Loyal Defender

“Now….I only wonder if my parents are coming..to the restaurant I mean, but the show works, too.” (We oughta make a sequel...maybe next week or something :3) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“What say once I finish up here, you show me some real magic of yours?” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I’d pay and admire your tricks, honestly...and possibly try preventing anyone from heckling you.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“That’s surprising. You’d make a convincing magician in so many ways, pay or not.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I gave Trixie the one bit I found. “Well...it’s not much, but it’s contribution.” (I still feel good having him give SOMEthing) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Ah, alright. Makes sense.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Aren’t you supposed to be performing magic acts? Do you not get paid doing so?” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Alright...I’ll go for a simple….daffodil delight,” I finished, reading off the menu. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wait, was that… “..Trixie?” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Before long, we had been seated in the restaurant. The great smell of food filled the air. “This place looks rather nice.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(What they do, clearly. Like, how Loyal was inspired to be like his father.) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Oh, okay.” Looking up at the sky one final time, I sighed a sigh of relief. Finally….this nightmare was over. We headed off to hang out, have a good time, and perhaps learn more about each other. (Story’s coming to a close, wanna put Loy’s parents in talking with Twi a bit before ending it?) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“She...she does?” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“To be fair, the last time I went to eat with someone like Trixie, they got me a Colt Cone.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“No, but it sounds promising!” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Heading back down to Ponyville, it was a little bit darker in the sky. Guess time really passes when you’re enjoying the views. Everypony else had gone home except for Starlight and Twilight (and I’m assuming Trixie, though she wasn’t anywhere to be found. Likely settling in someplace.” “So, uhh….with all this wild stuff being over, do you girls want to, ah...grab a bite to eat? Of course, I--” I stopped myself, seeing a random bit on the ground. “huh. Well, I can at least pay with this, but it’s small….but it’s progress.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Well...it’s nice knowing everything’s finally sorted out. I best be heading out to rendezvous with the others….maybe stop by a restaurant. You two should catch up when you get the chance.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That got a good chuckle out of me. “So bad puns don’t come from just me, then! It runs in the family.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Actually, it sounds pretty nice. Waaaay better than the freezing cold room in the Neighsaint Hospital when I went to get my wisdom teeth out. The blanket didn’t even help, and the entire time, heh, you thought I was afraid and shaking, when in reality..I was just freezing to death.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“It’s good to know that’s been resolved. And wbat’s more, I’m rather positive that now I’ll be able to make all KINDS of friends, having everything been figured out. Big or small, cruel or kind, I’m sure it’ll all work out wonderfully…..there’s also rather interesting news..” I then told them all about my experienced BEFORE Layol, including getting a room in the castle at no cost. Nothing to brag about, but it’s fair. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Yeah...I don’t think he’s ever coming back. But I guess a part of me didn’t want a bright future...not sure why, a bright future’s a good thing. So, the letter was because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to fix all this, so...would you be willing to take me back in?” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(We'll call her Sew Blade) “You see...” I went on to explain everything that had happened, from the illusion of being betrayed, ditched, and disrespected, to finally finishing off Layol. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“So..I know you likely received a letter recently that….was heartbreaking. To be honest, I’d recently been dealing with something the past few days that has a reason for why I sent it.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I gave a gentle sigh, and headed in, shutting the door behind me. Dad was busy polishing his armor, and Mom was busy...well...likely sewing or quilting. She often did one of the two. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Yeah, it's me....we, uhh...need to talk." _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________