CHAPTER 7
Meeting Ponies

It was another bright day in Equestria and the Elements as well as Vinyl and Octavia were gathering at the library. They were discussing their planes to track the creature and where to busy to hear a knock on the door. However Spike being the dutiful assistant did. He trudged over to the door and opened it to see three familiar fillies.

"Oh hey Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell." He greeted letting a smile slid up his face. "You know this is a public library? You don't have to knock."

The three fillies looked at each other rubbing the back of their heads sheepishly nodding.

"Well just as long as you know. Now what can I help you with?"

"Oh we would like to take out a book on The Crystal Empire." Sweetie Bell answered. "Got any of those?" Spike raise a reptilian brow.

"Well sure we got some..." He said with mild confusion. "But why would you want a book like that? I don't think it could help you get your cutie marks.

"We know that." Said Scootaloo. "It's just we met this super cool crystal pony yesterday and it was then we realized we know nothing about them."

Inside the library Rarity's ears twitched. She could have sworn she herd the refined words crystal pony at the front door, and broke off from the group of girls to investigate. The rest of the girls followed unsure of why their friend had just up and left the conversation. She arrived at the entrance to find Spike , her little sister and her friends talking.

"Excuse me Spiky, Girls." She interpreted with a cough. "Did I hear the words 'Crystal pony'"

"Ya!" Screamed Apple Bloom very excitedly. "We met him in th Everfree Forest!"

"THE EVERYFREE!" Screamed Rarity. Rarity's cry caught everyponie's attention indefinitely.

"What ever were you doing in that dreadful place Sweetie?"

"You to Apple Bloom! Wut have ah told ya about that forest?"

The two mares continued to scold their younger siblings for entering the dangerous forest with out giving a moment to voice their opinions. When they were done venting Twilight asked the girls something that was on her mind.

"Girls you said you saw a crystal pony in the Everfree?" Asked Twilight with interest. The three fillies looked at each other before answering the lavender unicorn.

"Ya." Said Apple Bloom Bluntly

"Well I would ever much like to meet this Stallion and give him a piece of my mind." Said Rarity furry present in her voice."It is one thing to live in the Everfree like Zacora, but to be one of the crystal ponies and live there. This is unacceptable and I will not stand for it!"

"Excuse me Rarity?" asked Octavia. "I don't see how thi-"

"It be best ta just go with it Octav." Said Apple Jack cutting her off. "Nothing can stop her when she gets like this. Besides we got no real leads so let's take it easy."

Octavia wanted to say something to dispute Apple Jack's comment but could not find her words. She let out a reluctant sigh and nodded.

"Alright girls can you take us to where you found this crystal pony?" Asked Twilight. The fillies nodded happily at the thought of seeing their crystal friend again.

It was only a fifteen minute walk to the path the girls had taken into the Everfree forest and they were nor leading the gang of mares off the trail into the brush. It was high noon when they reached the bottom of the hill and neared the clearing where the CMC had seen the stallion before.

"Alright he should be just beyond these bushes." Chimed Sweetie Belle.

All the ponies peaked over the hedge to look into the clearing, and sure enough there he was. He was sitting on a large stone by a crescent pond staring into the pink foliage of a single misplaced cherry blossom. All the girls except for the small fillies stared in a mixture of awe and surprise. The so called crystal pony looked nothing like the crystal ponies that the elements had seen, and to make matters worse it gave of that same braking effect of the creature they chased two days before. Before anypony could say anything the three fillies stepped out from behind the bushes and started yelling and waving at him.

The stallions ears twitched and cracked releasing more shards as he turned his head to look in the fillies direction. He cocked his head in surprise and made the motion to raise a hoof above his head. His hoof was not even at eye level when he was tackled to the ground by a spectrum of colors. The stallion hit the ground hard scattering pieces of himself like a broken window.

"Woah! Rainbow Dash what are you doing?!" Exclaimed Scootaloo.

"Stay back!" Growled Rainbow Dash. She returned her furious eyes to the creatures glowing teal ones.

"Listen ta Rainbow." Scolded Apple Jack Trotting up to the stallion.

"Hey Rainbow get off him for a minute will ya."

Rainbow Dash got off the glass stallion all the while keeping her eye on him as she stood on all fours.

"Woah girls. Let's not do anything to-" Vinyl stopped when Apple Jack pivoted on her front hooves and bucked the crystal stallion in the face. " Hasty!"

The Stallions head shattered into thousands of shards. Everypony gasped as the headless mass of crystal collapsed to the ground. Even Apple Jack looked shocked at the beheaded stallion. Nothing but silence surrounded the lifeless body. Sweetie Belle was the first to break the silence when she started crying and was soon joined in by Apple Bloom.

"WHAT THE HAY APPLE JACK?!" Screamed Vinyl. "WHY THE BUCK DID YOU KILL THAT STALLION?!"

"I-I didn't!" She retorted but looked at the motionless pony on the ground and grimaced. "I was only trying to protect my family!"

"But Apple Jack he did not even harm your sister, or mine, or even Scootaloo." Stated Rarity trying to comfort her little sister to no effect.

"But what's ta say he wouldn't hun!?" yelled Apple Jack in retaliation. "You heard Octavia's description of him! He could'a easily hurt anypony he wanted."

It was Octavia turn to step in.

"Yes I admit I was terrified of him." She said as calmly as possible. "But when I think about it if he wanted to do something to Vinyl and I he had his chance but he didn't." Apple Jack opened her mouth to comment but was stopped by Twilight.

"He also ran from us. He must have been just as scared of us as we were of him." she said in her matter of fact voice.

Fluttershy had been trying to tell the other something very important, but because of their heated argument with Apple Jack they could not hear her timid voice. Her eyes had been focused on the body while everyone else had been focused on Apple Jack. The body had moved ever so slightly. She watched in horror as the body began to pick itself up off the grass.

It was at this point that Twilight, Octavia and everypony that could see behind Apple Jack noticed the body standing up. They all had faces of shock that would have won a world record if anypony could see them. However Apple Jack did see them and felt a strong sense of paranoia creep up on her. Her face then changed to on of terror when she heard the rustle of movement behind her. Apple Jack slowly turned her head to see the pony she had though murdered standing tall and headless behind her. She let out a shrilled scream and dove forward away from the undead stallion.

Everypony watched in silence as the scattered fragments converged on him. They headed right for his neck and began to fuse together to make shapes. Apple Jack almost lost her lunch at the sight ,and had to keep a hoof firmly placed against her muzzle keep it in. The shards had finished reconstructing his head in a matter of thirty seconds but it felt more like a few minutes. His head was now perfectly perched on his head but he remained motionless.

"I-Is he ok?" Sniffled Sweetie Belle.

Just then two teal circles light up in his head rousing a gasp from everypony. They were wide with what they assumed was surprise and blinked twice. his eyes then settled on Sweetie Belle's tear stained face. He raised his Hoof above his head again and waved, this time uninterrupted.

"Well isn't he polite." Laughed Vinyl. Everypony stared at her unsure of what she meant. She let out another giggle before continuing. "The little girls were waving at him in a greeting, but when he went to do it he got tackled to the ground, and bucked in the face." Both Rainbow Dash and Apple Jacked blushed rubbing the back of their necks. Vinyl laughed again but this time really hard. Her laughter was contagious and soon everyone was doing it. Well everyone but the crystal stallion who only watched with interest.

Once they were all finished with their fits of laughter the older ones sent the CMC away so they could 'discuss grown up topics'. They were less then pleased but left when Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle decided it would be best to avoid the wrath of their sisters. When they were out of sight they all turned a curious eye to the crystal stallion.

"Do you gals think this is the thing Octi saw?" Asked Vinyl. "Looks kinds Small."

"It does have the same fragmenting effect as the one we chased through the forest." Pointed out Octavia "Twilight do you think it is possible that it can change it's form?"

"I have never heard or seen anything like this before, so I am in no position to say." She answered. Her ears perked up and a wide grin spread across her face. "Do any of you think we can sneak it into the Library?"

"Twilight I don't know if you noticed but it is standing right there." Said Rainbow Dash pointing a hoof at him. "He can hear you. Also I think somepony would notice something like this."

Twilight blushed and kicked some dirt off the ground.

"Rainbow is correct." Said Rarity trotting up to the stallion. "It is very rude of us to refer him as 'it' and not even ask his name." She stopped a few paces int front of the stallion and bowed. When she lifted her head she saw that he had imitated her bow. Rarity smiled at the gesture. "So what is your name dear?"

The stallion only stared at her.

"Come on mister crystal what's your name?" Asked Pinkie as she made a dash for him. "Doyoulikepie? Ohhowaboutmuffins? Myfavoritearetheblueberrymuffins. Doyoulikemusic? OctaviaandVinylarereallygoodmusitionsyoushouldlistentothemplay." The pink menace let a flurry of information roll out of her mouth without stopping to breath. "But anyway my name is Pinkie Pie. Now lets get a smile on your fa..." She trailed off.

"Pinkie He does not have a mouth I don't think he can answer us even if he wanted to." Pointed out Twilight feeling sorry for the mute stallion. Pinkie look back at Twilight with anger in her face which surprise everyone.

"Forget that Twily! He can't even smile!" She said with a pout.

"Um sir?" Asked Octavia. "Can you understand us?"

The stallion only stared at her blinking and cocking his head. Everypony realized that not only could he not talk he could not understand them as well. Everypony took on a miserable face at this realization. Apple Jack's was especially sad because of the guilt of bucking him in the face.

"Rarity can you go to your boutique and grab a dark cloak that would cover his whole body. I have a plan to get him to the library." Said Twilight

'Well today was certainly interesting.'

I was sitting in the clearing watching the ponies as they talked to one another. However the orange one has not taken her eyes of me ever since I stood back up. Her stare was less scornful then before, and seemed to be filled with more regret then before.

'Those massive eyes make conveying emotions really convenient.'

I heard the rustle of bushes as the white one with the purple mane left the clearing with the overly pink one and the rainbow one. That left five mares staring at me. Only the orange one seemed particularly weary of me, but that was understandable.

I was surprised when the pony I had first met approached with a calm face with the lavender one and the one with the heavy shades. They seemed to be very curious of me. Hours passed as the lavender pony poked my body and held my shards in a magenta glow. I assumed that had something to do with her having a horn like Luna.

As she observed my shards in the telekinetic grip I observed her observing. I chuckled in my mind at the thought. After a few hours the sun was getting close to setting, and the three that had left were returning. I could see an irritated look in the cyan pony. She seemed to be arguing with the white mare that was holding something in her blue aura grip. She seemed to be disappointed with what her winged friend had said. She quickly trotted up to me with her head held high. She approached me with a smile on her face and covered me in the material she was holding. It was black as night and very light with a small about of yellow trimming. I turned my head to get a good look at it. It was long enough to cover almost my entire body blocking sight of my crystal body. At the neck were two yellow strings that kept in place and allowed me to pull up the hood.

I returned my gaze too look at the mare who had given me this gift. She was simply beaming with happiness. Her eyes looked at me expectantly as her smile took up a vast portion of her face. I was starting to feel nervous but did my best to bow deeply. It had a greater result then expected when she squeal very loudly.

After the gift I received I went to my cave all the while the mare I had first met was watching me. When I received the cloak I had a feeling where this was going so I went to retrieve the saddle bags and book Luna had given me. I took off my new cloak to strap on my saddle bags. When I put the cloak back on I could not help but feel that it was familiar in some way.

I exited my cave to see all the ponies standing very close to it. A few raised a brow to me seeing the two bulges under the cloak. The white one with the shades was daring enough to come over and lift up my cloak to reveal to all my saddle bags. They all seemed to have their curiosity quenched except for the lavender one, but regardless motioned for me to follow.

It was a short walk out of the forest and to the edge of the small town. As we entered the towns streets the eight ponies closed in around me crating a protective box. I think they were trying to hide me, and thanks to it being late in the day it was working.

We soon neared a large tree that a appeared to be hollow. The lavender pony opened the door and yelled something I could not understand. The first thing that caught my attention when I entered was the huge amount of books filling the shelves. There must have been hundreds. I was going to examine them further but the lavender unicorn was beckoning me into the basement. I obeyed and walked down the stairs into the darkness. The ponies did not follow me but instead stayed upstairs. I could hear them talking to one another so I got comfortable on a mattress that was laying on the ground.

I jumped into the air when I felt something touch me. I looked around the room searching for the thing that had touched me but saw nothing. I felt it again, but this time I was alert and noticed that it was not my body that was touched. My eyes widened with retaliation as I taped my voice and ears into the chest in my cave.

``Luna is that you?" I asked

"AH!" Screamed a familiar feminine voice. "S-Shard I hear tho but do not see tho. Where art tho?"

I chuckled at my original body so she could not hear me. "Luna I am speaking to you through the chest you touched. I can not speak to you in person because I was found by some ponies and smuggled into town." I told her what had happened to me today, but left out getting kicked in the face. I was still embarrassed about that.

"Ah I see. Well Shard I hope to see you again, but until then I wish you luck in Ponyville." She said leaving the cave.

"Alright Luna see you later." I called after her.

Once her footsteps faded away I was assaulted by a wave of pain. I clutched my head as I felt my consciousness slipping. This was a similar feeling I had when I first remember a piece of my past.

'I'm going to remember something' I thought before I passed out on the mattress.

Author's Note

Holy shit memory chapter incoming!
It's finally time to learn some shit about Shards.

Also still looking for people to look over my work so ya.