Unforeseen Consequences - An unlikely friendship

“What?! What do you mean that I can’t go further?! C’mon dude, you can’t be serious, my mom is in there!”
>I gotta get inside Canterlot Castle, not only because I already made my way through this crowd of knucklehead elitist ponies, but also because I MADE MY WAY THROUGH A BUNCH OF JERKS!
>Ugh! But this dude just won’t let me in!
>”I’m sorry Lil’ gal, orders were given, nopony can enter the castle until further notice. Don’t worry though, I’m sure that your mommy has already evacuated along with the rest of the maids.” The bulky Pegasus guard was standing in front of me, his golden mane and white coat standard of the Royal Guard just made it more clear how much of a dumb this guy was.
“… Don’t you know who I am?”
>”Uh… a little bat filly who just want to see his mommy? Seriously kid, the maids are over there, why don’t you go and ask them instead of me? Have you checked your house, though? I’m sure that your mommy went home already and is baking a delicious pie just for her little girl” Man… where does my mom get these guards?
“Oh, c’mon! My name is Cherrywood…ugh… Bellemare. I’m sure that’s gotta ring some bells in that thick head of yours!”
>Why was this dummy frowning at me? It’s not like I said a lie, his head does look ultra-thick “Listen, kid, I have been patient with ya, so please don’t resort to insults, alright? Tell ya something, since you are so worried about your mom, why don’t you tell me her name so I can ask some of the guys if they have seen her”
>That dumb, thick-headed dummy! How in the seven dark forests he didn’t recognize your name, you were going- waaaiiit…. This could actually be fun…
“Alright Mr. Guard, you’re right insults are bad and all that, so I’ll tell you who my mom is”
>Kekeke! So this is why Annony likes to act so smug when he has the upper hand, it feels so good!

>The dummy smiled at me and waved his big hoof “That’s better! Alright little fella, tell me who your mom is and I will…”
“…My mom’s name is Moonlight Shadow”
>”Come again…” Kekeke! Oh man, I’m so good at spooking ponies! I just had to mention my mom to make the guy paler than a ghost
“That’s right, my mom is General Moonlight from the Night Guard, well… she’s kinda the general of both Guards now but I think you already know that. Oh! And my mom is also Princess Luna’s bodyguard AND Prince Anon’s bodyguard too, so how about that? Will you let me inside the castle or what?”
>”Oh dear…” That’s right dummy! You just got spooked, now move on so I can… “Captain Spearwing!” Wait, what? Why did he call another guard?
>Oh, I knew this one… kinda, unlike the rest of the guards, he had green eyes and well… that’s about it, all of the ponies in the Royal Guard look exactly the same and even have very similar names… I think their voices are kinda the same too.
>”Corporal! What is the meaning of this! Can’t you see that I’m busy with handling the crowd? What in Tartarus is so important that- Oh, hi there Cherrywood, nice to see you here. What can I do for you?” Well, at least this guy knew me, that’s progress, I guess.
“Hi, Mr. Spearwing! Nice to see you too, geez, what a ruckus we have today, right? … Uhm… to be honest, I’m kind of in a hurry, could you tell this guy over there that everything is fine and that I can go inside the castle so I can say hi to my mom, please?”
> Okay, first, I just gotta give that other guard a smug smirk like my Anonny always does! Aaaand…
>Done! And he didn’t even say a thing. Kekeke! This is it! Mr. Spearwing will let me pass and everything will be-
>”I’m sorry little Cherrywood, but we are under strict orders to not let anypony pass. Orders that were given by the General herself” Oh, come on! You ruined everything! Now that guard is smirking at me!

“But it’s me! Come oooon, I bet that my mom wouldn’t like to know that you guys didn’t let me go and tell her that I came back okay… I think she would be pretty angry actually, and you know how my mom can be when she gets angry.”
>Why did that guy coughed and looked away from me? “Actually, your mother gave us special instructions that if you happened to come by, then we must ask you to leave the area and return to your father’s house.”
“….”
“Stupid, stupid, stupid Mr. Spearwing! Special orders? Blah, he was just a dummy… but those knuckleheads didn’t know that there is a secret entrance to the castle through the crystal caves! Which is exactly where I’m in right now so ha, hah! Take that, you dumb guard!”
> “Take that, you dumb guard! … Take that, you dumb guard!” Gotta love this echo, it’s sooo spooky. Kekeke! And it seems like nopony is guarding these caves either.
>Just you wait until I tell my Anonny about my cool entrance, he’s gonna-
>”Halt! Who goes there?” Oh, come on! You have to be kidding me, there are bat ponies patrolling this entrance? But it was supposed to be a secret for everypony… except… for the Night Guard… yeah.
>What a genius move, Cherrywood.
>Well, at least I know these guys for real; they have been my mom’s friends since they lived in Hollow Shades a looong time ago… I think that dinosaurs still lived back then.
“Uhm… it’s me, Cherrywood…I hate my second name… Bellemare! I just want to get inside the castle to tell my mom that I came back from Manehattan!”
>”Wait, Cherrywood?” Aha! I know this mare! She’s the leader of the bunch, so everything should be easy from here on out.
“That’s right, Mss. Dusk Trot! Sorry for spooking you… I didn’t mean it this time; it’s just that some knucklehead didn’t let me get inside the castle so I kinda took the secret and way cooler entrance.”

>”Oh, Cherrywood!” You know, I always liked the style of this mare. With her dark long mane and blue eyes, and her blue navy coat, she has always been so cool, and I’m sure that there won’t be any problem with him-
>“I’m sorry but we have strict instructions to not let anypony inside the castle, and I’m afraid that includes you, in fact, Moonlight actually asked me that if I saw you, then I had to tell you to go to your father’s house… and you know that she wouldn’t do that unless there is some heavy stuff going on, no offense but your dad is…well… you know what? Why don’t you go to my house instead?”
“But…”
>Awwww! Now she was escorting me out the cave! No fair! “Seriously, I’ll tell Moonlight later about the little change we made… I’m sure that she will actually be relieved… I-I mean! My husband must be home already, he could make you a pie. I know how much you like theeem!”
“…”
“Stupid, stupid, stupid Mss. Dusk Trot! Of course, I like those pies! I love them! But I just want to get inside the stupid castle! Grrr! You know what? The guards can go and lick a hydra because I KNOW A SUPER-DUPER SECRET ENTRANCE! Kekeke! And not even the Night Guard knows about it…or maybe they do, but nopony would patrol it because…”
>Eugh this place really stinks! No wonder why nopony is in here after all, who would be crazy enough to patrol…
“The sewers… ugh… whatever at least I can’t hear anypony here because these are… the sewers… I really went low for this one, huh? Grrr… Okay, let’s do this Cherrywood! It’s just a straight line and the first stairs are the ones that lead to the castle! And once there… I should probably stop talking to myself; it’s creepy and sad, even for me”
>”Even for me… even for me…” Stupid echo… but you are still cool, sorta … and besides, this place was totally in the dark, so even if there was some dummy patrolling the place, he wouldn’t be able to see me!

>Unless, it’s somepony from the Night Guard… that would be bad, especially since I’m probably the only bat pony in Equestria that can’t see in the dark, but at least I can hear really good! Just… just like any other bat pony.
>I’m never gonna get used to this frickin’ smell! Aaaah! To Tartarus with this! I will just fly through here as fast as I can!
“KEKEKE~! Take that, you dumb, stinky sewer! Who’s laughing now?! Me, that’s who! I’m going to get inside the castle and there’s nothing that you can do to stop me!”
>*TWOMP*
“Ouch!”
>Stupid, stupid, stupid me! I forgot that there was a turn before reaching the actual stair. Hnng! My head really hurts! Well, duh… I crashed directly against a wall, should have remembered the whole thing about my lame night vision.
>Speaking of that, I should probably get moving but…
“Ouch, that really hurt… should have walked or flown a little slower instead. Stupid, stupid, stupid me!”
>”Stupid me… stupid me” That echo just went from cool to annoying really fast, you know that?
“Just shut up will ya? You dumb, knucklehead!”
>”You dumb knucklehead… You dumb, knucklehead…” Oh, so that’s how that dumb echo wants it, huh?
“Grrr! You want a fight?! Then guess what? You just one! Come at me, you dumb echo OOO Aaah!”
>*Splosh*
>Wonderful, this is wonderful! First nopony wants to let me inside the castle, then I have to get inside the stinking sewers, and now I fell into… you know what? I think that it’s a good thing that I can’t see what I just fell into.
>I just wish that I couldn’t feel or smell it either.
“Ew, ew, ew! Why meee?! I just want to get into that dumb castle! This is your entire fault echo! You big dummy!”
>”You big dummy… You big dummy” … I should probably stop picking fights with sounds; it always ends up badly for me.
>Eugh... you win this time echo, whatever… at least the stairs that lead right into the castle should be around… right…. Here!

“Aha! Now that I’m FINALLY inside the castle, I can take a frickin’ bath so my mom can- huh? Why is it so dark in here? C’mon! Don’t tell me that the sewers got a second floor!”
>Well, nah, this is the castle alright, my night vision might as well not exist, but even I can tell that I’m not in the sewers anymore. But this darkness, I don’t think that it’s like, you know, a natural thing, or at least not something that I ever heard or read about.
>Seriously, I remember that before getting inside the sewers, it was barely past noon. Hmmm, okay, maybe I should do what my Anonny always does and think this thing through and through.
>I guess it makes sense that everypony should be evacuated after something like this happened, I mean, this darkness can’t be anything good, but if that’s true, that makes things even more confusing.
>Why my mom, the princesses, and Anonny weren’t outside? With something like this, my mom would be yelling orders to the guards like crazy, the princess would try to calm everypony and my Annony would be trying to come up with something to make this darkness to go away.
>Oh, no! Something terrible must have happened to them! My mom and my Anon might be in danger! I gotta do something! But… I’m just a filly… one who can’t do anything right on my own.
>I can’t save them… at least not on my own. Mmmm… I know! Sister Eris can help with this, she’s super powerful… and weird, but I’m sure that she will help me save everypony!
>I just gotta find a way to talk with her and…
>”D-Do you think those things are gone?” Did I just hear a… voice? Well, duh. What else could it be?
>From what I can pick up with my ears, it belongs to a mare and she’s like, not close but not far away either.
>Should I go and talk to whoever that mare is? Mmm… my mom is always telling me to see and analyze my surroundings, right? So I think that it would be better if I hide somewhere.

>Hmm… I can’t see anything but I’m sure that there’s a ceiling at least, so I guess that hanging from there would be the best thing… and that is something that even I can do.
>”I-I don’t know, but I’m sure that I don’t want to go back to check! I’m telling you, Moon Dancer, I have seen lots of weird things during my travels across Equestria, but this? Oh, sister. This takes the cake” That’s a new voice… so there are two mares coming this way.
>So one of those mares is named Moon Dancer, sounds… familiar.
>… Oh, yeah! Moon Dancer, now I remember who that is! She is the nerdy looking pony that teaches my Anonny magic and stuff… really grumpy pony. So I guess that she didn’t evacuate either, but who is the other pony with her? I don’t recognize that voice.
>”I know, whatever that filly is casting, it feels so real that I’m not sure that what we have seen are illusions, I mean, just look at this darkness, have you ever read about a spell like this? Because I sure haven’t” Well, that mystery mare sure sounds scared… that might be a bad thing or a good thing, even a cool thing depending on what scared her.
>I think that I can see a purple glow on the distance… yeah, that must be them. They gotta be unicorns because I know how lanterns look like and that ain’t one, and I also know how magic looks and THAT definitely looks like a magical aura.
>”Actually… I think I did…”
>”Really? When? Or well… what book details such spells? Because I have read almost every single work written by Starswirl the Bearded and also read everything made by the famous classicist wizards, and-“ Yeah, that’s definitely Anonny’s tutor… ugh, that nerdy, smug dummy.
>Okay, Cherrywood, Moon Dancer and whoever that other pony is, are coming this way. So you better stay quiet, really quiet so you can finally know what the heck is going on.
>”It’s not a book… or well, not in any book that has been released to the public”
>”I’m afraid that I don’t follow you”

>”Well… you see, before my little “incident” in Ponyville, I kinda… “borrowed” a bunch of scrolls from the castle archives, you know… the kind that nopony is allowed to read. I know, I know, it was a terrible thing to do, and I did it because I was a terrible pony, but I’m not like that anymore…”
>”Heh, heh, heh!” Did Moon Dancer just… giggled?
>”Huh? What’s so funny?” Yeah, you tell her, mystery mare!
>”You are not the only one who has read stuff from the forbidden wing of the royal library, you know? Well, as the prince’s tutor, I do have permission to do that at will. It’s part of the job”
>Okay, they are almost here now, just a little bit moooore and I will be able to see who that other mare is!
>”What? Does the prince really require that kind of stuff for his lessons? Come on, Moon Dancer. I know that he’s good at magic but he can’t be THAT good” Mystery mare is a dumb jerk, of course that my Anonny is THAT good! He’s the frickin’ best!
>”Not yet, but he definitely will and sooner than anypony thinks. I just want to be prepared so I don’t end up finding myself without a job when that happens. My books aren’t cheap, you know? And… I kind of like the other stuff that I can buy with my paycheck, like being able to treat my new friends for some ice cream.”
>”Well… by this point, you already know about the horrible things that I did, and I would understand if you say no, but if you ever need an assistant of sorts, I do know a fair bit about magic, so if you want, I can help you.”
>Okay… who’s the other pony, really?
>”I think… that when the time comes, I will take that offer. Thank you, Starlight Glimmer”
>Starlight… Glimmer? I think that I know that name… wait, I definitely know that name! She is the horrible mare who tried to foalnap my Annony! But wait… she’s in prison, right? What is that nasty pony doing in Canterlot?

>”No problem, I am trying to make up for the things I did in the past, and hey! I think that I know a spell that would be great to test what the prince can do right now!”
>Okay… they are right below me now, maybe this is a different Starlight Glimmer, yeah, just another unicorn mare who happens to have the same name as that evil criminal… yeah, right.
>”Really?! That sounds wonderful! What do you have in mind, Starlight?”
>”Okay, so I know a spell that would basically render wings as obsolete and it’s not that hard to do if you have the right amount of magic and focus skills in you. Maybe, we could teach the prince… w-we…ungh…”
>The mystery mare IS that horrible criminal! Same pink coat, same nasty purple, and pink mane! Same disgusting cutie mark! I bet she is the cause of everything and that nerdy Moon Dancer is helping her in whatever evil revenge Starlight had planned”
>”S-Starlight? W-What’s wrong?”
>That nasty criminal just found the trail of… whatever I fell into the sewers, and you know what? I think that is a good thing
>Kekeke~! So you wanted to hurt my Annony and my mom, huh?! Well, guess what? You are about to get spooked! Just gotta hang upside down, slowly extend my wings as I do what I like to do the most: hissing!
“*HISSSSSSS*”
>That criminal is looking right at my direction, but this darkness is just perfect for spooks ”Moon Dancer, whatever you do… don’t look up”
>Yeah, that’s right! Run, you criminal cowards!
>”I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of running. I say that we blast whatever creatures that foal summoned and teach her not to mess with us!” Uhhhh… what?
>”I was planning on running for my dear life, but you know what? I think that I like your plan more, besides, I haven’t been able to stretch my magical muscles since the spirit of chaos and I took back that prison”

>No! You stupid Starlight! Run! Be spooked!
>”I don’t know what you are talking about and I don’t that I like it, but I’m willing to ignore it if we skip to the fun part”
>”Then… shall we commence?”
>”After you…”
>…Uh-Oh
>*ZAP* *ZAP*
>*KRAKOOM*
“Whoa!”
>Those lasers almost hit me! I could have been hurt! Just look at that wall… or what is left of it. Are they crazy?!
>*ZAP* *ZAP*
>*KRAKOOM*
“Ungh!”
>Barely… dodged that second attack… but, hnnng! I think that I won’t be able to do it a third time… and they are charging those lasers again… this is it.
>I’m sorry mom… I tried and tried, but I just can’t be as strong as you… and my Annony… don’t worry about me, don’t cry about me… you will find somepony better than this idiot in no time…
>Their magic is too bright… can’t keep my eyes open… hng… goodbye world… you are the worst
>*GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*
>”Starlight? What the hay is that thing?!”
>”I-I don’t know, I don’t care! Just run!”
>”After you…”
>…
“Huh? I’m… alive?”
>Better be sure about it. Okay, Ears? Check! Muzzle, hooves and fluffy fur? Check! And everything is still dark and creepy, so that must mean…
“YAAAAY! I’m alive! But… what happened? Those evil mares were about to grind me into pony dust, but then I heard a growl and those two ran away”
>”I think that I’m the responsible for saving your life, no need to thank me though, I just did my work in teaching those evil mares that doing evil things is wrong” Another voice… but this was a filly and she was right behind me.
“Well… you kinda saved my flank there, so it would be rude for me to not thank you for that. I mean, my- “
>Holy mother of spooks!
“No way! PRINCESS LUNA?!”
>But… how?! I mean, except for the mane, she looks exactly like Princess Luna and even has the same cutie mark… but she’s a filly! W-What’s going on!

>”My name is Luna, that much is correct, but I’m not a princess… or well, I want to be one, but I haven’t earned that status, at least not yet, I think. If I have, to be honest, this whole thing is confusing for me too. Time travel’s principles are something that Starswirl never taught me, oh but pardon me, what is your name?”
“Uhhh… my name is Cherrywood… uuuugh…. Bellemare”
>”Cherrywood Bellemare…” Was Princess Luna always this curious? I don’t remember her ever hovering around ponies when she greeted them “I like it! And I also liked your style of scaring ponies, you are amazing in taking advantage of the atmosphere and your timing is just perfect. Oh, by the way, my name is Luna, uhm… d-do you want to be my friend?”
>I have so many questions right now, like what the hay is going on?! Seriously, Princess Luna is now a filly, just what or who could have caused something like this- wait, did she ask me to be her friend?
“You want to be my friend? Really, like, there’s not trick or anything like that?”
>”No, or at least I do not think so. Uhm, is that a traditional thing to do in the future? Because in my time period, we usually do not trick ponies when starting a new friendship, or well… that is based what I have read and heard about the subject… I am afraid that unlike my sister… friendship is not something that I am good at.”
“Oh man, you have problems with making friends too?”
>”Mhm! I am actually very… shy. Unlike my big sister, I can’t find the confidence to speak to many ponies, couple that with the fact that my particular tastes are not popular among many ponies… or rather anypony, and well… you get somepony like me”
“Tell me about it, nopony in my school wants to be my friend, or even talk to me… Because I’m, you know, weird, and well… I try to not let that to get me but… it still feels lonely, you know? Like no matter what I do, it seems that it’s my destiny to be a loser.”

>”I know that feeling very well, Cherrywood. Unlike my big sister’s day, ponies are always scared of my night… and they let me know that everypony rushes to their homes once night arrives… they never care that I always put an extra effort to make it as beautiful as I can”
>Is this the real Princess Luna? I mean, she looks like her and kinda speaks like her too but… I don’t know, never expected that a Princess would feel this way, at the same time, I don’t feel like she’s lying.
“Yeah… I try and try, and try even harder, but nopony really likes me either, it’s like, no matter what I do or say… I will always be that weirdo who likes the supernatural.”
>”Yeah! And that’s not fair! Foals are always telling me that I am the creepy filly who stalks their dreams at night, but I do not! I just want to protect them from their nightmares so they can have beautiful dreams! But… nopony really appreciates me… I know that I have my big sister but it can get lonely… it always does.”
>Yeah, she’s definitely not lying… those sad eyes of her, I’ve seen them a lot when I see myself in the mirror.
“And then… they start finding new ways to mock you, things that you can’t change… I’m a bat pony, and they are supposed to have a very good night vision, but mine simply stinks, that’s why they call me Blindwood at school… even my teacher calls me like that”
>”Do they make fun of your tastes on scaring ponies too? Because nopony gets me in that regard either, not even my big sister or Starswirl…. Well, it is not like I know what you actually like… Uhm, sorry… I was just making an assumption based on what I just saw”

“No, that’s kinda right… well, it’s absolutely right, those jerks don’t like me because I like spooking ponies and because I can’t see very well in the dark, and because of my mane, and well… because I don’t like those dumb dolls that other girls play with… I like cool stuff like ghosts and spirits, and monsters like hydras and manticores! Mmm… sorry, I bet that you think I’m the biggest weirdo you’ve ever seen, right?”
>”What? Of course not! Just like you, I think that spooking ponies from time to time is a very fun activity, so pardon me for saying this, but those ponies from your school are a bunch of… well, they must not be very intelligent because most of the creatures that lurk the dark forest I live in are all super polite once you get to know them. In fact, I would even dare to say that they are simply the best!”
>Oh, man! Princess Luna likes the same stuff that I do! That is awesome! She’s awesome… This is awesome, like, she is a friend that I never knew but always wanted to.
“I know, right?! They are so unique and awesome that I can’t help myself to read everything I can about rare creatures. Like, a couple nights ago I was reading about how hydras feed and it sounded like the best thing ever, do you know that they have a second set of fangs inside their mouth? It helps them to chew their food better.”
>”Mhm! I have seen them feed actually, well… for a brief moment, my sister found me and dragged me home, but you should have seen it, Cherrywood. The hydras actually can extend their jaw like snakes do! Oh, and I do not know if this is common knowledge in the future, but every creature with two or more heads have constant conflicts with the other heads, I have seen that behavior with hydras, all sorts of chimeras and even Cerberus”
>Oh, no way! Now, this is on a new level of cool!
“You have seen the guardian of Tartarus gates with your own eyes?! COOOOOL! Luna, you are amazing!”

>”Not as amazing as you, Cherrywood, after all, I lack your technical knowledge on the creatures of the dark forests and your absolute mastery of the art of scaring”
“C’mon! You have seen Cerberus! That is awesome, I tell ya, and you gotta to tell me everything about him, like what does he eat? What is his sleeping schedule and… … wait, just a question, why do you keep saying that this is the future?”
>”Well, that is an easy answer. My sister and I got suddenly transported to this castle that we have never seen before but not only that, a kind colt with goggles greeted us and told us that he is the ruler of a kingdom called Equestria, and trust me, I have never ever heard about such place and that is, because as the kind colt with the goggles told us, this is the future and just like you and me, he was feeling lonely and wanted friends to play with”
>Kind colt with goggles? Waaait…
“Say, does that colt with the goggles speaks so fancy to the point where it’s hard to understand him at times, is intelligent but a bit dummy at times and… ehm… is also super cute too?”
>”Mhm! His name is Anon, I think… but I like to call him Mr. Goggles Colt. I am guessing that you do know him, right?”
>You know… for a pony whose special talent is supposed to be harmony, that colt sure likes to get in the most chaotic situations.
“Yup! I actually made those goggles for him, mmm, do you know where he is?”
>”I am afraid that I do not after I left his amazing study, I decided on giving those two evil mares of before a lesson on not being evil, I want to be a princess one day, you know? I simply cannot allow that a colt as kind as him gets manipulated by mares as evil as they”
>So I was right? YAAAY! I was right! This mess was caused by those two nasty criminals! … Oh, no! I was right! My Annony is in danger!
>But he told them that this is the future so… something happened, something that made him lie, something bad.

“Luna, please, please! Tell me something, did those two dummies hurt Anon?!”
>”They were about to hurt Mr. Goggles Colt, my sister and myself, actually, they just weren’t counting that they are in fact extremely weak when compared to my big sister and I. Mmm… tell me something Cherrywood, since I think that we are friends now, would you like to help me in teaching those mares a lesson?”
“We are going to spook them, right?”
>”Oh, but of course! I have magic that allows me to create powerful illusions, so strong in fact, that it is hard to tell if they are real or not… even for me. You have an amazing skill with creating the perfect atmosphere and scare timing. I am sure that they will be no match for what we could do together.”
“Of course not! We will teach those two the meaning of justice… spooky justice! And… eh… after we do that, do you mind hanging around with me for a while? I want to show you something that I bet you will love”
>”Cherrywood… I truly believe that we are going to be the best of friends”