Guardian

CHAPTER 12 – LAUGHTER

“Ah reckon she's gone inside now that the rain's stopped.”

“Well, let us head in and see if the Cakes require any assistance in cleaning up anything while we are here.”

The group entered a large building seeming to be composed of candy and gingerbread, with Brimstone lagging behind as he couldn't help but examine the building curiously.

“Brimstone,” Twilight's voice shouted from inside, “You're welcome to come in as well.”

“Oh! Right.” The white stallion snapped out of his trance-like staring at the candy-emulating walls and entered the building. A middle-aged couple worked furiously to clean up a huge mess inside of the building. Pastries and sweets were splattered and scattered all about the room inside and coated the walls. The windows had been blown out by the hurricane-force winds, so everything inside of the structure was, as expected, misplaced.

“Oh dear!” Rarity exclaimed, “It seems as though Sugercube Corner was hit even harder than my boutique!”

“Yes, we were hit pretty hard by that storm.” The stallion lifted up the brim of his hat and glanced over, pausing from his sweeping to look at the white and silver unicorn. “Who's your friend? I haven't seen him around here before.”

“Oh, this is Brimstone,” Twilight stepped over next to the white unicorn, “We're taking him with us to head to Canterlot. We've actually come here to get Pinkie. Is she upstairs?”

“Playing with the kids. You know Pinkie, even when her house gets wrecked she's as lively as ever.”

“Right. I'll go get her. Everypony else, could you help the cakes out a bit?” The others nodded as Twilight made turned and made her way up the steps. As everypony grabbed something to sweep the floor with, Brimstone continued sitting in place, lost in thought.

I swear I felt some more Psi pass by just a while ago... It was a lot weaker, but I can tell that it's coming from just about the same location north of here... It's telepathic, so maybe whoever was using it had something to do with that mare I saw running away crying? I might be able to get some help getting to the next universe if I get to whoever was using the Psi. That's how the orange man sent me here in the first place anyway, so it makes sense. Hm... But how am I going to do that without making these ponies even more suspicious of me? They're already keeping secrets from me. It's obvious that they don't trust me. The last thing I need right now is them turning on me with that weird power of theirs. Twilight seems to be the most astute with figuring things out like this, so I need to worry about her the most. Maybe if I-

“Brimstone.”

“Huh!” The white stallion looked up from the floor, his concentration broken. Spike was standing in front of him.

“Can you give us some help with this over here? We can't move it.” Spike gestured over to an overturned counter made of some kind of heavy wood and stone that bore a display case filled with destroyed cakes.

“Uh, sure, here.” Brimstone's eyes glowed briefly as he reached a hoof out and made a quick gesture. The stone in the counter complied with him and caused the object to flip back into place. “There you go.” His eyes dimmed and he began to ponder again before realizing that everyone in the room was staring at him with shocked expressions. “What?”

“Your... Your eyes...” Rarity spoke with surprise, “They... They...”

“Alright, Sombra!” Rainbow Dash tackled Brimstone before he could react and pinned him to the ground. The white unicorn lay on his back in confusion as the rainbow-maned pegasus began shouting at him. “Thought you could pull a fast-one on us, huh? Thought you'd sneak by and act nice in that form just so you could get to Celestia and attack her?”

“What?”

“Don't play dumb!”

“I seriously don't understand why you're so angry right now.” The unicorn squirmed slightly under the pegasus, turning his head and wincing as she began shouting in his face again.

“After all you did, do you actually think I'd not be angry?”

“Rainbow Dash, stop yelling at me please.”

“Like you have any right to tell me what to do!”

“Get off of me.”

“Rainbow, ah think you should listen to him-”

“Zip it, Applejack! This guy thinks he can just waltz in here and try to act nice after almost killing us? I don't think so!”

“I'm only going to tell you one more time, get off of me.”

“And just what are you gonna do it I don't?”

Brimstone's eyes suddenly glowed again and Rainbow Dash felt her body move on its own accord, then fly across the room into a pile of flour sacks, landing with a muffled thud and poof of white powder. The silver-maned unicorn stood up and cracked his neck a few times.

“You had me laying in a really awkward position. That wasn't comfortable on my neck.”

“What's going on down here?” Twilight's voice turned everyone's attention.

“Brimstone is actually Sombra!” Rainbow Dash jumped up, covered in flour, pointing dramatically at Brimstone from across the room.

“What?”

“His eyes glowed just like Sombra's when he used magic! And when I called him out on it, he threw me across the room!”

“It's true, Rainbow Dash did get blown into a bunch of flour sacks.” Mrs. Cake spoke up, shaken by the quick turn of events.

“I don't even know who Sombra is,” Brimstone stated, shaking his head in confusion, “How could I possibly be the guy?”

“Why would you throw Rainbow Dash across the room if the accusation did not bother you?” Rarity's condescending tone irked Brimstone slightly, who cut his eyes at the white mare.

“He told Rainbow Dash to get off'a him twice.” Applejack replied quickly, “She didn't listen and he threw her off of him. I'd've done the same myself.”

“That doesn't explain why his horn didn't glow when he used magic, though!” Rainbow Dash's angry tone spouted from across the room again as she shook flour off of her coat.

“Look, it's obvious that you all don't like me since you jumped on the first thing that happened, so I'll just leave. I'm used to it.” Brimstone turned to walk out the door but suddenly felt himself raise into the air, enveloped by a raspberry orb. “What are you doing?” Brimstone asked in shock.

“I don't know if you're innocent or not,” Twilight began, “But all of the events that have happened now plus your arrival plus your behavior require me to take safety measures against you. I'm sorry.”

“Are you nuts?” Brimstone's tone of voice changed to a more angry state, “I didn't even do anything! Let me out of here!”

“You're not making yourself look much more innocent by doing all of that angry struggling. Just be patient, I'll let you out when we get to the Princess. She'll know what to do about you.”

“I already know what to do about me!” Brimstone slammed into the orb with his shoulder, to no avail. “Just let me leave! I'll figure out my problem without your help if it bugs you so much!”

“If you're claustrophobic I can make the bubble bigger, it seems like you might be a bit anxious because of it-”

“I'm anxious because you put me in this thing for no reason!” Brimstone slammed into the bubble again, “This isn't fair in any way at all!”

“I can't help that.”

“Yes you can! What makes you think I'm guilty of anything?”

“I've known my friends longer than I've known you. I'm sorry, but I have to trust them.”

“Yeah? Well can you trust your magic to hold me?”

“Ha!” Spike's voice cut into the conversation, “Twilight's the best at magic. There's no way you could out-do her!”

“Oh?” Brimstone's eyes began to glow, “Well let's see how well your 'magic' works against this!” Releasing a wave of yellow energy, Brimstone witnessed the magic bubble shatter against the force of the Psi shockwave. Falling to the ground and landing on his feet, Brimstone turned and ran out the door before the surprised ponies inside could react. “So long, suckers!”

Rushing to get away before he was caught again, Brimstone darted down the road. Before he made it twenty feet from Sugarcube Corner, however, a large raspberry-tinted wall sprouted up in front of him and he ran head-first into it. Falling on his rear, Brimstone felt himself scooped up into another barrier, a much thicker one, and raised into the air. He slammed his hooves against the barrier as he turned and faced the mulberry unicorn walking towards him.

“Seriously?” He shouted.

“Yes, seriously. Now you've made yourself look even worse. Whoever is running amok up north can break powerful magic barriers too. You just made yourself a prime suspect.”

“Uh, Twilight?” Applejack tapped the unicorn's shoulder.

“What?”

“Ah don't think this guy's the problem. Here.” Applejack handed over a letter that had arrived from Princess Celestia just as Brimstone had ran from the building. Twilight unfurled the letter and began to read.

“You've got to be kidding me.”

“The situation has become more dire. We are in need of immediate assistance. Queen Chrysalis and her army of Changelings arrived mere moments ago with the intention of taking down the newly-conquered empire, but the shadow defeated her and annihilated her army single-handedly. He seems to bear the ability to absorb other powers as well, for he destroyed the Crystal Castle using a combination of King Sombra's, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's, Prince Shining Armor's, and Queen Chrysalis' powers. He is heading southward to the Unicorn Mountain Range. Please prep your defenses at Canterlot and Cloudsdale. Send aid to our Crystal Empire ASAP, I do not know how long the remaining survivors here can last in the cold.” - Rich Text, Crystal Castle Scribe

“It seems as though we've got the wrong culprit.” Rarity stated as she walked up from behind.

“That's what I was trying to tell you all!” Brimstone's muffled voice rang out from the bubble.

“I knew Brimstone couldn't have done something so awful...” Fluttershy spoke up, “The animals knew it too...”

“Brimstone came from the south, and whoever is causing such an issue is heading south from up north...” Twilight thought for a moment, “We'll talk it over with the Princess.”

“Can I come out now?” Brimstone groaned.

“No, you'll stay in there until we get to Canterlot. Don't try to break out, either. I'll just make the bubble even thicker.”

“Fine...”

A sudden burst from the doorway of Sugarcube Corner caught the group's attention as confetti and streamers launched from the opening. A pink pony blasted out of the building with a cart in tow.

“I heard there was somepony new in town so I had to get my welcome wagon!” The pink pony ran up to the bubble housing Brimstone, who looked down at the flippant pony curiously.

“Pinkie, we don't have time for this-”

“Welcome welcome welcome! A fine welcome to you! Welcome welcome welcome, we say 'How do you do?' Welcome welcome welcome, we say 'Hip-hip, hooray!' Welcome welcome welcome to Ponyville to-day~!” The song and dance ended with the wagon sprouting a cannon and launching a mass of goo at the orb, within which Brimstone's eyes widened before the entire orb was nailed by a large sum of cake batter. “Oops!” Pinkie Pie laughed, “I guess I forgot to switch the cake batter and confetti... Again!”

“Ah feel like you do that on purpose...” Applejack narrowed her eyes at the inappropriate gesture of welcoming someone at such a time. Everyone turned to the sound of laughing and clapping from inside the bubble. As the goo slid off slowly, Brimstone could be seen wiping tears from his eyes as he calmed himself from his guffawing.

“I like this one! She's a whole lot more fun that you all, sticking me in bubbles and what-not.” Brimstone crossed his front legs over his chest as he gave a stern look to the group. Pinkie darted over to the bubble and began chatting with Brimstone about random matters as Twilight moaned in irritation.

“This is gonna be a long trip...”

“Hurk!” Spike's cheeks bloated again before he burped out a green flame containing another letter.

“Oh great...” Twilight caught the letter and opened it.

“From the inverted desk of Discord, King of Chaos, Orderer of Disorder, Protector of Pandemonium, Master of Madness...” Twilight skipped about fifty more titles, “...I hereby issue this turn of events – Your God of Chaos, in his first official act of utilizing his powers for good, shall thwart the evil of the being who is wreaking such delightful havoc in the north. Discord shall face him head-on and stop his reign of terror.”

“Oh, man!” Rainbow Dash jumped in excitedly, “This is gonna be over quick! Discord's gonna wreck this guy-” Spike coughed up another letter, which Twilight took and read.

“The light of madness has left my life... I live in the clutch of order... Fold my clothes... File my papers... I have no chaos left.”

“That doesn't sound good at all...”

“What happened?” Rainbow Dash shouted in surprise, “He lost within seconds of starting? What did that guy do?” Spike choked up another letter, holding his stomach in pain at the rapid mailing.

“Geeze!” Twilight caught and began reading the letter.

“Foolish little ponies. Give in to your fears. The doubts you have are real. The nightmares you had last night shall soon become reality. Bare no question in your mind of whom shall fall next, for my next target is your Princess of the Night. Nopony can stop me. Your Elements of Harmony are nothing. You are nothing. Equestria shall soon belong to Terror.”

“We need to get to Canterlot. Now. Let's go.” Twilight shuddered, rolling the letter and tucking it into her saddlebag as the group rushed towards the train station.