Chapter 11:
Hakuna Matata
Two days later, Twilight was now facing death as she lies down on the forest floor of the Everfree Forest. She has traveled very far away from the City Of Harmony not wanting to sleep, eat, drink, or stop at all. However, due to the exhaustion and hunger, she's feeling, a filly like Twilight couldn't survive in this place all by herself. Soon, Twilight collapsed on the ground and the clock of death is now clicking for her.
After the young princess passed out, vultures begin flying out and circled around the young Alicorn filly. They have waited for a while for Twilight to pass away and now they began to swoop down to Twilight's body and started to approach her. But by the time they started pecking at the young princess, there were 5 voices yelling catching the vultures' attention, and that's when they came in…
"YEEEEE-HAAAWWW!".
Charging towards the vultures were five young fillies. Leading them was a white unicorn with a purple curly mane and blue eyes, along with three diamond cutie-mark.
On her left side was a pink earth pony filly with a cotton-candy-like mane and tail, cyan eye and three ballon cutie mark and a cyan pegasus filly with a rainbow mane, magenta eyes, and a cloud rainbow lightning bolt for a cutie mark.
On the Unicorn's right side was an orange earth pony with a blonde mane, brown stepson, green eyes and her cutie mark were three apples, and a pale-yellow pegasus with a long light-pink mane, dark cyan eyes, and for her cutie mark three pink butterflies.
Once they got to the scavengers, the five fillies began attacking the bone pickers in every direction and scaring them off.
"Get Out! Get Outta here ya bone-pickin' varmints!" The Orange Filly yelled with a southern accent, bucking one vulture.
"Yeah! Get Lost feather brains!" The Cyan Filly added, ramming into another one. Pretty soon the vultures had enough and flew off to look for another meal. Once they were gone four of the five cheered, except for the yellow pegasus as she was the only one who didn't attack any of the vultures.
"Whoo-hoo! I love bowling for buzzards!" The Pink Filly cheered, jumping up and down excitedly.
The yellow pegasus merely snorted, "Well I don't think it's fun to pick on those poor vultures," She huffed before she noticed the Vultures' 'kill'.
"Ah, come on Fluttershy, those scavengers had it comin'," the Cyan Filly said, brushing herself to get rid of the dirt and dust on her coat and feathers.
"Oh, dear. Hey girls, you better come take a look. I think this poor thing may still be alive," Fluttershy said, calling out to her friends while looking down at Twilight in concern.
Rarity, the white Unicorn Filly, saw the Alicorn Filly and said with disgust "Eeeewwww!". She thought it might be halfway dead and is starting to rot being alive. But gathering up her courage, Rarity approached the body and said "Alright, everypony, stand back. Let me see what we have here, myself,".
Rarity inspects Twilight's body such as looking, touching, and even smelling, grateful she didn't smell anything rotten. But when Rarity lifted Twilight's hoof from her face with her magic and saw the filly's horn, she gasped in fright and started panicking. "Aaahh! It's an Alicorn!" Rarity said, freaking out and tripping but quickly regained her footing.
She then dashed back to her friends as the Orange Filly and the Cyan Filly stood in front of the other three, "Girls Run! We must Flee now!" Rarity encouraged her friends to hoof it now.
But the Pink Filly spoke up, "Hey, Rarity come on, she's just a little alicorn. She looks about our age," She assured looking down at the unconscious Twilight smiling, "Look at her she's so cute and all alone. Can we keep her?!" She asked excitedly before the Cyan Filly flew up to her.
"Pinkie are you NUTS!?" She shouted grabbing Pinkie by the cheeks, before she thought for a moment, "Well you're already pretty nuts, But STILL!".
The orange filly spoke up next, "Rainbow Dash's right Pinkie! We're talkin' about an Alicorn here, Alicorns kill outcasts like us!" She stated, scowling at the purple filly.
"But Applejack, Rainbow Dash. Look at her, she's so little, only our size and she doesn't look like she would hurt a fly!" Fluttershy argued as Rarity stepped in front of her.
"She's going to get bigger, darling!" She argued, reminding her that Alicorns could get much taller than Earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns could ever get.
Pinkie popped up smiling, "Well, maybe we can make her be on our side!" She proposed.
"Ha! Pinkie, that's the most stupidest thing I ever heard you say. "Maybe She'll Be On Our Side"," Rainbow Dash laughed while doing her impersonation of Pinkie Pie while Rarity, who was mulling on what Pinkie said perked up.
"Hey! Wait a minute, Pinkie Pie, you're a genius!" Rarity said, getting an idea from what Pinkie Pie just proposed.
"I am?" Pinkie Pie asked herself in surprise.
"She is?!" The other fillies asked in unison confusion and shock.
"Of course, perhaps we could make her be on our side. Having an Alicorn like her around might not be such a bad idea after all," Rarity explained, with an alicorn as part of their band they would be safe from whatever came their way.
"Oh boy! Are we keeping her, Rarity? Are we? Are we? Are we?" Pinkie Pie asked, jumping up and down excitedly.
"Of course we are. I mean, who's the brain of this outfit?" Rarity asked as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash picked Twilight up from the ground and placed her on Applejack's back.
"Uuhhh…" The four struggled to answer, they knew Rarity was many things but being the 'brains' was not one of those things they call her. But Rarity merely took their lack of an answer for an answer anyway.
"Oh, never mind that, darlings. Let's get out of this place, this heat is horrible for my coat!" Rarity said as they trotted off to find some shade while carrying their new friend.
"And while we're at it, let's find this little filly some water too," Rainbow Dash added.
A little while later, the five fillies were underneath the shade of a tree with a little pond of water. Applejack sets Twilight down as Rarity splashes some water at the Alicorn filly with her magic. Twilight starts to wake up and opens her eyes to see the five young fillies standing in front of her.
"Are you alright, darling?" Rarity asked in concern, her voice reminding her of Marina.
"Yeah, I guess so," Twilight replied, but not in a good mood, she was still upset about what she had done a couple of days ago.
"You nearly died out there," Fluttershy said, looking at her with a smile that reminded her of Gaia.
"Luckily, I saved you, dear," Rarity said, earning a clearing of the throat from Applejack whose expression was like Cliffbore's when he was annoyed. Rarity then corrected herself, "Well my friends helped, a little,".
"Well, thanks for your help, I guess," Twilight said dully as she headed back into the forest quietly.
"Hey, where ya going?" Rainbow Dash asked, being confused to see Twilight walking away, her boyish tone bringing memories of Stormheart's voice.
"Nowhere, I'm afraid," Twilight said, continuing her way back to the Everfree Forest.
"Does she look kinda blue to anypony else, besides me?" Applejack asked her friends.
"Hmmm, I say she's a pale mulberry color filly with a purple mane and pink streaks-" Pinkie Pie said, describing the color of Twilight as the Alicorn keeps walking away sadly.
"No, no, no, dear. She means she's depressed," Rarity interrupted, correcting her.
"Oh," Pinkie realized.
"She looks like she could use a friend. I'm gonna go talk to her," Fluttershy said.
The yellow pegasus flies to Twilight and lands next to her as she asks, "Um, excuse me. Pardon me by asking but what's bothering you?".
Pinkie and the others appeared next to Twilight and the pink earth pony filly said, "Are you kidding? Nothing, she's at the top of the Equestrian Ranks! Ahhhhhhhha hahaha haa! The Equestrian Ranks, get it?!". Pinkie Pie laughed but seeing that her friends and Twilight not laughing, though her joking nature did give Twilight some good memories about how Blaze-Horn cheered her up. Pinkie, seeing no one was laughing, decided to tone it down a little.
"It's okay, darling. Pinkie Pie was trying to cheer you up," Rarity assured, trying to let Twilight know that Pinkie Pie wasn't trying to offend her.
"It's okay. Really," Twilight said, knowing that Pinkie Pie was just trying to make her laugh.
"So, where are you from, new filly?" Rainbow Dash asked, crossing her hooves.
"It doesn't matter. I can't go back home ever again," Twilight said as she keeps walking away again.
But Rarity got in front of her and said, gesturing to herself and the other four as they stood in front of her smiling, "Come now cheer up, dear. You know if you're an outcast you could stay with us. If you like,".
"Whatcha do, sugarcube?" Applejack asked as Twilight sat down.
"Something terrible. But I just don't want to talk about it," Twilight mutters, sniffling sadly and shedding a tear.
"Nah, it's okay. We don't wanna hear about it anyway," Rainbow said, earning herself an elbow bump from Fluttershy.
"Rainbow," Fluttershy chided, before turning to Twilight with a concerned gaze, "Is there anything we can do to help you fix it?".
"Not unless you can help me change the past," Twilight answered, sadly.
"Well, new friend. In times like this, our friend Rarity here has a saying. 'You gotta put your behind in your past'," Pinkie Pie said before Rarity gawked.
"WHAT?!" She screeched, as Twilight gave a confused look.
"Whoa, whoa. No, no, no, Pinkie…Amateur," Applejack said, waving her hooves as Pinkie put a hoof to her chin, realizing she may have got it wrong.
"Oh…uh wait…I mean," Pinkie said at the same time, trying to correct herself.
"Pinkie, darling, please lie down before you hurt yourself," Rarity advised to Pinkie.
Then Rarity turns her attention to Twilight, "My saying is 'You got to put your past behind you'. Look, deary, bad things happen to us all and you can't do anything about it, right?" she asked.
"Right," Twilight replied with a dull expression.
Suddenly Rainbow zoomed over and poked the Alicorns' nose, "WRONG! When the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world," she declared with a smirk.
"But…that's not what I was taught," Twilight replied, still not getting what they're saying.
"Don't worry, you just need a new lesson from us," Fluttershy said, putting her hoof under Twilight's chin and lifting it up lightly to make eye contact.
"That's right, just repeat after me, dear…*Clearing Throat*...Hakuna Matata," Rarity said.
"What?" Twilight asked in confusion.
"Oooooooh, I love Hakuna Matata!" Pinkie Pie said, hopping up and down excitedly.
"Eeyup, and it means 'No Worries'," Applejack said with a smile.
"Perhaps we can explain it better," Rainbow started before she grinned, "In a song form! Hit it, Rarity," Rainbow Dash then pointed her wing to Rarity, then she started to sing…
Rarity: Hakuna Matata.
Fluttershy: What a wonderful phrase.
Pinkie Pie: Hakuna Matata…
Applejack: …It ain't no passin' craze…
Rainbow Dash: …It means no worries for the rest of your days…
The five fillies sang as they guided their new friend over to a tree. Twilight sat at the base of the tree while Applejack was providing Twilight some shade, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were providing her some cool gentle wind, and Pinkie was providing Twilight some snacks while Rarity proceeded to give her a hooficure.
The Mane 5: It's our problem-free…
Philosophy…
Rarity: Hakuna Matata.
"Hakuna Matata?" Twilight asked, still feeling confused.
"Eeyup, it's our motto," Applejack replied with a smile.
"Wait, what's a motto?" Twilight asked.
Pinkie appeared next to her and joked, "Nothing! What's the "Motto" with you?! Ah, hahaha!". That joke not only made Pinkie laugh but also Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack, who laughed as well.
"Trust us Twilight, those two words will solve all of your problems," Fluttershy assured.
"Yup, take Flutters here for example," Rainbow Dash said, pointing to Fluttershy as she went back to singing…
Rainbow Dash: Why?
When she was a young pegasus…
Fluttershy: When I was a young Pegasus!
"Very nice singing, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash commented on Fluttershy's beautiful singing.
"Thanks," Fluttershy mumbled, blushing.
Rainbow Dash: She was very shy and meek for Pegasi…
She could barely look at anypony in the eye.
In a flashback, Fluttershy was seen looking up at the skies, seeing how all the other Pegasus are flying so well, fast, and strong.
Fluttershy: I was a sensitive pony…
Though I was too scared to even fly…
Wanting to prove that she is also a strong flyer, Fluttershy decided to take to the air as well. Taking a deep breath and flapping her wings, Fluttershy was off to a good flying start but then suddenly for some reason her wings stopped and soon she found herself sliding down and crashing into a ring, causing every Pegasi, who saw her weak flying and crashing, to start laughing and point hooves at her.
Fluttershy looked away feeling embarrassed and humiliated from what happened. As it shifted back to the present as Fluttershy sang her woes.
Fluttershy: And it hurt, That everypony saw me as a joke…
In their eyes!
And ooooooooh, The Shame!
Pinkie Pie: She was ashamed.
Fluttershy: Thought of changing my name!
Applejack: Oh, what's in the name?
Fluttershy: And I got down-hearted!
Rainbow Dash: How did you feel?
Fluttershy: Until Rainbow Dash then…
Suddenly, Rarity walked up to Fluttershy and covered her mouth while speaking, "Um Fluttershy darling, I think we need to move on," Rarity suggested, realizing they were getting off-topic.
"Whoops, heh, sorry," Fluttershy said, blushing in embarrassment.
Twilight just looked at them with confusion and surprise.
Not much later, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie were seen hoisting Rarity up on a swing while Twilight was watching with growing interest as they continued singing…
The Mane 5: Hakuna Matata!
What a wonderful phrase.
Hakuna Matata!
Ain't no passin' craze.
Twilight watches her new friends start swinging around with a smile. And as she became more and more enthusiastic, Twilight decided to join in as a spotlight shines on her not noticing the five had become tangled in the vine…
Twilight: It means no worries
For the rest of your days.
"Yes, sing it, Twi," Pinkie said, doing a vaudeville knee slide up to Twilight as Fluttershy hovered down carrying Rarity.
Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie: It's our problem-free…
Rainbow Dash and Applejack dropped down and joined them as they all went back to back with each other and sang…
Rainbow, and Applejack: Philosophy!
The Mane 6: Hakuna Matata!
Using her magic Rarity moves some leaves out of the way showing Twilight a beautiful sight, "Welcome, to our humble home darling!" She said, waving a hoof to the forest landscape.
Twilight gaped before smiling brightly, "Whoa! You live here?!" She asked, unable to believe that five fillies lived in such a big paradise all by themselves.
Rainbow scoffs, "Psh! Please we live wherever we want!" She corrects, "But yeah, this is pretty much our crib,".
"Like my Pa always said 'Home's where ya hang yer' hat!'" Applejack quipped, tilting her hat and giving a chuckle.
Twilight just smiles as the beautiful view gives a clear reminder of a happier time with her parents, "It's gorgeous," She said.
Soon the Mane 6 were walking through the forest before Pinkie's tummy started to rumble, "Ooh, I'm starved!" She moaned, rubbing her belly.
Twilight felt her own stomach rumble as well and said, "I know. I'm so hungry, I could eat a whole Tarte au orange and melon!".
The girls stopped for a moment at what Twilight just said, "Um, I don't think we have a Tarte au Orange and Melon." Fluttershy admitted, sheepishly.
Twilight was a little disappointed at first but she still smiled, "Well, do you have any Chocolate Strawberry Zingers?!" She asked, she loved it when the servants brought her a tray full of them at snack time.
Rainbow raised a brow, "A Chocolate Strawberry Whater?" She asked.
Twilight then frowned as it was confirmed they didn't have her favorite snack either, "Sunflower Vanilla Truffles?" She requested.
Only for Applejack to give her a head shake and a big, "Nnope!". Twilight slouched, of course, they didn't have any palace food here, this is a forest, not a fancy restaurant.
Seeing her disappointment Rarity stepped up to her with a smile, "Now dear, if you are going to live with us, you will have to eat like us," She explained, directing her over to a tree.
"This looks like a good place to grab some grub," Rainbow said hovering next to the tree and tapping the trunk, she turned to the orange filly and asked, "AJ, care to do the honors?".
Applejack smirked as she cracked her neck, before turning her back legs to the tree before she reared back and gave a strong, sturdy buck, and from the branches brightly colored fruit rained down from it and landed on the floor.
"Um, what's that?" Twilight asked in confusion as Applejack picked up a green apple.
"Grub, or as I like to call it," Applejack replied as she eats the apple in one bite. "Freshly bucked fruit!" She mumbles.
"I've never tried these kinds of food before. What are they like?" Twilight asked, as living in the palace for most of her life she never had a chance to try more common food.
Rainbow, who had finished an apple, wipes her mouth with one hoof, "Mmm, tastes like candy!" She answers.
Fluttershy grabs an orange, and squeezes the juice out of it and into her mouth, "Both sour and sweet!" She chirps happily.
"These are rare delicacies, darling," Rarity explained, picking through the fruit before she finds a spotless green apple, "Personally, I find the green apples the most delicious!" She stated before taking a bite.
Twilight turns around, and faces Pinkie who had her mouth full of fruit, "You'll learn to love'em!" She mumbles before swallowing all the fruit and sighs happily.
Applejack was carrying a bowl full of fruit on her back as she spoke to Twilight, "I'm tellin' ya Sugarcube, this here's the life, no rules, no major responsibilities,". She stops as she sees a rainbowed colored apple, "OOH! A rare Zap Apple," She said, before stuffing it in her mouth.
Applejack then approaches them with all the fruit, with a few falling off, "And most of all no worries!" Rainbow said, chewing on a pear as Rarity levitated the bowl off of Applejack and to Twilight.
"Well darling, care to try some more 'exotic' cuisine?" She inquires with a smile. Twilight looked a little nervous about trying a new food but she felt a nudge on her side and turned to see Fluttershy smiling at her.
"Just try one apple," She requested, Twilight turned back to the bowl and took one big red apple in her magic, and looked at it questionably.
"Well, Hakuna Matata," Twilight said before she put the apple into her mouth and chewed. She moved the pieces in her mouth tasting the fruit's flavor.
"Well?" Rainbow asked with a grin.
"Whaddya think?" Applejack added.
"Very delicious, no?" Rarity implored before Pinkie appeared with more fruit in a bowl.
"Want another taste just in case?!" She asked. Twilight mumbles a bit before she swallows, smacked her lips a few times, "Sour yet sweet at the same time," She said, as a smile grows on her face, "This is way different than anything back home, I love it! I LOVE IT!".
"Yeah, that's it! The pony loves the fruities!" Pinkie cheered as the others did the same and she threw the fruit into the air.
Throughout the years, Twilight has lived alongside her new friends and the free-will of Hakuna Matata. And now as time goes on Twilight and her friends have gone through some amazing changes and have finally grown from foals to teenagers to adult ponies. But while the Mane 5 were all around the same height, Twilight had grown taller than any of them, about the same height as her mother was, and her mane, tail, horn, and wings had grown larger too. The Mane 6 walked across a log waving their heads from side to side as they grew up together. They walked through the forests, past waterfalls, and even walked with the moon shining behind them. Then the Mane 5 appeared moving their heads around to the music and Twilight wasn't seen.
The Mane 5: Hakuna Matata!
Hakuna Matata!
Hakuna Matata!
Then Twilight finally appeared as a young Alicorn mare and begins singing in her adult voice as she approaches her friends…
Twilight { Singing In Her Adult Voice }: It means "No Worries".
For the rest of your days…
The Mane 6: It's Our Problem-Free…
Philosophy…
Rarity: Hakuna Matata!
Applejack: Hakuna Matata.
Rainbow Dash: Hakuna Matata.
Twilight: Hakuna Matata!
Pinkie: Hakuna Matata.
Fluttershy: Hakuna Matata!
All of the Mane 6 then all started jumping off the log and dived into the pond below. Rarity was first and did an elegant swan dive. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were next as they both jumped off the log and did an excellent combo cannonball which created a bigger splash. Twilight was running with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy riding on her back as she then leaped forward and grabbed a hold of a hanging vine. But just when the three mares were about to dive, the vine snapped and Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy were sent falling into the pond below, creating the largest splash of all.
The splash was so large it resulted in a wave that sends the Mane 5 right up to shore.
Twilight: Hakuuuuuuuuuunnnnnaaaa Matata!
Rarity: Hakuna Matata.
Twilight joins her friends at the shore and when she walked out of the pond, she was soaking wet and her mane was sagging over her eyes. But shaking all of the water off and Twilight's mane was then poofed up causing her friends and herself to laugh at that. The Mane 6 started harmonizing their philosophy as the song breaks into a smooth jazz and voice improvisation on the word "Hakuna Matata".
The Mane 6 walked further into the forest and danced to the beat of what now seemed a problem-free life. But little did they know that far away from their paradise there were people who were feeling anything but the happiness they were…