Fairy Tales of Equestria Volume 2

Chapters

Treasure Bay
Flashladdin
The Elves and the Horseshoe Maker
The Jeweled Touch
The King and His Donkey Ears
The Three Filly Goats Gruff
Robin Armor of Trottingham

Treasure Bay

Once upon a time in a small village by the sea, there lived three little fillies named Bloom, Scoot, and Belle. They were best friends, orphans, and dirt poor, but they didn’t care. Since their parents had died, the trio always thought that as long as they had each other, everything would be fine. They lived at the Commander Bencrow Inn with only an old pony to look after them. Even though they were fed, safe, and warm, the three fillies longed for a life more exciting than this. A life of adventure, freedom, action, exploration, danger, enterprise; but alas, they were never able to go out and see the world. Until one day, their young lives changed forever.

One afternoon, a strange pony wearing ragged, baggy clothes came to the Inn with a large sea chest in tow. The fillies had never seen a pony like this before and they were confused and a little frightened all at the same time.

“Excuse me?” Belle asked as she stepped forward to the pony. “Who are you?”

The rugged mare looked at the tiny unicorn filly before her. She looked her in the eye and smiled. Bloom and Scoot soon joined their friend.

“Ah, three fine lil’ ponies before me, eh?” She asked. “Listen here, lil’ mates, and listen real good. See this?” The pony held up a silver coin in her hoof and showed it to the trio. “This is a silver bit. Every month, each o’ ya will get one o’ these from me if ya promise to keep your eyes peeled for an ugly sea mare with three legs. Understand?”

The fillies looked at each other in confusion before nodding their heads slowly and saying, “We promise.”

“Good. And remember, beware the sea mare with three legs.” The pony smiled.

For the past week, the mare stayed at the Inn without paying for rent and she often held parties at the Inn that mostly involved very close friends who were mostly sailors and gallons of apple cider. Bloom, Belle, and Scoot rather enjoyed the company of their mysterious guest, but cleaning up after her was another story. One that involves sponges, brooms, mops, brushes, rags, gallons of boiling water, and lots and lots soap.

One day, while they were cleaning the parlor after another one of the strange guest’s sailor/apple cider parties, they heard the front door slowly creak open and they saw a different pony in ragged clothing enter the parlor. Only this one had a long walking stick and her pupils were completely blank; it indicated that she was blind.

“Is anypony there?” The pony asked in a very soft voice. “If there is, can anyone tell a poor, visually challenged pony where he is now?”

“You’re at the Commander Bencrow Inn.” Bloom answered.

“So there is somepony here. Take me to the pony with the sea chest, whoever you are.” The blind pony commanded.

“Ma’am, I don’t really think we—” Scoot tried to intervene, but was interrupted by the blind pony.

“I said take me to the pony with the sea chest or I’ll—” The pony was interrupted by a different voice.

“What’s goin’ on out here? Huh?”

“Bones. Apple… Bones. It’s so good to hear from you again. What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to greet your old shipmate?” The blind pony asked. “Come here.”

The pony reluctantly walked closer to her unseeing acquaintance. “Good. Now I have something for you. It’s from me and your other shipmates. We really wanted you to have… this.”

That was when the pony forced a piece of paper into the other’s open hoof and with that, she walked away, leaving the group in confusion.

The pony, now dubbed as Apple Bones unfolded the paper in her hoof and saw that there was a small black dot in the shape of an apple drawn smack in the center of the paper. Apple Bones gasped in shock and suddenly collapsed onto the floor. Bloom, Scoot, and Belle were very confused. They walked closer to the pony and looked at her.

“Bad news?” Scoot asked.

“It’s… it’s the Black Apple.” Bones croaked to the fillies who only stared at her in worry.

“I don’t get it. What is the Black Apple?” Bloom asked.

“The Black Apple’s a pirate’s death sentence. Which means my death is near.” Apple Bones muttered. “Listen, fillies. Inside the chest… is the map. Take it, it’s yours now. Find that treasure before… before any o’ those other scurvy pirate ponies do. And be careful, girls… beware the sea mare with three… legs.”

And suddenly, Apple Bones shut her eyes and stopped breathing.

“A map?” Scoot asked, raising a confused eyebrow. “What does that mean?”

“Girls, Miss Bones meant that she wants us to get some kind of map.” Belle insisted.

“She said it would be in her sea chest.” Bloom added.

“And where are we supposed to find that?” Scoot asked.

“His room! It must be in the room he was staying in! C’mon, girls!” Belle said excitedly as she and her friends ran up to Apple Bones’ room.

They soon found the sea chest sitting at the foot of the bed. They opened it wide and found that it was full of any and all pirate needs; they decided to dig through it until they found the map everypony was after. Bloom, Belle, and Scoot went through some chewing gum, stolen jewelry, bottles of spare cider, a few pistols, some trinkets and seashells, and one compass until they finally found a map drawn on a piece of parchment all the way at the bottom.

Sadly, Apple Bones had died and the fillies had inherited her map. But later that night, the Bencrow Inn was attacked by a hoard of vicious and ruthless pirates: Apple Bones’ old crew mates. They set fire to the old Inn and the fillies were now homeless and were left on their own. So they did the only thing that they could do; go into the village and have someone examine their newly found map.

The next morning, the trio went to go see Dr. Rarity; she was the most upright gentlemare they knew. The doctor was accompanied by Squire Trelawney Pie, an enthusiastic mare. In Dr. Rarity’s private office in town, the group was looking over the map together.

“Hurry up, Doctor! The suspense is killing me!” The Squire said in anticipation.

“Patience, Squire. Patience.” The Doctor said as she broke away the seal and unfolded the map to reveal the picture of a remote island and a large, red X right smack in the middle of it. Squire Pie gasped and her eyes widened.

“Just as I thought. It bears the initials of Captain Lord Tirek.” She said.

“Captain Tirek?” Bloom asked with wide eyes.

“Yep; he’s the most black-hearted, bloodthirsty buccaneer to ever sail the Seven Seas of all of Equestria.” The Squire answered.

“Is there a great fortune buried here?” Dr. Rarity asked, pointing her hoof at the X.

“Greater than you can imagine.” Squire Pie said excitedly. “We have to set sail immediately. You Rarity will be the ship’s doctor. I will be the admiral. And you girls would make three fantastic cabin boys.”

“You girls had better brace yourselves. This voyage could be dangerous.” Dr. Rarity cautioned.

“We can imagine, Doctor.” Belle chimed in. “But I think we should keep this quiet.”

“Yeah, pirates are lookin’ for this map. And they’d wanna kill us to get it.” Bloom added.

“And I’d hate to think what might’ve happened if they caught us back at the Inn. And who knows what they’ll do with the treasure?” Scoot commented.

“Pirates? Well, that settles it then. I’ll find one of my finest boats and we’ll all go out to search for that treasure together.” Squire Pie announced.

“You’ll really do that, Squire?” Belle said excitedly.

“Of course. What are friends for?”

“So what do you say, girls? Are you with us?” The Doctor asked.

“Aye, aye!” The fillies cheered before giving a salute.

A few days went by and it was soon time to set sail. The three fillies were as excited as can be and they couldn’t wait to get onto their ship. When they made their way to the docks, they were greeted by Squire Pie.

“Mornin’, Squire.” Bloom said warmly.

“Hey, girls. Glad you made it.” Squire Pie said. “Well, there she is, the S.S. Gala.”

Sitting in the water near the dock, there was the largest, most beautiful ship the fillies have ever seen. They walked towards it, all three eager as can be. As they set hoof on the main deck, Bloom made her way to the helm with her friends close behind.

“Hey, how does it feel, Captain Bloom?” Scoot asked with a smile.

“Feels like… we’re really doin’ it, gals.” Bloom said enthusiastically.

“It feels like we’re finally having the adventure we’ve been looking for.” Belle added.

“Hey. Do ya gals know where the kitchen is? ‘Cause I’m hungry.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Sure, I could eat. You know, the kitchen on a ship is called the galley.”

So, the fillies went down the stairs into the room under the main deck. As they made their way down the stairs, they heard a pony humming a shanty of some sort; it sounded female and a bit deep. They looked for the source and the girls saw a tall pony with a dark gray coat, teal hair, and she appeared to be wearing rags.

"Ma'am?" Bloom asked, clearing her throat.

"What do we have here?" The mare asked as she whipped her head around to see the fillies standing behind her. "Ah, you three must be Bloom, Scoot, and Belle, the cabin boys."

"That's right." Scoot said.

"And who are you?" Belle asked.

"Me? My name is Long John Chrysalis. I'm the ship's cook." The mare answered.

But as Chrysalis walked closer to the fillies, they noticed something off about her walk. It was almost like she had a limp. And when the rest of her body came into view, the trio saw that Chrysalis' left hind leg was gone. There was only a stub where that leg should be. The trio remembered what Apple Bones had said before he died.

“And be careful, girls… beware the sea mare with three… legs.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you fillies.” Chrysalis said, offering her front hoof to them.

“Uh… yes. Yeah. Sure.” They said, nervously shaking hooves with the mare one at a time.

As days went by, the voyage went on and the fillies watched Long John Chrysalis narrowly. After a while, they thought she meant no harm, but they still had their doubts. And one day, the girls made a fateful discovery. It all happened when Bloom found Scoot and Belle hiding in an apple crate while playing a game of hide-and-seek.

“Found ya!” Bloom cried, looking into the barrel.

Her friends let out a surprised yelp. “Hey, Bloom. You hungry?” Scoot asked.

“A little, but maybe I’ll eat later.” Bloom answered.

“C’mon, share an apple! We know how much you love them!” Belle insisted, grabbed her friend’s hoof and pulled her into the barrel.

But as the three friends were having some apples, they soon began to hear voices, one they didn’t recognize, but another they knew all too well.

“Our crew is getting antsy.” One voice said. “When do we strike?”

“Soon enough, Pupa.” The other voice said, it belonged to Chrysalis. “Before you know it, I’ll have that map in my clutches faster than you can say "Salsa Verde." And then we can deal with Rarity, the Squire, and those fillies.”

“You know what they say, “Dead mares tell no tales.” Ha!” The pony called Pupa laughed.

“Trust me, Pupa. We’ll do what we must to get our hooves on that treasure. Throw me an apple so I can wet my pipe.”

Pupa then reached his hoof into the apple barrel where the fillies were hiding. But before he could grab an apple, everypony heard someone call, “Land ho!”

“Forget the apple. This calls for cider!” Chrysalis laughed as she and Pupa made their way out of the galley and onto the main deck.

The minute the two ponies were gone, Bloom, Belle, and Scoot stuck their heads out of the barrel and looked at each other with worried looks.

“Oh my goodness!” Belle cried.

“Oh no!” Scoot commented.

“This is horrible!” Bloom added.

“Girls, we have to do something!” Belle suggested.

“Yeah, we have to stop those pirates and Chrysalis!” Bloom added.

“But how can we do that?” Scoot asked.

“We have to tell the doctor and the squire! Now!”

The ship had finally reached the island. The trio was as scared as anypony would be in their position, but they also knew that as strange as it seemed, safety would come through them. So they went to find Dr. Rarity and Squire Pie and they told them everything they had heard while hiding in the galley. The doctor and the Squire ordered the girls to stay in their cabin while the crew went to shore. But, of course, that was impossible for them. The fillies wanted to help and they needed an adventure.

So, they stowed away on a lifeboat Chrysalis was taking and the crew went in one direction while Bloom, Scoot, and Belle went another. As the trio made their way through the island’s jungles, they soon encountered a draconequus in a rather frantic and terrified state and wearing ragged clothes. They all jumped back in surprise.

“Promise not to harm me!” He said in a deep voice.

“No, no! It’s okay, sir; we don’t want to hurt you.” Belle said calmly.

“Who are you?” Bloom asked.

“My… my name is Discord Gunn. I haven’t spoken with another soul in three years.” The creature said.

“Three years? Were you shipwrecked?” Scoot asked.

“No, marooned. Left behind.” Gunn said. “I’ve lived on wild fruits all these years, but all I really loved was chocolate. Any of you fillies wouldn’t happen to have a big old piece of chocolate on you, would you?”

“Uh, no, we don’t. But if we get back to our ship, you can come with us and have all the candy and chocolate you want.” Scoot offered. Her friends agreed.

“Oh, thank you so, so, so much, girls! I’ll make you three rich for this kind deed! I’m rich, I really am; I’m the richest creature alive.”

“Of course you are.” Bloom said with a fake smile.

“The island fruit; does it to ‘em every time.” Scoot whispered.

That was when the group heard a gunshot fire and Discord Gunn suddenly ran off in fear. The girls wondered where he was going, but then they noticed why he ran away. They looked to see Long John Chrysalis and her crew standing above them.

“Top of the morning, girls. Glad you could come; you’re just in time for the treasure hunt.” Chrysalis said wickedly.

The girls looked up and found out that Chrysalis was holding up shackles with her magic. She put them around their necks and they walked further and further into the jungle. Chrysalis had already stolen the map and Belle, Bloom, and Scoot were her prisoners. It was humiliating; for the girls, it felt like they were all on a leash.

“What do you say, girls? Have you come around? Are you with us?” The pirate asked.

“Never!” The fillies said together.

“Yeah! We’d rather die than join you!” Bloom commented.

“We don’t fear you more than we fear a fly.” Belle added.

“And there’s nothing you can do that will change our minds.” Scoot huffed.

“Really? We’ll see about that!” Pupa said as he was about to pull out a sword. But Chrysalis stopped him.

“You’d better not, Pupa. These fillies are very brave, braver than the lot of you. Come on.” She said, leading the group further through the island.

Chrysalis was smart; she stood up for the fillies because she knew that they would be able to save her one day. They kept walking.

“Now, according to the map…” Chrysalis started before stopping in her tracks; she gasped in shock.

The crew suddenly stopped and looked to see what had their leader so spooked; they realized that they came across the remains of a dead pony. They all gasped and the three fillies nearly screamed in fright.

“It was a sea mare.” Pupa said, examining the bones.

That was when they heard a scraggly unfamiliar voice singing. It seemed to be coming from the bones themselves.

“Fifty mares on a dead mare’s chest

Yo, ho, ho and a bottle o’ cider”

“The voice of the dead pony!” Pupa cried. “Let’s go back, captain.”

“Ha! Ponies of fortune never turn back. There’s seven hundred million bits only a quarter of a mile from here and this old bag of bones is pointing the way there. Let’s keep going!” Chrysalis commanded.

And soon enough, they finally found the treasure. But they found that it was already dug up and the treasure chest was clearly seen. But inside, there was no treasure. There were only two silver coins. Pupa held them up to Chrysalis.

“Two silver bits? Two stinkin’ silver bits?! That’s all there is?! This is your seven hundred million bits, Chrysalis?!?!” He screamed.

“Say something to them, Chrysalis.” Belle whispered.

“I’m sorry, but it is what it is, mates.” Chrysalis said bluntly.

“Uh… maybe say somethin’ else.” Bloom nervously added.

“Then, perhaps it’s about time we settle the score!” Pupa said as he and the rest of the crew took out their sword.

But Pupa’s blade was knocked out of his hoof by a gunshot which came from Dr. Rarity’s own pistol. She and Squire Pie were standing near a bush with Discord Gunn by their side.

“Stay where you are, scoundrels!” She demanded.

“How goes it, girls?” Squire Pie asked.

“We’ve been better, Squire.” Scoot said sadly.

“We’re really sorry, for everything.” Belle apologized.

“We shouldn’t have stowed ashore against orders.” Bloom added.

“Never mind orders, girls.” Dr. Rarity said. “You saved our lives, found out the plot…”

“…And your new friend over here, Discord Gunn discovered the treasure!” Squire Pie added.

“He did?!” The three asked, shocked.

“I told you I was rich! I’m gonna make you three fillies rich beyond your wildest dreams!” Discord said.

“That explains so much.” Bloom whispered to her friends; they nodded.

In the end, they left the island richer than kings. Chrysalis had protected the girls, so despite her treachery, they granted her a safe passage home. However, she escaped with a small hoof full of the treasure off of the coast of the Hayseed Swamps. But the money mattered very little to the girls; they had the adventure they wanted, they’ve been to Treasure Island. So, they all lived happily ever after.

Flashladdin

Once upon a time, a long time ago in the hot desert sands of Equestria there was a kingdom called Saddle Arabia. Home to adventure and exotic treasures, this vast and glorious kingdom was truly a sight to behold.

One day, deep in the heart of the city, the local marketplace was as alive and busy as ever. By mid morning, ponies had set up their stalls to sell their wares and had attracted a sizable crowd. This accounted for the royal guard presence, as it was common for thieves to sneak up and take one or two of the many tempting exotic trinkets and oddities. One of these thieves was a young Pegasus stallion called Flashladdin. Having been brought up on the streets since foalhood with only his agility, speed, and street smarts, Flashladdin spent his days dodging palace guards and stealing the meals he needed to survive.

Flashladdin wouldn’t have escaped pursuit all these years if it weren’t for his very best friend, a baby phoenix named Peewee. They were both orphans, and dirt poor, but they didn't care. They had each other, best friends forever, and that was all that really mattered.

“I’d say it’s just about time for breakfast, Peewee. I’m starving.” Flashladdin said, scanning the marketplace stalls from an empty alleyway for something to steal. “Oh! And I’ve got my eye on that fruit stall over there.” He pointed a hoof down to a stall filled with all different kinds of fruit. He smiled and his mouth watered. “You know what to do, little buddy.”

Peewee nodded, flapped his little wings, and flew from his hiding place towards the stall to take their soon-to-be breakfast. He was moments away from reaching a particularly delicious-looking orange when he quickly ducked under the stall instead. A strange hooded mare had been walking down the street forcing Peewee to remain out of sight. The mare then spotted two young fillies standing beside a stall of baked goods; they were staring at the cakes, pastries, and breads longingly, hoping for just one taste. She approached them.

“Hello. Are you hungry?” She asked. They sadly nodded before the mare took two loaves and gave them to the foals. “Here, take some bread.”

The two fillies’ eyes widened in shock and they smiled, taking the bread in their hooves and hugging the mare tightly.

“Thank you!” One filly said.

“Yes, thank you!” The second added.

“You’re very welcome.” The mare kindly replied before the pair ran away with the bread in tow.

From his hiding place, Flashladdin was watching the exchange curiously. He seemed rather fixated on the mysterious shopper and he didn’t know why. When the foals were gone, the owner of the stall, who was a griffon with gray fur and feathers, turned around and saw the mare and two loaves of bread gone. He did not look too happy.

“You’d better be able to pay for that, miss.” The merchant said sternly.

“Pay?” The mare nervously asked.

“Uh oh…” Flashladdin muttered to himself.

“Nopony steals from my stall.” The merchant said, approaching the mare.

“Stealing? Oh, I’m sorry sir. I don’t have any money.”

“No money, you say? So you’re a thief then.”

“Thief? No. Please, if you just let me go to the palace, I can—”

“Do you know what happens to thieves like you around here?” He violently grabbed her hoof.

“Let go of me!” The mare demanded before Flashladdin suddenly appeared between the two of them. Hearing the commotion, Peewee flew from his own hiding place and quickly jumped onto his friend’s back.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy, Gustav. What’s going on here?” The Pegasus asked.

“Is it not obvious? I turn my back for one minute and this young filly right here; she stole some of my bread.” The griffon said angrily.

“Those foals were hungry.” She argued.

“That’s no excuse. You must pay.” He argued back before spotting a golden bracelet around her left foreleg. “And I think that lovely bracelet should cover it just fine.”

“My bracelet? No! It was my mother’s.” The mare retorted, backing away.

“So that bracelet is all you want?” Flashladdin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s right. It should be more than enough.”

“Okay, then.”

“No! What are you doing?” The mare pleaded.

“Hey, don’t worry. Trust me.” Flashladdin whispered.

The two ponies stared at each other for a few moments of silence before Flashladdin turned around and gave the shopkeeper the mare’s bracelet.

“Here you go.” He said.

“Thank you very much.” The griffon said.

“What?! No, wait! Give that back!” She exclaimed.

“And have an apple, for your troubles.” Flashladdin tossed the griffon an apple and started to walk away with the mare following close behind.

“No! I am NOT leaving without my bracelet!” She demanded.

“You mean this one?” Flashladdin then showed the golden bracelet to her; her eyes widened in shock.

“But… how?”

“Slight of hoof. Now come on, let’s go.”

He took her hoof in his own. But not a minute later, an angry voice called out to them, which made the pair stop in their tracks.

“Flashladdin!” The griffon screamed.

“Are we in trouble?” The mare asked nervously.

“Only if you get caught.” Flashladdin answered, trying to sound confident.

“GUARDS! THIEVES! CATCH THEM!” The merchant called.

“Quick! This way!” Flashladdin said as he and his new companion started to run away from the ruckus.

“You don’t have to do this, you know!” The mare said, out of breath as she tried to keep up.

“Don’t worry about it! It’s about time I get myself into trouble today anyway. I’m Flashladdin, and this little guy is Peewee.”

Peewee chirped a friendly greeting.

“Nice to meet you. I’m—” The mare started but was cut off when the crowds parted and a line of palace guards were waiting for them. The guard in charge stepped forward with a smug grin on her face. Her rainbow mane was only just visible under the helmet she wore.

“HALT!” The guard yelled. “You’ve really done it this time, street rat. You’re not getting away so easy!” The guard fanned out her wings and readied herself to take off in pursuit.

“Who said this was easy?” Flashladdin asked, turning his attention to a large cart of barrels nearby.

He bounded to the side, kicked off the wall of the building and bucked his hind legs into the side of the cart, sending the barrels toppling over the unsuspecting guards. Not wasting any time, Flashladdin motioned for the mare to follow him down an alleyway.

“See that abandoned building over there? Wait there until I’ve given these guys the slip.” He said.

“But what about you?” The mare asked.

“Don’t worry, this isn’t the worst challenge I’ve faced.” Flashladdin said with a grin.

The mare then nodded, ignited her magic, and teleported across the street and out of harm’s way. Flashladdin was taken aback; he certainly didn’t see that coming.

“I didn’t know she could do that.” He said with a surprised chuckle.

“There he is!” One of the guards called out; he was a large earth pony stallion with a crimson coat and a light orange mane.

The pair of friends didn’t hesitate; they flew through the alleyway which led back into the heart of the marketplace. Unfortunately there were too many ponies around to make a clean get-away. Rather than stick to the streets, Flashladdin decided to take to the rooftops. With Peewee at his side, he pushed off hard from the ground and leapt onto a nearby awning, which propelled him up onto the roof.

“HALT!”

Flashladdin only had moments to react before he was sure to be caught. Taking a sharp turn, he jumped back down between a pair of buildings narrowly missing the clothing line between them as he fell. The guard, however, was not as fortunate. She flew straight into a rug, and before she could get herself free, the clothing line snapped her backwards into the sky again.

Flashladdin laughed and moments before touching the ground spread his own wings and flew off in a different direction. A minute later, he made his way inside the abandoned building he had mentioned, panting and smiling.

“See? Piece of cake.” Flashladdin said, slumping against the wall. He then looked around and realized something. “Wait… where is she?”

He looked around nervously for her before racing down the steps of the building and back out into the open.

Unfortunately, waiting at the bottom were the palace guards, who quickly seized him while he was distracted. The mare in question was struggling a few feet away. Flashladdin growled and attempted to fight them off, but the red stallion quickly knocked the wind out of him and his wings were already chained to his back.

“By order of the Sultan, you are under arrest!” The red stallion guard said, chaining Flashladdin’s hoof to his own.

“Let him go!” The mare called out angrily.

“And why would I do that?” The guard chuckled.

“Because I order you to!” The mare said, pulling off her hood.

The guards around her gasped and immediately fell to the ground in a bow. Flashladdin quickly realized that this stranger was none other than the Princess of Saddle Arabia. He’d never seen Princess Twila Sparkle before, but the moment he did he felt his heart skip a beat. She was beautiful, and he couldn’t look away from her kind lavender eyes.

“Your Highness, what are you doing outside the palace? And with this street rat?” The guard asked in shock.

“That is none of your concern, McIntosh. Do as I command, release him!” The Princess demanded.

“I’m very sorry, Princess, but the law is the law.” The guard nervously explained. “We’ve been after this thief for a long time, his crimes are too numerous to be ignored. You’ll have to consult your father about this.”

“Fine, I will. But if I learn that you hurt him in any way, I will report you to the Sultan myself!” The Princess declared. She gave Flashladdin a sympathetic smile, then spread her wings and took off in flight for the palace.

“Wow…” Flashladdin whispered in awe, unsure of what to make of any of this.

“Ah, you’re finally caught.” The guard with the rainbow mane said as she made her way towards Flashladdin and the other guards. “What’d I miss?”

“Well, Captain Dash… the Princess was just here.” McIntosh answered. “And she told us to not harm him.”

“What?” She glared at Flashladdin. “Well you may think you have friends in high places, but no matter what the Princess says we’re free to handle thieves as we see fit. Right here on the street.” Dash took a sword out of her belt; Flashladdin nervously took a step back.

“Wait, stop! Stop everything!” An unfamiliar voice called.

The guards and Flashladdin all turned their heads to see a stallion with a pale white coat, pale blue eyes, a dark gray beard, and a large turban on his head trotting towards them. The stallion approached Flashladdin and pulled him away from the guards.

“There you are, my boy! Your mother and I have been so worried about you.” He said in a deep voice.

“Excuse me?” Flashladdin asked before the stranger yanked on his wing.

“Just play along, unless you want to sleep with the prison rats tonight.” The stallion hissed before turning back to the guards who all had very confused looks on their faces. “I am this colt’s father. He’s always getting into trouble, but he’s a good colt; he has a true heart of gold and a noble spirit. You could almost call him a… a diamond in the rough. Whatever it is that he stole, I’m sure this could cover it. You’ll notice there’s a little extra in there for all your hard work.” He then tossed a bag of golden bits to McIntosh and Dash.

“…Alright, the debt is repaid. You’re free to go. But don’t you ever let us catch you again.” Dash said.

Flashladdin nodded his head and gave a quick salute before the guards walked away in the direction of the palace, leaving the two ponies alone. Peewee flew out from his hiding place and perched himself on Flashladdin’s back.

“Who are you?” Flashladdin asked, looking back at the stallion who helped him.

“My name is not important.” The stallion said as he removed his turban to reveal a unicorn horn sitting atop his forehead. He wrapped a hoof around the Pegasus’s shoulders and led him back into the abandoned building. “You know, you’re quite the spry young stallion. I heard the royal guard discussing your history of dodging your arrest.”

“Yeah, well, it only takes one mistake to end up in the dungeon, so none of that really matters, does it?” Flashladdin responded.

“Ah, but you’re wrong my friend. Somepony with skills like yours could be of great use to me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m usually a reasonable, compassionate pony. But one good deed deserves another…”

“I had a feeling there was a catch. What do you want?”

“There is a great treasure that awaits us if you are willing to take the risk… Only I know its whereabouts, but alas, my magic is too weak and my bones too brittle to retrieve it on my own. That’s why I need you. Think of it, lad; riches beyond your wildest dreams… riches enough to buy a pardon for your crimes, riches beautiful enough to impress a certain princess…”

“What will I have to do?” Flashladdin asked.

“Why don’t you come with me and find out?” The old stallion said as he took the Pegasus’s hoof.

It was just after the stroke of sunset when the pair of ponies had wandered into the desert on the outskirts of Saddle Arabia and came across the opening of a large cave in the shape of an Ursa Major head. Flashladdin took a few steps back and Peewee hid under his friend’s vest for protection.

“What in the world…?” The Pegasus muttered.

“This is no ordinary cave, lad.” The stallion said. “It is magical. You see, only one pony can enter. Someone true of heart and noble of spirit, the Diamond in the Rough… and that’s you.”

“ME?” Flashladdin exclaimed in disbelief. “How do you know?”

“I consulted with an ancient oracle and you are the one.”

“But why? Isn’t there somepony else who can do this?”

“There is nopony else! It has to be you! Now go!”

The stallion violently pushed Flashladdin closer to the cave entrance and to his shock, it began to speak to him.

“Who disturbs my slumber?” It said in a booming voice.

“Uh… It is I, Flashladdin.” Flashladdin answered with a slight tremor in his voice.

“You wish to seek my treasures?”

“Yes, I do.”

Peewee reluctantly poked his head out from under Flashladdin’s vest to take a peek, only to be met with a dark glare from the cave itself.

“You dare to bring a filthy bird into my treasure trove?” The cave exclaimed.

“Hey! This bird is my best friend! If he doesn’t go, I don’t go!” Flashladdin said defensively.

The cave paused before saying, “You are the Diamond in the Rough, the one whose worth lies deep within. You may enter. Take nothing but the lamp or face the consequences!”

The cave opened its enormous mouth to allow Flashladdin passage. As he approached, the old stallion called out to him.

“Remember, bring me the lamp and the rest of the treasure is yours!”

Flashladdin nodded and began the descent into the cave before a thought popped into his head.

‘I’m not allowed to touch anything else in this cave and this guy wants the one thing I can? How is that a fair deal?’ He thought.

“What are you waiting for, boy?! GO!” The stallion screamed in anger.

“Come on, Peewee.” Flashladdin whispered in defeat before he finally entered.

Once Flashladdin and Peewee reached the bottom of the cave, their eyes widened in wonder at the sight of the vast treasure within. The difficulty of the situation was just now sinking in as the pair both wondered in silence how it would be possible to find one oil lamp in these mountains of gold and jewels. It certainly didn’t help that they weren’t allowed to touch or take anything.

“Maybe if I get to higher ground, I might be able to get a better view.” Flashladdin said to himself as he started flapping his wings. “But where should we look first?”

Flashladdin was so busy searching that he didn’t even notice a dark figure watching him from the shadows… and it was following him around the chamber. Flashladdin searched almost the entirety of the cave until finally, he found what he was looking for. He and Peewee arrived in a separate section of the cave where large stone steps lead to a glowing pedestal above.

“That must be it.” Flashladdin whispered before setting Peewee down on the ground. “Wait here for me.”

He then began to ascend the steps, being careful not to slip on any of the treasure decorating the steps. But as he was climbing, he didn’t even notice that he accidentally made a ruby fall from one stair and it rolled a few feet away from Peewee who was staring at it. Once they reached the top, Flashladdin paused in surprise. Sitting in front of him was the lamp the old stallion had told him to get. He slowly and carefully reached out his hooves and took the item before inspecting it.

“This is it? This is what we came all the way down here to…?” Flashladdin muttered before he spotted Peewee about to take the ruby he dropped. “Peewee, NO!”

But it was already too late. The little phoenix picked up the gemstone with his wings and admired it in the torch light.

“What is THIS?!” The loud voice of the cave boomed.

“Uh oh…” Flashladdin whispered; Peewee froze and dropped the ruby.

“You have touched the forbidden treasure! Now you will never again SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY!!”

“RUN!” Flashladdin screamed, taking the lamp and flying down towards his friend.

The two of them flew as fast as they could towards the cave entrance but just as they were about to head out, a rock suddenly hit Flashladdin in the head, which made him lose consciousness and fall to the cavern floor. When he came to, Flashladdin looked around and realized the caverns of vast treasure had vanished leaving nothing but long empty chasms. He and his friend were stranded hundreds of feet below the surface.

“We’re trapped. Oh no!” He exclaimed in exasperation. “Well that’s just great! How in the hay are we supposed to get out of here now?”

“You could always ask for help?” An unfamiliar voice suggested.

“Huh? Who said that? Who’s there?” Flashladdin called as he got back on to his hooves; he looked around for the intruder, but it was far too dark.

“Oh, a little dark in here, huh? Don’t worry, I’m on it.” The voice said before there was a flash of green fire.

A torch suddenly lit up and Flashladdin took a step back in surprise. There, hovering before him, was a small purple and green dragon and he was holding the torch.

“Hi.” The dragon said in a friendly tone.

“Uh… hi.” Flashladdin greeted back.

“Wow, I haven’t seen anypony else down here in, like, forever.”

“You want to escape, too?”

“Yeah, pretty much. I’ve been guarding this treasure for a long time, but I guess that was all for nothing. Oh well. I’m Spike, guardian of these caves. What’s your story?”

“I’m Flashladdin and this is Peewee.” Flashladdin introduced.

“Nice to meet you guys. So what are you doing down here anyway?”

“I was after this.” Flashladdin held up the lamp to the dragon, whose eyes widened in shock.

“You were after the LAMP?!”

“Yeah, but who cares? I nearly died because of this thing. I can’t believe it; all of this fuss over some stupid piece of junk.”

“This is no piece of junk, dude.” Spike took the lamp in his claws. “This lamp is so much more than you think.”

“What do you mean?” Flashladdin raised a suspicious eyebrow.

“If you don’t believe me, rub it and find out.” The dragon gave the lamp back to Flashladdin.

“Rub it? Well… okay, I’ll give it a shot.” Flashladdin examined the trinket before noticing something. “Wait, I think there’s something written here. But… it’s hard to make out.”

He then started to rub the side of the lamp with one hoof and before Flashladdin could say another word, the Lamp began to shake and move on its own. From somewhere within, a cloud of multi-colored smoke and fireworks burst forth from the Lamp and soon, a large glowing being had appeared. Flashladdin and Peewee jumped back in shock and terror, unsure of what just happened.

“Oh, YES! Yes, yes, YES! It’s about time somepony got me out of that thing! What a relief!” The creature said in a deep voice as he stretched out. He then saw Flashladdin holding the Lamp in his hooves; he gasped. “It’s you! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you so much, kid! You have no idea what it’s like to be trapped inside that thing for the past couple thousand years. And when you’re a creature of magic and chaos, brass oil lamps aren’t your typical go-to fashion choice.” He glanced over at Spike and smiled. “Spiky, my boy! I haven’t see you in a few centuries! Gimme some scales!”

“Yeah, whoo! It’s so good to see you again!” Spike said, doing a strange hoof shake with the creature.

“Good to see you too, old friend. Now, care to tell me who this young chap is?” The creature asked.

“Oh, right. This is Flashladdin; he’s your new master.” Spike said matter-of-factly.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait! What do you mean by ‘master’?” Flashladdin asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” The floating creature wrapped an arm around Flashladdin’s shoulders. “I’m the Genie of the Lamp you just found, you rubbed it, and therefore, you get three wishes.”

“Wishes?”

“That’s right. But there are a few rules you have to follow. I’m not really a rules guy, but you and I have to follow them anyway.”

“Rules? Like what?”

“Rule number one, no wishing for more wishes. Rule number two, I can’t make anypony fall in love with anypony else. Rule number three, I can’t bring ponies back from the dead. I mean, come on; it’s not a pretty picture. I don’t like doing it! But other than that, your wish is my command, master.”

The Genie bowed to the Pegasus, who had no idea what to say about any of this. He glanced over at Spike who gave him an encouraging smile. The Genie stood straight.

“So… other than those three rules, you can grant me any three wishes I want?” Flashladdin asked.

“That is correct, as long as you rub the Lamp while you make said wish.” Genie answered.

“Then for my first wish…” Flashladdin held the Lamp in his hooves and began to rub. “I wish for you to get all of us out of this cave.”

“Then in that case, we’re outta here!”

The Genie grinned and snapped his fingers and in a flash of bright white light, he, Flashladdin, Peewee, and Spike were all out of the cave and they appeared on the outskirts of Saddle Arabia.

“I’ll never get used to that.” Spike said in a daze.

“I don’t think I will either.” Flashladdin added, shaking his head.

“Oh, this is so much better! So much space and fresh air, I LOVE IT!!” Genie exclaimed as he made a lawn chair appear out of then air; he immediately laid down on it.

Flashladdin looked at the Lamp in his hooves; he can still hardly believe that he still had magical wishes at his disposal. He already used one and he wanted to make the other two wishes count. He looked at Genie.

“Hey, Genie? Can I ask you something?” He asked.

“Of course. What is it?” Genie asked.

“…What would you wish for?”

“Me?” Genie’s expression went serious. “No one’s ever asked me that before. But it’s an easy one. I’d wish to be free.” He knocked on the golden cuff around his wrist.

“You’re a prisoner?” Flashladdin frowned.

“It’s all part of whole genie gig. You’re granted with phenomenal cosmic powers, but an itty-bitty living space.”

“That… that’s terrible.”

Spike sadly nodded in agreement.

“But to be free?” Genie lamented. “That would mean more to me than anything else in the world! Much better than having to go ‘Can I help you?’ or ‘What would you like?’ or “’May I take your order, please?’ You get my drift. Freedom for me would be the ultimate wish.” Genie paused and his face fell. “But at the end of the day, I tell myself that I’m just giving myself false hope. It’s never going to happen.”

“Why not?”

“The only way a genie can be set free is if the owner of the Lamp uses one of his or her wishes to set the genie free. And the last time that happened was… never.”

Flashladdin looked at the Lamp, then back at his new friend. “Now I know I can use my third wish to set you free.”

“We’ll see about that.” Genie said, sounding unconvinced.

“No really, I promise.”

“You… you mean it?”

“Of course I do. What are friends for?”

“…We’re friends?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t we be?”

They smiled.

“Okay, now let’s make some magic! How about it, Flashy? I can call you that, right?”

“By all means.”

“Cool. So what do you want most, Flashy?”

“Well… there’s this mare.”

“Wait! I can’t make anypony fall in love, remember?”

“But she’s smart, fun, and…”

“Pretty?”

“Beautiful! She’s got these eyes and this hair and her smile?” Flashladdin sighed and grinned like an idiot before snapping himself back to reality. “I can’t stop thinking about her. But… she’s the princess. If I had any chance with her, I’d have to be…” Then he got an idea. “Hey, can you make me a prince?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold it!” Genie exclaimed. “There’s a lot of grey area in ‘make me a prince’. I can just make you a prince.” He snapped his fingers and a random white unicorn stallion with a blonde mane was suddenly standing in another corner of the desert. “And you’ll be snuggled up with that guy for the rest of your life.”

“What? Oh, no! No, no, no, no. That’s not what I meant.” Flashladdin said.

“Exactly! I told you I’m not a rules guy, but this is big one. You have to be specific with your words. If not, then you’ll either end up with something completely different from what you initially wanted or the wish itself could totally backfire and end up biting you in the butt.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

“Ah, ah, ah, ah! Don’t say that! PLEASE don’t say that around me!”

“Say what? It makes sense?”

“Agh, please stop! I HATE that phrase!”

“Why?”

“Uh, hello? All-powerful genie and spirit of chaos. I thought that was pretty self-explanatory.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“It’s fine. As long as you don’t say it again.”

“I promise.”

“Hey! Have any of you seen my palace?!” The stallion yelled.

“Uh, you should probably send that guy home.” Spike pointed out.

“Good point. Sorry!” Genie called out before teleporting the unicorn back home. He turned back to Flashladdin. “Now… is that an official wish? Say the magic words.”

Flashladdin grinned, picked up the Lamp, and started to rub. “Genie, I wish to become a prince.”

The Genie then waved his hands over his head dramatically and conjured a great cloud of blue smoke. When it cleared, Flashladdin could see his appearance was drastically altered to reflect that of Saddle Arabian royalty with fine silks and gemstones. He beamed from ear to ear.

“Whoa, I look great!” He exclaimed.

“That’s an understatement. You look fantastic!” Spike cheered.

“Indeed you do, Prince Flash Sentry! But we’re not through yet!” Genie said with a grin. “Hold on to your hooves, kid! We’re gonna make you a star!”

At the palace, Princess Twila Sparkle had already confronted her father, Sultan Armor, about the incident at the marketplace the day before.

“I cannot believe this!” She exclaimed in anger.

“Look, Twila, I know you’re upset, but rules are rules.” The Sultan explained.

“Your father is right, Princess.” A familiar unicorn stallion said as he entered the throne room. “That stallion has already committed too many crimes. He must pay... and I say he’s already been dealt with.”

“What are you talking about, Neighsay?” The Princess asked.

“Your Highness, it is my duty to uphold the peace in Saddle Arabia, I merely carried out the stallion’s sentence.” Neighsay said with a twinge of malice in his tone.

“Sentence?” Twila asked in horror.

“Yes. I’m afraid I must inform you that the stallion was… banished to the desert. I don’t make the rules, Princess, I merely enforce them. We can’t go changing our bylaws because the princess felt bad for the street urchin. What kind of example would that set?”

“But… the scorching sands of the desert stretch on for miles… it’s a death sentence.” Twila cried.

“A tragic yet necessary part of Saddle Arabia’s prosperity. Besides, you have far more things to worry your pretty little head about, hm? Like… your lineage.”

“He’s right, my daughter.” The Sultan said. His ears were matted against his head and he heaved a sigh. “I promised the ponies a decision will be made before tomorrow at sunset.”

“But father, the stallions asking for my hoof are all selfish, egotistical, brutish braggers only after the throne! How could you possibly expect me to choose one of them to marry?” Twila asked.

“With all due respect, Princess, we cannot simply wait around for somepony to burst into the palace and declare they have found your true love.” Neighsay said.

The palace doors burst open and a strange unicorn stallion with a gray coat and a mismatched horn pushed a large cannon into view, aimed directly at the throne.

“Attention, everypony! Fillies and gentlecolts! Announcing the arrival of Princess Twila Sparkle’s true love!” The stallion declared, igniting the canon which promptly exploded into an array of balloons, confetti, streamers, and a regal Pegasus stallion soaring into the throne room with his head held high.

Neighsay stood in shock; he recognized this stallion almost immediately.

‘It can’t be. I thought he was DEAD.’ He thought, keeping quiet.

“Wow, what do we have here?” The Sultan exclaimed, taken in by the flashy entrance.

“Your Majesty, my name is Prince Flash Sentry and I have come to request the hoof of your lovely Princess Twila.” Flashladdin said, bowing before the Sultan.

“You certainly know how to make an entrance!” The Sultan said with a smile. “Come; meet my daughter, the rarest and most beautiful flower in all the land.”

Flashladdin bowed before Twila and kept his eyes locked on hers. She looked so different from the runaway he had met on the street, but her striking violet eyes remained as hypnotizing as he remembered. Flashladdin was frozen in place, unable to summon the right words to greet her in fear of her rejection. He cleared his throat as Genie poofed to a tiny floating version of himself hovered beside his ear, and told him what to say.

“Princess Twila, I have traveled a great distance and faced many obstacles to ask you this one question: Will you marry me?” He asked, kneeling before her.

The Princess furrowed her brow in a disapproving manner.

“If you think I can be won over by an over-exuberant entrance like that… then you’re a fool. Unlike my father, I’m far from impressed, Prince Flash Sentry, and I refuse to remain in the company of those who would treat me like some toy! I am not a prize to be won!” Princess Twila exclaimed, taking off in flight back to her chambers in a huff.

“…Well that didn’t work out the way I’d hoped.” Genie said to himself.

“I am very sorry about that, Prince Flash Sentry.” The Sultan said. “My daughter has always been a bit selective when it comes to suitors.”

“That’s okay, no hard feelings.” Flashladdin nervously replied as he stood up.

“I’m just glad you understand. Just give her some time to cool down and maybe we can try that again. In the meantime, Neighsay here will show you to your room.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. Right this way.” Neighsay answered as he led Flashladdin out of the throne room and down the hall, keeping a close eye on him as they walked.

Hours later in the courtyard below Princess Twila’s balcony, Flashladdin was pacing back and forth and nervously ruffling his wings. He was worried that he’d ruined his first impression with the Princess and ultimately her approval.

“I don’t get it. Was it something I said? What am I gonna do, Genie? She’ll never give me a chance now.”

“Cheer up, Flashy! I know this looks bad, but it’s going to be okay. You’ll get her, I know you will.” Genie said mindlessly blowing balloon animals that would then come to life.

“I don’t think she was too keen on the meet-n-engaged thing you had going on there.” Spike said.

“Good point.” Genie replied.

“Maybe if I just go up there… and explain how I feel… she might not hate me.” Flashladdin said dreamy-eyed.

“On it!” Genie said, snapping his fingers and making a giant heart-shaped hot air balloon with hearts plastered all over it appear out of thin air.

“Oh, uh… I don’t think I’ll need your help for this one, Genie. Not that your magic isn’t… great! It’s just that I can fly on my own.” Flashladdin said, showing off his wings.

“Oh, right. Well, whatever you want to do, I suppose. But remember…” Genie put a hand on Flashladdin’s shoulder. “…Be yourself.”

Flashladdin looked at his friends and smiled before spreading his wings.

Princess Twila shut herself in her chamber since the incident in the throne room. Her faithful pet owl, Owlowiscious, was close at hoof, wishing there was something that could cheer up his princess.

“Is this supposed to be my fate, Owlowiscious? Forced to marry someone who doesn’t even know me? This is why I tried to leave in the first place. I can’t marry one of those frauds and allow my father’s throne to be misused.” Twila lamented, she put a hoof over her face. “…But what other choice do I have?”

Owlowiscious suddenly leapt from his perch and glared in the direction of the balcony.

“What is it? Who’s there?” Twila wondered aloud, she crossed the room and opened the doors leading outside with Owlowiscious following close behind. Standing alone on the balcony was Prince Flash Sentry with an apologetic grin on his face.

“H-hello again Princess, please forgive my intrusion. I just—”

Flashladdin was cut off when Owlowiscious suddenly swarmed around him, trying to peck and claw at the intruder.

“Owlowiscious, no. Let me handle this.” Twila scolded.

“W-wait! Princess please, let me explain… I’m very sorry I gave you the wrong first impression earlier I just… I was so nervous to talk to you and I stumbled on my words.” Flashladdin said.

“That didn’t sound like a stumble to me; it sounded more like a proposal.” Twila replied flatly.

“Believe me, princess; even I don’t know what I was thinking… I only wanted to say the right thing and it got a little out of hoof. And I’m so very sorry. I don’t care about your wealth or your status. I only ask for a chance to get to know you better. Give me another chance, please.” Flashladdin said apologetically.

Though she wanted to turn the stallion away, there was something strangely familiar about this prince. She nodded her head curtly, much to the owl’s dismay. Owlowiscious hooted in disappointment.

“So… is there any other reason you came up here?” Twila asked.

“Well, I was going to ask you to come flying with me for a bit, but if you’re not up for it…” Flashladdin started.

“Go out for a fly? With you?”

“Well, yeah. Don’t tell me you’re scared.” Flashladdin said with a devious smile.

“Scared? Why would I be scared? It’s just… I’m a little out of practice when it comes to flying.” She nervously rubbed the back of her neck with one hoof.

“Practice makes perfect. Besides, we can get out of the palace and see the world.”

“Is it safe?”

“Come on, this can’t be the worst challenge you’ve faced.” Flashladdin said.

At the mention of those words Twila was reminded of what the poor stallion in the marketplace had said to her. She gave the prince a closer look, seeing the resemblance in his coat and mane.

“So do you trust me?” He offered his hoof to her.

She paused before smiling. “…Yes.”

She took his hoof and they spread their wings. Soon enough, the pair of ponies flew from the Princess’s balcony and into the cool night sky. There was always something magical about flying over a moonlit city. In the span of a few minutes, Twila’s mind and her heart was changed about this stallion and she embraced feelings of oddly placed romance. As their love began to blossom, Flashladdin debated whether or not to tell Twila the truth about who he really was, but fearing he might lose her decided instead to remain quiet.

After their flight around the city, the happy couple returned to the Princess’s balcony. Before it was time to leave, Flashladdin pulled the princess into an embrace.

“Thank you so much. I never thought I would be this happy. I have to find my father right away.” Twila said, taking off from the balcony in flight with the brightest smile on her face.

“Goodnight, princess.” Flashladdin said when she was out of earshot.

Moments later, Genie, Spike, and Peewee joined their friend on the balcony.

“You DID IT!” Genie rejoiced. “I knew you had it in you!”

“Way to go, dude!” Spike cheered as Peewee chirped with joy.

“She’s the pony of my dreams, Genie, and I could’ve never done this without you.” Flashladdin said.

“Aww, shucks. Ooooh, I’m so excited! I have so many plans for when I’m finally free!” Genie started. “I can travel the world, I can do whatever I want, I can even throw an enormous party in history and invite EVERYONE! Ooh, I can hardly—”

“Genie, hold up.” Flashladdin trailed off.

“What is it?” Genie asked.

“I… I don’t know if I can keep up this charade on my own. Twila still thinks I’m a prince and the only thing I have to my name is a fancy title and some expensive looking clothes. If I can’t convince the princess that I am royalty I don’t have a chance.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying… I might need to hang onto my third wish… for now…” Flashladdin said nervously.

“But… you… and the… I thought… you can’t!” Genie cried.

“Wow, that’s just cold.” Spike said, Peewee agreeing with a soft nod.

“Oh come on, guys, you can’t blame me for being worried! I just… I don’t want to lose her.”

“Fine. If you need me, MASTER, you know where I’ll be. Trapped inside my sardine can!” The Genie said, disappearing back into the lamp in a huff.

“Oh boy.” Flashladdin sighed, covering his face with his wings in guilt. “I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore.”

“I’ll say you aren’t.” A dark familiar voice boomed from behind the Pegasus. “Looks like you’re already out of luck, Prince ‘Flash Sentry’ or should I say… Flashladdin.”

In a flash of light, Flashladdin was transported to the throne room of the palace. His fine robes had turned back into rags and his friends Spike and Peewee were being restrained by the Saddle Arabian guard. Standing confidently in the midst of them was the Sultan’s advisor, Neighsay… whom Flashladdin immediately recognized as the mysterious stallion from the market who tricked him into getting the Lamp in the first place.

“Seize him!” Neighsay demanded. “The last thing I need is for somepony to decide to be stupid and heroic.”

Two guards suddenly came up from behind and held Flashladdin in place. In the confusion, Flashladdin’s lamp was pried from his hooves and he was detained by the remaining castle guard. Neighsay held up the lamp and let out a triumphant laugh.

“At last! The lamp is finally MINE!” He shouted. “You! Bring me the Sultan and the Princess. They need to see this.”

The guard didn’t hesitate and carried out Neighsay’s demands. As they did so, Neighsay rubbed the lamp to summon the genie. A great flash of light and smoke appeared from within and the Genie suddenly appeared and he didn’t look very happy.

“Flash, if you’re here to apologize, forget it. You’re too late. And I am getting REALLY tired of yo—” Genie started before he saw that it wasn't Flashladdin who summoned him; he froze. “…I don’t think you’re him.”

“Quiet! I am your master now and you will do as I say!” Neighsay declared.

“I was afraid of that.” Genie muttered.

“Genie, don’t!” Flashladdin cried out.

“I’m sorry, Flash, but I have no choice.” Genie said sadly.

“Remember, he who holds the lamp controls the genie.” Neighsay smugly said. He turned back to the Genie. “And you owe me some wishes.”

The palace guards returned with the Sultan and the Princess, both of whom protested angrily but were unable to sway the guards’ objective.

“Let us go!” Twila cried.

“There’s no use, your ‘Majesty’. Your loyal guards answer only to ME now! All it took was a simple brainwashing spell and their minds are now mine to control.” Neighsay cackled.

“Neighsay, you traitor!” Sultan Armor yelled.

“Call me what you will. Genie! For my first wish, I wish to rule the land as sultan!” Neighsay shouted, rubbing the lamp.

“Fine.” Genie said, rolling his eyes and snapping his fingers.

In a bright white flash, Neighsay’s dark clothes were suddenly changed to white royal robes. Neighsay cackled.

“Congratulations, you are now the Sultan!” Genie sarcastically declared.

“No!” Spike and Flashladdin cried.

“Neighsay, I order you to stop this madness at once!” Sultan Armor demanded.

“Ah, but there’s a new order now. MY order.” Neighsay said. “Finally, you will bow to me.”

“We will never bow to you!” Twila said, trying to sound brave.

“Never!” Flashladdin chimed in.

“Not in a million years!” Spike added.

“Hmph, I guess being Sultan isn’t enough for you ponies.” Neighsay furrowed his brow and sneered at the Princess. “If you won’t bow before a Sultan, then you will cower before a sorcerer!” He rubbed the lamp again. “Genie, for my second wish, I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world!”

Reluctantly, the Genie snapped his fingers again and Neighsay’s form began to change as he was lifted off of the floor and engulfed in a swirling black vortex. And in a bright flash, Neighsay’s body had changed completely. His irises were now blood red and his pupils became slits, his coat went from almost white to a dark ashen gray, his mane grew longer and flowed like smoke, and his horn had become curved, sharpened, and tipped in red. The power-crazed grinned, revealing his teeth to have become a pair of fangs.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, let’s give a warm Saddle Arabian welcome to Sorcerer Sombra!” Genie announced just as sarcastically as before.

Sombra ignited his horn and cast a spell on the Princess and the Sultan to make them bow down to him. Flashladdin watched in horror; he couldn’t bear the sight.

“You won’t get away with this! I refuse to obey somepony as evil as YOU, Sombra!” He shouted, struggling against the guards that restrained him.

“Hm? Ah yes, the meddling Pegasus; I almost forgot. Your little charade ends now, my naïve little friend. Did you really believe I wouldn’t recognize you when you came parading in here like you owned the place? And what must the princess think of you now, hmm? Now that she knows what you really are?!”

“I already knew who he was!” Princess Twila said bitterly, raising her head to look at the conflicting ponies.

“Wait, what?” Flashladdin said in shock.

“You didn’t think I could forget you this easily, did you Flashladdin? Once I saw you on the balcony I recognized you. I knew you were only pretending to be a prince to bypass the law of my father.” Twila admitted.

“Hm, smart girl.” Genie said, stroking his beard.

“It doesn’t matter anyway!” Sombra roared. “There’s only one way to get rid of a street rat!”

Sombra ignited his horn and stamped his hooves on the ground, causing it to quake. Everypony including the guards lost their balance, giving Flashladdin the opportunity to escape. He raced towards the Princess only to be thrown in the opposite direction by a great scaly tail that appeared between them.

“Flashladdin, no!” Twila called in distress.

“Oh boy…” Sultan Armor muttered, eyes wide with fear.

They saw that Sombra had transformed himself into a giant, sleek black snake with glowing ruby red eyes and even bigger fangs. He snapped at Flashladdin who narrowly missed. He leapt and flew away from Sombra’s continued attacks, but knew eventually fatigue would spell his doom. He was just about to reach the Princess when Sombra whipped the end of his tail at Flashladdin and coiled himself around the Pegasus, threatening to squeeze the life out of him.

“NO!” Twila cried.

Peewee screeched out in fear as Spike covered his eyes with his claws.

“Give it up, Flashladdin! You’ve failed! You thought you could defeat the most powerful being on the planet?! Ha!” Sombra scoffed. “Without the genie, you’re NOTHING!”

Flashladdin looked at Genie and got an idea.

“Oh yeah? Well the Genie has more power than you’ll ever have!” Flashladdin retorted. “He gave you your power and he can take it away!”

“Dude, what are you doing? Shut up!” Spike hissed.

“Flash, what are you doing? Why are you bringing me into this?” Genie asked nervously.

“He serves ME!” Sombra yelled.

“For now, but you’ll never have more power than the genie. Face it; you’ll always be second best.”

Genie finally caught on to what Flashladdin was trying to do. He smiled.

Sombra paused. “I REFUSE to be second best in ANYTHING!!” He grabbed the lamp with his magic and looked back at Genie. “For my final wish, I wish to become the most powerful being in the universe! MORE powerful than you!”

Genie paused and stroked his beard in thought. “Hmmm, there’s a lot of grey area in that wish.”

“JUST DO IT!” Sombra yelled, rubbing the lamp.

The genie nodded his head and the room flashed with a burst of magic, transforming Sombra from snake to a menacing genie with the same glowing red eyes and magic like great plumes of shadowy black smoke.

“I feel the power coursing through me! Yes, yes, YES! Nopony can stop me now!” Sombra said with a mighty laugh.

“What have you done?!” Twila yelled.

“Trust me!” Flashladdin said as he raced across the room while Sombra was distracted, following the black smoke to its source. He skidded to a stop in front of a lamp that seemed to be made of black obsidian. He picked it up and smiled.

“The universe is mine to command, to control! And now Flashladdin, prepare to meet your doom!” Sombra declared as he raised a hoof, only to be stopped by a black metal cuff appearing on both of his forelegs. He froze in shock before looking back at Flashladdin. “What have you done to me?!”

“What are you talking about? I haven’t done anything to you, Sombra.” Flashladdin said, matter-of-factly. “This is your wish, not mine. You wanted to be a genie, you got it. And that includes everything that goes with it.”

“What!? No! This isn’t what I wanted!”

“Exactly. Be specific with your words, otherwise you’d end up with something else or it would backfire and bite you in the butt. In your case, you get both results.” Flashladdin looked at Genie for confirmation. Genie nodded excitedly.

“No! No, stop!” Sombra said, moments too late to prevent Flashladdin from rubbing the crystal lamp.

“For my first and ONLY wish, I wish for you to banish yourself from all ponykind somewhere far away where no pony nor creature will ever find you AGAIN!” Flashladdin shouted.

Sombra roared in protest, but his magic ignited and with a mighty and resounding boom he disappeared, taking his obsidian prison with him. The moment he was gone, everything in Saddle Arabia turned back to what it was before. The guards weren’t hypnotized anymore, the Sultan and Princess were free, and Genie was no longer under Sombra’s control.

“Flashy, you are a GENIUS!!” Genie declared excitedly.

“You did it!” Spike cheered.

“Flashladdin!” Twila cried in relief, running into Flashladdin’s open hooves. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Flashladdin said, holding the Princess close. He looked her in the eye. “Twila, I’m so sorry I lied to you.”

“It’s okay, I know why you did.” Twila said.

“A disaster! An absolute catastrophe! I cannot believe I actually trusted him to…” Sultan Armor paused and looked at his daughter with her new lover. “Why, Twila, can it be true? …Have you finally decided on a suitor?”

Twila nodded and smiled.

“But your Majesty… I lied. I’m no prince.” Flashladdin said sadly.

“You’re so much better than that.” Twila said, holding his hoof. “You’re true of heart and noble of spirit.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Sultan Armor said, approaching the young lovers. “Flashladdin, I couldn’t have asked for somepony better to wed my daughter. Besides, who am I to argue with true love?”

“Oh, this is so beautiful! Here come the waterworks!” Genie said, trying to hold back tears.

“It’s okay, buddy. Let it out, you’re among friends here.” Spike said comforting his friend.

Flashladdin picked up the brass lamp and turned to look at the genie. “… Do I still have a wish?”

“Of course you do.” Genie said. “It’s my wedding gift to you. What will it be?”

Flashladdin smiled and started to rub the lamp. “For my final wish… I wish to set you free.”

The Genie suddenly paused and stared at Flashladdin in disbelief before another magical transformation took place. Sparkling, brightly colored magic swirled around the Genie until the golden cuffs around his wrists had vanished and the brass lamp in Flashladdin’s hooves wasted away and turned to dust. Genie floated down to the ground and looked at himself, admiring his new legs, tail, and body; he had been transformed into a tall and sleek draconequus. Genie stared at Flashladdin, unsure of what to say or do in that moment.

“I’m free? I can’t believe it. I’m free. I’m actually FREE.” He said before a thought popped into his head. “Wait, I want to be sure. Tell me to do something, wish for something outrageous. Say anything, just give me an order.”

“Uh… get me some gems.” Flashladdin suggested.

After a moment, Genie nervously said, “Get them yourself… Get your own gems.” His shocked expression quickly turned into one of sheer joy. “Oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH! That feels SO GOOD! I’m free! I’m finally free!” Genie then started to dance and bounce all over the room, unable to contain his excitement anymore. With no limit to his power, he would now be free to spread his crazy energy across the globe. Spike soon joined in on the little celebration, feeling just as free as his friend.

“You know, your Genie friend isn’t the only one facing a brand new future.” Sultan Armor said as he led Flashladdin and Twila to the balcony. Crowds of ponies had gathered around to see what all of the commotion was. The Sultan cleared his throat and looked down upon the crowd. “Good citizens of Saddle Arabia! My daughter, Twila Sparkle, has finally chosen a suitor!”

The ponies below suddenly cheered as the two lovers locked their lips in a romantic kiss. That very night, Flashladdin and Princess Twila were married and they all lived happily ever after.

The Elves and the Horseshoe Maker

Once upon a time, there was a humble horseshoe maker named Shill and his wife, AJ. They were good, honest, and hardworking ponies who lived in a small village and owned a tiny horseshoe shop, but times grew hard. In fact, they couldn’t sell any horseshoes and over time, they became very poor. Finally, they had enough material to make one final set of horseshoes.

“Is this really all we have left?” AJ asked.

“I’m afraid so, dear.” Shill said, solemnly nodding his head. He held up the leather in his hooves. “These will probably be the last horseshoes I’ll ever make.”

By the time he finished cutting the leather into the proper shapes, it was already late into the night.

“It’s late. Ya’ll can finish them in the mornin’.” His wife said.

So the horseshoe maker and his wife went to bed, leaving the cut out leather on the worktable. But when they woke up the next morning, the two ponies were shocked by what they found. There on the worktable stood four horseshoes, neatly sewn, brightly polished, and not a stitch out of place.

“…But who? HOW?” Shill sputtered; AJ could only stare.

Just then, a rather rich customer entered the little shop. He was a unicorn stallion with a white coat, a blue mane and tail, and three crowns for a cutie mark.

“Pardon me, but those shoes you have are simply exquisite. I must try them on.” He said.

Shill nervously offered the customer the horseshoes and they fit him perfectly; it was as if they were mare just for him.

“They’re perfect! I’ll take them!” He exclaimed as he gave Shill a pouch of gold bits.

Shill used the money he earned to buy food and there was so much left over that he decided to buy some more materials, enough to make two more sets of horseshoes. That night, he cut it out and went to bed early. And in the morning, it happened again. Two more sets of beautifully made horseshoes were found. Customers weren’t lacking and just like before, they were so pleased that they paid double, triple, or even quadruple the price.

As time went by, whatever material Shill cut out in the evening was made into horseshoes and finished by morning. Soon, the news of their little shop spread throughout the town, and Shill and AJ were no longer poor.

One evening, not long before Hearth’s Warming Eve, as Shill cut out more leather for shoes, his wife approached him.

“Shill, this is more astoundin’ than anythin’ I’ve ever seen.” She said. “But I just want to know who’s been makin’ these horseshoes for us? They helped us so much now; I feel we have a right to know who they really are. Aren’t you the least bit curious?”

“Of course I am, AJ.” Shill replied before he thought of something. “Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t we stay up tonight and see who comes to our shop?”

AJ agreed. That very night, they lit a small lamp, hid behind their drapes, and waited. As the clock struck midnight, they heard a window creak open and quick, tiny hoofsteps heading towards Shill’s worktable. AJ and Shill peeked out from behind the curtain and to their surprise, they saw two elves! One was pink with a cotton candy like mane and bright blue eyes and the other was orange with a poofy brown mane and green eyes and they were making new horseshoes from the cut pieces of leather. They sewed, hammered, and polished, happily singing and humming to themselves all the while. Soon, the shoes were finished and the elves scampered off.

The moment they were gone, the two ponies could hardly believe it.

“Those elves were the ones helping us this whole time?” Shill asked in disbelief.

“Apparently so.” AJ replied. “They made us rich and did so many things for us, we oughta do something for them in return.”

“Like what?”

“Hmmm… Oh, I know! We could make them new clothes! Did you see the rags they were wearing? The poor little sugarcubes must be freezin’.”

“New clothes, huh? Let’s do it!”

The next day, Shill and AJ set to work. AJ tried her best to sew new clothes and Shill made them new sturdy shoes of their own. That night, instead of laying out leather, they laid out the gifts, hid behind the curtain and waited. At midnight, the elves slipped into the shop ready for another night’s work. But instead of finding leather or anything of the sort, they found the beautiful gifts.

At first, they were too astonished to move. Then they looked at each other and quickly put on their new clothes and shoes. When they were dressed, the elves leaped and bounced around the room in joy. They jumped over chairs, raced around the shop, and finally ran out the door. The click and clack of their new horse shoes echoed through the streets.

From that day on, the elves didn’t return and were never seen again. But the horseshoe maker and his wife still prospered and they lived happily ever after.

The Jeweled Touch

Once upon a time in a grand kingdom far away, there lived a beautiful queen named Rarity and her little sister, Princess Sweetie Belle. The Queen ruled her kingdom fairly and kindly, but the kingdom itself was always a little short of cash and she wanted to help, but she hadn’t a clue.

One lovely spring day as she was walking through the royal gardens, Queen Rarity happened upon a strange sight. It was a small dragon with purple and green scales laying sound asleep in her rose bushes.

“Oh my! Where did you come from?” The Queen asked, gently nudging the dragon awake.

“Wha-huh? What happened? How long was I out?” The dragon asked before noticing the Queen standing over him.

“Hello there, little one. Are you alright?” Queen Rarity asked.

“Me? Oh, I’m fine.” The dragon replied.

“Good. Now, would you care to tell me who you are and what you’re doing in my garden?”

“Your garden?” The dragon rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked around. He blushed at the Queen. “Oh! Uh, sorry about that. My name is Sir Spike. I had a big lunch and I guess I fell asleep. I didn’t mean to trespass.”

“Oh, it’s quite alright.”

“And you know what? To make up for it? Why don’t I grant you a wish?”

Queen Rarity’s eyes widened. “A wish?!”

“That’s right! Name your wish and you shall have it.”

“Oh, that sounds wonderful! But what could I possibly wish for?” The Queen thought for a moment, and then it came to her. “Is there a way I can help make my kingdom richer? We were always a bit short of bits.”

“More money for your people? Okay then. What kind of money would you like? We have dollars, gold, silver, jewels…”

“Oooh, jewels! Jewels, please! I adore gems!”

“Very good. We’ve got jeweled crowns, jeweled shoes, jeweled eyes, Jeweled Touch…”

“Wait, wait, wait! What was that last one?”

“Jeweled touch?”

“Yes! Yes, that’s the one!”

“Ah, excellent choice! Now hold still, this won’t hurt a bit.”

Sir Spike then flapped his wings, flew up closer to the Queen’s face, took a deep breath, and blew a tiny bit of fire onto her horn. He smiled and floated back down to the ground.

“There we go. Now you have the Jeweled Touch.” He said proudly. “If you ever need me again, just call me and I’ll be here faster than you can say ‘salsa verde’. Okay?”

“Um, alright then. Thank you.” The Queen said.

And with that, Sir Spike flapped his wings again and flew off, leaving Queen Rarity alone with her thoughts and her new Jeweled Touch. She glanced up at her horn, wondering how this Jeweled Touch thing worked. But that was when her younger sister, the Princess, walked up to her.

“Everything alright, big sis?” Princess Sweetie Belle asked.

“Hm? Oh yes, yes. Everything is fine, little sister.” The Queen replied. “I’m just wondering how this Jeweled Touch works.”

“Jeweled what now?” The filly questioned.

Then the Queen looked around her rose garden. “I suppose there's only one way to find out.”

She activated her magic and when the tip of her horn touched one of the beautiful red roses, the flower instantly transformed. It had sparkling ruby petals and an emerald stem. The two ponies gasped in shock.

“Oh my!” The Queen exclaimed. “Sweetie Belle, did you see that?! I just turned this lovely rose into something even LOVELIER! Anything my magic touches turns to a different kind of gemstone! Isn’t that fantastic?!”

“THAT’S the Jeweled Touch?!” The Princess cried.

“Yes it is, dear sister! Now come! We must inform the rest of the kingdom at once!” Queen Rarity cheered, galloping off and giggling with glee. Even thought she felt rather uneasy about this situation, Princess Sweetie Belle ran after her sister.

Word quickly got out about the Queen’s new Jeweled Touch and hundreds of ponies were lined up to meet the Queen so she could bejewel their belongings. Now the kingdom was richer and more dazzling than ever before. After hours of turning various items to gems, the Queen grew tired and hungry, so she decided to stop for dinner. A great meal was prepared and the royal sisters sat down to eat, but the moment the Queen picked up a bunch of grapes from her newly bedazzled fruit bowl, the grapes turned to amethyst in her magical embrace.

She cried out, dropping the grapes. “What in the world?!”

Then she picked up a loaf of bread, only for the crumbs to harden into jasper stone. Then she picked up an apple, but it turned into a large, sparkling garnet.

“What is going on?! This is too much!” The Queen cried in exasperation, tears of frustration starting to well up in her eyes.

“Oh, don’t worry, sis.” The Princess said, rushing over to comfort her sister. She used her own magic to wipe Rarity’s tears with a hanky.

“Oh, Sweetie Belle. This Jeweled Touch seems to be a lot more trouble than it’s worth.” Queen Rarity said. “But I’ve only had it for less than a day. Is this how it’s going to be all the time?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” The filly replied.

The Queen levitated the hanky up to her face to wipe off her running mascara, but it quickly turned to a large shard of foggy white quartz. “Oh, for the love of—” She started before she felt something touch her horn; then there was silence. “Sweetie Belle? What are you—?” The Queen said before she gasped in shock and terror; her beloved sister had been transformed into a sparkling crystal statue. She had touched the tip of Queen Rarity’s horn with her hoof and the magic had done its work.

“No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Sweetie Belle, my one and only sister! What have I done?!” The Queen screamed in horror and sadness. “Oh, this is all my fault! If only I hadn’t asked for that ridiculous Jeweled Touch! This isn’t a gift, it’s a CURSE! Woe is me! No! I must get her back! I must! As Celestia is my witness, I shall be rid of this wretched curse forever!”

She stood up and called out, “Spike! Sir Spike! I need you!”

And soon enough, Sir Spike had returned in a flash of green fire. “Hello, my Queen. You called?”

“Yes, yes I did. Please, I need your help!” Queen Rarity begged.

“Well, what seems to be the problem?” The dragon asked.

“…What seems to be the problem? Look around!” She screamed. “I can’t eat, drink, or even use my magic without anything I pick up turning to jewels! And look at my sister! My sweet, beautiful little sister! I turned her into a statue of crystal!” The Queen wept bitterly as she buried her face in her hooves. “I would do anything to have my sister back! Please, help me!”

“Really?”

“Yes, really! What do I have to do to make this Jeweled Touch go away?!”

“It’s easy. You just have to do two things.”

“Yes?”

“First, you have to say you don’t want any jewels and mean it.”

“Alright, alright. I don’t want any gems! Love and friendship are more important than all of the precious stones in the world!”

“That’s it, good!”

“And the second thing?”

“And second… you have to dunk your head in the nearest river and your Jeweled Touch will be gone forever.”

The Queen’s eyes widened; she wasn’t expecting that. “Dunk my head in the river?”

“Yep. Your horn is where the power is coming from, isn’t it?”

Queen Rarity hesitated for a moment, but then looked at her petrified sister and immediately made her decision. She went out into the forest, went up to the closest river she could find, took a deep breath, and dunked her head into the river water. The moment she did, the power of the Jeweled Touch drained from her horn. After a moment, she shot back up, shaking the water from her name and face. And when she made it back to her castle, the Queen was elated to find Princess Sweetie Belle restored to life and her palace back to its former glory.

“Sweetie Belle, my beloved sister! I am so sorry about all of this! I was so caught up with this touch that I lost my head! Can you ever forgive me?” Rarity asked.

“Of course, Rarity.” The Princess said, hugging her big sister tightly. “I’m just glad everything is back to normal.”

“I am, too.” The Queen smiled and hugged the filly back.

The two sisters were reunited and they and all of the townsponies rejoiced. The kingdom was still rather poor, but Queen Rarity tried other ways to help her people. And from that day on, she ruled with even more kindness, compassion, and generosity than she had before and they all lived happily ever after.

The King and His Donkey Ears

Once upon a time in a kingdom far away, there lived a unicorn king named Neighsay. And his wife, Queen Cinch, ruled their kingdom very strictly and nopony ever dared to break the rules they made in fear of being brutally punished. One day, the King was in his room, staring at himself in the mirror as he was fixing up a new hat he was wearing.

“There. No one will notice them now.” He said to himself.

“Neighsay, darling?” A female voice said.

Neighsay quickly turned around to see his wife, Cinch standing in the doorway. “Yes, Cinch? What may I do for you, dear?”

“I just came to tell you that it’s time for your scheduled haircut.” The Queen said.

“It is?” The King asked nervously.

“Yes. However, I received word that your original barber has the flu and won’t be able to make it for fear of you catching it, too. So they’ve sent somepony else.”

That was when a young filly with a light brown coat, a red mane, yellow green eyes, freckles on her cheeks, and a pair of scissors for a cutie mark stepped in; she was carrying a saddle bag filled with brushes, combs, scissors, and other mane styling tools.

“Hello, Your Majesty.” She greeted.

“A filly? They sent a mere FILLY to cut my mane?” The King asked in disbelief and disgust.

“I’m afraid so.” The Queen answered. “And don’t even think about trying to get another barber. Everypony else is busy with other clients and Miss Babs Seed here is all you’ve got.”

“I may still be an apprentice, but I’m really good. Just give me a chance and I’ll prove it.” Babs Seed said.

Neighsay was growing incredibly nervous at this point. “Uh, you know what? Let’s not do this today. Just send her home.”

“What are you saying?” Cinch asked, sounding shocked. “She’s come for you. Besides, as King, your appearance is VERY important. Just let her give you a nice, easy haircut and everything will be fine.”

The King put a hoof to his head and looked away, not saying a word. The Queen shook her head before turning back to Babs.

“Now, Miss Seed. Be a dear and give my husband a decent haircut, won’t you?” She asked.

“Of course, I’ll do my best.” Babs said with confidence.

“You’d better, or you know the consequences.”

“Uh… yes, ma’am.”

And with that, the Queen walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving the filly mane stylist alone with the King. Acting fast, Babs set her saddle bag down and got her things ready for Neighsay’s haircut. Finally, she was all set.

“Okay. Go and have a seat, Your Majesty.” Babs instructed; Neighsay reluctantly sat down on the cushion with his back turned to the filly. “Now if you’ll just remove your hat, we’ll get started right away.”

“I can’t do that.” Neighsay said quickly.

“What? But I can’t cut your mane with this hat on.”

“No! You must cut my mane with it on!”

“But I said I can’t do that.”

“That’s why I said not today!”

Having enough with the King’s childish behavior, Babs decided to take matters into her own hooves. She reached up behind and snatched the King’s hat with her teeth, but he used his magic to keep the hat on his head. And after a few seconds of pulling back and forth, Babs finally managed to pull the King’s hat off, but she gasped when she saw what was underneath. She saw that King Neighsay had the long ears of a donkey.

“Oh no! What have you done, you fool?!” Neighsay shouted, covering his ears with his hooves.

“What in the…? What happened to your ears, Your Majesty?” Babs asked.

Neighsay didn’t want to tell her anything, but he eventually gave in and told the filly what happened to him.

“It happened just yesterday afternoon.” He explained. “I was down for a walk at the beach when I heard something. It sounded like singing, so I decided to follow it. But when I made my way to the source of the sound, I discovered that the singing was coming from three vile creatures! They looked like ugly horses with fangs, fins, and long fish tails. I couldn’t accept that the beautiful music I was hearing was coming from such hideous beings. So I told them to be silent and leave my kingdom or they would suffer the consequences. But do you know what they did to me?”

“No.”

“They glared at me and said, ‘You insolent pony! Those tiny ears of yours are useless! This is what such ears will get you!’ And in a bright red flash, I discovered these donkey ears and I’ve been hiding them ever since.”

“So those creatures cursed you because you didn’t like their singing?”

“There was much more to it than that, but… yes.” The King then turned his head to Babs and narrowed his eyes at her. “Now listen up, young filly. You mustn’t tell ANYPONY about this!”

Babs’s eyes grew wide. “What? Why not?”

“These ears are humiliating! And if anypony found out about them, I would be the laughing stock of the entire kingdom!” He put his hat back on. “Tell no one, or else.”

“Uh… or else what?” Babs asked, taking a nervous step back.

“If you DO tell anyone, I’ll have you executed at once! UNDERSTAND?!”

“…Understood, Your Majesty.”

As she was walking through the village to head to her next client, Babs kept her mouth shut and didn’t talk to anypony she passed by; she didn’t even stop to say hello because she was so afraid that she would accidentally spill King Neighsay’s secret. When she was approached by her closest friends, she quickly fought back the desire to tell them what she had just learned and ran off without saying another word. Then she made her way to her next client’s house; she was due for another appointment. As Babs was cutting her customer’s mane, she remained silent while focusing on her work.

“Hey, you’re awfully quiet today.” The happy pink mare who was having her mane styled. “Is everything okay? Why don’t we chat like always?”

“Oh yeah? What would you like to chat about?” Babs asked, trying to remain calm.

“Anything, really. How’s your day going so far? Did anything interesting happen today? I heard you went to cut the King’s mane today. How was that? Do tell.”

Babs nearly froze, her memories of the King’s donkey ears quickly coming back. “The King? Oh, uh… His Majesty is fine, as usual. Could you excuse me for a second, please?”

She then walked off to another room, took a cushion from the sofa, and screamed her frustrations into it; the poor filly had no idea how difficult it was to keep such a secret. She wanted to tell somepony, but she knew she couldn’t or she would be punished. After a minute or two of trying to calm down, Babs finally regained her cool and set back to work. But she was so focused on the King’s ears that she almost didn’t realize what she was doing until she was finished.

“All done, ma’am.” Babs said, passing her client a mirror.

The mare looked in the mirror and gasped. Babs tensed up and covered her eyes with her hoof in fear, realizing what she had just done. She had just styled the mare’s hair to look like a pair of donkey ears. But when she opened her eyes, she saw that the mare didn’t seem upset.

“Ooh, what a cute new manestyle! I LOVE it!” She exclaimed, hopping up and down excitedly; Babs sighed in relief.

Over the next several days, Babs kept quiet about the King’s ears, but the secret consumed her. And during that time, the donkey ear hairstyle grew quite popular around town and it even became all the rage. Almost everypony in town was wearing their mane like that; even the Queen had her mane done exactly like it… which shocked the King, to say the least. One evening at the stroke of sunset, Babs finally had enough. She was having dinner with her older sister, Sunflower, when she cried out,

“I can’t take it!”

“Can’t take what?” Sunflower asked.

“Oh, Sunflower! It’s awful! I know something about the King I shouldn’t tell anyone! If I do tell anypony, he’ll have me killed! But I’m going to be sick if I don’t say it out loud! It’s practically eating me up inside!”

“A secret about the King?”

“Yeah.” Then, Babs had an idea. “Hey, wait. Isn’t there some place I can go where I can talk about it?”

“Well… there is an old pond in the forest outside of town. Nopony ever goes out there.”

“That’s PERFECT!”

“But are you sure you—”

Before Sunflower could say another word, Babs was already running out the door and towards the forest. When she finally made it to the pond, she grinned.

“Wow, my sis was right! I can shout out the secret here all I want!” She said, but then she looked around to make sure she wasn’t being followed. She giggled. “What am I worried about? The only ones listening out here are these silly reeds. And what can they do?” Taking a deep breath, Babs screamed out, “King Neighsay has donkey ears!” And she quickly flopped down onto the ground in relief, breathing deeply. “Phew! I am so glad I finally got that off my chest! I’m feeling better already.”

That night while everyone was asleep, a wind blew in the forest and the reeds that surrounded the pond rustled and carried the echoes of Babs’s words through the breeze.

“King Neighsay has donkey ears. King Neighsay has donkey ears. King Neighsay has donkey ears. King Neighsay has donkey ears. King Neighsay has donkey ears. King Neighsay has donkey ears.”

At the sound, a few donkeys raised their heads in recognition and a few ponies chuckled to themselves at the follies of their ruler. And soon enough, everypony in the entire land knew the King’s terrible secret… and the King was not happy at all. He summoned Babs to the castle that very night and the terrified filly stood before the King, awaiting her fate.

“Young filly, you’ve broken your promise!” He screamed at her.

“No, Your Majesty! I didn’t! I never told anypony!” Babs said, trying to explain herself.

“Likely story! Who did you tell?!”

“Nopony, I swear!”

“Hmph. I’ll know the truth soon enough.”

That was when a unicorn guard in gold and white armor ran up to the King; it was the Captain of the Guard.

“There you are, Captain. Did you find out who spread the rumor?” Neighsay asked.

“Yes, sire.” The Captain said.

“Well, who was it?”

“No, Your Majesty. Not a who, but a what. The reeds did it, sire.”

Neighsay was dumbstruck when he heard this. “The… the REEDS?!”

“That’s right. It was the reed leaves whispering the rumor in the wind.” The Captain replied.

Babs’s expression changed from scared to surprised. “Huh, didn’t see that coming.”

“Then if it was the reeds, that means that this child is innocent.” Queen Cinch said, walking up to Babs. She turned to her husband. “Now that everyone knows the truth, why don’t you go ahead and take off that silly hat once and for all, my dear?”

Neighsay sighed in defeat. “Ugh. I guess there’s no point in hiding them anymore.” He activated his magic and removed his hat, showing off his enlarged ears. “I can’t believe it. All of this happened because I told off those creatures.”

“What creatures, dear?” The Queen asked.

“I think he’s talking about the Sirens, Your Majesty.” Babs told Cinch.

Neighsay’s eyes popped. “Sirens…? …YOU KNEW WHAT THEY WERE ALL ALONG?!”

“Uh, sort of.” Babs casually answered. “They’re creatures with the ability to charm ponies with their music, but they also use their power to stir up trouble and feed off of the negative energy. And I have a feeling that they cursed you not because you caught them trespassing, but they saw that you resisted their music and called them ugly, I guess.”

“And you know all of this how?” Queen Cinch asked.

“I learned about the Sirens in school. Pretty recently, in fact.”

“Well, why didn’t you say something before?!”

“I didn’t know before! Geez, gimme a break! But I guess this whole mess could’ve been avoided if you weren’t acting so high and mighty and nasty in the first place.”

Neighsay groaned, putting his hooves over his face in frustration. Then he let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re right, Babs Seed. I never should’ve insulted those creatures to begin with.”

As he spoke that last sentence, a magical transformation began to take place. The King’s ears had shrunken back to their original size. Cinch, Babs, and the guards on duty all gasped while Neighsay gave them a confused look.

“What?” He asked, unaware of the event that just transpired.

“Um, dear? You might wish to take a look at this.” Cinch said levitating a mirror over to her husband.

Neighsay looked in the mirror and saw that his was back to his old self and the curse the Sirens had placed upon him was lifted. He gasped.

“What?! But how?” He asked in disbelief.

“Maybe it’s because you finally learned your lesson, Your Majesty.” Babs said.

“Yes. And you know, you’re still yourself, even if you had enchanted donkey ears.” The Queen added.

The King paused, then he got up from his throne and walked up to Babs. After a moment, he put a hoof on her shoulder and said, “…Thank you, for everything.”

Babs smiled at him before they shook hooves. From that moment on, both the King and his Queen lifted most of the rules and laws they’ve set and they ruled their kingdom with kindness, Babs Seed was rewarded for what she had done and was made the new official royal mane stylist, and they all lived happily ever after.

The Three Filly Goats Gruff

Once upon a time in a small quiet forest, there lived three little goats. Their names were Gruff-a-loo, Gruffy Belle, and Apple Gruff and they were the best of friends. One sunny day, the trio went out to their favorite meadow for lunch, but to their horror, there was hardly any grass at all.

“Uh oh. Now what?” Gruffy Belle asked.

“Don’t worry, girls. Look.” Apple Gruff said, pointing a hoof in the direction of a meadow filled with lush green grass; it was on the other side of the river. “There’s plenty of grass over there.”

“All we have to do is cross the bridge.” Gruff-a-loo chimed in. “Last one there is a rotten apple!”

But before she could even get close to the bridge, Gruff-a-loo felt her tail being yanked on. It was Gruffy Belle and she was pulling her back towards them.

“Wait! We can’t cross that bridge!” She said, letting go of her friend.

“Why not?” Gruff-a-loo asked as she got back onto her hooves.

“Didn’t you hear?” Apple Gruff chimed in. “There’s a nasty old troll that lives under that bridge. And if anyone dares to cross, he catches them and eats them.”

“What?” Gruff-a-loo scoffed. “Oh please. I’m not afraid of some troll.”

Just then, Apple Gruff had a though. “Girls, I think I have an idea. It’s crazy, but I think it’ll be crazy enough to work.” She pulled her friends closer to her and whispered her idea to them. After a few moments, they split. “You get what I’m sayin’?”

“I think so, yeah.” Gruffy Belle replied, nodding her head.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s do it!” Gruff-a-loo exclaimed before trotting towards the bridge.

“You really think this’ll work?” Gruffy Belle asked.

“I don’t know, but it’s at least worth a try.” Apple Gruff answered.

Gruff-a-loo started to make her way across the bridge, but as she was almost halfway across, a large figure made its way in front of her and blocked her way. It was tall and fat with green scales for skin, claws, and sharp teeth. It was Sludge the dragon troll.

“Who’s crossing my bridge?” He asked before noticing Gruff-a-loo. He perked up and smiled. “Ooooh, a little filly goat? What luck! And just in time for breakfast.” He licked his lips.

Gruff-a-loo took a step back and said, “No, wait! I’m… far too small to be a good enough breakfast for you. Wait for my friend; she’s a lot bigger and tastier than me.”

Sludge paused and thought, even though thinking wasn’t his strongest asset. He was hungry, but he was willing to wait for a supposedly bigger morsel. “…Okay, fine. Get lost.” He made his way back under the bridge to wait.

“Okay!” The little goat said before speeding off towards the grass. “Phew.” She wiped her brow and started to munch.

“So far so good.” Apple Gruff said with a grin. “Your turn, Gruffy Belle.”

“Okay, here goes nothing.” Gruffy Belle said before making her way towards the bridge.

But as she was halfway across the bridge, Sludge jumped up in front of her and blocked her path, just like he did with Gruff-a-loo.

“Who’s crossing my bridge?” He asked. He licked his lips and narrowed his eyes at Gruffy Belle. “A second filly goat? And definitely better fit for my breakfast.”

“No, not me!” She cried out. “I’m hardly a snack for a mean old troll like you. Wait for my friend; she’s a lot bigger and tastier than me.” She batted her eyes innocently.

Even though he was extra cranky and even hungrier than before, he again decided to wait for an even bigger morsel. “Fine. Beat it!” He went back under the bridge to wait.

“You got it!” Gruffy Belle quickly said before racing off towards the grass to join her friend. “Phew. Made it.”

“Great. Now it’s Apple Gruff’s turn. Let’s hope this works.” Gruff-a-loo commented. Gruffy Belle nodded as the pair watched the scene unfold.

“Well, that’s my cue.” Apple Gruff said to herself before trotting towards the bridge.

And just like before, Sludge jumped up onto the bridge and blocked Apple Gruff’s path as she was halfway across.

“Who’s crossing my bridge?” He asked. He smiled, licked his lips, and rubbed his hands together as he glared at the little got before him. “A third filly goat? Oooh, and not a moment too soon. I’m beyond famished. Yum, yum.”

“Howdy.” Apple Gruff said before she gave her friends a wink; they winked back at her. “Before you eat me, Mr. Sludge, I’d like to say those are very pretty flowers growing by the bridge.”

“Flowers? Bah! Who cares?”

“I do. And I bet they smell as sweet as they look pretty. Don’t you think?”

“I, uh…” Sludge stopped; he didn’t know. “…actually, I don’t know what they smell like.”

“Well, why don’t you sniff them and find out?” Apple Gruff bounced her eyebrows at him and gave him a smirk; she knew how gullible he was.

Sludge rolled his eyes. “If I do, will you get off my back and let me eat you?”

“Whatever you say.”

So Sludge went to the other side of the bridge to smell the flowers. But as he was bending over to sniff them, Apple Gruff and her friends snuck him behind him and head butted him as hard as they could. Sludge cried out as he fell forward straight into the river and he struggled to stay afloat as he was carried away by the current, never to be seen again. The three little goats cheered and jumped for joy as they waved goodbye to the nasty troll.

“So long, Sludge!” Gruffy Belle called out.

“Later, loser!” Gruff-a-loo added.

“Happy trails!” Apple Gruff chimed in. “See, girls? I told you my plan would work.” She grinned before all three of their stomachs grumbled. “…Lunchtime!”

Her friends nodded. Then the trio of goats ate all of the fresh green grass they could ever want. After that, the three friends could all cross the bridge whenever they wanted and eat their fill of grass. And from that day on, they lived happily ever after.

Robin Armor of Trottingham

Once upon a time in a grand forest called Everwood, there was a stallion who everypony called Robin Armor. Everyone who knew of this stallion, they knew that his target was injustice. Legend has it that Robin Armor was once a wealthy noble pony, but he turned outlaw in order to help the poor and depressed ponies of the land of Trottingham. Robin Armor lived in the Everwood Forest with a band of free ponies who were all dedicated to help the poor survive the cruelty of the rich. The kingdom was in very bad shape. The wise and benevolent queen had been captured overseas and held for ransom. While she was away, the “fat cats” had taken over. So it was up to Robin Armor to help, when nopony else would.

One day, an extravagant and expensive looking carriage was riding through the Everwood Forest when Robin Armor spotted them. He jumped in front of the carriage, refusing to budge.

“Halt! Stand and deliver!” He shouted.

“Here now, peasant.” A grey unicorn stallion said as he stuck his head out the window. “How do you dare to stop me? I am Lord Jet Set.”

“And I am a simple forester,” said Robin, approaching the carriage doors, “who demands you to pay a fair toll for passing on my highway.”

Jet Set exited the carriage and said with a sneer, “We have no time for such foolishness. Kill him. And do press on. It’s nearly nightfall—”

The moment he said that, Robin took out his bow with his magic and shot an arrow at the stallion’s robes the inside of the carriage door. Jet Set stared in disbelief at the pony standing before him.

“Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear.” The stallion scoffed with a smirk. “I am Robin Armor. Now let’s try this again. Why don’t you tell me how much money you’re carrying and we’ll agree to a fair toll. Be honest with me and I’ll be fair with you.”

“We are just a few poor pilgrims, making our way towards the next town,” stammered the stallion, “All of the money we have we carry in this little purse.”

He tossed a small leather bound bag at Robin’s hooves and he picked it up with his magic, inspecting it curiously. He raised an eyebrow at Jet Set.

“Really…” He said. “Well, if you are a poor pilgrim, I’ll double your money. But if you’re lying, you lose everything. Oh, Little Mac!”

A tall earth stallion with a red coat and green eyes suddenly appeared next to one of the guards.

“Search the carriage, will you?” Robin said.

“Right away,” replied Little Mac.

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that!” Jet Set said nervously.

“Did you hear that, fellows?” Robin asked. “He says he can’t allow it. What say you?”

It was then that a few more ponies who were hiding in the forest had raised their bows and aimed their arrows at Jet Set, ready to shoot if he didn’t cooperate. Jet Set froze and turned back to the leader.

“Uh, um… G-G-G-G-Go ahead, search the carriage.” He sputtered, trying to remain calm. “You’ll find nothing in there. I assure you.”

So Little Mac went inside and searched the carriage… only to find a large gilded treasure chest. He took it out and showed it to his friend.

“Nothing, eh my Lord?” Robin asked.

“I found this under the seat.” Little Mac said as he stood beside the grey unicorn.

“I warned you not to lie to me.” Robin said, glaring daggers at Jet Set.

“I… I’ve never seen that before!” Jet Set quickly said. “It must’ve been left there by the ponies who had the carriage before us. I just rented it this morning, truly. Don’t hurt me!”

Robin looked at his Marey Men and said, “Well then… we’ll just take it and make sure it gets back to its rightful owner. And now, I think you’d best be off.”

He pointed his hoof away and the carriage started to drive away, with Jet Set still clinging to it.

“You cannot escape the law forever, Robin Armor!” The unicorn warned. “I’ll tell the Sheriff of Trottingham about this and then he’ll get you!”

When the carriage was out of sight, Robin looked at Little Mac. “Since when did they start decorating carriages with pompous, spoiled ponies like that?”

“Must be a new fashion.” Little Mac joked before opening the chest; it was filled with gold, silver, and all kinds of jewels.

“Little Mac, you have to send one third of this money to help pay the Queen’s ransom.” Robin said.

“Right. The sooner the ransom is paid, the sooner the Queen can return to set things right.” Little Mac added.

“All of you, take a little of this to give to the poor of your villages. I’ll take the rest to give to the poor of Trottingham. We all meet at the camp later tonight.”

Later that same day, Robin snuck into the village of Trottingham to give away the money he had just taken. But he had to be careful, so he went into town dressed as a simpler peddler. Robin Armor had to be a master of disguise because the evil Sheriff of Trottingham was always on the lookout for him. He had to make sure the money he took from the rich went to the poor; when he arrived, the Sheriff was already out and about and taking from the poorer ponies of the village. It was a heartbreaking sight; stallions and mares were begging, foals were crying, and the Sherriff just laughed at their misfortune as if it was all just a big game to him.

“Pots! Who will buy my pots? Lovely pots for sale!” Robin Armor cried out in a disguised voice. An elderly earth pony approached the pot vendor. “Here you are, madam. Why don’t you try this one?”

He offered her one of the bowls; she looked and was surprised to see coins of gold and silver inside. She looked at the stallion in shock.

“How did…?” The mare started.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m Robin Armor. Now go tell those who need it most to sample my pots.” Robin whispered.

“You got it, ya whippersnapper.” The mare said before going off to tell some more ponies of the pot vendor.

Soon enough, Robin’s stand was surrounded by ponies of all kinds. They could hardly believe what they were seeing. Inside almost every pot and bowl were a bit of money and even a few gems. This caused quite a bit of commotion, which quickly caught Sheriff Blueblood’s attention. He and his guards approached.

“A very good day for you, isn’t it peddler?” Blueblood questioned.

“Not bad, my lord. Not bad at all.” Robin said, remaining calm.

“Pardon me, but I don’t believe I’ve seen you here before.”

“Oh, I arrived only today.”

“Is that so? Since you prosper, I’m sure you won’t mind paying my special tax.” Blueblood picked up a pouch of coins with his magic and tossed it to one of his guards.

“Oh really?! I’ve had a very odd day already.” Robin scoffed. “I went through the Everwood Forest on my way over here and I stumbled upon that no good rascal, Robin Armor, and do you know what he did? He stole off my pots!”

Blueblood’s eyes suddenly widened at the mention of Robin Armor; he looked back at the unicorn standing before him.

“Robin Hood?! You’ve been to his camp!?” The Sheriff exclaimed.

“Yes indeed, sir. I’ll never forget it!” Robin replied.

“Could you find your way back there? If I capture Robin Armor, I’ll reward you.”

“I’ll take you and your guards there at once.”

“Oh, no, no, no. I’ll go alone to scout the location so my stallions can return and sniff out the villain himself. Now come, show me.”

Robin smiled. “As you wish, my lord.”

So he led Sheriff Blueblood out of the village and towards the forest. The two ponies walked and walked through the Everwood Forest and Blueblood was growing more and more impatient.

“How much longer, peddler?” He asked as he stopped to sit down.

“Not too far now, my lord.” Robin lied.

“You’ve been saying that for the past hour.”

“But it’ll all be worth it, I assure you.”

“It’d better be worth it. Oh, think of it. When I finally capture Robin Armor, I will be Sheriff for life.” He stood up and smirked at the peddler who turned around to face him. “Unfortunately, I cannot afford to share the glory. No witnesses.”

“Hey, now!” Robin cried in false surprise. “That’s no way to treat someone who just helped you! Is it, Little Mac?”

“Indeed it ain’t.” Little Mac chuckled as he and the rest of the Marey Men came out of the forest. “Downright rude.”

The Marey Men all surrounded the peddler and looked at the Sheriff, who had a look of pure shock on his face. They all had sly smiles.

“The Marey Men? And… and you’re—” He stuttered.

“Robin Armor, at your service, sir.” Robin Armor spat as he removed his disguise.

“No, no, no! Don’t kill me! I beg you, please spare my life!” Blueblood cried as he kneeled before Robin, tears started falling from his face.

Robin rolled his eyes. “Ugh, I can’t stand to see a grown stallion cry. There, there. Now why don’t you hand over that purse and belt of yours?” Without hesitation, Blueblood removed his belt and tossed it to Robin. “Good, good. And how about all those nice clothes? We could use some nice clothes.”

As quickly as he gave up his belt, he started to take off all of his clothes as fast as he could. The Marey Men all watched in amusement as the baffled Sheriff undress.

“Little Mac, do we have anything for the good Sheriff to wear home?” Robin asked.

“With those eyes and that complexion, it might be a toughie.” Little Mac answered. “But I think I have just the thing.”

“Oh, this’ll be good.” Robin smiled.

In the village of Trottingham, the Sheriff was forced to walk around dressed in a mare’s gown with lots of pink, ribbon, lace, ruffles, and frills. It was humiliating and everypony in the village was laughing at him as he walked through the streets. As of now, Blueblood had vowed revenge on Robin Armor.

Many days went by and the Sherriff dared Robin Armor to show his face. And he also knew that he couldn’t resist a proper challenge, as long as he succeeded in the end of course. So he held a large archery competition, knowing Robin wouldn’t be able to resist showing up to win it. He again wore a disguise, this time as a humble farmer. The other archers who competed were very good, but Robin was better than anypony else and was in the lead. Robin Armor’s beloved, the beautiful Maid Cadance, was able to see through all of his clever disguises.

With a smile, she approached her love. “Your aim is true, good farmer.”

“Oh? Well, I’m no Robin Armor.” Robin said in a different voice; he bowed before her. “But thank you very much, fair lady.”

“You’d be better off if you were no Robin Hood.”

“Oh, but of course.”

When no one was looking, Cadance brought her voice to a whisper. “Oh, Robin, my sweet. Can’t you see that this is a trap?”

“Relax, my darling.” Robin whispered back. “Half of the many archers here are very ‘merry’ men, if you get my meaning. Besides, who could turn down a challenge like this?” He winked.

And at that moment, the two ponies shared a small kiss.

“Attention!” Sheriff Blueblood announced. “The time has come for the final round of our little competition. There are only two contestants left; our very own Spearhead of the Royal Guard…” He proudly smiled and applauded, but no pony else clapped as enthusiastically as he did. “…and the mysterious farmer from Nowhere Shades.” He rolled his eyes.

The crowd applauded and cheered like mad at the mention of Robin’s alias.

“This is the final target,” said the Sheriff as he gestured towards the target behind him, “May the best one’s arrow fly true.”

After a moment of silence, the guard aimed his arrow and hit a bull’s-eye, everypony cheered.

Robin turned his head to the Sheriff and said, “I beg your pardon, but this Spearhead is a wonderful archer, sir. What do you say we call it a draw? I wouldn’t want to embarrass anypony.”

“Oh, there will be no draws. There will be a winner…” Blueblood taunted. “…unless, of course, your arrow lands exactly as close as Spearhead’s.”

“If you say so, my lord.” Robin said, taking out another arrow.

He aimed his arrow, shot it, and… it split Spearhead’s arrow in half! Everyone applauded and cheered at Robin’s magnificent shot.

“I guess it’s a tie! Let’s hear it for Spearhead!” Robin announced as his Marey Men surrounded Spearhead and congratulated him.

“Step forward, good farmer.” Blueblood said as Robin walked towards him. He unsheathed his sword, glaring darkly at Robin. “You receive your reward.”

“Robin, look out!” Cadance yelled in terror.

“That’s no way to reward the winners!” Robin cried as he ran out of the way just in time.

“We’re out numbered!” He cried to his Marey Men, “Back to the forest!”

As Maid Cadance was about to follow her beloved and the others into the Everwood, the Sheriff and another group of guards restrained her.

“I think you’ll have to stay with me, milady.” Blueblood said smugly.

“No! Robin!” She cried.

“Cadance! I’m coming!” Robin exclaimed, stopping to look back at his love.

But Little Mac quickly stopped him. “Not now, Robin!”

He took Robin by the hoof and led him back to the forest with the others. Robin felt so guilty for leaving Cadance behind; he lay by the fire.

“Don’t worry, Robin. We’ll figure something out, I know we will.” Little Mac said, trying to comfort his friend.

“If only I’d taken her with us, I should’ve.” Robin said. “If only I knew she was alright, if I had some kind of sign.”

An arrow was immediately shot out of nowhere and it nearly hit Robin in the head. Little Mac saw that there was a message from the Sheriff tied to it.

“What does it say?” Robin asked.

“It’s ridiculous.” Mac said as he put the note down; his brow was furrowed. “He wants you to give yourself up in exchange for Maid Cadance’s freedom.”

“I’ll do it!” Robin said, standing up and running onto the forest path.

“Robin, no! He’ll kill you!”

“I have a better chance of escape than poor Cadance. I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to Trottingham whether you or the others like it or not! Don’t try to follow me!”

And as soon as Robin departed for the village, the Marey Men immediately followed after him to Trottingham.

In Trottingham that very afternoon, Sheriff Blueblood was waiting for Robin Armor to show up. Maid Cadance was tied up and standing next to the Sheriff.

“It looks like we may have to hang you after all, milady.” Blueblood chuckled.

“Go ahead then, you coward. I’d expect no less form you.” Cadance spat.

“Sheriff!” Robin Armor said as he approached the gallows. “I accept your offer. My life for the freedom of the lady.”

“Finally, a responsible act from you, Robin Armor.” Blueblood smugly said.

“Robin, you shouldn’t have come!” Cadance exclaimed.

“I couldn’t just leave you here, my love.” They smiled at one another. He turned back to the Sheriff. “Alright, let her go.”

Blueblood paused. “… No.”

“What?” Robin’s eyes widened.

“I said no. I’d rather keep her and hang you both, I can do that, you know.”

“Not if we can help it!” Little Mac shouted.

Blueblood, Robin, and Cadance turned their heads to see the Marey Men led by Little Mac. They arrived just in the nick of time to save their beloved leader. And then, a battle broke out amongst the townsponies and the Royal Guard. Ponies of all kinds threw punches and kicks and even some food at one another; it was chaos. The Sheriff tried to hide himself from the fray, but it was all in vain. Cadance was freed and helped the Marey Men as Robin battled the Sheriff himself.

“Come now, Blueblood. Don’t you want to join the fun?” He taunted as their sword clashed.

Then out of nowhere as the battle raged on, Queen Celestia had strode into the village with a few guards. Everyone stopped what they were doing and quickly kneeled before her.

“I seek the outlaw, Robin Armor!” She announced as Robin stepped forward. “Are you he?”

“I am, Your Majesty.” Robin said as he bowed before the regal Alicorn.

The Sheriff stepped forward. “Your Majesty, I had just captured the villain and was about to hang him for his crimes.” He proudly smiled.

The Queen then said, “Really? In doing so, I would’ve hung you myself.”

As the monarch strode to the unicorn before her, the Queen said, “Good Robin, your timely payments have freed me from my captivity overseas. I owe you much for that.”

“It’s what any loyal subject would do, Your Grace.” Robin said.

“But many did not. I thank you for that, but you’re still an outlaw.”

“Much has happened since you left, Your Highness. And the laws were no longer protecting the people, so I did. I do not regret what I have done.”

“Nor should you, good Robin. Perhaps you would enjoy aiding the poor inside the law? As well as being a suitable husband for my beloved niece, Maid Cadance?”

Cadance stepped forward and planted a kiss on Robin’s cheek.

“Your Majesty, think of me as a member of your family.” Robin said with a smile. He turned to the crowds of ponies behind him. “Did you hear that, everypony? We are no longer outlaws! The Queen has returned.”

Robin Armor and Maid Cadance were married that very night, the Sheriff was immediately banished for his crimes, the Marey Men were new members of the Royal Guard, Trottingham was back to the way it was before, and they all lived happily ever after.