Featured song:

"I'm Lookin' Out For You" from MLP: Make Your Mark

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"Alright, this one's full!" called one knight in blood red armor.

And one cart was shut and started to be moved as it was filled with water, as inside of it was a whole family of mer-folk who were imprisoned in there.

"I'm scared, Hunter." a little blonde mermaid said, hugging her big brother.

"It's gonna be okay, Omega." the merman, apparently Hunter, said, comforting his sister.

Mer-folk were just one of the kinds of creatures trapped though. In another cart, a man with butterfly wings, his wife, and their teenage twin sons were pushed and cuffed. But it wasn't just humanoid type creatures.

People were lined up, holding various magical creatures against their will to be turned in for some rewards being offered.

A Nautolan male was cuffed at the table.

"Alright, that's thirty pieces of silver for the kraken," said the captain of the guard, Captain Tarkin.

"I'm a Nautolan!" Kit Fisto corrected angrily, but it didn't matter because he was being escorted away.

Three spots away, a young pegasus mare with a pink coat and a darker pink mane streaked with a red stripe and a white stripe stood, her wings tied down, another rope around her muzzle, as the farmer who planned to sell her was forcing her there. The young mare was terrified by the sight before her.

In a cage stood two Togruta females, an adult and a baby. It was obvious not even the baby magical creatures were being spared from this horrible fate. She didn't know what these knights planned to do with all of them, but the pink pegasus didn't want to find out.

The pegasus begged her mistress not to turn her in.

"I can be better! Please, give me another chance." said the pegasus.

"Oh, shut up!" said the woman, slapping the pegasus' muzzle.

"Next!" called the captain. "What have we got?"

A man came up with a little girl with pink hair and pointy ears.

"This little elf person."

"Let me go! Let me go!" cried the little girl.

Captain Tarkin looked at the child and said she was good for five shillings.

And as the child was cuffed and taken away, that meant it was the farmer's turn. The pegasus tried to pull back and chew the rope off, but her master was as stubborn as a donkey.

"Alright, what have we got here?" asked the captain.

"Well, I have a talking pegasus." said the woman.

"Hmm. Well, that's good for ten pieces of gold... if you can prove both those traits."

The pegasus saw this as her chance. She acted like she was scared to be touched.

"Well, go ahead, Beautiful." said the woman, untying the rope from Strawberry's muzzle.

But, the pegasus didn't talk.

"Well?" asked the captain, not believing the woman.

"Oh, she's just a little nervous. She's really quite a chatterbox." the woman slapped the pegasus' muzzle again. "Talk you stupid animal!"

The pegaus just head butted the woman in her stomach.

"I think I've seen enough. Guards!" Captain Tarkin said, but the woman begged for just another moment.

"Okay, she won't talk now, but she is a pegasus."

The woman removed the rope that was around the horse's wings, and then, the pegasus struck!

"Take this!" exclaimed the pink horse.

The pegasus quickly kicked the table as a distraction, then ran off, spread her wings and started to fly away.

"Seize her!" Captain Tarkin exclaimed.

The guards tried to rope the pegasus and threw things to try and knock her from the air, but she was too fast, and made her way into the woods!

"Hey! She's getting away!" exclaimed one knight as the horse took off.

The knights began to pursue the pegasus, but she flew right through the branches of the trees and ran on the ground the avoid being spotted, but it wasn't enough to make the knights give up. Still, she had to keep going and going until she reached a farther end of the forest and bumped into someone she didn't see at first. And when she looked up she gasped when she realized she'd just bumped into a minotaur.

"Hey! This way!" said some familiar voices, prompting the pony to quickly hide behind the larger creature.

The knights stopped when they spotted the minotaur too.

"You there! Minotaur!" Captain Tarkin commanded.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" said Mace.

"By the order of Lord Palpatine, I am authorized to place you both under arrest and transport you to a designated resettlement... facility?"

Mace got closer and seemed to get larger as he approached Captain Tarkin and his knights.

"Oh, really? You and what army?" smirked Mace.

Captain Tarkin looked behind him and saw all his knights had run off, no doubt terrified of the minotaur. And moments later, even Captain Tarkin himself ran off screaming like a little girl.

And the pink pegasus laughed at the knights as they ran off like chickens that lost their heads.

"Scaredy-cats!" she mocked.

And then Mace started to walk away.

"Hey, Mr. Minotaur! Wait up!" the pegasus said.

"Uh, are you talking to-" Mace looked behind him, only to see the horse was gone. "Me?"

But Mace got startled when he turned around again and saw the same horse flying in front of him.

"Yeah, I was talking to you." said the pegasus, starting to sniff the minotaur's head.

"Hey! Ever hear of personal space?!" Mace snorted.

"Oh! Sorry, did I frighten you? I'm sorry. That's how I get acquainted. I just wanted to say thanks for saving me. That was a really brave thing you did back there. You have no idea how badly I needed to get out of there."

"That's great. Why don't you go and celebrate your freedom with your friends? Hmm?"

"Well, that would be great... except all my friends are prisoners now. Hey! How about I stick with you?" the pegasus followed the minotaur down the path, which confused the guy. "You and I, we could be a great team and scare any more fools who dare to cross us."

Mace then roared and snorted at the pegasus very scarily. The pegasus looked a little scared at first, but then she looked impressed.

"Wow! That was really scary." the pegasus smiled. "And it certain smells like someone's found a great patch of berries. My old owner, she had no clue of the difference between fresh and rotten. I myself am told I smell like strawberries."

"Well, you actually do. But why are you following me?"

"I don't really know." said the pegasus. "I haven't really got anywhere to go, or anyone to go to. And, I don't see anyone else around. It couldn't hurt to have a companion by your side, could it?"

"Listen, Pink horse-"

"My name's Strawberry Sundae." the horse interrupted.

"Strawberry... take a look at me. What am I?"

Strawberry looked at him with confusion.

"You don't know that you're a minotaur?"

"You did know I am?" Mace was really baffled now. "A minotaur, you know? 'Grab your torch and pitchforks.' Doesn't that bother you?"

Strawberry, however, shook her head.

"No. I wouldn't attack someone who hasn't attacked me first."

"What about the roaring back there?"

"Believe it or not, I've seen plenty of people make empty promises, both for promising rewards and for threats." Strawberry said. "Besides, you didn't really try to hurt those knights back there. They just got scared of your size, from what I could tell."

"Really?"

"Really really." smiled the pegasus. "Well, you already know my name is Strawberry. What's yours?"

"Uh... Mace." said the minotaur.

"Mace? That's a nice name." said Strawberry.

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Strawberry followed Mace all the way to the mountain where he lived.

"Wow! Now that's a sight to behold." Strawberry gasped.

"That would be my home."

"Wow! You are a lucky guy, indeed. A lot prettier than the farm I used to live on."

"Shouldn't you be quite at home on one?"

"That depends on your definition of 'home'." Strawberry said. "Does anyone else live with you?"

"None of your business."

Except, the pegasus didn't appreciate the attitude.

"A simple 'no' would've sufficed." Strawberry said.

"Well, there are critters that live there."

"What would one more be? That is... if you wouldn't mind if I stuck around for a bit. I wouldn't be a bother. I could even be useful. For one thing, I can fly to high places you might not be able to reach, and I know a thing or two about humans if you're worried about them invading."

"What?" Mace said. "Okay, something I don't get, Pinky. Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Why wouldn't I be? You know, a thing about equines, we're known for having good instincts about a lot of things, and living things is one of them. And I have a good feeling about you." said Strawberry, flying up a little more to Mace's height. "Besides, everyone needs someone by their side sometimes."

And that was when Mace could swear he heard music.

"Oh no, don't tell me you're about to burst into song!" Mace groaned.

Strawberry:

Up ahead, is the sky growing dark?
Where it leads is a big question mark
And I'm scared that I'll end up a pony gone missing from pegasus-ing

... But you're not alone
You got a pony in your crew

Mace couldn't believe that this pink pegasus was behaving this way; she only just met him and she really seemed like she wanted to be his friend.

Mace:
I do? Who?

Strawberry:

... I'm lookin' out for you
When you're off track
I got you back
You can rely on me
I'm lookin' out for you
Lost in the hills
I got the skills

Mace:
Keepin' your eye on me
I'm lookin' out for you

Truth be told, Strawberry was forced to live in a place where "normal" humans were the dominant inhabitants, and anyone with a different appearance or special abilities, basically anything that made them out of the ordinary, were treated as monsters. Strawberry wanted that to change, but making it so did not come easy.

Strawberry:

... Back at home, it was normal humans first
Heard it so many times I could burst
And I fought for a change
But it's lonely, 'cause you know party of uno

... But, if you need a friendly steed like you-know-who

Mace:

I think I do

Strawberry:
I'm lookin' out for you

Pretty soon, Mace started to smile as he and Strawberry made their way up the hill, Strawberry flying to move large branches out of the way of Mace's horns getting caught. And at another point, Strawberry nearly stepped in a mud puddle, and Mace let her go around first so she wouldn't get her pretty magenta hooves all muddy. The two started to laugh together as they took in the sights of the mountain and the view they could see as they climbed higher up.

Mace looked at how much Strawberry continued to smile the whole way up, even when the two of them were tired from climbing the rockier bits of the mountain.

Both:

... I'm lookin' out for you (Critters: I'm lookin' out)
When you're off track (Critters: when you're off track)

I got your back (Critters: I got your back)

You can rely on me
I'm lookin' out for you (Critters: I'm lookin' out)

Lost in the hills (Critters: lost in the hills)

I got the skills (Critters: I got the skills)

Keepin' your eye on me

... I'm lookin' out for you (Critters: I'm lookin' out)

Starting your quest (Critters: starting your quest)

Makes you feel stressed (Critters: makes you feel stressed)

Mace:
Pony, it helps knowing I'm lookin' out for you (Critters: lookin' out)

Strawberry:

You blaze a trail (Critters: you blaze a trail)

Mace:

I'll watch your tail (Critters: I'll watch your tail)

Both:

... Pony, let's get goin'
Get goin', get goin'

Strawberry:

... I'm lookin' out (Critters: I'm lookin' out for you)

(Critters: I'll go where you're goin' to)

(Critters: It's all that I wanna do)

(Critters: I, I, I)

Mace & Strawberry:

I'm lookin' out (Critters: I'm lookin' out for you)

(Critters: I'll go where you're goin' to)

(Critters: It's all that I wanna do)

(Critters: I am lookin' out)

For you

The two friends soon came to arrived at Mace's cave, and they started to laugh together as they watched some butterflies fluttering by.

"You're spirited, I'll give you that." Mace said, reaching his hand out to pet Strawberry, but the pegasus started to back down, like she was afraid of being touched or something. "It's okay."

Strawberry sniffed Mace's hand, and this time she held still as Mace started to pet her soft mane. Mace was hesitant about letting a horse stick around, but what harm could it do?

And, Strawberry did prove herself useful when Mace went foraging for dinner. Mace found a tree with plenty of apples, but the good ones, unfortunately, were way too high for him to reach, and minotaurs were not famous for being great tree climbers. Even if they were, most of those branches weren't strong enough to hold Mace's weight. But, for a pegasus like Strawberry, that was no problemo; she just flew up and knocked the apples down with her muzzle, and Mace caught them in his basket.

Strawberry came in handy with making applesauce too.

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A nice fire was lit up inside the cave that night. Strawberry was impressed with the lovely home Mace built himself in the cave. She minded her manners very well too; plus, Mace kinda liked that her natural scent of strawberries really freshened up the room.

Mace served himself up some stew he'd cooked up using the fruits and veggies he picked from the wild plants that grew all around and from his garden too. Strawberry seemed happy as she munched from her bowl too. It felt nice to not be eating alone for a change, though it felt kind of strange too. Mace had to wonder why Strawberry was by herself. He wondered if she had a family anywhere... unless she'd lost them tragically like he did.

Suddenly, Mace heard a strange noise.

"Uh... Strawberry? Was that you?" Mace asked.

"No." Strawberry said. "It sounded like it came from outside. I'll go look."

So, Strawberry went outside to see if anything strange was out there. But when Strawberry didn't come back, he got worried.

Mace quickly went outside and heard a big splash by the river where he usually bathed and rushed over there. But when he got there, he was shocked to see two children about nine years old, a boy and a girl, and they each had the tail of a fish, and they were playing by the waterfall.

"It's not the ocean, but it's wet." said Omega.

"Well, we don't have much of a choice though." said Boba.

"Hey, what are you kids doing?!" Mace said, approaching.

However, the kids just screamed as soon as they saw the minotaur, and the moment their fish tails hit dry land, the mer-children turned into humans and ran off!

"Hey, wait!" Mace groaned, and looked around for Strawberry. She was nowhere to be found, so he decided to look back in the cave and see if she was there, except, he found it invaded by a few more creatures he'd never seen before. A wookie, another human, and a girl with ocean blue hair and skin.

"What are you doing in my house?!" Mace said, which scared the children out of there.

And then, Mace spotted a green alicorn filly with a curly mane eating off his table.

"No, no! Off the table!" Mace said, picking up the little horse, only for her to panic and fly off.

But when Mace checked his bed, he found a young werewolf laying in it.

"What?" said the werewolf.

Mace grabbed the werewolf by the back of his shirt and started to carry him to the door.

"I live high in the mountains, I put up signs, I'm a terrifying minotaur! What do I have to do to get a little privacy?!" Mace threw the werewolf out, only to be met by a sight he did not expect or appreciate.

These creatures weren't just in the river or his cave. They were everywhere! There were tents set up, and magical creatures were all around. There were pegasus ponies and unicorns making themselves at home on the trail, werewolves and wookies practically hogging all the fish in the water for themselves, mer-folk living in all the lakes and rivers they could find, and fairies flying around too.

Mace had no idea what was going on or where all these creatures came from. But, naturally, the first question on his mind, he shouted out.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY LAND?!"

Mace's voice echoed all around, and when everyone young and old realized they'd just made camp on the land of a territorial minotaur, they all got scared and immediately began to shield their young.

"Alright, all of you, get out of here!" Mace commanded, trying to scare everyone out, but this was a much bigger crowd than he was used to scaring off.

That was when Mace finally spotted Strawberry and gave her a look.

"Don't look at me, I didn't invite them." said the pink pegasus.

"No one invited us here," said a young wizard named Obi-Wan.

"What?!" said Mace.

"We were forced to come here. All of us." said a young man with butterfly wings named Anakin.

"By who?"

"Lord Palpatine," said a beautiful forest nymph named Padme. "He banished all of us from our homes and placed us here. If we leave here, he'll have us executed."

That greatly angered Mace; not only were these people invading his land, but some big shot thought he could just dump all these people into his home from wherever they came from? This was wrong on so many levels. Something had to be done.

"Alright, who knows where this... Palpatine guy is?" asked Mace.

"I do. I know where he is." Strawberry said.

"Does anyone else know where to find him?" Mace asked; although he appreciated Strawberry volunteering, he figured he might need more help. But, it didn't look like anyone else was volunteering.

"Mom? Dad? Can I go with them?" Anakin looked at his parents.

"No, Anakin!" Qui-Gon said. "It's too dangerous."

Strawberry walked up to Mace and looked at him, "I guess it's just you and me."

"Very well then." Mace said. "Attention all... magical things. Don't get comfortable. Your welcome is officially worn out. In fact, I'm going to see this Lord Palpatine right now, and get you all of my land and back where you came from!"

Everyone applauded Mace's great courage to go out and face this terrifying Lord Palpatine and get them back to their rightful homes. Two of the forest nymphs placed flower necklaces on Mace and Strawberry as a way of saying thanks.

"Let's go, strawberry-scented steed." Mace said, beginning to march out.

"You might wanna work on your pet naming skills, Dude." Strawberry said, following Mace. "Now this is what I call a man and his steed out for adventure. Or, at least half-man, anyway."

"What can you tell me about this Palpatine guy? So I know who we're dealing with?"

"Well, I've never met him, per se, but I do know he's not a kind man when it comes to the people of any land. He hates anything that's different. And since he took over Naboo, nothing's been the same for any of us Magics."

"Naboo, huh?"

"Yeah. It used to be a great place to live. I used to live there with my parents and my girl Sasha before all this happened."

"Was she your owner on the farm?"

"Nope. She was my first owner before I got trapped on that farm. And boy did she know how to care for a horse."

"Well, once we take care of this Palpatine, I'm sure Sasha will be happy to see you again."

"I doubt it."

Mace noticed Strawberry seemed sad.

"Strawberry... are you-?"

"It doesn't matter! Let's just go and get this mission over with."

Strawberry started to fly, and Mace had to run in order to keep up with her.