Firefly flew about, trying to out fly the little bird in front of her. She had more horse power (pardon the pun) than any little bird out there, but since the bird was smaller, it weighed considerably less than Firefly, and therefore, was able to move faster. Everyone on the ground just laughed as the little bird was kicking Firefly's tail.
"Face it, Firefly," Mimic said, as Firefly landed. "These Fairy Tail birds are just too fast for you."
"I'll get you one day, Trixie," Firefly said to the little red Fairy Tail bird.
Trixie chirped, and flew over to her mistress's shoulder. Trixie's mistress was Princess Phyllis of Barberia. The little ponies had helped her once, and she and her birds helped the little ponies once. They were all great friends. Phyllis was visiting Paradise Estate that day, and she had brought three of her Fairy Tail birds: Trixie, Snuggle, and Tinsel. Firefly was playing with them. Phyllis had a bird sanctuary in her palace. They all hung out at a big, stone temple in Phyllis's garden.
"You must really like birds," Mimic said, as the three Fairy Tails flew down to her and Phyllis.
"Oh yes," Phyllis said, as she stroked Trixie's tummy. "And I like little ponies, too. Especially unicorns."
Mimic giggled. She liked Phyllis a lot. As they were sitting there, Twinkles the cat wandered out, and spotted the birds. She jumped up on Phyllis's, and stared at them.
"Hi birdies," she said. Only the birds could understand her.
"CAT!" Snuggle shrieked, and she began flapping around, chirping like crazy.
"Hey, stop!" Tinsel shouted. "You're rocking the boat!"
"Cat, cat, cat, cat, CAAAAAAAAT!" Snuggle screamed.
"Hatchlings," Trixie muttered. "Oy."
And with that, Trixie let out a loud, shrill whistle, and Snuggle stopped flapping around like a chicken with it's head cut off.
"Cool it!" Trixie shouted. "You're the size of an adult Fairy Tail! The only thing about you that's still a hatchling is your panic system and the down on your tummy, but other than that, you're as grown up as Tinsel and me SO ACT YOUR AGE!"
"Sorry," Snuggle said, and she sunk her head down.
"You three look good enough to eat," Twinkles said, licking her lips.
"Back off, sister," Trixie said. "Or I'll peck your eyes out."
"Oh relax!" Twinkles shouted. "I'm not going to eat you. I want to watch you."
"Watch us?" Tinsel asked, confused. "But . . . . you're a cat. And we're birds. Why do you want to watch us?"
"I've never seen birds with tails like yours before," Twinkles said. "They're fascinating. And they may be a little hard to digest."
"Okay, you can watch us," Trixie said. "But one false move, and you're history, cat!"
Twinkles nodded, and made herself comfortable on the Phyllis's lap. Mimic kept her eye on the orange kitten.
"Is it okay to have Twinkles sit so close to your birds?" Mimic asked.
"I think it's okay," Phyllis said. "Twinkles hasn't tried to eat them. It looks like she's fascinated by them."
"Hey, I am, too. I've never seen birds with such long tails before."
Phyllis and Mimic laughed, and walked off. After a few hours, Twinkles was getting bored with just sitting there, watching the three Fairy Tails preen their feathers.
"I need some exercise," she said. She reached over with her paw, and began batting at the door on the cage. It opened. All three birds shrieked, and flew out of the cage as fast as they could.
"Now we're getting some action!" Twinkles shouted, and she started chasing after them.
The Fairy Tails scattered and flew in various directions. Twinkles continued to chase after them, until Snuggle chirped, dove into Phyllis's hand. The other two perched on her shoulders, and tried to hide in her hair. Twinkles skidded to a halt.
"Oh Twinkles!" Firefly groaned.
"I thought you were going to be on your best behavior!" Mimic scolded. "And here you are chasing Phyllis's birds. Shame on you!"
Twinkles looked up at the ponies with a look that clearly said "who me?" But then, she did something Brandy the dog would do. She turned around, and walked away with her tail between her legs. Firefly groaned, and rolled her eyes.
"Sorry about that," she said. "We usually don't have problems with her and birds."
"Maybe she was just getting exercise," Phyllis said. "She wasn't necessarily chasing my birds so she could eat them."
"That's what I like about you, Phyllis," Gingerbread replied, coming over. She heard the commotion and wanted to see what was up. "You can see the good in any situation!"
Mimic giggled. She knew Gingerbread was right. The group looked into the sky, and saw Trixie and Tinsel flying about with Firefly. Snuggle was sitting in Phyllis's lap. She didn't like playing. She liked people to pet the down on her tummy. She was afraid no one would think she was cuddly when she would start to shed her down, and grow real feathers, so she had to enjoy all the petting and snuggling she could while there was still time.
As Snuggle was basking in glory as Phyllis stroked her down, Twinkles came prancing by, followed by Julie. Twinkles stopped, and looked at Snuggle.
"Hi birdie," she said.
"Don't come any closer," Snuggle said.
"I won't eat you. I promise. I just want to touch your tummy. It looks so soft and fuzzy. I like soft and fuzzy things. But not to eat. Soft and fuzzy things give me hairballs."
"No. I don't want you near me. You're a cat, and I'm a bird!"
To Mimic and the humans, the conversation sounded like a bunch of meowing and chirping. Mimic groaned, and shook her head.
"Don'tcha hate it when you don't speak the language?" she asked.
"I've been around these birds for years," Phyllis said. "It's amazing I don't speak bird yet!"
Mimic and Julie giggled. Twinkles came closer to the bench. Snuggle tensed, and puffed out her feathers.
"Don't come any closer!" she shouted.
"I just wanted some exercise yesterday," Twinkles said. "I only chase birds when I need the exercise. I don't eat them! I can't digest feathers!"
"Stay away, cat!"
Twinkles growled, and pounced. Snuggle flew into the air, chirping madly. The chase was on. Snuggle was shrieking her head off in chirps, and Twinkles ran after her, mewing like crazy.
"Snuggle!" Phyllis shouted, jumping to her feet. "Snuggle, come back here!"
"Twinkles!" Julie shouted, running after Phyllis. Mimic ran after all of them.
"Hey wait up!" she shouted.
Julie managed to catch up with Twinkles just outside the daisy field, but Snuggle flew faster and faster. Phyllis and Mimic were still chasing her.
"Julie, take Twinkles back to the Estate," Mimic said.
"Okay," Julie said. Then she turned to Twinkles and began scolding her. "That was a very naughty thing to do, Twinkles. Shame on you for chasing Phyllis's bird!"
Twinkles mewed guiltily. She didn't like being scolded, especially not by Julie or Peachy.
Phyllis and Mimic ran into the daisy field and stopped when they realized they had lost Snuggle.
"Where'd she go?" Mimic asked.
"Snuggle!" Phyllis called. "Where are you? You can come out now! Twinkles won't bother you anymore!"
Mimic lit up her horn, and imitated the call of the Fairy Tail birds, in case Snuggle would respond to it. Phyllis kept on calling, and throwing in some bird calls of her own.
"I wonder where she could be?" Mimic asked. "Hey wait! Maybe she's in one of those trees, hiding from Twinkles."
"And she's too scared to come out," Phyllis said. "Good thinking, Mimic. We'll just wait here for her to come out when she's ready."
"Good idea," Mimic said, and she settled down to take a little nap.
A few moments passed. Snuggle still hadn't come down. Mimic and Phyllis kept their eyes on the tree tops.
"I don't think she's up there after all," Mimic said.
"Wait," Phyllis said. "I think I saw something move up there."
Suddenly, Snuggle flew out from the leaves, and straight into Phyllis's hand. She began chirping, and snuggling there.
"I knew I named you Snuggle for a good reason," Phyllis said, rubbing Snuggle's fuzzy tummy to her cheek.
Mimic smiled and giggled. Snuggle chirped happily, and prepared to take a nap there in Phyllis's hands, when the sound of a fierce whinny and loud hoof beats startled her, and sent her flying into the trees again.
"Oh no!" Phyllis groaned.
"Great," Mimic said, sarcastically. She turned to where the hoof beats were coming from. "Hey just who do you think you are, scaring that little bird like that?! I've got a good mind to . . . . whoa."
Mimic got a good look at who she was talking to and stopped short. In front of her and Phyllis were a huge black horse wearing some sort of black armor. The rider was tall, and also wearing a suit of black armor. Neither of them looked very friendly. Phyllis gasped, and started to back up.
"The Black Knight," she said.
"I'm glad I don't need to be introduced," the Black Knight said. "Princess Phyllis of Barberia, I presume."
"You presume right," Mimic said, glaring. "Just what are you doing here, anyway?"
"Quite simple, really, little pony," the Black Knight said. "I was promised a princess to marry, so I've been looking for one. Princess Phyllis of Barberia is my choice."
Mimic glared at the Black Knight again. She didn't like him. Her unicorn intuition was telling her he was bad news.
"I don't care what arrangements were made," she said. "There's no way this deal can still be valid! So why don't you get out of here before I get a can opener and open you and your horse up like a can of solid packed tomatoes?!"
The Black Knight's horse glowered at Mimic and snorted at her. The Black Knight climbed off his steed, and shoved Mimic out of his way. The little pony was flipped over onto her back, and crashed into a tree.
"Mimic!" Phyllis shouted.
"Forget about her," the Black Knight said, grabbing Phyllis's arm. "We're wasting time. We must go to my castle, and prepare for our wedding."
"I'll never marry the likes of you!" Phyllis shouted, trying to pull her arm away.
"Actually, you don't have any choice."
"Yes she does!" Mimic shouted, giving the Black Knight a butt in his rear as hard as she could. That hurt a little, but she wasn't going to let it show.
"Why you little . . . ." the Black Knight shouted.
Mimic winked out, and winked back in behind the knight. She kicked him in the rear with her hind legs and winked out again. She was planning on driving the Black Knight completely crazy until he gave up and left with his horse.
While all that was going on, Snuggle had flown back to Paradise Estate, and began chirping frantically to the others, pointing towards the fields.
"I wish I could understand her," Peachy said.
"Where's Spike when we need him?" Megan asked. "I know he'd be able to understand what she's saying. After all, he can understand Twinkles, Brandy, and Duck Soup."
"I don't know," North Star said. "But I think maybe we should follow Snuggle. There might be trouble."
"I was thinking the same thing," Galaxy said. "Come on!"
The little ponies and their friends followed Snuggle through the wooded area and into the field. They saw the Black Knight chasing Mimic around.
"What's going on here?" Megan asked.
"The Black Knight!" Mimic called, winking out. Then she winked back in again over to the others. "He said that he was promised a princess to marry, and he wants Phyllis to be that princess. And what's worse, Phyllis doesn't even know this guy! It's sort of an arranged marriage."
"Sheesh, how medieval can ya get?" Cherries Jubilee asked.
"I say!" North Star shouted. "That sort of thing just doesn't happen anymore! Charge!"
North Star took to the air, and dived the Black Knight. Galaxy lit up her horn, and heated up the Black Knight's suit of armor. That produced hot iron against the Black Knight's skin.
"EEEEYYYYYYOOOOWWWWW!" he screamed, shooting into the air.
"Great shot, Galaxy!" Gingerbread shouted.
By this time, the Black Knight had it. He grumbled, and brandished his sword. North Star didn't see it coming, and the Black Knight swung at her wings. Luckily, North Star's wing just got scratched.
"Ouch!" North Star shouted. "I say, that smarts!"
"Better fly back here, North Star!" Megan called. "I think it's safer!"
"No doubt about that, Megan!" North Star shouted, flying over to the others. "Stay back everyone. That sword is sharp!"
"Now that you ponies are done playing," the Black Knight said, grabbing Phyllis by the arm. He mounted his steed, and pulled Phyllis up as well.
"I've got a wedding to plan," he said, and he started to ride off towards his palace. "I was going to invite you all to it, but after the way you treated me, you can forget that!"
And with that, the Black Knight rode off. Mimic growled, and started to run after him.
"Mimic!" Megan shouted. "Mimic, come back!"
"You're no match for the Black Knight!" Gingerbread shouted. "You saw what he did to North Star!"
"It's just a flesh wound," North Star said. "Just a graze. Nothing to worry about."
"But still . . . . ." Gingerbread said.
"I have to go," Mimic said. "Someone's gotta stop him."
"Wait for me, Mimic!" Spike shouted, coming around the bend. He started running after the green twinkle-eyed unicorn. "I'm coming with you!"
Mimic stopped, and let Spike climb onto her back. Then they ran off. The others just looked at each other.
"We can't just stand around here and do nothing!" Gingerbread shouted. "Mimic and Spike can't do this by themselves! They can't face a knight!"
"I can face a knight!" Tommy shouted. "I wanna go fight the bad knight!"
"No, Tommy, it's too dangerous," Megan said.
"But I'm a good knight," Tommy said. "Come back to Paradise Estate and I'll show you!"
Megan and the rest of the ponies went back to the Estate. Since Tommy had started running, he had a good head start. He was ready by the time Megan and the ponies got there. He was wearing an old metal bucket on his head, a bathroom towel around his shoulders, and he was waving a plastic sword.
"See, I'm a knight!" he shouted. "I'm Sir Thomas of Olsen! The greatest knight any day!"
"You know what?" Gingerbread asked. "He really does look like a knight!"
"But he's only six," North Star protested. "He can't go fight the Black Knight!"
"I'm sure he could," Gingerbread replied. "If he had a faithful steed to help him. In every single one of Megan's storybooks, a knight in shining armor goes to fight a Black Knight."
"What are you getting at, Gingerbread?" Galaxy asked.
"I thought maybe I'd go follow Mimic and Spike, and Tommy can come with me," Gingerbread replied. "I'll make sure he doesn't get into trouble, Megan."
"Please, Megan?" Tommy asked. "Please, please, pretty, pretty, please?"
"Oh Tommy, don't give me the puppy dog look!" Megan groaned. But it was too late. Tommy was already giving his cousin the puppy dog look. Megan groaned again, and gave in. Tommy's eyes were big and brown just like a little puppy's, and almost no one could resist when he made that face, and giving out "pretty, pretty pleases."
"Yay!" Tommy cheered.
"If you're going to be a knight, Gingerbread, you need a suit of armor," North Star said. She flew into the Estate, and came back with a genuine suit of armor made for a pony. Paradise had picked it up on one of her travels. Gingerbread put it on and looked at herself. Before she could say anything, the visor crashed down on her nose. CLANK!
"Ow!" she shouted.
"These things take some getting used to," Tommy said, as he lifted Gingerbread's visor. "But how are we gonna track Mimic? I don't know how to do that!"
There was some chirping heard above. Everyone looked up, and saw Snuggle flying around, chirping.
"I think Snuggle knows where they are," Gingerbread replied as Tommy climbed on her back. Just as soon as she moved, the visor came crashing down on her nose again. CLANK!
"Ouch!" she shouted, as Tommy lifted it up for her. "I hate that thing!"
The two of them were off, following Snuggle all the way. The others watched them go. Heart Throb heaved that deep sigh again.
"Oh, I love knights in shining armor!" she sighed. "If I can't have a prince for my true love, I'll take a knight in shining armor!"
"Oh brother!" Cherries Jubilee groaned.
As Tommy and Gingerbread were followed Snuggle, Spike and Mimic had made it to the castle. It was made of black stone.
"That looks spooky," Spike said. "How do we get in?"
"Look," Mimic said. "He left the drawbridge down. We just walk in."
"This is going to be easier than I thought!"
Spike and Mimic walked over to the drawbridge and were ready to walk in when they were blocked off by the Black Knight's horse. He snorted at them.
"Whoa," Spike said. "How do we get past him?"
"Leave that to me," Mimic said. "I know what to do."
Out of nowhere, an instrumental version of "It Had to Be You" started playing. Mimic then stood up on her hind legs, and began to dance around flirtatiously. She looked over at the horse, winked her eye, and flicked her tail.
"Hello, Big Boy," she said, coyly. The horse snorted, and rolled his eyes.
"Pheh," he said. Mimic was insulted.
"WHAT?!" she shouted. "That should have worked! Why didn't it work?"
"Well, Mimic," Spike said, shrugging. "You're not one of the prettiest ponies in the bunch."
"Oh, well thanks a lot!" Mimic shouted. "We'll have to find another way in."
"Why don't you just wink?" Tommy asked, as he and Gingerbread came up behind Mimic and Spike.
"I would," Mimic said. "But I can't. He's too big to get around."
"Too bad I'm wearing all this armor," Gingerbread said. "If I wasn't, I'd just jump."
"I have an idea," Spike said. "Maybe if Gingerbread flirts with him, like Mimic tried to do . . . ."
"I'd have to get all this armor off first," Gingerbread said. "Give me a hand, you guys."
Tommy, Spike, and Mimic tried to pull all the armor off, but it was stuck. Gingerbread tried to pull herself out as the others were pulling. All four of them lost their balance, and crashed to the ground.
"Man, that's stuck but good!" Tommy shouted.
"Looks like I'm flirting with the armor," Gingerbread said. And her visor fell. CLANK!
"Ow!" she shouted.
Gingerbread didn't even bother to flip the visor back up. She walked over to the Black Knight's horse and tapped him.
"Hey you," she said.
The horse turned to look and saw the armor covered pony. His eyes grew wide, he whinnied in panic, and took off as fast as he could. The others stared at him oddly.
"Well, what's the matter with him?" Mimic asked.
"Yeah," Gingerbread said, flipping her visor up. "You'd think he never saw a little pony before."
"Come on, you guys," Spike said. "We can get in now."
Tommy, Spike, and the two ponies walked across the drawbridge. Spike grabbed a torch from the wall, and used it to lead them around.
"What exactly are we looking for?" he asked.
"Usually bad guys lock princesses in towers," Tommy said. "Maybe we should look for a tower."
"Normally, I'd say that was crazy," Mimic said. "But since this Black Knight fella is livin' in the middle ages, I'm gonna buy it."
Tommy, Spike, and the two ponies began to walk up a flight of stairs. Well, Tommy, Spike and Mimic walked. Gingerbread sort of clanked.
"Hey, can't you guys be quiet?" Mimic asked. "The Black Knight will hear us!"
"You try being quiet walking in a suit of armor!" Gingerbread hissed. Her visor fell down over her nose once again. CLANK!
"Ow!" she shouted. "This thing keeps falling on my nose!"
"Mimic, you lead," Spike said, finally. "You're the one with intuition."
Mimic nodded, and she continued leading the others up the very long flight of stairs. They finally reached a door at the top.
"That's gotta be it," Spike said.
"Let's make sure," Mimic replied. She walked over to the door and knocked on it. "Phyllis, are you in there?"
"Mimic?" Phyllis asked. "Mimic, what are you doing here?"
"We're gonna get you out," Mimic said.
"I'll ram the door," Gingerbread said. "This armor's so heavy, maybe it'll knock the door down."
CLANK! Gingerbread's visor fell once more. She groaned, and just left it where it was. She backed up, and ran for the door, running smack into it. Thanks to the force of her charge, and the heavy armor she was wearing, she did knock the door off its hinges. But she didn't stop until she hit the wall on the other side of the tower. CRASH!
"Ooohhhh!" everyone else grimaced.
"Thanks, Gingerbread," Phyllis said, walking out of the tower. She then looked at Tommy, and smiled.
"And what are you supposed to be?" she asked. "A knight in shining armor?"
"Yup," Tommy said. "I'm the bravest knight of all!"
"We'd better get out of here before the Black Knight finds us and . . . ."
"Slices all of you to ribbons!" a loud, gruff voice shouted. Standing right there in the doorway in front of Mike and Gingerbread was the Black Knight.
"Whoops," Tommy said.
"Oh no," Mimic groaned.
"We're in trouble," Spike moaned.
The Black Knight brandished his sword and held it up.
"A knight in shining armor, eh?" the Black Knight asked, looking at Tommy and Gingerbread. "Here to challenge me to a duel, eh? Come to fight for the hand of the fair Princess Phyllis, hmmm?"
"No, it isn't that," Mimic "We're just rescuing her from an overgrown potbellied stove, that's all."
"Potbellied stove, is it?"
The Black Knight was now growing red in the face. Gingerbread was getting a bad feeling about this.
"Mimic, I think you pushed him too far," she said.
"That does it!" the Black Knight shouted. "I challenge you to a duel!"
"Hey if it's a fight you want, you overgrown tin can, I'll give it to ya," Spike said. "Put 'em up!"
"You can't fist fight a knight!" Tommy shouted, holding up his toy sword. "You gotta use a sword! On guard!"
"Oh for pity's sake," the Black Knight mumbled. Then he started laughing. "A little boy wearing a bath towel and an old bucket, carrying a hunk of plastic is going to defeat me?"
The Black Knight began to laugh. And then he found he couldn't stop! He was laughing so hard, he fell over, and his visor crashed over his face.
"Now's our chance!" Gingerbread shouted. "Let's go!"
"But I haven't beaten the bad guy yet!" Tommy whined.
"You can do it another time," Mimic said. "Right now, we have to go!"
Phyllis picked up Tommy and put him on Gingerbread's back, while she and Spike climbed on Mimic. The two ponies began running for the exit. The Black Knight stopped laughing, pushed up his visor, and realized the ponies and their friends were getting away.
"CHARGE!" he shouted.
Mimic and Gingerbread were running as fast as they could, although it would be easier for Gingerbread if she wasn't wearing so much heavy armor. They finally reached the door to leave the castle.
"We're almost there!" Mimic shouted. "Don't stop!"
Suddenly, the door slammed shut, and everyone smacked into them. CRASH!
"What was that?" Spike asked.
"An automatic door opener," the Black Knight said, holding a remote control in his hand. "I'm not that stupid, you know. As for you, young knight, let's get on with the duel."
"You're on!" Tommy shouted, holding up his sword. "Too shay!"
"Tommy, you're seriously not going to do this are you?" Spike asked.
"It's the only way we can get out of here," Tommy said. "Besides, I'm the good guy. The good guy always beats the bad guy!"
"Do you even know how to use a sword?" Phyllis asked.
"No, but how hard can it be?"
"En guarde!" the Black Knight shouted.
Tommy began whacking his toy sword into the Black Knight's shins. That distracted the Black Knight so he couldn't swing at Tommy. Finally, Tommy had the opportunity to plunge his sword into the Black Knight's chest, but the sword hit the armor, and bent.
"Hey, no fair!" Tommy shouted. "You dented my sword!"
"Better start running, Tommy!" Gingerbread warned.
"Good idea!"
Tommy turned on his heel and began running as fast as he could. The Black Knight followed him. The two of them ran up a flight of stairs. Spike, Phyllis, and the two ponies followed, to see what was going to happen. The Black Knight continued to swing his sword around. Tommy was dodging it, at least until he came to the edge of the tower. He looked down and saw that it was a pretty big drop down. Luckily, Gingerbread and Mimic were right behind the Black Knight, and Tommy saw them. He knew what they were thinking.
"Say good night, knight," the Black Knight said.
The Black Knight was about to slice off Tommy's head, when the six-year-old stepped to the side. The Black Knight dropped his sword over the edge of the castle, and struggled to maintain his balance. Mimic and Gingerbread ran behind him, and head butted him.
"Good night, knight!" they shouted in unison.
That did it. The Black Knight plummeted off the edge of the castle. Everyone began cheering, and then they headed back towards Paradise Estate. When the little ponies and their friends saw them return, they all jumped up and down cheering their heads off.
"You did it, guys!" Fizzy shouted.
"I'll say we did," Gingerbread said as Phyllis, Megan and Julie managed to wrench the helmet off her head. "And I'm glad it's over!"
"I wasn't scared," Tommy said. "Brave knights aren't scared of nothin'!"
"Anything," Julie corrected.
"Whatever," Tommy said.
"You sure were a brave knight, Tommy," Gingerbread said.
"Right," Phyllis replied. "And all brave knights deserve a special reward."
Phyllis kneeled down next to Tommy, and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Tommy looked horrified, and he stepped back, wiping his face off with the back of his hand.
"Ew, yuck! Now I've got cooties!" he shouted.
Everyone else just laughed.
The End