MLP: FiM - Bullseye of the Tiger - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Journal Entry

Hunter Trapper led Twilight and all of her friends to the secret hideout where he had all of the many different animals and creatures he had ever captured since he broke out of Catnerlot Prison and ended up with the Huntrix Apex. Naturally, Twilight and all of her friends let all of the captured critters and creatures out of their cages. Fluttershy then directed them all back to their homes, most of them being in the Everfree Forest. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Cloudchaser, and Flitter helped Fluttershy out with that, as Princess Twilight and Flash Sentry, along with Arrow Swift and the rest of the gang spoke to Hunter Trapper.

Hunter Trapper bowed respectfully before Princess Twilight as he said to her, as well as to Wattson the Thunderbird and Cheshire the Matagot, “I am so very sorry for all of the damage I have done… for all of the innocent lives of nature that I have damaged… I just hope that you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me and give me just one more chance to finally make things right – for real this time.”

A good amount of seconds passed before Wattson walked up to Trapper and clucked peacefully, letting the now ex-hunter know that it was all going to be alright now and that he forgives him. Cheshire gently licked the right side of Trapper’s face, letting him know that she forgave him as well.

“Apology accepted, Trapper,” Twilight said to him honestly.
“Ditto,” said Flash Sentry, “But you do of course realize that I still have to take you into custody and back to Canterlot, for you to speak with Princess Celestia herself and for her to decide your punishment.”
“I do know that…” Trapper replied reluctantly, “But I will cooperate respectfully… no tricks, no arguments… I will face judgment for my crimes.”
“Very good then,” said Flash, as he brought out two pairs of silver, chained hoofcuffs and placed them on all four of Trapper’s hooves, “For your cooperation AND willingly setting all of your captured victims free, I’ll be sure that the Royal Guard and Family WILL all go easy on you and give you a very fair and justifiable trial. ”

“Thank you,” Trapper replied simply.
Pretty soon, they had all gotten back to Ponyville and into Twilight’s castle. Twilight then said to Spike, “Spike, write a letter to Princess Celestia and let her know about every single thing that has happened to all of us and Ponyville during within the past 48 hours.”
“I’m on it, Twilight,” Spike replied, as he brought out a few scrolls of parchment and started writing a report to send to Princess Celestia.

Rarity then spoke to Coco Pommel as she placed her left hoof gently upon her right soldier, “Coco, darling, I just want to take this opportunity to say that I really am truly sorry about all of this. I had no idea you would end up getting caught in the middle of all of this craziness that happened. I mean, being kidnapped by a hunter? I feel just awful and a little bit responsible for that happening to you. ”

Coco smiled as she hugged Rarity, “It’s okay, Rarity. < : )  Honestly, I have to admit that this was practically just the kind of adventure I needed to really get all of the inspiration I had to find and use for the next show in Manehattan. And I’ll be sure that once it’s ready, I’ll invite everyone here to it. ^^”

It took Spike at least half an hour to write it all up, but once he had finished writing up the report, he took in a deep breath and used his green, magic fire-breath to turn the report to Princess Celestia into magic ash and be sent to the Princess in Canterlot.

As they waited for Princess Celestia’s Royal Guard to show up, Arrow Swift and Trapper told Twilight, Flash, Wattson, Cheshire, Noble Wind, and the rest of all of their friends what had happened right after Arrow Swift destroyed the Huntrix Apex.
After the brothers’ tale was done, Twilight and everyone else couldn’t believe what they had just heard.
“Whoa… O.O” Noble Wind said, “I mean, just… WHOA.”
“Whoa indeed,” Coco Pommel added.

“So,” Princess Twilight spoke, “You’re telling me that the emerald bow that Flash Sentry had been using all this time – the very bow that the ponies of the Crystal Empire discovered in their home region of the Arctic North, the bow that now belongs to you, Arrow Swift… It’s really THE magic, sacred bow of the legendary master archer, Artemis, herself??”

“That’s right,” Arrow Swift nodded, “And NO, this does NOT mean Flash Sentry cheated in the Artemis Cup tournament yesterday… well, technically anyway.”
“This is unbelievable,” said Flash Sentry, looking at Arrow Swift’s right limb, which was now made out of emerald, “THE legendary Artemis herself is now with you at all times? SHE of all ponies has deemed you worthy of wielding her sacred and treasured bow now…? Wow… You must feel quite honored, Arrow Swift.”

Both Rarity and Fluttershy then knocked Flash out of the way hilariously as they both got up in Arrow Swift’s face with adorably and humorously awestruck eyes and said in unison, “YOU HAVE TO TELL US WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT KIND OF PONY SHE REALLY IS!!! O3O”

Fluttershy then said, “Is she really as beautiful as the legend depicts her as? ”
Rarity added, “Was her mane naturally luscious blonde or just dyed?”
“Is she as awesome as they say she is? ” Rainbow Dash added.
“Is she the kind of pony that likes to party like there’s no tomorrow? ^3^” Pinkie Pie asked.

Arrow Swift answered, “O-kay… Well… in that order… Yes, Natural, Yes, and sorry Pinkie but I don’t know because I didn’t really think to ask her that.”

Noble Wind whistled out of impression as he said to Arrow Swift, “I had a feeling that you were really do seemed like a true archer, Arrow Swift, but… this is just amazing beyond belief. And Artemis is now with you at all times? Wow. I guess this means you’ll literally have a sweet lady around your arm, huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? ”

“Uh, yeah ” Arrow Swift replied, “Though, I doubt it’s anything like that between me and her, really. <:///)  Anyway, I definitely wouldn’t have gotten my real brother back if it wasn’t for Artemis’s help. And I want to thank all of you for all of your help, everypony. Thank you all so much for helping me end up getting this far.”

“The feeling’s mutual, Arrow Swift ” Twilight replied.
Princess Twilight then walked up to Arrow Swift and asked him, “Listen, Arrow Swift, do you think you and I could talk in private for just a quick moment. I have a bit of a favor to ask of you.”
“Uh, sure thing, your Highness,” Arrow Swift agreed, as he then followed Twilight over to the back of her castle’s library section. There, Twilight handed to Arrow Swift a big purple journal-book with the Sparkle Cutie Mark symbol on it.

“What kind of book is this?” Arrow Swift asked Twilight, as he opened it up and skimmed through its pages.
Twilight explained to Arrow Swift, “What I’ve handed to you here is the Friendship Journal that my friends and I write in about all of the adventures we’ve had in Ponyville and the lessons we’ve learned together. We’ve had this journal since a little while after I had first became a Princess of Equestria.”

“Oh, really?” Arrow Swift asked, “That’s kind of amazing. ”
“Well, I was wondering if maybe you could write up an entry in this journal, stating about what’s happened here for the past couple of days and what you yourself have learned,” Twilight requested of him.
“Sure thing, Princess ” Arrow Swift replied, as he took the feather quil that Twilight handed to him, “After what you and your friends did to help me out in my mission here in Ponyville and in the Everfree Forest – to find and save both Cheshire AND my brother Trapper… I would be honored to write an important entry in this important book of yours. It’s the least I could do. But, if I may… do you think I could write in private, please?”
“Of course,” Twilight nodded, “And feel free to take your time.”
“Thank you, your Highness,” Arrow Swift said to her.

Twilight then left to leave the archer stallion to writing up what he needed to write up. As she met up with all of her friends back in the main throne room, Applejack spoke up, “I for one still can’t believe that all of this craziness went and started all because of a couple of brothers havin’ one nasty feud with each other. Uh, no offense of course, Trapper. < : ) ”

“None taken, mainly because I’m with you on this,” Trapper replied.
Twilight added, “I here you, Applejack. I mean… I can only imagine how things might get out of hand if I and my brother, Shining Armor, or my sister-in-law, Cadence for that matter, ended up having such a huge fight that it would almost definitely split us up for who knows how long… maybe even risk destroying the wonderful family connection we share… < : ( ”

Applejack added, “I’m wonderin’ about the same kind’a thing with what could go horribly wrong with me and my sibl’ns, Big Mac and Applebloom, if we ever got into the kind’a bad situation Arrow and Hunter got themselves into… ”

“Oh…” Pinkie Pie said sadly, “Now I’m wondering what could happen if me and any my sisters got into any super big arguments or bad situations with each other… especially if I got into that kind of horrible thing with Maud Pie… < : ( ”
“Or me with Sweetie Belle!” Rarity added dramatically.
“Or me with Scootaloo,” Rainbow Dash added.
“Or me with Angel or any of my animal friends, or any of you here for that matter…” Fluttershy stated, “I love you all so much that if I ever did have such a destructive fight with any of you… I don’t think I could take it… < : (  ”
“That goes for the same with the two of us…” Cloudchaser and Flitter said together grimly.

Trapper then spoke up clearly, “Well, if I may, my little ponies… I’m afraid that’s a sad fact about life… While families all over the world are meant to be kind to one another and to others, as well as care about each other, not every single family is blessed with the same kind of happy, morally stable life-styles you all clearly have. In fact, believe or not, a fair amount of the world is filled with families that are kind of, well… having more than their fair share of tough issues to work out. I know that sounds sad, mainly because it IS sad… but it’s true, too.”

Flash added, “He definitely brings up a very good point. And what he speaks IS the truth… but you know, I like to believe that any family can work out any and practically all issues that they may have, if they just make the time to get it all worked out the right way – like how Arrow Swift clearly did in the end. Even though he and his only brother had issues with each other, he never stopped hoping and believing that everything between them would be solved the right way, and that things would turn out all right in the end.”

“Yeah,” Noble Wind replied with a smile, “All of that was made possible because Arrow Swift never gave up on anyone in his family, least of all his only brother.”
Trapper looked down on the ground with a small and somewhat sad smile as he said, “Heh… yeah… I guess so.”

Pretty soon, Arrow Swift had walked out of the library, finished with writing his journal entry into the Friendship Journal that belonged to Twilight and her friends. Arrow handed the book over to Twilight, and then there was a knock at the front gate of the castle.
“Sounds like it’s time to go now,” Flash said, as he looked at both Arrow and Trapper, “You boys ready?”
“Yeah,” said Arrow Swift.
Trapper took in a deep breath as he said, “Let’s go.”

Flash, Arrow, and Trapper all said goodbye to everyone in the castle and headed out the front gate, meeting up with the Royal Guard soldiers that Princess Celestia sent to Ponyville to fetch and retrieve the wanted criminal known as Hunter Trapper.

Arrow had hugged both Cheshire the Matagot and Wattson the Thunderbird goodbye, as he then turned to Fluttershy.
Fluttershy said to Arrow, “Don’t worry, Arrow, I’ll take good care of our two good creature friends here until you come back. ”
“Thanks, Fluttershy, I really appreciate that,” Arrow Swift replied, as he hugged her goodbye, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Take your time, Arrow,” Fluttershy said to him sympathetically, “I think you and your brother are going to need as much of it as you can together.”

As Trapper was escorted to Canterlot with Flash and Arrow right by his side, Twilight and everyone else in the castle watched as the Royal Guard soldiers left together with the two former hunter brothers and headed straight for Canterlot.

Twilight then said sincerely, “I sure do hope those two brothers will be alright.”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine, Princess, ” Noble Wind said to her reassuringly, “They just need time.”
Rainbow Dash then spoke up, “So, what exactly do you think Arrow Swift wrote in the Friendship Journal anyway?”
“Only one way to find out,” said Twilight, as she used her magic to open up the journal and flip through its pages to Arrow Swift’s entry in it, “Let’s see here… Wow. Surprisingly, Arrow Swift has very small, but neat and easily readable hoof-writing… it looks like his entire entry has only taken up five pages. And it’s definitely a telling of our big, wild adventure we’ve all had together: starts off with the Artemis Cup… Wattson and Cheshire enter the picture… Arrow Swift talks to us about Trapper, we go into the Everfree Forest together, get trapped by Hunter Trapper at Ghastly Gorge, he turns into a Chimera-pony… Wait! Look at this.”

Arrow Swift’s most crucial part of his journal entry was what happened when he and Trapper got sent into Artemis’s pocket dimension within her sacred, emarld bow: Arrow Swift revealed everything about his and Trapper’s entire history as brothers, and what had happened that caused their bond of brotherhood to be severely damaged, but not entirely impossible to fix. Naturally, the true tale Arrow Swift had written in the journal was powerful, even though he and Trapper HAD already told Twilight and the others about their history when they were telling them exactly what had happened while they were in the magical dimension within Artemis’s sacred archery bow.

Arrow Swift’s journal entry ended with this statement…
“It is a known and well proven fact that there really is no such thing as a perfect family, let alone perfect family members. And it’s also known and proven that life itself and everyone and everything in it can be extremely difficult to so much as bear with – extremely difficult, but NOT impossible. Even if life and everyone in it tend to knock you down a billion times, you need to always pick yourself back up a billion and one times. And though there are those who may not respect you nor what you believe in, you must ALWAYS respect yourself and what you do, as long as what you do truly does NOT hurt anyone, least of all yourself. Sometimes that lesson does need to be learned the hard way, but it is worth it. You need to always have real respect and pride in yourself and your real well-being, as well as share real respect and compassion towards others, for their real sake and well-being – no matter how difficult they might be, especially if they’re family.

“That’s what every single living being and creature in the world always needs and should never deny themselves nor others from: self-respect and pride, respect and compassion towards others, respect and compassion towards nature, and real respect and compassion towards those that mean the very most to you.

“My name is Arrow Swift, and I have written this journal entry in the hopes of reminding everyone what is truly important in life: real honor, respect, compassion, and most importantly of all, family – for those very things are what makes us truly strong enough to handle whatever hardships life may have planned for each and every one of us.”

After finished reading the entire journal entry Arrow Swift had written, Twilight couldn’t help but smile and cry a little bit, “Wow… that was all… so beautiful. :,)”
“I’ll say, hon… <:,)” said Applejack, wiping away her tears.
“Yeah… I guess it was…” Rainbow Dash added, trying to hide her “sappiness” from everyone else.

Rarity blew her nose in her handkerchief hilariously hard as she then said very dramatically, “It was all just so powerfully moving, I just cannot help but love it all so much!!! T^T”

At this point, just about everyone in their group was crying at least a little bit from everything they had just: Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Coco Pommel, Cloudchaser & Flitter, even Spike could help but tear up a tiny bit. As for Noble Wind, he wasn’t crying, but he clearly was just as very moved as everypony else.

Noble Wind then said, “Yeah… that is quite the beautiful tale Arrow Swift has experienced and shared with everyone… he certainly is a heroic pony in his own way, no doubt about that. You know, Princess Twilight, I wouldn’t be surprised if somepony like Arrow Swift decided to become a member of the Royal Guard soon enough. ”

“Well, I don’t know about that,” said Twilight, as she looked out towards Canterlot Castle, where Arrow Swift and Flash Sentry currently were by now, “Still… the Royal Guard could use more heroic ponies like Arrow Swift and Flash Sentry… and they could probably also use somepony like you, Noble Wind. ”

“Well, I’m flattered you think that way about me, Princess <:///)” Noble Wind replied, feeling a little embarrassed, “But I’m just a traveler and liaison, not a soldier. Still… it would be pretty cool to be part of a team of heroic soldiers that could help take down evil wherever it pops up – kinda like how you and your friends apparently do on a regular basis, Princess Twilight. ”

Twilight smiled and looked back at Canterlot Castle, then got to thinking to herself about something very important…
Ever since Twilight Sparkle first moved to Ponyville, made good friends, and discovered the Elements of Harmony with them, she and friends have all had to deal with all kinds of powerful forces, especially the ones that threatened both Equestria and perhaps their entire world as well: Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis and the Changeling Army, King Sombra, and most recently of all, Tirek.

And it wasn’t just those bad guys, but also simple yet equally threatening figures like Sunset Shimmer, Scylla and her Sirens from the oceans of the Seapony Kingdom, Aisenma the Memory Thief, Trixie back when she was still greatly and powerfully egomaniacal, and now Hunter Trapper.
I mean, what crazy and possibly evil threat would be next for her and her friends to take on? A trio of psychotic ladies who use magic to mind-control innocent kids? Or Celestia forbid, a huge tidal wave of seemingly poisonous, purple goo that could wipe Equestria off the face of their world.**

**I am being serious about everything I have typed up here in this chapter and this entire story of mine, but I hope you all can see the clever references I just made here.


Twilight and her friends have always been able to step up to the challenges they’ve had to face, and they have saved the day plenty of times before - usually beyond expectations. There was no doubt about any of that.
Still, with all of these dark forces popping out on a somewhat frequent, pattern-like basis, Twilight and her friends were going to need all of the help they could possibly get to fight evil whenever and wherever it might pop up.

Friendship is and always has been magical, and Twilight and her friends have pretty much already proven friendship to be one of the most powerful kinds of magic anyone could ever ask for, so maybe it was time for Twilight to consider finding more ponies to help spread the powerful, protective, and practically life-changing magic of great friendship across Equestria, as well their entire world if they had to.

Twilight then thought about what Noble Wind said, “A team of heroic soldiers that could help take down evil wherever it pops up… Hmm… Now THERE is an idea. ”



THE END... for now.



So, my little readers, you’re probably wondering what exactly is Princess Twilight Sparkle planning right now, correct? Well, to be honest, you’re just gonna have to wait and see for yourselves. So, thanks for reading this story of mine, “Bullseye of the Tiger,” and I hope you’ve all enjoyed it very much.

And stay tuned for more adventurous MLP: FiM stories of mine, because I can tell you right now: what I have in store for you all will eventually not only be worth the wait, but also likely take the potential of MLP: FiM story-writing – and maybe the potential of the MLP universe – to a whole new level. ^^

So, until next time, stay tuned and be sure to spread the magic of friendship around, people.
Bye for now!