Before anyone says anything, I am well aware that I've got a lot of other projects to work on, and I apologize for the lack of time I have had to complete them. But one day while looking over my old stuff, the idea behind this story came to mind, and I decided to act upon it before I forgot about it.
And what's better than making a story? Why, making a story with a friend, of course! My good friend Impressionsguy at long last collabs with me again! HURRAH!
But in seriousness, I'm glad he did; I make a *terrible* Sugar Plum, and besides this is something we've both needed to do for our characters. He wanted a way to fully develop and flesh out Sugar Plum's character, and I need an excuse to use Zachary Sparkle in my stories once more. Combine those two desires together, and you get this.
I hope you all enjoy how this series will play out! So without further ado, here's your featured program:
"Pinks, hon." Chuck, a hefty red earth pony with a big, fluffy nest of auburn hair making up his mane set atop of his head did his best to say calmly to his wife, who was not doing so well at staying calm. "I need you to check from town hall, southways... let's say town hall to the old water tower. Take Cheese Sandwich and Ivory with you," he instructed. "Quibble, Applejack, and I are doing to head into Everfree forest."
"WHAT!?" Quibble sputtered. "I didn't volunteer to go in there!"
"You volunteered to help me find my daughter, and so help me you miserable piece of gluestick fodder, you are going to go where I instruct you to. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" Chuck barked. The stallion wasn't normally like this, especially not with those he called his friends, but as he mentioned, his and Pinkie's daughter, a unicorn filly just five years old, was missing. That morning when Pinkie had gone to wake her up, she wasn't in her room and her window was wide open.
"Do you really think she ran into Everfree?" Pinkie asked, barely holding back her tears. "Oh Chuckie, what if we never find her?"
"We're going to find her," Chuck promised. "We're going to. Keep asking around if anyone's seen her, or if anyone is willing to help us look. We need all the help we can get."
Just then, there was a loud bump outside their window, and a groan of pain.
"Ow... why didn't I just come here the old-fashioned way?" a voice muttered, and then the head of their uninvited guest lifted up and peered inside, shaking away the disorientation that lingered moments after his impact. And while uninvited, the face was a familiar and welcoming sight for the couple.
TD, short for the Terror of Dimensions - a former tyrant and lord of darkness, who had come to Equestria several years back with the intention of subjugating its peoples, and ruling as their eternal overlord. But over time, he had found peace, belonging, and even love in the company of Princess Twilight Sparkle, who slowly managed to bring out the good in him he had thought to be long lost.
Currently, he was in one of the various forms that he tended to take on, even if it was mostly for appearance's sake: a red-coated unicorn, who's mane was somewhat bedraggled and a darker shade than his coat. Bearing a Cutie Mark that depicted a dragon's fire burning across an open scroll, and with eyes that were dragonic in origin rather than pony-like. Said eyes would often look sinister and ominous to behold, but over time those whom he was given the priviledge of calling his friends had grown to read the expressions in them for what they really were.
And currently, they were looking at the gathered party with curious concern.
"Chuck? Pinkie? Quibble- all of you? What's wrong? Did something happen?" he asked, sensing that this wasn't a friendly get-together.
Pinkie turned to TD, as though she was about to answer, but before the words could escape her lips, she turned into a blubbering mess, tears gushing out of her like twin waterfalls. With a heavy sigh, her husband turned to TD.
"Sugar Plum's gone missing." He said in a low voice, evident that he was combating that same feeling.
"What?" TD looked surprised. "You mean, she's like... gone gone? But where? Why?"
"I don't know!" Chuck snapped, them he quickly added, "Sorry," recognizing his quick temper in the moment. "I don't know. I don't know where, I don't know why. Everything was perfectly fine when we tucked her in last night and this morning she was just... gone."
TD was silent at first, and then he started to trot forward, and his body phased through the wall so he was now in the house with them. Once inside, he trotted over to Chuck and laid a hoof comfortingly on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, Chuck. We'll find her," he vowed. "I'll call up the rest of the girls - minus Twilight, since she has Diana to worry about - and we'll search the area together. If she's not here, then we'll try Canterlot." He smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure Tia would be more than willing to lend her assistance in this matter."
"Thank you." Chuck nodded, perking up slightly before clearing his throat. "Well, what are we all doing standing around? Let's go troops. Let's move," he instructed, successfully burying his panic down once more.
"Sir, yes sir," TD said with a slightly teasing salute, and then disappeared in a brief flash of light. Presumably to find the rest of the Mane 6, and recruit them in the search for Sugar Plum.
Sugar Plum ran, and ran through the bustling pavilions, through Canterlot Square - she didn't know where. She just knew at this point she couldn't look back. She couldn't turn back. "Back" wasn't an option anymore. She just wished she knew what was an option. After all she was now in a strange city, surrounded by hundreds of strange ponies, with no one who cared for her, or at least those she thought cared for her, aware of where she was.
She was hopeless.
This was starting to feel like a terrible, terrible decision. Sugar Plum was tired, she was hungry, but most of all, she was terrified. She just wanted to go home. But home wasn't a choice she had anymore. She didn't know what to do, but she had to get out of this overwhelming crowd. She took solace in the alleyway behind (I don't remember what donut Joe's shop is called but let's say it's there). She ducked behind the dumpster and collapsed down onto the ground in exhaustion, sniffling for a moment before a sob escaped her lips, which soon became a wail.
She must have been crying for... minutes? Hours? It didn't matter nor would she have noticed to begin with. But as the last of her tears dried, she was made aware of another presence in the alley with her, indicated by the shadow of someone standing at the entrance. Expecting the shop owner or some random stranger, she raised her head...
"Hi there."
The voice was recognizable before the figure in question was: a pegasus colt, probably only a year or two older than she was, with an odd coat coloring of blue with green stripes - or was it green with blue stripes? - similar to a zebra's in pattern. His mane was a vibrant red, neatly trimmed but also a little messy, as if he had just been flying against a heavy wind moments ago. On his flank, she saw his Cutie Mark depicting a freshly brewed potion of some kind, the contents unknown.
But what really caught her attention were his eyes.
They were draconic, which looked odd for a pony to possess (but then, TD never let that stop him), yet for him seemed almost like a natural trait to compliment his appearance. A lovely purple color too, reminding Sugar Plum of Princess Twilight's eyes, and with every ounce the same amount of compassion to be found in them.
"Hey, are you okay?" the colt asked again, keeping his volume low as he slowly approached her, and wearing a soft, warm smile.
"No..." She whimpered. "Leave me alone. I'm in the garbage. Don't give the garbage any attention."
The pegasus stopped briefly, but continued to approach her until they were only a couple yards away. Upon doing so, however, he stopped and he looked at her with familiarity.
"Wait a minute... I know you," he said. "You're the filly Uncle Chuck adopted... Sugar Plum, right? From that party at his tavern?"
"No," she said quickly, turning away completely so the lie would be easier to tell. "That's... someone else. I don't know your uncle Chuck, but if I did... I don't want to see him. And he wouldn't want to see me. So you should just go away," she insisted.
"Um... okay...?" He seemed a little confused, but it was obvious she was in pain - emotionally, at least. He started to speak again, but halted himself and frowned thoughtfully.
You're treading on some thin ice, here. Choose your next words carefully.
"...what are you doing all the way out here?" he finally asked. "And by yourself, no less?"
She let out a heavy, defeated sigh. "I ran away..." She whimpered. "They... they... they were going to be rid of me." She panted, tears starting to well in her eyes and her breaths slowly becoming more sporadic.
"Oh... I see." He didn't say it as if shocked or surprised, though it briefly flashed across his face. Instead seeming willing to listen further, should she desire to say more, and further emphasizing this by sitting down nearby. He then asked gently, "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Well..." she began weakly, "the only reason that they adopted me in the first place was... was because they couldn't have foals of their owns," she explained. "But... a couple days ago, they found out Mo-... they found out Pinkie was gonna have a foal... so I knew that they were going to get rid of me. Just thought I'd save them the work," she concluded, sniffling and whimpering sadly, tears pouring down her face.
"Get rid of you?" the colt asked in confusion. "That doesn't sound like Aunt Pinkie Pie at all, having foals or not."
"It makes pretty good sense if you think about it," she said, defensively. "They wouldn't want me around now that they had something... something that was actually theirs."
"Well... I can't blame you for thinking that, but I have an adopted sibling of my own, and Mom and Dad haven't ever given her away," the colt informed her, smiling a tad. "They don't care if she's not actually their child by blood; they love her just as much as they love me. And they wouldn't trade her away for anything." He smiled a little more assuredly. "I'm sure Pinkie Pie and Chuck are the same way with you, and they wouldn't dare to dream about sending you away."
"Do you really think so?" She asked, finally turning to face him from where she lay.
His eyes gave a small twinkle of encouragement. "I know so."
"...I've made a really big mistake," she said glumly. "They have no idea where I am..."
The colt gave her a sympathetic expression, and then he stood to his feet and offered a hoof to her.
"There's still time to change that," he reassured her. After a brief moment, she climbed to her hooves, and trotted over to the colt.
"Okay." She said, a smile slowly starting to form on her face.
It was then that the colt seemed to realize something, and sheepishly said, "Oh, um... in case you forgot... I'm Zachary, or Zach if you'd prefer."
"And I guess you already know my name," She replied bashfully.
"Yeah Dad always said I have a great memory... it's a curse, really," he chuckled, then looked back out the alley. "Well, come on. I think I know where to find them. It's not too far from here."
"Okay," She nodded, eager to see Chuck and Pinkie again.
Through the streets, the two pony children trotted along, with Zach staying only just ahead of Sugar Plum as he led the way. Some ponies gave some curious glances their way, and a few of the more snobbish types even frowned as if disgusted, but no one seemed to think anything about it nor did Zach pay them any mind.
As they traveled, Sugar Plum eventually saw that they were headed for the Canterlot station, and the loud whistling informed them that the train had just arrived.
"Are we going to get on the train back home?" Sugar Plum asked. "Is there even a train going back home today?"
"Even if there isn't, if they all need to get back home quickly, Dad can just send us all back in a flash," Zach informed her. "Besides, I think they'll be more content to know that you're safe."
"Yeah, I guess so." She nodded.
Zach started to say something else, but before he could speak, they heard familiar voices nearby.
"Alright, I'll go to the palace and tell Princess Celestia about the problem."
"While you do that, I'll hit up the shops, and see if anyone's seen her. Pinkie, Chuck, you two can start on the streets; with luck, you might just run into her..."
"That's rich." The loud, booming voice of Sugar Plum's adopted father, Chuck, said in reply. "I mean seriously. What kind of ridiculous luck would we have to have that in this crowded square we just bumped into..." Suddenly, without any warning Chuck was pulled from where he stood by Pinkie, who had picked up something while he was busy complaining. Across the busy square, she saw what was very plainly Sugar Plum and Zach, and she was just ecstatic to see her daughter again.
"SUGAR PLUM!" Pinkie cried out as she collided with her daughter in what was practically a tackle, hugging her with a grip like a vice before Sugar Plum even knew what hit her, but when the moment caught up with her, she was thrilled.
"Momma! You're here!" Sugar Plum beamed, her mood doubling once she noticed her father scraping himself up off the pavement, post-collision. "Papa!" She exclaimed, reaching out for a hug that her father eagerly gave to her, an enormous weight lifted off of his shoulders seeing her okay. Zach initially reacted with surprise, but upon realizing what had occurred, he stepped to the side and smiled at the warm sight - although he didn't have much time to register before he too was smothered by his own parents.
"Zachary!" Twilight exclaimed, and hugged him tightly, which he did not object to in the slightest.
"Hey kiddo," TD said, trotting over to them smirking. "I was wondering where you were."
"Just exploring," Zach answered quietly.
"Hey," Chuck looked earnestly at the little young stallion. "Thank you for finding her. It means the world that she's okay.
"Anytime, Uncle Chuck," Zach answered modestly, smiling from behind Twilight's wing.
"So, just tell me something," Chuck said as he turned to face his daughter once more. "Why did you run away, hon?" He asked her.
Sugar Plum looked away from Chuck at first, not wanting to admit the truth to him, but after a good sigh, she turned and faced him again.
"Because..." Sugar Plum began. "I... thought you and Momma didn't want me anymore." She admitted.
"What!?" Pinkie coughed in surprise. "What could make you possibly think that?"
Sugar Plum just hung her head and sighed again.
"Because you adopted me cause you couldn't have a foal. And now you do have a foal coming, and so I thought you were gonna... were gonna take me back, cause you didn't want me anymore since you had a foal that was actually yours." She explained.
"But..." Chuck began, having taken his poor daughters story in. "You are actually ours. At least as far as we're concerned."
"We set out to adopt because we couldn't have a foal," Pinkie nodded. "But when we found you we had completely forgotten about why we were adopting. All we could think about was this... beautiful, wonderful filly who needed us just as much as we needed her."
"Yes, and to us, you are just as much ours as the foal we have on the way is. Since the day we adopted you, Sugar Plum, you've been our daughter. And that's not something I'd ever change." Chuck hugged his daughter tightly. "We love you."
"I love you guys too." Sugar Plum replied gleefully, hugging her parents. TD and his family stayed silent as they watched the exchange, although TD did seem to briefly tear up for a moment before shaking it off. Minutes passed, and then eventually Twilight turned to her son.
"I meant to ask, where'd you find her?"
"Joe's place," Zach replied innocently. "I was flying over Canterlot for a bit, and I saw the place. I was going to go inside and get some donuts to bring home, and that's when I heard her. And I found her in the alley in the back."
"Huh. Joe's place is more popular than I thought," TD mused. "Wonder why he hasn't gone world-wide yet; he'd definitely make a killer business if he did that."
"Did somepony say donuts?" Pinkie asked, breaking loose from the hug almost as though by the flip of a switch. "Hey! There's a donut shop right near here I think!" Yeah, the one they were just talking about, oh absent minded one. "Chuckie, can we go get some donuts? Please? Now that we know Sugar Plum's okay my appetite has just skyrocketed!" She begged her husband.
"I really don't feel like you need my permission for tha-" Chuck began a response, but as soon as Pinkie clued in he was granting consent to her pursuit of pastry, she was off like a bolt.
Twilight chuckled. "Guess we're having donuts now."
"Hmm... I don't mind. I could go for donuts," TD answered approvingly.
Let's go, you," Chuck said with an affectionate chuckle, as he crouched down for Sugar Plum to hop up onto his back. "You've had a long day. How about you rest those legs a spell?" With a happy nod, Sugar Plum hopped up onto her dad's back, and they went with the group.
Zach smiled at the sight, and giving his wings a few flaps, he flew up a few feet and followed his parents and Chuck's family back to Joe's.
And, there's the first chapter done! What'd y'all think?
Now, to clarify a few things before we move on to other chapters, I am basing the lore of this story off of my (incomplete) original story's rewrite, so some of the lore behind it may seem inaccurate or otherwise out of place. So that's to clear up any confusion (if at all) which may arise out of it.
Beyond that, I hope y'all enjoyed this, and I'll cya around for the next chapter! Goodbye!