I'll have ya out in a jiff!" He called back. Buck dug out the pile like a madpony. No pony else was going to get left behind today if he had any say in it. Finally, he was left with a single beam covering the Princess. It must have been the main support column, it was several hooves in diameter and clad in a metal casing. Buck could see the midnight blue figure of the alicorn trapped under it. The column was laying across her chest, pinning her wings to the ground and locking her forelegs in place as she strained under it's weight. The Princess shot him grateful glance before motioning with her nose to the beam. Buck got an idea. "This thing is too big for me to kick away. I'm gonna need you to try and raise only one end. If I can get under it, I'll push it up."

Luna looked at him like he had sprouted a second head. The weight on top of her was tremendous; how was a simple earth pony going to move it? Nonetheless, she focused her efforts on her left side, shifting her strength to lift up that end. She groaned with the effort. The beam slowly began to move, inches at a time. Once he deemed enough room had been created, Buck sunk onto his belly and crawled under the lifted end, cutting open the the back of his head to his shoulders on the jagged splinters. He bellowed in agony as the ironwood bit into his flesh, but continued.

Once he had put himself in place, he turned his head to Luna. "When I lift this bloody thing, wiggle out under my legs," he grunted in pain.

Luna nodded and tensed herself. "We are ready."

Buck closed his eyes and pushed. For a few seconds, nothing happened. His entire body strained with the effort, every lean muscle and vein clearly defined under his dusty dark teal coat. The fire he felt in his neck and shoulders was almost unbearable. Buck's hooves slowly sunk downward into the ground. The weight from above was so great that he was compressing the very surface he stood on. His hooves stopped sinking once the material had reached some critical level of density. Now instead of downwards, the force he applied began moving the beam up. The stallion let out a roar and abruptly raised himself off his belly, pushing his colossal burden up several feet. He felt a strange, cooling sensation on his chest, but when he glanced down at it, there was nothing. Now standing at full height, Buck locked his legs and braced himself.

"GO!" He cried.

Luna, who had been watching with wide eyes, rolled around and sprung under his legs. She landed neatly several feet away, and promptly whirled around to help. Buck's left foreleg suddenly gave out, and he sunk to his front knees. The beam began crushing his neck into the dirt floor. His face was violently pressed straight into the ground, cutting off his air. He strained for breath and fought back with all his might, but it was useless. His strength had been spent completely from the day. He was done. With a sigh, he resigned himself to his fate.

There was a glorious release as the weight suddenly disappeared. Buck coughed out a mouthful of soil and turned his head. He almost forgot to replenish his starved lungs, such was the sight before him.

Princess Luna stood tall in all her glory, her huge midnight blue wings extended to full length. They almost spread from one side of the hall to the other. Her eyes shone a silvery white, and her horn was surrounded by a strange, darkly glowing aura. There, suspended several feet above, the mighty ironwood support column hung weightless. With a casual flick of her horn, the entire structure was tossed to one side as if it were a twig. It shook the ground when it landed.

Buck looked at her in disbelief. "What, you couldn't do that before?" A few drops of blood splattered onto the dirt from his shoulders and neck.

Luna folded her wings, and regarded him with interest. "We are afraid not. Something was..." she searched for the words. "Preventing us from using our magic. The force went away once we had managed to escape. But a more appropriate question given the circumstances would be how thou managed to lift that beam."

He shrugged. "Honestly, your Highness, I've been doin' all kinds of whacko things like that today." He took in the sight of her now that she was out from under the wreckage. Long, elegant legs tapered up to small, compact body. Her flank had a splotch of pure black, adorned with a white crescent moon. Deep cerulean eyes peered out from under a long, icy blue mane to return his gaze. He got the feeling that she was peering into his very soul. Despite the eruption still going on, he felt oddly at peace.

"...We do not think that we've met before," she finally stated.

Buck held out a hoof. "Name's Buck, your Highness. Buck Apple.

She shook it warmly. "Please, Buck. Call us Luna."

Author: WOW. Another chapter typed on my Ipod. I need to start using a computer, those tiny little touch-screen buttons are really slowing me up. Anyway, Rate, Comment, and Subscribe. By the way, FFTT has fan art now! I feel special.

So very, very special.

The Elder's Wrath

Author: This chapter gets weird. Mainly because I change viewpoints to Rust for a while. He's kinda... no, scratch that, hes completely crazy.

CHAPTER TWENTY

THE ELDER'S WRATH

Otherwise Known as the Third of Uncle Buck's Bedtime Stories

"...Tarnation! You saved the princess? That's amazin'!" Apple Bloom sat at the kitchen counter, a half empty glass of warm apple juice in front of her hooves. It was very late at night, almost into the morning. Applejack and Big Macintosh had long since gone to bed, but Buckshot and Apple Bloom had decided to grab a midnight snack, seeing as they still were up.

Buck took an enormous bite out of a biscuit, more or less swallowing the thing whole. "I didn't save her, I just... Helped her up." A few crumbs flew out of his mouth as he spoke.

"Don't be denyin' it; ya saved her life! Her magic was broke and she couldn't get out." She swigged out of her glass, gulping noisily. Proper table etiquette had never been a strong suit of the Apple family, regardless of the time difference. "Say, why was it on th' fritz 'n stuff?"

The knight poured himself a towering glass of Applejack's special cider to warm him up. During his time, the Apples had not yet gotten into brewing yet, and so he found himself particularly enjoying the one-of-a-kind concoction Applejack fondly referred to as the "Zap-Apple Shimmer." It left a pleasant burning sensation in his throat and yet still maintained that unique tangy flavor the orchard's fruit was famous for.

"I can't say for sure why her magic went bonkers when it did. She told me she began investigating it afterward, but seein' as how we've both been... ah, absent, for a long while, I dunno whether or not she made any headway."

Apple Bloom reached over the counter and lifted up his bandanna. She poked him right on the crescent moon covering his chest. "Maybe it's got somethin' tah do with this thing, here?"

He considered it for a moment, then shook his head doubtfully. "Probably not. I didn't have this back during the eruption. Hay, I didn't even have my cutie mark 'till then!" He patted Apple Bloom on the head reassuringly as she considered whether or not the extremely long waiting time would be genetic or not. "Don't worry, Bloomie. Ya get yer mark when ya find what yer meant ta be in life." Buck's eyes misted over for a moment. "That kinda thing can never be rushed."

"Ever?"

"Ever."

She sighed and slumped onto the counter, blowing an errant strand of red mane out from her golden eyes. "That just ain't fair."

Buck shrugged. "Life ain't fair, Bloomie. Ya gotta make the best of it, regardless. One day you might wake up a thousand years in the future and you'll ask yerself if ya did or not."

The pair downed the rest of their drinks in one go, slamming them down simultaneously. Apple Bloom wiped her mouth off with her foreleg. "Didja?"

"Did I what?"

"Didja make th' best of it?"

Her uncle looked like he was about to answer immediately, then held his tongue. After a few minutes, he spoke up. "I'd like to believe I did, but I can't say for sure. I've kinda lived two different lives, I guess. One back hundreds and hundreds of years ago, and one now." He took their finished glasses and moved off to put them in the sink. They clinked together as he set them down. "For my old life, I can sure as hay tell you that I made the best of it."

"But not this one?" She frowned, her brow creasing in a way that can only be described as so adorable it hurts.

"Well, I'm not done with it yet, am I?" Buck smiled at her. "Ask me that when I've used it enough to judge."

She got up and jumped at him, hugging the stallion around his neck. "Ah hope ya never get done with it."

Buck felt tears coming to his eyes from this gesture of love. He remembered when, long ago, another small filly with red hair had embraced him like this.

"...Eeyup."

Apple Bloom giggled and looked up at him from where she dangled around his neck. "So, ya gonna tell me how ya got the moon thing?"

He easily peeled her off and set her on his back. The pair headed back upstairs to Apple Bloom's room, where Buck promptly sent her flying into bed. She dug back in under the blankets and watched him intently, waiting for him to begin. The stallion resumed his post on the side of her bed and began to speak.

"It was the final day of the tournament..."

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"... AND ANYPONY WHO'S ANYPONY IS HERE TO WITNESS THE FINAL EVENTS!" The announcer's magically-amplified voice boomed out over the Royal Palace. "SIX COMPETITORS HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR, FROM THE PONIES FROM ALL OVER EQUESTRIA THAT HAVE FOUGHT TOOTH AND HOOF FOR THE RIGHT TO REPRESENT THEIR HOME AS A CHAMPION!"

The Tournament of Champions was in full swing. It was a dirty, loud, rambunctious, oftentimes violent, but all-the-times entertaining spectacle of culture. Banners baring the symbols of various cities and towns hung from the Royal Castle walls. The effect served to turn the normally blindingly white stone surface into a colorful kaleidoscope of sensory input. The castle's training fields functioned as the fairground for the tournament, now covered in a veritable sea of tents and temporary pavilions. Ponies from every single corner of Equestria, not to mention griffons, zebras, buffalo, and one adult dragon had gathered here to observe the climactic grand finale. The tent-city had sprung up overnight, and now it pulsed, no, thrummed with activity. The area where the competitions took place was located in a freshly built colosseum standing smack dab in the middle of the madness.

The Proving Ground, it had been dubbed. Shaped like a large circle, the building rose up several stories into the sky, built in the style of ancient Romane architecture. The arena could house a staggering seventy-five thousand ponies, a feat of engineering that as of yet had been unreachable anywhere else in Equestria. A dirt pit, packed down by the hooves of competitors and other things, made up the majority of the space. Roughly the circumference of a football field, it contained several large stone pillars scattered haphazardly around the pit. They served as obstructions as well as cover for those challenges that required them.

The stone seats were now overflowing with spectators, cheering madly for their favorites in an almost unbearable din of screaming and noise. Flags bearing the emblems of three of the four cities were flapping crazily in the breeze. The single adult dragon who had come to watch was circling above the area, for his bulk would not fit inside. Occasionally he would dive straight down and buzz the place, similar to how a group of jets flies over a football game, his mighty wings blotting out the sun and his red fire tinging the atmosphere a softly glowing purple.

On the Proving Ground itself, six figures stood grouped together in the center. These six were the only ones left representing their respective cities. They had, through skill, luck, or a combination of the two, advanced to the very pinnacle of the esteemed competition. Each settlement had been asked to send a chosen three, the best that they could offer, to participate, and hopefully be christened a champion. The teams sometimes competed with their fellow members, sometimes alone, sometimes agaisnt other cities, and sometimes individual members were even teamed up with the other cities in the series of challenges that had been concocted by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna themselves.

The rules were simple. Win the challenge, and proceed to the next round. Lose, and you leave. The last member remaining from any given settlement's chosen three was automatically knighted and dubbed champion.

The six remaining were of a curious combination of representation. One full team of three had made it to the finals, something considered impossible due to the hereto-before unknown origins of their town, Ponyville. The Canterlot team, made up of a trio of Royal guards, had lost a member in the fifth challenge, and so were down to two ponies. The single remaining pony from Stalliongrad was a mystery; nopony knew how exactly she had managed to progress.

"AS THE CLOCK WINDS DOWN FOR THE FINAL CHALLENGE, THESE LAST CHOSEN FEW STAND PROUDLY BEFORE US, READY TO PROVE THEIR WORTH AND EARN THEIR TITLES! LET'S TELL EVERYPONY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEM TO RECAP BEFORE THE CHALLENGE BEGINS!"

A roar of approval told the announcer to commence. She obliged.

"HAILING FROM THE COLD NORTHERN CITY OF STALLIONGRAD, OUR FIRST CONTENDER HAS DEFIED THE ODDS COUNTLESS TIMES AND ALWAYS EMERGED OUT ON TOP WITH A SMILE ON HER FACE! I'VE GOT NO IDEA HOW SHE DOES IT, BUT SHE MAKES ME GIGGLE LIKE A FILLY SO I COULDN'T CARE LESS! STALLIONGRADITES, GIVE IT UP FOR YOUR CHAMPION, THE LAAAAAAAAAAUGHING MAAAAAAAAAARE!"

The crowd could easily pick out the neon-pink chain-mail armor of the Laughing Mare, who was practically bouncing around in anticipation. Already having been knighted, the mare was the last remaining contender left from her city. She was the favorite of her home turf, Stalliongrad, one of the most powerful cities in Equestria, and in all her appearances, her adoring fans made certain to roar out their praises of her until their throats bled. Today was no exception.

"TWO PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERS, EACH WITH AN IRON WILL EVEN EVEN HARDER HOOVES, ARE OUR NEXT CONTENDERS. STRAIGHT FROM THE CANTERLOT CITY GAURD, THESE BRAVE STALLIONS HAVE TRULY CHANGED THE VERY DEFINITION OF THE WORD 'DETERMINATION'! DESPITE THEIR NEVER CHANGING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, THEY ARE SMILING ON THE INSIDE! CANTERLOT! SOUND OFF FOR BOOOOOOOOUUUUUUULDER AND SCRAPPY DOOOOOOOO!"

The Canterlot group pounded away on solid war drums somepony had thought to bring. Their reverberations shook the very air in a deafening cacophony of pulsing rhythm so loud that even the ponies in the arena had to grit their teeth to stop their jaws from shaking. Many had laughed at this; the usually uptight Canterlot unicorns were acting rather uncouth by their standards, hurling insults and cheering just as loud as anypony else. Their remaining chosen representatives, an earth pony named Boulder and a pegasus known as Scrappy Doo of the Canterlot Gaurd, stood strong and stoic in their customary golden plate armor, the blue feathery crests topping their helmet streaked with a red stripe in honor of their missing member.

"FINALLY, WE COME TO THE REMAINING THREE, ALL FROM THE SAME PLACE, ALL EQUALLY QUALIFIED FOR THE TITLE OF CHAMPION! THEY CAN PROUDLY SAY THAT THEIR ACTIONS HERE HAVE PUT PONYVILLE NOT ONLY ON THE MAP, BUT IN THE HISTORY BOOKS AS WELL! MAKE THE EARTH SHAKE AND THE HEAVENS TREMBLE FOR RAGDOLL, RUST, AND BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKSHOOOOOT!"

While few from Ponyville had actually come to the tournament, many had found reason for cheering for the only whole team remaining. They were the underdogs, the wild card, the group which everypony secretly wished to be. Those who had not sided with Canterlot or Stalliongrad were yelling wildly for them, stamping their hooves, blowing horns, anything to show their support. The Ponyville group was a strange mix of unique characters.

Ragdoll; strapped into a sparse leather chest guard with her shaggy white coat, bushy chocolate-brown tail and mane, exotic eyes, and ice-cool personality, had become something of an icon for the crowd.

Rust; his namesake rusty orange-red coat bare to the elements. He alone among all the contenders had chosen to wear no armor for any of the events. This peculiarity had caused much speculation, as none of the crowd had ever seen him fight, and nopony could even remotley understand the foreign profanity he constantly spouted. Hopefully, today would provide the crowd some answers about the mysterious stallion.

Towering over every other pony in the area, the final member of the team drew a thunderous standing ovation. Buck Apple; the giant among giants. Freakishly strong, unbelievably tough. His dark teal coat was covered in solid steel plate slabs of torn and dented metal; his suit of armor crafted especially for him by his teammates, once pristine, now tarnished by battle. Fans would often spread rumors as to how his protective hide had become so jagged and beat up. A scrap of faded cloth was worn around his neck, some memento of days long past. Heavy-lidded ocean eyes peered solemnly out from under a helm that had been recently replaced.

"ONE MINUTE REMAINS BEFORE THE FINAL CHALLENGE IS UNLEASHED! AS DECIDED BY THE PRINCESS THEMSELVES, IT WILL BE TRIAL OF COMBAT! FOR, TO UPHOLD THE PEACE OF THE LAND YOU PROTECT, YOU MUST FIGHT AGAINST ALL ODDS, NO MATTER THE COST!"

The sky looks so pretty today. Awww, look at that cloud! It looks like a puppy! Look at those widdle pawsy-wawsies! I shall name you Little Cinnamon, and you shall be my greatest ally.

Rust looked up at the sky, taking his gaze off the sea of the crowd. "Ahh... Beautiful fucking day out, huh?" Despite his nonchalant appearance, he felt full to bursting with nerves and energy.

Buck's voice sounded out from under his hastily supplied helmet, slightly muffled, due to its ill fit. "Too right, mate. Can't wait ta get this over with." Rust couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at this. The poor guy had had his ass handed to him the most out of everypony here. It was a miracle he was still standing. Rust fondly remembered how often Buck complained about violent challenges. The chivalrous stallion tried to avoid confrontation when he could, but his sheer size and imposing appearance often resulted in him being targeted first.

"Me too, dude. I'm getting tired of all this bullshit."

The big lug is a gentle giant. But he's damn good when his blood's up.

The last round had been another combat challenge, against an Ursa Minor, of all things. Thanks to an astonishing display of speed from Ragdoll, the team had managed to fell the great beast. Originally, there had been protest against using actual creatures in the area, so an alternative had to be found that allowed the contestants to "slay" mighty foes. The Princesses had solved the problem of actually killing living creatures by the clever usage of the Mirror Image spell. The forces opposing them in the area were actually magical clones of the original subject that would evaporate in a cliched poof when dealt enough lethal damage to kill them.

The danger to the ponies, however, was very real. Scores of medic teams stood at the ready in case serious harm inflicted one of the contenders. This had gotten some of them on edge.

Boulder, one of the contenders from Canterlot, was standing nearby. He chuckled darkly at their discomfort. "What's the matter, hayseeds, afraid you'll spill some blood?"

Rust didn't even bother acknowledging the guard, maintaining his sight on the sky.

Boulder snorted at the smaller unicorn's pluck. "You think you're pretty tough, little colt?"

"I know I'm tough," Rust shot back in his usual soft voice. "But like my fat-ass friend standing next to me, I'm tired of having to prove it."

The guard gave him a queer look. "You don't look like you could lift a bale of hay, let alone compete here of all places." He swept his hoof toward the stands. "So tell me, hayseed. How have you made it this far? The crowd wants to know, as well as myself."

Rust gave him a questioning glance before returning to gaze at his beloved Little Cinnnamon.

Boulder continued, "It's not everyday that some strange little unicorn competes at the same level as a Canterlot Guard." He puffed his chest out at the mentioning of his occupation.

The unicorn pointed to his flank with one hoof. "See my mark?"

"...Yeah. What is it? I looks like one of those monkeys from the Palace zoo decided to get friendly with your rear end." Boulder smirked. "Is that your special talent, then? Rutting with apes?"

"This isn't the hand print of a monkey, dumbass."

"Then what, hayseed?"

Rust finally turned to the guard and looked him in the eyes. The Canterlot Guard's rock solid facial expression he wore flinched involuntarily as Rust's gold rimmed pupils bored into his own.

"A monster."

Boulder was taken aback. "So what, then, you're some kind of terrifying demon bent on destruction and death?"

Rust returned back to his beloved cloud. "When the mood takes me." He pondered whether or not to continue.

Why the hell not? I can have some fun here.

"Are you familiar with the ending of the last Equine-Gryphonic War? Or is it true that a guardspony takes arrows to the brain as well as the knee?"

Boulder, slightly confused by this odd statement, bit back a retort to think. "The Gryphonic capital was sacked. Mercilessly. That was three hundred and thirty-two years ago. Since then, the peace has held."

Rust took an exaggerated bow. "You're welcome for that, bitch."

It took Boulder a moment to realize what the smaller unicorn was implying. "You... You were there?" He gawked, shaking his head in disbelief. "That isn't possible, hayseed."

"I wasn't just there, I was the commander who gave the order to attack. Best fucking battle I ever fought in." Rust gave the Canterlot representative a feral grin, revealing the four sharp canines he had nestled amid the usual pony dentistry.

"You're obviously insane, you know that?"

"What you call insanity, I call inspiration." Rust leaned over and spat a glob of saliva into the dirt. "Now, more importantly, does that cloud up there look like a puppy to you? His name is Little Cinnamon, and I shall rule the world with him at my side."

Buckshot's deep voice edged in. "Trust me, Boulder. You get used to him after a while."

...Well, fuck you too, Buck.

Boulder's teammate, Scrappy Doo, turned from his position to silence the three "Stow it, all of you. Something's coming out of that gate, and when it does, I wouldn't want to be hanging around shooting the breeze." The two guardsponies shifted and faced the wall, adopting the chiseled, blank features so commonly associated with their profession.

The object of their focus was a large, wrought-iron gate, three stories high, with bars as thick as tree trunks. Heavy chains crisscrossed the door, joining together in an enormous padlock, adorned with the emblems of the sun and the moon.

Looks like a god-damn boss door. I wonder what PC and PL cooked up? Maybe it's a giant cheeseburger or something.

Rust licked his lips in anticipation. He hadn't had a cheeseburger in a very, very long time.

Meanwhile, in the Royal Box seating area...

"Luna! One of them knows what it is!"

"How is that possible? Our calculations indicated that nopony would ever guess at such a monstrosity! Who is it, 'Tia?"

"It is Elder Rust."

"Of course... Sister, we are curious about the Elder's participation in this tournament. He does realize that neither he or Elder Ragdoll are legible to receive Champion-hood, on account of their origins?"

"They know, dear sister."

"Why do they compete then? Surely no sane being would put themselves through this kind of activity for no reason at all."

"He said he was 'doing it for the lulz', whatever that strange phrase means."

"What are these 'lulz' of which you speak?"

"I haven't the faintest idea, Luna."

"... His kind are very strange. Very strange indeed."

"Quite. Now, there are twenty seconds left before the gates open. We need an unexpected substitute."

"Hmmm... Let us think for a moment. Oh! How about him?"

"You can't be serious, dear sister."

"We are. Will he consent to be copied?"

"One moment... Yes. My, Luna, you certainly are devious. Are you ready?"

"The heavens themselves shall tremble with fire!"

"...I'll take that as a yes."

Back in the Proving Ground...

The noise of the crowd fell to an expectant hush as the seconds timed down. The six ponies gathered in the arena faced the gates with varying forms of attention. The Laughing Mare was slowly rocking back and forth on her hooves, giggling softly through the pink helm on her head. The two Canterlot guards were poised for action, tense with anticipation. Ragdoll had sunk into a hunting crouch, her eyes, narrowed to ice blue slits eyeing the gate expectantly, her tail lashing to and fro violently. Rust had simply leaned up against a nearby pillar, still gazing up at his beloved puppy-shaped cloud.

Buck quickly glanced at the eccentric unicorn and shook his head in disbelief. Resigning to confront his teammate about his odd competitive habits at a later time, Buck turned back towards the padlocked gate and braced himself. The enormous metal plates covering his frame screeched and groaned as he moved, but nonetheless submitted to his motions. Buck grimaced as some of the jagged edges in the damaged suit bit into his coat.

One more time, then I'll be done with this thing. Bloody piece of junk gives me a rash.

The armor had been through quite a bit, he mused. Burned (repeatedly), electrocuted, pelted with diamond spikes, slammed through the stone pillars dotting the area on multiple occasions... It was a miracle he was still alive, and this only seemed to further the spreading of the exaggerated tales his fans told of him. Buck snorted through his ill-fitting helm as he recalled how more often than not he was swarmed with ponies clamoring for his attentions almost as soon as he set hoof out of the arena. The fans smothered him for the most part, and so Buck had spent most of his free time away from the tournament, in the Royal Palace with Princess Luna, with whom he had enjoyed a deep friendship since their meeting nearly a decade ago on the day of the eruption.

The Canterlot war drums began pounding in time with the countdown. Buck rolled his shoulders in an attempt to calm himself, feeling the two inch thick steel epaulets putting up a reassuring resistance. He would never admit it, but he wasn't just nervous about combat challenges, he was downright terrified, and for good reason. Buck was glad his family was not present to see him compete in such events. Violence had never been something he enjoyed, and despite the fact that he often had to resort to it, the large stallion had never once in his life enjoyed doing so... until when he found himself caught up in the rush of battle. He reflected on how he had this strange parallel within himself; one side gentle and caring, the other, a true terror to behold. It somewhat disturbed him that soon after entering a fray, his fears and inhibitions would wash away, and he would unconsciously slip into the guise of a veritable force of nature, hell-bent on crushing the skull of anything standing in the way of his goal beneath his armored hooves.

Shrugging his inhibitions aside, Buck narrowed his eyes and held his breath as the drums reached a ground-shaking crescendo...

...A deathly silence filled the area as the door swung open...

...Followed by a startled gasp from both spectators and five of the six competitors as they realized the chamber behind the door was completely empty.

Buck gaped at the entrance in confusion, before turning sharply to his right after hearing a loud, foreign curse. Rust was leaning against the nearby pillar, his eyes trained on the sky, large with shock.

"Why did it have to be a dragon?" The unicorn rhetorically spat after muttering a few more incomprehensible profanities. "Scaly bastards have way too many health points for their own good."

Buck followed his gaze to see not one, but two fully grown adult dragons circling the arena. They were exactly alike in every respect. Buck gulped audibly. This had to be Luna's doing; the alicorn delighted in presenting difficult challenges to the contenders.

Abruptly, one of them peeled off from its flight pattern, rocketing downward like a bullet the size of a small skyscraper. It punched a hole through several of the overhead clouds before descending into the arena, its massive wings sending up gusts of wind that knocked over many of the spectators. The dragon settled onto the packed dirt of the Proving Ground with a cataclysmic crash, it's red scales sparkling faintly with the magic so recently used for its creation. It tilted its head back, and from its serrated maw a spewing inferno of crimson fire issued forth, jetting high into the sky. The crowd involuntarily covered their eyes from the bright blaze.

Buck nervously readied himself into a fighting stance, but was suddenly shunted aside as Rust stalked in front of him. The smaller unicorn stood on his hind legs, walking around as if it was something natural. Two rapidly spinning buzz-saws of green light held like shields in both of his forelegs, now hanging at his sides. The unicorn strode in this manner right up the massive dragon. He looked ridiculous standing in front of it, truly dwarfed in size.

Rust narrowed his eyes, which were now faintly glowing the same color as his horn and the shields. "You!" he cried to the dragon. Buck shook his head in disbelief. What was he thinking? He'd be annihilated!

Rust continued: "You overgrown newt!" He raised his dangling foreleg and pointed at the sky. The spinning wheel of light hovering just off the limb crackled with angry energy. "You killed Little Cinnamon!"

Sure enough, one of the many clouds the dragon had shot through during it's descent looked faintly like a puppy... now including a gaping hole in it's head.

The unicorn brought the whirling shields together with a crash; green sparks issued forth as the magical edges ground against each-other.

"The dragons have returned... But... there is one they fear.... In their tongue, he is Dovakiin; Dragonborn!"

He took a deep breath... Energy filled the very air... The crowd hushed in anticipation.

Rust suddenly let out his breath with a whoosh of air. "Fuck that shit. I'm just going to cut your head off."

The dragon let out a terrible, screeching roar, and Buck and the other contestants charged as one.

Author: Oh yes... yes he did... I totally just cut this Bedtime Story in half. You'll get your dosage of dragon fighting, Rust being insane, and mysterious moon-shaped blessings... in the next chapter.

I'm just the worst, aren't I?

The Crucible

Author: Violence makes the world go round. Well... It's either that, or the natural centrifugal force created by the planet's gradual condensation into a single solid mass... But I like the first one better. Have some destruction, on the house!

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

THE CRUCIBLE

The Second Part of Uncle Buckshot's Third Bedtime Story

Buck could feel the dry, hot breath of the dragon washing over him as it screeched in defiance of the obviously insane unicorn standing on two legs before it. Hesitating briefly, he joined the other six contenders as they rushed straight on towards the gaping maw, letting the nauseating feeling of fear settle in his stomach.

This is bloody suicidal!

Nonetheless, his armored hooves continued forward, thudding into the packed dirt with increasing frequency as he built up his momentum. Buck could see the bushy tail of Ragdoll, whose coat had fluffed out to twice its original size, leading the pack. The mare was sprinting towards the dragon at an unbelievable speed, cutting through the air like a knife. The two Canterlot Guards, Boulder and Scrappy Doo, had torn off to the left, circling around the dragon's right side in a flanking manuver. Scrappy Doo, the only Pegasus on the field, was taking full use of the advantage his wings gave him, overtaking his comrade to circle around behind the dragon's lashing tail. The Laughing Mare had picked up on the military ponies' tactics, circling around in the opposite direction, effectively surrounding the scaly terror. The bright pink pony skillfully whirled a spiked flail held from her mouth, giggling madly as she did so.

Rust, in the meantime, had been pressing straight forward, slashing out at the dragon's snout, violently smashing his spinning shields into the thick scales. He danced on his hind legs, easily balancing and shifting his position as if he had been walking on them in this manner his entire life. His forelegs, surrounded by two green discs that served as weapons and shields, swung and jabbed at the dragon in a manner similar to a professional boxer. The discs cut through the scarlet plating like a buzz-saw, each time they scored a line on a scale they let out a terrible, ear-splitting shriek not unlike nails on a chalkboard. The dragon was flinching backwards with every strike, despite the fact that the attacks did little damage - Rust's magic shields were simply too small to do anything other than cut and scratch, regardless of the ferocity with which he used them.

Buck really didn't have a plan in mind, the raging fire he felt coursing through his blood that signaled the beginning of a battle-rage dulled his thoughts. He charged onward, quickly closing the gap. Ragdoll shot past Rust, going straight under a savage bite from the dragon, vanishing somewhere under its belly. The dragon continued to lunge at the odd unicorn, but each time the scaly muzzle got close it would be furiously beaten back in shower of quick, jabbing punches.

Buck finally arrived at Rust's side. The armored stallion felt like a gnat in front of the great beast, but held his ground nonetheless. The rusty red pony nodded as he glanced down at him, as he was taller than buck in his current position.

"'Bout time you got your fat ass over here!" He ducked swiftly under a swing of the dragon's head. "I've been having all this fun, and no one to share it with!"

"Fine then, I'll take the ugly parts," Buck growled from under his greathelm. He hopped backward as a mighty clawed hand slapped the ground where he had been standing not a moment before. He promptly whipped around and slammed his armored hooves downward onto the offending appendage, allowing himself a small grin as the sound of a breaking dragon-fingers echoed over the arena, sending the crowd into a wave of cheering. The dragon let out a keening shriek, snapping out its wings with a powerful gust of air, bowling over the ponies that had been surrounding it's sides.

"But he's all ugly!" cried Rust, as he ripped another jagged line in the dragon's muzzle.

"Exactly." Buck took a direct hit from a claw, ripping a large gash in his chest-plating and tearing away the scrap of cloth around his neck. He hissed in pain, but didn't bother checking to inspect the damage. Now it was personal.

"Oh, I see how it is. As much as I like this witty back-and-forth banter, this is not the time to grab all the glory, you greedy bastard." Rust rolled under another lunge from the fanged mouth, popping back up under its neck, scoring a massive double blow with both his blades. The dragon lurched back and attempted a headbutt, but the agile unicorn had already evaded it's range and returned to Buck's side. It rumbled in frustration, opening its jaws slightly as crimson flames began to leak out.

"Fat ass! Behind me!" Rust screamed. The armored stallion leaped to the side, a few steps behind him.

Just in time, too.

The dragon suddenly decided it had had enough of the annoying pests, opening his great serrated serrated mouth to let a raging torrent of dragonfire forth... Only to be met with both of Rust's upraised shields. The spinning discs sent the crimson inferno spiraling in every direction, the contact with the whirling magical surfaces turning the fire a blue. The sheer force of the jet sent Rust skidding backward, straight into Buck, who braced himself against the flow like he holding himself up against a wave in the ocean. The two ponies stood fast amid the tide of flames.

"Damn son, you need a tic-tac or something - 'cause your breath STINKS!" Rust jeered over the rush of energy.

Buck felt his armored hooves slide back a few inches. "This isn't working, mate!" The armored giant called to his friend, closing his eyes to avoid the intense light show just inches from his face.

"No, really!?" Rust shot back sarcastically. "Just wait for Rags!"

"What's she gonna do?!"

Rust laughed maniacally as he held firm. "I have no fucking idea!"

Then, the dragon's flame suddenly halted, and the crowd sent up a throaty roar. Buck peered out from behind Rust's shields to see the dragon doubled up in pain, bellowing with enough force to shake the stone pillars dotting the arena. A fluffy red bolt whipped out from under its legs, skidding to a halt in front of the two. Buck's eyes widened. "Rags? 'Sat you, girl?"

The red mare nodded, her ice-blue eyes looking absurd with her new coloration.

"Err... Are you covered with dragon blood?"

"Da, comrade. I give flying lizard gift that can never be returned." She grinned wickedly, revealing sharp teeth that were also stained crimson.

Buck turned back toward the dragon, who was screeching in pain as blood poured from between it's hind legs. Rust began laughing hysterically at this, rolling around in the dirt in an uncontrollable fit of hilarity.

Meanwhile, in the Royal Box Seating...

Princess Celestia abruptly spewed the tea she had been drinking everywhere, staring in horror at the sight below her. "Sister... Did Elder Ragdoll just do what I think she did?"

Princess Luna nodded as she smiled grimly from where she was standing, her front hooves resting on the balcony railing.

Celestia turned green, averting her eyes from the unfortunate dragon. "Well, it certainly worked. A bit unnecessary, but nonetheless effective," she sighed. "In the future, however, make sure to state that the removal of genitalia is considered an illegal move."

Back in the Proving Ground...

Buck gaped wide eyed at the pile of scaled meat lying on the ground.

"You... You cut his goods off."

The bloodstained mare licked her lips thoughtfully. "He had it coming."

Buck shuddered involuntarily. "...Right... But we still need to kill the thing."

The dragon was going on a complete rampage, storming around the arena in a frenzy of pain-induced rage. The other three competitors were playing a risky game of cat and mouse with it, darting around the stone pillars and leading it on a merry chase.

The Ponyville group observed the spectacle from where they were standing. Once the dragon came within reach of its target, one of the other two would swoop in, deliver a quick series of blows, and dash away as fast as they could as the mighty giant turned to give pursuit.

The ponies appeared to be at an impasse. Despite thoroughly pounding on the thick hide with all manner of weaponry, the dragon had sustained no serious injury with the exception of its gelding. The chase continued for some time, and eventually the ponies' strength began to flag. The dragon caught up with its current target, the Pegasus guard known as Scrappy Doo, and slammed one armored claw into him, swatting the stallion out of the sky with impunity. The guard skipped across the ground before coming to rest at the hooves of Buck.

Buck looked down at Scrappy Doo, who was dazedly looking up at him with a confused expression. His eyes were now crossed, undoubtedly from the powerful blow he had just received. Buck calmly blinked down at him "You all right, mate?"

Scappy staggered unsteadily to his hooves, giving himself a few smacks in the head with his hoof. His eyes bounced around comically as he did so. "I... think so? I can't see straight." He attempted to rise into the air, but crashed to the ground several feet away. "I can't fly, either." he commented dryly.

Rust strode up to him and patted his hoof on an armored shoulder. "Pop a squat out of the way, dude. You're in no condition to continue. We'll take care of the rest, don't worry."

Scrappy nodded and stumbled off toward one of the waiting medical teams.

The dragon let out another painful screech, pawing at one of its eyes, where a spiked flail had burrowed deep into the iris. It lashed out at the attacker, the Laughing Mare, and succeeded in launching her halfway across the area before she nimbly flipped around mid-air to rebound off one of the stone pillars. She barely had a moment to recover, however, as the dragon closed the gap between to two with blinding speed, slipping between the tall towers like a snake. With a yelp, she was brutally slammed into the ground by a tail-swipe, leaving a pony-shaped crater in the ground.

"Wait a tic, where's Boulder?" asked Buck.

The dragon turned to the group and coughed out a golden helmet. It clattered onto the ground in front of the three. Buck stared at it in horror before he kicked the helmet back, where it clanged into the dragon's armored snout.

Rust jumped up in excitement. "That's it!"

Ragdoll looked at him questioningly, flicking her ears with interest.

"We need to kill it from the inside!"

Buck gaped at him. "Are you completely off your rocker?!" He pointed an armored hoof at the beast, which was menacingly stalking toward them, savoring the last moments of it's hunt. "There's only one way into that thing, and in case ya didn't notice, it didn't work too well for Boulder."

Rust simply grinned and revved his shields "I have a plan."

"Der'mo. That's a first."

"...Shut up, Rags."

Back in the Royal Box Seats...

Princess Luna rocked anxiously back and forth on her haunches, watching the scene below. She chewed thoughtfully from a cluster of grapes levitated by her magic. The Ponyville group had huddled together momentarily, before Buck and Ragdoll abruptly split away, rushing off around the side of the dragon's left flank. The dragon itself seemed nonplussed by this, instead stalking toward the odd rusty-red unicorn that calmly stood in front of it.

"An odd tactic," she mused. "They are clearly using the strange Elder as bait." Her eyes roved over the arena, watching as Buck and Ragdoll took up positions behind a pillar. "But where is the trap?" She watched as the unicorn the dragon was focusing on made several rude thrusting gestures, obviously intended to provoke the beast into attack.

They certainly worked. The dragon, enraged, rushed to close the distance. Mere feet before its gaping maw met its prey, the unicorn abruptly reared up and fired a green flare from his horn, before turning to the crowd and giving an exaggerated bow.

And then then the mighty jaws closed around him. The crowd screamed and shrieked in panic as the dragon tensed it's jaw and swallowed. Immediately, it began to cough and gag violently, small bursts of flame shooting from it's nose.

Suddenly, she felt a tingling on her horn, and the blue aura surrounding the cluster of grapes sputtered out, the fruit tumbling to the seating floor.

On the Proving Ground...

"Syeichas! Do it, comrade!"

Buck whipped his armored bulk about face and began pummeling the stone tower they had chosen with all his strength. His plated boots slammed into the stone pillar again and again, eating through the stone like a jackhammer. Buck's vision tunneled; there was only this simple task: knock it down. The impact from each collision shook the pillar to it's base, dust and pebbles flying off and hitting him, but that only served to spur him to strike even harder.

WHAM!

"Faster, it's almost there!"

Buck closed his eyes and shifted into high gear.

WHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAM!

"It's coming down! Now for the final push!"

Buck whipped back around and sprang up, ramming into the middle of the pillar like a linebacker. The stone shifted ever so slightly... and then began to tilt and fall, almost painfully slow. The colossus arced gracefully downwards...

...and smashed right onto the choking dragon's head, burying it's skull beneath a thousand tons of granite, knocking it out cold. It slumped to the ground in a limp, unconscious heap.

The dragon's throat, now completely relaxed, began to distend horribly, bulging toward the middle for a brief moment, before a green light tore out from in-between the scales, slowly spreading in a hairline collar around it's neck. The glowing line suddenly widened as the neck was suddenly severed in twine... from the inside. A bloody red figure rolled out of the gash and stood up on two hind legs, the dual green shields whirling alongside its upraised forehooves.

"Told you I'd cut your fucking head off." Rust kicked the dragon's severed cranium. "Dumb bitch! That's what you get when you kill my cloud puppy!"

The gargantuan corpse abruptly exploded into a cloud of blue smoke and sparkles, sending a colorful barrage of fireworks high into the sky. The crowd went completely hysterical with applause and cheers.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Hold still, Sir Apple, this will clean any infections from the wound."

Buck winced as a sharp burning sensation rose from his chest, where the dragon's claw had torn right through his armor plating and a few inches of flesh. He had been extremely lucky, as usual. A deeper hit would have ripped a hole right through his ribcage. He found himself feeling a little melancholy, however. The ratty, smoke-stained bandana Leafdapple had given him all those years ago had been slashed away from his neck in the space of a second. The absence of its familiar presence around his neck left him feeling oddly exposed.

The newly christened knight lay on his back on a cushy bed in the tournament medical tent, as an attentive surgeon finished dabbing a hot wad of moss that had been soaking in boiling salt water on his wound. He had been knighted on the Proving Ground itself, dirty, bleeding, and extremely proud, immediately after the magical dragon-clone had evaporated, alongside an extremely addled addled Scrappy Doo, the single remaining competitor from Canterlot.

Heh. Or as everypony calls him now, "Loopy" Doo.

The damage to the pegasus guard's head had resulted in a permamanent wonky eye that could not be corrected, despite the medical team's best efforts. The injury also seemed to have addled his personality a bit, as the other new knight suddenly found he had a craving for pastries that could not be sated, and he had never liked them before. The Laughing Mare, who had already been given her title after the previous round, had suffered several broken ribs and a whopping concussion, but had somehow managed to recover enough to sit up in her bed and tell jokes to several of the medical staff, who were gathered around her bed and having a grand old time.

The surgeon moved off, giving Buck some space. The large stallion allowed himself a contented half-smile before stretching back into his pillow, savoring the ache of his abused muscles. He turned his head to the side to look down to the other end of the tent, near the entrance, where Rust and Ragdoll, recently cleaned of the magical gore staining their coats, were staying in their own beds on opposite sides of the asile that ran through the tent. They seemed to be in their own happy little world, despite the disqualification they'd been issued. Celestia had cited some minor rule in the rulebook, one that stated only Equestrian citezens could compete. Nopony had known of the pair's origins, so this had come out as quite a shock to the crowd, who had taken quite a liking to the two Dragonslayers, the title that the spectators were beginning to call the three ponies from Ponyville.

It was probbably a good thing that the two had been disqualified by that obscure ruling; had the three remained undefeated, they would have had to keep competing until only one contender was left on their hooves. Buck didn't think he had it in him to walk, let alone participate in another diabolical challenge. Regardless, the disqualification meant that Buckshot Apple was the only valid remaining competitor from his home, and as such, had immediatly been granted the title of Knight, given legal juristiction over Ponyville, and given a large sum of bits, which he had immedialtly asked to be sent to his family account.

Celestia herself had presided over the ceremony, looking no less magnificent despite her bloodspattered surroundings and subjects. The towering alicorn had him take the sacred oath of his office, one that bound him for life to the service of Equestria and to the Royal Sisters. After solemly repeating her words, she had touched each of his shoulders, and then the peak of his forehead with her glowing horn, sealing the oath with a spell as he knelt before her.

"Sir Buck Apple the Dragonslayer, Champion of Ponyville." He rolled the title around in his mouth. A little ostentatious, and he did not approve of the "Dragonslayer" bit, but that was how the crowds spoke of him now, and word spreads fast. Buck snorted. The respect that had been visible in nearly everypony's eyes at the mention of the name was almost creepy, and the abundance of mares oogling him had skyrocketed to disturbing heights. Despite the fact that he had often told them he was married, the female spectators often chose to conveniently ignore his words and oftentimes bury him in an avalanche of adoration. Buck found his celebrity status suddenly stressful. It was one thing to fight in the pit, one thing to govern a town, but having to deal with a pack of rabid females? Now that was truly a feat worth a lordship, never mind knighthood.

"Greetings, Sir Apple," a familiar silky voice sounded from behind him. Buck smiled as he turned his head back around to see Princess Luna standing by his bed side, a small smirk on her face. The fact that she had somehow appeared by his side with no warning did not bother him in the slightest. He had known her for at least ten years now, after all, and had grown to know her almost as well as Leafdapple, who often jokingly referred to the Princess as "our other wife". Strangely fitting, considering how well the Apple family and Princess Luna got along together. Whenever life at the Royal Palace had gotten too stressful for her, Luna was known to spend a day or two in the company of her true freinds at Sweet Apple Acres.

"G'day, Your Majesty." He spoke with a voice slightly tinged with pain; the wound on his chest was not serious, but it hurt like the dickens.

The Goddess of the Night bashfully brushed at the small, black peytral plate hanging from her neck. "Please, call us Luna, you of all ponies should know that." She look tired to him, as if she had not slept well for many days. Her icy blue mane appeared slightly bedraggled.

"Don't call me Sir then. That's a title of respect in my book, not position," Buck

She gave a grumpy harrumph. " 'Tis improper for us to address a stallion of your rank in any other way. Besides," she painfully slugged him on the shoulder. "Thou hast proven worthy, considering the mighty deed done by your hooves today." That much was ture; already word of the Dragonslayers' feat had spread throughout the Royal Palace, and much of the surrounding city.

"I wasn't the only one who did it, you know." He lifted a hoof to Rust and Ragdoll at the end of the tent. "Those two wankers did just as much, if not more,to bring the bloody thing down."

Luna rolled her eyes. "Yet it is your name whispered on the lips of everypony."

Buck dismissively waved a hoof. "Whatever. Now, what brings ya here?" The Princess obviously had a reason to see him now, otherwise she would have approached him at the knighting ceremony.

"We wish to speak with thee," she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Privately." Buck inwardly winced. That was never a good sign. Luna snickered at his pained expression. "Fret not, Sir Apple, We only wish to have a conversation away from the ears of those whom our words are not meant for."

Buck sighed and pointed to his bandaged chest. "I'm not exactly in any condition ta go anywhere."

Luna's face lit up with a look of incredulity. She bopped him on the head with her horn.

"Oh. Right. Magic. Lead on, then!"

The Princess' horn shimmered with a blue glow, and suddenly they were surrounded by a bright light, which vanished after a few seconds to reveal that they were now in Luna's private quarters in the Royal Castle. Buck staggered around a bit, fighting off the sudden surge of nausea that was common with non-unicorns being teleported. He looked around, gathering his bearings. They were in a small atrium that led to the section of rooms and hallways that the Princess and her servants inhabited. The walls were of a darker, bluish coloration, rather than the pure white stone of the rest of the palace. Warm firelight cheerfully lit up the room, as a small chandelier floating above their heads provided a constant source of illumination at any time of the day.

He glared daggers at Luna. "You know I hate it when you do that."

Luna grinned halfheartedly. "Such is the reason we do it." She turned and pushed through the doors leading further into the quarters. Buck gathered himself and followed, albeit more slowly, wincing slightly with everystep.

She seems off today.

Luna was usually quite cheerful, often playing some practical joke or another on Celestia, or busy in the Royal Palace laboratories concocting some bizarre experiment or another. The midnight blue alicorn was prone to be moody on occasion, but the knight sensed something else lurking beneath the surface today. Biting back a grunt of pain, he caught up to her. She was heading towards her personal chambers, judging by the direction they were heading. They walked together for a while, before he broke the silence. "All right, Luna, somethin's got ya in a knot. Ya mind tellin' me what it is before we continue?"

Luna did not slow her pace, biting her lip to think. She hesitated for a moment, clearly choosing her next words carefully. Buck's ears pricked with interest when she finally spoke in a soft, sibilant voice. "We feel... alone."

Alone? Now that was unexpected. The Princess was surrounded by ponies day and night, servants and minstrels and squires and guards and nobles... The list went on and on. Buck was stumped by this. How could she feel lonely in the most densely populated city in Equestria? Buck mulled this over as they continued through the dark blue hallways, passing through an open doorway that marked the threshold to the Princess's personal chambers, located in one of the Royal Palaces many spiraling towers. Two Royal Centurions clad in black versions of the standard issue guard armor smartly saluted as they went past. They now began the ascent up a long, spiraling staircase to the top of the tower.

"Err... Like, alone as in without anypony around to talk to, or the other kind of alone?" Buck couldn't help but pry at this - Luna had never once told him of any kind of romance she'd been a part of.

Again, she hesitated, before shaking her head in frustration. Luna gave him a queer sort of look and then it was gone, buried under some mental wall. "Possibly both... But that is not of thy concern at present. We refer to how it would seem that although this Palace is called home to the Royal Sisters, only one of the pair receives the attention befitting of that position."

The sound of their hooves on the carpeted stone staircase echoed throughout the tower. "What, so everypony just ignores you?" Buck offered.

The Princess chuckled darkly. "Nay, friend. We could never be ignored. I speakst of the recognition graced upon mine sister for her godly duties, while our own efforts go unheeded." Her silver-shod hooves clanked as she absentmindedly kicked the wall as they climbed. "While our subjects play and live and revel in Celestia's day... They spurn and fear our night, too wary of the darkness and what it might hide. 'Tis a reason we enjoy thy company so much," Luna said. "Thou does not tremble when the moon rises."

Buck was about to argue the point with her, but he realized she was right on all accounts. That innate instinct wired into the equine mind to seek shelter when the sun fell was too deeply rooted for him to ignore. The vast majority of ponies he knew were afraid of the dark, even far after reaching adulthood. But did he fear it? ...No. He had faced a different form of night, wreathed under the cloud of ash on that fateful day, ten years ago. The darkness that came as the moon rose was like a comforting blanket to him, knowing that he had nothing worse to fear from it. He often spent many a sleepless night outside on his porch, or walking through the moonlit fields, savoring the peace and serenity the starry sky brought with it. Buck said nothing, silently imploring her to continue.

"They scorn us, we sometimes think. They shun our time as if it were a vile plague, to be avoided and quarantined while they huddle away in seclusion like frightened foals." She snorted and tossed her mane. "'Twould be interesting to see what they would do should their precious sun fail to rise for once."

Buck tensed with a sudden discomfort, wincing again as his chest muscles contracted. "That sounds almost treasonous..." He muttered.

" 'Tis treasonous to make a royal pariah of their Princess! And 'tis a mockery to have to be the low end of Celestia's precious balance." Luna spat the word out like it was venomous. "Aye, there is much of that between us, we know." Her sarcasm dripped into the air as the two ponies fell silent again.

They finally reached the top of the tower, Luna almost tearing another set of double doors off their hinges with her magic. The knight stepped out from the stairwell into a sumptuous sort of common room, darkly varnished wood shining on the furniture from a small fire that burned in the hearth. The ceiling was coated faint black, painted with a spectacular scene of the night sky, constellations sparkling amid the great band of soft light known as The Great Plains, named after the mythical place that all ponies' souls went to when they die. Through the glass of a balcony doorway, Buck could see the fading light of the sun, its golden hues tinged a lovely coppery orange as it descended.

He turned to Princess, who was still bristling from her outburst, staring at the ground intently. "Luna, there are ponies who appreciate your work. Admittedly less so than those who prefer the day, but there are some."

She looked him in the eye and sighed, "We struggle to believe such."

He grinned and shook his head, approaching her as he did. "As long as I'm around, I'll prove that ya are." He wrapped her in a tender hug. "Celestia can go and boil her head, far as I'm concerned."

She giggled softly even as she buried her face in his shoulder. "...Thank you. We know not what we'd do without truer hearts than thine own to guide our temper." She awkwardly pulled away, blushing faintly. "Now, for the reason thou art here. Come," she beckoned him to follow. They trotted across the room to the balcony door, Luna nodding her head as the doors opened, surrounded by a faint blue glow.

As he stepped onto the balcony, he could not help but be awestruck by the view. Despite the fact that he had oftentimes visited Luna in her quarters, usually with his family in tow, the sheer immensity of the land spread out before him never failed to be truly breathtaking. Luna's personal chambers were located on the second highest tower at the Royal Palace, dwarfed in height only by the Royal Observatory, which rose higher still. The world was spread out before him, the dark green of the forest stretching off in all directions like an emerald sea, softly shifting in a breeze. Tinged golden in the setting sun, the sky was a faint pink that blended into a deep hue of purple towards the opposite end of the world.

Luna approached his side as he stood mesmerized by the sheer scale of things. " 'Tis never something to tire of, is it?" She asked rhetorically. Buck merely nodded. Words could never do this justice.

"Buck?" said Luna.

He turned to her, as she looked out on the world. She continued, saying: "Thou hast performed mighty deeds in the Tournament, and for thy effort, hast been rewarded with land, a title, and coin." Luna looked at him, her head slightly cocked to one side, her eyes glimmering in the sunset. "Thou belongs to Equestria now, till the end of thy days. She will treat you well, we have no withholding of that... But we wish to reward thou further, for thy services provided not in the name of duty, or glory, or even family." She shook her head slowly. " 'Tis for the gift of your friendship, extended to us for all these years, and asking nothing in return, despite our ability to grant many a request. Thou art truly worthy beyond mere titles and rank." Luna trained her gaze to the far side of the sky, where the purple faded into a rich royal blue. "We wish to give thou our blessing, that thou may know how much thou art appreciated for filling our days with happiness."

Buck was stunned. "Your... blessing?"

She nodded and turned back to him. "Should thy choose to accept it."

He mulled this over for a few heartbeats. "Aye. I'd be glad to."

"Then kneel, sir knight, and receive our gift."

He did, wincing slightly as he lowered himself. The light from the sun was fading, a few stars began to appear. Luna took a few steps closer to him, looking down fondly at her closest friend. "Sir Buck Apple, Dragon-slayer, Champion and Protecter of Ponyville, dost thou promise to uphold the sacred values of knighthood, even to the pain of death itself?"

This seemed oddly familiar to his knighting ceremony. He closed his eyes and spoke without hesitation. "Aye."

"And dost thou promise to serve and protect thy kingdom and her peoples, great and weak?"

"Aye."

"And dost thou promise to hold thy loved ones close to thy heart, and watch over them as the sun and moon dance above?"

"Aye." The sun fell further, sending it's rays high into the few clouds, dying them a spectacular pinkish-red.

"Then will thee rise, not as our subject, but as an equal, bound by the ties of friendship, to stand by our side to the end of days?"

Buck rose back to his hooves, rising to her eye level. "Aye."

Her horn glowed a brilliant blue, and her eyes shone white like the moon. She bent her head and pressed her horn across his right shoulder. "Then we bless thee with the strength to uphold these words." As she spoke, Buck felt himself tingle with energy, a surge of power rushing through him through her horn.

Luna raised her head, and lowered her shining horn to his left shoulder. "We bless thee with the determination and courage with which to use it." He felt a tide of comforting shadow blanket his heart, washing away his doubts and fears, clearing his soul and sharpening his resolve.

The alicorn lifted her head again, this time placing her horn on the peak of his forehead, their noses almost touching. "We bless thee with the knowledge and wisdom to guide your actions to the path of right." His mind became electrified, crackling and full to bursting with energy and consciousness.

She raised her head a final time, before lowering it down low, so that she was almost bowing to him, and placed the very tip of her glowing horn on the center of his bandaged chest. "And finally, we bless this with the love thou hast shown us, that thou might be empowered by in thy gravest time of need." She suddenly jerked forward a little, the horn puncturing his bandage and piercing the very edge of his skin as she arched her back and sent a wave of power into his very heart.

The feeling was incredible. He was filled with warmth and cold at the same time, rising from his very core to collect in his veins, the magic flowing through him like his blood. His view suddenly expanded, and he could see himself and Luna on the balcony, and then the view panned out so he was looking at the entire tower as if he were flying alongside it... It expanded even more, so he was gazing down at the world from far above, and suddenly the moon filled his view. It hung there, a perfect crescent, greeting him warmly like an old friend, beckoning him to come forward. He did, pulling himself forward through space with a thought, or at least that was how it seemed at first. He abruptly realized that the moon itself came forward at his thought, that it was the one moving, not him, and he was the one moving it. With a surge of joy, he pulled the great body toward him, flinging it high into the sky and embracing it like a long lost treasure...

...And then he was back on the ledge, inside himself again, with Luna standing before him, looking at him with a smile of pure happiness. The darkness of night was now all around them, the moon hanging high above the world. Buck was completely speechless for a few moments. "Luna... Did I just... Did I just raise the moon?"

She laughed, a musical, lilting melody that reminded him of a waterfall. "That, and more. Take off thy bandages, friend, and see."

Buck suddenly realized that the itching pain from the dragon-inflicted wound had all but dissipated. He reached down with his mouth, taking a firm hold of the bloodstained bandages between his teeth and ripped them away in a jerk...

...There, emblazoned upon his chest was the moon, a perfect, white crescent, glowing softly.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Apple Bloom finally dozed off, muttering her thanks under her breath as she fell asleep into her pillow. Buck looked down on her warmly, and bent over to give her a small kiss on her forehead.

"G'night, Bloomie. Sleep well."

He stood up from the bed and crept softly to the door, taking care not to tread on any of the squeaky floorboards. The door opened smoothly to his touch, for once not jamming on the floor or creaking on its hinges. Buck looked back one last time before he left the room, taking in the sweet image of Apple Bloom, tucked deep into her covers, sleeping soundly as she was illuminated by a patch of moonlight.

He turned to go, but was stopped by a familiar voice coming from behind.

"Good night, daddy."

Buck whipped back around, but nothing had changed, Apple Bloom was still sound asleep... And yet somehow, the pink bandanna on her bed stand was now wrapped around her forehead.

He smiled and exited the room, whispering softly: "G'night ta you too, Blossie."

Author: By Merlin's beard, this chapter was a struggle. Sorry it took so long, but in case you haven't noticed, it was pretty big, and pretty important, too, so I paid special attention to it.

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When Worlds Collide

Author: Oh yes. It's another Rust-centered chapter. And this time, he's got a wingman of awesomeness. Anyway, you need to know who and what Omnius is to completely understand what's going on here. Find his story HERE!

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

The Samarean Desert is known for being one of the harshest places in Equestria. Violent dust storms, ill-tempered wildlife... hostile buffalo tribes. Beginning far in the northeast corner of the land, it swings down like a great sickle reaping its harvest, out west towards the center of Equestria, before tapering off back down in the southwest. Rolling seas of sand dunes, scorched, bone-dry lake beds, and forbidding red mesas made up this part of the world.

It's a tough place. Understandably, the ponies who live on this frontier have to ft in with their environment if they want to even consider surviving to the next day. Above the standard laws of Equestria, the inhabitants of these parts stick to their own moral code, a set of rules and guidelines passed down by word of mouth alone. Any pioneering pony worth two shakes of their dust-ridden tail knows that there's one rule that you never, ever, EVER break.

"Do not, under any circumstances, draw attention to yourself."

Sadly, that's exactly what three certain ponies managed to do, and in the most spectacular way.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRMMMMMM!

The highway to Las Neighas had an unusual vehicle traveling on it today. To a passerby, it looked like a long, sleek orange carriage, covered in some kind of armor plating, and riding very low to the ground. Emblazoned on the sides of the vehicle was the numbering; "01". At the front of the carriage, a solid, metal reinforcement juts out from underneath. On the roof, the orange plating was replaced with a colorful red rectangle, crisscrossed by two blue, star-filled lines.

...But to the occupants of the vehicle, it was better known as a heavily-modified 1969 Dodge Charger, sporting a magically-enhanced 440 V8 and a driver that knew how to use it.

In the diver's seat, a rust colored stallion sat in a awkward-looking position on a seat clearly not designed for it. It had one hind hoof pressing the gas pedal straight to the floor, the other hind leg resting gently on the clutch. The pony's upper limbs were occupied with the steering wheel and an 8-ball stick shift. The stallion raised his aviator sunglasses with magic, surrounding them with a soft green aura, and looked at his companion in the seat to his right.

"So, dude. What do you think? Pretty sick wheels, eh Omnius?"

The chocolate-coated pegasus, who had been sticking his head out the window, pulled it back in and smiled, his shaggy mane and goatee now astonishingly askew. He patted down his blue traveling robe and removed a second pair of sunglasses, which he immediately put on.

"Rust, I have but one question, my good sir," Omnius the Travelling Guardian said with giddy eloquence.

"You may ask it."

"How the hell did you get the General Lee to Equestria?"

Rust gave a crazy smile, and he tapped his horn with the hoof that had been on the 8-ball stick-shift. "Magic. Mother fucking magic."

"No. Seriously. How."

Rust pointed to his cutie-mark. "Its my other special talent. What's the one thing that humans are really good at, besides blowing shit up?"

"Breeding like rabbits?" said Omnius with a smirk.

Rust shot him a glare, but laughed nonetheless. "Oh, shut the fuck up. The other thing we're good at is making things. Invention, building. That sort of thing. When I came to Equestria during it's creation, some of that magic was infused within me. So, now I can pretty much make shit. I create matter and shape it how I see fit."

Omnius scratched his chin, smoothing out his magnificent goatee. "Dude, that breaks, like, all the laws of physics at once."

"Yeah? Well so does Pinkie Pie."

"Well played."

"As always."

Rust quickly put the clutch in and shifted up a gear. The roar of the powerful engine increased and both stallions were visibly pressed into their seats. The spedometer was maxed out at 170 mph, and had been there for the last half an hour.

Omnius eyed the dash warily. "How many gears does this thing have? You've shifted up about fifteen times now."

"I don't know. As many as I want it to, I guess." Rust shrugged nonchalantly, admiring the desert landscape as it whipped by.

"Badass," said Omnius. "So, why are we heading out to Las Neighgas again? You didn't really explain yourself very well before you pulled me into this thing and tore out of Ponyville like you had a horde of zombies on your tail. And besides, I thought we weren't heading back here after what happened last time."

"For the record, what happens in Neighgas, stays in Neighgas. How was I supposed to know she was the mayor's daughter?" Rust shook his head, fondly remembering a particular night of debauchery. "Anyway, I did too fill you in."

He chuckled at that. "Screaming something about 'motherfucking darkness' and then hitting Fluttershy over the head with a shovel is not the best way to fill a Traveler in."

Rust grinned sheepishly. "Maaaaaybe I should have gone a little easier with the shovel?"

"No shit, sherlock. And why are we taking her with us? And why not just ask her to come?" asked Omnius, pointing a hoof to the back seat, where a certain yellow pegasus was lying on her back, completely unconscious. A small purple bump was flourishing magnificently on the top of her head.

The eccentric unicorn slid the shades back over his peculiar eyes. "I guess I got some 'splaining to do?"

"Yes. You certainly have some 'splaining to do."

Rust snorted in amusement. "Right, right. This is basically the gist of it..."

Earlier that morning...

"Nate! Prosnites', vy glupyi ublyudok! Wake up!"

Oh... what the hell? What time could it possibly be? And why is everything shaking so much? I opened by eyes to find myself being bodily thrown about by Ragdoll, her icy-blue eyes widened like she'd seen a ghost. Or one of those god-awful Twilight movies. Wait a minute... She called me by my human name. Shit. Something's up. I manage to push her off me and clamber out of bed, careful not to disturb Cheerilee, who for some reason had managed to sleep through all the racket my companion was causing. She looked beautiful in the morning, her mane still messy from last night. Oh, yes, I did say Cheerilee. I guess I was... Hot for teacher?

Ba-dum, tsh. Van Halen puns, for the win!

"What's going down, Mischa?" I asked her, addressing her by the name she had before. Two can play at this game.

She said only one word, but it was enough to make my blood freeze. "Vision."

Shit. Shit-shit-shit, with a cherry on top, add some sprinkles, and slather the whole thing with even more shit. That is never a good sign. Ever. When Ragdoll has visions of the future, they tend to be about horrible things - death, violence, political conspiracy, and adorable little cloud-puppies getting their heads blown to pieces. Goddesses, I miss Little Cinnamon.

I managed to collect my thoughts into a somewhat acceptable state of organization. "Well, spill it, girl. Come on, cat got your tongue?" Ha! I made a funny.

She glared at me, and for a brief moment, I thought she was going to whip out one of her claws and slice me a new rear entrance.

"The Nightmare returns, Nate. Is not time for jokes."

Son of a bitch.

I felt my heart turn into solid iron and drop through my rib cage. I remembered the first time the Nightmare reared it's ugly head, latching on to Princess Luna's internal strife and corrupting her into the feared Nightmare Moon. I also remember the titanic fight we had, while Ragdoll and I held her off so Celestia could get the Elements of Harmony warmed up. As you can imagine, it was a pretty one sided fight. Even with our immortality, she'd given us quite the ass-whooping of the millennium. "Excuse me? No, no, you're wrong. That's not possible. The girls got rid of it when they cleansed Luna with the Elements of Harmony. It's all gone, bye-bye, hasta la vista."

She shook her head, her eyes now closed. "Net. That part was."

"...What."

Rags motioned for me to follow her, and went out of my room, eerily silent. It somewhat bothers me how she does that. My own hooves are quite hard to sneak around on. Plus, they look like fat, rusty marshmallows. I mean really? I know this universe looks like a cartoon, but come on. We left my room and took the stairs up to the observatory. It's supposed to be the top of the tower, but the magical staircase that runs through the place never stops, it just goes straight through the ceiling. The observatory looks like the inside of one of those space telescopes, the ones on Mount Kilauea, Hawaii.

Ragdoll approached the open window, and I stood by her side, shivering slightly from the wind that came through the gap. It was bone-chilling, but then again, this floor was several miles up, at the edges of the atmosphere itself. Equestrian spread out before me, so much so that I could see the planet curving away in the distance. I smiled as I noticed that I could see the heavens shining bright in the black void above.

My oldest friend turned to me and began to speak again. "I show you what I see in the stars." She gently craned her head over and laid her horn, now glowing icy blue, onto my forehead. I felt that peculiar rush as her magic swept over me, and the familiar prescence of her consciousness brushing against my own.

Ever wonder what it's like to brush minds with someone? It's incomprehensible. Its like having two separate lines of thought at once, except you have less control over where your thoughts lead. You know everything they know, feel exactly what they know, and, for a while, you become them, and vice versa. They have the exact same experience as you, as you are conjoined in all but the soul.

I closed my eyes, and began filtering though the new memories flooding my mind. I could see what she had for breakfast this morning (salmon, probably caught from the river), her first thought the moment she woke up, and the strange presence of those bone spurs she has now in place of claws. After some searching, and some assistance from her, I arrived at the memory of her vision. It hit me like a sledgehammer.

...A blinding flash of light, whirling around my vision to form a cone of time and space...

...Peering through the hole in reality, gazing at what is, what will be, and what has been...

...I see the old Royal Palace, back when it was still standing, back before we fought the Nightmare...

...On the balcony of a great tower, I see Luna... and... Buck?!

...She's touching her horn to his chest, and there's and absolutely enormous amount of power going into him - his eyes are wide open, blazing a silvery light, and there's some kind of smokey, ethereal mass of a similar glow, folded on either of his sides, and a cone of the same sprouting from his forehead...

...The view zooms in on Luna's contact to his chest, and I can see a streak of black energy travel into him from her horn, and he shudders for only a second, then it's gone...

...It flashes forward in time... I see Luna finally giving into the Nightmare, some time after Buck's vanishing, alone in a world that shuns her...

...Now I see Buck, or what he looked like while he was a statue... I can feel a minuscule amount of darkness inside him...

...Biding it's time...

...Feeding off his frozen fear...

...Growing stronger.

Omnius was silent, staring at some tiny chink in the windshield as he tried to understand what this meant. This discovery could spell disaster for all of Equestria. The effects of the struggle between the Goddesses had lasted for several centuries; magical fallout from the legendary battle occasionally had caused problems in the population.

He turned to Rust, who was also silent, grimly gripping the wheel with both hooves. The normally tough-as-nails stallion was looking surprisingly nervous. He had good reason to be, though.

"How could that have even happened?" Omnius finally asked.

Rust gently swerved around a pothole. "I'm not exactly sure. All I know is, part of the Nightmare that was originally in Luna is now in our good friend. And sooner or later, that fucker is gonna finish getting stronger and try to take him over."

Omnius thoughtfully tapped his hooves together. "That could mean another war for eternal night."

"And you know what that means. The forces of darkness are going to begin gathering. This shit happens every single time a super evil villain comes around. "

"The forces of darkness. That's so... cliche. Regardless, we need to get the Nightmare out of him and finish it off this time for good."

Rust shifted up again, and the General Lee rocketed forward even faster than before. "That's what we're doing," he said grimly.

"So why are we heading back to Neighgas, then? And why with Fluttershy?"

The unicorn glanced back to the back seat, where the Pegasus mare was curled up, still unconscious. "We need her unique power to bring some help in to fight the Nightmare. The beings we are recruiting are... somewhat evil themselves, so we have to use her as a guarantee that they'll help us. Anyway, Fluttershy never would have left if we just asked her to, so when she wakes up, I'll think of something to say."

"You don't mean The Stare, do you? If we have to resort to using that, this is going to be quite a mission."

Rust only nodded in reply.

"I don't like it, but you're probably right. Who are these ponies? I don't know of, like, any evil ponies in Equestria."

"They aren't evil. I used the wrong word there. They're just a little... tainted is all," the unicorn shrugged. "And one of them is currently in Las Neighgas."

"Who?"

Rust smirked, the sunlight flashing off his sunglasses. A picture suddenly poofed into existence in front of Omnius' face, on it, photograph of their target. The Traveler stared at it for a while, then, shaking his head, he crumpled it up and tossed it out the window.

"We better be getting earplugs for this."

Forty-three Minutes Later...

"Um... Are you sure we should be here? It seems kind of... dangerous." said Fluttershy meekly, eyeing Rust and Omnius cautiously from under her pink mane.

The hustle and bustle of the Las Neighgas main street seemed to wash right over the two stallions, standing side by side in a dark alley facing a run-down old saloon across the dusty street.. The building was decrepit, probably built during the very earliest days of the city, back when it was the easternmost settlement in Equestria. In those days, the town was lawless, violent, and uncivilized.

It really hadn't changed much.

With the General Lee parked in a secluded hideaway on the outskirts of town, Rust, Omnius and Fluttershy had made their way through the winding dirt streets to the center of the city, to a district with a reputation for being one of the worst in the city. After asking around, they had pinpointed their target's current place of employment, the sagging old saloon that had seen better days.

Omnius comfortingly laid a hoof on her shoulder. "Sorry Shy, but the only way we can save the woodland creatures is in that building across the street. You heard what Rust said."

After Fluttershy had woken up in a strange vehicle to with two stallions she'd barely known, she'd had somewhat of a panic attack. Rust, caving in immediately to her adorable plight, had completely spilled the beans to her. She knew everything now, but Rust had wisely put emphasis on what would happen to her beloved forest friends in a world of eternal night. After that, she'd agreed to help them, or at least as much as she was capable of helping.

Fluttershy nodded reluctantly. "If it's for the good of the animals, I'll try and do what I can. You know, if that's okay with you guys..."

Omnius nodded, while Rust slowly rocked back and forth on his hooves, sizing up the saloon. He frowned thoughtfully, mentally running over a series of scenarios that were likely to happen. The target of their journey was somewhere inside this building, and most likely the regulars wouldn't take to kindly to her removal. Apparently she had gathered quite a following. Violence could be necessary, but it would should be avoided if possible. However, if they walked into the saloon like this, they'd be recognized by her immediately, as she had known the three back when she was working in Ponyville.

He turned to Omnius, who was also frowning, leaning against one side of the dark alley. Gesturing to the saloon, he said, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."

Omnius chuckled. "So how are we going to go about this? She's going to try and pull something if we just waltz right in."

"We're going to use some disguises."

Fluttershy lifted her head slightly, peeking out from her bangs. "What kind of disguises, Rust?"

"Disguises from a long time ago, from a galaxy far, far away."

Omnius turned to him, smirking in the shadows. "This is going to be fun."

Rust nodded. "Now, hold still, I'll make us something to wear." He ducked back further into the alley, farther fro the eyes of any curious passerby. His horn lit up a bright green, and he arched his back with effort. A wisp of glowing light shot out of his horn, splitting in two before whirling around the stallions like tornadoes. Abruptly, the light vanished, revealing the pair now covered in various new articles.

Fluttershy immediately began inspecting herself, using a nearby puddle to see what the unicorn had done to her. Her pink mane had been braided and rolled into tight buns on either side of her head. She now wore two small articles of clothing across her chest and over her haunches, made of some kind of burnished golden metal. From the lower piece, long flowing strips of cloth came down over her flanks, barely touching the ground. The whole getup looked strangely suggestive to her, and yet her confidence was boosted by the fact that nopony would ever recognize her like this.

"Ha! You turned her into 'slave leia!' Genius!" exclaimed Omnius, who was watching her with a smirk. He stepped into the light to inspect himself. He was now wearing tan wrappings across his chest, a utuility belt wrapped around his midsection. A small metal rod with a hole in one end dangled from this, glinting softly in the light. A brown, hooded robe hung from his frame, holes cut in the sides for his wings to poke through. He put the hood up, and it's shadow covered his face in a manner that was superbly intimidating.

"Dude, you made me a jedi, with a lightsaber and everything! You can just call me Luke Skytrotter from now on." He whirled about, admiring the robe as it whipped around him. He suddenly stopped as he saw Rust walk out from the shadow.

The unicorn was now covered from head to toe in a lightish green cloth, overlaid by plates of armor that were a darker green, with the exception of his shoulder plates, which were a jaunty yellow. The plates were covered in innumerable scratches and dents, and probably had seen better days. On his head, a bucket-like helmet completely covered his face, a dark, reflective black visor shaped like a "T" where his visage should have been. A sharp-looking, reinforced horn cap stuck out of the top. Rust rolled his shoulders, and the jetpack now strapped across his back clanked lightly against his armor.

Fluttershy made a faint "eep", clearly intimidated by the unicorn's frighteningly awesome appearance.

"You can call me Boba. Boba Fettlock." His voice was weirdly distorted by the helmet, as if he were speaking over a radio.

Omnius closed his jaw, which had been hanging open in disbelief. "Bastard. You got the best costume."

"You just want a fucking jetpack. You already have wings. Now come on."

The trio stepped out into the street and crossed, Omnius and Fluttershy carefully avoiding puddles while Rust simply stomped right through them. They climbed the few steps up to the raised wooden sidewalks, their hooves making dull clomps on the worn out boards. Weaving through a stream of surly-looking pedestrians, the group was about to enter the swinging doors of the saloon when they were suddenly stopped by a scruffy earth pony with a balding head. On his shoulder was a tattoo of a heart with the word "mom" written on it.

"Whoa whoa whoa, there. You three can't just trot right in here. This here's the Dirty Salt Lick, the roughest, meanest, chew-you-up-and-spit-you-out-est establishment in Las Neighgas," he said. Fluttershy seemed to visibly shrink with each syllable. "You got to be tough enough to get in. No weenies allowed."

The three backed up a few steps and gathered into a huddle. Rust exchanged a glance with Omnius, both stallion's eyes lighting up under their respective headgear.

"Is it just me, or does this situation seem familiar to you..." asked Rust.

"It seems like a dream come true to me. I've always wanted to do something like this," said the hooded Traveler.

Fluttershy peeped up. "I don't know what you two are talking about, but please... just be careful."

Omnius grinned and cracked his neck. "Don't worry, Shy. I got this shit. I learned a thing or two from Bikini Bottom."

The Traveler approached the balding earth pony, who looked incredibly bored. The earth pony gave him a once over, saying, "Welcome to the Dirty Salt Lick. How tough are ya?"

Omnius swelled up with exaggerated pride. "How tough am I? HOW TOUGH AM I?!"

"Yeah, that's what I asked you."

Omnius abruptly reached out to the earth pony's shoulder and ripped the tattoo right off his coat in a display of sheer masculinity. The scruffy stallion screeched in pain as the Traveler whirled the tattoo around and slapped it back onto his shoulder, upside down. Several colts passing by on the street who witnessed the event suddenly felt themselves grow a small amount of facial hair.

The tattoo now read "wow".

Omnius cackled, his face hidden by the shadow of his hood. "Just guessing here, but is your name Reg by any chance?

The earth pony nodded, rubbing the tattoo gently. "You can go right in, sir."

Omnius turned back to to the others. "I'll be waiting inside. I'll scope out the place and see if I can find her." With that, he sauntered on through the swinging doors, and was swallowed up by the blackness and noise from inside.

Rust now strode up to Reg, his Mandalorian armor glinting menacingly in the dull light of the day. The doorpony looked him over, squinting as he peered at his curious helmet.

"Welcome to the Dirty Salt Lick, how tough are ya?"

"I had a bowl of nails for breakfast this morning," he said, the voice distortion making him sound eerily threatening and complacent at the same time.

Reg's right eyebrow rose. "That's it?"

The sunlight flashed off Rust's black visor. "Without any milk," he growled.

The nearby colts who had received a small amount of a facial hair from the last display of masculinity suddenly sprouted full-on beards, shot up several inches, and developed a sudden craving to watch sports.

Reg visibly gulped. "Uh, you can go in."

Rust stalked silently past him, chuckling to himself under the helmet. Before he reached the doors, he turned around, watching to see what Fluttershy would do.

The timid mare sheepishly approached the doorpony, blushing furiously. She inched her way forward, step by step, until she was a few feet away.

Reg opened up with his standard greeting. "Welcome to the Dirty Salt Lick, how tough are ya?"

Fluttershy mumbled something and looked down, fumbling with her forelegs.

"Eh? Cant here ya, miss."

Something that sounded like a cross between a squeak and a whimper came from Fluttershy's mouth, and she shrank down to her belly.

"Hey." Reg poked her a few times with a hoof. "I asked you a question."

The yellow pegasus simply covered her face with her hooves and curled into the smallest ball she could.

"Oh, sweet Celestia..." Reg rubbed his face wearily. "I've had enough of this. Look, I'll let you in because you're probably the prettiest thing I'm ever going to see in my life. Just watch yourself in there."

Fluttershy immediately sprang up, beaming from ear to ear. "Thanks!" She then proceeded to waltz right past both Reg and Rust, who were equally dumbstruck.

"Dude..." Rust shook his head sadly. "You just got trolled." And with that, he turned and passed through the threshold.

Author: Ohmygosh! Things just got real. Anyway, I solemnly swear to stop putting off the "epic bar fight" scene. Now that the stage is set, the actors may play their roles.

Dark Horizons

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

DARK HORIZONS

"...Honestly, Tia. Must we go through the unneeded pomp and ceremony for so small a journey? Ponyville is mere moments away by our wings, almost instantaneous with proper use of the arcane. And yet we are to travel for an extended time on a metal monstrosity, surrounded by dignitaries and nobles, only to be mobbed by ceremony yet again upon our arrival. 'Tis almost obnoxious."

The Royal Sisters strode down a hallway of the Canterlot Castle, long legs eating up the distance despite both holding a rather lax pace. Luna's head was lowered, and she huffed grumpily as the pair drew ever closer to the castle foyer, where a small army of the members of the Royal Entourage were gathered to accompany her on her trip to Ponyville. Scribes, servants, minstrels, attendants, advisors... It was enough to make her have to resist the urge to heave.

Luna had never been one for castle life; that was more Celestia's cup of tea. The older sister was calm and calculating, tacitly handling her significant duties as if nonchalantly taking a stroll in the park. Luna, on the other hand, had a truly almighty temper, and often spoke more with action than carefully chosen words. Several vain and otherwise insufferable nobles had already learned the limits of her patience when having to deal with the more trivial matters of the court...

...Usually the result of which was a large amount of high-class ponies rubbing their bottoms in indignation and pain, attempting to rub out the charring in their coat that a magical lightning strike was prone to leave. This was why Luna preferred to do her work from the shadows; the complexities of court vexed her greatly.

Celestia gave a small smirk. "What you say is true, Luna. But the people enjoy their ceremonies and such. It is our duty serve them, as is our duty to serve Equestria. Besides," she winked at her. "I rather enjoy being the center of attention."

"Oh, we've certainly noticed that," muttered the smaller alicorn.

Celestia laughed at this, her warm voice sounding almost musical as it echoed down the hallway. The pair continued on, Luna mentally preparing herself for the refined circus act that was the court. The Princess thought of calm and peace, of brown paper packages tied up with string. She didn't want to end up making a repeat of her last snap of temper. The court jester was still unwilling to even so much as speak in her presence. Luna snorted to herself. It wasn't her fault that the foolish pony had decided to tempt fate by ambushing her with that blasted pastry launcher Celestia had gotten for Hearth's Warming. It also wasn't her fault that the resulting retaliation had partially collapsed roof of the main hall.

Okay, mostly wasn't her fault.

The pair rounded a corner, now walking along a heavily windowed passage, the sunlight coming through the colored glass panes dying the white stone walls a veritable kaleidoscope of color. As they moved, now in a comfortable silence, Luna began to daydream, gazing at the tinted and letting it transfix her it. More than anything, she simply wanted to have some form of escape from her predicament, so that she might make her way to Ponyville on her own terms. Perhaps a sudden sleeping disease would strike all of the ponies in the main foyer... No. Too soft. Maybe a vicious horde of diamond dogs would spontaneously assault the castle. Hmmm... Now that could be entertaining. Luna's hooves itched as she remembered the last time she'd sounded defeated an army. What a glorious battle that had been! Those were the good old days, back before she and Celestia had assumed the title of Princess, back when they had roamed the land as travelling warriors alongside their brother-

CRACK!

A sudden burst of light interrupted her thoughts. Instinctively, she slipped into a combat stance while her eyes cleared. What was going on? Were they under attack? Was there really a diamond dog siege underway? She frowned slightly as her vision returned, revealing a white, shaggy mare with brown splotches on her coat standing several paces away, smoke from her teleportation spell gently wafting up to the ceiling. Icy blue irises, shaped as vertical slits, regarded her cooly.

Elder Ragdoll? Well, it's no battle, but perhaps this could get her out of this mess nevertheless.

The peculiar unicorn gave a deep bow, and the sisters could see her fluffy brown tail twitching in obvious agitation. "Printessa Celestia, Printessa Luna, privet stviya. I am not interrupting anything, I hope?"

Celestia, cool as an ice cube in Antarctica, responded almost instantly. "Of course not, Elder. We were simply on our way to the foyer to bid Luna farewell for her trip to Ponyville. Would you be so kind as to walk with us?"

Ragdoll nodded and fell in step to Celestia's left, now walking in between the two sisters. Luna found it faintly unsettling how the mare carried herself. She trotted along smoothly, almost lethargically, yet somehow keeping pace with the long-legged alicorns. Her motions were fluid, and yet carefully controlled, as if she were moving through the tangled undergrowth of some forest, stalking her prey. Luna repressed a faint shudder. While she truly enjoyed the company of the Elder, her status as a hybrid, and as a carnivore, no less, was somewhat unsettling at times. It was made even more disconcerting by the fact that while Celestia's and her own metal-shod hooves made loud noises on the stone floor, Ragdoll moved silently, as if she were nothing more than a ghost.

"I bring grave news," the Elder said mildly. Her alien eyes focused straight ahead, but her pointed ears constantly swiveled this way and that as she walked.

"Concerning..?" Luna prompted.

"The Nightmare, Printessa."

Celestia frowned while Luna involuntarily flinched. The older sibling spoke slowly, saying, "I know not of why you bring this up, Elder. It has been more than a year now since the Bearers of the Elements vanquished it. Surely we may let dead mares lie?"

"Is never truly defeated, the darkness. That would bring imbalance, net? Ironic, it is, that the good may not exist without the evil." Ragdoll chuckled softly. "No, Celestia, the Nightmare is still out in the world, and neither of you will ever truly be rid of it."

Luna felt a small flash of anger. "And why, pray tell, is that?" She had often had to deal with accusations that she still bore some faint trace of corruption from her possession, but never from a being that she knew or respected so well.

"Is inside all of us, comrade. Is very embodiment of that black place in our soul. Every pony, great," she quickly glanced at the sisters. "Or small, bears trace of it. Is part of who we are."

There was silence for a time, the three mares walking steadily down the technicolor passage, before Luna spoke up again. "Surely you did not come here to speak of philosophy. You said you have news, We ask that you speak it with most haste. Such talk of darkness upsets us."

Ragdoll chuckled again. "That too, is ironic, for you are the Printessa Nochi, Princess of the Night. Darkness is your domain. Embrace the shadow, do not fear it. Is this not the lesson you wished to spread as Nightmare Moon?"

Luna glowered, and sunk her head.

"Do not think of this badly. If you must know, I rather enjoy the concept of eternal night. Is not problem for me." She said, as she blinked her icy eyes again. Luna briefly thought they glowed faintly for a moment. "But enough of this. I move on to reason I am here now, da? Luna, I am sure that you remember blessing you give before you were consumed? This has much to do with what I have to say."

Luna thought for a moment. What was she talking abou-... Oh. Her dark cheeks faintly blushed as she remembered that night, when she had given her dearest companion, Sir Apple, her personal blessing and a wish.

Celestia looked confused. "A blessing? Luna, what kind of blessing was this, and on whom?"

Ragdoll spoke before Luna could. "One whom has a special name, taught to me by the stars, for he will play a great role soon. You know him as Buck Apple, Printessa Solnsta."

The ivory alicorn's eyes widened. "Sir Apple? Why would a simple blessing affect..." she paused, obviously deep in thought. "Luna... It wasn't a simple blessing, was it." Celestia stated.

Luna sighed faintly in resignation. "No. 'Twas much more powerful than what we usually give to our subjects. We felt that he had earned much more than a paltry gift of magic."

"Luna..." Began Celestia.

"Tell her what he did as he received the gift," said Ragdoll flatly.

The Princess of the Night glared at Ragdoll breifly, somewhat peeved that she would know of what transpired so well. Then again, knowledge of such things was the Elder's special talent, after all. Wilting under Celestia's demanding gaze, Luna looked down sheepishly. "He, um... Raised the moon?"

Her sister's jaw fell wide open, and she stumbled a bit, the regal alicorn looking somewhat comical as she flopped about, trying to regain her pace. "He did WHAT?"

"Ehehehe... We were planning on telling you after it happened, but then we fell to the corruption. It sort of slipped our mind." Luna muttered quietly.

The look on her sister's face was unreadable, but extreme. "Luna. Buck Apple is an earth pony," she stated slowly. "And you are telling me that he not only can use magic, but has enough to move the moon itself?"

Luna merely nodded, stuck between feeling ashamed and proud of her actions.

"Sister, this is no mere blessing. That kind of power is only achieved by a god. Sir Apple is not a divine being, he was born of flesh and blood. How is that he is able to do such a thing?"

Ragdoll once again spoke up. "Printessa Luna give him far more than magic."

Both Luna and Celestia looked at her, confusion written plainly across their faces.

"She give a piece of her soul."

Both of the Princesses stopped walking simultaneously. Celestia looked extremely worried, while Luna's visage was pasted with something that was a cross between concern, pride, and guilt. Ragdoll padded a few more steps forward before turning, the spectrum of light coming from the windows tinging her shaggy coat all the colors of the rainbow.

Luna wasn't sure what to make of this. It was very possible such a thing had happened... That would explain how he had managed to move the moon. But still, a piece of her soul? Wouldn't she notice if a part of it was removed, even as a gift, unintentional though it was? She pursed her lips in thought. This also didn't explain why her powers had been somehow non-existent at times he he had been nearby, like during the eruption, and again at the tournament. Most perplexing...

"But at time, her soul was beginning to be held sway by Nightmare," The Elder continued. "She give him piece of this, too. Both fragments now grow inside him, like seeds, changing him."

"Does he know?" asked Luna.

"Is not likely. He will know he has been given a great gift, but not significance. I believe it shows as a picture of a crescent moon on his chest, where the most power was delivered."

"His heart. We gave that to his heart."

Celestia frowned. "Then these fragments are impossible to remove. Elder, what will happen as they grow?"

Ragdoll closed her eyes for a moment, choosing her next words carefully. "He must choose the one to survive. There is not enough room in a pony for three souls, barely enough for two. The choice will be difficult, as both sides will play at his strengths and weakness as they fight each other. The Nightmare has unique talent for corrupting, this is true. Is very likely that it will dominate your fragment, Luna. It already has before.

"But aside from this, as Nightmare grows in strength, so too will forces of evil. Equestria will see terrors long forgotten no matter what happens. Ancient magic will react to presence of such a powerful being coming back. There will be difficult times ahead, and the knight will not be the only one to have risk of corruption. Foes both of you thought long vanquished will rear their heads again. They will not stop growing until the Nightmare is stopped."

"What if my fragment is the victor?" asked Luna.

"Then Nightmare is pushed out of his body, and both will become... vozrodivishiisya. I am sorry, I do not know how to explain it in Equestrian. They will be changed, this is known."

"And in the meantime?"

Ragdoll stiffened one of her forelegs, and bone spur smoothly slid out the back of her limb, glinting faintly in the multicolored light. She inspected it carefully, before running the very tip along the stone floor. It carved through the solid rock like a hot knife through butter.

"Prepare him. Train him in what he must face. Is best if he knows everything. Also, as we speak, Rust is gathering a group of beings that will greatly assist you in this."

Celestia and Luna both gave a small bow, grateful for this knowledge. "Thanks to you, Elder. You may have averted yet another disaster. But, before we continue on, do you know where Buck Apple is now? I think it appropriate that we begin this training immediately." stated Celestia. The darker alicorn nodded in agreement.

Ragdoll smiled. Her eyes flashed again. "He is in the foyer, standing next to Captain Cloudhammer, with a big, stupid smile on his face. They are to escort you to the awaiting train for your journey to Ponyville."

Celestia gave a small chuckle. "Not anymore they aren't. Elder, please tell the Royal Entourage to proceed to the train and board as scheduled. However, there will be a change in passengers. We promised Ponyville a visit from royalty, and they shall have their visit." The ivory alicorn now had a wicked grin on her face. "Send Prince Blueblood in my sister's stead. I believe a certain fashionista in Ponyville will be all too eager to see him again, and the country atmosphere may do the pompous foal some good.

Despite the situation, Luna laughed at this. After the disaster that was the Grand Galloping Gala last year, Prince Blueblood had become insufferable. The Element of Generosity would gladly take him down a peg or two... With only a few broken bones made in the process. Oh well, no pain, no gain.

And, as a plus, she got to skip the silly procession. Sometimes, dreams really do come true.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Revenge.

The moon was not shining tonight in the far eastern desert. Hidden by a gloomy pall of thick clouds, little, if any light found its way through, punching through the scant holes in the black veil as brilliant silver blades. Such a meager ambiance gave pause to even the most active nocturnal denizens of the barren land. A cold, evil wind blew as desert owls looked wistfully back over their feathery shoulders toward inviting nests before setting out for a night's hunting. Foxes and coyotes softly whined as they padded over the dry earth, anxious to return to the safety of company and shelter. A cottontail took one look outside its burrow before wisely retreating, unwilling to even set foot into the gaping blackness. Sometimes going hungry was worth it, as long as survival was ensured. And on nights like this, survival seemed like a cruel joke.

Aloof, gazing down upon the shadowy wastelands from its perch atop a craggy mesa, a great blotch of darkness, far blacker than its surroundings, held position in quiet contemplation. The bitter breeze running over its thick coat felt welcoming, soft like a lover's caress. The gritty crunching of dried dirt and stone beneath cloven hooves sent shivers down a hunched, yet stout spine. The shape adjusted position, turning from the open expanse of the desert to look down toward the base of the mesa, where a few small campfires were burning, the faint, inviting pinpricks of light visible for miles in any direction. Surrounding the fire, dim shapes of a cluster of tipis could be seen, reflecting the ruddy firelight off flaxen sides.

A small pebble was crushed to dust under the sudden, crushing force from an angry hoof being stomped into the ground. The hoof twisted back and forth, grinding the remains of the pebble into oblivion. The owner of the limb whipped it out and away, sending the finite grains formerly under it's hoof off over the edge of the mesa, immediately vanishing into the shadowy gloom. Small, narrowed eyes, glinting faintly in the blackness, hatefully glared at the lights.

Revenge.

That single thought, tenaciously clung to. Repeated time and time again, until it nourished the figure almost as much as the meager grasses and plants the desert environment permitted. The simple concept of vengeance was enough for the figure, burning like a black star deep inside its twisted heart.

The shadow stamped a leg down again, a thin, whip-like tail lashing back and forth in anger. It turned from the camp, setting it's gaze on the far off horizon. In the distance, the dark pall of the night was faintly beaten back by the lights of another settlement, this one made of wood and stone. The very sight of it fueled the furnace of hate in the figure's chest. It was sickening, the very idea of such a place, static, bending nature to its will, corrupting the very essence of the land.

The tribe has betrayed everything we stand for, by siding with such a pestilence.

Powerful shoulders flexed and rolled in the darkness, faint moonlight glimmering briefly on thick ivory horns as wide as a pony's hind leg. A loud snort echoed across the mesa, and a great cloud of steam shot from blunt nostrils.

They have betrayed me. They shall pay!

The small, beady eyes fixed on a darker splotch near the settlement. Even this far away, the faint scent of the apple orchard could be detected in the night air. The figure involuntarily recoiled, nauseated by the putrid stench of the alien fruit.

Especially the disgusting creatures who dared to desecrate our land... MY land. These... "Apples".

The figure took one last look at the distant orchard before slowly moving down the sides of the mesa, picking its way carefully down the steep slope. Upon arriving at the bottom, it began to trek away from the lights of both the campfires and from the town on the horizon. The very essence of the creature seemed to grow blacker with each step it took, until it became even darker than the night surrounding it, one great stain on the surface of the shadowy desert.

Revenge.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Author: Sweet baby Luna, things just picked up! I finally, FINALLY have a basic plotline now! You know, making this stuff up as I go was probably not the best way to write this. Sometimes, planning ahead is needed. Also, a wild antagonist appears... Egads!

You know the drill. Rate, comment, and subscribe, or I'll hunt you down and use your skull to cook soup... Yadda yadda yadda. You know what I mean. Do it.

P.S. - If you don't, I'll kill off Fluttershy. You don't want that on your hooves, do you?

The Tough Get Going

Author: This chapter is dedicated to anyone who's had a bad day. Chin up, mates!

Because when the going gets tough...

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

THE TOUGH GET GOING

Omnius leaned back in his chair, carefully observing the poorly lit saloon from beneath his heavy hood. It was built in a classical old western style. A large, open floor made up most of the room, filled with smallish round tables seating four or five ponies at a time. On the far wall was an old-timey bar, with a greasy bartender serving up foul brews that would give even the most hardboiled drinkers a ticket on the fast lane to liver failure. A stage was set up on the side wall, it would have been considered the only decent looking thing in the place were it not for the moth-eaten curtains. A balcony ran around the second floor of the room, and the more free-spirited types of ponies hung about up there, offering their services with little discretion.

He tipped back his glass and took a swig of the icy beverage (non-alcoholic, as was his preference) the saucy waitress had slammed onto the table. After, of course, propositioning him for a good time up on the second story. A gentlecolt as always, he had declined her offer and resumed his search for the target. Running his practiced gaze over the motley assortment of lowlifes and gutter-drinkers, he came to the conclusion that this place was set to blow like a box of fireworks next to an open flame.

In one corner of the saloon, a group of pegasi had commandeered several of the tables, effectively claiming an entire section of the place as their own. They all wore ratty, black denim vests, and looked to be the Equestrian equivalent of a biker gang out looking for trouble. After casually asking around, he had learned that the group was known as the Rough Riders. The Riders were known in these parts for being generally unpleasant. Extortion, light mercenary work, theft, bit-laundering, the whole nine yards.

On the opposite end of the room, sitting in a large clump around the stage, seemed to be their local adversaries, another gang of ponies who called themselves the Bluehoof Bunch. Not exactly an intimidating name, but that was more than made up for by its members. Disillusioned ex-guardponies, construction and mine workers, some of the more uncouth members of the Las Neighas weather team, etc.. These ponies ran this part of town, and were not looking too happy about having a bunch of upstart Riders flying up their neck of the woods.

Omnius chuckled as he watched two representatives from each group, heatedly arguing in the unspoken no-man's-land in the center of the saloon. Each was gesticulating wildly, half screaming to be heard over the usual bustle and clatter of customers and employees doing their thing. After a few more minutes, they each stopped whatever they were talking about and simply glared at eachother, fire in their eyes.

And of course, this was the exact moment he realized that Rust was no longer sitting at the table.

"Son of a..." he looked back to the two arguing gang members. Sure enough, the eccentric unicorn was now standing between the two, forming a rough triangle. The faint glow from the poor lighting lit up his armor weirdly, making him look otherworldy, which was oddly fitting given his background. Omnius could see that he was talking to both of the ponies, and obviously saying something that pissed both of them off, because both spat at his hooves and trotted back to their respective groups.

Rust seemed to be shaking where he was standing, Omnius observed. It was hard to tell as the unicorn was wearing his Mandalorian helmet. Wait... No, he was laughing. The crazy idiot was laughing at this! And now the crazy idiot was trotting back to the table, a spring in his step.

"Look alive, meat. We've got ourselves a throwdown to look forward to!" Rust said cheerfully as he sat down again.

Omnius glarred daggers at him. "What did you do this time? Insult their personal hygiene?"

"Nah, the usual. The standard burns about their mothers and how much they love to sleep with me."

Fluttershy squeaked at this, turning a bright crimson. "Oh... Um, thats... Nice?"

Rust didn't answer, instead choosing to brace himself against the table as his armored horn lit up a bright green. There was a soft poof and trio's disguises immediately vanished. Omnius shivered a bit; he had grown used to the warmth of his Jedi cloak.

"What gives, man? I thought we needed those!"

"Won't do us any fucking good now. We're going to be in a tussle - they would have vanished immediately They were just disguises. Not the real thing. That lightsaber you had? Fake. My armor? Fake. I made them thinking we wouldn't be getting our hooves dirty, and now that we are, its pointless to keep them on."

Omnius momentarily pause an wipe a tear from his eye. He had really been looking forward to using a lightsaber.

Rust continued. "Any-fucking-way, I made a deal with those two groups there. Turns out the Bluehoof Bunch has been keeping our target here against her will. We beat them in a fight, we get to walk out of here with her."

Fluttershy nervously frowned. "A fight? Oh, my. Um, Rust, you said that you made a deal with both of the groups. Could you tell us how the other one is involved? You know, if that's okay with you, I mean."

The unicorn slammed his hooves onto the table, sending their drinks up a foot before they all fell down perfectly, not a drop spilling. "Absolutely, Fluttershy! The Rough Riders have positively no connection to the target whatsoever! I just pissed them off so we could have more ponies to fight! They're helping the Bluehooves!" He grinned, and it looked somewhat maniacal.

"... You're a sick bastard, you know that, right?" said Omnius.

"Coming from the guy who decided it would be funny to sculpt my pet rock into a giant dick?"

The chocolate pegasus straightened his glasses and rolled up an imaginary sleeve. "Why you little..."

"That's not what your mother said."

"BOYS! PLEASE!" yelled Fluttershy. The two stallions abruptly sat right down, and gave her blank stares.

"Sorry, 'Shy." muttered Rust.

"Yeah. What he said." said Omnius.

"Now, I think we need to stop fighting eachother now, okay? There's a bigger fight coming up, and you both need to be ready to work together."

Rust nodded solemly. "But what about you? Are you going to help when it starts?"

Fluttershy ducked down, hiding behind her mane. "Oh, no... I could never harm another pony..."

Rust and Omnius exchanged a glance, and quickly met in a two-pony huddle. They shot Fluttershy a look before they began.

"Dude, we need her. You saw what she did to that bear, right?"

"I know, I know, let me think of somethi- got it."

The pair emerged from their huddle and face the timid yellow pegasus, who was looking at them fearfully.

"Futtershy," began Rust slowly. "There comes a time in ever pony's life when... Ah, fuck it. 'Shy, the Bluehooves and the Riders are poachers. They catch wild animals, cut them into tiny pieces, and sell their parts for bits."

The pink-maned mare sitting across the table from them went stock still. One of her eyes twitched. Slowly, an evil, leering grin crept across her face. Despite the fact that it was a perfectly clear day out, a distant rumble of thunder could be heard.

"I'll end them."

Rust and Omnius shuddered at the sight. The pegasus now radiated pure malice.

Omnius leaned over to whisper in Rust's ear. "Do they really do that?"

Rust simply shrugged and grinned, indicating that he had no idea.

The Traveler facehooved. The ease by which his friend deceived her was somewhat unsettling. Regardless, now they had a bloodthirsty animal-activist on their hooves. He'd seen Fluttershy stand up a dragon, literally throw a fully-grown grizzly bear on its back, and pacify a rampaging manticore. When she was like this, it was downright dangerous to be around her.

There was a loud slamming noise that startled him out of his thoughts. Abruptly, his drink fell over and spilled all over him. He looked up from his ruined beverage to see two scruffy mares, one in them ratty denim jacket of the Riders, the other wearing the signature blue legband of the Bluehooves. They were standing in front of the table with dark scowls on their faces. One of them had just put an angry hoof down to get their attention, upsetting many of the glasses. It worked. Omnius' glasses flashed in the light as he looked up at the two foolish ponies who had dared to spill his Coke.

The Bluehoof glared down at Rust, pointedly ignoring the now seriously ticked-off Omnius and an equicidal Fluttershy. "Listen up, stranger. We're going to make you wish you were never born. Nopony disrespects the Bluehoof Bunch in our own turf."

"Or the Rough Riders." Growled her new ally.

Omnius watched as Rust casually leaned back in his chair and swirled a toothpick around in his mouth. Where the unicorn had gotten it, Omnius would never know. He regarded the two mares with a strange look in his eyes, before closing them and giving a small sigh.

"Omnius. Fluttershy. Let's set some ground rules right now, shall we? Number one. Don't kill anyone. Number two. No mercy. Can you handle that?"

The two pegasi nodded grimly.

"Fucktastic!" Rust opened his eyes again and stared at the offending mares. "Now, you two bimbos have your sorry excuses for gangs ready to go? Actually, don't bother answering that, I could care less. We're going to start this now."

His horn suddenly lit up, and both of them flinched back, bracing themselves for whatever spell he was about to cast. But it never came. In the corner of the saloon, and old jukebox suddenly began glowing a soft emerald, and began to turn on.

Rust stood up from the table and reared back onto his hind hooves. "Let's do it to it!"

And with that, he put his forelegs under the edge of the table and flipped it over, giving it a solid shove as it went, sending it straight into the two flabbergasted gangsters, knocking them down.

The saloon suddenly went quiet. Acting on a hidden command, both the entire combined force of both the Rough Riders and the Bluehoof Bunch leapt from their respective corners and cleared an open space in the middle of the floor, encircling the three inside a threatening ring.

Fluttershy took to the air, hovering several feet above the ground, fire in her eyes as she held an attack position. Nopony moved a muscle, the tension was so thick in the air that one could almost see it.

Omnius stood up from his chair and faced the crowd, lowering his head and giving a small snort of anger, dragging his front hoof across the floor like a bull ready to charge. He felt a presence at his rear, and turned his head slightly to see that Rust was standing in some kind of kung-fu pose, both his shields ignited and held at the ready. The eccentric unicorn gave him a small smile, before fixing the conclave of criminals surrounding them with a fearless glare.

Author: Click this shit if you want some fight music--->(Rust's Battle Theme of Choice)

The jukebox in the corner suddenly erupted into music. Omnius couldnt take it any longer. He reared up and swung his hooves in the air like warhorse about to charge.

"FOR NARNIA!" he roared.

"FOR THE ANIMALS!" screeched Fluttershy from above.

"FOR THE LULZ!" yelled Rust.

Three of the braver ponies facing Omnius immediately stepped forward to answer the challenge, several more moving towards Rust, and a few pegasi rising into the air to face down Fluttershy. Omnius caught himself smiling despite the situation. The poor fools didn't know what they were about to get into.

As the Traveler of Good, Omnius had been more or less everywhere, everywhen, and even everywhy. He had spent time on countless worlds, participated in innumerable battles, and kicked serious ass on a multi-universal scale.

The first pony to get close enough to him found that out the hard way.

WHAM!

Omnius darted forward, slamming his foreleg solidly to the gangster's jaw. The pony's eyes rolled back into its head as it fell backward, and lay still. Two aggressors who had been all to eager to confront him suddenly ceased their individual advances, and exchanging a glance before charging forward as one, aiming to steamroll him.

The Traveler stood fast. Right before the pair were about to hit, he hopped back and ripped open his wings as hard as he could. The two chargers slammed into the outstretched wings hard, before Omnius flexed them down, pushing them both right off their hooves and onto the floor. Two solid bucks ceased their attempts to rise.

From the corner of his eye, Omnius could see Fluttershy doing an aerial ballet with the attacking pegasi, whirling and dive-bombing them with frightening speed. A loud bang and ensuing maniacal laughter, followed by the sight of several limp bodies flying trough the air told him that Rust was more than holding his own.

Rapid hoofsteps. He turned. A body ran into him, sending him skidding back several feet. Grunting with the effort, he halted his slide, again whipping out his wings, sending the attacker flying. A sudden weight on his back sent him staggering as another pony jumped him from behind. He began to spin, whirling around so fast the room began to blur. The ambusher flew off and rolled before springing back up. The pony hoofed the ground and charged him, head lowered.

Time seemed to slow down. Omnius reached a foreleg back, swinging it around in a circle similar to a baseball pitcher. His hoof began to glow with an angry fiery glow. Satisfied he had enough momentum in his hoof, the Traveler stepped into the charge and lashed out with his charged power.

"FALCON PUNCH!"

The impact from the blow not only halted the gangster in its tracks as if it had run into a wall, it was sent flying back so fast that it drilled through the crowd like a missile. The ponies who had been content to simply hold the ring intact now realized that facing the Traveler one-on-one was suicide. They grouped together and swarmed forward.

Omnius was bowled over by the wave of angry criminals. The rank smell of booze and filth filled his nostrils. He felt himself being battered and trampled, yet he lashed out with all of his appendages, giving no quarter and receiving none in kind. The press of countless ponies began crushing him with sheer numbers. He panicked, redoubling his efforts, biting and kicking for all he was worth.

Suddenly the weight dissapeared, and he found himself looking Rust, who hauled him back to his hooves. The unicorn's horn flared up, and a bolt of green lightning arced out into the enemy, causing a small explosion. The crowd fell back, unwilling to face the his wrath.

The pair stood back-to-back again. Omnius was breathing hard, as was his friend, and both spoted several small cuts and bruises, although Rust seemed much better off. But they were given no respite, as the gangs regrouped and attempted to wash over them a second time. Rust suddenly jumped in front of Omnius, slamming his shields together, and they fused into a giant, glowing green wedge. The Traveler, seizing the initiative, spread his wings again and pushed Rust as fast as he could into the oncoming tide.

The wedge cut through the masses like a runaway train, cutting down ponies left and right like a snowplow. They carved a swath straight through until they found themselves outside the circle. Making and abrupt about-face, they plunged back in for a second pass.

A pegasi somehow managed to get around the wedge and took him in the side, sending him reeling as Rust continued forward. They locked limbs and tumbled, end over end until he felt himself slamming into the far wall, before falling down onto the stage. The pegasus bounced off him as they landed, stunned by the impact of their collision.

Omnius quickly regained his footing and hurled the attacker off the stage. He paused to view the carnage from his higher vantage point.

Fluttershy had achieved air superiority, and was now ferociously dive bombing the mob, nothing more than a yellow and pink flash. As soon as she hit her target, she was in the air again, whipping around the chandelier as she indiscriminately selected her next victim. Omnius involuntarily winced as he noticed that the ponies she left on the ground were bent in ways that weren't normal.

An orange blur crashed into the stage next to him, launched from the crowd. Rust stood up slowly, a large gash on the side of his face, running voer his left eye, which was now closed. He spat some of the blood from his mouth, the crimson loogie making a wet smack as it fell to the floor. "Okay, NOW I'm pissed. Omnius, hold them off while I finish this." He took a few steps backwards and braced himself, his horn suddenly glowing an angry green, and his one open eye doing the same as he charged up a new, frighteningly powerful spell.

Omnius turned from his friend to face the crowd. They were mobbing the stage, attempting to climb up to them. The Traveler stomped his hooves, whipping around to buck a gangster who had dared attempt the climb. A screech from his side told him that Fluttershy was now on the defensive too.

He was suddenly knocked back by a concussive force. A unicorn mare wearing the Rough Riders vest leaped up onto the stage and face him, horn glowing dangerously. Omnius spread his wings yet again, and with a powerful downstroke, launched himself straight up, dodging another bolt of magic. The pegasus screamed skywards before flipping around mid-flight and pushing off the ceiling, propelling him down to the stage like a meteor. The Traveler stretched out a hoof and struck the stage as hard as he could.

The sheer kinetic energy of the impact sent a shockwave out like a cone in front of him, ripping up the floorboards of and sending the unicorn sprawling back into the crowd. Omnius grinned and blew some of his mane out of his eyes. "Ground pound, for the win!"

There was a sudden flash of green light, and the scent of toasted almonds filled the air.

"HEY, GUESS WHAT TIME IT IS!" came Rust's yell.

Omnius turned again to see the Elder standing on all fours, his head pointed skyward and his horn shining so bright it made Omnius' eyes hurt. Omnius looked up to see what Rust was looking at...

...There, floating near the ceiling of the saloon, surrounded by an bright green glow, hung the biggest subwoofer Omnius had ever seen, easily the size of a eighteen wheeler. His eyes widened as he noticed there was a fuse sticking out the top. It was lit. The Traveler's jaw dropped. Thinking fast, he hunkered down and covered himself with his outstretched wings, wrapping himself up in a cocoon of brown feathers.

"It's time... to DROP THE BASS"

Rust flicked his horn down, and the entire mass whipped downward almost faster than the eye could see.

KA-THOOM!!!

A massive thunderclap sounded as the ensuing explosion of machinery and ponies literally blew the roof right off the saloon. Debris flew everywhere, and Omnius winced as several splinters from the destroyed bar bounced off his glasses and body. Ponies were plastered to the walls like Christmas decorations. Windows were blown out in every building in a two-block radius.

He coughed, clearing his lungs from the choking black smoke that now filled the air. Omnius needed air, and he needed it now. Beating his wings front-to-back, instead of up-and-down, he began wafting the acrid fumes away. Once he had deemed that he was able to breathe again, he folded the wings to his sides and took assesment of himself in the poor visibility.

One of his lenses was shattered, but that could be fixed easily. A quick peek at his extra two limbs revealed that a few of his feathers were either missing or bent out of shape. He rolled his shoulders, wincing again as he felt the sharp sting from the cut the pegasus that had blindsided him gave when he'd hit the wall. Nothing to bad, but he was banged up for sure.

The smoke cleared. Not a single sound was heard in the eerie silence. The Traveler waved some dust from in front of his eyes and saw Fluttershy was standing nearby, her rage now cooled as she dug through a medical bag that she had procured from somewhere. A coughing wheeze sounded to his left, and he looked to see Rust, who turned and smiled, despite one half of his face being covered in blood and the damage to his eye. "Well, that was fun! Let's get our prize now, shall we?" he said.

His horn lit up again, and a hidden trapdoor in the stage suddenly swung open, and a magenta blob was lifted up from it to be deposited neatly at their hooves.

The shape, wrapped in a purple fabric covered in stars, unwound itself and stood up on pale blue hooves. The pony, now revealed to be a unicorn mare with silver mane, quickly adjusted the wizard hat on her head. She looked at them haughtily.

"Well, it's about time somepony came to rescue the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Author: You know what's fun? CLIFFHANGERS! They make me giggle as I imagine you poor souls reading this and going; "You bastard, what happens next?!" Too bad. I'm not telling. Why? Because I'm a jerk like that.

P.S.- Due to overwhelming support, Flutterhshy lives. For now.
Mwahahahahaa...

Higher Learning

Author: Sorry this took a while. I've been busy lately with college, that mean and needy wench who steals your attention from more important matters... Like writing about ponies!

Also, I saw the newest episode (leaked). My head is literally pounding from all the facehooving.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

HIGHER LEARNING

Buck was rudely awakened by the overpowering glare from morning sunbeams shining on his face. He flinched awake, but instinctively kept his eyes closed, unwilling to sear his retinas. Now conscious, he resolved to surrender to the comfort of his rest, wriggling happily under his sheets to a position. He smiled to himself as he lay on his back, his legs half in the air, savoring that peculiar feeling of being half-awake after a long, hard rest. He took a deep, satisfied breath, inhaling the sweet scents of freshly made linens and hearing the soft clatter of movement from outside his room.

Relishing the sensation of being tangled in a great multitude of linens, he rolled over onto his side, feeling his mane muss up as he adjusted his head. Something, probably a lock of his hair, somehow managed to land on his face, tickling his nose mercilessly. The stallion scrunched up his face and gently shook his head. Sweet relief returned and he felt himself sinking down into the embrace of sleep.

The tickling sensation returned. Buck absentmindedly swiped a hoof over his face, mumbling in his contentment.

Then, the abrupt sensation of weightlessness. Buck's legs now dangled below him, and his head was held low. The blankets that had been wrapped around him hung limply, though he felt them moving in some unknown breeze. He groggily opened his eyes to find himself hovering several feet above his bed, surrounded by a dark blue aura. A familiar alicorn was standing next to his resting place, her horn aglow in a similar light. Buck smiled down at her stupidly.

"Oh, hey, it's Luna. What's she doing in... WHERE THE HAY AM I."

He began struggling violently, only managing in turning himself upside down, where he dangled comically in the magical grip. Despite his new perspective, he made out the sumptuous living quarters of the bedroom he was inside. On the tangled bedsheets several feet below, the emblem of Celestia was proudly displayed, a sun radiating beams of light.

His confused expression must have amused his captor, who began to giggle. Buck frowned, although upside down it looked more like a demented smile. "Err... G'day, Luna. Where... exactly are we?"

She released her hold on him, and he tumbled back down to the bed, which he promptly bounced off to land on the floor, face first. Luna mercilessly smiled at him. "Canterlot Castle. Surely thou remembers the events of yesterday?"

Buck's eyes flew wide open now, all hope of a morning snooze forgotten. He jumped to his feet and staggered to the window, fighting back against the blankets still wrapped around his frame. Sure enough, spread out below him was one of the gardens that the castle was famous for. Several high-class nobles, mostly unicorns, could be seen strutting around the many paths that wound their way through the attractive landscape, still in the ascetically pleasing grip of winter. His breath fogged up the glass almost immediately, so he turned back to the room, deep in thought. He took a step forward and shrugged the sheets off of himself.

"Ah. That's why. The Nightmare."

Once again, he found himself openly gawking at the silver crescent on his chest. Despite the glare form the morning sun, it was producing enough of a glow to starkly contrast with his coat. He frowned, concentrating, and the glow gradually diminished. In a great splotch surrounding the mark, his coat had turned very dark, almost black. The dark spot surrounding the moon had spread since the last time he'd looked at it. Memories began to trickle back as his body overcame last vestiges of his slumber.

After arriving at the castle with Captain Cloudhammer, he'd waited in the foyer alongside the Royal Entourage for the Princess to show up. And she'd definitely shown up, all right. A sudden crack and flash of light announced her teleportation not three paces in front of them, and both stallions had been greatly suprised. Almost instantaneously, Buck and the Captain then found themselves in Celestia's private chambers, surrounded by two grim goddesses and a neutral looking Ragdoll.

The following conversation more or less consisted of both stallions simply staring open-mouthed at the three as they explained the situation. Cloudhammer was somewhat skeptical, until Buck had grudgingly removed his bandanna, and the evidence of his condition was revealed in full.

Buck shook his head, still not completely believing it himself. But, the facts were literally emblazoned into his skin, and fused into his being. On top of that, he had raised the moon, that night on the Royal Palace balcony, all those years ago. That was utterly explainable without knowledge of the full extent of his blessing. Or was it a curse?

Luna levitated the blankets off the ground and neatly tossed them onto the rumpled bed. She gave a soft chuckle as she observed emblem on his chest. "Strange, isn't it? It bears much resemblance to our own." The Princess turned to the side and playfully wiggled her rear, prominently displaying her cutie mark. Truth be told, they looked almost exactly alike.

Buck nodded dumbly, unable to take his eyes off it. "Eeyup."

"Buck..."

"Mmmhmm."

"You're staring at our flank."

"Wha-? Oh. Oh!" Buck stumbled around a bit, blushing heavily. He focused on a particularly interesting patch of ceiling in an attempt to regain higher brain function. "Er... righto, sorry."

She casually waved a hoof in dismissal, yet had an admirable blush of her own. "'Tis nothing to apologize for."

There was an awkward silence, both ponies staring at anything but the other.

Mercifully, the pause was broken by the sound of the bedroom door opening. A refined, gray face of a unicorn poked it's head in, soon followed by the form of one of the palace butlers. He stood at attention by the door, his attire of a stiff, white collar and black bow-tie were utterly immaculate. He spoke then, with a hint of a Trottingham accent.

"Ah, splendid, you're awake now! Shall we begin the morning preparations, sir?"

Buck looked at Luna for a clue as to what he should see, but she only shrugged. He eyed the butler skeptically. "Aye?"

The butler was sharp as a tack. "As you wish, sir. You've got a busy schedule ahead, if I might say." He crisply trotted over to the wardrobe, removing several posh-looking garments and began inspecting them. "In twenty minutes, a meeting with Celestia herself, quite an honor. Then, Princess Luna is to escort you to your registration, followed by a session with Captain Cloudhammer. Hold still, sir." He said as he tried to levitate a heavily bedecked apparel over the knight's head.

"Oy! Cut that out!" Buck protested, swatting the clothing out of the air. "I've already got me outfit!" He pointed to the bedside table, where Applejack's old Stetson and his bandanna were laying.

The butler eyed the garments as though they were covered in dung. "Surely you jest, sir. Such common ornamentation for a stallion of your rank and affiliation with the Princesses is unacceptable, and goes against castle policy. Fine attire is to be worn at court, no exceptions."

Princess Luna nodded, although somewhat regretfully. "Sometimes, Buck, the rabble must have their traditions. It would be considered an insult to some of the nobles to appear in your standard outfitting." She pointed to the elegant black peytral plate she wore, as well as her crown and silver-shod hooves. "These are not merely for ornamentation, either. In the court, the better one appears, the more respect one receives."

Buck looked forlornly at his bandanna and hat. They seemed to be calling out to him, begging him not to leave. He shook his head again, clearing his thoughts. "Ugh. Fine. Just... make it simple. I don't want ta look like a walkin' jewelry store."

"Excellent choice, sir! I have just the thing; an Atlantian toga. " agreed the butler, and he rifled through the wardrobe again, procuring a long, golden sheet, which he expertly folded into a rough square. He guided it over to Buck, who was watching it warily. The sheet gently wrapped around the knight's chest and lower neck, draping over him like a sash. An excess of cloth hung at the back of the neck, presumably to be pulled over the wearer's head like a hood.

Buck took a look in the mirror. The wrapping was indeed simple, and yet it seemed to make him look... noble.

"Something seems to be missing... I have an idea," said Luna. her horn lit up again, and a black crescent moon, outlined in a pale silver, winked into existence on the front of the toga, directly over where actual mark was. Buck looked down and nodded. He looked good.

"Let's get on with it, then." The knight, who now looked every inch the part, strode purposefully toward the door.

"Wait!" Cried the butler.

Buck turned and rubbed his hooves on his forehead. "Now what?" he said exasperatedly.

The butler pointed to his hind legs, indicating the magical weights.

"Nope." Buck stated, his eyes narrowed. "They stay."

"'Tis fine, Chives, I shall make him presentable." Broke in Luna. Her horn again lit up, and the leg weights expanded up and down his legs a few inches, and silver runic glyphs wrote themselves on the surface. They now appeared for all the world to be ornamental bracers, and the dark, gleaming metal went well with his toga.

Chives, the butler, smiled. "If I may say so, sir, you look fit to be a prince."

Luna snorted with amusement. "Pray that he never becomes one. The power would swell his already-fat head to monstrous proportions."

The knight shot her a dark look at this, but gave a hearty laugh nevertheless, playfully checking her as he walked out of the room.

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The pair made their way through the castle, drawing many a curious eye as they went. It wasn't often that Luna was sighted in the castle during the day; she was usually holding an understandably less-attended court during the night while Celestia slept. More often then not, the two sisters would only see each other at breakfast and dinner for stretches of time. Or, breakfast for Celestia and dinner for Luna. Regardless, if the Princess of the Night was up and about, and with a mysterious stallion no less, the castle dwellers could tell something was up.

"Perhaps they are intimidated by your presence," Luna suggested, noticing the attention. "Thou towers over even the greatest of the guards."

Buck didn't think so. While true, he was actually the largest stallion in Equestria outside of Big Macintosh, both giants excluded an air of calm and gentility. During his youth, Buck had often been gawked at for his surprising size, but usually such stares went away after ponies became familiar with his presence. Even in the first few weeks at Ponyville, he had attracted gazes of wonder and occasionally fear. He frowned, slowly plodding alongside Luna as they went through the castle hallways. It seemed as though he would have to fit in all over again.

"Strange. It's like history repeats itself, regardless of who's playin' the game."

Then again, he'd never heard of an earth pony imbued with the essences a goddess and a being of pure shadow. He'd never heard of such a terrible danger to Equestria, either. From what the Princesses had told him, the rising tide of darkness brought about by the new presence of the Nightmare posed an even greater threat than Discord himself. Although, apparently the Elements of Harmony (of which he was very proud that Applejack is a part of) had mopped the floor with the mischievous draconequus as well as Nightmare Moon.

"Why can't they just zap with the Elements and be done with this bloody mess?" he'd asked Celestia and Luna the previous day.

"The pieces of Luna and the Nightmare are too far fused to your own being to attempt such a thing." The older sisterhad stated.

Luna had elaborated further. "Such cleansing power would tear you apart as your soul is ripped in twine by the Nightmare as it leaves. We are not willing to sacrifice thou in such a way unless it becomes apparent that all other hope is lost."

Quite frankly, this whole situation was beginning to grate him a little. He'd had a nice thing going in Ponyville. More bits than he knew what to do with, a place to call his own, and he had a loving relatives at Sweet Apple Acres.

"But somethin's missin', ain't it, Bucky?"

A part of him wanted to deny it, but that gaping void in his heart created by the absence of his wife reminded him every time he woke up. Despite all that he had gained in the recent months, deep down, he felt alone. The only pony that could ever relate to him now was-

"Princess Luna!" a voice called from behind him, interrupting his thoughts.

The knight glanced behind him, smiling warmly in recognition as the familiar armored figure of Captain Cloudhammer joined pace with them, falling in slightly behind and to the side. The captain managed to strike a firm salute, an impressive feat considering he had to keep up with the blistering pace set by the two much larger ponies. "M'lady. Sire. I was hoping to meet with you later, but it seems that I've been called to attend your meeting with Celestia," he reported. "But I believe the subjects that we wish to address are related enough to be able to be presented together. By the way, Sir Apple, I like the outfit." He added, nodding appreciatively at Buck's golden wrappings.

Buck merely snorted and shook his head. The sooner he was back in his hat and bandanna, the better.

"What place has Celestia arranged for our gathering, captain? We were told to ask one of the guards at her personal chambers for directions. 'Tis unlike her to be so indirect." Luna mused as she walked, absently scuffing one of her hooves on the floor.

Cloudhammer's stony face curled into a look of worry. "The war room."

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Canterlot Castle had one area where the servants never bothered to clean. It was never entered, rarely mentioned, and all but forgotten by the palace staff. It hadn't been entered in anypony's living memory, and more often than not ponies got lost trying to find it, such was the disuse. It was the war room, and it had been forsaken for at least seven hundred years, since the last time Equestria had been at war. Seven hundred years of peace, prosperity, and harmony. Until now.

Buckshot, Luna, and the Captain entered through a broad double doorway come into a large chamber. The wood paneling on the walls was cracked and somewhat warped, while the rug beneath their hooves had become threadbare with age. A massive table stood at the center of the chamber, painted in a map of Equestria and several neighboring lands, topographical features sculpted artfully into the table itself. Small colored pieces, representing everything from air currents to zebra migration routes, dotted the map in a confusing layout. Standing tall over the table, rapidly rearranging the pieces with an ivory horn aglow and sporting a small frown of concentration, was Princess Celestia.

The regal alicorn looked up from the board, dipping her head in acknowledgement. "Greetings, my little ponies. We five have much to discuss today."

Cloudhammer eyed her quizzically. "Five, your highness? There are only-"

"Privet, captain."

A silky, low voice caused the three to look over to a dark corner of the room, out of which prowled the shaggy brown and white figure of Ragdoll, with her usual odd feline grace.

The captain, who was once again furious with himself for having been crept up on yet again, only managed to choke out a strangled greeting. "Elder. Charmed."

The curious unicorn mare smirked and joined Celestia at the table, taking over the job of moving the peices while the Princess focused on the assembled three. "As you were informed yesterday, Sir Apple's reawakening has allowed the Nightmare's influence to spread once again across Equestria," she said solemnly. "While the source of the corruption resides in the knight himself, we must still address the issues raised by those affected by it's influence from afar. For example, creatures unseen for centuries have been reported again, discontent is brewing in several nations where once there was peace. You are all gathered here to learn what it is that you can do to help stem and turn the tide of such darkness that will soon break.

"Firstly, the foul beings of spite and malice awaken anon with the Nightmare's call. We have not seen such creatures since the early days of our rule, soon after we wrested control of Equestria from Discord. After harmony was brought to the land, and the populace became happy and carefree, the beasts found themselves to be greatly weakened, and so they slunk, tails tucked, to the wild places of the land to slumber. Some of them remain extremely powerful, and are not to be taken lightly."

"What kinda buggers are we talkin' about, exactly?" Buck asked, brow furrowed in thought.

Celestia paused, as if weighing whether or not the impact of her words would be too extreme. "One such creature, a salamandi, was the source of the eruption that destroyed your home in Stable. That disaster was no accident, I'm afraid. It was pre-meditated, and it's sole purpose was to cause pain and suffering, as all wicked beings of darkness seek to spread."

Buck felt his heart grow hard at the mention of the cataclysm that wiped out family. To think of the event as a simple accident of nature had been enough for him to not pay the actual eruption a second thought. BUt now that he remembered, the volcanic upheaval had been extremely violent... guided, even. He rolled his shoulders and let out a long, shaky breath through his nostrils. His parents had been killed by one of these creatures, these "salamandi", simply because it had wanted to cause pain and suffering. And if there were more of them... more creatures who wished only to harm innocent ponies, he now knew he had to put a stop to them. There was no way he'd let any more of the monsters who killed his family, who destroyed his home, to get away unscathed. Now, it was personal.

He felt an extremely uncharacteristic surge of anger rise from his gut, before he mentally crushed it.

"No. You remember what Pa said. Don't get mad, get even."

Celestia looked concerned at his expression. "Do not hate the misguided, Buck. Pity them if you must, but never hate. Such emotions lead down a path that ponies are not meant to trod." Luna nodded sagely at this, raising a wing to wrap it comfortingly over the fuming knight's shoulder, who visibly relaxed at her touch.

"Secondly, recent reports from neighboring lands have grown increasingly... worrisome," Celestia continued. "A letter from the ambassador to Gryphonica indicates that a recent uprising among one of the religious groups has ignited the first flames of what appear to be a civil war."

Cloudhammer gave a mighty scowl as the Princess went on. "Intelligence indicates that the support for this group, known as the Talons of Ra, has been mysteriously increasing. It is possible that they will soon attempt a revolution. If they succeed, they will spread into other lands, namely Atlantis to the west, and the draconic lands farther north."

"This could mean Equestria will need to go to war for the first time in centuries." The captain muttered grimly.

"On the contrary, I'm afraid we will have to. The Talons of Ra have made it very clear that they wish to wipe our country off the map on several occasions. We have sent agents to Gryphonica to support the crown in any way they can. Elder Rust himself should be there as we speak, and will assist their efforts before he returns to Canterlot with the beings he has deemed needed for his little project.

"Should their efforts fail, Equestria will not only be forced to go to war to protect itself, it will have to put out The Call." finished Celestia, her voice sinking the volume of a whisper.

Everypony in the room gasped in abject horror, even Ragdoll was shaken from her usual icy cool. The captain looked around blankly, before shrugging. "What is The Call, your highness?"

Celestia smiled warmly at him for a moment, then it was gone. "The fighting forces of Equestria have always been small, elite armies of the very best we have to offer. Similar to the Royal Guard, captain, merely quadruple your number. The last army Equestria fielded contained a force only ten-thousand strong. However, in times of the greatest peril, the common citizen must be called up to defend their homeland. The Call is, as the name implies, a 'call to arms' of everypony able and willing to fight. You would not know of such a thing, Cloudhammer, as it was stripped from records half a millennium ago... The last it was used was long ago, even for us."

Luna spoke up, adjusting her wing around Buck, who hadn't moved at all. "'Tis a terrible notion indeed, to have our innocent citizens, who have done or received no harm, forced into conflict. It was erased from the history books for a good reason, captian. Would thou be able to deal with the prospect of sending thine loved ones off to war?"

"I... if its for a good... no. No, I would not, your majesties."

"Now you see the true depth of the problem we have on our hooves." Celestia said mournfully. "But come, gather round the table, I shall show you one of the countermeasures we have already set in motion." She pointed to a cluster of peices directly outside of the Everfree Forest.

Buck snapped out of his stupor. "That's Ponyville. What could ya have there that'd help out in something like this?"

Celestia opened her mouth to answer... And was interrupted by a sudden flash of light, as a neatly wrapped scroll winked into existence in a small blaze of green fire, plopping down onto the table with a soft thud. The Princess of the Day unwrapped and scanned its contents, a small smile growing on her face as she did, before she turned to the knight to respond to his question his question.

"The Elements of Harmony."

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The knight bit his lip thoughtfully as he walked, the details of the rest of the meeting swirling around his head, but not entirely comprehending them. Equestria was in great peril, of that he had no doubt. But what could he do? If anything, his presence was making things worse. Simply by existing, by providing the Nightmare with a physical anchor to the world, he was doing grave harm. An army was in the process of being created, the Elements were being assembled, and Elder Rust apparently had his own contingency plan well underway. What was possibly left for him to do?

"It just doesn't add up."

Then again, he'd never been very good with numbers.

The trio had returned back to Buck's guest chamber, where the knight had shed his ceremonial sash and donned his usual getup, with the exception of his transformed leg-weights, which he thought were quite nice. The change to a lower quality attire was necessary, though, as Captain Cloudhammer explained as they walked to their next destination.

"...It's a simple series of tests, but it's more than enough to gauge a recruit's readiness to become a full member of the guard." The stern officer explained. "There are other sections of the test that you are exempt for, of course, being an earth pony. It wouldn't make sense for you to attempt the aerial obstacle course and the magical aptitude test without wings or a horn, now would it?"

As a knight, Buck was required to maintain a standard level of fitness, required by all members of the Equestrian military. While the captain had already seen his unnatural strength, there was still the matter of performing the official test and gathering the necessary data. Merely a formality at this point , but still, Buck couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

The trio arrived at a large cobblestone courtyard behind the Guard's barracks. A well worn path around the outside of the square, along with floating hoops in the air and various obstacles indicated that this was the Royal Guard's training ground, and had been for generations. The captain halted at a painted line in the stones, and his demeanor suddenly changed from a passive observant to that of his true self.

Captain Cloudhammer had served on the roster for almost three generations now, and showed no sign of slowing down. The veteran may be sporting a few gray hairs in his mane, but was consistently feared by almost the entire force simply because they had all passed through his unique form of training.

A regime of blood, sweat, and tears was the chosen regime for this king, and now he had been given his crown and scepter. Here, the captain was law. Forget Celestia, it was his golden visage the recruits prayed for mercy from.

"Atten-HUT!" he barked, in a voice that was deceptively quiet, yet carried the force of a thousand unusual punishments if ignored. Gone was the neutral exterior. Now, the knight was nothing more than a morsel of food, being graded for consumption.

Buck felt himself snap to attention without even noticing.

"The Gauntlet is one of the oldest traditions the Royal Guard has. For generations, scores of equally incompetent ponies have been molded into the finest fighting force in all the land. Here is where they prove it." Cloudhammer pushed his face right up against Buck's and gave him the full power of his legendary glare, the one he usually reserved for the new recruits.

Fully grown stallions were known to wet themselves under the captain's eyes.

Buck felt himself tremble involuntarily, gulping as he met Cloudhammer's gaze.

The armored pegasus' voice dropped to a mere whisper. "If you even so much as think of making even one step away from the finish, if you find the smallest whisper of doubt in your head, that says 'I can't do it'..." He suddenly reared up and screamed in Buck's face. "I WILL PERSONALLY TEAR YOUR HEAD OF, FEED IT TO A DIAMOND DOG, WAIT UNTIL IT'S NOTHING BUT A PILE OF DUNG, AND STUFF THE ENTIRE STEAMING LOAD DOWN THE THROAT OF YOUR GRANDMOTHER! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

"Eeyup! Er... yes, sir! Sir! Yes!" Buck stammered weakly.

"Good. You may proceed when I say."

The captain walked over to stand by Princess Luna, who was attempting to hold back laughter. Buck eyed the course laid out before him, then turned back to the guardspony. "Sir, I gotta question."

Cloudhammer cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Can I take off my leg weights?"

A small nod.

"Good onya!" Buck leaned around and popped the bands off, pressing hidden buttons with his teeth. They sunk several inches into the cobblestone where they fell, causing the captain and even Princess Luna to gape.

Luna watched as he suddenly tensed, as if bracing himself against some hidden force. She had only seen him do this a few times, and even then, he'd not had the energies of two powerful entities inside him. The Princess grinned. Cloudhammer was in for a real treat.

The captain began a countdown. "3..."

Buck sunk lower, like a sprinter at the ready. His eyes narrowed and a cocky smile was plastered to his face.

"2..."

A faint rumbling could be heard, though the source was indistinguishable.

"1..."

A faint glow suddenly flickered to life from under the bandanna the knight was sporting. The air seemed to crackle with pure energy as a distant hum reached the captain's eardrums.

"Go."

There as a sudden blur of motion and the knight simply... vanished. Cloudhammer gasped and whirled about to see a dark teal shape streaking down the first section of the track, the path around the square, with frightening speed. It whipped around the turns without even bothering to slow down, completing the circuit in mere seconds.

The knight bolted into the next section, a single, flat wall, two stories high, meant to teach guardsponies how to clear tall obstacles. He paused at the bottom, before sitting back onto his haunches and rocketing upwards, clearing the wall by several feet, arcing gracefully over the top to land on all fours, barely slowing his pace as he charged forwards.

A large forest of upright poles, designed to promote agility, lay before him. He wove his way through these with surprising ease, considering how large he was, becoming nothing but a flickering blur as he flipped and twisted out, before careening onward like a runaway train.

The next section was to test for coordination. A dense bale of hay attached to a rope was set down on a line, to be thrown as far as possible. The knight smoothly bent down, gripping the rope in his teeth as he did a quick spin, and sent the bale flying away without even bothering to stop. The bale of hay arced high, high, higher still, until it vanished into the sky with a faint twinkling noise.

Cloudhammer could swear he saw a grin on the knight as he whizzed into the final section - strength. A solid stone block the size of a large carriage now lay in his path, meant to be pushed a certain distance. The dark teal stallion jumped forward, spinning around mid-air to deliver an earth-shattering buck to the stone, which then promptly rocketed across the courtyard at such a speed that the stone began to erode from grinding against the cobblestones so fiercely, and finally broke into pieces where it smashed into the castle wall.

"Done."

Captain Cloudhammer whirled around again in disbelief, to find the knight nonchalantly leaning against Princess Luna, the weights now back around his legs, and for some reason he now had a bubble pipe, which he blew on gently.

For a moment, the captain could have sworn he heard somepony yell "awwwwwwwwww yeeeeaaaaaah!"

"What." Was all he could say. "Where did you get that?"

Buck shrugged. "Ran into the city ta see if they had one."

"Just now?" Cloudhmamer was completely bamboozled.

"Actually, at the start. Don't worry, mate, I left some bits to pay for it."

Cloudhammer punched himself in the head to make sure he wasn't asleep. The helmet clanged comically, like a bell being struck. "That's... nice. Oh. Uh. You pass."

The knight smiled, happily blowing on the pipe while Luna, unable to control her mirth a second longer, began laughing hysterically.

Author: Disappointed he didn't have a monocle and top hat? TOO BAD. It's my world, all mine!
Mwa hahahahahahaha! -lightning flashes dramatically-

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A Trip Down Memory Lane

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

Princess Luna found herself once again unable to concentrate on her paperwork. Her quill just couldn't seem to accurately transcribe her muddled thoughts. Her night beckoned, soft and plaintively, a gentle call that resonated deeply within her. The dark alicorn stubbornly resisted... at least for a while.

A half completed bill on the Equestrian tax code now lay long-forgotten on her desk, a lonely abacus standing in silent vigil on the side.

Luna gracefully carved through the cool air, banking into a gentle turn high above the castle. Her expansive wings left faint, arcing contrails in the moonlit sky. The Princess couldn't resist a smile as she observed the city of Canterlot spread out before her. In the time she had been on the moon, electricity had become commonplace, and now the ponies of modern day were often out and about late into the night, taking full advantage of the new light source. Finally, ponies were able to appreciate her time, and not shun it, hiding away until the sun crept over the horizon.

The city reminded her of a still pond, in a way. Below, the intriguing system of city lights glittered softly as ponies went about their business. But above, it seemed for all the world now that the starlit sky reflected the metropolis, it's own carpet of twinkling pinpricks seemingly cheerful now that it had something to look at. Of course, the city could never compete with her work. She was an artist, and the night sky was her canvas.

Luna completed a long, slow glide around the top of a tower. She felt strangely compelled to outdo the city, not that it was a competition. Our subjects will get a show tonight, she thought. With small adjustment of her wings, the Princess alit atop the gently sloping roof and pointed her horn to the sky.

A soft glow lit up the area as she extended her magic into the heavens. With a few small forward jabs of her head, several twinkling stars burst into existence, as if she had poked a hole through a dark paper to let the light behind shine through. Her horn acted almost like a painter's brush, as she swiped it to the side to extinguish the lights that didn't fit into her grand design. The work continued for a while, as she occasionally blotted out a star or two, but adding many, many more. Entirely new constellations formed under her mastery of the arcane.

Luna had always loved her constellations. Each one told a story, simply through a picture. One of her her favorites, and one that she never changed, was The Lighthouse, a grouping of stars that resembled the outline of a it's namesake structure. Long ago, sea travel in Equestria had been impossible once out of sight of the coast, until the idea of a star that never moves had been introduced. Sailors could use the star to navigate, and finally explore the far corners of the world. And so a group of ponies had stood before the Princess of the Night to ask this favor. Luna, however, had been reluctant to include an everlasting presence in her precious sky. Every night was a new work of art for her enjoyment, to start anew on the black canvas and paint incredible works of art from the depths of her imagination. Who were they ask her to give up a piece of her domain?

One brave and skilled sea captain, her name had lost to history, had proposed a challenge. She would sail outwards from Equestria, farther than anypony had ever dared go before, past the edges of the map and into the pure unknown. After one month, Luna would set this unmovable star in the sky, and leave it there for thirty days and thirty nights for the distant captain to navigate home by. Should she succeed, the star must remain in the sky for all time, to guide other lost sailors home.

Of course, the adventurous captain had somehow done the impossible, triumphantly returning on the thirtieth night of the challenge. She had described the guiding star as a beacon, a celestial lighthouse, that pulled her home across the vast expanse of the oceans.

And so, it had been dubbed The Lighthouse, and Luna had arranged a namesake constellation around the bright star, and it shone from where the top of the starry building, fittingly similar to a real thing. She had been hesitant at first to honor her bargain, but when she saw how happy her subjects were made, she realized that the sky was not hers alone to paint and enjoy, but to spread her starlit stories for all ponies to enjoy.

In those days, when the world was still young and unexplored, they loved us almost as much as Celestia. 'Tis almost a shame that most of the wilds were tamed, for the ponies began to drift away from the glory of our night, Luna thought as she put the finishing touches on.

Satisfied with her work, Luna stepped back to survey what was yet another masterpiece. The stars had been swept and arranged into a glorious, pulsing nebulae of light. It was not unlike viewing a moonlit forest after a rainfall, the silver light catching spectacularly onto the plentiful drops of water.

"Not bad."

She smiled at the sound of the familiar, accented voice. A large presence slowly moved to her side and joined her on the edge of the roof. For a while, they simply looked at the stars, content with the silence. Then, "How did thou even ascend to here, Buck?"

A deep chuckle. "Jumped."

She turned to him, surprised. "This is the tallest tower of the Canterlot Castle! Surely thou jests."

"Nope," the stallion said. He shook his hind legs, as if warming up for a race. "I'm a lot stronger now. Figure it's got somethin' ta do with the blessin'."

Luna pondered this for a while. "That is... most unusual. Then again, thou art the first to receive a gift of such magnitude. We know not what thy will be capable of."

Her friend simply shrugged at his, and blew a lock of his shaggy mane out from his eyes, which were focused on the sky. Luna could not help but feel grateful for this - Buck had been on of the very few ponies to love the night as much as (if not more than) the day, all those years ago. He had often surprised her of his knowledge of the stars, and could name all of the permanent constellations with ease.

...Well, except the ones she'd added since her return from the moon.

"What's that one?"

"Lupus Minor."

"How 'bout that beauty?"

"Equis, the Grazer."

"And the one over there?"

"The Elements."

"Why's it called that?"

"'Twas a tribute to the Bearers of Harmony for releasing me from my corruption."

"Ya know, it's funny, I'd never thought I'd be related to one of them, much less by her grandpappy from a thousand years ago."

"Lady Applejack speaks fondly of you, and often."

"Lady? Ha! Don't let her hear ya callin' her that, she'd wallop ya into next week."

"Nay, 'tis we who will be doing the pummeling!"

They laughed at that, and continued to talk, each content with the familiar company. The discussion turned to how different Equestria was since their time. Inspired by the topic, Luna told him the story of how her first Nightmare Night went, much to the dark teal stallion's amusement. Buck, in turn, described his first encounter with the divinely scrumptious baked good known as the muffin, and the loopy mail-mare who presented him with it, receiving a similar reaction from the Princess for his efforts.

Midnight found them lying side by side on the roof, Luna wrapping a dark wing around the knight's broad shoulders due to the chilly altitude, and a comfortable silence hung in the air. It was not from lack of things to talk about, rather from both ponies simply enjoying the feeling of being able to relax.

Finally, Luna broke the silence. "Buck?"

He kept his head rested on his forelegs, his eyes closed in contentment. "Eeyup?"

"For what reason art thou here?"

"Well..." He flicked his ears around in thought. "Couldn't sleep, I guess."

She laughed, and lightly bopped him on the head with her horn. "Nay, we mean why are you here, with us? There are a multitude of places to view our glorious night."

The knight opened an eye, it's ocean-colored iris regarding her warmly. "Your the only normal pony around here, I guess. Well, maybe normal is stretchin' it a bit," he grinned mischievously and rolled his head away from another horn-swipe. "But yer the only familiar face, ya know, from before. All I got left now." His voice had lowered dramatically as he said those words, and his demeanor became rather melancholy.

Luna sighed and laid her head across the top of his neck. "Thou must miss thine family most terribly."

He snorted, but leaned into her, and she could tell he enjoyed the feeling of her flowing mane on his coat. "I don't even remember why I was frozen in the first place. I don't even remember... If I said goodbye. What was the last thing I said to Leaf? To Bloomie? I can't get it outta my head, Luna. I don't even know what happened to them after I vanished. Did they make out all right?"

"We... Perhaps we can show thee."

He suddenly tensed beneath her. "How."

She began slowly, "When... we finally fell to the corruption, at first, we were fully aware of ourselves. It was only later that the Nightmare took complete control, and Celestia banished us. Before this, we, as Nightmare Moon, went across the land to see how our subjects favored our eternal night... Sweet Apple Acres was our first stop."

"If you did anything to them..."

Luna was shocked he could even suggest such a thing. "No! We would never! They were almost as dear to us as thou art! We did them no harm. But... in your honor, we left them with a final gift."

Buck relaxed again. "Sorry... What happened? Were they all right?"

Luna frowned for a moment. Words will never be enough to heal his heart. We must use something else instead, she thought. "We shall show thee, should thee wish. Be warned, though. This memory is not a pleasant one."

His voice was as hard as stone. "Do it."

She nodded, and her horn lit up with her deep blue aura, before spreading to the rest of her body, and then suddenly covering Buck as well. "This is a memory spell. It allows the caster to relieve a memory from their past, or in this case, Nightmare Moon's past. But since thou shares our aura, this should be extended to thyself as well," she explained.

The spiraling grooves running up her horn suddenly lit up with a pale light, and she laid the tip onto Buck's head.

There was a surge of power...

And then...

...Darkness.

Author: Rust and Omnius chapter up next! Introducing a new character, as well!

Fire in the Sky

Author: Special announcement at the bottom of this chapter! Read the story before you read the message!

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

FIRE IN THE SKY

Rust carefully adjusted his position from where he was reclining in the shotgun seat of the General Lee. The bandages wrapped around his head covered his left eye... or rather, where his eye used to be. After the brawl in Las Neighas, they'd beat a hasty retreat back to the car, Trixie in tow. Only after they'd sped out of city limits had Rust permitted Fluttershy to give him medical aid, insisting that the others be taken care of first.

He could hear the careful adjustments Omnius made as he drove through the night. The Traveler had received a crash course in driving stick, and after only slightly damaging the transmission, he could manipulate the 8-ball gearshift like a pro. It was a good thing, too, because Rust was in poor condition to drive. He had sustained little injury with the exception of the loss of his eye, but it would take time for him to adjust to his new, limited depth perception.

A quick glance behind him was rewarded by the sight of Fluttershy sleeping soundly, curled up into a ball, alongside an uncharacteristically solemn Trixie.

The Great and Powerful Pain in the Ass had been reluctant at first to even get in the car, never having seen such technology before. Bargaining and pleading, as well as masterfully stoking her ego, the group had finally managed to get her to go with them. Rust had filled her in on what was going on; the rising darkness, Buck's blessing, and their mission.

In his usual quiet slang, he'd summarized her role and her reward in three sentences. "We're getting an elite team together to fight the Nightmare. Black Ops, unrestricted access to Royal Funds, and made up of Equestria's most dangerous inhabitants. Consider yourself a hero if you want, because if we make it work, there's gold, glory, and all the adoring fans you could ever want waiting at the finish line."

That had been more than enough to sway her over. Trixe might be an arrogant bitch, but she undoubtedly had talent. What she lacked in raw power, unlike her nemesis, Twilight Sparkle, she made up for in creativity.

Rust found they had a lot in common, in that respect. Not so much the hating Twilight part, no, he got along quite well with her when he bothered to visit the library. Trixie was an average unicorn who dared to think big, who had dreams of grandeur and worked damn hard at what she did.

She had the potential to be great, Rust could see that. He too, had once been like her, long, long, LONG ago. Over the years, he'd built himself up, mastering every spell he came across, one at a time, with the intensity that only immortality could bring. Originally, he'd barely been able to lift a feather. But now... Rust rubbed the door of the car fondly. Now he was the only one in Equestria who could create pure matter, and shape it as he sought fit. Not even the Princesses could do that.

He snapped out of his thoughts with a glance outside. "Turn right here, Omnius."

The Traveler complied, sending the car into a gentle skid across the desert floor. They'd headed west from Las Neighas for several hours, relying on nothing more than Rust's uncanny knowledge of Equestrian geography, something he'd memorized from his long years of existence.

"So where exactly are we going this time?" Omnius asked.

Rust absentmindedly rubbed his bandage, interested by the sensation of his hoof pressing into his hollow eye socket. "We're going to Gryphonica. To the capital, to be precise. The next member of our team is living there at the moment."

"Trixe is wondering, how many members will this team of yours consist of?"

"Not too keen on spreading out the fame, huh?" Rust turned from the window to address the two. Fluttershy was still soundly sleeping. "Our team will be made up of you, me, my dear companion Ragdoll, Omnius, and three others. So that makes seven."

Omnius made a quick adjustment to avoid a cactus that sprang up in the headlights. "Seven ponies to stop what could be an entire army of the forces of darkness?"

Trixie crossed her forelegs. "That's preposterous! Trixie plans on surviving this struggle, not sacrificing herself on the altar of stupidity."

Rust only grinned, leaning back again into his seat.

"Who said they were all ponies?"

<-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-} \ * / {-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x->

Never once in Trixie's entire life had she thought to see this. It had never crossed her mind, not even a sliver of a hint of an inkling of what she was seeing.

They'd traveled far into the night, through the next day, and into the night again. Now, the strange contraption that the two stallions called a "car" was parked at the shallow peak of a small mountain, overlooking the capital city of Gryphonica. Known simply as The Roost, it had been the spiritual, ancestral, and cultural center of the Gryphon lands since time immemorial.

And now it was burning.

What had started as a small riot had somehow escalated into a full-on military coup. The extremist sect known as the Talons of Ra had made their move, and planned it well. Half the city lay in ruins as a tide of armed zealots still clashed with the Gryphon Guards. In the streets and in the air, carnage reigned supreme, with the lovely lady of death by his side.

"...And you expect Trixie to go in there?" she finally managed to squeak.

"Eeyup," stated the chocolate pegasus called Omnius. He seemed rather distracted by the scene below, and his movements were hindered, as though he were remembering a particularly nasty incident.

Rust leaned against the hood of the car, his bandages now replaced by a heavy eyepatch. "Fluttershy is in no condition to come with. She's still exhausted from the brawl in Neighas. Poor girl's rarely had to fight like that, so I don't blame her. We need a third member to come with us to help secure our target. I've seen what you can do with a rope and your fireworks, Trix, and for that you're coming with."

"You're both obviously insane, you know this, right?"

Rust and Omnius nodded enthusiastically, before they exchanged a solid brohoof, never once taking their eyes off the burning city below. They had gone into their own little world, talking quietly to each other as they stood side by side.

"You ready, man? Looks pretty heavy in there. I haven't seen action like that since the Dragon War."

"I fought with the Gears, remember? Now fighting the Locust, now that was some pretty nasty stuff. I should be fine. Why, you think you won't be?"

"I don't know. I thought I'd left this behind at Earth. It never gets old, when I see it here. It just seems... wrong."

"You still getting those nightmares?"

"Every time I close my eyes. Er, eye."

Earth? Gears? The Dragon War? Trixie had never heard of these things in all of her Great and Powerful travels. Who exactly were these two stallions? They obviously had royal connections, and were quite capable, if their mission and prior performance was to be graded. The mare was still pondering this when the order came.

Rust leaned up from the hood, his horn lighting up with renewed vigor. "Well, it's time. Let's boogie."

Trixe felt, rather than saw, the green flash of light that encompassed the trio. A teleportation spell. But to where?

Her question was answered when the flash faded, revealing the inside of an enormous temple. A high, vaulted ceiling stretched into blackness, and decorative stone columns stretched down into shaded cloisters at ground level. A thick, red rug, outlined in gold, ran up the center of the cavernous space, flanked by pews on either side.

Trixie gagged as she noticed that the area surrounding the altar was covered in mutilated gryphon bodies. Nothing but piles of feathers now, throats neatly slashed. On the altar itself, however, a score of gryphons wearing the blue armor of the Talons of Ra were poised to deliver the killing blow on a screaming, struggling female, held down by rope and talons alike.

"OY! FEATHERBRAINS! OVER HERE!" called the maniacal unicorn.

Trixe looked at him in utter disbelief, as did the pack of would-be executioners. There was a pause for a moment. Trixe hoped that neither side would move an inch, that nothing would happen. Her hopes were dashed almost instantly.

"I'm in the mood for fried chicken tonight. Omnius, what about you?"

"Eh. I'm vegetarian now."

"More for me, then. YAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAARRR!" Rust let out a fearsome battle cry as he sprinted up the aisle on his back hooves, two green, magical spinning disks against his forehooves, which he held out at the sides, carving up the seats as he ran. Omnius rocketed after him, wings pumping hard.

Trixie gulped, and despite every instinct that was screaming at her to run away, began forward as well, her horn shining brightly as her hat tilted back.

The following minutes were something out of Trixie's worst nightmares. The two sides met with a ferocious crash, blood already spurting into the air from the severed neck of a cultist. Several of them rose from the floor and took to the air, engaging in a furious dogfight with Omnius. Trixie dug deep, and managed to send out a concussive blast of force that literally blew the armor right off a gryphon, sending it flying back into the far wall.

Everything became a flue of noise and screams and fear. Trixie was suddenly running on autopilot; when something came at her, she put it down with everything -and anything- she had. Spells once used for impressing crowds were now lethal. Fireworks, formerly a stage prop, now served as incendiary grenades, lighting up feathers and turning foes into charred, smoking heaps. When she couldn't think of a spell, she simply unleashed her magic in desperation, bright bursts of power pouring forth from her horn.

BOOM!

BANG!

K-THOOM!

Trixie suddenly found herself rushing back into consciousness, pinned against the floor by two very angry and very singed cultists. Before she could even move, even think, a chocolate blur dived down from above and drove the gryphon on the right straight through the solid stone floor.

"You okay, Trixie?" grunted Omnius as he whirled about and grappled with the second one.

"Trixie wants to go home! This is utter madness!" The magician shrieked, rolling around to avoid the combatants.

"Madness?!" Omnius shouted back, before headbutting the gryphon in the throat, and as it staggered back, gargling and clutching at its windpipe, he spun and cocked his powerful hind legs back, muscles tensed like coiled springs. Trixie imaginined she could hear a faint chk-chk noise as the legs reached the apex of their pullback.

"THIS. IS. EQUESTRIA!"

His legs moved in a blur, and he bucked the gryphon so hard it actually flew right across the cathedral and out a window.

Rust, a whirlwind of motion nearby, fending off attacks from no less than five other gryphons at once, gave a hearty cheer. "Now that's what I can a one-liner!"

The unicorn sprang upwards, locking the cultist in front of him in a powerful scissor-hold with his rear legs. Now dangling from its neck, he lashed out his forearms, the spinning discs taking two others in the neck simultaneously, while a powerful bolt of lightning surged out from his horn, taking another in the chest, and the gryphon dropped like a sack of bricks. With a violent twist of his body, the gryphon he was choking had its neck quickly broken, before its limp form was sent flying at high speed into yet another foe, both collapsing heavily on the tiles.

"Five at once? Man, I think I'm getting... rusty?" He chuckled maniacally, glancing around. There were no enimies left to fight. They had won.

"Dude, leave the witty stuff to me, 'mkay?" said Omnius.

Rust sighed, and adjusted his eyepatch. "Everyone's a critic..." He paused and noticed a rather charred corpse on the ground. "Oh, freakin' awesome! Grub's on!" He then proceeded to walk over to the body and tore off a hunk of cooked flesh with his mouth, and a dreamy, faraway look came to his eye as he ate it.

"Uh. Just like mom used to make," he stated matter-of-factly.

Trixie barely managed to pick her jaw off the floor, gaping at the both of them in utter disbelief. Who were these two? They had just wiped out... destroyed... annihalated an entire squad of heavily armed rebels. Not even the Royal Guard were this effective. And the orange one ate meat. Just clopping perfect.

Omnius, in the meantime, had proceeded to the altar and was busy releasing the captive gryphon. Trixie approached on shaky hooves, eyeing her with interest. This was the object of the horrible mess she'd been through.

With a flourish, Omnius removed the final strap, a thick band covering her beak. The gryphon's maw snapped open, hungrily gasping for air. She eased herself off the altar, massaging the life back into her formerly-bound limbs.

"Gilda," said Omnius. "Long time no see, eh?"

The gryphon shot the pegasus a skeptical glance. "Yeah. Nice to see you too, featherbrain. Thanks... for... you know. Rescuing me."

"Thank him, not me." Ominus pointed a wing toward Rust, who was busy voraciously devouring another hunk of meat. He looked up, suddenly aware of the attention, a morsel of flesh dropping out of his mouth.

"Whut?"

Gilda gave him a very hard, evil stare.

He scowled and spat out his mouthful of roasted avian, pouting. "I never get to have any fun. Oh, hey, Gilda! Hello, Rust. How are you doing today? Oh, you, not having any fun." He wiped a hoof across his mouth, and stood up, striding over to where the three were. "So, you want the long story or the short story?"

Gilda cocked an eyebrow and smoothed down the crest of feathers running across her head. "Short."

Rust took a deep breath, before speaking very rapidly. "Well... One-thousand years ago Princess Luna gave this guy named Buck a super-powerful blessing but it turned out she ended up infusing him with a piece of her soul which at the time was under the influence of the Nightmare you know that crazy psycho bitch who tried to throw Equestria into eternal darkness anyway Buck got turned into a statue and was recently thawed out but he's still got the corrupted peice of Luna's soul inside him and it's calling out to the nastiest ugliest motherfucking-est baddies in the world to rise up and destroy everything but I'm putting a special team together made of beings with their own touch of darkness to fight them back and that's where you come in would you like to join?"

Gilda thought for a moment. "So..."

"It's the end of the world as we know it."

That seemed to ruffle her feathers a bit, and she fluffed out her wings a few times. "What do I get for helping?"

"Booze, bitches, and bits. Unlimited, of course. We'll be fucking heroes, after all."

"And this... darkness. It's going to cover the whole world?"

"That's a ten-four, good buddy! And it looks like it's starting with Gryphonica, if the madhouse outside is any indication."

Gilda took a glance out the window, at the searing red sky and the burning buildings of The Roost as the city fell. "That is seriously not cool." She looked back at Rust. "If it wasn't you telling me this, well. I would have laughed and flown off. But I still owe you for getting me back on my feet after I went to Ponyville to try and find a place to live... So yeah. I'm in."

Rust slapped his hooves together. "Excellent! Then we'll be off!"

Omnius interrupted him with a polite cough. "Um, you might want to see this." He pointed around to the other side of the altar, where a small trapdoor was being hammered on from underneath.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"Those must be the other prisoners!" gasped Gilda. "Great! If they're trying to get out, that means he's got them loose..."

"Could somepony please explain to Trixie just what the actual hay is going on here?" cried Trixie.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this..." mumbled Omnius.

"Ditto," said Rust.

"Or that could be from the several pounds of lightly cooked gryphon you just ate."

"That too."

BOOM! BOOM! CRASH!

The small trapdoor suddenly blew off it's hinges, and a large, bipedal form sprang out from the hole, traveling several feet in the air before landing neatly some distance away. A stream of gryphons quickly followed wheeling around the cathedral before making their getaways out through various broken windows.

"No way! Is that who I think it is?" asked Omnius.

As if in response, the creature turned around and padded toward them on two legs, similar to the way Rust occasionally moved around.

Trixie cautiously observed the newcomer. It was tall and lean, with a brown coat streaked with red, accentuated by creamy highlights on it's chest and neck, across which ran a thick gleaming scar. Two tufted ears poked out of slits in the ragged green hooded vest it wore, one notched in a deep V-shape, twitching this way and that as powerful, massive paws made for digging calmly clenched and unclenched. A short tail wagged back and forth, making a swishing noise in the air. It smiled, its wolf like face parting, revealing a mouth full of predatory, oversized fangs.

It held up one enormous paw to Rust and made a fist, twisting it around so that he was seeing the back of it. One finger, the middle one, was raised, as if in a proud salute to Celestia herself.

Rust began to laugh hysterically. "HA! Wha-hahaha! Oh, this is great! Omnius, we got a double kill! He was here this whole time, in Gryphonica! A Diamond Dog in Gryphonica, can you believe it? AND he's still funny!"

Omnius smiled. "Hey, Echo. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The Diamond Dog nodded, and reached out to pat him fondly on the head, mussing up the Traveler's already-messy mane.

"So, I take it you know what's going on? You're usually so well informed."

He nodded again, then pointed to himself, and then to the group, before raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Yep. You're our final member."

The canine smirked and crossed his massive arms, as if to say, awwwwww yeah!

Omnius turned to Rust, who was still recovering from his fit of laughter. "Allons-y?"

"Haa... ha-ha... Hoo! Yeah... let's go. We've gotta get to Canterlot, pronto. The last member should be arriving there right about now, and we need to get Fluttershy there as well to meet up with the other Elements."

The entire group, minus Trixie, began to stroll towards the massive doors barring the way out of the ruined cathedral. The solitary unicorn simply shook her head in honest defeat. She was done trying to figure out what was going on. Nothing made sense anymore. In the span of two days, her entire world had been knocked upside down by these ruffians. She picked herself up and trailed after the group, wondering whether or not she'd died, and this was her hell.

Nopony noticed as Rust quickly bent down to scoop up a bit of his abandoned meal. The unicorn grinned to himself. He took a swift bite, before hiding it from the group. Now THAT's what I call good cooking, he thought.

Author: WOW! It's been a while hasn't it? A combination of injuries, new job, schoolwork, and massive cases of writer's block seriously decided to screw me over. I have an important announcement, as well. I currently have no idea where to take this story, and as a result, I shall be marking it as "On Hiatus" until otherwise. Anyway, I'll still be working on my other work, "The Ballad of Echo the Diamond Dog" in the meantime.

And yes. FFTT characters will be crossed over into that story, but it will not be canon to this one. So if you want your fix of the Elders, Buck, Omnius and others, you know what to do.

Everfree Fight Club

-Note: I do not own My Little Pony-
-If Santa gets my letter, that's gonna change.-

CHAPTER ONE

EVERFREE FIGHT CLUB

Equestria; one thousand years before the events of Episode 1...

The sun may have been in the pinnacle of its arc, but none of its warmth managed to penetrate through the thick, dark foliage of a particular section of Everfree Forest canopy. While a Pegasus passing overhead may have remarked the wood looked almost peaceful, appearances can be deceiving. Below the treetops, the forest took on a new visage. It was a whole other world compared to the land beyond its borders. Despite an abundance of undergrowth, a cold chill managed to permeate though everything, setting frozen talons into rock and plant alike. The lack of light encouraged more fungal forms of life to spring up, mushrooms being the most prominent. The few leafy ferns that had dared defy their handicap were sickly; their growth stunted. The tall, ancient trees were usually coated in strange growths of lichen. The few who bothered to venture into the forest at night claimed that the lichen glowed with a soft, ethereal light.

At the very center of the forest contained a spectacular castle, with spiraling towers and observatories seemed to scrape the sky. Forty foot walls surrounding the main complex deterred even the most aggressive carnivore. Spells cast onto the stones left any who approached with hostile intentions feeling weak and nauseous. This was not a place for the inhabitants of the Everfree. At the center of the castle stood a formidable bastion made from rock cut by a nearby mountain. Here was the Royal Castle, in all its glory, home to the two deities of the land, Princess Celestial and her sister, Princess Luna. The presence of the two goddesses also helped ward off the unnatural tendencies of the land surrounding their home.

The Everfree had been this way for as long as anypony could remember. Even the two Princesses could not recall a time when the forest hadn’t been defying the natural laws of Equestria. The princesses had been around since the beginning, so it was assumed that the forest was just some fluke leftover from the bygone days of the days of lore, when the world was much, much younger, back before the Royal Sisters had wrested control of Equestria from the malevolent spirit of chaos, Discord. For whatever the reason, his magic still lingered in this place, and even the Goddesses of the Sun and Moon were unable to cleanse it. The land beyond the Everfree was perfectly safe, and the only "safe zone" in the forest was that of the castle. The vast majority of ponies avoided the wood at any cost. More than one foal had wandered into the trees, never to be seen again.

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A shape moved through the murky gloom, ominously silent because of the spongy forest carpeting. Sticking close to the trees, it slipped from shadow to shadow. Coming to the edge of a clearing, the figure paused. Often, such open places harbored danger; the larger predators of the Everfree tended to use sites like this for ambush. A few tentative steps into the light revealed a large, equine shape of a pony - a stallion, to be precise. The pony in question glanced around the dimly lit clearing one more time before melting back into the darkness. In a place like this, erring on the side of caution was always better than erring on the side of boldness.

Quite some time passed the stallion by in this fashion. Steal through the dense woods, check another clearing, and continue on. Eventually, after heading due east for a time, the stallion came across a new opening. Roughly the size of a town square, the gap in the canopy was evident; actual grass grew here, along with various flowers and small shrubs. After a quick perimeter check, the stallion stepped into the clearing and let the light wash over himself. It was a welcome sensation after the dank, moist terrain he had been traveling in.

As ponies go, he was rather large. His coat was a dark teal color that seemed unable to decide whether or not it was more green or blue. A long, shaggy dark brown mane hung slightly over heavy-lidded eyes of an emerald green disposition, giving him the appearance of boredom. The stallion wore a gold bandanna worn jauntily around his neck, covering part of his deep chest. Two dark metal bands were worn on each muscular hind leg. The cutie mark on his flank displayed an bright red apple encircled by a horseshoe.

The stallion picked his way through the scrub with ease, following a path that had been hammered into the loam by many a creature travelling through the clearing. At the end of the well-worn trail, he reached the object of his journey.

A tree, not too big, not too small, stood at the exact center of the clearing. It was a rather unremarkable tree, with the exception of a plethora of large apples hanging from its branches.

The dark teal stallion shrugged off the saddle bags he’d brought with him. He opened up both pockets and set it on the ground to his side. With a fluid movement that could only have been achieved through practice, the stallion reared back onto his hind legs. He sank down onto his haunches until his spine was angled towards the sky, and launched himself off the ground like a hairy rocket. He soared up a good ten feet, and grabbed three red fruit; one in each hoof, one with his mouth. A satisfying thud was heard as the large pony returned to the earth, landing solidly on his thick hind legs. He deposited the apples into the saddle bag, and repeated the jumping-and-grabbing process until the bag could fit no more. The stallion jumped one last time, and retrieved a single apple. With a contented sigh, he sat down and began munching on the fruit. A reward well deserved.

Immediately after the apple was finished, the pony stood up to leave. He dug a shallow hole in the ground with his front hoof and neatly deposited the apple core within. After covering up the hole, the stallion turned to where he’d set his saddlebag full of apples. A movement on the far side of the circle caught his attention. Massive, feline paws exploded into the clearing, followed by the bulky form of a manticore. Part lion, part scorpion, part bat, and one terrible disposition towards ponies served to make the manticore one of the most fearsome predators the Everfree had to offer.

And it was bolting straight for the dark teal stallion, claws out, stinger at the ready.

In a blur of speed, the manticore leaped up high for its traditional tactic: the pounce. Thundering downwards, the hybrid sank its claws and tail into the exact spot the stallion had been one second before. A sharp whistle pierced the air. The manticore, puzzled at the sudden dissapearance of an easy meal, turned its head to look at what had made the noise.

The stallion was standing roughly fifteen feet behind it, nonchalantly inspecting a hoof.

"G'day, mate. Didn't your mum ever tell you that its rude to sneak up on a bloke when he's got his back turned?" it said with a cocked eyebrow.

The manticore did not understand Equestrian, but it would have made no difference. This pony was now as good as dead. The beast jumped backwards towards the stallion, bringing it's fearsome scorpion tail into range. The stinger shot out with a woosh, only to be knocked aside by a hoof. The stallion grinned cheekily.

"No beans, mate! How 'bout another go?"

The manticore's eyes narrowed to yellow slits.

WOOSH!

Miss.

WOOSH

Block.

"Crikey, this liddle kitty has a bit of a tempah!"

WOOSH

Another miss.

WOOSH-WOOSH-WOOSH

Miss-block-miss.

The manticore roared in frustration, spinning around to rush forward, catching the cocky pony off guard and sending them both into a rolling tussle. Now in close quarters, neither foe could move enough to use any of their natural assets effectively. Regardless, claws met flesh, and hooves met face. The screeching mass of pony and manticore careened around the clearing for a good minute before slamming into the tree. The force of the impact knocked the two combatants apart. Several apples fell from the tree onto the manticore's head. The stallion looked at the tree quizzically.

"What the hay..?"

The manticore chose this moment to close the gap once more. It slid into a hunting crouch and leaped at the dark teal pony. The stallion pivoted on his front hooves, turning a sharp 180 degrees and swinging his hind legs into postion. The stallion used the momentum of his lower body's movement to add power to his kick. The manticore's short flight ended with two hooves cratering its face. It landed in a dazed heap at the base of the tree. Giving out a low growl, it began to get back up.

The stallion had an idea. He sprinted toward the fallen manticore and leaped over it, planting both hind hooves on the tree behind the beast with a solid thunk. The stallion then pushed off from the tree, flew back over the manticore, who was now halfway up, and landed several yards away.

The manticore looked at its prey, dumbfounded. The stallion grinned and pointed his hoof towards the sky, indicating the hybrid should look up. An avalanche of large, red apples was the last thing the manticore saw before it lost consciousness.

The stallion checked himself over. His left eye was swollen shut and he had a nasty scratch across his muzzle. He took a few steps toward his fallen saddlebag and winced. Maybe a few broken ribs, too. He picked up an apple from the large pile at the base of the tree and took a bite. The stallion's injuries began to feel better instantly. He rubbed a hoof across his face. The scratch was already gone, and his eye was slowly returning to normal. His ribs might need a few more apples, but it had been worth it.

He had been right. There was a magical apple tree. And now he had a bag full of its apples, inside which were seeds. The stallion let loose a deep laugh. He'd have a whole orchard of the trees in no time at all, each tree heavy with wondrous magical fruit. He glanced over at the pile of apples. He had a new way to pick them, too. He'd call it "applebucking". Fitting, considering the stallion's full name was Buck Apple. He prefered "Buckshot" though, after proving his kicking accuracy by launching a rock into a small bowl from three hundred yards away.

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Buckshot turned from the tree and trotted out of the clearing. He'd been here too long, and needed to leave the forest before night fell. Princess Luna had been acting rather strange of late, and odd things had begun happening at night. Buckshot scratched under his bandanna self-consciously. Ever since the tournament at the castle a few weeks ago, he'd worn it as a token from the Royal Family for proving his worth as the Champion of Ponyville. But it was what was under the bandanna that was bothering him. He lifted up the golden-yellow cloth with his teeth.

Eeyup. Sill there. Crikey, didn't know it bloody lit up like that.

Slightly glowing in the fading light of the forest was a white crescent moon, emblazoned upon his chest.

I hope you knew what you were doing, Princess Luna.

A Wonderful Hearth's Warming

Note: I do not own My Little Pony.
But just for today, I'm going to let that slide. Happy holidays, Hasbro. Go choke on something.
-]When Buck says "Play that funky music", you should hit the provided BLUE link!-
I don't own that either, by the way.
This is a special holiday chapter. Enjoy!

SPECIAL HOLIDAY CHAPTER

CHAPTER NINE

A WONDERFUL HEARTH"S WARMING

A mysterious event has occured all across Ponyville. Presents have appeared on the doorsteps of all the residents of the town. Nopony knows where the presents come from. The only clue as to who left them is on a small card attached to each box.

The tags read:

From: The Stone Apple

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Princess Luna peeled the last bits of wrapping from her present. It was an abacus, a type of ancient calculator that worked by sliding beads on numerous strings suspeneded by a square frame. She hadn't seen one of these since before her banishment. The modern-day calculators confounded her to no end. The Princess let loose a squeal of delight. Holding a reliable mathematical instrument in her hooves sent tingles of joy down her spine.

Princess Celestia gave an evil smile as she hefted her gift over her shoulder. It was a brand new, state of the art, pastry launching bazooka. Otherwise known as the Pie-Flinger 2000, it was a must-have of any serious prankster's arsenal.

A maniacal cackle sounded throughout the castle. April Foal's Day was going to be a massacre next year.

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Rainbow Dash stared googly-eyed at the opened package in front of her. There, glinting in the morning sun, lay two powerful wing-mounted rockets. They were painted with a striped rainbow theme, and greatly resembled jet engines. The thrust produced by these babies would propel her to unimaginable speeds with ease. Forget Sonic Rainbooms, from now on, she was going to be breaking the clopping speed of light.

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At the Carousel Boutique, Rarity appraised her gift with the practiced eye of an entrepreneur. Somepony had obviously seen fit to give her an industrial strength, diamond edge saw. Perfect for cutting gems into exquisite shapes. Rarity turned on the saw with her magic. It gave out a mechanical shriek as it spun. Rarity allowed herself a small grin. Business was going pick up around here.

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Scorch marks dotted the floor of the Ponyville town library. Twilight was slumped in a corner, passed out. She clutched an enormous book in her hooves tightly to her chest even while she was unconscious. She'd fainted in delight after opening up a copy of Equestria's Big Book of Everything. Spike, meanwhile, was immensely enjoying the metals stakes he'd received to spit roast the pile of gems they'd been accompanied by. A bonfire roared in the middle of the room, ignited by dragonfire. Spike rubbed his rounded belly with a sigh of contentment, brushing off crumbs from the various toasted gems he'd put in the blaze.

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Applejack twirled her new hat appreciatively. It looked almost exactly the same as her old one, with a few differences. Applejack ran her hoof over it reverently. Made from fine leather, the new brown Stetson gave off an oily sheen that only newness could bring out. Her old hat had been getting rather worn out and patchy, so the replacement couldn't have come at a better time, what with the harsh winter sun glaring down from above. Besides, she knew who needed her old hat more.

The tool belt jangled merrily around Apple Bloom's waist. A new, pink bandanna was wrapped around her head in place of her usual bow. Wrenches, hammers, screwdrivers, and a plethora of other useful building instruments crowded for space on the specially constructed belt. Nails, screws, sockets, nuts and bolts filled the many pockets. Apple Bloom's mind was already filled with the various things she could construct to help the Crusaders receive their marks. A catapult? Go-karts? A dueling arena? The possibilities were endless.

Apple Bloom walked around the ranch home, trying to find the pony she knew had given her the treasured gift.

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Fluttershy was busy enjoying the luxurious space of the military grade panic room somepony had set up in her back yard, a great big red ribbon set on the top. The bomb, manticore, and Nightmare Night-proof shelter smelled like fresh concrete. Fluttershy felt tears welling up in her eyes. Here was a place where she'd never have to be scared again.

Angel Bunny was suffering from a carrot overdose, brought on by stuffing his face full from the basket left at the front door with his name on it, and was now tripping balls in the living room. He stood on the table, a closed umbrella in his paw like a sword. The martians were trying to steal his carrots. Not on his watch. CRASH! Another piece of furniture met it's grisly end at the hand of pychopathic rabbit.

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Sugarcube Corner was shaking. Or, to be more accurate, vibrating. The Cakes were locked in their room, trembling with fear. In the kitchen, pastries of all sorts littered every available surface. Cupcakes were stacked on the ceiling fan's rotors, while freshly baked pies, cakes and a colorful assortment of frosted truffles covered the table, severely bending its legs. The counter tops were buried beneath a mountain of ingredients, mixing bowls, utensils, and half-finished mixes. A pink blur shot around the room like a pinball of adorable destruction. The object was moving so fast, that it could not be seen clearly.

Earlier, the pink blur had consumed an entire five pound bag of specialty, high grade, imported sugar. The gift had most likely been intended as an ingredient, but it had been consumed straight out of the packaging.

Celestia help us all...

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Ditzy Doo and her daughter, Dinky, had stood in the front doorway for a while now, in shock. Dinky waved a hoof over the present left for them. Nope, they weren't dreaming. Ditzy took in a deep breath, and inhaled the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip banana-nut muffins. Best. Hearth's Warming. Ever.

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Big Macintosh almost floated over the unplowed ground. The shining new plow trailing behind him cut through the earth like a hot knife through butter. It had been magically enchanted somehow, to never break, to never dull, and to even assist the motion of whomever was using it. A practical gift for a practical pony. Big Macintosh shook his head, still not believing his good fortune. He allowed himself a rare grin to spread over his normally serious features.

"Eeeyup..." Not much else could be said.

Unlike almost every other pony, his family knew who to thank.

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Standing on the roof of the Sweet Apple Acres barn, two figures shared a laugh. A large, dark teal earth pony sporting a yellow bandanna around his neck slammed his hoof into that of the second figure in a guesture of affection commonly known as "giving a brohoof". The second figure was an oddity. Lean, hairy legs traveled up to a compact, muscular brown body. The figure's head bobbed with a deep, masculine laughter, the large horns coming from it's head making a soft swooshing noise. The figure rubbed its bright red nose with a hoof.

The dark green earth pony chuckled. "Good onya, Rudy. You've me quite a solid here. I don't know how I'll ever repay ya, mate."

The reindeer shook his head. In a twangy, northern accent, he profused, "Ach, ye know I don' wannae be called that, Buck. Mae name's Rudolph. Say it with mae now, Ay know ya can! Anyway, 'ow did ya ever manage tae get all them presents? Last time I saw ya, ya 'ad this weeeee little wallet, 'an barely any bits innit!"

Buck snorted. "Leavin' all yer cash in a bank fer a thousand years on 3% interest is a great way ta make money, mate. I've got more bits than I know what ta do with. So, will ya be stickin around fer later tonight, mate? It's gonna be wild."

"Ya know Ay cannae ever miss a party thrown by the famous 'master 'o cermonies' 'imself!" He pointed to his glowing red nose with a sly wink. "I'll even put on a show for yer new family, just fer old times sake, eh?"

"Righto. I like yer thinkin'. Give the old deer my regards when ya see him next. Oh, and thank him for lettin' me borrow that list 'o his. I don't know anypony 'roud here, so I couldn't just guess at what they needed."

The reindeer nodded. "He'll hear 'a this, don'cha know. Now, Ay believe we've got a wee bit 'a work tae do, now, yep?"

The earth pony grinned. "Eeyup!"

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It was late evening by the time they finished.

The entire village of Ponyville was gathered in the barn at Sweet Apple Acres. A stage had been set up at the far end, curtain still drawn. Various speakers and musical tech had been generously donated for the event by Vinyl Scratch, Ponyville's resident DJ. Nopony knew what was going on. They'd all been brought here through either curiosity, pleading, or veiled bribes of apples. Applejack and Big Macintosh had spent all day going around town spreading the word.

The weird thing was, not even they knew what was going to happen next. They'd been coerced by their Uncle into rounding up the populace for this. Only he and, strangely, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Princess Luna, as well as an incomprehensible and bed tempered reindeer with a red nose, knew what was going on. And they had spent the whole day in the barn, building this stage.

The curtain rose, the lights dimmed, and everpony in the barn eyed the stage expectantly. A spotlight ignited from above, brightly illuminating the various particles of dust and hay floating though the air. A large, dark teal stallion sporting a yellow bandanna around his neck, weights around his hind legs, and an old, battered Stetson on his head walked into the circle of light. He adjusted the microphone in front of him in a relaxed, swaggering manner.

A gasp was heard from the audience as a particular pink mare realized she'd been beaten in planning a party for the newcomer.

The stallion fixed the audience with a look for a few moments, before slamming one of his hooves onto the stage. The rest of the stage was suddenly illuminated as Apple Bloom, who was working the lights, reacted to the signal. The other two Cutie Mark Crusaders were there, silly grins plastered onto their adorable faces. Scootaloo was sitting at a small drumset, consisting only of a base drum, a snare, and some jingle bells. Sweetie Belle blushed furiously from behind a microphone she held in her hand. A reindeer with a faintly glowing nose was standing on a platform at the back of the stage, the light from his nose reflecting off the party shades worn over his eyes. Princess Luna stood off to the stallion's left, wielding an abacus like some kind of guitar.

The entire audience was thinking the exact same thought. "What the hay is going on here?"

The stallion fixed the audience with another look. He then calmly turned to the Princess and spoke in a gruff, accented voice.

"Play that funky music, Luna."

The crowd erupted into cheers as the Princess of the Night closed her eyes and plucked at the strings of her abacus, sending out the twangy, echoing riff that signaled the start of Paul McCartneigh's "A Wonderful Hearth's Warming." A few lines in, Scootaloo added to the sound with her base drum and jingle bells.

The stallion began to sing.

The spirit's right

The moon is up

We're here tonight

and thats enough!

Siiiimply haaaavin'

a wonderful hearth's warming!

Siiiimply haaavin'

a wonderful hearth's warming!

The party's on

the feeling's here

that only comes

this time of year!

Luna ripped into her abacus for a double beat as the next chorus came and went. The audience was going crazy.

The choir of fillies sing their song!

Luna spiderwebbed a few more notes together, bridging the gap between verses. Sweetie Belle cut in with her fabulous voice for the next few lines.

Ding-dong-ding-dong-ding!

Oooooooooo-hoo-hoo!

Oooooooooo-hoo-hoooooo!

Doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo!

Luna's abacus thrummed with lower notes. Her head bobbed up and down with Scootaloos' beat. The bandanna wearing stallion launched into the next chorus with gusto. By now, all of the unicorns in the audience had the tips of their horns lit, and the whole mass was swaying to the music.

The word is out

about the town

to lift a glass

oooh, and don't look down!

For the next chorus, the reindeer standing on the platform shot out a spectacular light show from his nose. Red bolts of color swam over the audience as if a scarlet disco ball were being hit with a floodlight. Sweetie Belle threw in her soft treble into the fray with the dark teal pony for the remaining versus.

The choir of fillies sing their song

they've practiced all year long!

Ding-dong-ding-dong-ding-dong-ding!

The party's on

the moon is up

we're here tonight

and that's enough!

Siiiiiimply haaaaavin'

a wonderful hearth's warming!

We're siiiiiiimply haaaavin'

a wonderful hearth's warming!

The singer pulled out a guitar from the case by his hooves and played a riff, standing back to back with Luna he did. One final chorus sent the ponies gathered into a cheering frenzy. As the last notes faded away, there was not one hoof that wasn't pounding the ground in applause. The dark teal stallion looked up to the rafters and gave a wink to Apple Bloom above before turning to his fellow stagemates.

"Crikey, that went well!"

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Luna had outdone herself tonight. The dark canvas above was absolutely blazing with pinpricks of light, and the moon hung in the air as a paper-thin crescent. Not a cloud was in the sky, thanks to Ponyville's weather team. Luna smiled as she gazed down at the surrounding countryside from the top of the barn. After her performance, the stage had been swamped with ponies all clamoring to congratulate her, Buck, and the crusaders. Introductions had been made, and by this time Buckshot's name was known to all of Ponyville. Never having been one for crowds, Luna had tolerated the wave of fans for as long as she could before slipping out through the barn door to come up here and get some space.

The view was worth it. A fresh snowfall coupled with the starlight served to turn Sweet Apple Acres into a silvery winter wonderland. Luna could feel the barn vibrate in time with the music coming from below. The DJ from Ponyville had taken over the stage after her performance. The Apple barn's foundations were shaking from the bass and dancing ponies inside. Luna felt a particularly large vibration through her hooves. Thinking something had hit barn, she looked around.

Buckshot was standing a few feet behind her, brushing some snow off of his mane. He'd jumped straight onto the roof from the ground, approximately thirty feet below. Luna smiled to herself. Buck was such a showoff when it came to his legendary leg strength.

He joined her at the edge and sat down beside her. "Had a feelin' you'd be up here."

Luna merely nodded. Sometimes words were unnecessary. A softly glowing aurora started up in the skies above. A streak of blue and green, playfully dancing among the stars. Ponies sometimes said that auroras signaled good times ahead. It was a superstition, but one that Luna liked rather fondly. The aurora was, after all, her creation.

"I don't blame ya. Never liked big parties like that meself. Anyway, I wanted ta thank ya," he exhaled, and great clouds of steam billowed forth from his nostrils. "By tellin' me about the whole Nightmare Moon thing, ya showed me that I'm not alone after all. I'd thought I'd left my family behind, but apparently they're still here," he paused to think for a moment. "... Sort of," he shivered slightly from the cold.

Luna wrapped a wing around his shoulders.

The knight continued, "But I've learned something else, to. I learned that no matter where, or when, ya are, there's always gonna be someone ya can call family," he finished awkwardly. "So thank you fer showin' me that."

Luna responded by giving him a tender squeeze with her wing, leaning her head on his sturdy shoulder. The pair looked at the world around them. So much had been altered in their absences, but some things never change. The apple knight had been her greatest friend in ancient times, and his disappearance had greatly accelerated her transformation into Nightmare Moon. But he was here now, and that was all that mattered to the princess.

Behind the knight and the princess, two faint outlines could be seen in the starlight, had they bothered to look. They were vaguely pony-shaped. One was a slender, red mare with short, spiky hair and blue eyes. The other was a creamy yellow mare with a curling red mane, a faded pink bandanna wrapped around her head. They gazed at the two ponies sitting on the edge of the barn with sad eyes.

A voice could be heard, nothing more than a whisper in the breeze, as the yellow mare turned to the red one.

"He needs this, momma. What happened wasn't his fault."

The red mare looked at her daughter for a moment, before turning back toward the ponies sitting on the edge.

When she spoke, her voice was calm and accepting.

"I know."

And with that, the two specters faded into the night.

Author: Oh yes. Yes I did. Shit just got real. Dont worry, everypony! You'll be seeing more of Blossie and Leafdapple in the future. As for Buck/Luna shipping... well... I guess we'll find out!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Oh, and I got Skyrim. So, if my updating seems rather infrequent, you know what to blame.
FUS RO DAH!

Leading the Pack

Author: So, somepony decided to do a sketch of our beloved hero. Looks pretty dead on.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

LEADING THE PACK

Captain Cloudhammer inhaled a deep breath of frosty morning air, attentively listening to the hustle and bustle of the train depot as work began for the day. A glimmer of sunlight cut through the steam he exhaled and reflected off his helmet, the standard blue crest now replaced with a wickedly sharp blade of enchanted steel. Punctual to the second, as most military ponies had a tendency to be, he had arrived on schedule to board the special train to Canterlot, the one that would be returning with Princess Luna as a passenger. The necessary security measures had been taken for her stay at Ponyville; a small detachment of Centurions, Luna's personal guards, had been placed under his command. After scouting out the town for potential threats, they had been assigned different sections of Ponyville to watch over as the Princess spent her days there. They had been arranged in a spread out formation across town, so that they always had at least one Centurion, or Cloudhammer himself, watching over her, and had an eye on all other parts of Ponyville at the same time.

The Captain had some animosities toward working with the Centurions. Made up of exactly one-hundred of the elite Royal Pegasi Guards, the Centurions were all volunteers and specially screened by the Princess of the Night herself. Black-armored, lizard-eyed Pegasi with bat-wings, they underwent somewhat controversial procedures during their training. Magical augmentation, brutal physical requirements, and a reputation for being utterly ruthless had earned the Centurions a reputation of notoriety. And yet, they were as loyal to their Princess as Celestia's own guards. Perhaps even more so. Cloudhammer had no personal qualms with the guards themselves, but still harbored some suspicion regarding Luna herself. He had every right to be suspicious, after all, he had been one of the first to fight against the mighty Nightmare Moon upon her return, in an attempt to rescue Princess Celestia. He'd lost. Very, very badly. Then again, being swatted out of the sky by a magical thunderbolt would do that to you.

The captain mulled this over while he waited for the train, the sleek orange behemoth called The Daylight. He chuckled a little at the irony. The Princess of the Night traveling on a vehicle named after her opposing dominion was quite a gag. Cloudhammer made a mental note to go over the security roster one final time during the trip. Celestia had given him little to work with, which was understandable, considering that Ponyville was one of the few places in Equestria not currently terrified of her sister, whom until recently had literally been the stuff of nightmares. Nonetheless, she needed protection, surrounded by friends or not. And so, he and his Centurions would watch from above, making sure that they spotted and nullified any danger before it presented a serious harm.

A soft chugging sound filled the air as a long orange and black steam engine, pulled by a team of six ponies, glided up to the depot. Cloudhammer remembered back when the trains had run on magic alone, moving along a pre-ordained route automatically and without any assistance. Addimitedly, it had been a good system, until a train collided into a rockslide that had buried the tracks. He grimaced as he remembered that particular incident - he'd been one of the guards that had helped pull the survivors from the wreckage.

The train rolled to a stop with a soft hiss, jets of steam bursting out of the pistons as the manual brakes activated. Cloudhammer watched as the team of ponies up front began to check and double check their harnesses. He squinted as he looked over the group. Large stallions for the most part, with two well-built mares in the last spots of the lineup. The leader of the team began running through a mental checklist, calling out to the group as he did. Cloudhammer permitted himself the smallest of grins as he realized that he recognized the leader, a hulking black beast of a unicorn.

He trotted over to the side of the quay and greeted dark mountain. "Mister Obsidian."

The unicorn looked up from his harness, squinting in the morning light before recognition flooded his features. "Cloudhammer! How's it going?" he said in his usual baritone, slightly inflected with a bit of an northern accent.

"Captain Cloudhammer," he reminded Obsidian. He felt himself stand even more at attention with the mere mention of his rank. "It's going decently. I'm here as an escort for the Princess. I take it you're going to be the Alpha today?"

Obsidian shook his large head, removing his harness. "Ach, not today. Miss Whistler decided to give our new recruit the lead today. I'm actually going to be the Beta."

Cloudhammer frowned. Obsidian was one of the most experienced ponies at the railyard. Who could replace him? The only pony he'd seen that could possibly qualify for the position would be... Oh. "You mean Sir Apple? He works at the railyard?"

"I wouldn't say he works, captain." The dark giant chuckled deeply. "He barely breaks a sweat, even when he's moving whole sections of trucks. Weird thing is he barely acknowledges it, as if it's normal."

The captain looked at The Daylight, slightly puzzled. "You railwayponies aren't exactly weak, you know. This whole train looks like it could weigh several tons, and yet there's only six of you on the team." His words were quite accurate. The train stretched out of the station, made up of several gleaming luxury passenger cars. To move even one car by himself would have taken a great deal of energy, despite his years of experience serving in the military. "I wish some of your kind were in the Guard. We could use ponies of your caliber," he said.

"Ach, it ain't that hard," Obsidian bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. "All we need to do is get the thing up to cruising speed, after that it pretty much rolls by itself." That wasn't entirely true. Roughly a third of the kinetic energy created by the rolling of the train's wheels went towards self propulsion, allowing for only a little relaxation on the puller's part.

Obsidian stepped up to the next spot in the line, second from the lead, and strapped himself in. The rest of the ponies in the lead all moved down one spot, except for the mare at the end, who detached herself to return to the railyard. That was usually how things worked on the puller's roster. Newest members got stuck with shunting trucks and bringing trains to the station, while the veterans like Obsidian usually got the Alpha slot, or the position at the head of the line of harnesses attached to the train. Today, however, Whistler had upset the usual pecking order. The gruff crew chief had decided to give Buck the Alpha slot while shunting Obsidian down to Beta, and on The Daylight no less; the flagship (or flagtrain) of the Ponyville Rail Yard. The black unicorn had to give it to him, though. The knight sure had a knack for shaking things up, both figuratively and literally.

Cloudhammer looked at the station clock. 8:13. The train was due to leave in two minutes. "Where's Sir Apple? We need to move out soon," he barked with some impatience.

"Right behind ya, mate."

The captain jumped a little, whirling around to see the enormous dark teal stallion leaning at ease a few step behind him, the worn out Stetson on his head cocked at a jaunty angle. Cloudhammer frowned at the fact that the bulky knight had snuck up on him, despite his years of experience granting him the heightened senses of awareness required for his job.

"G'day, captain," Buckshot said brightly.

Cloudhammer snapped to attention and struck a salute, somehow holding himself even more stiffly than before. "Sire!"

The dark teal stallion looked at him quizzically. "Err... Thanks? Righto, I'm not one for formalities, Cloudhammer. I was only a knight for a few months before I..." he paused, searching for the words. "...Before I moved here. I'd like better if ya just called me Buck. Or Buckshot." The massive stallion shrugged indifferently.

The captain relaxed, but only slightly. "As you wish... er... Buckshot. If you don't mind, the train is due to leave in a minute. Best not keep the Princess waiting."

Buck nodded and strode past Cloudhammer, hopping down from the quay and onto the tracks. He strode up to the Alpha slot to see Obsidian grinning smugly from the Beta position. The black giant chuckled deeply as the captain moved off to board the train. "Nice one, Buck. I haven't seen the captain jump that much since last Nightmare Night."

Buck chuckled softly as he strapped himself into his harness, careful to avoid tangling up his bandanna in the wooden collar. "No worries, mate. By the by, what's Nightmare Night?"

Obsidian looked at him like he'd grown an extra head. "How can you not know what that is? Equestrians have been celebrating it for centuries now."

"Uhm..." Buck's mental wheels were spinning on ice. "I... lived in the... woods?" he finished lamely. That was partially true, considering he had been in the Everfree during his incarceration.

His friend seemed to buy it, but only just. "Oh. Well, I guess I'll tell you about it on the trip then. Now, what say you get this thing moving, eh?"

The knight nodded and began the checklist for departure, one that he had been rehearsing with Whistler for when he was added to a train roster. "Righto, everypony," he barked, though not unkindly. "Daylight, sound off! Alpha, here!" he called out like a drill sergeant. Cloudhammer would have been impressed.

Obsidian rumbled out: "Beta, ready to roll."

The others sounded off. "Gamma, here."

"Delta, at the ready."

"Epsilon, good to go."

"Zeta, present."

Buck nodded. "Engineer, sound off!"

A golden mare poked her head out of the engine cockpit. "Sorry baby, gimme a second!"

Buck frowned. He didn't recognize this pony. "Engineer, who are ya?"

"I'm Honey Badger." The mare saucily winked at him. "But you can call me Honey, big boy."

"Err..." Buck ran a hoof through his shaggy mane, blushing slightly. "Honey, are you all set to go?"

"Honey Badger knows what she's doing! Kick the tires, light the fires! Let's roll 'em out, big boy!" she cried.

Buck cracked a smile at the mare. He turned to Obsidian. "I like her."

Obsidian chuckled. "Everybody likes Honey Badger, Buck. She's been working at the railyard longer than Whistler, so she knows what she's doing. Although... She can get a little, uh, odd a times."

The large knight shrugged, still smiling, and turned back around to face the tracks, eager to go. In the cabin, Honey Badger leaned back and threw some levers. The magical reactor that powered the boiler sparked to life. She slumped back into a chair and pulled the whistle twice, sending out two sharp blasts; the signal for all clear.

Buck reared up on his hind hooves. "Righto, mates! Let's get this scrap heap rollin'!" He sank back down to all fours and eagerly lurched forward, followed by the rest of the line. The train slowly began to roll out of the depot; as it took in the energy from the motion, steam began to shoot out form the smokestack and the lights inside the cars flickered on. The Daylight glided into the morning glare, sleek and glimmering in the dawn's light.

In the cabin, Honey Badger chuckled to herself as she flipped through an old issue of Playmares. "Ha. Rookies."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The Daylight was making good progress. Once out of the station and onto the main line, Honey had given the pullers the signal for full power. The entire train had literally jumped in the air when Buck had surged forward, dragging the crew of ponies and the train behind him as he powered on without breaking so much as a sweat.

Now the countryside whipped by him, a blur of brown,white, and blue. There was a light snow falling from scattered clouds, and the small flurries that fell smacked into him with a comforting stinging sensation. The tracks were extended far into the distance, seemingly stretching on into infinity. The rhythmic pounding of hooves on the tracks had lulled him into a state of relaxation, despite the fact that he was the one pulling most of the load. Buck enjoyed the feeling, the exertion of his muscles and the simple, yet intoxicating thrill of speed. He felt like he could just run and run forever and never look back, leaving everything else in the dust.

The line from Ponyville to Canterlot was well maintained, given its proximity to the capital, and the fact that it was part of a major trade route. The railway was laid out over Equestria in a manner similar to a river delta, spread out in the south as a series of small subdivisions and mere hoofcart tracks, which led to the breadbasket towns of the fertile southlands, and condensing into a few, large, critical main lines that ended in the great commercial cities of the north; Canterlot, Manehattan, Trotston; the list goes on. To the east, where the Samaren Desert (pronounced Sa-mare-an) began, stretching far off to Equestria's distant eastern border, a new system of railways was under construction. The recent expansion into the desert territory had produced several boomtowns, among them were Las Neighgas, Salt Lick City, and the newest addition, also the farthest east, Appleoosa. To the west of Equestria, only one major railway extended straight as an arrow to the coast, where it began running up and down the seaboard. Places like New Oatleans and Hoofston made a decent income from farming seaweed and shipping it inland, and from the trade between Equestria and Atlantis, an undersea nation populated by seaponies.

It occurred to Buck that he had missed out on quite a lot of Equestrian history. Spending some time at Twilight Sparkle's library would do him good. In fact, when he had first looked at a national map of the railway system, he could only recognize but a few of the many names and regions. So much had changed; customs, cities, ideas... Even holidays.

"So, mate, ya mind explainin' ta me what Nightmare Night is now?" he looked back at Obsidian, who was pounding along behind him.

The black unicorn turned from where he had been looking at the passing view. "Nightmare Night. Where to begin..." He focused on some point ahead on the tracks, musing as he ran. "I assume you know the story of Nightmare Moon?"

Buck nodded, turning back around to look where he was going. Princess Luna herself had explained the story to him.

The Princess of the Night, finally overcome with the jealousy she felt for her sister, who's day was rejoiced while her night was scorned, had refused to lower the moon, bringing about an eternal night to Equestria. In the process of giving in to her jealousy, she transformed into the feared Nightmare Moon, a twisted version of herself, made of shadows and spite. After a titanic struggle between the Royal Sisters, Celestia managed to defeat her younger sibling, utilizing the power of the Elements of Harmony and banishing her to the moon for one thousand years.

Obsidian continued: "Well, once a year, on Nightmare Night, everypony puts on a costume, and goes around asking for candy. There are games, dances, feasts, you name it. Pranking is also quite common," he added with a smirk. "At the end of the night, there's a big candy offering to Nightmare Moon to ask her to not eat up the little foals. It funny, because last year was Princess Luna's first Nightmare Night. She didn't take it too well, actually. I could see why; you're gone for a thousand years, and suddenly you're nothing but an old ghost story used to get foals to go to bed." He chuckled, dodging a wayward spike in the tracks. "Also, it didn't help that everypony was still scared of her."

The large knight laughed silently to himself. To the Apples, he had become something very similar, more along the lines of a folk hero, a legend of the past.

"Back then, nopony had so much as seen or heard from her since she was redeemed by the Elements of Harmony, so it was a bit of a shock to see the Princess of the Night in the flesh, riding in on a black, spiky chariot, with thunder and lightning crashing everywhere. I rememeber freaking out for a bit before I remembered that she's good now."

Buck smiled. "Luna does like ta make an entrance," he said.

"Heh. Yeah. She more or less terrorized everyone with her Royal Canterlot Voice. Eventually, she got fed up with our cowering in fear, and just decided to cancel the holiday."

"Is it still canceled?"

"Nah. She ended up embracing the legend, and pretty much everypony in Ponyville loves her to death now. Terrific prankster now, so I hear."

The knight grinned and shook his head, remembering the many times that he and the Princess had pranked Celestia back in the old days, and said, "I can vouch for that."

There was silence for a while, both stallions simply running as one. Eventually Obsidian spoke up. "So how is it that you know the Princess?"

"We go way back, mate."

"How far is that?"

"Back when I was barely outta colthood, actually."

"What, so it's ancient history, then?"

Buck abruptly stumbled a bit. The black unicorn had hit the nail on the head.

"Er... Somethin' like that. We've known eachother for a long time."

"Oh."

The silence resumed. Buck began to worry where Obsidian's train of thought would take him.

It went in exactly the opposite direction.

"So, you ever tapped that flank?"

If Buck had been drinking something, it would now be coating the walls, ceiling, and faces of anypony and everything in a fifteen foot radius.

He turned his head back around to look at the unicorn, who was grinning mischievously. "Say what now?"

"You know. Tapped that. Scored. Did the nasty." Obsidian winked. "Maybe you sent her to the moon?"

Buck resisted the urge to facehoof. Doing so at these speeds would prove very painful. He thought back to the old days again. He had remained faithful to Leafdapple throughout the course of his marriage, but he couldn't deny that Luna was quite a beautiful mare. And on some levels, they had been closer than he and his wife. The mark on his chest was evidence enough to support that.

He shook his head. "Eenope. I'm a gentlecolt, mate. I know how to treat the ladies. And I had a wife, so I wasn't foolin' around in other stables, if ya catch me drift."

Obsidian shrugged. "All right, all right. I get the hint. But you're single now, aren't you?"

Buck had to admit that was true. Technically, his wife had been dead for a thousand years now. But from his perspective, it had only been several months. That alone weighed heavily on his heart.

"Well... Yeah. I guess."

Obsidian realized he'd gone too far, and backed off. "Sorry. Just wondering is all."

They did not speak again until they arrived at Canterlot.