Heart Of Fire: You'll Be In My Heart

by Melody Brush

Chapter VII: Conflict

CHAPTER VII:

CONFLICT

After leaving Sugar Cube Corner Blazing and Chocolate went straight back to the house and began packing for their trip to Canterlot. Later while they were packing they heard some commotion coming from the Library. Chocolate went to the window and saw somepony running around frantically in the library wile five other ponies and Spike where sitting there watching.

"Should we go see what's going on over there?" Chocolate asked. Blazing came up and looked out the window toward the library with Chocolate then back at her.

"Trust me, Chocolate," he said, his eyes narrow with a half smile, "the last place you want to be when Twilight is having an episode is around Twilight Sparkle." As though on cue there was a loud BANG and the ground shook. Both Blazing and Chocolate looked out the window just in time to see the library land on the ground kicking up dust and chunks of dirt landing all over. Blazing looked at Chocolate with an 'I told ya so' smirk on his face.

They resumed their packing and when they were done they left the house for the train station to get tickets to Canterlot wile Blazing set up some reservations for a hotel for them to stay wile they were gone. Wile they were out they bumped into Applejack.

"Well, howdy, Blazin', howdy Chocolate." She chirped.

"Hey, AJ." He replied.

"Hey, Applejack. What's going on with Twilight?" Chocolate asked.

"Twilight has to leave for Canterlot Castle to take some kind of test for the princess." Applejack explained.

"And there's the explanation for the explosion." Blazing said.

"Eeyup." Both Chocolate and Applejack said in unison. They looked at each other for a minute then laughed.

~~)oOo(~~

Three days later everything was set and ready to go. The six girls and Spike had already left and Blazing had another letter sent to let Spark know where and when they would be in Canterlot. Now they were at the train station waiting for the express to arrive. The train whistled as it came into the station when it came to a stop Blazing helped Chocolate onto the cart as a conductor lead them in. They both sat down next to each other with their saddlebags in the overhead compartment.

Soon a conductor out side shouted 'all aboard' and soon after the train began moving. Another conductor came through asking for tickets and punched Blazing and Chocolate's tickets as he past by. It was obvious he was well practiced in his job because as soon as he took the tickets he gave them back. When they were set Blazing and Chocolate enjoyed a quick meal halfway in the trip.

"Blaze?" Chocolate asked. He looked up at her. "I just realized we're going all the way to Canterlot so I can meet your friend, but you've hardly said anything about him."

"I guess I haven't, have I?" He replied, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, he and I grew up in the same orphanage in Ponyville." Blazing's eyes began to water.

"What is it?" Chocolate asked. He sniffed as he choked on a sob.

"The orphanage was burned down years ago." He answered, his voice filled with a quiet sob.

"Oh my!" She said, placing her hooves to her mouth.

"That isn't the worst of it." Chocolate looked at him waiting for him to explain. "The worst part..." he fought back a sob. "... the worst part was that his adopted mother was in the building when it burned." Chocolate gasped at this news while Blazing's sobbing grew. She wrapped her forelegs around him to comfort him. "S-s-she raised me for four years before I was adopted." He explained. After a few minutes of letting his emotions run their course a voice came from the train speakers.

"Next stop the Canterlot train station. Everypony out for Canterlot. Please be careful with your carry on saddlebags as items in the overhead compartments may have shifted during the trip. Thank you and have a nice day."

There was a click and the speakers went silent. A few minutes later the train came to a stop, Blazing reached up and got the saddlebags from overhead and they both walked off the train. As they left the train station Chocolate looked around at the fully repaired town and frowned. Blazing noticed this from the corner of his eye and wrapped his wing over her shoulder to comfort her.

"Come on." He said. "The hotel's not far from here. I told Spark to meet us at our room." They walked side by side through the town. She cringed whenever she saw royal guards on patrol through the streets and nearly went into panic mode when an alarm went off during a robbery.

~~)oOo(~~

Blazing and Chocolate settled in there hotel room shortly after arriving and a little excitement. They just unpacked the last item from their saddlebags when there was a knock on the door. Blazing trotted over to the door and opened it to find a dark blue pegasus with oddly shaped wings and a feather covered in electricity for his cutie mark.

"Spark!" Blazing called.

"Blazing!" The two embraced each other in a brotherly hug as they laughed.

Blazing stepped aside letting his old friend into the room. "Spark," he said, pointing a hoof to Chocolate. "this is my mare friend, Chocolate."

"Hi, Chocolate." Spark said with a smile on his face.

Chocolate's eyes went wide with shock and anger. She backed away from Spark hissing at the blue stallion. Spark backed narrowed his eyes as he backed away with his wings slightly opened wile Blazing ran up to Chocolate.

"Chocolate," Blazing called, "what is it?" She only glared at Spark. "Chocolate, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Storm bringer!" She snapped. Blazing looked over to Spark, who looked confused and surprised.

"What?" Blazing asked.

"He brought the lightning upon my kind!" She replied. It was Spark's turn to say 'what' wile Blazing's eyes shot open with realization.

"Blazing," Spark asked, "what is she talking about?" Blazing started to answer but his attention was turned to Chocolate as she transformed into her changeling form. "WOAH!" Spark gasped as he outstretched his wings threateningly, electricity starting to build up. Blazing jumped up to Spark and knocked him to the ground. Spark looked up at Blazing, surprised by the tackle.

"Spark." Blazing said with a calm voice. "Don't do that."

"Blazing, you do know she's a changeling, right?" Blazing nodded his head with a 'yes' as he held him down. "Then, what are you doing?" Blazing looked back at Chocolate to make sure she was not going to attack then told Spark everything from the time he found Chocolate in the Everfree Forest to when they arrived at the station. Spark listened intently as Blazing told the story, his expression shifting from surprise to shock and disbelief.

"I completely forgot about the day you came back and had the pegasi bring the thunder clouds to the forest." Blazing finished. "Had I remembered that, I would've let you both know ahead of time to make sure nothing would happen." Spark stared into Blazing's eye for a minute before softening his expression.

"Okay," Spark said, "can you let me up now?" Blazing forgot that he was still standing over Spark from his tackle earlier.

"No!" Chocolate snapped. "He'll try to destroy me like he did my mo... my queen."

"Chocolate," Blazing said, letting Spark up from the ground, "this is my closest, most trusted friend. Yes, he hunts monsters, but that's just to protect ponies."

"He brought the lightning on me and my kind!" She snapped. "The next thing you know, he'll tell your princess I'm here!"

"All of Canterlot will know you're here if you don't calm down." Blazing hissed. She huffed, not taking her eyes off Spark. "Please, Chocolate. I don't want anything to happen to you and I know we can trust Spark with our lives." She never took her eyes off of Spark, but her defensive stance softened.

"How can I trust him when he hunts my kind constantly?" She asked.

"He's defended creatures that feed on ponies." Blazing explained. "He was willing to give his life to help one who could turn around and feed on him and one of our friends is half changeling." Chocolate finally broke her focus from Spark to Blazing, shock in her eyes. This reminded her of Blazing when he first found her in the Everfree Forest.

After a few minutes there was a flash of green light and she was once again the brown pegasus, just in time too. A knock came from the door, making all three jump. Spark brushed his hoof through his mane, Chocolate calmed her expression wile Blazing trotted to the door. He opened the door to find a blue earth pony stallion with a strict expression on his face.

"Can I help you?" Blazing asked.

"I'm the hotel manager," the stallion said, "and I just received some complaint about noise and fighting in this room. Would you care to explain?" Blazing searched his mind for the right cover story but his efforts were in vain.

"Sorry about that sir." Spark said. "We were just practicing for a play we are doing out of town. It won't happen again." The manager arched an eyebrow at Spark. After a minute the manager nodded.

"See to it that you don't." Spark nodded. The manager trotted away down the hall and Blazing closed the door then looked back at Chocolate with a hopeful smile.

"See?" He asked. "Spark is willing to risk his neck to help."

"I do apologies for..." Spark was cut off short by Chocolate's hoof.

"I still don't trust you, storm bringer. But I will give you a chance because Blaze does." Spark scratched the back of his neck looking at Blazing, who just smiled.

"You really care for her, don't you?" Spark asked. Blazing nodded.

"I know it's crazy, but I do care for her." Blazing said. Chocolate came up next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Spark smiled at the site of his friend finding love again after so long. The last time made Spark afraid Blazing would not make it through the heartbreak, he was so devastated.

~~)oOo(~~

Blazing, Chocolate and Spark left the hotel to spend the day together and allow her some time to get comfortable with Spark Storm. They started with a simple lunch at the Dandelion Restaurant. As they ate Chocolate never took her eyes off the deep blue pegasus and Blazing stayed by her side to help ease her nerves. When they finished their lunch they all left the restaurant for a simple walk through the streets.

"Why can't we fly through the clouds?" Chocolate asked.

"Because..." Blazing began, but stopped to look at Spark with sadness in his eyes. Spark noticed this then turned to Chocolate.

"Because I can't fly." He said. Chocolate looked puzzled. Spark started to raise his wings, causing Chocolate to immediately switch to a defensive position. Blazing quickly moved to calm things down before the crowd took notice of the sudden movement.

"Chocolate, Spark was just going to show you why he can't fly." He explained. Chocolate continued to glare at the other pegasus, who was standing perfectly still as he waited for her to calm down. When she settled down Spark stretched his wings out all the way to display the deformation of his feathers.

"See how my wings are bent this way?" He asked. Chocolate nodded in response.

"You'd be able to glide with them, but they can't sustain full flight." She observed. Spark nodded.

Her anger towards Spark softened and she remembered what Blazing told her about Spark's mother and what happened to them when they were young.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with a little less tension between the two and Blazing was less nervous about something bad happening between them. They continued on to the park where they would stroll through the trees and enjoy the sound of little woodland creatures running around.

They walked around a tree when all of a sudden Blazing collapsed to the ground deep in sleep. Chocolate immediately crouched down beside him as Spark raised his wings in defense.

"Lower your wings and we won't have any trouble." Said a voice. Spark did not do as instructed, instead he closed is eyes and a web of electricity spread from his wings around the surrounding area. Almost as quickly as the electrical web began scanning the area Spark was knocked back into the bushes.

Chocolate looked up to search for their attacker with an angry glare and found nopony until a purple unicorn stallion with pink mane and tail came from behind a tree. Upon seeing this stallion Chocolate got to her hooves and bared her teeth as she raised her wings threateningly.

"Ah, ah, ah. The unicorn said as his horn glowed and her wings became locked to her side and she was rooted in place, unable to move. "Such a pretty thing shouldn't fight." The unicorn started walking circles around her as he eyed her form. "Maybe you should consider sompony with better qualities then your friends here.

"In your dreams, sicko!" She barked.

"I don't remember giving you a choice." He said as he came up to face her. "You should spend the night with me babe." He placed a hoof on her chin and raised her eyes to meet his. He started to lean in when there was a loud [ib]CRACK and the unicorn went flying back.

The binding spell holding her in place was broken and she looked back to find Spark bolting from the bushes to the attacking unicorn. The unicorn got up to defend himself, but he was too late. Spark had shot another bolt at him and sent him flying.

When the two were out of sight Chocolate ran to Blazing's side as he continued to sleep. She sat down and repositioned him so his head was laying on her lap. A few minutes later she heard hoof steps coming from the distance. She looked up, ready to defend herself if that unicorn pervert was coming back. When she saw a deep blue colored pegasus coming her way she let out a sigh of relief.

"Is he gone?" She asked.

"I turned him into the royal guard." Spark answered. "He won't be going after another mare fore a while." She smiles and let out another sigh of satisfaction.

"Thank you, Spark." She offered. He blinked at her words then smiled back at her.

"You're welcome."

Comments

[Mr Pones]

Nigga Nig-nog it's sideways.

[Melody Brush]

2077334 Not my intention. And I would appreciate it if you did not use names like that on my page.

[Lucky424]

That was unexpected. Of course, she couldn't do anything without revealing herself.

[Deathclaw2014]

This chapter was just stupid. The train ride was stupid. The meeting was stupid. The ending was stupid.

[Melody Brush]

7544263 To be honest when I first started thinking about writing this story, I sat down, got my art kit, and started drawing on a blank piece if paper. The only plan I had was the pose. The time came to color it. I quite literally picked up some colors and filled in the lines and the result is what you see on my DA page.

[NicLove]

7544477 So you don't know why ?