A Parody of Light and Dark

by beastyfire

Neco: A Shot in the Dark

“There’s no way he can make that shot! My daddy was an archer for the Royal guard, he graduated with the best accuracy in the entire barracks and not even he could make that shot!” Skepticised a small grey colt.

“Psh, this isn’t even a challenge for Néco, heck he could probably do this with his eyes closed!” Retorted a filly beside him.

“Hush! He needs ta’ concentrate! He can't do this with ya’ll jabberin’ all the time!” Yelled another filly.

“Says the one who is yelling the most.” The colt retorted.

“Ah was not! You guys were the ones yellin’!”

“You’re yelling right now!”

“So are you!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“HEY! Both of you, shut your trap! Jeez, you’re arguing like an old married couple.” Yelled the fourth pony.

His voice caused the others to silence themselves and blush in embarrassment. He turned around with a grin on his face, shaking his head from side to side. His black afro bouncing along, mimicking every movement. Dust fell from his seemingly black coat as he shook, revealing the deep brown underneath.

“Besides,” He said, lifting his slingshot up to blindly shoot at a chalk apple, which he nailed effortlessly,”I don’t need to concentrate on anything.”

“Whoa! Néco, that was awesome, you’re so cool! I wish I was as awesome as you!” Yelled the little colt, running up and wrapping Néco in a big hug.

“You are, you all are! You’re just as awesome as me, awesomer even, you need to let it surface, give it time.” Said Néco, turning and walking back into town.

“Wow….so cooool!”

“Néco you're my hero!”

He smirked and chuckled quietly as he slowly trotted into town. He had been doing this for way too long. He was one of the most respected colts in all of the lower districts of Canterlot, so naturally all the little colts and fillies looked up to him as a symbol of awesomeness.

Néco looked up, the walls of the city shining brightly in the early morning sun he took in a deep breath, enjoying the brisk autumn air, yet there seemed to be something strange in the air. Something among the sweet scent of the lilacs and daisies in gardens, a smell so pungent it could be discerned through the exotics of the nearby spice shop, something so life threatening it froze Néco in place. Fire, not a kerosene fire or a coal fire, a house fire.

He knew a house fire when he smelt it. His father, being a firefighter, had often come home smelling the exact same way. After years of becoming accustomed to the scent, he learned to fear it as he came to know what it stood for, death and danger. Every time this smell cursed his nostrils he felt fear for his father.

Instead of panicking, he kept walking calmly, his father had been safe all of the other times this had happened, how was this time any different? That was until he heard the blatant cries of desperate parents and the easily distinguishable sound of his father’s voice screaming commands at his subordinates in a desperate attempt at controlling the raging inferno. The sounds were close, too close. Néco sprinted towards the origin of the commotion only to find his father at the entrance to the building, his brown-grey coat glowing from the charred embers at his feet, his green eyes carrying a very grim look. All the other fireponies were rushing around, carrying out his most recent orders.

Dad no. Don't be an idiot. Dont go in... Néco thought, Please don't go in.

He sighed and yelled at his father, “Don’t get cornered and avoid stairwells, okay?”

Néco’s father turned and smiled at him from under his glass mask before saluting at his fellow fireponies and charging into the burning building.

Neco's smile faded as his father disappeared into the flames. For some reason he had a deep feeling of dread and a sense that he wouldn't see his father again.

It was only then that Neco realized something suspicious, there wasn't anypony watching. There wasn't a crowd like he expected there to be, and if there wasn't a crowd then...

Who was screaming about their foal?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

As Pyre sprinted through the fire he thought about all of the things he would never get to see or do as a father. He wouldn't be able to watch his son, Neco, grow and learn as a stallion, he wouldn't be able to see his son's first love. He wouldn't be able to see his baby daughter's first steps, he wouldn't be there for them when they needed him most. He wouldn't be able to cuddle close to them when they were scared, never again.

Never again.

His tears fell freely as he ran to the top floor avoiding falling debris and fire. Hopping up steps three at a time in his desperation to make it out before the building collapsed. All he could think about was Neco and his wife. He'd fought fire plenty but this one was different. Pyre had a sinking suspicion that this was some sort of trap.

He halted his dead sprint when he saw the wall of fire blocking his path. He readied himself and jumped through, expecting the heat to pierce through his enchanted equipment with ease. Much to his surprise, the flames opened in front of him in a perfect circle as he jumped through. He stopped on the other side to stare at the flames in confusion.

What the heck? Did that just happen?

Slowly, he peeled off the cover for his environmental thermometer and approached the fire carefully. The closer he got, the greater the pull of curiosity became. The thermometer attached to his hoof was only a couple centimeters away from the flames and yet the temperature hadn't increased by a single degree. Then, when the flames began to lick at the tip of the thermometer, he felt a huge surge of magical energy enter and exit his body in a large spasm.

This isn't fire, it's a magical projection, and an extremely powerful one at that. I've never seen a projection react like that before. Who could've cast a spell this complex? Pyre thought to himself.

Suddenly the fire leapt at him and consumed him in a fiery tornado. The next thing he knew, Pyre was standing in a room seemingly untouched by the flames. As his eyes searched the room, they landed upon a young foal facing three bodies.

When he saw the mutilated bodies, he threw up. After recovering from losing his lunch, he ran up to the colt in an attempt to save him from the flames, only to be suspended in the air by them. He wrestled about, attempting to escape the fiery ethereal ropes.

"Wha- what's happening?" Asked Pyre.

"Don't play dumb with me, you know who I am and what I can do. You were in the special forces designed to guard me until you chickened out and ran away." Replied the small grey colt in front of him.

"So...it is you...Project 42. Heh, I thought they exterminated you after you made short work of the caretaker." Pyre said, still trying to find a way out while the colt's back was turned.

"Nah, instead they trapped me in this colt's body in an attempt to make me see the immorality of my previous actions." The colt continued in a mocking tone.

"Let me guess, it didn't work?"

"I would be lying if I said it didn't."

"Wait...so, it did work? Then why are you doing this?"

"Because I also learned that everything Project 42 has done is more evil than even I could do, and so, they have to pay, even the retired ones, they all have to pay..."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Neco only felt one emotion as he watched his Dad, horror. He had never seen anything so gruesome in his life. After climbing up a tree to get a better look on the inside, he saw his father in the uppermost floor talking to a strange shadow in the shape of a colt that, judging by his size, couldn’t have been much younger than himself. As the two individuals in the building were talking the colt began laughing. Suddenly his father was lifted up and was choked by tendrils of flame. He caught one final glance of the colt before the shadowy figure disappeared in a cloud of blackness. His father was still hanging in the air, his body growing more and more limp with each passing moment.

"DAD!!!"

His father looked out the window, making eye contact with his son one last time before everything exploded in a shower of red as the fire was doused completely, leaving no sign it was ever there. Neco couldn’t see his father, all he could see was black splattering along every surface he could see and what looked like a deep blue shoulder peeking out from behind the windowsill.

"No...."

Tears welled in his eyes until they spilled over his cheeks, jumping off the tree before pushing through the firefighters at the building’s entrance. He sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time, ignoring the protests of the firefighters below. He reached the last set of stairs, his hoof touching something warm and wet before he retracted in surprise. He looked down at his now bloodied appendage before looking at the flow of still steaming blood coming down the stairs.

"NOOOOOOO!"

He began bawling loudly. Not caring who could hear or see. Eventually the other firefighters caught up to him. Neco continued expressing his sorrow and his disbelief.

"Come on Neco. You're too young to see this. Lets go."

Neco pushed him away almost knocking him down the stairs.

"I’m staying with my Dad!"

The firefighter started to say something but stopped and bowed his head solemnly.

“Neco…”

Comments

[beastyfire]

It has been awhile but we are back. And the story shall continue. After my co author and I got out of our writers slump, we dished out 3 new chapters for you! so please enjoy cause it has taken us some time to get back. Thank you for being so patient.

[beastyfire]

5188889 Thanks NightmareandFireFlight. That means soooo much! We worked really hard on this and for just one person to say they like it, means the world! Tell your friends please?