Sweet Pink Sunset

To the south-east of Ponyville, way behind the Carousel Boutique and over some hills, was a wide training field bordered by a large steel fence. It formed a large square big enough for at least twenty-five ponies to train magic, flight, or earthly powers without interrupting each other. Targets were located to the far end of the field perched on the fence and some mid-air. Strangely shaped obstacles were spread around on some parts of the field and in the air: the agility sections of the course.

There were some catapults that launched objects vertically upwards; They would either launch training dummies (practice on saving ponies who happen to be falling from a height) or rubber spheres, each a different colour, to catch an individual s focus to one or multiple prime targets.

Princess Celestia, while being accompanied by her golden-armoured unicorn guards, was guided into the training field by the defenders. She looked around and observed the setup. The guards turned back to face the entrance to keep out unauthorised ponies. The fact that they were only at the entrance emphasised how outstretched and expansive the training field was.

"Perfect." Celestia said, as she turned her head to four confused defenders.

"I know, I built it myself," Jokey added as he gave a sheepish grin. The Princess bluntly stared at the odd stallion immediately picking up on the unintentional lie. An awkward silence broke in as the other three defenders felt embarrassed. Boa shook her head in annoyance.

"I know, I know, not the time... Uh, sorry..." Jokey remarked as he bent down his neck, squinting his eyes and looked away while showing an unsatisfied frown.

"My faithful subjects, due to this unexpected event I will begin to say that it is very vital that from now on you must train to advance your skills even further than now. We have seen that this new foe is able to control powerful creatures, and so we are not certain if this new foe has followers of some sort so I shall call in soldiers from Canterlot to aid Ponyville for future struggles, heaven forbid there will be any." Celestia stated.

"Well we train almost every day so doing more than that doesn't seem so hard," Jokey complied as he turned to Forest, "Hey Fo, what s more than almost every day?"

"Every day?" Forest replied.

"We have a winner."

"Excuse me princess, but that is not all you wish to tell us, is it?" Arrow asked curiously.

"There is more to be heard, but first, please familiarise me with your names."

"Of course... I am Arrow Distorton, the first defender of Ponyville."

"I'm the one and only, Jokey Bizarre, the second defender of Ponyville."

"My name is Boa Quakes, the third defender of Ponyville."

"I'm Forest Thundertred, the fourth defender of Ponyville."

"I am pleased to be acquainted with all of you. Defenders, four groups of several guards are being called in today, I am assigning a group to each of you in order to guide them around Ponyville so that they become familiar with their surroundings. You will meet them at the town centre in about one hour from now. They will be available for night watch while you rest after training, it is also crucial that you give them advice and try to teach them anything that may be useful to them as they are going to share this training field with you by tomorrow. As more soldiers arrive, the guards will notify them of everything you will tell them. Is this clear?" Celestia announced.

"Yes, your majesty!" the four defenders replied as they bowed their heads down in confirmation.

"Excellent, you are dismissed." Jokey, Arrow, and Boa made their way to the exit going past the guards to make their way to the town centre. Celestia called the guards to her. Forest stayed back but Celestia did not take notice as she was explaining something to the guards, but Forest did not let that stop him. It was time that he was to be told something about his family. He walked up to Celestia from behind as she told the guards that they may leave.

"Um, your highness?" Forest said hesitantly, as Celestia turned around to face him. His heart began beating faster.

"Oh, Forest was it? I'm sorry but I have matters to attend to, is it important?"

'So she's trying to politely avoid the situation, or maybe she isn't... We are in a tight schedule so this'll make me seem a little selfish, but if she knows someting then I've gotta find out right now.' Forest thought to himself, he straightened himself up and let out a sigh, 'alright, here it goes.'

"It is your highness, well, to me at least... that unicorn who spoke to me by hologram said that you knew something about my family, please excuse my rudeness but if you have any information I would really like to know. I'm the only Thundertred left and I lost my parents when I was just a colt so I really don't know much."

The princess frowned and closed her eyes as she briefly exhaled through her nose.

"Thundertred... and we thought they all withered away after that war. Yes Forest, I do have knowledge of your family, or should I say the origin of your family." Forest's eyes widened at Princess Celestia, he had finally gotten the moment to hear something that had ached his mind since that cruel night of the war.

"O-origin of my family?" Forest muttered.

Celestia nodded at his response, "do you know the story of Electro, the god alicorn of lighting and weather?"

Forest shook his head at the question, 'god alicorn?' he thought, 'no way...'

"Very well then," Celestia continued, "countless years ago, when my sister and I founded the very first generation of ponies to his world, Electro himself visited this planet and was able to bestow weather upon it in order to keep proper balance for the seasons, he explained how pegasus were required to arrange the weather in certain areas. During his stay, he met a regular unicorn whom he decided to settle down with. Her name was Peach Thundertred, and thus began the family tree of the Thundertreds."

"Wait, why didn't Electro have his last name used as the family name?" Forest pondered.

"Well, it's simply because he didn't have one, either that or he never told us. But I believe the main reason was due to the fact that his mate, Peach, was mortal. He actually gave up his immortality by separating his spirit into two parts, the half with immortality was used to spread around the universe so that weather could maintain itself without his presence, so then he was able to grow old with Peach."

'He gave up his immortality for her... for a simple unicorn... she must have been pretty amazing for him to love her that much.' Forest thought.

"Soon after she passed away, he wrote two books that were to be passed down every generation for the Thundertred family and soon followed her to the spirit world. The first was about the history of Peach and himself, the second one was about unique spells that only he and the unicorn bound Thundertred family could perform."

'That s what that shady stallion was talking about... he knows I have the second book... but why would he want it? Every unicorn develops a different type of magic along with the common spells of combat or whatever, the Thundertred magic is accessible only to my family. There s no way we can be related, they all died back then and he looks nothing like my dad... but he knew both my parents?' Forest began to space out in this thought process, Celestia gazed suspiciously at the stallion, she could see by his troubled expression that he knew something.

The princess brought Forest back to reality as she continued her sentence, "The first book was never exactly heard of after his claims of writing it, although last I've heard of the second book, it was successfully passed down to every generation that carried on the family name. Forest, is there something you wish to tell me?"

Forest's eyes widened as he looked up at the goddess, he felt a tickle in his throat and swallowed. "No, your highness... I don't." He said, with a slightly nervous tone in his voice.

The princess, looking slightly disappointed, nodded to him in understanding, "Very well, we should make haste to the town centre, you have a group of guards waiting for your guidance, you will be leading the north side group."

"Understood your majesty." Forest replied, and with that, they left the training field to take on their duties for the day.

x

"Woah, hey, Pinkie Pie! Will you just calm down already?" Twilight Sparkle asserted to Pinkamena as Spike dodged an incoming egg beater.

"Calm down? Twilight, I can't just calm down, not after all the planning we had to do just for this extra special day! I didn't think everything was gonna fall apart like this, I mean just look at how excited everypony was, how happy you all were an-and... ugh!" Pinkie Pie responded as she fit a large tray of muffins into a fridge and pulled out a check-list of what seemed to be required orders for the day, "Cancel this, cancel that... All of it!"

"Alright, sugarcube! That s enough!" Applejack exclaimed as she got a hold of Pinkie Pie and stopped her from moving around, "now I know yer upset about all this but yer not the only one who had some great big fancy plannin' goin' on fer this here festival ya' hear?"

"That s right, I mean think about how Rarity feels, she-" Twilight was interrupted as Spike cut her off yet again.

"She spent alotta time trying to make costumes for everypony, some of us didn't even get ours and on top of all that, she's gotta come up with some new specs or some mumbo jumbo like that, for new battle suit things cause we don't know if those creepy hologram dudes got some sort of army following them. Now one things for sure is that Miss Rarity is no scientist, so I've got to help her with those specs!" Spike explained, failing to notice the glare Twilight was giving him.

"Oh, Really? And just what do you know about science Spike? Hmm?" Twilight asked, sounding annoyed.

"Huh! More than you think," Spike replied sounding cocky as he pulled out a book of basic science. "I do in fact read all the books you ask me to, Twilight... well uh, most of em' at least," and with that, he rushed out of the Sugarcube Corner making his way to the boutique.

"Ugh! what a hassle!" Twilight asserted in a whiney tone. "Look, I gotta make sure lover boy over there doesn't make a fool of himself, try to keep yourself together Pinkie Pie. It's all going to be ok. Well, see you guys later!" Twilight bid her goodbyes for the day and sped off following Spike's trail.

Applejack let go of Pinkie Pie and walked to the door poking her head out to witness the citizens of Ponyville running aimlessly, trying to organise themselves and went back in to face her. "Well, everypony still seems to be shaken up about this whole situation we got here... listen sugarcube, I gotta head back to the farm, family's waitin' fer me cuz we gotta get provisions or sumthin' ready for tonight. Try to cheer up a bit, everythin's gonna turn out fine, I hope so anyway."

"Okey... dokey... lokey..." Pinkie Pie replied, absentmindedly.

Applejack picked up her hat from the counter next to her and adjusted it over her head, rolling out the back of her mane perfectly and left the Sugarcube Corner.

Pinkamena took off her chef hat and placed on the counter where Applejack's hat was moments ago, she sat down against the counter looking down at the floor. She was getting close to that mood again, she could feel the depression rising up, bringing down her spirits. Mr and Mrs Cake barged out of the other side of the counter heading next to the front door, they were holding a few bags and boxes of extra appliances that seemed to need returning. They turned around to see Pinkie Pie starting to look up at them.

"Pinkie, sweetie, Carrot and I need to go attend a few matters now okay? just watch the store until we get back okay, honey?" Mrs Cup Cake requested.

"Yeah... okay..." Pinkie Pie replied gloomily.

Mr and Mrs Cake wanted to cheer her up, try to get her spirits up once again, but they had to hurry and only managed to give her a warm hug.

Mr Cake left the store as Mrs Cake followed, "We'll try to be back as soon as we can sweetie." she said, turning her head to Pinkamena and then left.

Pinkie Pie slowly looked up out the door, feeling quite down now with no one else to keep her company except for Gummy, who was fast asleep next to her, "B-but I don't to be alone again..." her hair then lost its puffiness and fell straight, she was now in the mood she disliked the most. Sadness.
She simply could not avoid it in this situation; she looked out the door and saw Jokey from a distance, saying something to a group of guards. The guards began to laugh as he put on a proud grin.

Pinkamena's eye caught a little stone whizzing past the other side of the door and witnessed it impacting against Jokey's head. Gummy's tail hit the side of the wooden counter, causing a thud the moment the stone hit Jokey's head.

"Ow! What the hay!" Jokey exclaimed directing his head to the source.

"Will you stop fooling around already! For goodness sake!" A voice returned to Jokey as he rubbed his head, angrily looking at Boa, who could not be seen out the door, Pinkamena did not chuckle though, the thought of everyone being too busy just stuck to her mind.

She looked up at a clock, its case made it look like a strawberry short cake, with blue candles as a second hand and hour hand. It read two o'clock pm.
She looked back down, wondering how long she had to wait, how long she would have to bare the feeling of being alone.

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A/N: Forest is not going to be a god like character. Electro gave up most of his powers along with immortality before dying so he started from scratch like every other pony. Thanks for reading!