Loyal Defender

(If I can find an English-to-Old-English translator, I'll use that, but sure! :P) "I hope so, too.." _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(LOL) “So, what do we do when we’re in?” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Wouldn’t that be hard with all the wind up here?” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Uhm, is that good news or bad news?!” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“We won’t be. He’s sick and twisted, but fair if he gives me a week. Although it feels like the days just fly by.” *looks at the clock, seeing it read 7:23 AM* _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“We won’t have to. Just send a letter to Luna telling her I need her help.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“...if Celestia doesn’t know, then Luna has to. We have to let her try, she’s likely seen evil manifestations like this before.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Look, without something to actually counter him, we’re as good as doomed. Celestia knows – but doesn’t – WHAT he’ll do if he takes over...he could threaten Equestria as we know it!” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“So what am I supposed to do, sit here for six days waiting for him to consume me?” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Then why’s she suggesting counseling of all things? Not some magical spell to bring out what’s causing me problems?” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Counseling? You’re not serious….so she thinks I’m crazy.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“There’s just no explanation as to why she is how she is. Still, I gotta know how she’s so energetic..” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I’ll bet you used to.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Did I unintentionally reference that? Hah, guess I did. No, I haven't recently been watching that.) "Your friends are amazing! Especially how Pinkie downed an entire bowl of punch! Who DOES that? And HOW?" _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“No.” I replied, in a fake monotone voice, then changing it back normal with, “I had a FANTABULOUS time! That was the best party I’d been to in YEARS!” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hours were spent partying, eating, dancing, and having a good time. I hadn’t felt happiness like this in years. We all shared jokes and stories, played plenty of games (I opted out of Pin the Tail on the Pony due to my fear of needles and sharp points), and even laughed at old memories. I had never felt closer to my friends in my life. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(In a way, he represents the very same Elements of Harmony Twilight and her friends embrace. He shows generosity by just saying he wishes he could’ve helped pay for the party to show his appreciation. He shows honesty by making special promises he would never break. He shows loyalty by being himself He shows kindness by supporting Twilight and her friends, no matter what happens to them. He’s soon going to show laughter by having a really good time. He shows magic by….well, clearly by what you’ve seen him do.) “I guess you’re right! Let’s party like there’s no tomorrow!” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (So, have you noticed a kind of pattern regarding Loyal yet?) “I know, but still, I’d have wanted to show true appreciation. Ponies work hard, they deserve acknowledgement!”

“Speaking of expenses, kind of a shame I hadn’t regained any bits. I would’ve put each one in my bit pouch out there to pay as much as possible if they were gonna do all this for us.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I gotta say, I didn’t think they’d really go all out. I mean, I’m just one pony, after all.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There were crystal chandeliers, velvet sconces filled with magic flames on each wall, tables decorated in a purple silken cloth, each with a rose in a small vase in the center, and a long table, filled with soup, punch, drinks, ice-cream, brownies, cookies, sugar cubes, sundaes, cheese and crackers, sliced apples, pies, fritters, pizzas, and even piles of fruit. There were streamers decorated everywhere, covered in sparkles. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ “And the décor is magnifique!”

“Party of our lives, here we come!” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Heading downstairs, I saw Twilight’s getup. “Wow, which fairy godmother visited you, Cinderella? You look great!” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 4 – No Time Like Party Time Using what precious time I had, I took a quick shower, cleaned my mane, combed it, brushed my teeth well, and made sure I looked good. I had to say, I didn’t look half bad. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I gave her a look of confusion. “Uhm….okay. Should we go get ready, then?” I looked at the clock on the wall of the cottage. 5:48 PM. There was still time. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________