• Published 7th Aug 2013
  • 2,692 Views, 103 Comments

Rain of Fire - LessThanHuman



After Princess Luna was banished to the the Moon her beloved bat ponies died off to the point of extinction. So how did one manage to survive for almost thousand years, and given their violent nature, what are his intentions?

  • ...
7
 103
 2,692

Chapter 3 - Here's The Deal

Twilight finished reading Celestias’ letter and exchanged quick glances with her friends before they all turned their attention to Firestorm who was wearing his best poker face to hide his own surprise at the letters’ contents.

Rarity cleared her throat, “Well, if the princess says we should treat Firestorm as a friend then I for one find it rather rude to leave an awkward silence hanging in the air among friends, so, as you know, I am Rarity, welcome to Ponyville,” Rarity said making her way Firestorm and offering a hoofshake. Firestorm took her hoof in his and said, “Thank you,” while kissing her hoof.

Rarity giggled, “Oh my, what a gentlecolt.”

Applejack made her way to Firestorm and removed her Stetson, “Ah want to thank ya for savin’ mah sister an her friends. I’m still madder than a rattlesnake with no rattle at that little filly for doin’ somethin’ so reckless and stupid, but if you hadn’t come along and saved her and her friends Ah… Ah just don’t know what I’d do,” she said with her voice breaking as tears welled in her eyes.

Firestorm cautiously stepped towards Applejack and offered her a hug which she accepted and returned. Firestorm could feel the tension in Applejack’s muscles and the slight trembling of her body, “Tonight, when you go to sleep, just remember she’s safe, she’s at home, and you have friends that love you and will make sure nothing bad ever happens to her,” he whispered just loud enough for everypony to hear.

As he broke the hug Applejack nodded her head and thanked him again.

Twilight shifted uncomfortably, “Listen, I know we got off on the wrong hoof, but I trust Princess Celestia and her judgment, if she says to treat you like a friend, then I’ll do just that. I know you’re not from around here and I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind perhaps staying in Ponyville until we get everything sorted out.”

Firestorm took a deep slow breath, “I appreciate your offer of friendship, but I don’t understand why I can’t just go back to my home in the Everfree Forest?”

Applejack stepped forward, “Well of course not Sugarcube, nopony's makin' ya stay here, right Twi? ...Twi?”

“Firestorms’ biological structure is fused with a form of magic I’m almost certain to be dark magic. I want to run some tests to make sure it isn’t before I let you go your own way. I didn’t say it out loud at first but Princess Celestia told me to keep you here until she returns. How much freedom you have while staying here depends on your willingness to stay.”

Firestorm gave Twilight a smug grin, “friendship is about trust, I’m fine with staying but I need to go to Manehattan to collect some personal things, if Rainbow Dash can keep up with my speed, she’s welcome to come with me.

Rainbow smiled, “Awwww yeah! Race a bat pony? I’m so up for that!” she said confidently.

“Rainbow, he’s not a bat pony, not entirely, he’s a hybrid,” Twilight quickly explained before looking to Firestorm, “Firestorm, I have no doubt one of your parents was a bat pony, was the other a unicorn?”

Firestorm nodded, “Yes, my father was a bat pony and my mother was a unicorn, why?”

“Because it would explain your pyrokinetical magic, bat ponies have different bone structures which make up their wings. Unlike pegasi wings, bat ponies have phalanges. If his mother was a unicorn, then theoretically he could use the phalanges in his wings like a unicorns’ horn, to focus his magic.”

“Twilight, do you mean to say that Firestorm can control fire, and possibly perform other tasks only a unicorn could, based on the unique wings he was born with and his mother having been a unicorn?” Rarity asked.

“Well, stranger things have happened with genetics, remember the Cake twins? Neither of their…” Twilight stopped when she noticed the books and other objects floating around the library. Knowing she was not the cause she turned to the only other possible source, Firestorm.

Firestorm stood as still as a statue with his eyes closed tightly and his wings flared. The phalanges in his wings were glowing bright red as were all the objects he was levitating, he slowly opened his eyes and grinned menacingly, “Yes, Rarity, that is exactly what Twilight is saying about me. I am a bat pony unicorn hybrid, the first and only one of my kind,” he let the objects drop from his telekinetic grasp as he folded his wings in at his sides. As he slowly approached Twilight she could see tears forming in his eyes, “I was born shortly after Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon and was banished. My parents told me she was the only reason I was alive. I’ve been alive for around one thousand years. I’ve made friends, loved, and watched everypony I ever cared about grow old and die! If you want to know something, anything about me you can’t explain, then that makes two of us,” Firestorm said glaring at Twilight. He finally collapsed on the library floor as the memories of his old friends and loved ones came flooding back to him.

Twilight looked around at her friends; she let everything Firestorm had just said sink in. He was basically an alternative form of an alicorn, he could possibly be immortal, and most importantly, he was alone. Alone, the one thing Twilight could not stop thinking about was how alone Firestorm was, how many friends he watched fade into memories, and why he was living in the Everfree forest. He wanted to distance himself so he wouldn’t have to keep suffering the pain of loss. Before she could act, Fluttershy had moved to Firestorms’ side and began attempting to comfort him.

“There, there, its alright, you’ll see, I know you’ve had a long and painful life, but I’m sure that when Princess Celestia returns, she can make everything right, she cares for everypony,” Fluttershy cooed as she stroked Firestorms’ mane.

Firestorm shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. He looked at Fluttershy, “Thank you.”

Fluttershy nodded and smiled softly.

Firestorm looked around at the other ponies, “I would truly appreciate some answers, and I would enjoy spending time getting to know each of you. I haven’t been around anypony for almost two centuries. If Princess Celestia wants me to stay here until here then I suppose I am your prisoner,” he said with a hint of playfulness in his tone.

Twilight smiled, “I’m sure Princess Celestia will be able to provide you with answers. I can also arrange for you a place to stay if you’d like?”

“No, thank you, when I get back from Manehattan, I’ll find myself a place to stay;” Firestorm glanced over at Rainbow Dash, “Shall we?”

Rainbow nodded and the two made their way to the door. Opening it, Firestorm invited Rainbow to go out first, as he followed he yelled over his shoulder, “Somepony wake Pinkie Pie up and get her up to date on where we are.”

Once a safe distance from the library, Firestorm and Rainbow Dash took off into the sky.

Spike looked at the other ponies sheepishly when his stomach made an obnoxious rumbling sound indicating his hunger. Giggling he took his leave for the kitchen. Twilight looked at her remaining friends, more specifically, the other ponies that weren’t snoring like an asthmatic bulldog sleeping on its back. “Alright, who gets to wake Pinkie Pie?”

Applejack sighed, “Ah got this one girls, but Twilight needs to everything to her once she’s awake.”

Twilight nodded, “Deal.”

Applejack took a breath and made her way towards Pinkie, the closer got, the shorter her steps became. With Pinkie within range of her hoof Applejack took one final breath before crossing the point of no return as she gently nudged Pinkies’ shoulder. Nothing happened.

“Pinkie?” Applejack asked giving her shoulder a firmer nudge. Nothing happened.

“Pinkie, wake up,” Applejack said giving her a firm shake. Nothing happened.

Applejack noticed a glass of water resting peacefully on a nearby desk; she retrieved it, she made her way back to Pinkie Pie, and dumped the water on the slumbering pony’s face. Aside from her mane going flat from the moisture, nothing happened.

“Oh for Pete’s sake!” Applejack yelled. She looked down at Pinkie, rolled her eyes, leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “Cupcakes.”

Pinkie was on her hooves faster than Twilight could teleport across the room, her mane had spontaneously dried and returned to its normal frizzy state.

“Cupcakes? I love cupcakes! Do you want to bake some? Oh, oh, oh, I could bake some for our new friend. Where is he? What was his name again? Strom Flame? Fire Ball? Cloud of Fire?”

“Pinkie!” yelled everypony.

“Yeah?”

“His name is Firestorm, he is going to be staying here in Ponyville until princess Celestia returns to Canterlot, and he left with Rainbow Dash to get some of his things from Manehattan,” Twilight explained calmly.

“Okey dokey loki,” Pinkie said trotting towards the front door.

“Where are you going?” Applejack asked.

“Well duh! I have to get things ready for the “Welcome to and Back to Ponyville Party” for Firestorm,” Pinkie said like it was supposed to naturally make sense.

“Actually Pinkie,” Twilight said stopping her, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea…”

“Why not?” Pinkie asked as her ears folded back.

“Take a seat darling, there are some things we need to talk about before Rainbow Dash and Firestorm return,” Rarity said gesturing to the nearby couch. As they made their way to the couch Fluttershy tapped Twilights shoulder so gently she almost didn’t notice.

“Um, Twilight, I don’t have to be here do I? I mean I can stay if you need me too, but I, um, should really be getting home. Angel bunny is still sick and I really want to be there for him,” Fluttershy stammered.

“He’s still sick?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy nodded.

“Has he started eating again?”

Fluttershy shook her head.

“Yes, you can go home, I hope he gets feeling better soon.”

“Oh thank you Twilight, I hope he gets feeling better soon too,” Fluttershy whispered as she left the library.

Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity explained to Pinkie Pie everything that had happened while she was asleep and everything Firestorm had said.

Firestorm flew calmly through the air; Rainbow on the other hoof flew circles around him. Not long after leaving Ponyville Firestorm made the mistake of accepting Rainbows’ challenge to a race. He learned from his mistake the second she handed him his butt on a shiny silver platter. “Your butt sir, slow roasted for several hours over an open fire, seasoned with our chefs finest spices, and served with a side of your pride, enjoy” Firestorm thought to himself.

Rainbow had earned herself the right to show off several of her aerial stunts Firestorm was certain she had patents on before pointing their need to hurry if they wanted to make it back to Ponyville before dark. Rainbow Dash agreed on the term she was allowed to show him the rest of her stunts when they got back. Firestorm was enjoying the simple peace of flying in silence. The same could not be said for Rainbow Dash, if she couldn’t show off her moves she was going to make up for it with chit-chat.

“So, what are we going to Manehattan for?”

“I just need to make a withdrawal from my bank; I can’t stay at my own place in Ponyville if I don’t have the bits now can I?”

“Um, I guess not. So wait, how many bits do you have?”

“I don’t know I set up a savings account when this bank first opened, I set up a business account a few years later… It’s a lot of accounting advice given to me several centuries ago by a friend who was a really good investor.”

“Wait, you don’t know how many bits you have? What if you lost it all or they closed the account?”

“Not likely, I had several accounts; the savings account only ever had money go into it unless I personally took it out. Several others were used for funding big work projects which I would get paid back with interest.”

“Soooooo, how many bits did you start out with?”

“When I opened the account I had one million bits in savings and one million divided amongst five business accounts. I gave a trusted friend and investment banker full access to the accounts so he… why are we talking about this?”

“I don’t know, you wanted to fly like an old mare so I decided I wanted to talk, then you started talking about investment banking and now I want to take a nap.”

“Well, like I said, I don’t know exactly how much I have. I figure I should be sitting on a couple million bits on interest alone. But you know what?” Firestorm asked looking at his wingpony.

“What?” Rainbow asked eagerly.

“We’re about to find out,” he said with a smile as he gestured to a skyscraper which proudly displayed “1st Bank of Manehattan”.

Rainbows’ eyes went wide, “Wait a minute,” she said as she stopped flying and hovered in place, “the 1st Bank of Manehattan is like… the oldest bank in Equestria!”

“I did mention I was born shortly after Princess Luna was banished didn’t I?” Firestorm asked with a smug grin.

“Well… yeah, but…”

“Just come on, this could take a while.”

The two pegasi landed and made their way into the bank. As expected, Firestorm was met with curious glances. However, unlike Ponyville, rich ponies went about their business as if they were the center of the universe. Thanks to a lack of lines they were called to a teller in no time at all. The teller was a young mare, a cream coat, brown mane, and green eyes. Her cutie mark was concealed with the rest of her body by the counter she was sitting at. Firestorm smiled politely, “Hello, I’d like to check my balance please.”

“Of course,” the bank mare said cheerfully passing him a slip of paper, “I just need your account number and the security code.”

Firestorm quickly jotted several rows numbers onto the paper and returned it to the teller. She smiled, “I’ll be right back with your balance.”

Firestorm and Rainbow waited for several minutes before Rainbows’ impatience got the better of her. “What’s taking her so long?”

Firestorm smiled, “I told you this could take a while, haven’t you ever dated a rich pony before and gone to the bank with him?”

“No.” Rainbow snapped, “The richest pony in Ponyville is Filthy Rich and he’s a total snob! You’re actually really cool!”

Firestorm smiled, “Well thank you. What’s he worth anyway?”

“Who?”

“Filthy Rich.”

“Um, a couple million bits I think, but he’s so stuck up, and his daughter is even worse! Why do you ask?”

Firestorm opened his mouth to answer but stopped when he noticed his teller returning.

“I apologize for the wait; it seems your accounts are of utmost importance to the bank and my manager asked me to get him if you were going to be closing your accounts.”

Firestorm smiled, “No, I just want to check my balance and possibly make a withdrawal should the funds be available.”

The teller returned the smile, “Well they most certainly are, here is your balance,” she said offering him a piece of paper.

Firestorms’ eyes went wide when they made contact with the number. He took a deep breath and returned the slip of paper. Would two you please excuse me for a moment? Without waiting for an answer he turned and made his way to the restrooms. Rainbow looked to the teller who offered a nervous smile.

An abrupt, “AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!” echoed through the lobby startling everypony including the two mares Firestorm had last been seen with. A moment later Firestorm exited the restroom and made his way back to his teller and Rainbow Dash. Rainbow gave him a concerned look as his right ear was twitching and his entire body shivering, “Is everything okay?” she asked.

Firestorm took a few steps closer, placed his hooves firmly on her cheeks, and pressed his lips to hers in a celebratory kiss. “What the hay was that?” Rainbow demanded after being released, her cheeks blushing.

Firestorm didn’t answer her but instead turned to the teller who was concealing a smile behind her hoof, “I’d like to make a withdrawal please.”

The teller complied giving him a form which he promptly filled out, returned, and a moment later was given two large saddle bags which were unmistakably filled with bits.

“Would you like your new balance?” the bank teller asked smiling.

“Yes, thank you,” Firestorm said adjusting his saddlebags.

The teller scribbled some numbers on a clean piece of paper which she gave to him along with a pleasant smile, “Thank you, have a nice day.”

Firestorm said the same and turned to Rainbow Dash who was impatiently tapping her hoof while waiting for an explanation for his actions. He smiled, “If a couple million bits makes him “Filthy” Rich, than I own a garbage dump,” Firestorm said as he handed the paper to Rainbow and made his way to the door. Rainbow looked at the paper, her mouth dropping open and her eyes widening at the number.

Twilight moved as fast as she could to the library door, the quicker she answered it the quicker the rapid knocking would stop. “This is a library, Rainbow,” she said once the door was open, “Do you know what that means?”

“Of course I do Twilight, but only you have the answer to something I don’t know.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, “and what would that be?”

Rainbow looked at the paper in her left hoof while counting whatever was written on it with her other hoof. When she was done she looked at her friend and asked, “What is it called when five hundred and eighty six is followed by eight zeros?”

Author's Note:

I bet myself a nickel I'm gonna get yelled at for this chapter. I'll see your nickel and raise you a quarter! Anyhoo... I'll try to gather my thoughts better for the next chapter on Friday (Hopefully). Constructive criticism, kindly point out errors, blah blah, blah, you know the drill, I'm going to bed!