Many years ago...
"Peter!" Twilight Sparkle called out. The Unicorn was always overworked. Always a little bit stressed. Always taking care of things - and doing so by the book. Literally, as her work always involved books. She was a student of Princess Celestia - a studious mare with the most rigorous work schedule. She was a skilled magic-user, and a skilled practitioner of science. She was also an avid bookworm who could read up to multiple books a day.
But most surprisingly - she was also a mother. To one dragon - as an adoptive mother - and to one human, as a biological mother.
And a very odd human at that.
The young lad poked his head into the room, blushing as he did. "H-Hey mom!" He called out. "D-Did ya need me?"
"Hey, just for a moment." She smiled - having stood before a bookshelf. "Can you help me lift up the bookcase and move it a little? I'm going to buy a new one, and I think we ought to give it some room"
"Uh..." Peter looked at the only possible location of where the shelf could possibly be moved. "Isn't that going to start blocking the window?" He asked. Indeed, their house was special in that it had a very large window that gave a gorgeous view of their city - Canterlot.
Twilight Sparkle awkwardly chuckled. "U-Uh, well, it's not like the whole window is gonna get blocked...So, can ya help?"
"Uh...S-Sure." The teen disappeared for a second, and then awkwardly stepped into the room...And for whatever reason, he was wearing a bathrobe.
Twilight was most curious as this odd getup.
"...Were you bathing?" She asked.
"...Yep!" The teen was easy to catch lying - for he was totally dry. Twilight squinted her eyes - but decided to keep quiet for now. Her horn sparkled - and the bookshelf began to glow as her magic enveloped it. The boy then leaned down and grabbed one of the corners of the massive bookshelf, before a surprising amount of strength allowed him to start lifting it and moving it. A feat most impressive, and shocking, considering the amount of strength it seemed to take. Finally, they had moved it by a solid meter and gave space for the extra shelf.
It was at this moment that Twilight caught something underneath his robe. She already knew what it was and smiled softly. "So, Peter - I saw you bought some threads and stuff. Care to share with me the progress?"
"Huh?" Peter turned to her in surprise. "How...d'ya know that-"
"I think a bathrobe isn't enough to cover an entire suit. Now come on!" Twilight excitedly said.
With a sigh, Peter nodded. He loosened the bathrobe, and it dropped - revealing an explosion of blue and red colors. Underneath, he was wearing what appeared to have been a handmade suit, one that covered his entire body. It was made with a very elastic and insulated material, but it was clear that for the most part, it was a self-made craft.
Twilight clapped her hooves. "Oh my! You made that yourself?"
"Well, you do have books about tailoring and stuff like that!" He chuckled softly. "It's not done yet, I still gotta make a mask...I'm surprised you're taking it so well, though. I thought you didn't really support the ideas of me...y'know..."
The Unicorn sighed softly. "Your ambitions to protect and help others are admirable, and it'd be awful of me to deny you that. But I still want you to understand the whole value behind this concept. If you charge in without knowing what you're doing and why - you might end up hurting ponies and humans - and other creatures - even if you intend to help them." She explained. "I read somewhere in a pretty good book - this saying...that With Great Power comes Great Responsibility. I think it's a little cliched, but..." She paused to chuckle. "It's a good message nonetheless."
"I understand, mom." Peter nodded with a sigh. In truth, he didn't understand - because it all seemed so straightforward to him. What else could he need to know apart from his desire to help others?
His ambition was to be a hero. After all - the powers he had were special. Unlike those of other humans. And it gave him the potential to do great things. Ultimately, he felt anxious - because the later he got to work, the more could suffer during the wait.
"Hey, Twilight?" Spike spoke as he entered. "Oh, hey bro." He smiled to Peter, who happily waved back.
"Hm? Yes, Spike?" Twilight turned her head to him.
"Princess Celestia sent a letter. She said she wanted to meet you." Spike said.
"Oh, just in time!" Twilight sighed in relief. "I wanted to bring up an issue with her!"
"An issue?" Peter asked.
Twilight nodded. "I read an odd story...one that could very well be a prophecy that might come true. I need to bring it up with her." She said and looked up at the Sun through the slightly tinted window for a moment. "...The Mare on the Moon...She...She may be coming back."
"The Mare on the Moon?" Peter raised a brow. "Mom, that's just some old fairy tale, isn't it..."
"Yeah, bro's right." Spike nodded. "Come on, Twi - I'm sure Celestia would've raised an alarm if this was something that could actually happen."
"No." She shook her head. "Every concern must be taken seriously. There's no other way. Now, if Celestia wants to see me - then let's get our things ready!"
Peter smiled. He felt excited about seeing the Princess again, for he admired her. Yet, this whole odd mystery behind the Mare on the Moon...He heard stories.
But if the stories were true...
Did it mean that Celestia's second son truly wasn't hers...?
*
"'Aight..." The orange mare adjusted her hat and excitedly took a step back. "Just like we practiced, sugarcube! Remember - don't overdo it, 'aight?"
"...Got it, mom." The long-haired lad sighed, preparing his right hand. It was completely chromatic, covered in metal. In-fact, there was nothing organic about it at all. The metal was no ordinary metal - and it was indeed a rare type. The type heard of only in legends.
"Pull 'yer arm back, Bucky..." The orange mare said. "Remember - this time, use less force than you did with the last one. Take it easy - give it a light bap, but don't sock it!"
"Ready." Bucky closed his eyes.
"Go!"
Applejack saw the fist collide with the bark of the tree. In the end, the apples had fallen off of the tree and rolled along the grass.
However, the falling included the apple tree itself, which was promptly sent tilting and then croaking over to its side.
"Awww no!" Bucky cried out in desperation - holding his hair in his hands. "Mom! I'm-...D-Dang, I'm sorry! I didn't think-"
"It's okay, sugarplum!" Applejack smiled softly, laughing and attempted to get him to calm down. "It's alright! Trees can regrow! Eventually..." She said - muttering the last part. She was lucky that she had the smarts to give him a less remarkable and not too healthy tree to practice on.
Bucky could only sigh as he looked at his arm. "...Vibranium's really this strong, huh...?"
Applejack chuckled. "Remember that your buddy Steve has a whole shield made of the stuff. And it can pack a punch, just with a gentle toss. So, you ought to take the strength less seriously. Think of it as needing less effort for double the input - you get the idea."
"More or less..." Bucky awkwardly looked at his metal fingers.
"...Do you miss it, sugarcube?" Applejack sighed. "Your...old arm?"
"..." Bucky closed his eyes and sighed. "What happened, happened. If my arm's gone, then so be it. What I gotta do now is adapt and learn how to use this new one." He said, giving his hand a few testing motions, testing his fingers and joints - turning his wrist to make sure that he was in perfect tune with this instrument.
The incident that resulted in this - his attempt to save another's life, had costed him his limb. He thought about this - and he knew that there was no way he'd ever want to take it back. He cherished the fact his efforts were able to save a life. But what he didn't anticipate was the fact he'd remain so fixated on the new limb.
He hated to admit - but perhaps with a limb like this, it was better. More efficient, maybe? Even if he no longer felt touch, even if he no longer felt warmth...He had power and strength.
Applejack frowned and stepped forward, putting a hoof on his arm. "Limbs can be replaced, 'ah guess. But you have to understand that only one thing cannot be replaced. It's here..." She leaned in to gently touch his head, and then his chest. "And here. Your wits and your heart - they can never be let go of. Please keep that in mind, 'aight, sugarplum...?"
Bucky looked at her and awkwardly blushed, looking aside. "W-Where's this coming from? You don't gotta make this so sentimental..." He spoke. "But...thanks, mom. I'll remember that."
Applejack gave him a big, warm smile - one of pride for the young man.
...
"...Also." She coughed. "Sugarcube, 'ah know you're an enthusiast with the whole uh, gun department - but y'mind warning Big Mac 'fore you start using the shootin' range? You startled 'im pretty bad last time when he decided to go apple buckin' last afternoon..."
"Sorry mom - didn't mean to give Uncle Mac that kinda scare..." He awkwardly ruffled his hair with a smile.
"It's alright, hun." Applejack smiled softly at him.
...
Bucky coughed awkwardly. "Think I can just uh...pick it up and put it back the way it was before? I mean, it doesn't look all that heavy..."
"..." Applejack blinked at him and sighed. "Sugarcube, ya snapped the trunk in half. 'Ah think we can let it go."
"...Right."
*
"Y'know, nephew..." A young white Unicorn awkwardly stood behind the short-haired man. "I think you may be getting a little bit crazy here... How'd ya even learn to make this stuff?"
"Genius doesn't gotta come from anywhere in particular, other than the ability to put two and two together." He said, gently scratching his developing beard as he struck the piece of metal with his mallet. "Also, can y'stop calling me nephew? I mean, I get that's the case - and that you're my aunt and all, but I'm older than you. Feels weird." He coughed.
"Aight, Tony!" Sweetie Belle smiled. "So, what is this thing supposed to be anyway?"
"Long story short?" He briefly glanced at her. "The final uh... piece de resistance, as your sister would put it. This is gonna be the mask. Complete with a primitive HUD system I've programmed into it that will do as the alpha build. Basically, it's all coming together.
"But..." Sweetie Belle scratched her curly hair with a hoof. "The whole thing looks like it's gotta weigh a bazillion tons...How're you gonna manage putting it on...?"
Tony sighed. He knew that Sweetie was a child - but it pained him to explain things he thought were otherwise obvious. "Basically, the suit is gonna have a weight relief system powered on the principles of basic exoskeleton suits. The power source is gonna be my Arc Reactor."
"The what?"
"The glowing thing, Sweetie Belle? The thing I've got in my chest?"
"Wait, you're gonna use that to power the suit!?" She squeaked. "B-But that might be dangerous! Won't you die if something happens to it?"
"Sparks of madness get the best results." He simply said, and continued to hit the metal with the mallet...
A gasp was heard behind them. "Tony!? Sweetie Belle!?" Gasped a white Unicorn. "W-What's going on!?"
Rarity stood at the top of the basement stairs, and both the Filly and lad turned around to look at her. Sweetie Belle gulped.
Tony put on a totally inconspicuous smile. "Hey mom. Just uh, tryin' to generate some ideas for you. For the next fashion line, and all that."
"Maybe if my fashion line involved science fiction! Tony - w-what is that thing?" She asked, hoof pointing...
At the standing shape of a large metal suit. One interlaced with wires and miniature devices, and what even appeared to be weapons.
Tony awkwardly chuckled. "Okay, right - so...Y'know how when boys get bored, they uh, get the inspiration to make something with their own hands? Or hooves, whatever. Well, I may have decided to build a little...Summer Break construction project. Kind of like a treehouse. You're cool with that, right?"
"That looks like a bit more than just a craft of some sort, that..." Rarity descended down the basement stairs and frowned as she looked at the suit. "Dear, is that...weaponized? F-For whatever purpose would you need a thing such as this...?"
"Well, lots of things." Tony coughed. "Peacekeeping. Saving the vulnerable from danger. Maybe uh, occasionally being able to get in my way in certain arguments. Also, for bragging rights over the fact that I created it."
"Dear..." She sighed. "You need to understand that whatever you're making cannot just be used for harm! That's...That's not the right way." She frowned, putting a hoof on his hand - and making him let go of the mallet.
"Look, I was just kidding." Tony sighed. "I just think that if I'm onto something, I should pursue it. I might be making something really groundbreaking. There's not much reason to stop. I promise not to do anything crazy with it..."
"You could pay Diamond Tiara a visit and give her a scare though..." Sweetie Belle said under her breath, unheard by the two.
"Darling..." Rarity softly spoke to Tony. "Promise that you will always understand the importance of helping others - and being generous." She whispered. "This world is full of different creatures - all with their own ambitions, dreams, and hopes. Please value them too - and yours will be valued in return. That is, as such, the Golden Rule."
"I know about karma, mom." He defensively raised his arms...But he looked at his mom's patient, yet serious eyes. He sighed - admitting his own defeat as he lowered his arms. "Alright, I understand, mom. Sorry."
"That's quite alright, dear." Rarity smiled warmly at his ability to simmer down, and put his ego aside - to instead understand the greater picture at play...
Rarity looked behind Tony, and at the suit. "You know, darling. I must say that as much as I understand this is supposed to be but a prototype...You really don't need to be so...minimalistic. I mean, seriously - that grey color isn't going to do you many favors."
Tony groaned. "Mom, come on - I'm gonna probably discard it after a hundred or so test runs."
"That is no excuse!" Rarity exclaimed. "May I suggest adding something sparkly to the design? Something vibrant at-least? You could try to give it a cape!"
"No capes." Tony sighed as he approached his suit to put the mask on.
"Something to brighten it up, dear!" Groaned Rarity. "If my son is going to be piloting some kind of menacing superweapon, he should at-least be fashionable when he does it! Please? Just think of something fancy!"
"Practicality before looks, mom." Tony declared.
"At-least a paint job! Anything! Maybe a nice combination of gold and red colors?"
"That-" Tony pointed a finger at Rarity and curled it. "...is a decent idea."
"Your mom does have an ideal eye for color, after all." The Unicorn giggled.
*
The young lad ran through the forest at break-neck speeds. His muscular legs strained against the dirt as he locomoted himself as fast as he could across the ground. His breath was heavy - resembling the breathing of a tired bull more than anything. Yet, he pressed on. For through the woods, he was being chased.
Chased by a being as fast as he was - if not faster. He felt the air behind him break and whip. Something pursued him. Something that was determined to catch up to him.
Yet, his safety was in-front of him.
A finish line - marked by sticks.
With a triumphant yell, he slid through the fallen leaves and soil - his knees hitting the dirt as he received a much-needed boost in speed - just to make it.
But as he looked up - the trail of Rainbows had flashed right above him; and went far over his head and forward.
The blue Pegasus broke through the finish line much sooner than him, and she broke through the finish line with a triumphant yell. She quickly stood herself by looping around a tree, and finally landed in-front of the young man.
Steve was left panting and gasping for air, picking himself up on his feet as he gathered himself as best he could. He wiped the sweat off his brow - the sweat heavy and pouring down his forehead.
"Not bad, kid!" Rainbow Dash giggled as she landed on the ground. "Not bad at all! Even though I gave you a head start, you still managed to get here impressively fast. Just two seconds before me! You're improving."
"Thanks mom, but..." Steve let out a deep breath. "I got a long way to go..."
"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it." Rainbow Dash smiled. "You've got hands, and you've got strength. I've got flight and speed. You're special in your own way!"
"Heh...I appreciate it..." He said, finally taking a deep breath. "Kinda crazy to think about it all. The way I am...It's not anywhere close to being an ordinary human. I feel like that should be kind of...concerning - in its own way."
"I ain't an ordinary Pegasus either." Rainbow boasted. "But we're all special in our ways, and that's what matters. Focus on your strengths and use them to help others. Loyalty after all is what we can offer to be the best."
"A-Alright, well...Are we done with the speed training? I uh...really wanna get back to my shield...I think I've finally learned how to throw and catch it!"
"For real?" Rainbow Dash rose a brow. "No kiddin' either, huh? How'd ya learn that?"
"...Hard to tell." Steve said, picking up his backpack that he left by the finish line. "It's like the shield and I got some kind of connection. It's made of that weird metal I told you about - Vibranium. It's almost like it got a mind of its own..."
"Could get some egghead to look at it." Rainbow Dash giggled. "Well, let's go then! We've got more trainin' to do!"
*
The young man adjusted his glasses as he finally focused on the task at hand. Sweat poured down his head as he understood that a single mistake could spell disaster. He crouched by the little nest, and carefully arranged it. He placed the brambles and sticks accordingly and placed the according set pieces.
And with the last pieces done, he was able to complete the nest. It was done just as instructed, and finally, it became a very attractive home for a pair of small white birds that landed side by side.
Approaching by his side was a yellow Pegasus - who looked at his efforts. She studied it, and gave him a warm, warm smile.
"Great job, Bruce!" She spoke. Her voice was naturally quiet and whispery, but despite her naturally shy nature, she felt very happy and even somewhat confident around the presence of her son. "You did a wonderful job! I'm so proud of you..."
"Thanks mom..." Bruce nervously chuckled, rubbing his head. "Won't lie though, I uh...was really worried this would turn out badly again, like it did last time..."
"That's okay! It happens...!"
"Well..." Bruce sighed. "It doesn't really happen, mom..." He said, looking at his hand. "It's...not exactly normal for boys to be able to suddenly get some kind of crazy super strengh just because of getting angry...I...Hope the animals haven't gotten too scared of me after what I did..."
"I explained it to them." Fluttershy smiled warmly. "They understand everything, so don't worry about it. They forgive you - they just, uhm...They just know to keep their distance in-case they notice you start getting a little bit upset - but really! It's all okay!"
"Well, I sure hope so..." Bruce sighed. "I really wonder if there's anything good that can come out of this, though. Perhaps it would be best if I figured out a cure for it sooner than later..."
"You're perfect just the way you are, dear." Fluttershy told him, putting a hoof on his shoulder. "You really need to understand this. No matter what - you are the only Bruce Banner Shy in Equestria; and you are special. And whatever you were born with - you should never consider it to be a curse. You must only consider it to be you - and only you."
"Heh, uh, mom...?" Bruce shyly smiled. "You're...confusin' me a little."
"Just think I said something profound..." She softly giggled, leaning in to hug the boy - and so did he hug in return. "Now, we should go feed our friends in the Everfree Outskirts."
"Okay! I'll keep you safe mom! Just uh, make sure to say something that will make me angry so that I can transform."
"I guess I can remind you to clean your room!" Fluttershy joked with a giggle.
In return, Bruce only chuckled a bit and waved his hand. "I think just letting Angel do some of his antics on me will be enough."
*
He aimed with the weapon that few ponies could wield. It was simple in one way - made of only two real moving parts; a curved stick, and a sturdy string between the ends to make a harp-like device. But it was complicated in another way - requiring such skill and tact fact for a first-time user it was impossible to wield.
But Clint, despite his young age, knew all the intricacies of the weapon like the back of his own hand. And he fired the arrow - the arrow that lodged itself into the corner of a banner. The banner at the time was not secured - for a pink hoof that kept it steady. The arrow that landed not far from it.
One could assume that the pink mare was crazy for allowing herself to be up in the line of sight of a bow and arrow. Another could assume that the lad was stupid and insane for even allowing himself to aim anywhere close to his own mother.
But in the end - there was nothing more than an equal degree of trust. The trust for Clint not to miss, and the trust for Pinkie not to flinch.
"Otherwise, they'd call me Flinchie Pie!"
(Please don't break the fourth wall, Pinkie. It's not good etiquette.)
What'dya say mom?" Clint blinked, unsure as to what he heard or who she spoke to.
The mare giggled. "I said good job, Hawkeye! Your bow really gets the job done better than any hammer and nails!"
The lad hung the bow around his shoulder and uncomfortably rubbed his head. "Heh, okay mom. y'know, since the one time I proposed that nickname doesn't mean it's gotta replace my real name."
"Okeydokeylokey!" She giggled and jumped down onto the ground.
As she did, Clint curiously looked at his work. He looked at the arrow he had ready in his hand...And finally, he opted to ask the odd out of blue question. "Hey mom, wherever did you get the idea of making these arrows for me?" He asked her. "I mean, I'm grateful, just...I don't think many can think of something like this."
Pinkie giggled as she bounced over to him. "'Cause everypony and everyone does what they think is right to be what and who they wanna be! Just because you got a bow, and arrow doesn't mean all your arrows have gotta be sharp and pointy! Some arrows can make ponies and humans happy, and that's all there's to it!"
Clint listened to her and looked at his quiver. Her words weren't the easiest to decipher in one way, but they made sense in another way. He looked at her and smiled softly. He nodded once more. "Got it. Okay, I guess we're done here, right?"
Pinkie Pie jumped once happily. "Yep, awesome! This is the first party done!"
"...First one?" Clint's eyes widened. "W-Wait, there's more today?"
Pinkie pulled out a piece of paper and read off of it. Clint's inhumanely sharp eyes, through the reflection of a nearby glass, were able to see that the list contained nothing more than a few scribbles and the word "party" repeated a few times.
Yet, Pinkie read it as if it was a proper document. "Two birthday parties, a graduation party, a bachelorette party, and a fireworks show!"
"Huh!?" Clint gulped. "You didn't tell me about any of those!"
"That's the whole point of parties! Surprise even the organizers!" She giggled. "Now come on, they're gonna need you for the fireworks show the most, y'know - so we can't be behind schedule!" She said, excitedly bouncing out of the room.
Clint murmured as he looked into his quiver - decorated lovingly with badges and patches provided by his mother. He saw the multitude of arrows he had left - all of which he fletched himself. Excluding a few special ones made by his mother. Confetti arrows, the fireworks arrows he knew he need, and even arrows that could make various noises as they travelled through the air. Even the arrows he had just used were specifically made to nail one thing to another - as in reality, it would not cause much damage to someone.
Yet, in his quiver, he always held one sharp arrow. One regular arrow. Onereal arrow. Self-defense was never out of the question. This much Clint knew.
What Clint hated is the odd feeling that coarse through his veins. He knew that as strange, taxing, or at times monotonous it was to keep helping his mom set up parties, it was peaceful. No harm could come to him - more importantly, no harm could come to her.
...
But he hated that every time he looked at his quiver and closed his eyes...He could imagine this one singular arrow replacing all others.
Perhaps it was to be expected. In the end, who's ever heard of a bow and arrows designed for party making?
*
BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG!
The redhead woman sighed as she checked the pistol's emptiness and put it back on the table. She made a note of her performance. And then, with a flick of a button, she pressed the machine that allowed the paper to come closer. She saw the bullet holes within it and studied over them. A "tsk" of disappointment came from her. She picked up a notebook and pen and wrote down. As she did, she spoke out loud that which she said.
"Note. Stechkin pistol, also known as APS. Suffers from much too high recoil. Using without stock is not recommended. Not to mention instability of automatic mode. Unsuitable for my purposes." She wrote down and put the pistol on the table. She moved onto another one - which was chrome-plated. In the chrome reflection however, she saw a flash of pink. She gasped, and turned around...
She relaxed when she identified her mother, who stood there with a patient smile. "Hey, sorry I didn't say anything. I didn't wanna disturb you..." Cadance smiled. "Is now an ok time?"
Natasha nodded softly. "Yes, mother. And don't worry. These have been a very loud series of handguns. It seems that not many gunsmiths value any degree of subtlety..." She spoke. While her mother was here, she did not shoot any of the weapons, but she would unload and check another one that she wanted to clear and observe from the inside, due to a misfire that occurred earlier.
Cadance stepped forward to stand beside her daughter. "So..." She began. "What are you doing today, exactly? You've been in the range for quite some time, now."
"Evaluation." The human girl flatly said. "I intend to use two handguns in unison. I need two that have expert recoil control, that are capable of easy reloading, and that also have a high magazine capacity. Stopping power is welcome, but optional - all I need to do is to shoot the head. The rest is easy."
The Alicorn smiled. She was the Princess of Love, after all. Seeing her daughter so freely talking about guns, so nonchalantly, and not seeming to regard anything other than fighting and shooting was naturally concerning for the mare. She looked at her daughter and, in the end, let out a soft sigh.
"Well..." Cadance said. "I...suppose that you may need a good firearm. But...Natasha, I still don't get the need for all of this..."
The human put the weapon down and turned to her mother. She was feeling somewhat pensive, and unable to look her in the eye. "I'm sorry that I'm concerning and bothering you with what I do, mother..." Natasha sighed. "But if I have these reflexes, if I have this agility, then what I must do is to ensure that you are safe. You are an Alicorn. You are in the center of attention, and there is great danger. And besides - when the Crystal Empire returns, you are going to lead it. And in that case, you are going to be exposed to even more danger. I need to make sure that I can protect you, and our future..."
"Oh Natasha, dear..." Cadance hung her head. "You don't need to be this worried...!"
"I am!" The girl said with great anxiety to her tone. "Look, the Crystal Empire disappeared because of the power of one known as "King Sombra", correct? Well, this is the problem. There is no say that he was destroyed. For all we know, the moment you ascend to the throne, he may very well come back when we least expect it. I-I can't let it happen!"
"And it won't happen, dear." Cadance smiled, putting a hoof on the girl's chest, close to her heart. "Besides, you need to build your own life too."
"..." The girl sighed deeply. "I don't wanna leave you by yourself..."
"Who said I'm gonna be by myself?" The mare smirked softly.
"...Wait, you mean-"
Cadance giggled softly. "I can guarantee you for a fact that Shining is gonna propose sooner or later."
"How can you tell?" Natasha asked.
"Iam the Princess of Love." Murmured Cadance. "This kind of stuff is basically what my energy is drawn from. Of course, Iam gonna pretend to be surprised and all that. So don't you worry. I'll have someone taking care of me and watching over me. It's gonna be okay. What I'd actually like to talk about now is a bit more about you..."
"About...me?" Natasha gulped. "M-Mother, uhm...Well, I know that the recent gun purchases I've made have been pricy, but-"
"Not that." The mare giggled. "You're fine on that front. No, it's something else I wanted to talk about. But there's no easy way to put it anyway. I'm going to need you to travel to Ponyville."
"...Ponyville?" Natasha gulped. She did not want to be away from her mother. To her, everything about this proposal had a smell of distrust and worry. Why did she need to travel so far away? If something happened to her, how could she return on time?
Cadance however, only nodded. "Yes. Princess Celestia has requested that you stay in Ponyville for some time. The reason is that there may be a potential threat, and we need your eyes on it."
"..."
"..."
Cadance nervously smiled.
Natasha squinted her eyes. "Mom, I know what face you make when you're lying."
Cadance pensively sighed. "Celestia asked me to send you there to, well...M-Make some friends..." Cadance chuckled awkwardly and nervously.
"...What?"
The Alicorn rubbed her head. "She...Kind of said that you're held up in the firing range or in the gym, so she said that you ought to visit the train station, meet Twilight Sparkle, her assistant Spike, her son Peter, and also Celestia's son and nephew - Thor and Loki, and all travel together to Ponyville. Officially to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration, of course - but..."
"Friends?" Natasha scoffed. "Mom, I don't need-"
"Yes, yes..." Cadance sighed. "Look, please do it for me, okay? I understand that it's not something you may have considered doing, but I'd really appreciate it. If you worry about me, then, I think this is a wonderful way to make sure I'll be fine! I want you to be able to go out there and make sure you have ponies and humans who can, well...connect with you. And if you really want more motivation, think about it, if you make friends with Thor and Loki, then you have dependable allies. Peter apparently has powers of his own too! And there may be other powered humans in Ponyville!"
"...I suppose..." Natasha looked at the ground, deep in thought.
"So..." Cadance coughed and continued. "If you can meet them, you may at-least establish a group of frie- allies, who you can try and work together to fight threats! What if you need to be in two places at the same time? What if you meet some kind of threat that may perfectly suit you, but not someone else?"
"Well..." Natasha nodded, then. "I can see that. With Thor's powers of thunder, with Loki's ability to shape reality to perhaps nearly any whim he might think of...And if we have Twilight's son, the spider human, from what I heard...That would indeed be a decent task force capable of addressing a multitude of threats..." Natasha nodded with every word.
"..."
"..."
Cadance's grin grew with her nervousness.
But in the end, Natasha nodded. "You make a good point, mother. I will pack my things." She said, and promptly walked off - her high heels click-clacking through the basement's halls.
Cadance in the end, sighed in relief. She was proud of herself for knowing just exactly what kind of motivation her daughter needed. Even if it really sounded a little ridiculous, from time to time.
As Natasha walked down the hallways, and made her way through the residence, she kept wondering about this whole concept. To team up? She always did things solo. She was of course Black Widow - the moniker she gave to herself.
Who would ever think that she played by someone else's rules?
...
In the end, she knew that if this means the potential to protect her mother, and her potential stepfather, and the Empire that they would soon lead...She needed allies.
Or "Friends", As they were called now.
*
So did the tall mare, standing on the balcony of the castle. Her gaze was trained up - up at the sky. The Sun disappeared - the Moon began to appear. The Moon she had to gaze upon each time. The Moon that never failed to make her wince. Perhaps over the years, her reaction of surprise and even heartache was softer each time - but it never disappeared. Each time she looked, she felt immense unease.
The Moon was a stark, stark reminder of the past. The past she could not bear to neither accept nor be content with.
Only a few things in this life gave her a semblance of comfort. The first was her faithful student.
The second and third however were her sons. One son was truly hers, however. The other - had his mother taken away from him.
Taken away by the same mare who stood on the balcony.
Thor and Loki gave each other an uncertain look. They felt something was off. They felt this - aware that they and this mare were the only ones who could. After all, having divine powers would more often than not allow one to see things that others couldn't see. To feel things that others couldn't. The drawback was however that sleep became difficult.
As Princess Celestia raised the Moon, she turned to the two boys. "Oh! My boys, is everything okay?" She gasped a little, almost instinctively identifying something was wrong. At best, perhaps they came to complain about one another. Most times, it was because Loki did something mischievous, but at other times, it was because Thor decided to take revenge. At worst, maybe something was indeed terribly wrong.
"We're fine, mother." Thor nodded. "It's just that..."
He frowned and looked aside.
Loki took initiative. "Do you feel the same thing we feel?"
"Whatever do you mean?" The Alicorn frowned. This was not a question out of confusion and unsureness. As a matter of fact, she hated that she knew exactly what he was talking about. And so did Loki nod.
"...Is the prophecy true?"
"..." Celestia turned around to look up at the Moon.
"...Prophecy is not a good word. It makes us believe in truths that cannot even be objectively proven. But..." She sighed. "There is truth in the fact that the seal was never meant to be permanent."
Thor and Loki both knew this. But this is the first time in so, so long that they heard these words from herself personally.
Celestia continued. "You two should understand this. No imprisonment and no punishment should be permanent. No act of retribution, vengeance, justice, or malice should ever have indefinite effects. It may seem that, face to face with a terrible being, that we should remove this obstacle forever and rid the world of it. She and I...We once fought this terrible beast - a beast that could control chaos and fill the world with madness...We confined him into stone."
"But..." Thor gulped a little, considering her previous words.
She smiled a little. "The seal will one day wear off. Maybe he has learned his lesson. Maybe not. But I believe it is for this reason both pony and mankind must be ready."
"Ready to fight?" Thor smiled, confident in his answer.
But he frowned. Celestia shook her head. "Ready to protect one another. Ready to help their friends." She smiled and turned around. "I know you two bicker often. I know you two feel yourselves to be opposites. Light and shadow, fire and ice, love and hate. But you need to understand that Friendship is a crucially important thing. An aspect that to be without - is to be without anything."
"..." Loki kept looking aside. He did not want to debate or argue with her. Celestia was unsure why she saw this - for she feared the worst. Maybe he just respected her as the mare wo raised and guided him for the last thousands of years. Or maybe...He despised her for making things come to adoption.
Yet, Celestia smiled warmly. "I want you two to understand the importance of Friendship. And since you're already here...I can tell you this news now, rather than later."
"...News?" Thor and Loki said in unison. They never liked this word. Not from her.
And Celestia giggled. She knew this. "I think you two need to understand Friendship. As is the case with my faithful student and her son."
"Friendship...?" Thor scoffed. "Mother, come on now. What's going to protect Equestria? Friendship, or my mighty hammer?"
"Oh my." Celestia smugly chuckled. "Are you Thor, the God of Hammers?"
Thor blushed and looked aside, while Loki broke into laughter. Silenced as he caught an equally smug smile from Celestia.
I can pull out the list anytime." She smirked. Loki blushed and looked in the opposite direction. She referred to a rather long, long, long, long, long, long list of loki's antics that she could remind him of if she ever had to humble him.
"And to understand Friendship..." Celestia got back to the point. "I am sending you to Ponyville with Twilight Sparke, her son and assistant - as well as Cadance's daughter. There are things I'd like for you to oversee, but most importantly, I want you to make friends - and understand what the value of Friendship is."
"This is nonsense..." Loki sighed.
"My brother is correct." Thor affirmed. "What good will this be to us when we should train our powers? When should we learn and develop as fast and effectively as we can?"
The two brothers looked at Celestia, who cast a look to the side. She sighed softly, thinking without her words. She was going to select them very carefully. She needed to make sure that her sons understood the gravity of it all.
"Thor, Loki..." She began. "You need to understand this. The reason why things...happened as they did...was because I committed this same very mistake." Celestia said. "You see, I did not understand what Friendship could do. Not what Friendship should have done. I believed that the Elements of Harmony alone were enough to accomplish the task that lay ahead of me. To stop Nightmare Moon-...No. To stop Luna."
"..."
Celestia sighed. "It was obvious that the Elements were a strong conduit of magic. But what I did in the end was wrong. I did not understand that there were other ways. I believed it was just raw power, and it had nothing else to it. That it could serve no other purpose. But as I look back, I realize...I could actually do more for it all!"
"...Mom..." Thor sighed softly. He understood what this was. It wasn't the first time, nor the last, that his mom reminisced about what happened. Loki witnessed his share of the same just as much. Both humans looked at each other.
Thor stepped forward, and put a hand on her side, looking at her. "It's alright, you did what you had to..."
"..." Celestia cast her gaze at the ground. "No. I did what I could. And that doesn't excuse anything. Nor does it excuse the fact that the future cannot allow for the same to happen. I need the Elements of Harmony to be powered by Friendship. It's the only way to...To make things right."
"..." Loki sighed and turned away from her. "Celes-...Aunt Celestia...Look." He put his hands on his hips. "We can't just chase fairy tales or hypothetical scenarios. We don't even know if my mother is coming back. Or at-least not when you think she will." He spoke. "If you ask me? I'd say that you shouldn't bother with any method that isn't proven. If Nightmare Moon comes back, she's spelling doom for Equestria. The only way to fix that is to use methods that worked once."
Celestia frowned deeply at his words. "By that logic, Loki...You may already be doing a lot of futile things, without knowing that maybe there's a better way."
...
Loki did not like her words. He balled his fists and sighed very deeply. "I'm going to bed. Good night." He coldly said and walked off - the sounds of his footsteps echoing through the halls of the Canterlot Castle as he slipped away into the darkness of the shadows, out of sight.
Thor grits his teeth. "That oaf! The sheer disrespect. I should teach him a lesson in-" As he stepped forward, a hoof had prevented Thor from moving forward.
"Don't Thor." Celestia softly said. "I understand how he feels. In my youth, in ways, I was like him. Impulsive and definitely thinking more with my emotions than anything else. But I don't think we should blame him for it. We don't really have the right to blame him for it." She explained with a pensive sigh. "In reality, it's...the fact that he suffered a loss that few of us can imagine. To lose your own mother - it's not something I would wish upon anyone, Thor. I may have lost my sister, and I'm already devastated. But what grief he feels, he must be feeling it so much deeper...so much...stronger."
"..."
Thor sighed as he looked at the shadows into which his brother disappeared. He looked back up at Celestia. "So...You said we're going with others? Your student, her son, her assistant, and Cadance's daughter...Why this group?"
"It's a start." Celestia smiled. "I don't expect you six to limit your Friendship circle to yourselves, though. You'll meet others who are going to set up this celebration. I expect you to make good friends with them."
Thor sighed. "Talking with commoners, though..."
"Thor..." Celestia narrowed her eyes at him.
"I-I mean..." The blonde lad coughed. "I'm very excited to make friends, Your Majesty."
"Hurry off to bed and get some rest, you scamp." Celestia laughed softly, gently waving him away as the lad jogged off with a chuckle.
*
The next day...
The little Unicorn stood with her assistant and son beside her - in the large throne room, in-front of the three other figures. A large white Alicorn with a flowing multi-colored mane sat on her throne, with two humans beside her. Twilight knew them as Thor and Loki - her son and nephew.
After the Unicorn came to the room, Celestia gave her news. News of what she had planned for the little Unicorn.
News that made the little Unicorn stand there with an agape mouth, unable to comprehend what she was instructed to do.
Twilight gulped. "W-Wait, Princess, what do you mean?"
Celestia smiled softly. "Yes, Twilight. The Summer Sun Celebration is coming soon, and I would like for you to go with my son and nephew, as well as Cadance's daughter, and head to Ponyville to help set things up."
"But..." Twilight nervously frowned. "T-The thousandth Moon is here, a-and it's gonna mean that the Mare on the Moon is going to return! A-And-"
"Twilight." Celestia smiled softly. "I assure you, there's nothing to worry about."
"Yeah, and besides mom." Peter smiled. "We now have a chance to travel somewhere outside of Canterlot! I think it's gonna be pretty cool to see what's out there! We can meet new humans and ponies!"
"Your son's right, y'know." Celestia smiled softly. "I think this is going to be a great chance for you to make some friends and see what's out there. And I think it's going to be good for Peter and Spike, too." She said, then turning to Thor and Loki. "This applies to you two as well. One can only spend so much time being cooped up in the confines of the castle."
Thor folded his arms. "I get out sometimes!"
"Flying around Canterlot Mountain doesn't count, dear." Celestia chuckled, making the blonde man blush a little in shame. She looked back at Twilight. "Twilight, you are my most faithful student - and nothing will ever shake the faith and trust that I have in you. However, I really think that it will be for your betterment. And if anything, consider this an advance in your lessons. I will certainly appreciate it as a sign of good studentship."
Twilight couldn't help but pout. The offer was certainly enticing - to be able to please her teacher and make her proud. But would she really be capable of doing this? Having to make "friends" - an idea she had never considered to be before possible?
"If you say so, Princess..." Twilight nervously hung her head.
Celestia smirked. "Oh, and I've already arranged things. You'll be living in the Golden Oaks Library, not far from the City Center."
And then, Twilight's eyes widened and began to sparkle. Peter sighed and shook his head. "Oh Princess, you got her going now..."
"That sounds perfect, Princess!" Twilight bounced up and down. "Okay! W-Well, a library is great! I'll be able to do research and-"
"And make friends. Right?" Celestia smiled softly at her.
"...Yes!" Twilight blushed, looking aside.
The Alicorn sighed and giggled with a little shake of her head. "We'll be sending you off tomorrow. Thor and Loki will come with you."
"How will we be travelling?" Thor grinned with curiosity.
"By train. It's the easiest way to go." His mother said - and the lad frowned.
"We could always just teleport there." Loki sighed, having been appearing rather bored during this whole meeting. He sat with his legs crossed and looked to the side without much regard to the topic at hand.
This earned a raised brow from Celestia. "Nope. I'm gonna have to ask you all to refrain from using magic as a crutch. Magic isn't something that you should use for your own convenience, especially since you know that teleportation doesn't have such a good effect on non-magical creatures."
"She's right..." Spike groaned. "Sometimes when Twilight teleported me, I felt super nauseous. Apparently, it doesn't happen to Unicorns..."
Loki groaned. He was the least excited of anyone here.
"Natasha, Cadance's daughter, will meet you at the train station, tomorrow." Celestia said. "I ask you all to take this very seriously. There are many reasons which I am very sure you all will understand later, but I ask you to bear with me for now, no matter how daunting or difficult this may all appear."
"Yes, Princess. We'll do this!" Twilight happily perked up, eager to please. Peter rubbed his head. "Uh...Where is Ponyville, anyways?"
"Just a way south." Twilight told him. "C'mon, Peter, Spike. Let's get our stuff ready." She spoke. With that, she bowed to the Princess and the young Demigods and walked off - followed by Peter and her baby-dragon assistant.
Thor and Loki looked at each other, then to Celestia.
"Do we reaaaaaally have to go to some village in the middle of nowhere?" Loki asked, looking at her with puppy eyes.
"Yes, I mean..." Thor coughed slightly. "C'mon, it's not such a big deal to go there, is it? I'm sure that-"
Celestia looked at him with a stern, piercing gaze. Then she gave the same gaze to Loki. "...We'll happily go." Thor squeaked, as they both gulped.