//------------------------------// // Ch. XIII: The Trap And Discovery // Story: Heart Of Fire: You'll Be In My Heart // by Melody Brush //------------------------------// CHAPTER XIII: THE TRAP AND DISCOVERY All of Ponyville, aside from a few ponies here and there, was overjoyed with the news of the upcoming wedding of Blazing Feathers and Chocolate. Rarity was at her boutique desining the dress for the bride and a suit for the groom. Pinkie Pie was buisy setting the town hall up for a party that everypony was welcome to joine. Blazing asked Twilight to organize everything for the wedding. Applejack and her family were in charge of cooking the meals. Fluttershy hooved the the music with her animal friends and even Ditzy was asked to help with the invitations. It was a week since Blazing proposed to Chocolate and everything was being planned. The couple were at home just enjoying each others company as Chocolate lay her head on Blazing's lap while he petted her changeling fin-mane. Their relaxing was interrupted by a noise coming from up stairs wich made them jump. Chocolate transformed into her pony form as she got off Blazing's lap. He got to his hooves and assumed a defensive position as he cautiously walked to the stairs. He froze when he heard hoofsteps coming to the stairs. Keeping a close unblinking eye locked on the stairs he let out a long sigh of reliefe whe he saw a dark blue pegasus come trotting down the stairs. "Spark!" Blazing called as he ran to his old friend and embraced him in a brotherly hug. Spark did not return the embrace at first but quickly wrapped his forlegs around Blazing. Blazing pulled away from Spark. "What are you doing here?" Blazing asked. "I need your help with something." Spark answered. "What is it?" Blazing asked. A serious look on his face. "Zecora needs some medicine transproted to canterlot and I could use you and Chocolate's help with this." Blazing nodded his head. "Okay but, can it wait till tomarrow? It's getting dark out." Blazing requested. "No." Spark said. "We need to transport the medicine now. Since it's getting dark we should go together." Blazing thought about it for a moment, raising a brow at the urgency in his friends voice. This was a little odd that Spark was asking for help like this, but it was for Zecora, so he realy did not want to let her down. "Okay." Blazing finaly said. The three left the house together, Blazing and Chocolate walked side by side while Spark stayed in the bushes and behind houses to avoid being seen. After a few minutes Blazing lost track of Spark when he jumped onto a house. We'll see him at the edge of the forest. He thought to himself as he continued trotting with his fianceé. They reached the edge of the forest and Spark was nowhere to be seen. It would be hard to see him in the dark with his deep blue coat. Blazing and Chocolate waited for Spark at the edge of the forest for a few minutes before starting to get a little uneasy. "Where is he, honey?" Chocolate asked, Blazing looking toward the town. He was about to answere when he saw a shadow fly through the air from a tree at the edge of town. Spark landed infront of them looking a little annoyed. "What happened, Spark?" Blazing asked. "Sorry." Spark replied. "I got held up by somepony." Blazing saw something move behind Spark. He strained his eyes to see what it was that moved. "Blazing, we should go." Spark said, using his forehead to direct Blazing and Chocolate into the forest. Blazing looked back to where he saw something move and caught a glimps of a blue pegasus before heading into the trees. They were deep in the forest now, Chocolate looked real nervous while Blazing started to think something was off. Blazing knew a path that was, for the most part, safe to traverse and this was not that path. In fact, he was sure they were heading a completely different direction. Spark had taken the lead when they got a good distance into the forest and every now and again looked back to see if they were still behind them. Blazing looked around in the bushes and trees keeping his ears open for anything out of the ordinary. Sure enough, he saw constant movement and it was not animals. "We're close." Spark said. Blazing took another look at his suroundings, they were nowere near Zecora's hut. He gazed at Chocolate, who showed strong sighns of fear. She looked at him with horor in her eyes. He looked up at Spark, he was still walking like nothing was wrong. Okay. What the hell is going on here? He asked himself. Spark looked back at them again. Blazing saw a faint flash of green in his eyes and it was not from Spark's ability to see in the dark. I knew it! He thought to himself. "Run, Chocolate!" He yelled as he jumped at Spark. As he did dozens of changelings jumped from their hiding places in the bushes and out of the trees. Blazing and the imposter Spark were locked in a hoof fight but Blazing had the upper hoof. This imposter was not nearly as strong as the real Spark, sure he had Spark's build, but it was all fake. He pushed his opponent back enough for him to turn around and buck him clean in the face, knocking him uncauncious. "Blaze!" Blazing looked up and saw Chocolate was being surounded by changeling, fighting them off as best she could, but they outnumbered her. "Come now, Princess." One of the changelings said. "Queen Chrysalis wishes for you to return." They were about to grab her when Blazing rammed into four of them. Five of the rest locked their focous on him now while the rest continued to pursue Chocolate. Blazing bucked two of the changelings and used his wings to smack two others all in their faces. The last came straight for Blazing. "I don't think so." Blazing said as he leaped over the changeling bouncing on his head then flew to the ones around Chocolate. "Get the hell away from my fianceé!" He screamed as he rammed several changelings out of his path going straight for Chocolate. He wrapped his forelegs around Chocolate lifting her in the air and flew through the trees. He flew at top speed dodging solid trees but straight through bushes and vines like they were nothing. He slowed down when he reached the edge of the forest letting Chocolate go so she could fly and landed just outside of Ponyville. Blazing looked to his fianceé, who looked at him in awe. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" He asked. A nod was all she could manage, he expression unchanged. "What is it?" She looked back at the tree they just came through. Blazing fallowed her gaze then let his head drop in disappointment. The bushes and vines he flew through were all singed and burned, some spots still glowing as smoke raised in the air. Chocolate looked back at him, her expression switched from shock to concern. "Honey?" He did not react. "Honey, talk to me. What's wrong?" He looked up at her, tears sliding down his cheeks. "I thought it was gone." He said. "What?" She asked. He looked into her eyes for a long minute before taking in a deep breath as his ears pinned back. "When I was young I found out that if I flew fast enough, or built up anough anger, I could leave a trail of fire were ever I went. I never wanted the power, I hate it. Living in fear of hurting everypony around you, having to keep yourself restrained from using your full potential. For so long I went without it happening, I thought it was gone." He let his head drop with a heavy sigh as teas streamed down his face. He felt a hoof on his cheek and looked to see Chocolate smiling at him. She reached up to him and their lips met. He leaned into the kiss, his joy replacing his grief. They broke the kiss with a jumped when they heard movement coming from the forest. Blazing stood infront of Chocolate in a defensive position, ready for what ever was coming their way. Two familliar zebras walked out of the bushes a look of concern in their eyes. "My suspicions were correct all the same. Why have you nearly set the forest a flame?" Zecora asked as they stepped closer to the couple. "Stay back!" Blazing snapped. Zecora looked surprised at this while Forest flinched at Blazing's attitude. "Blazing, my brother, what's going on?" Forest asked, earning an arched brow from the pegasus. "Your cries reached our ears in the trees. So we came to help put your mind at eas." Zecora rhymed. "If you're realy Zecora and Forest, then tell me something only the two of you would know." Blazing glared at the zebras. "In the times I first came with good will, nopony was in sight in Ponyville." She said. Blazing then turned to Forest. "What?" Chocolate asked. "Before Zecora became friends with Twilight and the others everypony in town locked the doors and windows when she came for herbs," Blazing answered, "but that's no secret. Everypony in town knows about that." He then focoused his glare at the green zebra. "And why did you call me brother?" Forest blinked, realizing his mistake he turned to his mother, who smiled at him before truning to Blazing. "Ever since Forest's creation he has been you brother. The truth is, my dear Blazing, I am you birth mother." Blazing blinked at this as his heart skipped a beat. "What?" He asked. "Blazing, Zecora is the one who gave birth to you." Forest explained. "We are brothers, in a way." Tears began to stream down Blazing's face to this new information. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked Zecora. "The words I speek are pure and true, my life in the forest was not ment for you." She rhymed. Blazing stood there with the tears sliding down his cheeks. "Y-y-you're my mother?" He asked. Zecora nodded her head once then he felt a hoof slide across his cheek. He turned and saw Chocolate smiling at him warmly before she reached up and kissed him. He wrapped his forelegs around her in a hug for a minute before another question filled his head. He pushed her to legs length and stared her in the eye. "One of those changelings called you, Princess." Blazing said. Chocolate visibly flinched at his statement. Blazing waited patiently for her respond before asking, "what was he talking about?" She let her head drop in defeat. "Queen Chrysalis is my mother." She said. "I was to take her place in time, but I never wanted that." She looked up into Blazing's eyes, tears in her own eyes. She was waiting for him to respond, exlecting him to be angry and call off their marriage. He just looked into her eyes, shock present in his expression. "I suppose you want me to leave now?" She asked as she let her gaze fall to the ground. She cringed as she felt his hoof on her shoulder. After a few second, she looked up at him to see he was smiling. "I love you, Chocolate. I would never want you to leave my side even if you were some kind of creature that directly eats ponies." She gasped at his words, tears streaming down her face. The two smiled at each other as they stared into the others eyes then leaned in to let their lips meet again. Zecora and Forest smiled at the two showing their love for each other before they broke their kiss and Blazing looked to Zecora with a pleading look in his eyes. "Do I have your blessing to marry this woman?" He asked. "Your love is true for my Blazing?" she asked Chocolate, who nodded. "Then you have a mothers blessing." The two smiled then turned to each other and pressed their lips together again.