Wings of Roaring Flames

by dibs1337

First published

(First fan fic, please don't judge harshly) just a normal 22 year old human, sent through a rift to discover a new sense of life, but what will this human discover about his own past in this strange new world? what secrets will his new life hold now?

Daniel, your regular 22 year old human sent to a world he could never imagine. bright colorful beings that just couldn't exist, a place so peaceful he couldn't believe it. but what will he do, when he discovers a secret in his past that ties him to this very world?

what will happen when he discovers the power that had been locked away within him all his life? will he use it to protect and save that which is dearest to him, or will it corrupt him, and send him spiraling into a darkness no living thing can ever crawl out of?

MLP:FIM belongs to hasbro

Anything from other TV shows, video games, or anything else, belongs to their respective creators/companies.

Ch 1: The Beginning

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I was leaving my friends house one day to head home, and as I had my backpack with my PlayStation 4 and its cords and controller in it over my shoulder, and walking down the street I thought of what I was gonna do. 22 years old, lost my temp job, no openings ANYWHERE, and living in a town with....a small game hall, with a pool table with billiards 1-9, as the best form of fun, but I just kept thinking until...

"HEY DANIEL!!!"

'Oh great.....just.....fucking great' I thought.

I turned around to see one of my high school bullies, Robert.

"What do you want Robert?" I said.

I looked over as I heard a car drive by and then I felt my ear twitch so I leaned over and saw a fist come into my vision. Never, was I so glad that I learned that my intuition of danger was prominent. After my surprise passed I just stumbled away from Robert and looked at him. I always hated my body...kind of a big gut, not fat, but not unhealthy big, but I had noticeable muscle.

'Ah fuck....' I thought as I ran my hand through my short blondish brown hair in relief. '...Why don't bullies mature....?,

When I looked at Robert I noticed him brandishing a knife with a curved blade. Seeing it, I took a few steps back, then turned and bolted. Thankfully, I was (and am) a big fan of assassins creed. So I learned some parkour tricks. Not flips and such, but quicker ways to get over tall, fences, comfortable vaulting styles, and the like. Escaping maneuvers basically.

After a few 8 foot tall fence vaults, and a slide under a porch, I lost Robert. After a while I crawled out and noticed my house was down the street, and walked down the street. As I got close I saw my cat Mimzy, crossing the street. She had that common multitude of browns and black lines and markings on her body like many cat photos I've seen online. But her green eyes had a glow to them, the odd kind of glow too.

"Hey Mimz!" I called to my cat, and she stopped in the road and lifted her head to look at me. I rushed over and set my backpacks strap over my chest and knelt down picking her up and pet her as she purred in my arms curling up and pawed at my hand. But that was my mimz.

I heard a cars horn but when I turned around I saw a truck, and no not a pick-up, a semi, without the trailer on it. So I just traded one death for another, huh? Well....as the old saying goes, I just said....

"Fuck my life...."

I started feeling a wet, prickly feeling going over my cheek, and I slowly opened my eyes to see Mimzy, and…..trees behind her.

‘Wait….WHAT?!?!?!’

I sat up quickly and felt a pain shoot through my left arm and in my head. I chose to hold my head and I looked around seeing a forest. Did the driver take me here to keep from being in trouble? Did I temporarily die? Think…..what happened….

Ok, there was the truck, I turned to protect my cat and so my side is hit by the truck, the impact…the painful impact, sent flying and the feeling of going through a giant pane of glass…..wait….glass? did I go into another car? No, the truck driver wouldn’t take the time to pull me out.

“Oh, god what happened…?” I said as I looked at Mimzy. I could see Mimzy stare at me, probably worried about me knowing her, so I just smiled at her and started scratching her chin to ease her worries. She loved a good chin scratching, and when she lifts her head it looks like shes got a giant smile. I swear it’s the cutest thing anyone could ever see. And I’m not a guy to use cute lightly either, so when I say it, I mean it.

I soon started to get up but as I stood on my left leg I just felt a chill go through my body and fell panting. Why was I panting? Why am I so cold?! Wait, I feel a twinge in my ankle….an all too familiar one. I sprained my ankle, without a doubt. How can I get help now, I have no way to call for any…

My backpack!! MY PHONE IS IN MY BACKPACK!!! I looked around and saw my backpack a few feet away, so I slid over to it and pulled out my phone, trying to ignore the pain pulsing up my entire leg from my ankle. I turned on my phone and….no signal….dammit….

I carefully got up again keeping my weight on my good leg and felt Mimzy climb up onto my shoulder, and luckily her claws digging into my skin helped me ignore my ankle a little bit. I looked around a bit and started heading in a random direction.

“Best idea is to find someone, or a building. Maybe someone will find us, and we can get home. Right Mimz?” I said as I looked at Mimzy, seeing she was asleep.

I could just smile and keep limping, hoping that ill run across some help. Damn, this ankle is going to break if I don’t find help soon.

After a long hour of walking I tripped on a piece of a tree root sticking up and fell flat onto the ground. I couldn’t give up though, I needed to push through, and so I got up again and picked up Mimzy and took a few deep breaths before I just started running.

I saw a light breaking through the trees and I ran through it being blinded by the suns light, slowing down. After my eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, I could see….a tree on a hill with a flat side with windows and a door? Wow, I didn’t think those were real. I was relieved to see some animals eating special feed, which meant someone lived there, so I started walking for it letting Mimzy down to walk beside me. When I was a quarter of the way closer I felt a sharp pain flow through me making me see stars and I fell to my knees and had to cover my mouth from the nausea that hit from the sharp pain.

After my nausea passed, I looked at the small cottage as it seemed blurry. One chance left. I took a slow and deep breath as I got ready and leaned forward a bit.

“I NEED HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I screamed as loud as I could, hoping they were home.

I suddenly felt heavy and just fell forward and kept staring at the cottage as the blur in my vision grew and grew until everything was just blobs of color. I could hear a door but it sounded so far away, I didn’t know if it was from the cottage or from a shed that could possibly be behind it. I was thankful when I heard Mimzy meow loudly, which led to a gasp towards the cottage, although they sounded like it was filtered through water. I saw a yellow blob with a little pink over it, and a white blob with some purple hurrying towards me from the cottage, but the color faded to black quickly, but I could hear a silent voice in my last moments of conciseness.

Ch 2: I don't think we are in Illinois anymore Mimz...

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Darkness….an empty void, that’s all I see, but I can’t be dead! Can I? I wasn’t bleeding…at least I didn’t see any blood. But I feel…cold. Maybe I am dead, but I don’t see a light. I don’t see anything, just darkness, I don’t even know if I have my hands, or anything, I can’t see them, even if they were in my face I can’t see them.

Wait….I can hear something….chirps? No….it sounds like…..beeping. Timed sets of beeping….like a heart monitor? Yeah, I hear a heart monitor, and silent voices far off. Maybe if I head for the voices, I can get out of this endless void! But I can’t move, I can’t speak, I can’t do anything. I’m….stuck here.

I felt a something hard hit me in the face, and I grabbed my cheek groaning in pain. Wait, I can feel my hand, I can see white (if not slightly pink tinted…) walls. And the beeping is much louder. I looked around and saw a hospital room.

I looked down and saw my foot wrapped up and hung by a sling hanging from hooks in the ceiling, and I felt something get on my chest, which sent a shock through my body and made me start coughing, like there was no tomorrow.

I then heard a very quiet and timid voice speaking “it’s okay now; just take slow deep breaths now."

I calmed my coughing fit and looked at my chest seeing Mimzy and I started scratching behind her ear smiling a bit, knowing we would be home soon, but something made me start doubting myself, from the right side of my peripheral. Why would I doubt that thought now? I’m in a hospital room, I’m safe, they can call my home, and say everything’s alright now….right?

I looked over and saw…..a hoof, with yellow fur. A hoof…..a “HOOF”….A FUCKING HOOF?!?!?!?!

I looked up quickly, and saw a small horse with a worried yet scared smile, and long bright pink mane. She seemed to have jumped back from the quick motion I made and her eyes went wide with fear, and I could see her cyan eyes just staring at me.
I wish my first reaction was better but….

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!” I screamed as I fell off the bed, and landed flat on my face and chest, but I could also hear the small horse scream as well, maybe because of my scream? But, still screaming I jumped up and started clawing away till I was up and bolting for what seemed like an exit. Bad idea not looking because….

*CLUNK* *THUD*

I hit the top of the door head first, but good thing it stopped my screaming. As I was holding my head I could hear some clicking of something hard hitting tile floors. Most likely the horse walking over. Soon I saw the horse’s face looking down at me, with worry, and fear, but not scared fear….fear for another….for me maybe?

“Are you alright? That looked pretty bad.” She said in that quite timid voice. “I’m Fluttershy….what’s your name?”

“Daniel….and that fur ball of mine is Mimzy” I chuckled and slowly sat up holding m head. “Sorry about that scream I kind of….didn’t expect to see a small horse that can talk….ever….”

I heard a gasp from Fluttershy, as she just blinked at me with her head cocked back and a hoof to her mouth. “Umm….I didn’t say anything wrong did I?” I asked.

“You bet your senseless tastes you did!!!” I heard a Trans-Atlantic English accented voice yell, which I turned to the door to see a white….unicorn with curly purple mane and tail. Ok…I am in some weird dream, aren’t I…?

“Oh….I’m…..sorry?” I said as I looked at the white unicorn confused out of my gourd.

She just huffed, and then walked past smacking my cheek with her tail as she passed and I just held my cheek with a pained yell.

The unicorn then turned to me looking annoyed. “You should be! I mean you insult poor Fluttershy here, and you dare wear such tacky clothes?”

I just groaned and stood up being careful of my bad ankle. “I’m sorry but….insult?” I said as I looked at the white unicorn.

“Whorse! That is a terrible thing to call a lady! Especially one that helped you.” She huffed out while glaring daggers at me.

“Horse is….a slur? How does that work?”

“We don’t sell our bodies to random stallions with bits to pay!”

I spoke slowly to myself to think on the word. “Hor…..oh….OH!!” I slapped my hands on my mouth hard as my eyes went wide and I looked at Fluttershy moving my hands. “I am SOOOO sorry! I…I didn’t know! Where I come from a horse is an animal of equine nature, and what you described miss….I-I'm sorry, I never caught your name.”

The white unicorn seemed to blush and clear her throat. “I am sorry, I never introduced myself. My name is Rarity. But please, just rarity is fine, darling.”

“All right, I’m sorry about the misinterpretation, Rarity, but what you described, where I’m from, that’s called a whore, not a whorse, so why don’t we just…..clear the slate and start over, alright? My names Daniel.”

As Rarity was about to say something, there was a knock at the door. I saw Rarity’s horn get a dark purple aura that formed over the doors handle and pulled the door opening showing a cyan Pegasus with a rainbow style mane and tail with a red, yellow, and blue streaked lightning bolt coming from a cloud. Now that I’m looking closer, Fluttershy and Rarity have something on their...I think the word for that area on equines was “flank”? Well….it seemed they had symbols on their flanks as well.

Rarity had three cyan or light blue gems, and Fluttershy had three butterflies on her. Note to self: ask what the symbols are and if they mean anything.

Fluttershy was the first to speak to the cyan Pegasus. “h-hello Rainbow Dash.” I know I said I don’t use the word cute often…but the way her voice is, being so shy and timid like, just makes her so cute. Wait….why am I just now seeing her wings….? Damn, I really do need glasses again….

The cyan Pegasus, who I am guessing was Rainbow Dash was about to speak, but then saw me. In an instant all I saw was a mass of cyan in my vision, with purple aura over it. What just happened?!

After gaining my senses I fell back hitting my head on the top of the doorway AGAIN and held my head hissing from the pain, but when I looked up I saw rainbow dash in midair with her hoof straight out in an attempted punch kind of way held by Rarity's magical aura. I sighed in relief I wasn’t hit. My skull would have probably been caved in from her instant increase in speed.

After looking around I could see many ponies staring at me in shock or fear. The next thing I kind of expected, but not in the number it happened.

I felt something ram into me, then so many more masses seemed to pin me down, while one slammed my head, face first, hard into the tile floor, but I heard the girls voices yelling at them to stop, that I’m ‘peaceful, intelligent, and not a threat’. After a while I felt the weight get off my limbs and body then held my head. The doctors quickly apologized to me and helped me back into the hospital bed and one of the unicorns got my foot back in the hanging sling.

“You don’t need to apologize. From how Fluttershy seemed to act when I woke up, my kind most likely aren’t known here.” I said as I saw a few doctors nod still looking sorry, and they started asking questions like ‘what am I’ and other random questions. But I explained that I’m not well enough for ’20 questions’ so I just explained who and what I was, ending with what my kind was called…’humans’.

After some talking with the girls about ourselves, they had to go “practice”, “take care of the animals” and “finish some orders”. I remember asking about the marks on their flanks (also asked I got that word right…I did!). I learned the symbols explain their special talent, and that it helps describe what they are best at, as well as enjoy the most. Must make getting some jobs super easy if you get the right kind of cutie mark, as they’re called. I also learned they were ‘ponies’, nice to know for any future interactions with their kind.

Later that day, I heard a knocking then a couple of pegasi clad in golden armor came in and pointed spears at me. Spear points at my neck, a couple pissed off looking armor clad pegasi, and me in a bed, with one leg held up. Could I be in a MORE less defensive position than I am now?!

“You will be coming with us creature!” said one of the armored ponies.

I guess this is it….taken away, by some ponies in armor, with spears, and for what reason?! I said I wouldn’t hurt any ponies, I explained a lot about humans….as well as….how….much war….we have had……I fucked up royally….didn’t I…?

Ch 3: Meeting a Princess

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I looked at the ponies wearing gold armor and carefully grabbed the points and moved them from my neck.
“You just had to ask, I don’t want to cause any trouble, but….well….” I said as I looked out the window at the moon rubbing the back of my neck nervously.

“But what?!?!” yelled one of the armor clad pegasi.

All I did was point at the wrapped ankle held up in a sling, and then shortly after the pegasi retracted their spears and walks outside of the room, and I could hear quiet whispers and mumbling, which made me wonder what was happening.

After a few minutes I heard the door open then...green smoke flowed through the room and out the window, and the armored Pegasi, came back in. I hope that green smoke wasn’t dangerous, or poisonous.

"We sent a letter to the princess, and we shall see what we need to do for your....current condition. Well since we may have to wait a bit....I'm captain swift. And this is my lieutenant, fleet." I have no idea how I didn't notice before, but the captain had a scar going behind an eye patch over his left eye. "Oh, looking at my eye patch? It’s fine, a lot of ponies ask about it. A Manticore attacked during an assigned route. He got my eye pretty good, but I was just a grunt at the time."

Just as I was going to say something a small yellow flash came up and a letter landed in my lap. I picked it up and held it to swift thinking he would want to read it, but he said I should….because it landed in my lap….odd reasoning yet …understandable I guess? What ever. I broke the wax seal and unrolled it and read the letter out loud.

“Dear Hoo-man…’I guess she meant human…’ I apologize for what I arranged, but I didn’t know you were injured. So, I shall be there tomorrow, at noon. I was notified by captain swift that you also said you did not wish to cause trouble, and I am glad to hear that. And I again apologize for the guards putting their spears to you, I said they should have them ready, but not instantly use them, but just as well I can understand their reasons for worrying about a possible threat. I hope you do to, and I am hopeful I can help you….get……..home……”

I sighed

as I fell back onto the bed after I finished the note excluding her signature at the bottom, which looked very elegant and regal.
The lieutenant tilted his head a bit as he spoke. “Is something wrong? It almost sounds like you don’t want to go home.”

“Because I don’t….I don’t want to be around my own kind…I don’t want to hear about more wars, and more deaths. I cant stand it. The news talks about nothing but the bad things….usually anyway….accidents, people dead, injured, wars, homes destroyed, lives ruined, suicides….I hate it….I hate that world….I….I don’t care what I lose….I didn’t have much anyway….family hates me, lost most of my friends, and no jobs AT
ALL!!!”

“Wow….I never imagined there was a world with so much war….the longest fight in our recorded history was….I believe a couple years, when discord took over. But there were not that many big battles really…just two, discord and the princesses’ first fight, and their final fight. Most of the years were just the princesses discovering the ‘Elements of Harmony’ and finding them, learning to use them as amplifiers for their magic…or was it to use them in general….meh, either or in my book. But then they used them against discord, which he just laughed off, but then he was….banished? Hmm….OH!! He was turned into stone! But that was the worst Equestria has ever had….the griffon kingdom, dragons, and Minotaur’s may have had worse but not Equestria anyway.”

“my world has had….revolution, civil, Afghanistan, Iraq, and assisted in many others that I cant name off….from what I believe, the Iraq war was still kind of going on….or we still had soldiers there I think….ugh, its been so long since I heard anything about over there I don’t even know. Maybe this princess….” I looked at the letter signature and tilted my head trying to read it. “Ce….les…ti…a….Celestia?” Swift and Fleet nod to me to confirm I said it properly. “Maybe Princess Celestia will let me stay….or….something….” I yawned and heard swift saying I should get some rest before the sun is risen (odd way to say it I guess, but maybe he’s just tired too…?)

I just layed down and tried to get comfy…with my leg held up at an awkward angle….so I decided to just close my eyes as I felt myself get lighter and lighter till everything around me was non-existent.

I started feeling something hard poking my shoulder a few time then push me gently. I groaned and tried to roll over, but something held me down, and kept me from rolling. When I opened my eyes I saw fleet. Why did he keep me from rolling over? I looked around while rubbing the blurriness from my left eye and saw the hospital room. Oh right, my ankle is sprained…wait, THE PRINCESS IS COMING AT NOON!

I sat up quickly and look at fleet. “What time is it?!” I asked. Fleet pointed at a clock showing it was 11:45. “Fleet, can you get me my pack? I really need to get some stuff from it.”

Fleet went to the chair my pack was in and brought it over to me as I rummaged through it around my game system, and pulled out a new shirt, being a basic dark blue T-shirt, and switched shirts stuffing the dirty shirt into an empty part of the pack and grabbed the comb and a few other things to make myself look more proper, instead of having bed head, and twisted, wrinkled clothing.

About 10 minutes passed before I could hear gasps, and some metallic objects clatter in the hospital hallway. I carefully got my foot out of the hanging sling and layed it flat on the bed and sat up looking at the door as it opened showing a bigger/taller white unicorn….with wings? Wait what would that be called….pegacorn? unicus…? No unicus sounds REALLY stupid….both do actually, but at least pegacorn rolls off the tongue better….

“You are the human I heard about correct?” Celestia said in one of the kindest and yet authoritatively regal tone I have ever heard. It actually made me nervous from how much kinder she was than I thought and the authority in her voice just sent a feeling of worry of saying even the slightest thing wrong.

“Y-yes, I’m Daniel, and I assume you are…Princess Celestia?”

“Yes, but please, just Celestia is fine, you are not one of my subjects. So, could you explain how you got here? Is it how you got injured as well?” she looked at my ankle with a worried look. “I can heal your ankle to where you can walk on it, but it will still sting, when you put pressure on it. But that’s only if you want me to….and I will be careful just in case magic has a bad reaction to your kind. I don’t want to make your current condition worse by neglecting any possible problems.”

“I would appreciate it if you could. I’m sick of being in bed, but yeah, how I got here is how I got hurt….I believe…” I looked at the pillows and saw Mimzy asleep on the upper part of the pillow. “But….I also have a request….and its for a good reason…..for myself, yes….but also for this worlds benefit as well….”

“A request? Please, do tell.” Her horn started forming a pale yellow glow, and the same glow formed from my knee down, and under the cast over my foot.

I just looked at her hoping she would understand. “Don’t look for a way to send me home….not even if I ever chose to want to go back. If you did make a portal there, mankind will work on creating a portal to this world, and who knows what will happen. If you were even able to just get me there without a specific hole between the two worlds…I’m certain I will just become a test subject, to be used as a conduit to find a way here…which still endangers you and all other forms of life here.”

Celestia just stared at me in shock for a while, then….smiled and nodded at me, which made me smile with a sigh of relief. “And…could you explain how you got here? You still haven’t yet.”

I facepalmed and chuckled at my forgetfulness and explained everything. Robert attacking me, my escape from him, getting my cat (as well as introducing the little fuzzball to her), being hit by the truck (with an explanation about vehicles from my world), and the pain filled meeting of Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash.

Half way through the explanation she had finished healing my ankle, which felt so much better as I stood up and stretched out the tightened muscles, and popped the stiff joints, which each pop made Celestia flinch, or cringe, which was pretty funny.

She sat down in the chair my pack was on before she came, and looked at me. “So, I am to assume you wish to become a citizen of Equestria?”
I nodded.

I started rubbing the back of my neck and spoke nervously. “I hope that’s all right your highness…”

She just giggled and nodded. “Its perfectly fine, I just wanted to be certain this is what you want. I will get all the paperwork dealt with. And just as well, I give you an invitation to stay at the palace till Equestria is used to your presence. It will be for your protection as well, I do not wish to hear that you got hurt because somepony believed you were a monster and just attacked you.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it Princess Celestia. I think you did better with healing my ankle than you think. Sure there’s a slight stinging, but its barely noticeable. And it seems magic isn’t affecting me badly, so that’s a plus too.”

I got my pack and carefully picked up Mimzy, and we started to leave the hospital, dealing with my release forms, on the way. When I got outside I saw swift and fleet talking with two other Pegasus guards that were strapped to a carriage, which was white, with gold inlay and golden designs, except for Celestia's sun cutie mark on the carriage door. I followed Celestia onto the carriage, and we soon started moving till we were in the air.

Wait….THE AIR?!?! Don’t get airsick….don’t get airsick….nothing will happen….she has magic….nothing will happen. I just took a deep breath, and started to wonder….since she is a princess….and is a pegacorn…..wouldn’t her magic be much stronger…? And nothing is impossible with magic….can I….be turned into a pony?! I will have to ask her at some point. But for now….I should just relax….and think if I want to be a pony or not, just in case she can…

Ch 4: A New Life? Possibly...

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It wasn’t a long flight like I was expecting, but the unexpected lift in the air, was what made me nervous. I mean, if you were in a carriage or vehicle meant for traversal across land, and not air, but it then starts going into the air, you would get nervous too.

After we came to a stop, Celestia got out of the carriage, and I followed her heading down a walkway heading to a big castle. Once inside I could see a big room with a long table. My guess it’s where the royal family ate, and where any major meetings took place.

“If you will follow me, I will show you to your room.” after Celestia finished saying that she started walking off. I had to stop myself from looking around and catch up to Celestia, while holding my cat. After a few minutes of walking we were in a darker hallway, most likely from the dark purple colored walls. I wonder why this hall is so different…but Celestia looked sad to be here.

Just as I was going to ask if she was okay, she opened a dark brown door that lead into a room with light grey walls, and a few light fixtures. So they do have electricity here, I wonder how advanced their technology is. Celestia decided to let me get comfortable and unpack what I could, but before she left I told her I had a few questions I wanted to ask her later. She told me to ask a guard to take me to the throne room when I was ready.

Two hours, it took me two hours to settle in. unpacking was about 5 minutes, and the rest was me laying on the bed petting Mimzy, thinking on becoming a pony. I decided to become a pony if possible, but I didn’t get hopeful on it. If she can, I will, but if she can’t, I will just live my life the best I can. I laid Mimzy down on the bed and decided to get a guard to take me to the throne room.

I found a guard, but shortly after I wan into a white unicorn with a blonde mane, and wearing….is that the lapel of a tux? JUST the lapel?! With a blue bow-tie. Wow, this must be an uptight noble. I noticed I lost distance from the guard who had passed the noble already. I was about to speed up, but he got in front of me and glared at me, with such intense anger.

“Where do you think you are going freak? My aunty has many appointed meetings, but I don’t believe she ever said anything about meeting a….hairless bipedal “creature”….which just by your clothes, I would say you are part of the lower class. My aunty doesn’t have time to deal with the lower class concerns today…” the noble pony just tries to wave me off looking to the side, being a bit snobbish. Maybe I should put him in HIS place, but I shouldn’t, no matter how much I WANT to.

I just shrugged and vaulted over him walking after the guard as I talked to him not looking back at him. “I’m sorry sir, but Princess Celestia told me to tell a guard to lead me to the throne room, when I was ready to speak with her. By that reasoning, I would say that puts me at a high priority to the princess herself. So if you don’t mind….I’m going to go talk with her….” As I finished I felt my body stop moving, and saw a blue glow over me.

I looked back to see the noble, baring his teeth and his horn surrounded in the same blue light. I was quickly lifted up and slammed into a wall hard making me catch my breath and cough, up until I felt a cold sensation on my neck, and felt a sharp point against it. When I looked at the unicorn, I saw him with such anger in his glare; I actually got worried that he would have me imprisoned.

“You DARE place you’re….disgusting, sausage linked, hoof on royalty?! I am PRINCE Blueblood. Nephew to the powerful, Princess Celestia! NO ONE touches me without MY permission creature!” as he said the last two words the blade pressed against my neck even more. I just watched him trying to see what he would do, but I was lucky to see the guard running back and he demanded that I was let go, a threat towards me would be equal to threatening a delegate, and deem him a traitor, leading to loss of his royal status, and definite imprisonment.

I was relieved to be let go and see Blueblood leave and the guard continued taking me towards the throne room. It didn’t take much longer to reach the throne room, where I could see Celestia talking to a few other ponies dressed in a full tux shirt, and jacket, and some mares wearing expensive looking pieces of jewelry. I just told the guard, I would wait back here by the door till she called me over. He just nodded and went back to his duties.

It took about five minutes for her to finished with the nobles. As they left, I could see them staring at me with a look of curiosity, fear, hatred, and disgust. After they left, I started walking towards Celestia who seemed to smile at me. I bowed to her as I reached the stairs that lead up to where the throne was.

I stood up straight and cleared my throat before speaking. “Celestia, I know this question may be a bit of a shock to hear but…..is it possible…..for me to be turned into a pony…? I have thought if it was possible since the carriage ride, and the past two hours, was me deciding on becoming a pony if it was possible.”

“Well….yes, but it could be truly painful. Your bones must break, reform, properly connect, and possible new cartilage around specific joints must form. And the relayering of your muscle tissue, and resizing, and replacement of your organs….I believe it will be a truly painful experience for you. Is this what you really want?” Celestia just stared at me with worry, and fear in her eyes. I just smiled and nodded at her, which made her smile a bit. “Alright, after I finish my last few meetings, we will set everything up for the spell.”

“Also, I was wondering if there was a library around for me to learn more about Equestria. Its history, its recent events, and it would help me understand the culture much more.” She nodded to me and motioned a guard over and asked them to take me to the royal library. It took, I'd say three minutes after leaving the throne room to reach the library. I thanked the guard and went inside to start on the worst school subject I ever had to deal with…..history.

I had found many different books, some that was just a pony version of human books. I found a headless horseman book, but it was a headless pony, which came out from underneath a black barked willow tree in the northern reaches of Equestria, and supposedly, it was real here. A unicorn used necromancy, on a beheaded corpse, and it went on a rampage, killing its reviver, and hunted for its head, but apparently Celestia's mother, Solaris Lightwing returned its head, and it went back under the willow tree never to be seen again.

That was the only entertaining book I read, the rest was the countries history, and I even read the history books from Draconia, the Griffon Kingdom, Zebreca, and the Iron Isles. Apparently the major sentient beings in this world are ponies, dragons, zebras, griffons, and minotaur’s. And the other sentient creatures were hippogriffs, drakes, camels, and….something called changelings, which there was little information on them. Changelings could change their looks, but not their form itself, without a side effect. So changelings could only change into ponies, griffons, zebras, and hippogriffs without any serious side effects. And they apparently lived off…love?

When I turned the page to the drawing of a changeling, let’s say I didn’t take well to it. I yelled and flew back in my chair and rolled back going into a standing position bumping into the wall panting. IT LOOKED LIKE A GIANT EQUINE BUG WITH HOLES IN ITS LEGS, A GNARLED HORN, AND INSECT WINGS WITH HOLES! HOLY SHIT, THIS WORLD HAS MY WORST NIGHTMARE AS A REALITY! GIANT, FUCKING, BUGS! I hate my phobias….bugs, spiders, any kind of creepy crawler….but GIANT ones?! I am going to be jumping, and freaking out all over the place if a changeling comes around…..wait…..’Changelings are dangerous, and not usually allowed in Equestria.’ Thank god…..or whatever deity resides in Equestria…..

I must’ve fallen asleep at some point while reading; because I started feeling a prodding at my shoulder after what I believe was another hour of reading. After I opened my eyes I saw a purple unicorn with a mane and tail of dark blue [almost black kind of dark] with a pink stripe, and a bright purple stripe going through it, and her cutie mark was a….pink 6 pointed star, with 5 smaller white stars spread around it, and it seems a white star would be underneath the big pink one, considering the white points coming out from the pink star. I guess she enjoys stargazing, and she probably studies constellations and such.

“I was asked by Princess Celestia to get you….at least I think she meant you. She said ‘in the library there is a being you have never seen before. I need you to tell him I have everything prepared for his request.’ I’m just curious but…what request is she talking about?” she tilted her head in; I’m guessing curiosity, as she asked her question.

“Oh I uhhh….I am going to have her turn me into a pony. It would make it easier on so many if I wasn’t….” I just gestured to my body. “…this. Being something that isn’t known about here might make me a target, or might get me attacked. So if I become a pony, there isn’t any trouble like that.”

“That makes sense. But, wouldn’t you rather go back to your own kind? The princess could do that if you gave her some time. I mean, she is the most powerful magic user in Equestria.”

I got up and motioned for her to come along as I started to head for the throne room. “No. my kind is highly advanced, and very adaptable. And if I did go back, then they would know of other worlds, and the residual energy from this world being on me…I would become an experiment for them to use as a conduit to create a portal, or gateway. Then this world would be in danger…I would rather stay here and become one of you, than risk this worlds peaceful nature. Sure there’s still violence and war I’m sure. But I could tell that it is far, far, FAR less than from my world….”

“wow, I never expected somepony to give up everything they know to protect those they never knew existed, or knows nothing about….till recently of course, considering you had so many history books back there. Oh, and my name is Twilight Sparkle. I never caught your name.”

“I don’t think it will matter for long. But, my name is Daniel….for now” I chuckled as I entered the throne room and saw a giant glowing runic circle in the center, and Celestia standing in a normal circle that was connected to the runic circle by a golden line. I guess this is for my transformation. I really hope I don’t die. I REALLY hope I don’t.

Ch 5: First Day as a Pony!

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Pain and darkness. That’s all I could get. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t hear anything, I felt just sharp, searing pain through my body, and all I saw was pitch black darkness. Did the spell fail? Did I die? No, I didn’t die. I feel pain, and after you die, there is no pain. The spell failing is very possible though.

I can hear something. Faint beeping, and a voice, but both sound so far away. Why do they sound so far away? No. they aren’t far away, my sense of hearing is slowly coming back. The spell, the pain, I blacked out during it. Did they stop? I don’t know, but my arms aren’t reacting properly. Am I a pony now? I wonder what kind. A unicorn would be cool. But so would a Pegasus. Or maybe I will be an earth pony?

I felt the pain subside, and the voices grew louder from unhearable murmuring, to slightly loud whispers. I could hear Celestia sounding worried, no…more like scared. There’s Twilights voice too, and she sounds saddened as well. Hmm, I can feel my limbs now, the pain is gone, and the darkness is becoming brighter.

I soon opened my eyes and saw I was in a bed in…the room I unpacked in. I looked at what was beeping and saw a heart monitor, I may not have great control of my limbs, but I slowly pulled off the sensor pads making the heart monitor flat line. As soon as it started its droning tone, I heard two gasps and looked towards the door to see twilight and Celestia turn to me, and I saw Celestia with red, puffy eyes, while twilight had just formed some tears.

I just chuckled, hearing my voice was hoarse, and raspy. “I’m not dead yet.” I started coughing and gasping trying to get my breath again, but each gasp felt like I was inhaling fire, and shards of glass. After a minute the coughing fit calmed down and Celestia and Twilight were at both sides of me asking “how I felt”, “do I feel ok”, and they were looking at me kind of oddly. I told them I felt weak, my senses were kind of dulled temporarily, and my hearing is all I seem to have back completely, but my sight was close behind it. I had a few spots, and blur spots from the lack of air I had.

I felt something on my head move, and I went to grab it with my ha- uhh…hooves…..I have hooves. I am apparently a pony now. Wait, what kind?! I felt my forehead to only find I didn’t have a horn. Ok, I’m not a unicorn, but i have a blonde mane, just like my human hair was. I then lifted the covers and looked over myself to see wings. I had a black coat over my whole body, but my wings were bright red. Wait…I have something on my flank. Do I already have a cutie mark?

Tossing the cover down, I saw that I had a cutie mark. A grey pegasus wing outstretched, but it was on fire. WHAT CAN THAT EVEN MEAN?! THAT I WILL BURN OTHERS?! No, that doesn’t make sense, because I wouldn’t do that on purpose!!! It has to be something else. I guess I will figure it out later. For now, I’m a pony, and I should learn how to walk like one….i mean, walking can’t be that hard right…?

I slid off the bed and landed on my hooves just to stumble a bit, but I quickly get my balance. A lot hard than I thought….movement isn’t the problem it’s the change in gravitational center. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for me to get, then I was walking around with a few stumbles.

After an hour of learning how to walking around, I had gotten the hang of it. Twilight offered to give me a tour of Canterlot, which did sound interesting so I accepted and we went around Canterlot. I didn’t expect it to be like a class, learning about every major building we passed. But the city was incredible. After the tour we stopped at a house and twilight used her magic to pull a key from her saddlebag, as she called it, and unlocked the door.

“If my mom says anything…weird or awkward, please just ignore it” she laughed nervously as we went inside. I’m guessing from what she said, this is her parents’ house. But soon after we entered a small purple dragon jumped on her back hugging her as she giggled at the dragons’ action. “I missed you too spike, oh and this is….uhh….”

Hmm….I wonder if it this will be understood. I chuckled and nodded to spike as I spoke. “Drem yol lok, goraan dovah. Nii los dremsil wah grind hi. Dii faan los Yoltaas Uft.” I saw spike tilt his head confused and twilight stared at me with wide eyes. “Ok…that did not work. I said its nice to meet you spike, my name is Blazing Feathers. But just call me Blaze.” I smiled a bit rubbing my neck feeling stupid.

“You can speak….but how…..nopony but dragons have ever used that language. And they have never spoken in that language around non-dragons! Other than Celestia of course…”

So Celestia knows Dovahzul? I am going to enjoy this later. “Sorry Twilight. But that’s going to be my little secret.”

I saw spike jump off twilight back and walk up to me, and around me eyeing me. Now, I’m feeling a little nervous. After his second time circling me, he stared at me then spoke. “It's nice to meet you blaze. But I’ve got my eye on you. Twilight isn’t one for friends, she is usually a book worm, and you don’t seem like a book worm to me.” He walked into another room as I saw a white/grey mare with white mane and tail both with a couple purple streaks, and 3 purple stars as her cutie mark, at the top of some stairs. When she saw us, or maybe just twilight, she ran down and hugged twilight and they started talking. I decided to just sit there and look around seeing pictures of the two mares, spike, and two stallions. One was white with a blue mane, and another stallion that was blue, and also had a blue mane. The white one had armor on; the blue stallion had a foreleg over the white stallion. Must be Twilights' father, and...either an uncle, or a brother, but by his age id say brother most likely...

I eventually saw a picture of all five of them smiling, and I instinctively got up and walked over to it. As I stared at it I saw an image of MY whole family, and me, smiling, then saw some of the smiling faces start frowning then look angry, till all but mine was angry. I even started hearing their voices saying ‘failure’, ‘loser’, ‘unwanted’, and the word I heard most….’adopted’. I eventually felt a hoof on my shoulder and gasped as the image and voices stopped, looking over at twilight and her mother looking at me worried and I felt my face was wet. I wiped my hoof along my cheek and felt tears, and felt them still flowing and quickly wiped my eyes.

“I-I’m sorry. I just…I’m alright, really.” I looked at them smiling a bit, but they still looked worried.

Twilight’s mother walked up to me, and she just hugged me as she spoke to me softly. “you shouldn’t hold it in. doing that, turn the heart cold, and you start holding everything, even what you don’t want to hold in, until you explode. And you risk hurting everyone around you.” She slowly let me go and looked at me smiling. “My name is Twilight Velvet, but everyone calls me Velvet.”

“I’m blaze. It’s nice to meet you, but don’t worry about me. I’m a lot stronger than to let my emotions break like that. There’s no need to worry about me, I swear.”

Velvet nodded and placed her hoof on my shoulder. “Alright, but if you need to talk, I’ll always have an ear to lend. I’m sure twilight will too.” I saw twilight nod, which made me nod at them.

They headed into the same room as spike went and I followed them to see a living room, with a nice sized television. That answers my question about TV. We all talked for a while, and then I heard a door knob jostling up stairs which made my ear twitch, and I turned my head a bit and turned, and angled my ear, as I heard hoofsteps.

“Either someone just woke up, or they finally left a room….” I looked at twilight, velvet, and spike having just remembered they were there and smiled nervously. “I….heard a door knob from the second floor….” Just as I finished saying that there were hoofsteps coming down the stairs and the blue stallion walked into the living room.

I was the first he saw considering I was in a chair across from the doorway. His stare just made me freeze like a deer caught in the headlights of a car, and I just stared back nervously. After a while I looked at twilight was looking back and forth between us, but I looked back after I heard a ‘pop’ kind of sound. I decided to look over at the stallion, but I saw he was point blank to me.

I yelled in surprise and pressed back shrinking into the chair. His hard stare lightened and he started laughing as he spoke. “I see I can still scare others with that. I thought most were used to that trick by now.”

I could hear Twilight's voice as I kept looking at the stallion trying to calm my quickly beating heart. “Dad, that wasn’t funny, what if he had a heart condition?! You could have killed him!”

I finally calmed down and Twlights' fathers’ ears seemed to drop back. I decided to jump in to help calm things down, before an argument or anything could happen. I already went through a family tearing apart till it was ‘every man for himself’ and I would hate to see another family hit that point. “n-no, it’s alright twilight.” I sat back up and sighed. “It was actually kind of funny. Usually I can read any anger, or any other possible emotions through the eyes, but I couldn’t read him at all.” I held my hoof to him smiling a bit. “My name is Blazing Feathers, or Blaze for short. It’s nice to meet you…mister….?”

“Light. Night Light.” He shook my hoof smiling. “And it’s nice to meet you too. I don’t meet many that’s a good sport after a fright like that.”

We all continued to talking, more about twilight, and her parents than me, because I kind of tried to keep my life secret. I only mentioned about problems in my past, because Velvet kept asking things along those lines. Otherwise, what I was, where I was from, and anything about my family in depth I kept secret or made something up. I believe Twilight's parents knew I was lying, but they let it go.

Velvet offered to make lunch for us, but twilight mentioned how she needed to get back to Celestia for some special assignment involving a ‘Summer Sun Festival’. She got some things packed, and had spike get on her back and we went back to the castle. Once we met up with Celestia, she talked about how she wanted twilight and I to head to Ponyville, and check on the festivals preparations, and she had the hot air balloon getting prepared. I went and got my stuff packed up again, and got my cat, who I had to prove I was still me. Little chin scratch, and that was that. Me and Mimzy met up with twilight and spike, and started our journey to Ponyville, but one thing was nagging at me…..why am I getting a sense, that things are going to get weird soon…?

Ch 6: Deja Vu then surprise reunions?!

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It didn’t take long for us to reach Ponyville, but….I’m getting a déjà vu sensation here. I’ve seen this place….no….I’ve BEEN here….this is….the town I stumbled into when I first got to this world. Does that mean the mares I met are here?! I really need to apologize about before to them. I could have had Celestia send a letter, but it was only 2 days since I last saw them.

When we first entered Ponyville we saw a pink mare, with a poofy pink mane and tail….I have an urge to taste her hair…..wait, WHAT?! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!?! I know she smells like cotton candy, very….very pungent…sweet….fluffy cotton candy….NO GET A HOLD OF YOUR SELF STALLION!!! Twilight started to introduce herself but the pink mare did a huge gasp while going into the air and, zoomed off so fast, it was almost like she disappeared.

I heard Spike talking about checking the food preparations, at a “Sweet Apple Acres”. I just followed them while looking around. After reaching, what looked like rows of apple trees along hills of landscape, I heard a cowgirl calling out….or would it be cowmare now…? The three of us looked over at an orange mane with red bands at the end of her long, blonde mane and her tail. Probably to keep out tangles, and keep it out of her eyes and not trip over it. She ran up to a tree and turned around kicking it with her hind legs hard, and made all the apples fall…ALL OF THEM!!

Me, Twilight, and Spike walked over to her and the girls introduced themselves and shook hooves, although twilight got all shooken up, which got me and spike to laugh, when she kept shaking even after the hoofshake was over.

The orange mare quickly grabbed my hoof and started shaking it and I just looked at her as she spoke. “Nice to meet y’all! I’m Applejack.” When she finished shaking my hoof I kept it from shaking, even if it wanted to keep shaking. Her shake, is not a joke.

“Hey Applejack, I’m Blaze, and the one you made unstable with that shake of yours is Twilight, and the young dragon is Spike. It's nice to meet you. We’re here to check on the food for the sun celebration.” She mentioned, that the food is great, and offered a chance to try it. Twilight tried to decline but Applejack apparently called others for lunch. Luckily Spike and I heard the stampede of ponies and we moved as Twilight got….trampled over…I should have got her…well, too late now.

Next thing I know, we are being introduced to every….single….pony there, and food is getting piled in front of us. Holy crap, that’s a lot of apple treats. Twilight tried to say we had to go but all the others seemed disappointed….especially….little Apple Bloom, as applejack called her. Oh god….not those eyes….PLEASE NOT THO-

We….ate…..so much….fucking apple treats. “Twilight….if I ever ask for an apple within the next week…..slam me into something hard head first….”

I was glad to hear she could respond. “Gladly….” She groaned in pain or disgust…or both…

I heard spike say ‘Rainbow Dash’ and I raised my head quickly, as my ears pointed up. She will be able to point out Rarity and Fluttershy too! Next thing I know is Twilight was ran into and fell into some mud and I looked over to see Rainbow Dash over a muddy Twilight, and apologizing.

I just smiled and walked over. “Hey Rainbow Dash. What's been going on, since you almost….hit me….so glad Rarity was there to stop you….”

She just looked at me closely tapping a hoof on her chin. “Sorry, but I’ve never met you before.”

“Oh, you just never met me as a pony yet. You almost punched me in the face at the hospital. Rarity caught you right before you made contact with my face.” I decided to make my voice quieter. “I….was….the….human”

She went wide eyed and slammed into me pinning me down looking angry. “WHERE DID YOU DISAPPEAR TO YOU BUCKING JERK?! FLUTTERSHY GOT SO SCARED THAT YOU SNUCK OUT IN FEAR, AND WAS KILLED” she looked away looking away nervously. “And I….may have spent half of yesterday looking for you…for Fluttershy’s sake. It’s not like I could have cared any less about you.”

I felt my ears go back, as I started feeling bad about what happened. “I’m sorry…..I would have sent a letter….but so much happened….I’ll explain everything later….I promise….” Me and rainbow dash looked over to a groan to see twilight wiping some mud off, just to spread it.

Dash, quickly flew off, leaving me to get up and shake off any dirt from my body, and then heard water. I looked over to see dash jumping on a black cloud, which turned white as it poured out water on twilight, wetting her mane down. Rainbow dash soon started making a rainbow colored cyclone around her, which she named her special “Rainblow Dry”. Wow….ingenious….

Once I saw twilight her mane and tail, were so poofy, and ragged looking and dash landed next to me and we leaned towards each other still being a good distance apart, looked at one another, then we both just started laughing, and fell over laughing at twilight’s new “do”. Even Spike started laughing. I couldn’t focus on what was being said, trying to stop laughing, but I noticed Dash fly off, and then every cloud was kicked and gone in seconds. I knew twilight was staring in awe like I was. and the two talked a bit.

I saw Rainbow Dash fly off and I smiled a bit, knowing that she wasn’t mad at me…at least, not anymore if she was before. Shortly after we entered a building with decorations, and ribbons all around the place, making it look nice for a basic celebration. I saw a white unicorn humming and looking at some different fabrics.

I was looking at the decorations and designs, not hearing Spike or Twilight. But my ears twitched at a familiar Trans-Atlantic accent. I looked over to see Rarity freaking out about Twilight's hair.

I slowly walked over, gulping in worry about the rant I was about to get after I told her who I am….or was…. “h-hey Rarity” I spoke nervously from the fear of her freaking out, and she just looked at me then tilted her head confused. She was about to respond, but I jumped in, before she could. “I know, you don’t remember me, but we met a few days ago. I also never got to thank you for catching Dash, before she hit me. I probably wouldn’t have lived a punch from that speed.”

Rarity blinked still looking confused for a second, but then Mimzy popped out of my mane, and meowed at rarity. She gasped then ran into me as I started yelling ‘I’m sorry’ over and over, until I noticed she was hugging me, and…is she sniffling?!

“When me and Fluttershy, went to visit you again, we heard you were just gone. Neither the nurses nor the doctors, would explain what happened, and Fluttershy was so worried you ran off, still scared and that you…..” she gasped and let me go, looking at me blushing a bit as she wiped some slightly running mascara from her face. “I-I’m sorry, Daniel. I am just so relieved to see you’re ok. Me and Fluttershy were so scared we looked around. Rainbow Dash even flew over the Everfree, scared that you went in there, Fluttershy said it was a place to look into since you came out of the forest.”

I carefully got up and looked at her as she spoke. I never knew what it felt like for someone to worry about me, except for my adoptive mother. Only one person ever worried about me, but this felt…different.

“It’s fine Rarity. I’m really sorry that I never got word to you. I was going to today, but I was kind of sent here. Which worked out in the end, huh?” she just smiled at me and nodded.

She gasped and ran over to Twilight and started pushing her somewhere. After a few minutes we entered a…best I could describe it was a carnival carousel, but it was a building. On the way I saw a building that had a roof that you would see on a gingerbread house, and a cupcake, on top of a cupcake, with candles. I couldn’t help but stop and rub my right cheek as my sweet tooth started ringing and calling for chocolaty, sugary, delicious treats.

Inside the carousel building twilight had her mane fixed, and had to try on a bunch of different outfits. Some were kind of funny on her. After a while, rarity said something about getting rubies, and twilight was about to zoom off but I stopped her. “Hey Rarity, I’m sure we will see you again, but we have stuff to do for Princess Celestia. Could you and twilight finish this later?” Rarity looked at me looking hurt but quickly smiled and nodded.

Twilight, Spike, and I were heading to check on the music. Oh crap….I just noticed I never told Rarity my NEW name….I can tell her next time. I suddenly heard birds, chirping in a tune like way, like off those old Disney movies. We all followed it and I saw….a yellow pegasus, with long, pink mane, and tail. And three pink butterflies as her cutie mark…it was Fluttershy…I felt my ears lay back, and I knew why…I felt so guilty, and terrible for making her worry so much…they barely knew me, and all three of these mares got so worried for me.

Next thing I knew, I heard twilight say ‘hello’ a little loud, and the birds flew off, and Fluttershy turned in surprise, probably slightly startled as well. I walks to twilight’s side and looked at Fluttershy, before quickly looking away.

I heard Twilight apologize, as I put my focus back towards town. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is Blaze.” I felt a jab at my side and I looked at twilight, then I looked at Fluttershy, making my ears go back again. “Blaze? Are you ok?”

“Y-yeah...I’m fine...I just….” I looked at Fluttershy who had her mane over one of her eyes and most of her face. She really does live up to her name, and all I could do was sigh before looking at Fluttershy. “Fluttershy…I’m sorry I just disappeared like that a few days ago…I didn’t mean to worry you, I didn’t even expect you to really worry about me like that….I’m so sorry…”

I saw Fluttershy look me in the eye as she raised her head a bit confused, but she quickly looked at me uncovering her face, and she flew over and landed in front of me. All I could do was look away and sit there, but I soon felt her hooves around me, and looked at her seeing her head on my chest.

“I am so glad to see you’re ok. I thought you were still so scared of us, that you snuck out and ran. When the doctors or nurses wouldn’t tell us anything, more than ‘you left’ I got so worried. I thought they were trying to keep it vague, so we wouldn’t go after you, but I couldn’t help it.”

I looked at Fluttershy, and smiled a bit slowly hugging her with my right foreleg. I could see twilight looking confused, most likely from me knowing three of the ponies we met. I mouthed ‘I will explain later’ to her, which she nodded to. Fluttershy then let go as twilight and her talked, as she shied her way back into her mane again.

Twilight said we should head off, and Spike walked out. I NEVER saw someone go from, catatonically shy, to getting in someone’s face, and asking questions as quickly as Fluttershy did, when she saw Spike. On the way, I heard about how twilight was the one who hatched spike by a spell, which that was a test for her to become Celestia’s personal student.

After reaching a tree, with a balcony, a window, and a door, with a few decorative things, twilight tricked Fluttershy into thinking spike needed sleep. She eventually took spike inside and I was going to apologize to Fluttershy again, but I yelped in shock as a purple aura pulled me into the unlit building and closed the door. Shortly after the lights came on and I heard some yelling, which made me look at that pink mare again…and her….cotton candy….like…mane…..NO KEEP CONTROL OF YOURSELF! TREATS TOMORROW!!! After a few minutes of talking Twilight headed upstairs with an annoyed groan.

I was going to go after her until the pink mare was in my face. “HI IM PINKIE PIE, BUT YOU CAN CALL ME PINKIE, OR PINKS, OR PIE. OOOH I WANT PIE, DO YOU LIKE PIE? NAH, YOU SEEM LIKE A CAKE PONY, WHATS YOUR NAME?!” the speed she talked screamed ‘sugar rush’. Please….please never let her discover coffee, or energy drinks.

I cleared my throat. “My name is Blazing Feathers, but just call me Blaze. Its, nice to meet you Pinkie.” I saw her smile a wide smile, which would put the Joker to shame, at least in size, hers wasn’t the maniacal murderer way, but the size still gave me some concerns.

I was about to go after twilight and sighed thinking I should give her a bit, and went back to be pulled aside by purple aura. I noticed a flagon of some kind of fizzing drink that had a smell like fresh apple juice.

When I looked up I saw Applejack smiling at me. “This here is some of our farm’s famous apple cider. ‘Ah thought ‘Ah’d give ya a li'l taste, as an apology for making you go through all that at the farm.” I swear, her southern drawl, just matched her perfectly.

I just shrugged and down the whole flagon in a few seconds. After I gulped the last of it, I felt a burn in my throat and I coughed a bit setting the flagon down looking at applejack. “IS THIS CIDER ALCOHOLIC?!” she nodded, but held her two hooves together closely. Only slightly alcoholic then. I sighed in relief before explaining my worries. “I haven’t been a big drinker, so if this was a decent proof, I'd be worried about being drunk. I don’t want to get drunk to find out I’m a MEAN drunk….I could never live with myself if I hurt anyone…”

Pinkie jumped out of the flagon I had set down and landed on the table in my face, which made me fall back with a loud scream. Thankfully I don’t sound like a girl when I scream unless I fear for my LIFE. Next thing I know pinkie stares at me before speaking. “You mean anypony.” She jumped back into the flagon, and I jumped up and spun the flagon like a cup catching and holding a spider on a tabletop panting.

A few hours later, I learned she just did stuff like that. There were three more ‘anypony’ corrections, and two ‘somepony’ corrections. One somepony correction was when I was learning the flapping pattern with my wings, and she came from between my feathers and landed on Dash’s back. That one….I screamed like a girl…DON’T JUDGE, IT FELT REALLY AWKWARD! It gave a shot of fear, yet the contact on my wing felt….tingly….it scared me.

After the final scream of mine, I was too embarrassed to stay around. I went upstairs to check on Twilight, and found her in a bed in the third door on the right reading a book. “Nose, in a book. Spike was right. You are a book nut.” I chuckled, which made her glare at me. “I ain’t saying that’s wrong. It actually suits you, being a bookworm. I was too when I was younger. I read 20-40 chapter books in one day. But what can you expect. Second grader, reading at an eighth grade level. And they had a reading skill level system. All my classmates were level 3 or 4. Red group. I was level 6, the yellow group. One time I found a level 10 black grouped book. I begged and pleaded to get them to let me TRY to read it. One weekend. I almost read it all. Monday, I finished the last two chapters. Bad part…..I had nightmares for a few weeks.” After I said all that I could see a shocked look on twilights face.

“You were grades above in reading level?! I was just a grade higher, but the amount I read was incredible. But not the grade level!” twilight sat up in her bed, and looked at me.

“Back then I thought that meant the rate I read, but as you basically said, it was the words I knew, that I could understand. I blame the Final Fantasy series….that game had so many complicated words, that I learned how to sound out words at a very young age, and how certain order of letters can change the sounds.”

I heard Spike call up that it was almost time for Celestia to….did I hear that right? …for Celestia to…raise the sun? Twilight sighed and we all headed for the building rarity was decorating before. A mare did a small speech, and introduced Celestia, and a curtain opened, and Celestia was not there. I heard murmurs of worry, then sounds of fear when a blueish purple mist started pouring down off the balcony. The whole time I felt my ears twitching like mad…..this can’t be good…

Ch 7: End of the Nightmare...?

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ok, before this chapter begins, I am adding a link here, for a future moment so you can translate it. i will use this quite a bit, but any chapter that uses it will have this link at the top here. no explanations on future ones, JUST the link...and i just want to thank everyone who has favorited my story, and liked it. i never expected it to be this well liked. i will keep trying to bring you good story content in the future.
again, thank you all.

just add the Dovahzul text in the bottom box, and click "translate to english" which will show it in the top box. simple. i hope...

This purple mist isn’t right. All these ponies murmuring is making it hard to focus, but…I hear a silent voice…’feel the heat….YOUR heat…let it flow, and let it become a part of you. Mentally and physically.’ Sure, since I became a pegasus, I have felt a bit warmer, but that’s normal I’m sure. I wasn’t use to the fur…but yet…I still feel warm, but let it become a part of me physically?! How does that work?

I looked up to see the mist gather, and form a pitch black equine with slitted teal eyes, and a mane like Celestia's but it was like a purple night sky. I could hear many frightened gasps and saw many back away, looking scared. I could see the large black pegacorn looking at all the scared ponies, and she…smiled, showing such sharp teeth. I couldn’t help but glare at her watching her closely. I regret feeling so protective for others, because now…she is looking STRAIGHT at me, with a malice filled grin.

“your long lost princess has finally returned, and I shall finish what I started…and give you the best gift I could possibly bring you…everlasting night!!!” I couldn’t have heard her right. Everlasting night?! She’s insane.

I walked up to the clear area that was made from all the ponies backing away. “are you insane?! Everlasting night would kill us all! Without the sun, without its light, there is no life, no plants, no food, NOTHING!”

She looked at me and snarled as she spoke with such venom in her voice. “don’t ever talk about my sister’s sun around me…” I could see her horn flare up with a strong sensation of energy flowing through the room. “…I must teach you to respect your princess I suppose…” she shot a beam of magic at me.

I just decided to raise my wings, like a shield, and close my eyes tightly. I knew it was useless but…aw, who cares, I’m about to die and that voice is yelling to me now…

“RELEASE THE FIRE!!!”

My eyes shot open to see a reddish orange flash, then nothing…

Twilight POV

I can’t believe it. Blaze stood up to Nightmare Moon. How crazy is he?! But now…his wings…more specifically his feathers…are now on fire, and it’s blocking Nightmare Moons magic. How can he do this? His kind didn’t have magic before, but even if he did start absorbing natural magical energies, he is a pegasus. He shouldn’t be able to manifest it like this.

Nightmare Moon soon stopped her magic and just stared at blaze in shock and confusion. To see her like that, her spell blocked, it was shocking that an alicorns spell was so easily blocked, and by a PEGASUS! And blaze seems so unphased, but his eyes….are red? That can’t be good…

Blaze POV

My vision is back, and Nightmare Moon looks shocked. I quickly looked over myself and I wasn’t hurt. I looked at all the other ponies to see none were hurt. What happened to her blast of magic? It doesn’t matter; I have to focus on the threat. Before I turned around the ponies seemed to flinch back, and I felt…my ears twitch……”oh fu-“

I heard a loud slapping sound as I saw the world suddenly lurch by, till I hit a pillar, going through it and hit a wall denting the wall in. I felt myself fall onto the floor shortly after…my body wont move, my mind is numb, hearing is….weak. I felt the vibrations in the floor, and I could feel a few hooves on me. one by my wing, delicately, softly….Fluttershy….another was on my shoulder, serious pressure, strength…Applejack…I felt my head lifted and saw twilight, and her mouth moving. All I could get, was that she was asking “if I was ok”, and “how did I do that”…do what? Did I stop her spell somehow?

Once my hearing came back and I got my senses back, I heard Nightmare Moon laugh and say she would bring a never ending night. I got up and ran at her, but as I jumped to tackle her she disappeared. When I landed I slid a bit and turned in mid slide panting. A warmth was flowing through my body, and I wanted to g after her, but I have no idea where she went…all six of the girls soon walked up to me after I had calmed down and sat there running a hoof through my mane to get the awkward feeling rubble out. Drywall, wood chips, and plaster...and…black fabric? I picked up the fabric, but soon after it went into my hoof.

Before I could question what happened I heard Twilight's voice. “ARE YOU INSANE?! SHE COULD HAVE KILLED YOU! IT’S A MIRACLE YOU ARE EVEN ALIVE!”

“I couldn’t give her the pleasure of fear…besides…if her blast of magic hit me, she has no strength to her, because I must have been hit by it, and I’m not even hurt.” I looked at the other girls who were staring at me shocked. “what?”

“you…don’t know what you did?”

“no?”

“your wings went ablaze, and you used them to shield her magic. You blocked an alicorn's spell, like it was a foal’s.”

I looked at my wings and then at Twilight. “my wings….on fire…? Then why aren’t I burnt? My wings are still fine, nothing is wro-“

I saw something move outside the window, and then I heard a female voice say ‘element’.

I shook my head and looked at Twilight. “Twilight does the word element mean anything to you?”

She just went wide eyed and ran off leaving the building. I looked at the others as they nodded, and we all ran after Twilight. Why does the word element mean anything to me…I remember hearing Twilight mention some ‘elements’ but…I feel that the voice didn’t mean those at all. I think the voice meant the natural elements…like…fire. Wait…they said my wings were on fire…I’m not burnt…’element’…nah, I’m going insane…

We quickly reached the library and saw Twilight inside. I just started looking at book names, and found a book called ‘The Ponies of Equis, and The Elements”, which got my attention. I heard Rainbow Dash ask if Twilight was a spy, and Applejack knew that wasn’t it. I quickly grabbed the book and opened it looking in it.

This book talked about ponies that controlled the natural elements, and other forms of existence. Fire, water, air, lightning, terra, ice…even light and darkness…there were so many listed, that many were only expected to exist, but was never seen as being controlled. The listed elements that was seen being controlled was terra, light, dark/shadows, and…fire. No, that doesn’t make sense, this book says descendents got the element after they died, and I'm a human...or...i was.

I put the book away and headed over to the girls as twilight got a book from pinkie. And started talking about some ‘elements of harmony’ that resides in the ‘castle of the two sisters’ in the Everfree Forest. We headed for the forest, but as I started heading into it, I looked back to see the girls looking at the forest scared.

I just facehoofed and looked at them. “girls…it’s a forest…all forest’s have dangers, now we have to get moving.” I continued walking as I finished what I was saying. “I mean…I could get lost in here, since I have NO idea where I’m going…”

I knew that would work. They hurried up to catch up and we started heading into the forest. We reached a mountain-side path. I turned back to see rainbow doing some weird, creeping thing, then when she finished the path broke underneath us. Me, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack were sent sliding down the mountain-side.

I saw, Rainbow heading for me, but I pointed to pinkie, and she got the message as she went and snagged pinkie, while Fluttershy got rarity. Applejack bit into a root as I slid by her, but she let go going after twilight. I just extended my wings, which helped slow me down, but if I went off the ledge below, I’m sure I could glide down at least. I mean, gliding isn’t THAT hard right?

Thankfully, I don’t need to find out. I stopped right on the edge as Applejack let twilight go. But I could see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy ready for this. That’s a relief…I saw Applejack hopping down the flat top parts of rock and I followed after her.

There were a few other things that happened as well…a Manticore that Fluttershy helped, and got…a funny looking new hairdo, from the Manticore licking her. A rapid like river, where a serpent lived, and Rarity gave her tail to be his new….half of a mustache. And there was a bridge where Rainbow Dash went to the other side, and tied the rope so the rest of us could cross.

Then, we finally reached the castle. We carefully headed into the castle, but a dark purple flash stopped us as nightmare moon was now standing in front of us. “so, the pests have come to retrieve the elements I see. Too bad they aren’t any use to you, considering they are now stone.”

I walked up to twilight’s side and whispered to her. “you girls go find those elements…stone or not, they have to help us…”

I could hear concern in twilight’s voice when she whispered to me. “what about you…? You aren’t planning to fight her, are you? Maybe last time was just some fluke, I don’t want to come back and see you dead…”

“me? die? Fat chance…now hurry…” I walked closer to Nightmare Moon, as the girls ran down a hall to the side. “so…I suppose this will be the last time we meet…”

I saw Nightmare Moon grin, as her horn ignited in her dark purple glow. “yes…and it will be great to see you squirm under my hoof…”

I was about to respond but, I felt a surge go through my head. All I could do was close my eyes and start speaking.

“By the flames of grandest light, the chill of coldest winds, I call upon the ancient energies to lend me the power of the lost one…Noctis ShadowFlame…yolos do wuth, naak zey, ahrk bodiir zey suleyk zu'u huvut.”

At the last word my eyes snapped open as I felt energy surge through me, as I extended my wings and I felt the heat flow off the feathers as they went ablaze. The look on Nightmare Moon's face seemed like one of fear, and concern, yet it quickly changed to that of rage, and bloodlust.

I was starting to step forward, but I quickly flew towards her, and started spinning like a funnel making a drill of fire and rammed her into a wall quickly flying back landing in a slide panting a bit. Flying takes a lot out of you. I saw her climb out of the rubble and blast a huge spell at me, which I lifted my wings as a shield as I jumped up letting it send me out of a window. While in the air I flipped and flew up as she flew out of the thick smoke, and flew up after me.

“ready to give up yet?! My magic will break through yours soon.” I didn’t want to admit it…but she is right…I’m not used to this. I can already feel the strain on my body, but I have to keep going. The girls need to find the elements; I need to keep her here till then. I just hope I can do this.

She started shooting volleys of magic blasts at me, which I just dodged or used my burning wings to deflect them. It gets harder to do so every second, and I’m sure she knows how taxing it is on me. I gotta think of something now, or twilight and the others find the elements really fast!

I could see her charging a spell like she did at Ponyville before I blacked out. Wait, I blocked that with my wings…but if I do that now, I’m gonna fall….

“the power of blood…is strong…do not fear…the dark….but show….to fear what is…IN the dark…”

That voice again? And what does it mean by ‘the power of blood’? I felt a huge pressure start pushing me, and I felt myself go through stone and hit a hard surface. I carefully got up, feeling dizzy and exhausted, with my body burning, and stinging. When I looked around I saw the main room, where this all started. I saw nightmare moon glide into the room grinning. I can’t let her win….I WON’T!

I extended my wings, but I saw the orange light in front of me go out. I looked at my wings, and saw my flames were out. This isn’t going to be good…

I looked ahead, and all I saw was a blue and black mass, which made me jump back and see a widely smiling nightmare moon. Her smile easily showed off her sharp teeth. This is it…I gave everything I had….but I failed the girls…I failed…I….fai-

“BLAZE!!!” I heard 6 voices call my name and I looked back to see all the girls wearing necklaces, all of which looked like their cutie marks, but Twilight had a crown/tiara instead of a necklace. Are those the elements? I just smiled knowing they got them, but I lost the smile as I felt a sharp pain in my chest and I saw all the girls eyes go wide, Fluttershy had her hooves to her mouth, and Rainbow Dash seemed to get really mad…I….I don’t wanna look….

I made my head turn and look down to see a stone stretched out a spike and impaling up into my chest. I cant believe I let my guard down…I soon felt pain surge through my body, which made me cough from my air catching in my throat, and blood just poured from my mouth. I could see the edges of my vision get a black fog, and everything started feeling cold…

I saw blood on the floor in front of me, and flowing down the stone spike, but I just smiled as my eyes were wide. The edge of my vision blackened by the odd black fog, and everything but the center of my sight was blurry. I just chuckled and looked at Nightmare Moon who looked scared after I looked at her.

I heard myself talk, but my voice had…a slight growl behind it, as well as a hint of venom. “you just made…the worst decision of your life…” I saw my hoof raise and hit the spike breaking it, and I just saw blurs of black, blue, purple, and grey. After about a minute I saw I was looming over nightmare moon who was…standing? No, I can't be taller than her, but I feel like I’m standing on the ground…

I saw my hoof rise up to my mouth and I…bit it making it bleed. And then I saw a red spike shot forward, like a blade sticking out of my hoof and move to her neck. No…I don’t want to KILL her! I gotta stop this! I started to pull my hoof back and stumble back. It hurt to make myself move, I felt cold, and alone, but I couldn’t let myself kill another…I can’t…

I heard my growl-like voice yell out again. “NO STOP, I COULD END THIS NOW, IF YOU JUST LET ME! STOP THIS! WE DO NOT KNOW IF THOSE ELEMENTS CAN EVEN STOP HER!”

I soon saw fire swirl around me for a few seconds then disappear and everything seemed…bigger…taller…and then I just fell over trying to breath, which hurt so much to even do. I saw a rainbow like blast go around nightmare moon, then a bright flash. Soon after I lifted my head weakly to see the girls run over to me.

I could slightly hear them talking and looking worried as Fluttershy was looking at my wound. The room seemed to get brighter, from a light behind me. I turned my head and saw the sun rising. At least, I get to know the sun gets to shine on Equestria again…I wonder what the next world is like here…my thoughts were interrupted when I saw Celestia fly into the castle. She seemed serene and calm till I heard twilight say I was seriously injured. She hurried over to me, and I saw a gold yellow light on her horn, and I felt the cold inside me fade, and be replaced with warmth. I just laid my head down and started relaxing, which made my eyes heavy.

I could hear the girls’ voices talking to me as my eyes were closing.

“Blaze, please don’t shut your eyes…i-if that’s ok with you…” heh, Fluttershy…I will miss that timid and kind tone of yours…

“Blaze if you die on me I will NEVER forgive you. You are almost as cool as me, and I wanted to race you one day. DO NOT DIE ON ME YOU BUCKER!” Rainbow Dash…you are so cocky, but it suits you…it would have been awesome to race you…but I guess that won’t happen…I’m sorry Dash….

“Darling, you can’t die. There were so many designs I had come up for you. You can’t leave us….” I heard a choked sob. “you can’t…” Rarity…I really wish I got to see those designs…I’m so sorry…

“c’mon pardner, fight this. Ah know you are stronger than this. We need ya sugarcube…” Applejack…the southern drawl is just perfect for you, and I only knew one other it worked for. I wish I could try one more of those apple family apple fritters….and I wish I could have seen what country life was like…working on a farm…

“don’t die. The princess will have you healed up soon…please just hold on…for all of us…you may not think we know, but we all know you have a pain deep inside…and we all want to help in healing it…you’re our friend…and we want you to live….fight it….for us….” Twilight….heh heh…you all think you understand…but you don’t know the half of it…but I’m glad to know I had friends that truly cared about me…

“come on, you need to live. I still have a few party ideas I need to throw for you! You HAVE to live!” I could see her mane fall, go straight, and her bright pink coat, mane, and tail…darkened… “and I don’t want to see anypony die…please…*sniffle* don’t die….” Pinkie…go back to your happy self please…I can’t stand to see you like this….

I cant stand seeing any of you like this…I…cant die…not yet…I’M NOT READY TO DIE YET, DO YOU HEAR ME DEATH?! I HAVE TO STAY, AND PROTECT THEM, PROTECT THIS WORLD!

I slowly moved my hoof and closed my eyes tightly and gritted my teeth as I forced myself up groaning from the pain shooting through me. I could hear all seven of them saying to stop, but I had to stand up. I had to show death that I NEED to stay alive, that I can fight him, and do what I have to. I was standing up, but I held my head low panting from all the exertion from today. You will not take me today death…and not anytime soon…

I felt a hoof lift my head by the chin and saw Princess Celestia looking at me worried, then she slowly smiled and I felt the spike slide out of my chest slowly making me gag, from some blood that came up and I gritted my teeth as I felt the spike slowly leave my body. The wound burned so badly I just wanted to scream, but I held it in as I kept choking up on my breaths, and the blood that tried to come out.

I heard stone clatter on the floor and I started coughing, but no blood came out. After my coughing fit I went to wipe the blood off my face, but found it was gone. Celestia must have cleaned me up using a spell as well…hmm, I wonder if I can say I got stabbed in the chest and lived now? Probably not…oh well, I’m alive, and that’s what matters. I couldn’t help but smile and look at the girls and shrug. “no big deal, ya’ know?” I just had to add a smirk at the end of that.

It was short lived as all the girls except twilight and Celestia tackled me in a hug, which made all of us laugh. Laughter…its good to finally, and truly laugh again…its been so long…I soon saw Celestia heading to a light purple, or bright violet colored pony. Wait…that cutie mark…I saw it be…fore….oh no….

I quickly jumped up and took a few steps closer extending my wings as they went ablaze watching the pony closely. I heard Celestia say ‘sister’ which turned my mind around, then flipped it upside down…yep…everything has become backwards, and upside down to me right now…after seeing Celestia and her sister hug, I could tell my wings had gone out and I folded them. Then I heard two silent and long ‘cooooooooooooooooooolll’’s come from behind me. of course I could tell it was Rainbow and Pinkie.

The purple-ish blue alicorn I learned was named Luna, walked over to me. “I just wanted to apologize….for what happened…you don’t have to accept it, I just want you to know I was really sorry…” I saw her head lower like she was ashamed.

I just sat there and set my hoof on her shoulder, which made her look at me in surprise at me, while I had a smile. “it wasn’t you…you weren’t in control…so I can’t blame you, for what something else did…” I saw her smile and nod before walking over to Celestia.

Pinkie started hopping around, happily. “you know what this calls for?!” I felt myself lurch back and I saw Ponyville, around me, and tables and party decorations. “A PARTY!!!” did she…? No…she must have had the princess teleport us…right…?

Oh well, the party was fun and all, but it was short lived since it WAS early morning, and all of us (except pinkie maybe, since she just seems to be hopping everywhere…) all the girls headed for their homes. I turned around to start walking and froze. I don’t have a home here…I heard a groan from behind me and felt something start pushing me towards the library for a moment before twilight was beside me.

“you are staying with me, you think the princess, would send you here without a place to stay?” twilight makes a good point…but in the library? Oh right, there’s two bedrooms upstairs…kind of like a small apartment upstairs, but the kitchen is off the library on the first floor. I soon got in my bed, and yawned in expectation of the coming sleep. As my eyes started closing I saw a dark blue alicorn with grey mane and glowing blue eyes…with black sclera…and a scarf that seemed to move on its own, while tearing off small pieces, yet never diminishing. I wanted to ask who he was, but his horn got a pitch black glow as I felt a burning sensation deep inside me, and fell asleep.

Ch 8: Griffons and Rage

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It’s been a few weeks since the whole Nightmare Moon incident, and a few small things happened. Applejack went a little crazy from exhaustion, which me and twilight got through to her after a while, thankfully. And there was an incident with some gold tickets. (which I couldn’t help but think of that old Willy Wonka movie’s ‘I got a golden ticket’ song. Which just sent me in an uproarious phase of complete laughter, and…I got forced to sing the whole song for the girls…oh god how embarrassed was I after that song? So much so that I wished I could burn myself to ashes with my wings…

Aside from those, I can fly now, thanks to Rainbow Dash, and we now work on maneuvers, and my speed. I can now keep up with her for a good 20 to 25 minutes before I start slowing down, and my endurance gets better every day we work on it. I also found an instrument store and found they have guitars here. oh, it is such a relief to know guitars are still playable. Unicorns can play them so much easier because of their magic, but pegasi can use their hooves, or even their wings. Yeah, wings…I learned how to move them pretty quickly, but the advanced levels of manipulation? Yeah, the feathers can act like the fingers of a hand, and that just seemed crazy.

The weirdest thing…that dark blue alicorn with the black and blue eyes…every night before I fall asleep he comes into my room, and I asked Celestia and Luna if they knew any alicorns like that, but they said they were the only ones that still lived…to their knowledge…well, other than their niece. After a week of it happening I told them it was every night, and for a couple nights, I had guards posted at my bedroom door. They always said, they saw the door open, but always checked into the room. never saw him. The princesses believe it was just my mind tricking me, but I now he’s real. How do I know? Because last night, I saw him come in, and make 2 eggs appear, one was decently big, while the other was…maybe twice the size of a chicken? Maybe closer to three times bigger…

I woke up to find the eggs still there, and the big egg was dark blue, with red circles, and the smaller egg was black with what looked like blue flames, like the flame decals on a car, but they covered the lower half of the egg. I set up a drawer with a few blankets like a couple nests and set the eggs in them, and the smaller of the two, felt so warm, which made me guess that it would hatch later. I headed downstairs towards the kitchen, and I could smell something cooking. But one smell hit hard…is that…bacon?! Wait, spike said last night he was gonna make ‘hay bacon’ must be made of hay, I should ask about that later…

I got into the kitchen to see…big surprise…twilight reading a book… “Twi, don’t you ever….oh I don’t know…NOT read? even all night with you sometimes…and when I wake up in the middle of the night for my 3 am drink, I have to blow out the candles you used, set a book mark, and close your books, THEN be very, very, VEEEERRRYYY careful to get you on my back and get you in bed while NOT waking the light sleep wonder that sleeps through thunder storms! I mean…” I looked over at spike. “I walk into that room to put her in her bed, one tiny squeek of a floorboard, and you jump up, but a storm hits, with thunder that shakes the tree, and you snore away! But some weird ALICORN comes into my room EVERY night and you sleep through THAT as well!!!” I slammed my head on the table chin first letting my head lay there as my hair covered my vision.

The silence let me know they were worried…I NEVER snapped like that before. I heard some hoofsteps, and then a hoof on my shoulder, knowing twilight came around the table. “the princesses said there was no pony else that was an alicorn…they even used a scrying spell to watch over you, and they never saw anypony enter your room.” I just leaned my head so I could look at her with one eye through my hair, and I started flapping my wings grabbing her and flying upstairs with her. “WHAT?! BLAZE!!! PUT ME DOWN!!”

I set her down by the drawer and pointed at the eggs. “not real?! HE LEFT THESE LAST NIGHT TWILIGHT!! I KNOW HES REAL NOW, AND I AM STRESSED AND SCARED NOW!” I almost bucked back in anger but calmed down so I wouldn’t jostle the drawer and make the eggs fall out. I sighed and looked down. “I-I’m sorry Twi, I didn’t mean to snap…this whole thing has been so taxing on my sanity, and this…? This made it so real for me, because even I thought it was just exhaustion, but I saw him set these eggs down, and then look at me.”

“this can’t be possible…these are….eggs of a dragon, and a phoenix…a dragon egg, a surprise to see here, but I know there are a lot of dragons, but the phoenix egg?! They are so rare, only one phoenix is known of in Equestria…and that’s Philomena…Celestia’s phoenix.” I looked at twilight as she was staring in shock at the phoenix egg. Are they really that rare?

Twilight and I soon went back into the kitchen. By the time we got there spike had set pancakes on three plates, and ‘hay’ bacon was on a separate plate in the center. We all sat at the table and started eating as twilight told spike to not each too fast because he is going to probably be sending and receiving letters for and from Celestia a lot. After breakfast I told them I was gonna go see if Rainbow Dash was wanting to fly around, show me some tricks, or just hang out in general.

Who knows, she may be hanging with Pinkie doing pranks like she did yesterday. From what I hear they pranked a lot of ponies. Rarity with sneezing powder, applejack with water soluble paint on her apples, twilight with invisible ink. Wait…they didn’t try to prank me…or Fluttershy…hmm…Fluttershy would probably be hurt, emotionally, from a prank…so her being unpranked, is understandable…but not me? maybe they didn’t have an idea….or….are they….no…they can’t be….they aren’t scared of me, are they?! Are….do they all fear me…? no, that cant be true, it cant…

I just froze up and stood there thinking, but in the middle of my thoughts, I could see ponies giving me a good berth…they do…that explains why they seem to watch me from the corner of their eyes…and they don’t think I see that?! Am I…a monster to them? I looked around to see some speed up when I did. I can’t believe this…before I was ignored because I was weak, and they all believed that if they were close to me they had to protect me…and now, its because….I’m a freak…a…a monster.

I decided to head towards the park, I needed to be alone, and the park was the best place to be alone. On the way I saw a…oh dear god…griffons DO exist here. I saw Fluttershy bump into the griffon while she was guiding some ducks and ducklings. I could hear her apologizing in her timid tone, but that griffon…by the voice, I'd say it’s a she…she just mocked Fluttershy and yelled at her. I cant let this go on.

I hurried over and got between the griffon and Fluttershy staring the griffon down. “What is you PROBLEM?! She apologized, and you decide to be a bitch, and mock her?!”

I saw the griffon step back and looks genuinely pissed, and ready to strike. “my problem?! She was the one who bumped me; she should have gone around ME.”

“oh, I’m sorry; I didn’t know I was talking to the duchess of the bitches!”

“I could easily take you dweeb!”

Oh yeah?!” I got in her face baring my teeth, with my wings outstretched.

“YEAH!!” she shoved her face into mine, outstretching her wings.

I decided to test something and made my wings go on fire pressing into her face harder and YELLED. “OH YEAH?!?!?!?!”

I could see the griffon back up scared. A pegasus using magic…definitely a freakish thing here apparently…I made my wings go out as the griffon scowled and walked off, mumbling something. I turned to Fluttershy, and hurried over to her to make sure she was ok. She told me she was fine, and thanked me for jumping in to defend her. I just shrugged and smiled at her. She got all the ducks together again, and started leading them again.

I continued heading to the park, and laid at the edge of the lake. I started wondering if what I did was too much…I soon heard two others land nearby, and I could hear Rainbow Dash’s voice say ‘hey’.

I looked up at her and saw the griffon behind her looking sad, but she just smirked at me for a moment. “why did you yell at Gilda?!”

I cant believe that griffon knows Rainbow Dash. “I didn’t yell at her…without reason…” I scratched my head nervously as I sat up. “Fluttershy backed into her as she was leading some ducks, and miss anger issues, mocked and yelled at her…I wasn’t sure WHAT she was gonna do to Fluttershy…lions and eagles are predatory creatures…and she is both in one…I didn’t want to risk Fluttershy getting hurt…what I did….may have been much…” I looked at Gilda. “and I apologize…but when I see another being pushed, or threatened, I tend to jump in and take any oncoming beating…or…attempt to kill…” I looked away from them as I felt a stinging pain at my neck and rubbed the spot to calm the pain.

“Blaze…Gilda is my friend, and I want to see my old friends become friends with my new friends too…now, we are about to head for a fly. Wanna join in?” I looked at her seeing her smirk, and Gilda seemed annoyed. I just nodded and Rainbow took off, as Gilda and I started flying after her.

It wasn’t too long when I felt something grab me, and clamped my muzzle shut. As I noticed I was inside a cloud. I looked over and saw Gilda staring at me intensely. “listen twerp, Rainbow Dash is MY friend…and she has known me longer than you or any of those other lame ponies…she will be on my side, rather than yours…as I’m sure you noticed…” she smirked and let me go leaving me in the cloud for a second then I flew after them again.

We flew for about 25 minutes and landed on a cloud as I was panting, and I could hear Gilda’s voice. “aww, does the tired colt need a breather?” she laughed, and I raised my head to glare at her and I felt a sharp sting and gagged, which caused a coughing fit.

I felt a hoof on my shoulders and looks up and Dash panting. “I-I’m fine…I just…wrong pipe, that’s all.” I chuckled nervously. “Swallowed some air and it all went down the wrong tube.”

I saw Gilda fix her feathers that had the tips dyed a shade of violet. And sat there looking annoyed.

I just rolled my eyes, and sat down flexing my wings, which made Gilda watch me cautiously. She’s nervous about me lighting my wings, huh? Good to know…

I leaned my head and made my neck pop loudly which made Gilda flinch and Rainbow looked at me, which made me turn my head the other way making a series of pops, making Gilda cringe. The relief made me happily sigh and look behind me, and I saw…wait…that blue alicorn! I looked back at Dash, then back where the alicorn was, but he was gone…damn…

I decided to let Gilda and Dash go on and I flew back to the library. I walked into the door, and saw Celestia looking at the phoenix egg, that was still in the small nest of my old human clothes and some blankets, which now sat on the Twilight's studying table. I walked over and looked at the egg. And it wasn’t long when I heard Celestia’s voice.

“Blaze, I need you to describe this alicorn you have been seeing…in FULL detail…”

I looked at her and nodded as I sat there staring at the egg. “dark blue coat, and feathers, light grey, nearly white hair color, blue eyes, but the white of the eyes…his were black….so it was like he had a completely black eye….black as the void itself…and it just had a blue ring in it. I do not feel any threat off him, but I do….worry…and it feels like I should know him…or….at least OF him…its hard to explain…”

Celestia nodded and looked at me. “he gave these eggs to you for a reason…the phoenix, if it binds its life to yours by nicking you with its beak and makes its tears heal the wound, the phoenix is safe….the dragon egg…watch the dragon closely…I scanned an alteration spell on them…so when they hatch, they wont just be hatchlings. The phoenix will be mature, and the dragon…I would say…around spikes age?”


I just nodded unsure of what to say. Celestia smiled and teleported off, but a few seconds later I heard the door crash open and I felt something crash into me. I looked back to see pinkie, with her eyes spinning. She soon jumped up and hopped excitedly, with a big grin, and set a paper on the table and ran off. Wonder what that was about…

I looked at the paper and saw a crude griffon drawing, with a cake, that looks like it was a photo rather than a drawing, and I could tell it was an invitation to a party for Gilda. Maybe this would help out. I certainly hope it helps, since Dash seems to be close friends with Gilda.

Twilight and I headed for SugarCube Corner, for the party. I saw Gilda come in a few minutes after we got here, and she got a lemon drop, which seemed to have been tampered with since she yelled, and tried to get a drink, but the cup had a hole in it that made it pour on her chest.

After another couple pranks, Gilda got in pinkies face. “you think these weak little pranks was gonna break me? sorry, but they didn’t…you are just queen lame-o for these pranks anyway…” I saw her start leaving telling…or TRYING to tell her to leave with her. I heard Dash say she made the pranks, and that must mean the she was the lame-o. Gilda really messed up…

I could see Dash was going to say something and I walked over. “Dash wait.” I walked up to Gilda and looked at her. “why don’t we all just say some things happened, and some things were said…and just start over with a clean slate…okay?” I held my hoof to Gilda, hoping she would agree to the idea.

I saw her look at my hoof then me before scowling, then I saw a yellow blur come up the right side of my face, and I felt a pain over my eye. The speed from the yellow blur made my head go up, and I could feel something warm flow down my face. I suddenly heard a few gasps, and I heard Dash call my name in worry. I just lowered my head and looked at Gilda, as I felt something change in my mind.

My mind just seemed to shut off, as I felt an urge to act, to jump, to….tear her apart…I suddenly flew into her and made us roll out of the door and into the streets. I threw her and rolled onto my hooves as everything seemed to be colored red, but Gilda seemed to have a black aura around her…my target…the first and last fight I was ever in…it was just anger, but this…I can feel bloodlust deep inside.

I got closer to Gilda, which just made me smile widely, but I could see many ponies watching back away scared. I must be smiling like some kind of maniac. I felt my wings stretch out and I saw the orange glow radiate off me onto the ground, but I noticed the glows color change, but I didn’t care. When I got close to Gilda she curled up scared, and the window of the store she was in showed my reflection.

I saw the demented smile of a killer, the right half of my face and a lot of my hair were covered in blood, and my eyes were red, but the scariest part was the white of my eyes…they weren’t white anymore, but they were red, like I had a lot of blood vessels in my eyeball bust, and the blood filled the eye. The flames of my wings had even turned red, like the sun when it sets. I looked in shock, then looked down to see the blood going down my right hoof, and looked back to see hoofprints in blood. I felt everything go numb and I looked at Gilda.

I made my wings go out and folded them up, and then…I just bolted off, running, I wasn’t sure where, but I didn’t care. I just had to get away. I quickly found myself in the library, and I ran to the restroom, and locked the door as I started cleaning off the blood at the sink. The whole time, I kept wondering what was happening to me, why did I get an urge to kill? I have been stabbed, cut, and more, but I never…NEVER had an urge to KILL! Is this power corrupting me? all this time when I thought that if I had power, I wouldn’t be corrupted by it…was I lying to myself?!

After a few minutes, I was still scrubbing wet yet crusted blood off my face, and I heard a knock at the restroom door which made me flinch and look at myself in the mirror. My face still had some blood, and the three cuts going over my eye continued to bleed. I quickly wiped off the remaining blood and pulled out the roll of gauss quickly wrapping around my head a few times at an angle, so my eye is covered, and bit it to rip the gauss stuffing the end under the wrapping. It looked like a shoddy wrapping, but semi professional at least.

I opened the restrooms door to see the girls all looking at me with….fright I guess, I couldn’t tell since I couldn’t bare to look any of them in the face. I soon felt a hoof gently move my head, which I didn’t resist but I kept looking away, which most of what I saw was straight pink hair, and I soon felt the gauss lift up and I slowly opened the eye, which I soon saw half of what I see go red quickly.
“oh my…we need to get you to the hospital, that needs to be professionally dressed, and cleaned.” I looked at Fluttershy; feeling lost in my own mind, so I just chose to say what came to mind.

“why…?” Fluttershy looked at me shocked, and confused and I looked at the rest of the girls looking at me worried, except Rainbow Dash who sitting down the hall rubbing one of her forelegs, looking away from me. “why are you still helping me…? why are you helping a monster like me…?”

I saw Dash raise her head with wide eyes and she charged into me tackling me in a hug, which shocked me “you are NOT a monster blaze! How could you even think that?! Because you were covered in blood?! That was your blood, Gilda probably had a few bruises, but she didn’t bleed, you did!!”

I just lowered my head as my hair covered my vision. “I thought of killing her…”

Me and Dash sat up and she hugged me again, as the other girls joined in, which surprised me, and helped me calm down. I soon heard twilight’s voice. “but you didn’t…”

We all started heading for the hospital, but I could feel all the stares on me as we walked through the town. At the hospital the doctors started cleaning, and disinfecting the wound. They stuck a piece of cloth with a salve on it, which felt nice and cold. They wrapped gauss a lot better than I did. I was soon let go, and given a couple pills to help me sleep tonight. When me and the girls left the hospital we all headed the same way, but as we went along some had to head another way to head home. The only ones to make it to the library were me, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Dash.

I felt a little tap and I looked over at Fluttershy. “be sure to get plenty of rest…I will be by tomorrow to change the bandages…i-if that’s ok with you that is…” I just nodded and smiled which made her smile a bit, but she hid her face into her mane more. “bye” she seemed to trot off happily. Wait…could she…? Nah, she’s just really kind and caring.

I felt a little punch on my shoulder on the other side and saw Dash smirking at me. “endurance training will start again the day after tomorrow, no tricks though, just endurance. Until that stuff is off your eye, and you feel good enough to. Don’t want you to get hurt anymore, right big guy?”

“you think this hurts?” I smirked back at her. “I had a spike go through my chest, tearing some vital organs. This is a paper cut, a flesh wound.” I placed a hoof over Dash’s shoulders and pulled her closer using my other hoof to give her a noogie. “so don’t worry your little head over this tiny thing. It’s the second smallest wound I got in my whole life, and the least painful to boot.”

I let her go as she pushed away chuckling. “good to hear you’re gonna be ok…” her ears drooped as her eyes softened and seemed to glisten like she wanted to let out some tears. “I would hate to lose you…you are the only one that can decently keep up with me…even if it only lasts for so long, you can…and I know that once you get better at flying, we will make each other better and better fliers…” she looked at me and smiled.

“I’d like that Dash…I’ll c'ya tomorrow, right?” she nodded and flew off towards Cloudsdale. I should really check it out sometime soon. I soon got to my bed but I didn’t get in it, I sat next to it seeing Mimzy right in the middle of the bed snoozing away. I didn’t have the heart to wake her, so I just grabbed the blanket I had on a nearby seat and went downstairs to the library and saw Twilight reading a book. I popped the blanket off my back with my wings making them create a poof sound, and the blanket landed on the couch with a decent thud.

Twilight jumped and looked at me, before taking a breath. “Blaze, you scared me…” I guess she noticed my stare as she slowly smiled widely…which I heard a small squeek as she did…weird….

“Twilight….bed…now…or I will burn every first edition magic book you have, then every history book, then the rest…..one….by….one…” I saw Twilight glare at me as I smirked and walked to a bookshelf and searched it finding a ‘fundamentals of magic, and the complexities of the flow’ that was written by a ‘Starswirl the Bearded’ and made a single feather light on fire moving it towards the book.

“ALRIGHT, just stop! That is only one of the three remaining copies like that!! The only others are in the royal library, and Celestia’s room! the fundamentals part has been mass produced, but not the complexities of the natural magic’s flow around Equis, and how it affects us!” I slid the book back in its place as she closed her book and went up the stairs.

“no reading in bed either, sleep…I know you haven’t slept much, and you need to…” I flicked the feather making the flame go out. “oh, and Mimzy is hogging my bed, so I’m sleeping down here…so no planning to sneak back down here…” I laid the blanket on the couch and got under it getting cozy.

“whatever you say Blaze…” I could tell by her voice she was annoyed. I soon heard a door close and I looked at the doorway to the kitchen, but I couldn’t see into the room. oh well…its not like I need to….I grabbed the pills I got from the doctors and dry swallowed them. Oh shit, these hit FAST! I already feel dizzy, and really heavy! As my eyes closed I saw a silver gleam in the pitch black kitchen, and I felt a pain go through my wrapped eye. But the pills were too strong, and I fell asleep, seeing 2 blue rings, and a wide smile in the void from the kitchen.

Ch 9: Nightmares, and True Fears

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Its been almost 5 days since my eyelid was cut by Gilda, and it earned me a good scar. 3 dark grey lines are easily visible above and below my right eye, and when I have my eyes closed, the lines connect with the extended cut going up the lids of my eye. But the worst thing…? Nightmares…ever since I have had nightmares, never ending, some with me being torn apart, cut open, even pinned down and having talons dig into my eyes, and they say you don’t feel what’s in a dream? Maybe a dream, but everything is felt in a nightmare.

I haven’t slept for almost 50 hours now, and I know I look terrible. Eyes are bloodshot, my wings tend to hang quite a bit, but not drag on the ground, and floor…but its close…another 4 or 5 inches till they drag on the ground. I have moments I dose off, but they don’t last since the moment my eyes close, I see a griffon swipe for my neck, which snaps me awake anyway. I cant remember last night too well, but Twilight said she had to really focus to keep me from the kitchen…apparently I was driven to wanting to end it…now I’m on permanent watch from the girls…I remember some flashes of one instance I made an attempt, when I was at Rarity’s boutique.

I got up from the couch and snuck behind Rarity to the table she kept her pin catchers on, and I grabbed a pin that went all the way through the catcher, and luckily Rarity planned on using it which pulled me over with it, and sent me falling. What was said I’m not sure, but I remember just breaking down, and thanking Rarity, and telling her how much I appreciate what her and the others have done for me and I felt I didn’t deserve such good friends…she slapped me…I was gonna tell her sorry I said that, but she jumped on it, and said she knows I’m delirious from lack of sleep, and to just relax.

I was taken to Sweet Apple Acres, because Rarity had to head out on a ‘gem hunt’ and she couldn’t focus on her spell and me both. So, now I have been carrying bins of apples to the barn. I felt so useless, since my one trip was three or four for Applejack and Big Mac. I know they understand, but it still made me feel terrible…when they decided it was time for a lunch break, I just sat under a tree near the Apple household, and looked at the ground.

I occasionally got a weird sensation which made my ears twitch, and flick like they were wanting me to look. I finally did, and looked over at the Everfree and saw…HIM...that blue alicorn! I have never felt so awake as I did now and I just bolted up and flew towards the forest as I heard the house’s screen door open. I heard Applejack yell something, but I had to catch this alicorn. I couldn’t let him escape again. I saw him run behind a tree onto a path, and I lands at the path panting and saw nothing.

I just leaned my head forward as I yelled down the path with such anger and annoyance. “JUST COME OUT, IM SICK OF THESE DAMN GAMES, SO EITHER COME OUT OR I WILL TRACK YOU DOWN AND SHOW YOU WHAT THIS FUCKING FREAK CAN DOOOOO!!!” I just panted looking down the path hoping he would walk out…but nothing…just who is he?! And why does he appear than disappear like he is trying to….guide me…

I started hearing a female voice humming, or creating a tune, in an opera like fashion, and I felt compelled to follow it, which I did but, the next thing I knew was a mass of green, brown, and pain in my head and side, as I just stared down the path. The singing stopped and I gasped shooting my head up as my senses spiked back, and I saw a panting and worried looking Applejack.

“are ya’ll alright? Ya just started flying off, and when ah heard you scream for someone to show themselves, ah got worried!” I looked down and saw a lasso around my legs. “right, I kind of…had to use my rope so I know ya wouldn’t fly off again…”

I reached to it using my mouth to slip it off and stood up feeling…rested…? “n-no, its fine. I would have done the same thing…if I could.” I chuckled and looked at applejack with a small smile. “thanks AJ. I really owe you.”

“aw shucks, ain't nothin’ sugarcube.” We started heading back to the house, and when I stopped and looked back as applejack kept walking, I felt a huge force tackle me and pin me down.

I heard a gruff voice, with a southern accent talk from above me, while my head was held down by a huge red hoof. “gotcha, ya sneaky varmint…”

I got my head to turn and looked at him with my left eye and talked the best I could, what with my face shoved into the dirt… “Big Mac...get off me…I’m fine…”

“eenope…”

I looked at applejack seeing her smile and try to sneak off so I called out to her. “oh yeah, THANKS for the HELP AJ!!”

I started to push myself up, and I could hear Big Mac grunt in shock. I suddenly felt a surge go through me and I just stood up sending Big Mac off my back. The last time I felt like this was when…my friends sister…was getting mugged…oh shit…

I turned to Big Mac quickly. “WHERE IS APPLE BLOOM RIGHT NOW?!”

I saw Big Mac shrug. “she went to get her friends, then come ba-“I didn’t let him finish as I flew off towards town. I REALLY hope this feeling was just a shock to my system, and not my instinct warning me of trouble…

I soon stopped flapping near Ponyville square and slid a bit on my hooves panting looking around, for a small yellow filly, with a red bow. I ran down a road, and saw Apple Bloom, and her two friends, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo talking to a dark blue, gray haired unicorn wearing a cloak…wait…

I ran over and called out to the girls, which made them look at me, as well letting the pony see me as he grinned. I went to tackle him but before I got a hold of him he teleported off and I landed on my hooves. Gone….AGAIN! now I’m seeing him throughout the day?! Who is he?!?!?!?!

I looked over to see the three fillies run over to me, and Apple Bloom was the first to speak. “Blaze, what was that all about?! He was gonna ask a question, for us to help him, then you try to tackle him!”

I heard Scootaloo start after her. “yeah, he just wanted help, then you attack him, what is WRONG with you?!”

I just rubbed my head and groaned. “you three wouldn’t understand…lets just say…he is the same pony that has been causing me troubles for a few weeks now…come on…lets get you girls back to Sweet Apple Acres…” we all started walking back, the whole time the girls were talking about some stuff that happened at school, and some stuff about their homework. That must be what they were gonna do, work on their homework together, or they have some important project. When we got to the house I went to the tree and just collapsed.

Apple bloom walked over and pulled a small box from her saddlebag setting it down. “oh that unicorn said to give ya this, that it is important ya got it…” she hurried back inside the house as I looked at the box.

I opened the box Apple Bloom set down and i saw a strongbox that seemed to be designed after death itself. i pulled it out to look at the strongbox that had pony skulls carved into the sides, and 2 scythes adorned the top of it, with a...human skull under the scythes...i saw a key in the original box, and pulled it out to see a pony skull adorn the head of the key, and the bit on the end was just a curved peice making the key look like a small scythe.

I carefully opened the strongbox and saw it was empty. As soon as I closed it the pony skull quickly changed into a flame design, and it popped out of the keyhole onto the ground, which, immediately after that the whole strongbox was covered in a black flame making me jump back. Soon the fire turned blood red and disappeared showing a basic wooden lockbox with a red fire design around the sides, and a giant shield adorned the top. The keyhole floated off and moved onto the center of the shield that was on top of the strongbox, as it made a loud click.

I just backed away from the strongbox. I ran at it and grabbed it with my wing and jumped spinning in mid air. I then threw it as hard as I could towards the Everfree. not long after, I quickly ran into the farmhouse after hearing Applejack call for lunch. I hope I never see that box again…

After lunch I was helping Big Mac and Applejack again, and I was getting the bins of apples much quicker now. I heard of how ignoring sleep for so long, that you get used to the sensation of weakness and exhaustion, for a time. I must be in that phase. I hope it doesn’t end soon.

The sun was setting by the time my energy dropped to how it was…I saw it was getting late, and decided it was time I should head to the library, and also offered to walk Sweetie and Scootaloo home. They got excited at the idea which made me and Applejack laugh a bit. I extended my wing and out and low so it was like a ramp and the fillies quickly grabbed their bags and said their farewells to Apple Bloom, climbing onto my back.

While heading into Ponyville, the two fillies were asking why I was so tired, which I told them I was having nightmares that must have been caused from that griffon scratching me when she was here, that I must have formed a fear of griffons deep in my mind, that are manifesting itself as nightmares. I heard the two start whispering as I was approaching a white house with a bright blue roof. I looked back as I set my wing like a ramp by the door, letting Scootaloo slide down my wing and I knocked on the door.

“oh my parents are out right now. Its why I was allowed to go to Apple Blooms today, so I should be getting inside.” I saw her smile, yet she looked nervous as she pulled a key from her saddlebag, and said bye to sweetie and me before she got inside and closed the door quickly. It was certainly odd…

I started to head for Rarity’s as I heard Sweetie sigh, which made me look at her. “you ok?” Sweetie quickly looked at me and smiled nodding quickly. “alright, but so you know, you and the others can tell me anything, and I wont tell anypony anything, even the others, If I need to.

She looked at me and laid along my back sighing. “Scootaloo believes I don’t know but, I know she lost her father a year ago…he was a part of the guard, and a homeless stallion in Manehattan. hit him over the head. He…didn’t make it…”

“it’ll be ok Sweetie. I’m sure everything will be just fine…” I reached Rarity’s and set my wing to let Sweetie down, and I knocked on the door, which didn’t take long for it to be answered by Rarity, and I used a terribly done noble tone. “greetings m’lady. I have brought you a special package to you, from the Apple Clan. I do hope the package wont cause TOO much trouble my dear.” Sweetie started laughing, and I smiled as I pat her head gently.

Rarity chuckled a bit. “oh my, darling, that was just atrocious. Please tell me that wasn’t you TRYING to sound like a noble.”

“as if I would really want to sound like them, unless I was mocking them. Especially if that ‘Blueballs’ is a noble…he is such a fuuuu-“I cleared my throat before correcting myself. “he is such a….jerk…that doesn’t deserve the status he has…”

I could see Rarity just stare at me with unapproving eyes. I just smiled nervously and shrugged, before waving to them both and ran off. I soon reached the library and walked inside, I saw the library area empty and I was about to call out until I heard a crunching sound. I walked to the table that had a cloth over it, and slipped my head under the cloth expecting to see spike sneaking a ruby, but nothing. I heard the crunch again and I lifted my head hitting it against the bottom of the table hard and collapsed.

I soon got up and heard the crunching a bit more frequently. Now the crunching seemed to be coming from the kitchen, so I decided to head in there. When I hit the doorway I started to speak as I rubbed my head. “Spike, you know how Twilight feels about you sneaking rubies, so just put the rubies away and ill stay si-“ I looked in and saw…a black furred griffon with dark grey feathers and wings. The griffon raised its head and looked at me with blood covering its beak…I looked at the floor and saw….Twilight…her neck had three long, deep cuts, as blood pooled under her head, I couldn’t see her body, because the griffon blocked it, but just imagining what was there made me sick. The griffon let out a loud eagle shriek which made me turn and bust through the door and out the library.

I just ran. I didn’t even dare to look back. I ran to Rarity’s place and crashed through the door and used my back legs to kick it shut and jumped into it locking it. Right after I locked it I felt a thud on it, and jumped back. Rarity…Sweetie…please be ok. I ran up the stairs, and started opening doors. I saw one doors knob was crushed and I tensed up as I walked to it. I slowly turned the crushed knob and opened it a bit to peek inside. I saw Rarity sitting in there looking out the window, and I opened the door.

“Rarity, I’m so glad to see you’re okay! The griffons…they got twilight!” I walked up to her quickly and blinked as she didn’t move. “Rarity?” I set my hoof on her back and she fell over, and I could see her neck was torn open, and some of her forelegs were gone. “no...this cant be real!” I looked out the window and I saw Applejack dropped by a griffon flying by, and Rainbow Dash fell out of a tree. I backed away from the window not wanting to see any more.

I felt something go around my neck and three sharp points was set against the left side of my neck, and I heard a familiar voice that made my blood run cold, and made my body so tense I couldn’t move. “Hello, you friend stealing freak…” I moved my eyes and looked over to see Gilda’s face smirking. This cant be real….it cant be real…

I heard glass break and I saw two bodies laying in front of me. I saw a big mass of pink, covered in glass, and a yellow body tangled in a mess of pink and blood encrusted hair…Pinkie…Fluttershy….I just closed my eyes as tightly as I could as I felt tears go down my cheeks, but I quickly looked at Gilda with rage. “what are you waiting for…? JUST END IT YOU BITCH! YOU AND YOUR FUCKING KIND TOOK AWAY ALL I CARED ABOUT SO JUST DO IT! FUCKING END IT!!!” I felt her talons leave my neck as she just laughed.

I turned around to face her, and I wanted to burn her but my wings wouldn’t listen…then I saw the strongbox on the floor next to me. I opened it to see it filled with blood and a piece of paper floated in it with ‘power’ written on it.

I looked at Gilda and lifted my right foreleg to my mouth as she stopped laughing and grinned. I just bit into my foreleg as hard as I could until I bit a good chunk of my flesh off and I felt a huge flash of power as everything went black. I looked around in the darkness confused and extended my wings, making them light on fire, and I saw the girls. But, they were…I gulped and felt my tears flow as I saw they were standing, but they were torn apart, bloody, open wounds, some were missing either one or both eyes.

I saw six lights shine down in front of them all, as Fluttershy stepped into one first. “it’s your fault…you had to come to our world…corrupt it…..corrupt us…..why didn’t you go back to your world? I wish that you NEVER came out of that forest by my cottage…” the light she was in turned red.

Rarity stepped into her beam of light next. “such a lack of taste in fashion…inconsiderate…and insulting the one that saved you…you didn’t deserve that kindness, just as how you don’t deserve our friendship…you deserve to be shunned…or even left to rot in a ditch somewhere…” Rarity’s light turned red as I started to hyperventilate.

Next was Rainbow Dash. “you were a freak before you were a pony…and you just became even MORE of a freak when you became a pegasus…I bet you caused Gilda to be so mad, so scared…I lost a good friend, because I felt pity for a freak…you don’t deserve to be here…” another light turned red, as I started to shake and look down.

I looked up after hearing hoofsteps to see Pinkie walk out to a beam of light. “why did I ever invite you to any of my parties? You didn’t deserve to have any fun, or enjoy any of my parties…you are nothing more than a meany monster pants.” A fourth light gone red…another ache….

Applejack walked into one of the last two white beams, and just pulled her Stetson hat down and looked away from me. “you should have bucked off, and never came onto Apple family land…” only one white light…I cant stand it…why am I seeing this…hearing these words…?

Twilight walked out into the last beam of light and stared at me. “you claim you wanted to protect…you claim that you care…but you don’t…you wanted to feel good….your feelings…your cares for us….they were fake…you are just selfish…self-absorbed…you just wanted to feel better, and you used us to do that…” the final light turned red, and I just fell onto my flank panting at a quick rate, each inhale burning, and each exhale feeling like I was letting out shards of glass through my throat, my chest felt like it was ripping apart, my vision was blurred from the tears, and I couldn’t even think.

One more white light appeared in front of me showing the strongbox again, which opened itself and I saw a mass of shadow come out and form a copy of me, wearing a black chest plate, black leg guards, red armored hoofshoes, and a helmet with a black spike coming out of it, like a horn. He slowly formed a corporeal frame and color started to appear on him, and his coat wasn’t black like mine was…it was white, and he had black mane and tail, with dark, blood red colored feathers.

I just inhaled sharply and collapsed placing my forelegs over my head and screamed as loud and hard as I could. Screaming….screaming……………screaming………………………….screa-

I felt a hard slap that made my head turn, and I saw the back of the libraries couch, and I started panting. I slowly looked back to see Fluttershy, with a worried face then she gasped holding her hoof. “I’m so sorry, I tried so many things, and all I had left was….I’m really sorry Blaze, please don’t hate me…” I saw how sad she looked, and I quickly rolled off the couch and hugged her, shaking, relieved it was all just a nightmare…

I felt myself choke back some sobs as I hugged her with my eyes shut tightly. “I could never be mad at you…I could never be mad at any of you girls…” I felt a hoof go around me onto my back, and then another did the same but started rubbing my back.

I felt myself calm down, and I saw my right foreleg wrapped up, which I heard her speak soon after I saw my hoof. “you need to rest, you hit your head pretty hard, and Twilight went to get a doctor for you…” I nodded and let her go laying on the couch again as Fluttershy picked up an ice pack from the floor, and set it against my head gently.

After 15 minutes, Twilight rushed in with a brown coated stallion with a doctor’s jacket on, following close behind her. I didn’t feel like talking after what happened in the nightmare came back. I felt the gauss on my foreleg come off, and the doctors voice a few times, before I heard a loud ‘clack’ at my ear making me jump.

“would you mind telling me who or what bit you Mr. Blaze?” I looked at the doctor then my hoof, to see a decent sized bite that was slightly bleeding…but, as I looked at it I felt a big surge of power.

“I…I guess….I did…..” in my peripheral, I saw the doctor look at me quickly and I could just feel twilight and Fluttershy do the same.

“WHAT?! WHY?!” I looked at the doctor slowly, then Fluttershy, as what she said in my nightmare repeated in my head, which lead to Twilight’s words playing which lead me to look at her.

I looked at my hoof turning it slowly looking at the bite mark, and I heard a raspy voice say ‘power’ like a whisper in my ear. “power….”

“power? What kind of power can you gain from biting yourself?!”

I heard the raspy voice whisper ‘blood’ to me again, which made me want to say four words, but I stopped myself and sighed. “none…I was having a terrible nightmare…that’s all…and I thought that if I could create pain, I could snap myself awake...it didn’t work…”

“mine explaining this nightmare?”

“griffons….”

“griffons? What about them?”

“they were…killing….and….eating….everypony….” I tensed up and closed my eyes tightly as I saw images of each of the girls mangled, bloody bodies flash in the darkness, which lead to tears flowing. “all of them….mangled…bloody….” I started shaking as I breathed unevenly. “Gilda…leaving me to wallow in the pain of seeing them dead…a note mentioning power, as it floated in blood…’power in the blood’…but…” I held my head in my hooves breathing hard.

I then started to explain the part about the girls, the lights, what was said, and the pain I felt through it all…

After I finished I looked over to Fluttershy and Twilight, and I saw all six of them there. It was so hard to see them like this…

Fluttershy looked so scared and shocked, as she looked away shortly after I looked over.

Rarity was sitting there with her hooves to her mouth, and a few streaks of black from her eyes.

Rainbow Dash looked shocked as she stared at me with misty eyes.

Pinkie’s mane had fallen flat, as her usually bright pink color was dark, and she looked so hurt, and scared.

Applejack had taken off her Stetson, and looked so worried.

And finally…Twilight seemed sad about how bad my nightmare was. I could just tell she was wondering if my other nightmares were this bad…

I looked at the doctor as he had finished rewrapping my hoof. “everything is just fine…after facing something as traumatic as you did, I could understand the griffon oriented nightmares…but by what your friends said in your nightmare…it seems you believe they don’t really care…or you had some doubt, even if you believed they do care…but I’m not a psychologist, I may be FAR off…all I can say is face your nightmare…accept the fact of what happened…but I do have a question you should ask yourself…is it griffons you are afraid of…? Or do you fear losing those close to you?” the doctor left the library leaving me staring at the door stunned…

I knew the answer to that question quickly…I wasn’t afraid of griffons…it was a griffon that CAUSED the thought…so my nightmares is making griffons CAUSE my fear….I’m afraid of losing my friends….losing the only ones that really made me smile, made me laugh…the only ones that I know would be there for me when I really needed them…

I carefully got off the couch, and soon after I was in a hug with the girls. It made me smile a bit as I hugged as many as I could, and I even used my wings to hug them. I won’t lose them…I know that now…but one question remained…what WAS making that crunching sound before I hit my head, and blacked out…?

Ch 10: Memories of a broken heart, and a big-mouthed, showoff

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I was in the kitchen, even before Celestia raised the sun today. It’s been a few days, of nothing but sleep, and rest. I finally felt like myself again. The girls were happy to see me acting like my normal self again too.

I started getting the things to make French Toast. I felt so good, I wanted to do something to repay twilight for baring with me, and then I need to do something for the other girls. They ALL helped me, and I owe them. I started preparing the bread, and started buttering a pan as I set up the stove. I was soon placing the soon to be French toast on the pan.

After a while the sun rose and I heard some thuds, and some clicking sounds heading for the kitchen. Twilight and Spike must have woken up. I set the French toasts on plates and set the plates on the table, as they entered the kitchen and looked at the table then me confused.

I just shrugged at them. “I wanted to do something to apologize for how I was…and to thank you for everything you did to help me. I really appreciate it.”

I saw Twilight and Spike sit at the table. I saw twilight smile as she looked at me. “you didn’t have to do this. Just seeing you back to your old self was good enough. You certainly had me worried.” She took a bite of the French toast and blinks as the book she had just lifted in her magic fell as she just ate.

“well, well, well…seems I found her weakness, eh, Spike?” I looked at spike to see him licking syrup off the plate, which made me laugh. “I guess this breakfast was a huge success!” I grabbed an apple and tossed it up catching it and took a bite of it. “there are a few more pieces in the pan. And Spike, do NOT hog them all. Make sure if Twi wants any more first. Well, I will see you two later…I have training to do…”

I heard a chair slide on the floor, and looked back to see Twilight’s eyes, and nothing else. I got used to this proximity because of Pinkie…except she had her eyes popping out a bit... “Blaze, Rainbow has to work all day today. How are you training today then?”

“how? I’m not training my flight…I’m doing a new training regiment, that I am gonna keep secret…” I walked out the door leaving a confused Twilight. I started heading for the Everfree forest, making sure none of the girls see me heading that way. I got to Ponyville’s outskirts, near Fluttershy’s house, so I quickly flew into the forest. When I was at the tree line, I looked around to make sure nopony saw. After being sure I wasn’t seen, I walked deeper into the forest.

Twilight’s POV

The whole day has passed since Blaze made that incredible breakfast, but he still hasn’t come back. If only I knew where he went. Why didn’t he tell me?! What if he’s hurt out there? What if he is at an isolated area?! I have to find him!

I used my magic to get my saddlebags on, and filled them with possibly needed medical supplies, then rushed towards the door opening it. As I ran out I crashed into somepony, but I didn’t get to see, but on reflex I closed my eyes tightly. When me and the other pony stopped tumbling, I felt an odd warmth on my lips. Oh please no…

Blaze’s POV

Well…I trained, I come back to the library to get an eyeful of purple in my vision, so I shut my eyes to not get anything in them and now….? My lips feel kind of warm, and my face is warming up…why? I know this feeling…and every time I have experienced this feeling…something bad happens to me…usually heartbreaking…when I opened my eyes I could see Twilight’s eyes opening as well. I knew we were kissing…or…our lips were together, but we weren’t…kissing exactly…it much like what a kid does when they didn’t know what a kiss was exactly. That awkward...pursed lips, and press together thing, but this still felt a little off from that…why?

I could see twilight looking at my eyes, and our muzzles, back and forth for a bit and me in a shellshock state, I couldn’t move. After another five seconds, she pulled her head back, and giggled in a nervous and embarrassed way. Oh, I HAD to mess with her now.

I just smirked, and whispered to her. “tend to move fast I see, but how fast do you want to go?”

I pulled my head back and I saw her face go red, HER WHOLE FACE WAS TOMATO RED!!! And the red is going…down her neck…and her hair is….uhhh….she looks pissed….ok, legs, break the shellshock and RUN!!! DAMMIT LEGS, FUCKING RUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNN!!!! I finally just bolted off. Where can I go? Where to hide?! Fluttershy’s!!!

I looked back to see a red Twilight, with a mane that looked to be pure fire, and eyes that screamed for blood. That look was almost as bad as Fluttershy’s ‘stare’ as the girls called it now. I felt myself stumble and I fells forward in a tumble…channel my inner assassin…in mid-roll I jumped and flapped my wings flying off. Wings make things SO much easier. I went up to where I was even with the second floor windows. I knew I was gonna be stupid so I curled my wings under my body, curled up and rolled as I turned, then when I felt it was right I opened my wings and extended my legs as I slid on the ground.

I turned my wings so they acted as an air brake, and when I stopped sliding I lifted my hoof and bit into it hard till I felt blood squirt out. I saw twilight a few inches in front of me, as she tried to tackle me, then I was at Fluttershy’s cottage, feeling all my energy just leave me. So I get to where I can endure one thing, then I get something else to get used to…I hope this is the last thing I have to deal with, but I feel I will have something else in the future…please…please be wrong just ONE time…ONCE IS ALL I ASK FOR YOU TO BE WRONG!!!

It has been a couple hours since I used blood magic, as I am now gonna call it, and Fluttershy has wrapped my bite wound, and helped me onto her couch to rest. The world still feels fuzzy, but I am aware of my surroundings again. Angel is, of course, on my back, thumping his back leg at my neck whenever Fluttershy isn’t around, but when she is, Angel just gets all snuggled up in my hair, like I am his personal pillow, and transportation. I swear he acts just like my mothers’ old dog, that we named ‘Coco’ she hated males, dog, cat, human, doesn’t matter. Female? She’s all lovey-dovey at, males? She growls, and snaps when they just LOOK in her direction.

But anytime I talked to my mom, or got her help with something, Coco would always….ALWAYS bump into me. Try to trip me up, just…anything to annoy me. But Angel’s leg thumping felt nice. I heard the door open, and as quick as the door opened I heard Twilight’s voice. “Fluttershy! Blaze disappeared and nopony can find him! We need your hel-“She finally saw me, and I just blinked. Too exhausted to run…well…I am going to die.

15 minutes with Twilight hugging me and saying she was sorry, constantly. And I don’t think she hears me saying it’s alright, and that I wasn’t mad. She finally let me go and looked really tired, and sad. I just sat up and smiled placing a hoof on her shoulder, which made her look at me and she smiled herself.

“I am so sorry Blaze, I had something happen when I was a filly, that hurt, and that back at the library…it made me think of that and, it hurt…and I got so angry, cause I thought you were gonna hurt me…like that colt did…” I looked at Twilight and pulled her to me with my wing and hugged her.

I felt twilight flinch, and tense up, but she soon relaxed and leaned into me. “I’m so sorry Twi…I didn’t know…I would never….NEVER hurt any of you girls like that on purpose…I just thought if I teased you a bit, it wouldn’t be a big deal…I’m really sorry…” I looked at Twilight to see her smile and her eyes slowly close. My disappearing act must have concerned her more than I thought.

Fluttershy helped me get Twilight on my back, and we said our goodbyes, as I left to get Twilight home, and in her bed. Not long, I ran into the rest of the girls who were all relieved to see I was fine. I explained I got to Fluttershy’s when Twilight got mad for a little thing I did, but she explained why she reacted that way, and everything was fine. I kept what caused it secret for obvious reasons, and soon got to the library.

I carefully got twilight in her bed and got a blanket over her. I then headed to my room and before I opened the door I heard a crunching sound and turned quickly looking both directions down the hall. “hello?” I know it isn’t Spike, he was asleep in Twilight’s room. I headed to the stairs and jumped off gliding to the ground level looking around as I heard the crunch happen right behind me and turned quickly. Nothing, but…my breath is visible…and it’s so cold.

I then heard a dry raspy voice whisper at my ear. “you…can…not…escape…me…” I stood there frozen, then gulped before I jumped forward turning in mid air and looked at…nothing? Great…I’m crazy, and I feel out of breath…

I heard the crunch and looked over to see a few cracks on the phoenix egg. I walked over and placed my hoof on it gently as it felt hotter, but not enough to burn me any. I just smiled while looking at the egg. “trying to break free, huh? You will break free when you’re ready…” I walked to the couch, and pulled the blanket down getting under it, and getting comfy…or…as comfy as I could get on this thing…

I heard slow paper rustling, and I opened my eyes to see the back of the couch. I must have rolled over, so I decided to almost close my eyes and rolls over, and I see Twilight, reading by the light of a single candle. I smirked and silently got off the couch and crept over to twilight, before I held my breath and moved my muzzle so it was by her ear.

“caught you” I pulled my head back quickly, as she jumped and turned around.

I just chuckled at her reaction as she sighed. “are you always gonna scare me?

“when all it takes is a little thing like that? Yes, but you DID sleep, so I’m not gonna make you go to bed this time.” I grabbed a nearby seat and sat next to her. “so, what are you reading?”

Twilight went back to her book, “I’m just reading a book on magic, maybe try to learn a new spell.”

I leaned forward looking at the book, slightly reading some of the words. “but that’s just the basics on the complexities on magical field manipulation, and how the body absorbs the natural magic that flows off the world itself to refill the magic reserves…which most is absorbed by unicorns and alicorns, since they can manipulate magic through their horns into spells and tricks.”

“knowing the basics is important, and it’s always good to review the basics.” She looked at me and smiled.

“very true, but that’s after a time, not…in a few days, you were reading this the last time I caught you on a late night study session.” I felt a pressure against my shoulder and looked over to see Twilight straining to keep her eyes open, and laying her head against my shoulder, which just made me smile a bit. “maybe you should go back to bed, you still seem tired.”

I looked at the book as I heard her silently yawn. “no, I’m fine right here….I just feel so relaxed when I have a book in front of me….”

“is it the book? Or…is it me?” I smirked at her as she looked at me looking like she was on the verge of falling asleep.

She just looked at me and blinked, before she started blushing and sat up looking at the book. “s-sorry, I didn’t know I was leaning against you...maybe I am still a little tired…”

I helped her back to bed, and then went into my room to lie down. As I was lying in the bed, I started thinking about the girls, and everything that has happened. I soon fell asleep, in the silent and dark room that I have stayed in for almost a month now.

It is almost 3 in the evening, and I’m just sitting on the couch reading a book, the first of the ‘Daring Do’ series. It is very much like Indiana Jones, but add Dash’s personality into the mix, and some kind of…thing…from the description of this ‘Ahuizotl’ he seems like a monkey like creature with some canine like features added in, as well as being able to talk, and commanded a bunch of lions, panthers, tigers, and other ‘huge cat’ predators.

I looked up to see spike encouraging Twilight to try the spell, which I saw her focus and strain as she focused on the spell. This got boring to me about 4 hours ago, when she was poofing up random items from her and my room, one I had to jump out and catch, which also got spikes attention. I have had my phoenix sitting next to me since then so I can make sure she didn’t break it. Spike asked about the cracks, and I explained that it is just getting close to hatching, but the chick inside must be too weak to break out still.

I saw a glow form at spike nose, which confused me, but then a mustache appeared on him. I just dropped the book as it made a loud thud making Twilight jump slightly and look at me, which I had started laughing, and fell off the couch. After I calmed down I saw spike admiring it in the mirror, which I slammed a hoof to my mouth, and ran out of the library to get some air and calm down. After a minute I let out a breath and looked out to see two mares walking, while one looked at me as they talked, and they both looked at me and giggled. I noticed the cream colored mare was a unicorn, and the dark blue was a pegasus. I just smiled and waved to them as they waved back and rushed off giggling again.

Huh…am I considered to look handsome? Well, I HAVE been training a lot, so I’m sure I’m not fat anymore…in fact I’m certain if I was to become a human again, I would probably have a nice toned body, and some muscle now, yet not big muscle, just the slim body muscle, like you see hardcore free-runners get. Just thinking about how I may be getting looks from mares, made me think on my past love life…I felt a pain in my chest, which made my ears lay back, and I just head inside the library and up the stairs. On my way I noticed Spike's mustache was gone, and he was missing it. No idea why, it was hilariously ugly on him.

I could just feel Twilight’s worries for me as I went up the stairs, and into my room. I slipped a hoof under my bed intending to pull out a small lockbox, but I pulled out that strongbox I had thrown into the forest days ago, but I didn’t care anymore. I saw the key in its keyhole on the top of the strongbox, and opened it to see the contents from the now missing lockbox in it. A bunch of felt pouches filled with bits. I really need some time alone…and to finally buy a guitar.

I tried to tell Celestia, that she didn’t need to send me so many bits, since what she sends Twilight was enough for all of us, and even some for us to go and eat at a restraunt, or some other kind of entertainment, but she insisted. Why was she so adamant on this subject? Oh well…

I got my saddlebag, to put my iPhone, its little portable speaker set, and a couple of those pouches in, and I headed out of the library telling Twilight and Spike I was gonna go out for a while. When Spike asked if I was ok, I just told him ‘I just need to think…’ I walked into a small shop that had music and instruments in it and looked at the guitars hanging up.

I found an electric/acoustic guitar that was black, with dark blue flames. I looked over to a grayish brown earth pony mare. “how much for this guitar?” I gestured to the one I was looking at.

She looked up at me from a book, which seemed to have some sheet music in it. “oh, uhh, one second sir.” She poked her head past a small red curtain, and heard her talking to somepony in the back. By her tone, and how she looked, she knew more on the classical stuff in the store, like the violins, Cellos, and wind instruments, so my guess is the one who knows the rockers instruments and DJing equipment must be in the back.

After about a minute I saw a white unicorn mare wearing purple tinted shades, head over. “I heard we had a pegasus looking at a guitar. I’m guessing that’s you, right?”

I nodded and gestured to the guitar with the flame design. “how much is that one?”

“ah, you a rocker then? Not many are in this town. Sure they like the music, and the songs, but not many PLAY in this town.” She looked at me in interest.

But I could feel that behind those shades, she was probably checking me out. “I…dabble…it’s been some time since I played, but I want to get back into playing again.”

“cool, maybe you could play something real quick? I wanna see what you can do.” She just had a smirk that said ‘I don’t think you can REALLY play’.

I just gave a smirk that said ‘Challenge Accepted’ right back at her. “all right then, but I choose the song.”

She used her magic and pulled me into the back behind the curtain leaving the earth pony mare looking confused and flabbergasted at the same time.

She set up a guitar to an amp, as she plugged it in and set it up to a loud level, quickly heading back to the curtain and telling her coworker something before she came back in making her horn glow, which gave the whole room the same glow for a few moments. She then layed on the couch gesturing for me to start.

I set the guitar on me in a comfortable fashion and started tuning it, which made her smile a bit. After I finished tuning it, I pulled out my phone and the portable speaker system as I used my cords to connect it to a nearby stereo system for better sound, and volume. I set my phone in the space for it, and started scrolling through my songs looking for a good one to play.

I decided on a song and played the guitar to it as i sang the song as well.

I finished the song and looked at the unicorn, seeing her mouth open in shock, which made me smirk at her. “I said I played…I might have hit a wrong note or two…” I looked at the guitar and tilted my head, looking at the cord. “or the connection is worn…mine got a little dent in it, and it occasionally warped a note or two…that was the last time I played because when I removed it, I got a big shock. Electricity visibly arched out and gave me a decent burn.”

“ouch, I got shocked setting up my DJ table at the club before, no burn though, but it stung. Luckily they had a salve, and I DJ’d without a care that night.” She laughed, and then looked at me. “hmmm…for you…that guitar is yours for 50 bits. And maybe you could play at the club sometime.” She grinned at me, maybe hoping I will say yes.

I just shrugged. “maybe, I usually only have sad or depressing songs…” we left the back room talking. She told the earth pony mare, who she called ‘Tavi’ about the 50 bits for the price, which I pulled out a pouch that had ‘50’ on it.
‘Tavi’ quickly counted it and smiled thanking me as my guitar floated to me in the unicorn’s magical aura. “my name is Vinyl Scratch by the way, and that there…” she pointed to ‘Tavi’ “is my best friend, Octavia Melody. I’m into the rock, and dubstep, while she is into the classical, and…” she yawned. “ugh, just thinking of it makes me tired….”

I just chuckled at that. “You should hear some songs that have the two styles of rock, and classic meld together just perfectly. I’ll try to find one and I will let you two hear it. It will create a bridge for the both of you, and might inspire you two to make songs together, if Octavia plays that is.”

I heard Octavia clear her throat which made me look at her. “I do play. In fact I play the Cello.”

I nodded in a respectful manner to her. “a grand instrument. it fits you.”

I left the small music shop, and sighed in relief as I got to calm myself with that song, so I decided to head back to the library. When I got there I saw Spike and Twilight heading out.

Twilight noticed me and smiled. She could probably tell I felt better. “hey Blaze, me and Spike were gonna go on a little walk, want to join us?”

“sure, let me just get this stuff put up and I will be right out.” I headed into the library and up to my room putting everything up, and set the guitar against the nightstand.

After making sure, it wouldn’t fall, I headed back outside to Twilight and Spike, and we set off through town. Not long after we saw what looked like a carriage with a stage connected to it, which we walked up to, and saw Dash, Rarity, and AJ.

Not long, I saw a light blue pony wearing a cape, and a witch’s hat, with a small dot design on purple fabric to look like space. She started saying how she was the best magic user, and defeated something called an ‘Ursa Major’. She called for other to challenge her, which AJ took on first, and did some tricks with a lasso. Expected something like that, but then this ‘Trixie’ used AJ’s rope to tie her up, and shove an apple in her mouth with her magic.

I saw AJ hop off, and I ran over to help her, as I popped the apple out from her mouth, and started chewing the rope. Next thing I knew, I saw Dash fly off through some clouds, and back bringing rain stored in the clouds behind her creating a rainbow above her. That was pretty cool, but the rainbow then became a small tornado around Dash sending her off the stage.

I was tempted to jump up there but Rarity, had her mane be called a ‘rat’s nest’ which got her mad. She jumped up there, and used the stages curtain to make a slightly elegant dress on her, and Trixie…she changed Rarity’s hair…to a mossy looking green…I looked over to see Twi look really nervous, as ponies suggested her to try. I know she would win easy, but she ran off.

I let Spike climb onto my back and we headed off after Twilight. We found her in the library, reading a book. “Twi, you ok? You kinda just…ran off back there…”

She just sighed and looked back as Spike climbed off my back. “the others were talking about they hated her showing off her magic like that. If I beat her id be doing the same thing, and if they don’t like Trixie doing it, they might stop being my friends if I did that…if I did beat her…”

“Twi, you know they won’t do that…doing things for your friends is not like showing off and boasting about your skills…Trixie does it for money, to be noticed. If you took her down a peg, knocked her off her high throne, you aren’t doing it to take her spot, you are doing it for your friends, which there is nothing wrong with that…” I walked over and sat next to her placing a hoof on her shoulder. “I know you could beat her easily…”

She just sighed, and looked at me. “I already said no, I don’t want to risk it…”

I took my hoof off her shoulder and nodded, as Spike left the library looking annoyed. “I’m gonna check on Spike…and don’t worry, I don’t want to force you to do anything. Everything will be ok Twi.” I headed for the door, and looked back to see her smiling a bit, which made me feel relieved. I left the library closing the door and walked off looking for Spike.

I saw the colts that defended Trixie run by, and Spike was close behind them, I felt my ear flick, and I tensed up, not wanting to look ahead of me, but I forced myself to turn around. I saw a giant ursine shape, which I could pretty well see through, almost like it was a blue veil, with white dots in it. What is with the space look? The giant, blue bear roared in my face making me slide back a bit…give me a chair, a table, and a glass of wine…I could mimic that giant stereo making the glass of wine slide into my grip thing happen…

‘Ok brain, enough joking, we need to RUN AWAY!!!!’

I quickly turned around and bolted down the street, but then a thought hit me. I am leading it to a populated area…I have to change that. I quickly jumped and extended my wings to do a half arch grabbing a few apples off a tree. So, when I was over the Ursa, I spun and dropped the apples on its head, making it turn towards me and chase me again, but AWAY from Ponyville. That’s better, but what next?

I felt something clamp on me from both sides for a moment and saw total darkness except a few specs of light. I wiggled for the closest one and slipped my head out to see blue, giant bear claws…I over think too much…I kept trying to wiggle out. If I was able to slip out enough to pop my head out, maybe I can get free.

After a little time I got free, and heard a growl above me. I looked up to see the Ursa looking at me. I jumped off to start flying, and my ear twitched, as I spun myself, barely avoiding its paw. I quickly landed into a run and slid to a stop seeing I was in Ponyville.

Oh, great, I got turned around…when I looked back I saw Ursa inch closer to me. I can’t even focus to move my legs, I was just petrified, and I couldn’t run forever. I saw it raise its paw high up, and I just shut my eyes tightly lowering my head, until I heard some melody within a pretty strong gust that came from nowhere. I felt myself calm down, and looked up after I got control of my body, and saw Twilight levitating the Ursa, with…isn’t that the water tower? The Ursa was drinking from it like a baby, while it was cradled in Twilight’s magic.

After about a minute Twilight almost collapsed, but I hurried over and held her up. “I got you Twi. Just relax…” I had my wing over her to help keep her balanced against me, and saw Dash, and AJ hurry over. After a little bit, Twilight was standing on her own again. I looked over to the colts, who I heard Spike call ‘snips’ and ‘snails’…

I saw Trixie run off, and Twilight gave the colts some mustaches. They look ridiculous, and even Spike has the one from earlier again. The three of us soon headed for the library, and got inside. As soon as we got in, I headed for the couch and collapsed on it. I heard Spike say something in a confused and worried tone about an egg……………wait….

I jumped up to see the phoenix egg was broken at the top and looked around. It has to be around here. I hurried up stairs quickly, and ran into my room to see my cat sitting in the center of the room and looking up. I looked up to see a black bird with a bit of blue on its beak, and some blue coloring at its wings.

I looked at the bird, slowly lifting a hoof. As soon as my hoof was up, it flew down onto it, and just eyed me curiously. After a minute it quickly nicked my hoof, making me flinch, and then it turned its head as it let a few tears drop onto the wound. I saw the blood that had come out of the wound, slip back into the wound, and the wound looked like it was burning with embers, as it closed. Once it closed I had a small burn that looked like 3 lines swirling around, like a tattoo, or a branding.

I looked at the phoenix, and smiled. “I think I’ll call you Cynder.” It flew up and landed on my back as I head downstairs. “well, I have a phoenix now. And I have named him Cynder.”

I notice Spike head over and looked at the phoenix in innocent curiosity. I swear Spike reminds me of a young child, with so much curiosity about the world he doesn’t know about. I looked at Twilight as she giggled at Spikes curiosity. Wow, I have to be tired…Twilight seems so…she just looks so be-

I shook that thought from my head, and yawned, as she looked at me. “maybe we should get to bed, today’s has been rough on us all…” she walked towards the stairs, and it seemed like she was just gonna go past me but she stopped and nuzzled at my neck, which made me tense up, and I felt a heat in my face. “thank you, for helping me stay up after that Ursa incident…” I heard her head up stairs, but stop halfway and I heard her giggle again, which just made me feel dizzy. “good night, Blaze.”

I heard her continue heading up, and her door close. I silently headed into my room, and closed the door to my room, setting the chain lock. Why am I feeling like this? I mean sure, I had weak feelings like this a few times now…I’ve felt like this around Dash, Fluttershy, and Twilight before but it was weak, little things…why is this one so strong?

Whatever these are, I should just ignore them for now, I need to sleep….my exhaustion may just help me feel this in a stronger level….yeah, that’s it, it's just my exhaustion. I headed to a wooden slab that was sticking out from the wall, and Cynder landed on the small perch like piece the jutted out that seemed like a long coat hangar, but wider, to hold up a saddlebag. Since my new saddlebags were downstairs, and had my cutie mark design on it (thanks to Rarity), I could just set it on the one down in the library. I quickly slid into bed, and closed my eyes.

Ch 11: The Storm, and the Zebra

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Rain, rain, and more rain…that’s what Dash said. So, now a lot of us were asked to help clear off any loose or broken limbs out of the trees. Thanks to Dash’s training sessions, it took me a few minutes to finish my area. so I decided to help my friends, although I was a lot slower with helping them, so I could hang out with them and talk. I had helped a lot of my friends finish, and I saw Rarity and AJ was assigned the same area, near the park.

I had started my way over to the area. I heard thunder, and felt a charge go through me. I started hearing laughter of the familiar sort, and looked up to see Dash, with a now light grey cloud. “ha ha Dash…you are lucky that lightning here is like a small zap or at worst that I have felt: a taser…” I shuddered at the time a mare used a cloud to shock me, which felt like being tased. She did it, just because I offered her the bits she was short at SugarCube Corner, and then said she didn’t wanna owe a perverse stallion any favors.

I was really confused from her choice of words, and I told her that it was crazy to ask a favor for…what was it…3 bits I think? Maybe 4….but to ask a favor for such a small amount?! I can understand if it was 10 bits, maybe. But, after I left from enjoying that….delicious ‘Double Glazed, Triple Chocolate Muffin’…oh that was the best muffin I EVER had…and I’m drooling from thinking about it…

Well, I left SugarCube corner, just to feel a giant shock, and fall over, unable to move…except for the twitching…thankfully Dash was nearby, and helped me out…we started to hang out after that, but then I got thi-

“OW!!!” I started rubbing my head and looked up to the broken piece of branch, then down to see the branch itself…with a lasso?

I heard somepony run up to me and looked over to see AJ. “sorry sugarcube, you alright?” she placed a hoof on my head, which made me wince in pain.

I took her hoof off my head and smiled at her. “I’m fine, it’s just a branch. I’ll be fine.”

“yeah, a decently big branch that’ll give ya a concussion!”

“ok, lets forget the connection between my head and the branch…we should finish this up before...” it starts to rain, and I could hear Rarity freaking out about her hair. “…it…rains…” I sighed and looked over at Rarity which I hurried over, and I extended my wing over her like a make shift umbrella. “come on girls, we need to get inside, Dash said that once the rain starts, it’s not long till it will get bad!”

We all hear Twilight calling, and see her at the library entrance. We all headed over, as I kept my wing over Rarity. As soon as we were inside, I popped my wings out, making a burst of heat, and steam came off me as I was dry. Controlling fire has its uses, when control over it is kept. I looked back to see Rarity gesture AJ to clean her hooves outside, which she did. When she came in, she shook herself dry, which I shielded myself with my wings.

When I lowered my wings I looked at AJ unamused, but saw Rarity soaked and her hair was…down…I like how she looks with her hair do-

I shook my head and rubbed the sore spot, wincing again. Maybe I do have a concussion. “I’m gonna get an ice pack…” I quickly headed into the kitchen and made myself a makeshift icepack, with a plastic bag filled with ice, and a rag I ran some water onto so it will be extra cold. I held the icepack onto my head going back into the library area to see Rarity had her hair curled again.

I went to the couch and decided to lie down. Why am I getting these thoughts about the girls?
I mean, Dash is awesome, she is there for you, and she is really fun to hang with.
Fluttershy is kind, caring, loving, and really enjoys helping others.
Twilight is really smart, and learns from her mistakes, sometimes BEFORE she makes the mistake, and she cares about everyone.
And Rarity has that concept of beauty that isn’t over doing it, and she enjoys going out and having fun, unlike many human girls that act like her.

I just closed my eyes feeling really tired, and I let go of the ice pack since I know it won’t fall off.

The next time I opened my eyes, I felt the ice pack shift, like somepony moved it, and I felt something damp move across my head. I looked up when my vision wasn’t so blurry and saw Applejack over me, with a rag. “Applejack…?” she looked at me and smiled a bit relieved. “did I fall asleep…?” she nodded keeping her smile. I just relaxed, and looked around, seeing that Twilight and Rarity were gone. “where did Twi and Rarity go…?” I felt a hoof slide along the side of my head, and looked at AJ, who had a calming smile.

As I was closing my eyes, I felt her hoof move to my cheek, and just as my eyes were almost closed I felt something against my lips, and it tasted like….apples! my eyes snapped open, and I could see Applejack kissing me.

I blinked and sat up on the couch with a shocked yell, and I heard three other screams. I looked over to see AJ, Twilight, and Rarity. AJ and Rarity looked scared, and Twilight looked surprised. I looked around the room and plopped back onto the couch with a sigh of relief…wait…I dreamt of….AJ kissing me…? I looked over to see the AJ by the couch, and Twilight and Rarity were behind her.

I quickly jumped up from the couch as AJ lifted her hoof, probably to check my head for a bump, but an image of that dream where she kissed flashed by my eyes. I was against the back of the couch, feeling my face grow hotter every second. “I’ll be in my room, bye!” I flew up to the second floor and into my room slamming the door and sat against it panting.

Why is this happening?! I can’t be feeling these emotions! WHY WON’T I LEARN THAT ANYTIME I FEEL THIS, I JUST END UP GETTING HURT!! I sat there staring at the floor as I stayed against the door, to keep the girls out, but I could hear their voices downstairs. Seems I’m in the clear, so I headed to my bed and decided to lie down again.

The next time I woke up, it was really dark, and I heard, a crash, and yelling. Not scared or frightened yelling, but angry yelling. I got up and hurried to Twilight’s room where the yelling was. When I got in there I saw a tree, and AJ and Rarity were arguing.

I stomped my hoof making Applejack and Rarity look at me, and Twilight’s head popped out from within the leaves. “ok, what’s going on here?! And WHY is there a tree INSIDE of a TREE?!”

I heard something about lightning hitting a tree, and trying to save the neighbors home, but a ‘country mare’ didn’t think ahead, and pulled the breaking piece of tree through the window. Then Twilight told me they were trying to have a sleep over…thank you concussion, you saved me from my WORST nightmare…well…second worst…

I slipped out the window and grabbed the broken piece of tree, pulling on it and flapping as hard as I could. After a while I felt it budge and started flapping harder, till my wings felt like they were gonna snap off. All of a sudden, the leafless piece of tree slips out and falls to the ground with me holding it. I just hugged the broken part tightly, hoping to not be crushed. Once I hit the ground, I opened an eye to see I was alive.

I jumped up and stood on the tree looking around. Seems all the other trees were safe, somepony must have missed this one…or they thought it was part of the library? Eh, who knows. I flew back up and into the window to see the girls smiling. Good to see everything is all right, and thankfully the storm died down a lot, so it’s just a gentle thunderstorm.

I closed the window, and helped pick up the twigs, and leaves left in Twilight’s room. next thing I know I’m dragged off, and getting some green stuff put on my face, then I was assaulted with pillows, until the sun finally shined through the windows. During the pillow assault, some tube made of pillows opened the door…oh crap…that’s a tank made of pillows…epic thing to see…but that pillow tank was FUNCTIONAL!!! I got shot with a body pillow and slammed into the wall. When I got up to look, the pillow tank was gone…even the girls looked confused…


It has been almost a week since the whole ‘forced to join in the sleep over’ thing…I STILL feel the green stuff on my face…worst night...or day ever...but it ended quickly, thankfully. Now, I was getting things cleaned up in my room. I had a nightmare about spiders, and I kind of...trashed my room. Guitar is fine, furniture isn't broken, just random stuff got knocked around the floor.

After everything had been cleaned up and put up in its place, I went downstairs to see Twilight looking up at me. “no, nothing is broken, just some stuff fell onto the floor.”

She just looked at me with a look of confusion till I get to the bottom of the steps and walks over to me, looking me over, which made me confused. “Blaze, I was gonna ask if YOU were ok. If some furniture broke, then oh well, that can be replaced, but you can’t.”

I looked at her surprised then looked away, feeling my ears fold back. “I-I’m fine Twilight…sorry about that, I just got used to others asking if I broke something…”

I looked at Twilight to see her smiling. “it’s fine. As long as you’re ok. That’s what’s important. So, me and spike were about to go out for a while. Want to come with?”

“hmm…ok, sounds fun. Might run into the others…” I made my voice quieter hoping Twilight wouldn’t hear it. “hopefully not AJ…” I looked away as the memory of that dream came back.

“do you not like Applejack? Did she do something? Why don’t you want to see her?” I looked at her, and scratched my head trying to think up a reason.

“I…just…think she may be mad at me?” I smiled nervously hoping she buys it. “yeah, I just want to wait another day or two, before seeing her, so I can talk to her THEN.”

She just looked at me, like she was studying me, which made me smile wider in worry, but thankfully Spike climbed onto her, and we left that library with me letting out a silent breath in relief…Spike, I am going to buy you a giant sapphire soon for this.

As we were walking down the street, I eventually noticed no other ponies were out, which made Ponyville look like a ghost town. It made it…kinda creepy…but we heard pinkie call us into SugarCube Corner, so me and twilight hopped over the bi-sected door, as pinkie the top part of the door behind us.

Things got pitch black till pinkie shined a light on us. I had to find out what was going on. “pinkie…why did you have Twilight, Spike, and me jump in here into the dark…? Besides, why ARE you in the dark?”

Pinkie suddenly rushed up to me, placing her hooves on my cheeks looking at me. “I’m not the only one here though Blaze.” She turned my head to show Fluttershy, Rarity, Dash, and….Applejack…I shook myself free from Pinkies hooves and stepped back from her, looking away from everyone, thankful it was so dark in here, because I could feel my face heating up.

They eventually started talking about a ‘Zecora’, and then Pinkie did this, weird, awkward sounding song, but it WAS catchy…oh no…it’s that ANNOYING kind of catchy…it’s stuck in my head now! I noticed Apple Bloom, sneak out the door, and I looked at the girls, who were not paying any attention. Apple Bloom, me, and Twilight seemed to be the only ones trying to be mature, but I could tell the others were slowly clawing the thoughts into Twilight's mind.

I decided to slip out after Apple Bloom, and caught up to her, as she hid from peeking around a building. “wanting to prove Zecora is nicer than the rest think?” she jumped and almost yelled.

She had covered her mouth before she yelled and looked at me with a hint of anger. “yeah, and don’t sneak up on me, like that. Ah almost had a heart attack.”

“sorry, but I thought id join you in showing the girls they were wrong. I mean, she doesn’t look creepy at all.” I looked around the corner and saw her look around, showing just the end of her muzzle, and a pair of yellow glowing eyes, which made me pull my head back. “ok, with how her eyes are glowing…that is creepy...maybe if she came into town without that cloak on, she would be more…accepted. I mean she is so much like a pony, she just has black stripes on her.”

Apple Bloom nodded and we saw Zecora walk off, so we started following her…or Apple Bloom did, and I followed her. Not too long, we reached the entrance to the Everfree, which Apple Bloom seemed scared, but I set my wing over her gently, which made her look at me, and she relaxes smiling a bit knowing I would be there to protect her. I pulled my wing to my side as we headed into the forest as we still secretly followed Zecora.

I heard Applejack’s voice call to Apple Bloom, which made me tense up, and Zecora turned around which made me even more tense. I looked back to see the girls, standing in the middle of a bunch of blue petaled, blue leafed, and….blue stemmed plant? The whole plant was blue! I wonder if its roots are blue.

I saw Applejack get Apple Bloom on her back, as I felt myself lurch back to the rest of the girls, and I looked at the blue plants under me. I felt an odd tingling from touching them. I then heard Zecora’s voice. “beware, beware you pony folk, those leaves of blue are not a joke.”

I then heard all the girls saying something, and sighed. After all that ended, we headed back to Ponyville, and just hung out, until my stomach felt like it was being wrung, like a sopping wet rag…bad analogy? Maybe. Best way to explain? To me? yes…

But I decided to head back to the library, and just sat by the toilet with a wet rag, on my head, as I felt like I was in a sauna, with lava, with a heater blasting at full power right in my face. I would be able to promise I looked pale, and really sick, especially when the whole world seemed to spin, so I pulled the rag down over my eyes, and took slow, deep breaths.

After what felt like a few hours, which I knew it would be night by now, I heard Twilight come back, or…somepony entered the library, because I heard the door close. I tossed the damp rag into the sink, and I suddenly started feeling a lot better. Maybe I just had a stressful day…Applejack, and that dream of her I had, Zecora…which I guess what the girls said hit me a little bit too…but I got to the library area to see it was empty.

“hello?” I called out hoping to hear somepony, or any kind of reaction, but nothing. I headed down the stairs slowly, watching any area a pony, or anything could hide. When I was halfway down the stairs I just jumped off landing on the ground level, and turned to check under the stairs, but nothing. I turned again quickly, and slowly headed for the kitchen. “Twilight? Spike? Is that you?”

I peeked into the kitchen to see it was empty, and pitch black. I suddenly heard a high pitched squealing, or shrieking. It wasn’t painful, but I soon felt a stinging sensation in my chest. I looked to see nothing, and I felt the pain shoot through my chest and out my back, which made me start coughing, and hacking like crazy. I could just star at the wooden floor, as I clenched my teeth to stop coughing, but then the pain just shot through my body making me gasp, and scream from the pain, which felt…so familiar…why?

I looked at my chest, as I visualized a stone spike going into my chest, which soon disappeared. Nightmare Moon’s spike…that impaled me…this is the same pain, just intensified! As soon as I realized, the pain seemed to shoot up into my head, which disoriented me. I felt my head get lifted, and I saw…the blue alicorn, face-to-face with me.

As he spoke, the air seemed to grow colder, and colder, and his voice sounded so dry and raspy, it was like his voice just poured ‘death’ itself, which…to tell the truth…frightened me. “you should have been claimed back then…but you fought. You should not be here…but you resisted. You…lived. Tell me why you fought the final embrace…?”

The final embrace? What did that mean? “I…had to stay…I need to…protect my friends…” I just closed my eyes tightly, as I felt everything around me fade away, except for me and the alicorn. “I couldn’t bear…leaving the only ones….that truly cared about me…so quickly….” I lifted my head and looked at the alicorn, who had no coat, no skin, no feathers…just…his skeletal form was there, with red dots in the eyes holes that seemed to stare into my very soul. “I couldn’t leave them like that…so soon…THEY MEAN EVERYTHING TO ME.” I suddenly realized who he was…and I knew that it was me, who called him out back then. “you will not take me…not for a good long time….death…”

His skin, coat and feathers reformed, but his eyes didn’t reform, just left with a black void with red dots as he grinned at me. “then live…for now, young firebrand…” he touched his horn to my head as the pain stopped. “show me your resolve, show me that you wish to only use power to protect others, and not dominate over them…” I felt a surge go through me, and I felt a pressure, press down on my chest, then relieve, then pushed down, then relieved a few times, then a warmth on my mouth, which flowed through me.

I blinked and I saw…purple…it took a second till my senses came back and I noticed what was happening, Twilight was giving me CPR, but right now her mouth was on mine, which made my face form a heat, and I groaned out, making Twilight’s eyes snap open and we just stared at each other shell-shocked. Twice in the waking world…and once in the dream world…twice Twilight….once Applejack…why wasn’t I this lucky as a human…?

Wait…LUCKY?! How can I forget the pain, the heartbreak, the sense of betrayal! I came back from my thoughts, and saw Twilight blushing, then slowly pull away, and she talked quickly, with fear behind it. “s-sorry, you…it seemed like you weren’t breathing…your chest wasn’t moving, a-and I panicked…I just started Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, because I couldn’t think of what else to do…” I noticed her eyes were misty.

I don’t understand why, but I had to show her it was ok, and that I was thankful, so I did the only thing on my mind. I sat up, as she looked away like she was worried I was mad, so I just placed my hoof on her cheek, turned her head to face me…and I kissed her real quick. I blinked and felt my face start burning, as I saw Twilight looking shocked, and blushing as well.

“Twilight…do NOT read into that too much…I couldn’t stand seeing you cry, and I wanted to thank you, and calm you down quickly, and I didn’t want to take too long so I just…did what was on my mind…” I scratched my head nervously, as I felt my face grow hotter than what I imagined the sun would be…I’m certain I was sweating from how nervous I felt, and the heat I felt.

“I-it’s fine…I’m just glad you’re ok…” she looked at me sternly before putting her hoof on my chest, and poking it. “and do not EVER scare me like that again! I thought I..” she cleared her throat looking away” I thought…WE…had lost you…”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her antics. “don’t worry Twilight.” I got up and walked to her side and whispered to her. “I am gonna be around to tease you girls…for a good…long…time…and besides…for a mare who hasn’t kissed, you aren’t half bad.” I just smirked as she tensed up, and I was certain her whole face was red as I walked off, heading for my room.

I woke up the next morning, and I felt so…stiff. I stretched and let my limbs fall, but one of my hands hit my face and I groaned as I slid it down…………………..wait, hand? I sat up quickly and looked at my hands that were now shaking. No…that couldn’t be a dream! I looked around and saw my room that was next to Twilight and I sighed in relief.

Hands….I tensed up and jumped out of bed, seeing I was wearing a pair of black pants, black boots, a black jacket. I blinked and examined it closely, noticing it seemed familiar. Wait, this is the same thing off that anime I liked. ‘Sword art online’, but it wasn’t the SAO clothing, it was the version he had in the elf, one where he could fly. The second version, that looked like the real him. It even had that tuft of fur coming out of the collar of the jacket.

I went to the mirror, and looked over myself, and I saw I had long, pointed ears, which one twitched as I stared amazed at myself. I was skinny, slightly muscular, and I felt lighter than air. I looked around and saw where I was and remembered everything. I wondered why I was not freaking out…never mind, here it comes.

I started screaming and ran to the door opening it, and went to dash out but…

*CLUNK* *THUD*

Again with this?! Yeah…again…

I held my head groaning from the pain, and I heard a door open, and heard Twilights voice. “Blaze! Are you alright?!” I looked over as she ran out of her room and she looked at me in shock, as I sat up and saw her horn was…hanging, and covered in polka dots. I just covered my mouth, to hold my laugh in, as her look of shock became one of anger. “don’t you dare…”

I uncovered my mouth to speak before the dam broke. “I’M SORRYYYYY!!!!” I started laughing and fell back holding my stomach, as I got up and rushed downstairs. As soon as Twilight got down the stairs while chasing me, we both froze as the door opened, and I saw Pinkie, run in with a swollen tongue. So, miss magic user, loses her magic…and the chatterbox, and loses her ability to speak…coherently anyway…

I then heard some crashing sounds, until the door busted open, and I ducked to just barely dodge a blue blur knowing it was Dash. I then see…a mass of white and purple walk in, which I just knew was Rarity, and Apple Bloom walked in, with a tiny sized Applejack on her. I then saw Fluttershy just walk in with nothing wrong with her…at least…nothing visible.

I saw Apple Bloom, and Applejack just staring at me with worry. I just smiled nervously, which made them step back….or made Apple Bloom step back, and AJ recoiled with a glare, jumping onto AB’s head. “uhh…hey AJ…hey Apple Bloom.”

I saw Apple Bloom calm down and step closer, but AJ snorted…and talked in a high pitched voice. “Apple Bloom, stay away from that thing! It might be worse than Zecora!” I felt my ears droop. I have heard friends call me a freak, a waste of space, and other things, but this hurt…

I saw AB step closer. “blaze?” I nodded my head a bit looking away sliding my hands into my pockets.

“BLAZE?! Oh no, Blaze, ah didn’t know that was you, ah am SO sorry!” I heard her high pitched voice go to a higher pitch, which I couldn’t help but laugh a bit.

I looked at Applejack, and shrugged. “its no big deal…I can’t really hold it against you, when you never knew what I was…or…kind of was. I seem to be…” I rubbed one of my ears to the pointed tip. “more Elvin now, but I was more or less like this.” I heard Twilight say something about ghosts, zombies, and curses not being real, which I turned my head. “Twilight…ghosts do exist…trust me…I…will explain later, but lets deal with this…stuff…first.”

I sat on the couch looking at my hands opening and closing them. It felt odd now, but yet I was glad to feel use of humanoid limbs again. I felt my ear twitch hearing almost silent clicks of hooves on wood, and I looked over to see Apple Bloom sneaking out. I looked at the rest of the girls talking to each other so I quickly and quietly left the library going after Apple Bloom, being relieved that no other ponies were out yet.

“Apple Bloom, what are you doing?” I reached the fillies side as she reached the forest entrance, making her jump and look at me annoyed. “sorry, and I know…again, I’m sorry.”

She looked into the forest. “Ah was gonna find Zecora to get her to help everypony.”

I nodded and started to head into the forest with her, until a squeaky voice came out of nowhere. “hold it right there! Ya’ll get back to the library right now!” I looked at Apple Bloom to see AJ on her head.

I picked up AJ and set her on a branch. “sorry, but whether this is a curse done by Zecora, or something else, that zebra knows something about this, and might be able to reverse it. Knowing the rest, they noticed we are missing, and is on our trail as we speak…I will protect Apple Bloom, don’t worry…” Apple Bloom and I continued down the path Zecora went down yesterday.

We found a small home, which was adorned with many African style decorations, and masks. Or…I guess here it would be Zebrecan, not African. We entered and saw Zecora working over a cauldron pouring some little flakes from a small designed urn, or vase, and dropped in some herbs with a hoof. She seems like an alchemist in my old games.

Zecora set the small urn on a nearby table, and looked at us. “what do I owe the pleasure, to have visitors at this hour?” huh, her accent made pleasure, and hour rhyme.

We shortly learned about ‘poison joke’ and she knew my…look…was caused by the plant…best to keep this is almost how I looked before a secret. We got a list and some details on some herbs she needed for the cure, so me and Apple Bloom headed out to get them.

Once we bought what we could in town, we headed back into the forest knowing a much quicker route, than what we took before, and kept an eye out for the last thing Zecora needed. On the way I saw the plant off the path, so I started to head towards it. When I got it in Apple Blooms saddlebag, I heard a growl and turned to see a wolf made of wood.

“Apple Bloom, take those to Zecora…I’ll keep this thing busy” I saw two more creep out of the bushes eyeing me, and drooling…what looked like sap. I could hear the filly try to say something but I jump in as she started. “just go! I’ll be fine!” I heard the sounds of the filly run off and I watches two of the wolves go around me to surround me.

I’m glad Apple Bloom got away, before they did this, and of course they will go after the meatier target. And wild canine nature, is to stay in a group…a pack. So I knew one wouldn’t run off after something else. I felt my ear flick and I ducked as I saw one jump over me and I jumped back. I REALLY wish I still had wings.

As soon as I wished I had wings, I felt a tense feeling at my shoulder blades. When I looked back real quick I had black, sparkling, ethereal wings that looked like they could cut a limb off. If the wings appeared maybe…a sword, I need a sword!

I felt some weight over my shoulder and reached my hand over to feel a hilt. I quickly grabbed it as I saw a wooden wolf charge at me. everything seemed to slow down, as I started to pull the sword out, but I can’t get it out fast enough. It felt like instinct took over as I felt myself jump back. As my sword slipped out of the sheath and spun and sliced the wooden wolf’s legs off and landed in a slide as the legless wolf collapsed onto the ground.

I have NO idea how I did that, but I’m glad it happened. I looked at the sword to see a long black blade on a basic hilt wrapped in a black fabric, but it didn’t have a hand-guard. Maybe it’s not like the one off the show, but who cares, I have a weapon. I looked at the wolves and set myself in a defensive position with my sword out in front of me and my free hand behind me, in case another wolf came up from behind me.

I took a calming breath as I closed my eyes, but by the time I opened them, I just saw pieces of wood, twigs, and leaves, that had a sight glow spread around, and soon after some time the wood, and leaves seemed to roll, or slide off slowly, so I decided to head for Zecora’s hut sheathing the sword. I felt the weight disappear instantly after letting go, but just kept running.

I got near the hut to see the girls all run out, but stopped when they saw me. “I’m fine! It’s alright!”

I saw Apple Bloom run to me and jump up hugging my leg. “Ah’m so glad to see you’re ok! I was so worried that something bad was gonna happen!”

I chuckled and picked her up. “well, I’m perfectly fine. Instinct, and reflexes seem to be enhanced. So those…things couldn’t even touch me.”

I set the filly down, as they all explained that the cure was a bath with a special brew added into the water. So the cure is basically like a bubble bath, minus the bubbles? Rarity then suggested using the town spa’s bath for the cure so all of us could be cured quicker. Wait…”uhh, could I get mine…in a little bottle so I can do it alone?” They all looked at me confused. “there is a…good reason….or, I start off alone, till I turn into a pony again…trust me…”

They looked at each other than me, which they all nodded. I sighed in relief and we headed back to town. We soon reached the spa, and set up the baths. I looked at the rest, as they stared at me for a sec, till they remembered and left the room. I quickly got the jacket and everything off then climbed in the bath, quickly dunking myself underwater for a while. When I came up taking a sharp gasp from holding my breath for so long, I wiped water from my eyes with my…hooves. I called out that it worked and the girls all came in whispering, and a few seemed to be blushing.

I wonder what they were talking about. Soon after we all got finished being cured of our little jokes, and…prying the small wooden bucket off AJ…we all headed to our homes. It wasn’t long after being back at the library before I felt a hoof on my shoulder.

I looked at Twilight as she looked confused. “Blaze, why did you need to start off alone in the baths?”

I just tensed up and looked around. “its just…its…awkward…as a pony I KNOW its different…but when I’m human…or elf, or whatever, I was close enough to human! But…humans bathe alone…or…only those they are close with.”

“but…we’re close aren’t we? I mean, we ARE friends….right?” I heard a hint of worry in her voice.

I turned to her quickly. “of course we are! But…humans bathe with those they are close with…” I sat there and clicked my front hooves together nervously. “intimately…” I looked at Twilight as she blinked, then she tensed up as her cheeks turned to a pink color. “yeah…if the others ask, you explain it, I could barely explain this time, because it’s so awkward…”

She nodded. “I can understand that…but how could you tell it wouldn’t be as special with ponies?”

“I’m sure it CAN be…but ponies have a coat to hide those areas, they can’t just take it off like a human does with clothes…you get it?” I looked at her to see her writing on a piece of paper with a quill which made me facehoof.

“is that why humans wear clothes? To hide their more intimate areas?” she looked like a scholar again, which made me chuckle, since it suits her, but the sudden change was just crazy to me.

“well it does that, as well as keeps us warm during the colder seasons. And they can hide, terrible scars, or wounds. Things that could disgust others…” after a game of…not just 20 questions, she had almost 50…after a game of ‘50’ questions, she finally yawned and decided we should head to bed. It didn’t take long for me to get comfy in my bed, as I felt Mimzy climb to where she was on top of my head on the pillows (her favorite spot), and I could hear Cynder’s sounds of sleep by the door. Such a crazy few days, and I hope it won’t be for a good long while before something else happens. But I can say this…my life here, even if more danger filled, and life threatening…I wouldn’t trade it for anything…I felt…at home here…I finally, truly, really felt…at home.

Ch 12: Encounter of the Draconic kind

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The translator may change words. One time i expiremented, i had "way" in it, and the translation of the dovahzul word translated to "wind" i made sure it did not do any MAJOR changes from the original meaning, or that it stayed closed since some smaller words are removed.

Wow, it has actually been a month…AND IT HAS BEEN SO BORING! Why cant something happen! The only memorable thing that’s happened was…a few dreams…I have had some dreams of all the girls…except Pinkie so far…me and her have gotten to be like brother and sister this past month though. And I have learned how she does some of her things I believe. Pinkie isn’t an earth pony at all…she has to be a unicorn that had a deformity that her horn grew INSIDE her skull…think about it.

Limitless energy, because the horn that is impaling her brain is constantly sending magic to give her the incredible energy she lets off, eats so much that a skinny person would become a sumo wrestler in four days or less…OR YOUR BITS BACK! Heh heh…but she stays skinny…the magic burns it out too fast….AND the way she just appears…or comes out of stuff too small for her to EVER be in, and could NEVER have gotten into…pinkie is a unicorn with a birth defect…I mean…that makes sense…right?

Oh, right, the dreams…well, I have dreamt of the other five girls…all of which involved cuddling, a date scenery…and I never have control of myself until the moment before they kiss me, which I wake up from the kiss every time. I don’t understand why I am having these dreams, I mean; I shut my heart away so I would NEVER feel like this again. Every girlfriend I have ever had betrayed me…and they say GUYS are heartless?! That is complete B.S. to me. Why? Seven girlfriends…all at different times of course!!! But…one of them I asked for a second chance cause they were sorry…but damn myself, I gave her another chance.

Every…damn…time…not even one day…NOT ONE FUCKING DAY BEFORE THEY ARE IN ANOTHER GUYS ARMS BEHIND MY BACK! I always catch on though…I may not have had many friends, but I know those that will be like an info broker for me…and when they come to me specifically, I know they have details I need. Greedy flankholes, but every three to ten dollar charge was worth it…except one…idiot sold me info about a test that already passed, but he was a town over, so of course he gets the state test a week after my school did…

So why am I having dreams like this? Why does ignoring them hurt so much, when I shut my heart away years ago?! But it does…and I can’t stand it…maybe I just need to get away for a while…forget these feelings. So I had Spike send a letter to Celestia, as I was packing some stuff up. I had my guitar prepared, and I had packed some bird seed for Cynder, since, if I DID go to the castle, I would bring Cynder to meet Celestia, and maybe have our phoenixes meet. Since so few are around, I thought it would be nice for Cynder to meet another phoenix at least once.

I also packed my little strongbox, which seemed to interdimensionally hold anything that can fit inside it. I have 6 gems in it that I found in the center of my room one day, and each one I get a feeling of each of the girls from, for some reason…color maybe? Who knows, but yeah, I had a purple gem, a yellow gem, a white gem, a cyan gem, a pink gem, and an orange gem. After I set them inside though, a giant black gem adorned the shield right above the keyhole.

It easily came off the strongbox, and there was no socket on the strongbox. It was so weird, but when the game was on the shield above the keyhole, it never slid off. Even upside down, the gem stayed, like it was magnetized to the spot. Sometimes, I can swear a red flame is inside the gem when it’s in my peripheral vision, but when I look over, the red flame seems to disappear or stop glowing.

I heard a pop, and a rolled up paper landed on my bed. Celestia must have finally got my letter. I opened the letter to see that Celestia agreed to let me come and stay at the castle for a while. It was a relief to know I wouldn’t have to plan to go elsewhere…all the time I went from here to Canterlot, during my flight training with Dash made the route very memorable. Looking over the letter once more I noticed it said I could come to the castle tomorrow.

I finished putting things in the bags, and went downstairs, and decided on going to find somepony to hang out with, and might as well let the girls know about my trip, so I decided to head to Dash’s house. Should be easy to notice, from her description.

I certainly found it easy enough, especially since her home was the only one that had a waterfall…made of rainbows. Hmm…she said it was an enchantment on cloud vapors, so it doesn’t fall to the ground, so I may get a cloud house, and do the same but with a lava look…maybe. Gotta look into some things first.

I was just about to knock until something fell onto my back. I looked back to see cyan saddlebags with Dash’s cutie mark on them now on my back, full of supplies. Mainly food and drinks. I looked up as I heard a familiar cocky voice. “Heh, you came at a perfect time Blaze! Twilight set up a meeting for us, and told me to look for you, since you would probably be sleeping on a cloud!”

A meeting? For what? I looked at her saddlebags again. “A meeting for what? I just left her library not too long ago, and I’m sure she would have seen me in flight…” I facehoofed. “Unless she was neck deep in a note from Celestia again…the last time she did that, I had to pay for some fruits she had smashed that fell off a stand! It was funny when she tried to understand why her hoof was sticky though.” Dash started laughing.

A few minutes later we were flying towards the library. When we got there and landed, the others were outside the library talking about a plan, but my focus was on a mass of black smoke coming from a mountain. I heard Twilight mention a dragon in a cave on the very same mountain I was looking at, that was sleeping, and letting out the smoke.

I could see Fluttershy looking worried, so I walked over and placed a wing over her back, and silently spoke to her hoping to calm her down. “It’ll be alright Fluttershy. I won’t let anything happen. Promise.”

I saw her smile a bit, but I could still tell she was scared. We started heading for the mountain talking a little bit. Rarity mentioned she had started on my suit for the Grand Galloping Gala, and should have the basic look drawn out within a few days.

A few days…I should tell them about my plans. But, this should come first. When we reached the base Dash and I tried to fly straight up, but AJ caught Dash by her tail, and I stopped to look back. As I was looking back I saw Fluttershy jump into a bush at the bottom. I wondered if she was ok.

I flew down, and poked my head into the bushes looking at her. “Are you alright Fluttershy? We need to start heading up the mountain to get the dragon to leave. And you have a way with other creatures. Besides, I thought you would be excited. You were excited and happy when meeting Spike, right?”She nodded and I could hear Dash’s voice saying to hurry up, as I looked at Fluttershy. She soon explained how she was excited when meeting Spike…because he wasn’t a big dragon. Now I understand. “It’ll be ok Fluttershy. I won’t let anything happen, we will get up there, and I will head in and fix everything. Alright?”

She looked at me smiling a bit, and nodded. We started to fly up, but then the dragon snored loudly, which I heard a small “eep” and looked at Fluttershy to see her wings fold up against her side tightly. I quickly swooped under her to catch her on my back, and she held on shaking. I started to fly up letting her stay on my back, as I followed the girls up.

We eventually got to a big flat area that had a path up. I landed and let Fluttershy off, feeling exhausted. I felt something press against my shoulder after a minute, so I looked over to see Twilight. “Come on Blaze, we need to get moving again so we can make it up there on time.” I nodded and started following them. We reached a small gap, and we all quickly jumped over it, except Fluttershy who got her forelegs and back legs caught between the two sides.

After some pushing from Dash, Fluttershy was now across and we were on our way again. Twilight warned about the area being susceptible to an avalanche. It didn’t take long, and unexpectedly, Fluttershy was the one who yelled out. When I looked up I saw boulders slightly crumbling pebbles and small stones down the slope.

I quickly raised my hoof to my mouth and called out to the girls. “GIRLS, MOVE, NOW!” we all started running down the path, and evading the large boulders. By the time it was over, I had my eyes closed, but I felt an odd pressure around my body, and I could hear Applejack ask if everypony was ok. I carefully moved my hooves to stand up, and I heard Rarity ask where I was.

By the time I was pushing up to stand, I heard the girls calling out for me; I stood up and looked over at them. “I'm alright, just…really covered in dirt, and rubble…” I shook myself and walked over to the new mound of dirt and rocks that blocked out path.

Me and Dash flew overhead, as the rest walked over the mound. I looked back at Fluttershy who was being really careful. I was about to tell her being too careful would make her trip up, but I saw she had slipped already. She slid into Rarity, then into Applejack. I quickly flew down and landed in front of them using my body as a cushion and brake for them.

The rest started heading up again, but I stayed back with Fluttershy. “You need to tell them…if you don’t they wont understand why you have been acting like this…if you don’t want to, that’s your choice. But they need to know...” she nodded.

At the cave entrance Twilight explained what everyone should be ready to do, and then Fluttershy explained how she was afraid of dragons. After she said she just couldn’t go in there, I walked over to twilight. “Twilight, let me go in first…alone…”

Twilight and the rest looked at me quickly. “Blaze, you can’t be suggesting for us to let you go in there…alone…”

I just smirked and looked at her. “I DO speak his language after all.” She nodded and I headed into the cave. I soon caught sight of a big red dragon sleeping on gold, and gems. I cleared my throat loudly, which made the dragon groan and opens his eyes slightly, to look at me. “Sahvol zey, unnamed dovah, nuz aal zu'u laan tol hi siiv vorey gul wah laag ko? Hin snoring fen krii pogaan waan hi dreh ni.”

The dragon quickly sat up and snarled at me before speaking. “nid mal malkey fen fun zey fos wah dreh. . . SURANMIIK ko dii tinvok! ”

I looked at the dragon and stomped my hoof, before staring intensely at him. “Nid trun, hi kent bo wah yun gul. Tir do equestria, uv hond nol naan feymahorun!”

The dragon lowered his head close to me, which made me take a step back. “No little pony will make such demands of me…” he blew a big puff of smoke as Twilight walked in which made us run out coughing.

I looked at Twilight as she was still coughing, so I started gently patting her back till she stopped. “Well…that didn’t work…”

I noticed Rarity go in, but after about two minutes she ran out and pouted laying over a rock, saying something about a diamond. Next Pinkie went in looking like a miniature part in a wrapped present box, and she came out with the balloons popped, and few tears in her ‘costume’, as well as a few components missing entirely. Right after that, Dash flew in, which I gave chase. She was sent off like a cannonball, out of the cave.

I looked at the dragon, but as soon as I was looking at him he had grabbed me with his claws. I struggled to get free, and I couldn’t focus as his grip tightened when he slammed the fist at the cave entrance. The tightened grip made my ribcage groan inside me, and my body felt like it was slowly being crushed. The dragon roared and let out a big mass of black smoke, and the girls were sent flying into a rock pretty hard.

I just looked up at the dragon, as his grip got tighter, which made it hard to speak but I yelled at the best with everything I had. “I'LL KRII HI, HI FIROK!” as soon as I finished I was raised up to his face quickly, and he snarled at me. I struggled more to get free, and my focus was on the girls, hoping they were ok. Because of that, I couldn’t use my flames, and I couldn’t use the shout like you can in Skyrim…yes I tried, during a training session in the Everfree, but no luck, no matter what I tried.

When I looked back from hearing Fluttershy’s voice, I saw…her stare…me and the dragon both just lowered our heads evenly with our shoulders. That stare of hers has some serious power behind it. After Fluttershy had made him whimper he let me go, which ended with me hitting the ground pretty hard and cough, then gasp, breathing quickly.

Once my breathing was under control, I looked at the dragon as it spoke to Fluttershy, looking sad, and regretful. “But, the rainbow one kicked me…and that red feathered one threatened to kill me…”

Fluttershy looked at me in shock. “I thought he had seriously hurt the others! Is it my fault for worrying, and wanting to protect my loved ones?!” I tensed up after I said that and looked at the girls, seeing they were ok. I cleared my throat and looked away, to hide my quickly burning face. “But…I am sorry about the threat…I may…MAY have over reacted, so I apologize…”

After a while me and the dragon were talking in his tongue, and I learned that humans were just legend among the Draconian culture. Maybe there was no information about legends, because of how it was just seen as myth and fairytales. Once the dragon left, me and the girls had started heading back to Ponyville.

Once we had gotten to the base where we started our climb, I heard Twilights voice. “What did you mean when you called us your loved ones?” that question made me tense up.

I didn’t even dare to look back, in concern of blushing once I looked at the, “just that…all of you mean a lot to me. I may have left what little family I was still in contact with, but they were still mainly selfish….so…being here for as long as I have, knowing all of you since…almost day one…I grew very close to all of you…” I looked down as I placed my hoof on my chest where my heart is. “I never felt an urge to protect like this…not even protect myself…so I always avoided fights…ran…I was a coward….but now…” I looked at the girls and smiled. “I have something I want to protect…to preserve until the end…and it’s because of all of you…” the girls looked at me in shock then smiled at me. “Oh…and I am going to be leaving for a few days…I leave tomorrow…”

I started walking for Ponyville again, and then looked back as they all had their mouths open staring at me. I was about to ask what but they then tackled me, and some were worried, some were sad, and Dash looked angry. They all asked things like ‘why was I leaving?’, ‘how long will I be gone?’, ‘why would I even NEED to leave?’ and Dash’s words to my news was: “why the buck are you leaving tomorrow?! Why leave in the first place, especially when…” she just stopped in mid sentence and looked away before saying ‘nevermind’.

A few hours after I had gotten up, and got as much dirt off me as I could, we were back in Ponyville. It was a relief to be back. Everyone decided to head home, except me and Dash. We decided to head to a restaurant so we could get something to eat. The decision was made by my stomach when it growled so loudly, a couple of mares a good distance away look over then walk off giggling.

At the restaurant, I saw a bunch of salad options, a few sandwiches, like a HB.L.T. Which I ordered, while Dash ordered a ‘multi-flower supreme’. While we were waiting on our order Dash started to ask me some questions. “So…why ARE you leaving?”

I facehoofed and sighed. “I just need to do something…I am not leaving for long, maybe two or three days.”

When I moved my hoof off my face, Dash was flying, and face-to-face with me. “Why won’t you explain why you are leaving? I want to know why…I NEED to know why…”

I looked at her and sighed. “ok…I just need to leave for a few days to understand some myself a bit more…I’m going up to Canterlot, the castle. Celestia said I could head there tomorrow…so I am.”

Dash landed in her seat and sighed smiling a bit. “Alright, I was worried one of us did something wrong, and you were mad.”

The food was brought to the table, and I looked at Dash after the waiter left. “Dash, if I was mad or anything to any of you girls I wouldn’t keep it secret.”

We ate, and talked. After we finished eating, I paid for both of our meals, Dash tried to say she could pay for her part, but I told her it was fine. When we left the restaurant the sun was setting, so we decided to head home. She flew off, after a quick hug and I headed for the library.

When I got there and up to my room, I saw Cynder on the make-shift perch, and Mimzy was in the chair curled up. I decided to follow their example, and climb into bed quickly falling asleep. I kept wondering if what I was feeling was just from being around them so much, or are these feelings genuine? If they are genuine, how could I choose between them? Tomorrow is the start of looking into my own heart I guess. I just hope it doesn’t end in pain like all my past experiences with these feelings…

Ch 13: The Vacation Begins?

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I woke up to the sound of knocking, so I got up and went to the door. I opened it to see nothing, no Spike, no Twilight, just an empty hall. I stepped out and looked to the left towards the stairs to see nothing, then to the right to a long empty hallway that leads to a door with a glow coming from it.

Great, Twilight is doing ANOTHER all nighter. I started to head for the door, but after a while I heard a very familiar voice in a long breathed, silent tone. “Daaaaaaaaaannnnnieeeeeeeeelllllllll”

“N…Nichole?” I hurried for the door, but anytime I got close the hall seemed to stretch making the door farther away.

While I stood frozen looking at the door slide further away, I saw I had hands. I looked myself over to see I was human. I looked at the door and heard Nichole call my name once more, but this time a sharp sting went through my chest which made me grip my shirt. This pain…it’s agonizing…I…remember this pain…the pain of knowing the feeling of true love, and being betrayed by the one the feelings are for…I know it isn’t real but it hurts. If once could live without a heart, I would cut it out…because this pain is unbearable.

I turned and headed for the stairs and jumped off the top of the stairs landing in the library panting and holding my chest, while I was panting. I looked at the libraries front door, feeling nauseous. I turned around to look between the kitchen doorway and the top of the stairs back and forth. I eventually looked between the two so quick, I saw something at the top of the stairs and looked at the kitchen doorway, but I quickly looked at the stairs again.

I rushed out of the library and closed the door watching it as I backed away. I could feel my body burning up, and it felt so light, that I knew I had to look like that elven version of myself. I nervously gulped down the lump in my throat and calmed my breathing, as I watched the door.

I heard the groan of wood and looked up to see a black mass jump off the balcony to try to land on me. I quickly jumped back and went into a roll only to stop myself in a knelt down position. I could just look at the black mass bubble, and take shape.


I could only stand and watch it. “What are you? What do you want?!”

I never expected to hear a voice, but it wasn’t from the black, bubbling mass that was making a humanoid shape, it was in the air itself, coming from all around, yet nowhere. “’I am your anger, your rage…and your pain…and…” it looked at me as it took my shape, and colors filled over the black to look like human me in a black shirt, jeans, but it had white hair, instead of my ‘dirty blonde’ hair. “and I…want….OUT!”


It charged me making a big bladed bastard sword but the handguard went out and had axe blades on them. I quickly focused to make my sword appear, pulling it out and blocked his attack, which made me slide back. Once I stopped sliding I could feel my whole body start shaking, and I couldn’t move my legs. I am so thankful I had a friend who was into swordplay. We always used foam swords we made to practice, and eventually got to where we could go at a normal speed, and still block each other.

I looked at my sword seeing it had no handguard. “I have to be careful of him sliding his blade down my sword…” I looked at ‘Rage’ as I am gonna call him, and he was…smirking…? Why?

I felt my ear twitch, so I spun quickly and swung my sword just to have it blocked by Rage. I slid my blade to the side and slid to his side moving away and looked around to see only one Rage. Ok, he must use illusions, so I just need to watch it and trust my instincts.


I kept dodging and blocking his attacks as he was just relentless on his onslaught of swings and kicks. I haven’t seen an opening at all. It’s like his swordplay is flawless, his motions are so fluid and agile, and I can’t block him forever. I saw his swing his sword down, so I raised my sword up, baring my palm against the flat of the blade to catch it, and then I saw an opening. I slid over and tilted my sword as his blade connected and pushed me aside a bit more as his blade slid off. As soon as it went off the end of my blade I kicked my foot into the flat of his sword, quickly spun my sword up to point it at him and pushed forward as fast and hard as I could.


I stood there panting as my sword pierced his neck, with my foot still against his blade that was embedded in the ground. I couldn’t help but smile a bit, knowing that I had won. I felt my ear twitch, but I was frozen, I couldn’t move.

I then heard Rage’s voice whispered in my ear. “Nice job…weakling…” I felt a sharp pain go through my body and raised my head to scream from the blade impaling straight through me.

My eye’s snapped open and I started screaming loudly in such pain. My scream seemed endless, how long have I screamed now? An hour? Two? I have no idea, time seemed to stop existing, but I then felt a sharp pain in my cheek and I stopped screaming and panted with a loud wheezing sound. I can’t believe it…I’m gonna…wait…

I looked over quickly to see Twilight, Spike, Pinkie, a few ponies I didn’t know, and don’t care to, at the door to my room. I looked at my bedside to see Rarity. I blinked and pushed my covers down to see my chest and placed my hooves over a few spots.

I let my head fall onto the pillows as I was still panting hard when I heard Rarity’s voice. “Blaze, what happened? Why were you screaming?”

I carefully sat up, but still felt a sting where Rage’s blade impaled me. “Just a nightmare….that I could feel to the most minute detail….” I slid off the bed and carefully got my balance as my legs felt like rubber. “I’m sorry I woke you…I’m fine….”

“Woke us? It’s past noon. I was here to talk to Twilight, and we heard you screaming, like you were being killed up here.” That made me look at Rarity then the clock. It was almost 2 in the afternoon.

A while after the unknown ponies left I started grabbing my stuff while Rarity and Twilight was asking about my dream. I just told them I dreamt of the times I was attacked in my old world, and I could feel the pain. That got them to stop about the nightmare. I didn’t wanna worry them with this…thing…I have in me…I don’t know how but I just knew that what I experienced wasn’t some normal nightmare, I was deep in my own mind, my psyche, and now the anger and pain I have held in are fighting for dominance.

I got my saddlebags on and made a whistle sound as Cynder flew over and landed on my back, and asked Twilight to take Mimzy to Fluttershy’s for me. I was soon flying to Canterlot with Cynder flying beside me.

I landed at the castle gates with a sigh as Cynder landed on my back. I walked up to the gates, and the guards at the gate. I was about to tell them the princess was expecting me, and the gates opened. I looked at the guards then started to walk through the gate.

On my way up I saw two pegasi sitting at the door to the castle talking. One was a smaller pegasus with a green coat, and messy, slightly curly black hair, while the bigger pegasi was red like Big Mac, but had a mane styled like Vinyl’s but bright yellow, and was wearing an eye patch and they seemed worried. I started to head up the steps which made them look at me and smile? Do I…know them?

I looked at the bigger pegasi wearing an eye patch, and blinked as an image flashed in my mind. “No way…Swift? Fleet?!” they nodded and I headed over. “It’s been a long time. How’s the coolest guards I know doing?”

Fleet was the first to answer. “Oh, we’re fine. Just started talking like you got hurt on the way here. You were expected an hour ago, but the princess wasn’t worried. We did though, but it’s good to see you are ok.”

“Heh, please, as if oversleeping is something to worry about.” I chuckled and shook Swifts hoof, then gave Fleet a hoof bump.

We headed into the castle as they explained how boring being a guard was. It sounded like an easy job to me, boring, but easy. We soon reached the throne room, and I could see Celestia sitting on her throne looking at a bunch of papers. I started to head over to Celestia, which she soon looked at me and smiled setting the papers aside. “Hello Blaze, it’s good to see you again. You requested some time here correct?” I nodded. “You do not have to, but may I inquire why you wanted to stay for a while? You didn’t have an argument with my student, or any of her friend’s, did you?” I shook my head.

“No. No arguments or fights princess, just…I wanted to get my thoughts in order…I think I may have been around the girls too much.” She smiled and nodded.

It’s been hours since I got here. It was a relief my talk with Celestia finally ended. I introduced her to Cynder, explained about the black and blue phoenix marking me, and then me and her just talked about what all has happened. At one point she asked, what made me need a break from the girls. I just explained that it was personal, and it even leaked into my dreams.

Cynder was introduced to Philomena, and they headed off. For the next hour, it was me, Swift, and Fleet talking about what has happened since the hospital. Apparently Fleet got promoted in rank, for the calmness he kept when around me, and kept his nerve. Seems like an odd reason for a promotion but for him I guess it was a huge accomplishment since he always flinched at any trace of a threat, and him keeping himself calm was a serious jump in his character. I shouldn’t think on it, considering how weird the reason was.

The sun was setting while I was relaxing on the bed in the room I stayed in before. It was apparently down the hall from Luna’s room, which I didn’t know before. That also explains why Celestia was sad when we entered this hall.

After a little while, Cynder flew into the room by the open window, and landed on my back while I was relaxing on the bed looking in an old book I got from the castle’s library. I heard a knock at the door and got up to go see who it was. I opened the door to see nothing, so I poked my head out and looked to both sides. Am I dreaming again? No, I wasn’t even tired yet…I mean the sun practically JUST set.

I sighed and closed the door placing my head against it. “I must be going crazy or something…”

I turned around to head for the bed, just to have my nose press against something, which made my eyes snap open as I was now looking into a pair of bright green slitted eyes, and I could see traces of green hair at the sides of my vision. I backed up about to apologize but I saw a gnarled, hole covered horn, and hooves with holes you could see straight through.

A green glow surrounded her horn as everything felt…”warm and…..fuzzy…..so….very…..fuzzy….” as soon as that last word left my mouth I saw images go through my mind, but they weren’t memories, they were from my dreams.

I saw moments of me and Twilight snuggled together under a blanket on the couch watching a movie. Me and Dash laying on a cloud at night looking at the sky, just to see her zoom off, which I flew after her, knowing she was testing me, which I remember that dream ending up with me tackling Dash on a cloud, which she then pulled my head towards hers. Then I saw images of me and applejack eating some apple tarts under a tree, but she was leaning against me, while my wing was around her back.

I then saw Rarity working on a nice suit, with gems, and frills. I could hear her voice in the distance, saying it was for a ‘Fancy Pants’, but after she had put on a row of sapphires along the lapel, she walked over and did a dramatic fall, which I caught her. It looked like we were dancing and I had dipped her, and her hoof was on her forehead just under her horn. The next image was Fluttershy…she had fallen asleep against me from helping so many animals. I just held her, stroking her mane, which made her smile in her sleep…

As I saw these images, I felt myself growing weaker by the second, and my body burned, and ached. When the images stopped I was on the floor of the room, and I could see Cynder unconscious on the bed. I moved my eyes to look up to see a….a changeling…that was as tall as Celestia, biting into my neck, and a pink mist was flowing into the air out the side of her mouth…wait, her?

I started to try to push her off, which made her let go with a content sigh as she wiped some of my blood off her chin. “THAT was a great feeding…much more potent than any normal pony…you…my little morsel…are as good as ten catches…” she grinned, in such a way I felt my heartbeat in my throat.

Her horn started glowing again and that fuzzy feeling came back. But this one brought no images or dreams…it just brought darkness, and fear. A fear that made me so scared, and concerned for my life. I read that changelings tend to drain love from other beings….to the point of either they lose their sense of any emotion…or death. I never got to tell the girls how I felt…

I never got to tell Rarity how her generous nature always brought a smile to my face...I also never got to tell Fluttershy how her shy, and caring ways helped brighten my darkest hours.…I never got to tell any of them how i felt….and now I’m either going to lose all emotion…or die…I’m sorry girls, but…I guess this is goodbye…

Ch 14:The Discovery, the Duel, and the Kiss.

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It had felt like a few minutes since I was bitten by that…thing…and I could feel myself stirring. My mouth feels so dry. Weird it has only been a few minutes…right? It had to have been, it only makes sense, but what if I was in a coma. I heard my friend say his medically induced coma felt like two days for him, but he was out for almost a year.

I felt something cool on my forehead which made me tighten my eyelids closed. I heard a shocked gasp, which made me open my eyes slowly as everything was just a bright white, till I heard a voice. “It’s ok Mr. Feathers. I will be back soon, I gotta get word to the princesses that you have awakened.” I heard quick hoofsteps and a door, so I knew the pony had ran off to do as she mentioned.

Once my vision cleared up, which took about a minute, I slid myself up and sit up against the pillows. Shortly after I got myself against the pillows I heard the door open and saw Celestia and her sister rush into the room, as well as the nurse from earlier who set a glass of water on the table near me. Luna looked so different now, her mane flowed like Celestia’s and it was purple with white dots like a night sky.

I looked at them and smiled waving, still feeling tired, until I heard Luna. “Blaze, its good to see you finally awaken…we were starting to worry you had permanently gone into a coma!”

I looked at them and carefully got the glass of water gulping it down quickly, with a sigh of relief. I tried to speak but my voice sounded dry, and raspy. “What happened to me? And how long have I been out?”

“You have been out for months…Luna has even tried to enter your dreams, but something blocked her. To block her, it has to be a powerful being…or you didn’t dream at all…” I looked at Celestia in shock and forced myself to roll off the bed to the other side the princesses were on and landed on my hooves.

“I…have to let….Twilight and the girls…know I’m alright!” I stood there panting keeping myself standing on my wobbling legs. I bared my teeth as I remember the slitted bright green eyes. “And find that…THING!” I felt my anger overflowing, and I felt ready to tear that things face off, which I quickly calmed down as I forced my anger deep down and locked it away as I always have, which I let out a calm sigh afterwards.

I felt a hoof on my shoulder and looked over to see Luna who kept a calm and serene tone as she spoke. “I understand you are mad…but you can’t let it control you. It will turn out bad, and I speak from experience…and my sister sent a letter to twilight as soon as we got word you had woken up. She had a simple letter ready for when the moment happened, so she just magically sent it right before we headed here.”

I smiled a bit and nodded which made her recoil surprised I was calm so quick. I cleared my throat to calm the stinging in my throat from talking earlier. “I know…I’m fine now Luna, thank you…and thank you Celestia…” I carefully got back in the bed and lied down. “What attacked me…and how am I still here…she sounded so sure of taking me away….”

“I was wanting to talk with you, so when I knocked on your door, I must have scared your assailant off. I opened the door to see if you were asleep, and I saw you in the middle of the floor, unconscious and twitching. I sent a quickly written letter to Celestia saying you were injured.” I looked at Luna as she seemed to get a concerned or frightened look. “And Within a few seconds my sister had teleported herself, guards, and a medical expert to your room. The medical expert scanned you right away and said…you were attacked by a changeling…”

Changeling? A changeling attacked me? “I guess that explains seeing those dreams again…” I felt my cheeks burning a bit as I thought about the dreams again.

I heard a slight giggle from the door which made my ear twitch, and I raised my head to look past Celestia as she looked back. I saw a bright pink alicorn mare, but she wasn’t as tall as Celestia, or Luna for that matter. She seemed like a normal sized mare, but she was an alicorn.

When she spoke her voice had such a calming quality to it, it made me relax even more. “By the sensation I’m getting, and your blushing face there, those dreams must be about the pony or ponies you love, am I right?” I saw her glance at me as she walked to Celestia’s side, and her question made me shove my face into the pillow and groan, which made the mare giggle. “I am wondering just who the mare or mares are now, but it is good to see you reacting that way. It shows you still have your feelings.”

I raised my head and looked at the new Alicorn. “I-I’m sorry, but…who are you?”

The pink alicorn seemed to blink then smile nervously. “Oh, yes. I’m Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but I prefer to be called Cadence. It is nice to meet you Mr. Feathers.”

“You….know who I am?” I carefully sat up as she nodded. “I see…and to answer your question as to whom…I’m not sure if my feelings are true…or…if I only have these feelings because I have been around them almost all the time…”

Cadence was about to say something until a sudden pop was heard from the hall, then the door opened quickly as Fluttershy, Rarity, Dash, AJ, Pinkie, and Twilight, with Spike on her back all ran into the room and to the bedside, as they all looked worried, exhausted, and tired.

Fluttershy jumped into me hugging me as she started to cry, as Twilight started to talk. “We all thought we lost you.” She looked down sniffling a bit and I started stroking Fluttershy’s mane to help her calm down. “whenever a changeling feeds, the pony they feed off of…they usually die, or lose all emotion…and we heard that you may never awaken from your coma…” she looked at me smiling as tears were going down her face, as well as the rest, except Dash who looked on the verge of tears. I just looked at Twilight in shock, as her smile slowly fell.

“Twilight...” I looked down at Fluttershy who was looking up at me with a scared look. I quickly looked at the rest who all looked scared, looking up at the currently flying cyan pegasus.

As soon as I looked at Dash, she brought her hoof to her mouth as her tears started to flow. “he…did he lose his emotions…?” I just lowered my head which made my hair fall over my face.

I smiled a bit, then I heard the girl’s gasp. I raised my head to look at them all again, and I knew…I KNEW the feelings I had for them were real. I just let myself leans back against the pillows and chuckle, which made the girls, and the princesses look at me confused, and shocked. “you have no idea how good it feels to me…knowing that I have others that care about me like this…” I felt my own tears flow down my cheeks, as I continued. “everypony I knew…my friends…my family…they never cared about me…they always USED me…” I let my head fall forward clenching my teeth shut choking back my sobs that tried to come out. “family or friends needed my help, and I always gave it…but when I need help…they couldn’t be bothered…all those attacks…all the times I was beat up…that I was cut up…I could only help myself…” I calmed down and looked at the girls and the princesses, slowly smiling again. “I was so depressed before…so alone….but now I’m not…and I have all of you to thank for that…”

The girls all jumped up and hugged me. it felt nice to know I could count on them, and to think my feelings for them were just because I was around them too much. That was crazy of me to even think that. The group hug soon ended, and the nurse said I needed to get some rest. The girls and the princesses all nodded and said they will see me later, then left. Not long after I felt my eyelids get heavy, and let them close, and let the warm embrace of sleep take me.

When I next woke up, I had gotten out of bed, and stretched forgetting all about before. I just started heading out of the room and down the hall stretching, still waking up. I walked into the castle dining room to see the girls and the princesses sitting at the far end of the long table. I also saw a white stallion with blue mane and tail. As soon as I entered they all looked at me, as the girls and the Celestia seemed shocked, while Luna and Cadence look scared, and the stallion looked shocked than…mad?

The stallion jumped on the table charging at me as a sword appeared in a light purple aura floating along side him. As he jumped for me I jumped to the side, and stumbled waving my…hands?! “whoa, whoa! Calm down!” the stallion just turned as the swing swung through the air for me, which I ducked and rolled away stopping in a knelt position with my left hand flat on the linoleum floor, and took a serious voice staring the stallion down. “I said…STAND DOWN! I AM NOT A THREAT!!!” the stallion looked at me as he was about to charge till a gold beam blasted the sword to sparkling pieces that fell and the stallion was held in a dark purple aura.

I looked back to see Twilight’s horn glowing, and Celestia’s horn had a glow that was fading. Twilight started to speak as her horn’s glow faded. “Shining, calm down! That’s my friend!” I looked at the stallion who I guess was Shining, as the glow that held him was gone, and he looked at me in shock. “Blaze, how are you like that again?” I just looked at her and shook my head with a shrug, before looking at myself to see I was wearing the clothes that I had on from the poison joke incident, which made me sigh in relief.

“Twilight, I have NO idea how I changed…” I walked to the table putting my thumb to my chin, with my finger curling under my mouth in thought. “unless…changelings can change shape right?” Twilight nodded as I looked at myself. “what if that changeling’s bite…let me change form as well…? Maybe not into anything but back and forth?” I let my arm fall to my side and closed my eyes focusing on my pegasus self.

I felt a flare of heat pulse through me, which made me open my eyes, and look down at my forelegs, then back at my red feathered wings. I looked at the rest who were just staring at me, which made me laugh nervously and scratch the back of my head. I cleared my throat and looked at everyone. “so…what is there to eat? I am starving!”

It wasn’t long till lunch was brought out, and we all started to eat. The girls and the princesses talked, while I just ate, too focused on the food. I looked at Shining to see him glaring at me, which made me stop eating and stare at him, swallowing nervously. He looked so familiar to me, but I can’t place where I have seen him before. After what felt like minutes of staring I got my glass of cider, and started to take a sip still watching the stallion from my peripheral. His glare is really worrying me.

I heard Cadence ask what Twilight thought of her dating her brother, and gestured to Shining. Then it clicked…Shining…is Twilight’s older brother! I inhaled the last of my cider and dropped the glass onto the table and brought a wing over my mouth coughing and gasping to get my breathing back.

As soon as I got my breathing to normal, I looked at Shining. “you’re Twilight’s brother?!” he nodded. Wait…did Cadence mention something about…oh FUCK! “I…uhh…excuse me!” I slid the chair back and started to run for the door.

I felt myself lift up, and get turned to face Shining as I let my legs and wings just hang limply. I’m going to die….I am dead…it is all over. I closed my eyes waiting to be hit, or impaled, or…torn apart, or whatever. After a moment I heard Shining speak. “me…you…duel.” I opened my eyes and looked at him confused.

“I-I’m sorry, I think I misheard you…” he just replies by pointing at himself, then me, before saying ‘duel’. “why do you want to even duel me?!”

He let me go, as I landed on the floor near him staring at him. “because I can see you need to let out some stress…some anger…I can see that you want to fight…so I’m giving you that chance…”

I just took a step back from him. “I don’t fight without a reason…” I started to walk off till something deep in my mind made me freeze up. He wants to dual me, because of that? No…there is something behind it. Does he want to see if I can protect Twilight and the rest? I lowered my head which made my mane go over my eyes, and I just turned my head a bit, and spoke with no emotion. “but…I suppose I could make an acception…when, and where…?”

“garden dueling grounds…one hour…” I nodded and continued to leave the room, heading for where I was staying and looked through my bag.

3rd person POV Dining room

“Shining, what are you doing?!?!” Twilight screamed at her brother, which made him look up at her.

“Trust me, Twily. He needs this…I also want to see what he can do, and see if I can get a read on him. See how strong he is.” He sighed and looked at Cadence. “I know what you said, but I want to make sure…I would rather have my own read on him…besides, I have a new trick to learn for this fight.” Shining nuzzled Cadence before he got up and left the dining room to do what he said.

Twilight groaned in anger and concern. “I know a reason he isn’t telling us, and if he does what I’m afraid he’s going to do, then I just might seriously hurt him!” Cadence looked at Twilight in shock.

The pink alicorn soon covered her mouth and giggled. “seems Blaze isn’t the only one I have that feeling coming from. I sense it from many of you, although one is different from the rest. It feels more like…what you feel for family.” She saw Twilight, Rarity, Dash, AJ, and Fluttershy all blush, while Pinkie was devouring a cupcake, which made her smile.

Blaze POV

I had gotten everything together, and got my guitar on my back heading for the castle garden. On the way I passed a statue which made me stop and set my saddlebags, and guitar case on a bench. I walked up to the statue, which seemed to be some…chimera looking creature. Griffon like talon and lion paw for its hands, a hoof, and a dragon limb for its legs. Its body was long and thin, like a snake, but seemed to be detailed like it was fur, except its tail was scaly looking, with a cloud like puff hanging on the end. It had one long fang in its mouth which was open in laughter. It gave me the chills looking at it, yet…I had an urge to…touch it…something in the back of my mind was telling me touch it, and it kept telling me to.

I shook my head and backed away from it, quickly getting my saddlebags and guitar on my back and ran down the path. I wanted to get away from that statue, as fast as possible, I didn’t know why, but I had to. I soon reached a big clearing with a white circle in between three sets of bleacher like seats. And a small tower like podium with steps leading to an area with 10 seats in it. Two had designs on them, one a sun, and the other a waning crescent moon. Those must be Celestia’s and Luna’s personal seats.

I went to the closest set of bleachers and sat on the bottom part setting the guitar case next to me, and opening it. I was looking at the guitar, and I was gonna pull it out, till I heard hoofsteps from behind me, looking back to see all 6 of the girls, Spike, and Cadence. They were all talking to each other while Spike was eating a big Emerald.

When they noticed me, Dash was the first to speak. “hey Blaze. I didn’t know you played guitar.”

I looked at my guitar and chuckled nervously. “I haven’t played in years…but I thought I should get into playing again…” I shrugged and looked at them. “just something to waste time.”

Rarity walked up to me and gave the biggest pleading eyes I ever saw. “could you play something for us, Darling?” I nodded and smiled a bit as they all got comfy in a seat as I turned to my elven self connecting the guitar to a small amp I pulled out of my saddlebag.

I got in a comfortable position and set my iPhone in its portable speaker as I started the instrumental version of a song, playing the guitar cover, closing my eyes as I sang the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhJ3N_w7qYk

There's no use to try and suppress
It's always there reminding
The one wound that never forgets
Open and undying
Always alive, always inside

And no one comes out the same
Love always leaves a mark
The scars give it all away
Burned in your heart
Love will leave a mark

Twisting, tearing apart
Holding me together
Changing every thought
Haunting me forever
Always inside

And no one comes out the same
Love always leaves a mark
The scars give it all away
Love will leave a mark

With every tear in every sound
Consumed with fire that never burns out
Finding a way through the dark
Love will leave a mark

And no one comes out the same
Love always leaves a mark
The scars give it all away
Love will leave a mark

With every tear in every sound
Consumed with a fire that never burns out
Finding a way through the dark
Love will leave a mark
Love will leave a mark

When I finished I looked at my ‘audience’ as they started to stomp their hooves, and cheer, which made my face heat up and rub the back of my head. “it wasn’t that good. Like I said I’m really rusty…” I set my guitar back in its case closing it.

Dash flew over and got face to face with me putting her hooves on my cheeks to make me look at her. “that was AWESOME Blaze! You HAVE to play for us again sometime!” she was pulled back by a dark lavender aura.

I looked at Rarity to see her horn had a glow on it. “oh, yes. You definitely need to play again, that was just incredible.” She put a hoof to her forhead. “such a talent would make any mare swoon for you darling. Just like we all ha-” I saw her eyes go wide as she quickly covered her mouth as she started to blush, as well as Twilight, AJ, Fluttershy, and Dash, who all turned to look at Rarity with angry or worried looks.

I could just blink in confusion from her reaction, but shrugged it off as we all started to talk about what has happened, but I didn’t pay too much attention. All I caught was ‘winter-wrap up’, ‘running of the leaves’, ‘dresses and modeling for somepony’, and something about…’diamond dogs’? I should probably learn to pay more attention but…that will be another day…

I turned my head after hearing Celestia and Luna’s voices in the distance. I could see the statue again…was it always facing this direction…and that close? I shook my head and saw the princesses talking to each other while Shining was walking over beside Celestia, with a glare focused on me. for some reason I felt myself glare back at him, and stand up.

When he got close to me, his horn started glowing, and made a flash of light purple light which made me raise my hand. When I lowered it I stumbled back at what I was seeing. Standing in front of me was…a human, with blue hair, wearing a white loose shirt, tan pants with gilded kneecaps, and armored boots, with a blue cape with a shield design on it, just like his cutie mark.

“what do you think? Took me a while to get it right, and learn to walk…gotta say that grabbing things is much more…simple with these…sausage linked hoof…things.” I could see Shining smirk at me as he opened and closed his right hand. I was gonna correct him but he contonued. “don’t hold back, Luna is gonna use a spell that will split our concuisness from our bodies, and set them in a replicated version of these bodies in a dome that will encompass the whole dueling circle. We can attack with the intent of killing, because we wont risk any bodily harm…pain is still existent, but when the duel ends, it will be gone, and we will have NO scars or anything.”

I just nodded, as Luna directed us to sit in two smaller circles that were across from each other from the big dueling ring. Shining sat in his circle, and taking his cape off, with a sword in his lap, as I set up my music player, and the portable speaker to the amp and looked at Twilight. “Twi, when the fight starts I want you to click this center button, ok?” she nodded and I smiled a bit at her heading to my circle and sat in it closing my eyes.

I soon felt a sharp pull, which made my eyes snap open, but I was standing, and everything looked brighter, yet…not as colorful. Is this how it is to see the world outside of your body? Its so…dull…literally. I soon remembered what was happening and I pulled out my sword and looked at shining who was doing the same thing holding his sword out with both his hands. I rose my blade up to where it was even with my eyes, the tip of the blade pointed at Shining, and I turned to face my blade raising my left hand up and placing the back of it against the flat of the blade, as my hair hid my eyes. I secretly had a gap to watch shining from the corner of my eyes, through my hair watching his feet closely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17Zz7cXdVXs

I saw him turn his right foot, which tempted me to charge at him. I set my sword behind me sliding the tip along the ground, which I grabbed the hilt with my second hand as I got near Shining, and swung it up for him. He moved his blade down to block mine, but the dirt, and rubble that came up with my swing went into his face disorienting him. I jumped up and spun kicking him in the side sending him stumbling away as I spun my sword and held it over my right shoulder going down my back perfectly vertical, with my left hand out at Shining.

It didn’t take him long to reorient himself and charge at me, with a yell. When he was close he went for a horizontal slash, and I moved and twisted my hand to catch the hilt of his sword as I swung my blade down at him. He stepped to the side and spun making me release his sword, and went for a slash from the other side. I jumped back with a quick parry so only the side of my jacket got hit. I started to pant, as Shining was slightly panting as well.

I clamped my teeth together and slid a foot back as I charged at him as fast as I could leaning forward in my run. I went to slash for him seeing him raise his sword to block, but I quickly spun my blade to where I held the blade backwards and jumped past Shining’s right side sending my blade across his cheek. I slid to a stop turning my head to look at him with my back to him, and my sword going up the back of my arm, to block him, if he was charging me.

I saw him turn around, showing a cut from the side of his lip going all the way to below his right ear. I turned around to where my side faced him, pointing my blade at him. “come on, Shiney boy…I expected a captain to have more fight in him.” I could see him bare his teeth for a moment before he charged me and started an onslaught of swings, which set me on the defensive, stepping backwards, as I parried and blocked his attacks.

At one swing I saw his arm flinch, and I turned my blade pointing my blade at his shoulder and lunged my blade forward piercing through his left shoulder, but his smirk told me he wanted that as his blade was heading for my neck. I let my sword go, letting myself fall to the side as I turned so I was falling back, for his blade to nick my neck. I jumped back and rolled, jumping mid roll into a flip landing in a crouched position panting, as he pulled my sword from his shoulder wielding mine and his.

I just bared my teeth and stood up standing sideways to him with my closer hand extended to him with my hand flat, and my farther arm held a fist even with my chest as I watched him closely. I saw him charge me, and I lowered my head closing my eyes, feeling his steps through the ground, and hearing the wind whistle by the metal of the blades. I heard him swing my blade which was in his left, so I moved my hand catching it by the base of the blade, and went to punch his stomach, but feeling his foot slide, to turn to evade, I froze my fist, opened it, and rose it palm up, into his chin and sent him flying up into the air, feeling my sword slip from his grasp.

I opened my eyes, and jumped going into a spin as I grabbed the hilt of my blade in my left hand and started to turn so I could do a spinning slash horizontally, and yelled as I slashed down at shinning, seeing the gleam of light at one turn of my vision past him. I knew it was his sword, as I spun myself faster with a loud yell and slashes down on him, as I felt a sharp pain go into my gut, and through my left shoulder.

When I hit the ground laying face down, I felt my hands were empty. I weakly turned my head to see Shining with my sword having gone through his shoulder, and was now sticking through his chest. I could just roll over to show his blade through me and smirked as we spoke in unison. “looks like….it’s a draw…my friend…” we looked at each other and laughed, till I felt a lurch and I opened my eyes to see everything looking normal again and felt my body to feel no wounds or aches.

END MUSIC IF NEEDED

I looked at Shining who had reverted to a pony, and was walking over to me. I decided to change into my pony self and walked over to him, meeting him in the center. He had a blank stare, as I kept the same blank look, till we both smiled at one another and shook as the girls, Cadence, and Spike were cheering.

“you know shining, this was my first actual fight…other than a school fight years ago.” I saw his face change to one of complete shock, than he smiled.

I heard him give a slight chuckle. “you could have fooled me Blaze. You fought like you had a purpose.”

“oh, I had a purpose…” I smirked at Shining. “to show you, that I can be trusted…and so that you will know, that I have the strength to protect the ones I care about…” I looked to the girls and smiled.

“you really care about them…don’t you?” I looked at Shining surprised.

I felt my face heat up, but I smiled. “with everything I have…Captain Armor…” this time it was my turn to see him look shocked. “before you ask, I heard about you from Fleet and Swift…I wasn’t sure if it was you, but seeing your skills in combat…and with a form you didn’t fully understand…I knew you were Captain Armor…”

We all headed over to the bleachers where the princesses had met with the others, and we all headed back inside the castle. I had one last look at the statue, and I felt like…it was looking right back at me…and…is that a crack on the lions paw? Was that there before?! Eh, who cares…

As we entered the castle I saw a clock saying it was close to dinner time. We all decided to stay for dinner, then leave for Ponyville after, since the sun would be setting just as we get there, if we caught the train on time. After dinner, we started to leave, but Luna told me that she, and Celestia wished to speak with me at a later date about something important. I just nodded, and said my farewells to Luna, Celestia, Cadence, and Armor, then hurried to catch up with the others.

It was a quiet ride home, as everyone looked tired. Even Pinkie, looked slightly tired…for her that is…she still trotted around, but the usual Pinkie would be bouncing and hopping. So I knew that even SHE was tired. When we got to Ponyville, the sun was just setting, just as predicted. We all said our farewells, then me and Twilight started to head for the library, with Spike curled up and snoring on my back. It didn’t feel that long of a walk since what felt like just a minute of walking we were entering the library.

We headed upstairs as we entered Twilight's room. she soon levitated spike off my back, and into his bed. I looked at her and saw her yawn. She spoke soon after she finished yawning. “I’m glad you’re ok, and back home b\Blaze. I really missed you.” She walked up to me and she kissed me.

Twilight is kissing me…she is actually KISSING me! I felt my face grow hotter by the second, but I just closed my eyes and pressed into the kiss, just letting my feelings and instinct take over. After what felt like a minute or two, we pulled apart and looked at one another. “sweet dreams Twilight.”

I started to leave her room, till I heard Twilight say something then stop, which made me look back. “I…you don’t have to but….your room is down the hall and…well…” I could see her cheek turn pink as she looked away. “you…could sleep in here tonight if you want…”

It felt like my face was on fire, but I couldn’t help but smile. “I’d like that Twi.” I don’t know what was going on, but I blame the exhaustion from today’s events, and the energy I put into the duel. I was soon in bed with Twilight, as she snuggled up to me nuzzling into my chest. We soon fell asleep, in each others hooves, smiling as the warm embrace we were in, lulled us both into the best sleep we ever had.

Ch: 15 The Gala

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I felt myself wake up from a movement against me. I felt so warm, and relaxed, I kept my eyes closed, and held the source of movement closer against me. Right away I heard a sigh of contentment, which made me open my eyes and look down to see Twilight nuzzling against my chest with her hooves around me.

I felt my face heat up, and I felt my wings twitch, as I felt my heart speed up in my throat. I'm in Twilight's bed...why am I here...? I saw her move and raise her head, opening her eyes. I froze up as I was certain my whole face was redder that Big Mac, and I held my breath.

I was so exhausted last night, I can't remember what happened. Think....try to explain how and why you are in her bed! Alright...came home, Spike on my back. Check. Came upstairs, got Spike in bed. Check. Said good night to Twi and left. Check...wait...no...I was stopped by Twi, and we kissed. Then she offered to...okay, I should be safe as long as she remembers that too.

I started to breath again, relieved this didn't just...happen in my sleep, or anything worse...or...did we...nah, spike is in here, she wouldn't go that far with a young dragon at earshot. I looked at Twilight to see her eyes go wide, as she started blushing, a bright pink. I saw her eyes dart around, and then end looking at me, as her blushing died down a bit, and the shock on her face faded, till she had a small smile.

She laid her head against my chest once more, and I smiled as I started to stroke her mane as she relaxed. "So..." Twilight looked up at me, still relaxed as I spoke. "What...does this mean...about us, I mean."

Twilight closed her eyes and nuzzled against me, before she answered. "We can talk about that later...for now...this is the most comfortable I have ever been, so I don't want to get up yet..."

I couldn’t help but smile and lay back relaxing, until I heard a yawn near the foot of the bed. When I raised my head and looked down, I could see Twilight look at me then at the foot of the bed. Me and Twilight looked at each other, and I could tell she was worried about how Spike was going to react to me being in bed with her.

I nuzzled her to let her know everything was gonna be fine, then I heard Spike yawn, then speak. “Morning Twilight. You want anything specific for breakfast?” he stood up and looked at the bed, then blinked before rubbing his eyes. “Twilight, I think I’m seeing things.”

I just smirked and sat up. “seeing things like what? A stallion in Twilight’s bed?” I chuckled as Spike’s eyes went wide, and his pupils thinned as he stared at me. “it’s alright Spike. Twi knew. I didn’t just…sleep walk or sneak in.”

I saw him look at Twilight, so I turned to look at her seeing her nod, and lightly lean against me. “I asked if he wanted to Spike. I was worried I made things awkward between us, when he looked shocked, but I was relieved when he smiled at me.” I smiled at what Twilight said and nuzzled the top of her head.

“oh, ok…I am going to…go make some…pancakes…” Spike got up and left the room with a face that screamed the he felt awkward.

I saw the door close and looked at Twilight who was looking at me. she slipped her hooves around my neck and pulled me into a kiss, which I just leaned into sliding my hooves around her and pulled her closer deepening the kiss. I felt Twilight pull away after a while. She got up and walked to a mirror hanging on the wall, and use her magic to levitate a brush and started brushing her hair.

I got up and just used my hoof to make my mane feel like it was right, and walked to Twilight. “I’m gonna go see of Spike needs any help. Ok?” Twilight nodded and smiled at me using her mirror. “don’t forget we need to talk about us at some point. I don’t want to assume something, and be wrong on any signs.” I heard Twilight giggle, and nod saying we would later.

I left Twilight’s room and headed downstairs yawning a bit. I was about to ask if he needed help until I heard a knocking at the door, and Spike groan in the kitchen. “I got it Spike.” I heard him sigh in relief as I went to the door and opened it seeing Rarity. “oh, hey Rarity. You’re here rather early…something wrong?”

I saw her horn glow, and I was suddenly lifted up, making me yell out in shock. “the gala is TONIGHT, and you haven’t tried on your suit yet! I have to make sure it fits you before tonight, and that you like the design! Now come on!” she ran off making me float with, but I set my hooves on the door frame, calling back to Spike to tell Twilight, I was dragged by Rarity for ‘gala reasons’. My hooves slipped as Spike acknowledged my request, and the door closed.

I’m flying…or floating beside Rarity as she was taking me to her boutique. I manipulated my body to take a laying posture and yawned. “so, the gala is tonight? And no one told me yesterday…? We should’ve just stayed at the castle then…we would be there and ready before the gala even began.”

“we rushed there to see you, make sure you were ok…we weren’t thinking of the gala, we were focused on you…if you were still out DURING the gala…we wouldn’t have gone…we would be there…but at your side…” Rarity looked at me smiling a bit, yet her eyes held sadness to them. “we wouldn’t go without you…even if we want to do different things, we could never enjoy ourselves if you weren’t there…”

I looked at her surprised from what she said. “b-but...you girls were so excited…why wouldn’t you go to the gala just because I could have been incapacitated? All of you said going to the gala was like a dream come true…” I felt myself float lower to the ground, and extended my legs landing, as her spell broke, and I trotted beside her.

Rarity slowed down to be at my side quicker, and leaned against me lightly as she nuzzled my neck, making my face heat up. “we did say that…but, we need you there as well. If you weren’t there, we would be worried about you, rather than enjoying the festivities…you’re our friend Blaze…we all care about you…we all love you, darling.”

I looked at Rarity smiling. “I love you girls too.” I looked ahead to see Rarity’s boutique. As we entered and she went to get the suit she made for me, I sat on the nearby couch thinking how I felt so hollow and alone in my old world. How I could never trust anyone except myself…but here? I don’t feel hollow, or alone. I feel the opposite, I can trust all my friends, I know they would be there for me if they can, even if there is something they have to do, I know they would still lend an ear if I need it.

I felt a pressure around my hoof, which made me snap my eyes open and look at Sweetie Belle who was hugging my right foreleg looking at me worried, and then felt something soft rub against my cheek which I just noticed was soaked. I looked up to see Rarity gently dabbing my cheeks, looking worried.

I was about to say something, but Sweetie Belle started as she tightened around my foreleg. “Why are you crying? You weren’t hurt…right?”

I looked at Sweetie and smiled a bit shaking my head. “no…I’m not hurt. these aren’t tears of pain or sadness. They are tears of happiness…because…I finally found what I dreamt of for so long…I found where I belong…” I put my free foreleg around Sweetie gently in a light hug, and looked at Rarity, as she smiled.

It took a few minutes to get myself together and then Rarity brought out a red and black suit. I walked over to it, and around it looking it over, and thought I should tease Rarity, by sitting in front of it and tapping a hoof to my chin in thought, with a blank stare. After a bit I saw her looking concerned that I didn’t like it.

I walked over to Rarity and smiled. “I love it Rarity. It matches me perfectly. Thank you.” She squealed in happiness and hugged me for a moment before she gasped and pulled back slapping me. “OW! I was just messing with you! You didn’t need to smack me!” I rubbed my cheek groaning in annoyance more so than pain.

“you made me worried I did something wrong, or that you didn’t like it! And with the gala in 12 hours, of course I’m gonna be mad!” Rarity huffed and crossed her hooves staring at me.

“alright, I’m sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?” she looked to the side in thought before she smirked, and suggested I take her to lunch…my treat…at the most expensive restaurant around. I’m glad I have a LOT of bits hidden in my interdimensional strongbox. Now that I think about that strongbox, I have a sudden need to bring those gems…I wonder why…

After being forced to try on the suit, finding that pony suits here are as uncomfortable as human suits, but there is no choking sensation with pony suits. Maybe it’s the extra neck muscles, or Rarity made it so it doesn’t cause that. Either way, that’s the one thing I hated about suits, so I have no worries here. I can manage.

I finally got to leave Rarity’s and head back to the library. Me and Twilight still have a certain subject to talk about. It didn’t take me long to get back to the library. As soon as I entered I saw Twilight reading a book at her desk. I walked over and peeked at what she was reading, and saw it was a romance novel, not study material.

“you are enjoying a story instead of studying?” Twilight jumped when I whispered in her ear, and turned to look at me with bright red cheeks. I guess she thought I was Spike, since she didn’t turn around before. “I’m shocked you can enjoy a story, instead of just study materials on magic, history, or something of the like.” I couldn’t but smirk at Twilight as her face grew redder. “why…by your reaction and bright blushing…I’d say it was…a NAUGHTY romance novel.”

Twilight made the book disappear as she smiled nervously, which made me chuckle, then slide my hoof across my mouth like a zipper. Twilight sighed in relief and kissed the end of my nose which surprised me. “I thought on…last night. I don’t want you to feel pressured to be my coltfriend cause of last night, so if you want…we could chalk that whole thing…and this morning to being tired…”

I saw Twilight look down as her ears drooped. I quickly placed my hoof under her chin, lifted her head, and pressed my lips against hers, kissing her real quick. “Twilight, I’d love to be you coltfriend.” I saw her smile as she hugged me nuzzling into my neck. “I…DO have to take Rarity to lunch…at the fanciest restaurant…because I messed with her…”

Twilight let me go and looked at me with a brow raised obviously curious about what I got myself into. “Blaze…what did you do…?” I sat there and explained the whole, pretending to look at my gala suit in a questionative manner, till Rarity looked nervous, and what came after. She started to laugh as I dropped my head chin first onto her desk with an annoyed groan.

I nuzzled Twilight and let her get back to her book, and started to head upstairs till there was a knock at the door. I headed to the door and opened it to see a grey pegasus mare with gold colored eyes. “I have a delivery for a…Blazing Feathers here, and I need him to sign this.”

“I’m Blaze…what would I have or- OH RIGHT!” I signed for the package and se a couple pegasi sliding a decently big box in through the door, then fly out connecting to a cart, flying off.

The mailmare smiled and nodded as one of her eyes slowly moved towards the side. “thank you Mr. Feathers. Have a good day.” I wanted to as the grey mare about her eye, but I felt it would be rude and nodded to her smiling.

After she flew off, I turned to the box and walked around it. “oh sweet Celestia, I cant believe its here!”

Twilight set a book mark in her novel she was reading and looked back. “uhh…what is it?” she walked over to the box and put her ear against it lightly tapping it.

“oh, it’s a TV. Saved so many bits, and I set an order for it. I was told it MAY be a month till they got more in stock from the reserved listing, and I just asked them to add me to that list. And it came in!” I started to slide it to the stairs but stopped. “uhhh…Twilight….could you…teleport this into my room?” I smiled at her as she shook her head with a smile before she lit up her horn and teleport me, her, and the TV into my room, where I started to open the box.

Twilight helped me set up the TV, then I went to my bed and pulled out my backpack, turning into my human self. I pulled out my Playstation 3&4 hooking them up to the TV. I noticed Twilight staring at the game systems with a confused look. “Blaze, what are those…devices, and why are you connecting them to the TV?”

I just chuckled and set the game systems up explaining they were used to play games. After getting the systems connected to the TV, I turned on my PS4, and accessed my digital copy of “Bloodborne” and started playing it, as I decimated my way through. Even if a basic enemy took me about 3 to 5 minutes to beat…damn my cautious/strategic ways with these “rage games” as I call them.

I noticed the time getting close to 11, and turned off my system. “Sorry Twi, but I gotta get ready to take Rarity to lunch.” I put my controller away, and became my pegasus self stretching my wings. Twilight seemed disappointed that I had to stop, or maybe it was that I was taking Rarity to lunch. “Twi, its just lunch, it’s not a date.” She nodded and smiled a bit.

I started to head downstairs and opened the door, only to have a hoof go right into my forehead. I had closed my eyes and rubbed the sore spot, until I heard a gasp. Once I opened an eye, I saw Rarity move closer to me, and moved my hoof looking at the spot she hit. “I am SO sorry! I didn’t expect the door to open at that time.”

I just chuckled and regained my posture. “it’s fine. It barely hurt, my reaction was more in…shock than pain.”

She sighed in relief, before smiling for a moment before it dropped as she looked away. “I’m sorry but could our little rendezvous for lunch be postponed? I wanted to do a few minor adjustments to my dress for the gala.”

“of course it can Rarity. How about tomorrow after the gala, I’ll stop by your shop, and we can plan it out.” Rarity nodded and kissed my cheek which made my face heat up.

I decided to head to my room and fall back onto my bed yawning a bit. I looked at the clock on the wall seeing it say it was five till 11, so I decided to roll onto my side becoming my pegasus self and close my eyes relaxing, as I felt my body grow lighter.

I was being shaken, and pressed down on. I opened my eyes, and looked over at an annoyed looking Twilight and Rarity. “hey…what’s up?” I sat up and yawned after I finished speaking.

I felt a yank on my wings which sent a shock through my body and heard Rarity’s voice. “Blaze, we need to get moving. The train leaves in 15 minutes!” my ears perked and I jumped off my bed as me, Twilight, and Rarity rushed out of the library and towards the train station.

We reached the train station and boarded the train just in time, since as soon as we were seated the train started heading off for Canterlot. I leaned against the window and yawned still feeling tired, and I don’t understand why…I feel like I haven’t slept in weeks.

In about 2 hours we were in Canterlot. Me and Spike were in our suits, while the girls had on their dresses. I have to say, Rarity knows how to catch their style in her designs. They all looked beautiful. I remember when I first saw them in their dresses…I just stared unable to speak.

When I came out in my suit, I was SWAMPED with the girls crowding me, and complimenting me, and Rarity’s work on the suit. Now we are heading to the gala. A gathering for nobles, and special guests of the princesses.

As we headed to the gates, we showed the guards our tickets then started heading up to the entrance. Once we entered all the girls head out in different directions, so I decided to go in the direction Twilight went, seeing her stand beside Celestia. I sat beside Twilight which made her smile at me, as Celestia greeted many guests that came by her.

It took about 10 minutes for Celestia to have a chance to look over and see me. “oh! Blaze, I didn’t know you came up here! You should have said something.” I just shrugged and smiled. “I’m glad you made it, there is something special I need to do, that involves you.”

I looked at her in confusion. “involves me?” Celestia nodded and smiled.

Celestia called for a special announcement after a while as all the guests, nobles, and my friends were in the main entrance of the castle. My friends and I were at the base of a set of stairs while Celestia was at the higher part of the steps. The shocking part was Luna appeared beside her.

I looked at Twilight to see she was excited, and curious of what was happening. I heard Luna clear her throat which made me look up at the princesses. “we have a ceremony we wish to do, that thy sister has told me, hasn’t been done in over 5 centuries. Blazing Feathers…please present yourself before us.”

I felt myself tense up, and gulped nervously as I looked at the girls seeing them looking at me with concern. I started up the steps till I stood before the sisters, and stood there with a guard like posture, and heard Celestia speak. “Blaze…we wish to bring back a special regime that we have not seen anypony worthy of being a part of, or leading in so long…until now…we are bringing back the knight order…the knights live their normal lives, and do what is right under our name…we call upon any knights for…more sensitive deeds the guards are not trained for…”

I looked at Luna as she walked up to me, floating a small medallion over, and placing it on me. “Blaze…we would like you, to be the first of this reincarnated order…and would like you to name the order as well, unless you do not wish to be a knight. You listen only to the orders of me, and my sister. Any other knights that join the order, shall listen to your command as well.”

I looked down at the medallion, seeing a purple designed sun logo, with a yellow crescent moon symbol right over part of the sun. the image of the order made a name pop into my head. “I have a name for the order…” I looked at the princesses smiling as they seemed intrigued I had a name already. “I believe the order should be called….’The Eclipse Knights’.”

I saw Celestia smile and give a slow regal nod, as Luna spoke in a loud echoing voice. “the Eclipse Knights it is…so, by the decree of my and my Sister, Celestia, we deem thee, the Knight Commander!” I heard cheering and hooves stomping which made turn around to see everypony was cheering.

After a while of congratulations by a few stallion nobles, some mare nobles attempting to flirt with me, and my friends excitement about what happened, the gala went back to how it was before I was made ‘Knight Commander’. The odd part was how the medallion felt incomplete, but I would figure it out later, for now, I need to get some cider, and try to enjoy myself.

Things seemed to be going well at first, since all my friends seemed to be enjoying themselves. Twilight was next to Celestia the whole time, but we did have a dance, as well as I had a dance with all my friends except Fluttershy, who I couldn’t find…but their smiles didn’t last for more than an hour or two since…well…things started turning bad…

Alright…things got hectic quick, not just ‘bad’…Rarity stayed at ‘Blueballs’ side as he used a part of her dress to go over a small bit of mud, used her as a shield from flying cake, and got himself a cushion…flankhole. Applejack had tried to sell her apple treats, selling one to some pegasus in a blue suit with a lightning bolt, that Dash went after…maybe she has a crush on him…or he was one of these…’Wonderbolts’ ponies. Pinkie was being her energetic, hyper partying self, but this…wasn’t a fast party…I felt so bad she got those stares. Now, as for Fluttershy? I had no idea what SHE was doing, but it ended with her barging into the ball room screaming ‘you will love me’ as animal ran from her…I know, crazy, right? Animals…running from Fluttershy?!

But now we were at some donut shop, telling about our experiences at the gala…or the girls experiences anyway…I DID laugh at how Rarity described blueblood, as a terrible excuse for a prince, stallion, and a few…rather obscene things she hoped would happen to him, one I believe would turn him into a mare if it happened. After some time Celestia had come into the donut place, which was named after the owner ‘Donut Joe’.

I swear pony names live up to the pony so well, that its mind numbing…even MY name…and I made it up because my feathers were RED like fire…but, then I find out I can light my feathers up with flames with a thought! But tonight turned out pretty fun, even if it did start off ok, got boring, then became a complete…mad house…

Before we left for home; me, Spike, and the girls went to help clean up at the castle. After a while I went to the garden for a breather and found myself at that…chimera statue again. I felt myself wanting to touch it again, which made me look around to see no pony around. I became my human self and slowly extended my arm as my fingers twitched and curled trying to stop me, but I forced my fore-finger, middle finger, and thumb extend out, and set them against the statue.

“see? Nothing to worry abo-“ I felt a sharp shock go through my body, then the world seemed to fly by me, at blurring speeds for a moment. I slowly sat up, seeing I was in a bush, a good distance from the statue, and saw my three fingers had slight burns on them. I walked to the statue, and looks up to see a crack along the side of its laughing maw. I hope I didn’t cause that, but I chose to turn to my pegasus self and quickly hurry back inside, and find the girls all ready to leave, so once I joined them we had set out, and went home. I know I am going to collapse in bed, and just sleep. Sleep till I am needed…

Ch 16: Chaos Reigns Rampant...?

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It has been about a month since the gala, and me and Twilight have gotten really close in that time. My room, is now Spike’s room, I have most of my stuff like my consoles, the TV, and a few of my collectibles I had in my backpack set up on a small chest/dresser that sits below the TV, all in Twilight’s…or…our room now. I occasionally saw Twilight trying to get into my strongbox, since she saw me pull my Darksiders 2 Death mask, Assassins Creed Unity Phantom blade bracer, and my Assassins Creed Syndicate hidden blade gauntlet from it, close it, then immediately open it for a decent pouch full of bits.

I let her try, and watch her get frustrated as her spells just change in mid use. A funny, yet concerning example would be when She tried to use an unlocking spell, and it shot back at her as a stun spell. The worrying part was how she was sent flying onto the bed. She hasn’t used a spell on it since, but she still tries to pry it open, or use a set of lock picks she thinks I don’t know about. One time, I saw her have Pinkie…jump into the lock, only to get her head stuck…and yes…Pinkie jumped…INTO…the keyhole…of the lock. Pinkie just being Pinkie…adorably random, and funny.

She gave up about a week ago, but tried to spy over my shoulder into the strongbox, when I open it, and on occasion, it gives a light, barely audible hum, like it is now…why it’s humming? I have no idea, but I am GOING to find out…NOW! I grabbed my Eclipse Knight medallion, and opened it. (yeah, I had it fixed to me more like a locket, where the key fits inside of it, as well as the knight symbol showing inside.)

“all right, why…by Luna’s night sky…are you humming?!” I opened it, and saw the six gems float out of the strongbox and jumped back making the strongbox close. I stepped back as the gems started swirling in a circle making the big onyx crystal float up and in the center of the currently rainbow like spinning circle. The onyx flew at me and embedded itself onto my medallion which flashed a blinding white, and I felt a sudden weight on my chest, head, and hooves.

I opened my eyes to see the six gems stopped and lined themselves in a horizontal line as they too flew into my neck, making six loud clank and click sounds. I looked down to see I was wearing a black and red set of armor. I was wearing a black helmet that had a horn, designed as thin as a blade, my chest plate was black with a red metallic fabric inside for comfort, and coming out the sides for extra protection. I looked at my hooves to see I was wearing red armor hoof shoes, with black greaves right above each hoof shoe. I headed to the mirror and saw the onyx on the center of my chest plate, and the six gems went around the neck area.

I slid my hoof under the gems, and as it passed by each one, I saw an image of one of the girls in my mind, as the gem glowed. From left to right, it was:
the pink gem showing Pinkie,
the orange gem showing Applejack,
the purple gem showing Twilight,
the yellow gem showing Fluttershy,
the cyan gem showing Rainbow Dash,
and the white gem showing Rarity.

I turned to look at both sides seeing the armor wasn’t very protective from the side or behind, but it still looked cool. I then thought of my medallion, and saw the armor flash, disappearing from my body, as the light swarmed on my chest becoming my medallion with the onyx on it once more.

So the onyx needed a catalyst to create the armor, and the gems must make a connection to each of the girls…it makes me wonder if they have capabilities beyond a connection. I will have to test them at some point…after the girls know about this of course. I slipped off my medallion and saw it took a shield shape.

“hmm…I wonder…” I walked to my strongbox and set the medallion over the shield as it clicked on, and the chain disconnected and snaked under the box and to itself, making two locking chains on the strongbox. Will this thing ever NOT surprise me…? “now Twilight has MORE thing to try to get through.”

I looked at the clock to see it was almost noon. I touched the medallion as the chains unlocked and snaked up my hoof putting itself around my neck. “whoa…that was…weird” I shuddered and hurried downstairs and towards the door until I heard…rain? That cant be right, there isn’t supposed to be any overcast for another three or four days!

I opened the doors to see it was raining…brown rain…from pink clouds?! “Twilight…what did you do…?” I knew Twilight went to practice a few new spells, she must have cast a spell wrong…I remember the last time she tried a…’manecut spell’ I looked like Rainbow Dash but with grey, dark red, and black…it looked cool, and had a fiery look, but….it didn’t suit me…or at least I didn’t think so…second attempt gave me Rarities mane style…ugh…I chose to NOT let her try it again, since I felt I would be bald, so I just fixed it myself a bit, and headed to a barber.

But right now, I had no idea what spells she was learning or testing. I headed towards Sweet Apple Acres, where I saw most of the pink clouds. When I got there I could see a bunch of squirrels and…long legged…hooved…rabbits eating the clouds, and the girls were gathered near there too.

I walked over and heard Twilight start to speak. “Princess Celestia needs us in Canterlot, immediately.”

I reached them and cleared my throat. “I’ll get us there…whatever is happening I can tell isn’t from Twilight now…” I saw her stare at me, which I smiled nervously. “uhhh…well, I will get us to Canterlot…”

Dash landed and looked at me like I was crazy. “Blaze, you cant carry us all…and you aren’t a unicorn, how do you expect to get us there so quickly?”

“oh, I have magic…its just…risky…for me…” I saw all the girls look at me with disapproving looks. “she said immediately, and Twilight will need all she can for any spells so…” I bit into my hoof fast as blood came out, and a dome of fire swirled around us all, quickly dissipating as we were at the castle gates. “come on!” we all ran into the castle, as I looked around feeling something…odd yet…familiar…

Celestia eventually pulled out a case that was empty, and I felt myself float up and a yellow orb surrounded me as I couldn’t hear anything. I then saw something move ON the windows, that looked like a colored version of that odd statue…wait…Fleet said somepony named Discord was….and this chimera….oh no…

After I while the thing stopped moving and the bubble I was in popped sending me to fall onto the floor. I carefully got up, and heard Dash call my name. I looked over and saw the girls run off, which I started to follow them to the castle garden’s maze entrance.

Almost immediately Discord appeared and looked at me. “AH! The pony who gave me the last little bit of energy I needed…you helped me break free a week early! So for that, I thank you. And you six…” he looked at the girls, snapping his…fingers I guess? And made Fluttershy and Dash’s wings disappear, as well as Rarity and Twi’s horns, which made them all start freaking out. “you must find the elements, and the only rules…no magic…and no flying…” he started laughing as he disappeared.

I became my elven self thinking of using my wings but stopped as I felt a pressure on my neck, hearing ‘tsk tsk tsk’ in Discords voice in my head, so I became my human self which made my sword form on my back.

As we entered the maze hedges rose up between all of us. Discord is separating us…I started to bolt down my path sticking with the wall on my right side, at all times till I hit an opening staring in shock at what I saw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8uQBOrEv6g

I walked down a concrete road with flipped cars, and houses that had collapsed in on themselves. I could see blood hardened to tall grass, and the sidewalks. I approached a corner and saw…my house…it was barely standing, and looked ready to cave in…I walked to the door and grabbed the knob slowly just for the wood to crack and break as the door fell, making me step back.

After a while I walked inside seeing the stairs had partially fallen in, the wall between the living room and kitchen/dining room was gone, bones and blood riddled and stained the floor, even the ceiling looked like it was ready to fall.

“what…happened…?” I walked straight ahead and up a 3 step flight of stairs and turned right into my room, to see it was how I left it…except bloody, and the bed was broken…the L-desk still stood, the TV on it was cracked, my gaming chair looked like a giant claw had scratched it. I kneeled beside my bed and reached underneath pulling out a cracked wooden box, taking the lid off seeing a golden yellow, and long silky cover bag. I slid it down to reveal a sleek red painted wooden staff looking weapon.

I grabbed one end and started pulling it, making a reverse blade katana blade slide out and saw the blade shining as if it was STILL just forged, and polished. I slid it back into the sheath getting the strap for it and getting it on my waist, as I left the house. Whatever happened here…it couldn’t be real…but even if this blade is an illusion, it felt good to have it once more…I set my path down the street walking down it quickly wanting to get far away from here, and get back to the maze.

I reached the end of the street to find the maze was gone. “it was JUST here!” I started looking around worried that Discord had sent me to my world…that what I was seeing was real…no it cant be…I wont believe it! I ran down the street holding my swords sheath, focusing to think of how to get out of this nightmare…

stop music

I slid to a stop hearing a scream in an oddly, yet painfully familiar voice. “Jenny…” I turned left and bolted in the direction of the scream. I slid to a stop when I saw a weird, big human looking creature biting the head off of some guy. It looked over spitting the head out as it looked at…Jenny…

I grabbed a softball sized piece of concrete and threw it nailing the creature in the head, making it look back at me snarling, as its eyes were glowing a bright orange, and was crusted with old blood. I could hear jenny gasp, probably at seeing me again, as I slowly pulled out my sword from my back. “I’m sure you want more of a challenge from your meal, right?” I saw the creature contort and twist to face me.

I set the blade of my sword over my left shoulder, and stood there as the creature charged at me. I slid my right foot forward and moved my left to the right with a sidestep as I swung my blade fast, as the creature ran past me slowing to a stop. I swung my sword down and stopped it in an instant making blood splatter on the street as I heard the creature make a gurgling sound and fall.

I looked at jenny, as she was approaching me. “D…Daniel…?” I inspected her, looking over her, expecting something to look wrong…but nothing did…

I walked past her, and headed down the street keeping my sword out, till I heard Jenny call my name in an angry tone, which made me turn my head to look over my shoulder. “I am not Daniel anymore Jenny…I go by Blaze now…whether you are real or not…I need to get back to my friends…and re-petrify a certain being…” I looked ahead and felt it start raining as I started walking again.

I had to find a way back…I am dead in this world…so why renew ties that were cut long ago? I need to keep these new ties together…in the middle of my thoughts I felt something bump into my back, and heard sobbing, while two fists weakly hit my shoulder blades. “you…idiot…why did you leave…? Where did you go…? YOU JUST LEAVE WITHOUT A WORD THEN COME BACK WHEN MONSTERS ATTACK?!?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!” I looked back at Jenny, as she continued hitting my shoulder blades, lighter and lighter with each hit.

“I am NOT here by choice...” I turned pressing a shoulder back to get her off me and turned so my side was to her and stared at her. “I don’t even know if you’re REAL!” I put my sword at her neck baring my teeth. “all I want is to get back to my friends…to the ones I love…THE WORLD I WANT TO PROTECT WITH MY LIFE!”

I saw Jenny’s eyes go wide as she gulped nervously. “you’ve changed…you’re so…angry…” I saw her eyes slowly close, as a few tears flowed down her cheeks. “what changed you…? what made you so you could put a sword to the neck of your friend…?”

“I changed…? No…I found something to protect…friends that love me…I found…where I belong…and its not the human world…if anyone changed…it’s you…” I smirked widely. “nice try Discord…” I pulled my sword to the side quickly slitting ‘Jenny’s’ throat as black flowed from the wound and the world started to warble, and crack, until it broke, revealing…Ponyville?

I heard a voice call my name and turned to see Twilight helping Rarity carry a boulder into the library. I looked to see my old sword was gone, but sheathed my current one, and turned into my pegasus self hurrying into the library. By the time I entered, I saw Fluttershy trip Spike, Pinkie looked mad, Rarity was hugging the boulder she kept calling ‘Tom’, and saw AJ sitting down…what the hell happened?!

I walked to Twilight as she cheered out that she found the elements, and the other girls left after Discord appeared claiming it was no use now. I ran out the door to see the others running off, while Rarity was barely far, since she was dragging the boulder…I felt something go around my neck and grabbed it as I was lifted up, and heard Discord’s voice. “seems you have a strong will…it will be fun breaking you…” I heard Twilight yelling my name but I felt a sudden pull, only hearing ‘Bla-‘.

When I was released I jumped forward and turned in mid air facing Discord, panting from the choking I was under, as well as the added exhaustion. “we WILL stop you…you won’t last much longer, the girls will get the elements on, and come back and re-petrify you!”

Discord stood on his hoof, and dragon leg as he paced around me. I watched him closely as he stroked his beard going ‘hmm’ a few times before he spoke. “you know…I have NEVER seen anything quite like…you before…I can feel raw chaos inside of you…untapped…you hold such potential within you…”

I just stayed quiet and glared at him as he walked around me. at one moment when he was in front of me, he stopped and floated up, taking a sitting pose in mid air. “raw…chaos…?”

He blinked and smiled before making a pipe appear, and put it to his mouth, and made…bubbles come out, which popped letting out a dark grey smoke…that was weird… “yes…ponies use a peaceful magical force…tame…controllable…malleable…me? I use chaos magic…raw…raging…wild…its better for offensive spells and tricks, while ponies have more calming, healing, and defensive spells…” he gagged as he stuck his whole…eagle talon down his throat…umm….ew…

I just crossed my forelegs. “well the best offense IS a good defense…seems ponies have the upper hoof…” Discord shrugged, and I saw all six of the girls run up, and they all looked normal rather than the grayish tint they had. “well…I guess this is goodbye, chimeran scum…”

“chimeran scum?! How DARE you, you insolent little worm! I am practically a GOD with the power I have…I could crush you with just a thought and…” he was in my face, till he saw me smile, then looked behind him before turning around as I snuck away, so the girls have a free shot. “oh please…again with this? Well…go ahead…give it your best shot…” after the girls floated up, and shot a rainbow like beam, like with Nightmare Moon, Discord started to become stone and freak out.

After he was a statue again I sighed and fell back with a hard thud landing flat on my back. I heard the girls run over, and heard asking if I was alright, if I was hurt, or injured. I just chuckled and ran my hoof through my mane. “I’m fine…just relieved this is over…”

We got the petrified Discord returned to his place in the palace garden in his scared look rather than the laughing look he had before. I just sat there staring at him, recalling what he said…about ‘raw chaos inside me, untapped’ could I…become like him one day…? No, that’s crazy! I finally felt a hoof against my back, and I looked back at the girls as they were smiling. We all finally headed home, exhausted from the chaotic…insane day we went through…but that image of my old world still bugged me…WAS it real? was it based off what is really happening? I couldn’t get that thought out of my head…maybe…I can find out somehow…maybe…

Ch 17: Nightmare Night, and the wind

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I'm not a fan of anything scary...except for this time of year. Halloween, or 'Nightmare Night' is today. For the past few weeks I have been learning my form changing for a certain costume idea. Everypony is gonna be frightened tonight with what I have planned! I can't WAIT, especially since I ACTUALLY got Fluttershy to go!

Well...not scary frightened, more like...well yeah, scared frightened, but in the Nightmare Moon way. I might even freak out my marefriend. I hope she won’t be too mad with my scare tactic I have planned. I may be stuck with that uncomfortable couch for a while I’m certain…but that will be worth it, to scare the WHOLE town…except for the mayor of course…or I might scare her even…all she knows is I am gonna appear on the stage, in an attempt to scare everypony…but with what I have planned, I just may scare her as well.

I could hear Twilight getting ready in the bedroom, while Spike and I were downstairs, where spike was in a…Barney-esque dragon costume, which I couldn’t help but snerk at his choice in costume. After a while Twilight came down in a wizard hat and cape adorned with small bells, and wearing a long white beard. “Twilight…who are you supposed to be?”

Twilight looked at me in an angry way, before teleporting in front of me, pressing her nose against mine. “I’m Starswirl the Bearded! It took forever just to MAKE this costume!”

I raised my hooves sitting back, looking at her in shock. “whoa WHOA! I didn’t say it wasn’t good, I just asked who! I don’t know any historical figureheads…well not how they looked, so I didn’t know!”

I saw Twilight step back and blush looking to the side sadly. “sorry..I forgot you weren’t originally a pony…I hope you can forgive me for snapping at you…”

I just rolled my eyes and nuzzled her. “Twi, I’m not mad. I would be surprised if you and the other girls DIDN’T forget…” I saw Twilight smile a bit, and nod. “you and Spike go ahead to the celebration, I’ll meet you there.”

I saw Spike head to the door to answer a knocking at the door, as Twilight headed over, which I snuck back upstairs to get everything ready, as well as the supplies I would need for what I am going to do. I got everything together and set sigils on paper in my blood to change the form changing spells output to become what I needed and waited for when the mayor said she was gonna start her ‘Nightmare Night Introduction’ speech. So now…it’s the waiting game.

3rd Person POV | Stage | 15 minutes later

Zecora had just walked off the stage beside the mayor, as all the ponies were about to walk off, until a deep evil laugh rung out as black flames swirled on the stage. The Mane 6 quickly ran up as many of the ponies, the zebra, and the baby dragon backed away as the black flames seemed to stop, freezing as the laugh echoed out from the flames. Once the laugh stopped the flames formed an equine body that was a head taller than Celestia, and had a horn that seemed like two, that swirled around one another, looking very much like the ‘Marker’ from ‘Dead Space’. A pair of eyes opened from inside the black flames, as a pair of wings shot out blasting the black fire into the sky.

The ponies gasped as a black Alicorn stood on the stage with its red feathered wings extended with a mane and tail that moved and flowed like a raging fire. The alicorn looked around as his eyes flashed red and he grinned maniacally showing super sharp teeth, as its horn had many runic sigils glow red all over its horn(s).

The Alicorn spoke in a deep, echoey demonic voice. “ah, it has been so long since I have been free from that…confined prison he called a mind…” the alicorn looked at Twilight and the other 5 as red mist like energy lifted Twilight up to the alicorn, and held the others in place. “ahh…such power…such potential…” the alicorn slid a hoof along her cheek gently as she tried to pull away. “fight all you want…because you won’t be soon…”

Twilight looked at him with fear, and concern visible in her eyes. “w-why….why do you say that…?”

The alicorn looked past Twilight seeing worried faces on the purple unicorn’s friends, as he smirked at her. “because….you will be my first…thrall…” he spoke his last word in a long breathed manner and in a way to show his thin, lizard like tongue, as his pupils became slits like a lizard.

Twilight seemed to tense up and start shaking as many of the ponies were too scared to move or look up. The alicorn even saw the mayor looking genuinely scared, before he looked at Twilight as the sigils on his horn started to glow brighter as the mist like aura on Twilight got brighter. The other’s of the Mane 6 kept calling out ‘no’, and ‘stop’ until the black fiery alicorn kissed Twilight.

Blaze’s POV

I decided to break the kiss with Twilight, and chuckle, until I was laughing, falling back into a sitting position and holding my stomach. “OH CELESTIA, YOU SHOULD ALL SEE YOUR FACES!” I laughed louder as my voice slowly changed back into my own and the aura on Twilight and the others faded, letting them go.

Soon after I felt something tackle me, which made my eyes snap open. I noticed I was looking into a pair of reddish pink eyes, and heard Dash’s voice. “how did you DO that blaze?!?! That was AWESOME!”

I just shrugged and smirked, as I floated Dash off me and got up. I looked at Twilight who had a flabbergasted look on her face. “Twilight? Babe?”

I saw Twilight blush and shake her head. “I-I’m fine….Blaze, we are gonna have a talk later…” I saw her approach me looking annoyed, which worried me, until she gave me a quick kiss, and smiled a bit. “but that was a good scare, I will admit that.”

I called it…couch for a while…ah well, the looks on everypony’s faces was just perfect. I jumped off the stage and followed the Twilight, who followed Zecora and the crowd of colts and fillies. We reached a statue of Nightmare Moon which made me chest burn, making me place my hoof on my chest panting slightly, remembering the pain from that spike.

I felt something touch my shoulder, which made me look over to see Twilight looking concerned. I felt the pain subside, and smiled a bit letting her know I was fine. I felt the wind start swirling around and looked up to see a carriage being pulled by two pegasi….with bat wings.

I wish I had bat wings…or…not, since everypony seems to be scared of them. The carriage soon landed near us, and the door opened. A pony came out, and lowered their hood to reveal Luna. I wonder how my ‘alicorn form’ will make her react. Hopefully not…threateningly.

When she started speaking, she had a loud echoing voice, like a loud yell, that made the winds flow with her words, but yet to me sounded like a shrieking at a high pitch which made me fold my ears forward, fall and place my hooves over my ears roughly trying to keep myself from yelling in pain. The ringing, and the pain was so bad, my eyes were wide open, and I was certain they were dilated, and glazed, cause my vision was blurry for anything further than a foot away.

After it stopped and the ringing calmed down and rolled onto my side panting, and I could barely hear Twilight’s voice calling my name. I looked up and saw Twilight and Luna looking at me worried, and…my blonde mane was in my vision…did that…whatever it was disrupt my focus so much, I reverted to my pegasus self? Note to self: NEVER piss Luna off…

“BLAZE, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!” I flinched at Twilight’s loud voice, and rubbed my left ear with my hoof.

“yes, yes I hear you…ow…I’m fine, I’m just disoriented from that…thing Luna did…” I slowly got up and shook my head as I changed to my alicorn form for my Nightmare Night costume, and looked at Luna who seemed to step back in shock.

“Ser Blaze, when…how…I do not understand…” I couldn’t help but chuckle at Luna’s currently shocked look and reaction.

I took a pose and smirked as I could feel my fiery mane moving, as I bit the side of my tongue focusing a small stream flow out the side of my mouth and through my coat onto my ‘marker’ styled horn to make the runic sigils glow. “like what you see Luna?”

Luna blushed and looked to the side. “uhh, well…it is just surprising to see you…as an alicorn…that is all…”

I winked at Twilight to let her know I was messing with the Princess of the night, and walked closer to Luna. “then…would you mind explaining…the blushing?”

She seemed to look in any direction except me, which made me laugh. “alright, Blaze, enough messing with the princess…” I looked over at Twilight and nodded.

I saw Luna turn to the crowd, as Pinkie and the foals, seemed to jump at a clap of thunder, which made Luna look…creepy for a moment. I heard screaming of ‘Nightmare Moon’ and Ms.Hyper-Pink, and the foals all ran off. That was…I can’t even think of a word for how bad that was…

I then got a cold chill down my spine, and looked over to see…Death? Why is her here? “hey, Twi? I’ll…be right back….” I heard her say ‘ok’ as she walked in the direction Luna had gone. I quickly hurried deeper into the trees where Death was.

Many would probably call me crazy, or insane for walking over to Death himself, like I was doing, but I know he doesn’t appear in sight for no reason…and that chill…he was getting my attention, but for what…?

I reached an area deep in the forest, that had a big clearing, but it looked like it was…torn apart. I hear hoofsteps walk to my side, and looked over at Death who was looking at the destroyed trees, and plants. “do you see this Blaze…?” I nodded yet shuddered at how dry and raspy his voice was. “this is the result of an elemental…much like you…he does not have…perfect control of his powers…but he has had them for years…yet you seem to have control over yours, although you hold much back, in fear of harming others…he lets his out at its peak, but he does not know how to control that level yet…you need to find him. What is coming, you need as many elementals as you can find…I will help as much as I can, but I am not allowed to toil with you…mortal beings very much.”

“so, can you tell what element did this kind of destruction? I understand I am fire…but its dry here, so it wasn’t water…the ground isn’t cracked, and no dirt or rubble around, so it was not terra…light would not do this I am sure, and darkness…there is the sense of something…bad” I looked at the destroyed trees, and shattered boulders, as well as seeing the ground, laid almost unaffected. “but it isn’t that much, so darkness wasn’t what destroyed these…you think it was air…wind?”

I heard Death sigh. “yes…and every elemental holds light and dark inside them…only when 4 are together, can those elements be used at the highest caliber…yet…you hold half the darkness, and most of the light…most peculiar, yet…understandable…fire always lead the others, and was the keystone to creating land, as well as not many live today” I saw Death look over at me “you need to be ready…find the other elementals, and prepare for what I wrought…only you elementals can delay it…and” he looked at the land again”…Blaze…you may not know…but you are not truly a human…you lived as one yes, but you are a pony…” his voice sounded distant and fading with his next four words. “at least in blood…” I looked over to see a black mist fading away.

So this wind element…is like me…? wait…did he say I was actually a PONY?! That I AM a pony?!, not just in form, but in BLOOD?!?! Okay…that is too much…I need to…process that. I bit under my hoof to make a small trickle of blood, as I focused on the trees, as they floated back together, and mended themselves. When that was done I staggered, feeling light headed. “I used…WAY too much today…” I reverted to my pegasus self, and headed back towards Ponyville.

As I passed the statue, I saw the foals dropping their candy in front of the statue, but…wait…the Nightmare Moon on the stone pedestal…isn’t a statue! I hurried over and saw the foals run. When I slid to a stop, the Nightmare Moon I was looking at turned to Luna as Twilight walked over…did I…miss something?

“Twilight Sparkle…I do not believe that worked out the way you had planned.” I looked at my marefriend confused as she said ‘just wait’.

I then saw a colt, with a brown colored circle around his left eye in his coat, and he wore a bandana, an eye patch on his right eye, and clothes that screamed ‘pirate', pulled on Luna's mane lightly. “pwincess woona? I know you ended nightmare night forevah, but….could you come back and scare us again next year?” I just felt a sting in my heart, at how cute that colt was…wow, this world has REALLY softened my heart...from a gilded heart, to a heart like play-doh…

After Luna agreed, and changed her mind on ending Nightmare Night, the colt called Luna his ‘favowite pwincess’ and ran back and the foals cheered happily. Dear Celestia the FEELS in this world…it could tear the burliest manliest man, on earth into a chest grasping, crier I bet…

We all head back to town where everpony was having fun, and enjoying the festivities. Even Luna was smiling, and laughing. When Luna left, and everything died down, me and Twilight headed back to the library. Spike was on her back, slightly kicking, and groaning. That’s what he gets for eating two big bags of candy in an hour.

It has been a few days since Nightmare Night, and I have been looking for the other elemental. I have NO idea where he could be, but my guess is that he is somewhere in the forest. Zecora has seen damage on trees that seem unnatural, going into the bog. So that is my next destination.

I hurried to the bog, and looked around, staying silent. From what Twilight has told me, there is supposed to be a Hydra living here…best be careful. I then stepped on a muddy spot and slipped falling with a loud yell. “yeah…that was REALLY silent…” I carefully got up and shook off what mud was on me, and kept walking. “okay wind…where are you…?”

I heard a few ‘plop’ sounds behind me, and looked back to see a big orange body. I slowly looked up to see multiple heads staring at me hungrily. I looked over to see a blur of orange, right before I felt its tail ram into me, and send me flying into a tree hard. I carefully got up, and looked at the hydra, as my vision was blurry on my left half, as it slowly became red, which I closed it after that.

I brought a hoof up over my right eye and felt blood, and an open gash, which stung to even touch even an inch from it. I went to open my wings but felt my left wing was numb. I looked to see it hanging limply, and it wouldn’t move. It didn’t hurt, so it just needed to be popped back into place, but I have no idea how. Well…this makes things harder…I cant change forms with a bone out of place…or I wont risk it, who knows what will happen…

I felt myself get grabbed and lifted up in the hydra’s claw as it started squeezing me, which MADE my wing hurt. I just closed my eyes, not wanting to see what was coming next. I expected teeth chewing me up, but I heard a roar of pain as I was dropped. I opened my eyes, and felt myself lurch to the side from something ramming into me.

I felt a hoof on the center of my back and heard a slightly rough, yet late teen’s style voice speak. “stay still” I did as he said, and felt a pop at the base of my left wing and groaned from the shock of pain. “ok, you should be fine now…flight may be painful, but at least you can fly again.” I got up and looked at a blue pegasus with pitch black, spiky mane.

We heard a roar and looked at the hydra, as I saw one of the center heads eyes were bleeding, and a few random scrapes and cuts on the necks. The hydra then swung a claw to send a wave of mud at us, and I felt wind radiate around the pegasus…wind…it’s him?! He swat his wings at the wave as a dome of air covered us, and I heard him shout. “IT ISNT GONNA STOP THE WHOLE WAVE!”

“keep the dome up, I’ll deal with the rest…once I’m done drop it!” he nodded, and as the mud hit the dome I heard him grunt in exertion. He must have been training and was tired. I jumped forward making my wings go ablaze and spun making a huge blast of fire at the wave of mud over us, making a dense wall of hardened dirt. “DROP THE DOME!”

He did as I said, and the wall held as mud washed over the dense wall, and around us. I quickly moved to the pegasus, and swirled my wings making a small dome of fire around us, which dispersed, leaving us near Zecora’s place, and me exhausted, and panting.

“whoa…I never expected to see a pony with a power like mine, but with fire.” He walked up to me and held up his hoof. “names Comet…Blue Comet…”

“Blazing Feathers” I bumped my hoof into his smiling a bit. “but, I prefer Blaze”

Well…I found wind…but what about the others…? What elements still live…? Will they help for what’s coming…? Will Comet even help? I have no idea…but I have to hope they will…so we an stop what’s coming…but I have to be ready for anything, even if I must do it on

Ch. 18 (multi-verse 1) the Swordsman Among Ponies.

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I have been training in my human form with my blood magic in the Everfree, to see what all I can do. I have materialized weapons, teleported, made statue like duplicates, and a few other things for defensive properties. Things have been blurry for the past few minutes, so I must’ve bled myself too much.

I was heading back to Ponyville, but as I was passing a clearing, everything just seemed to fade away. After what felt like an hour, I opened to my eyes to see I was lying on the ground in the clearing. I carefully got up still feeling weak, but the blurriness was gone, and the world wasn’t spinning anymore.

I started heading for Ponyville slowly and carefully I heard a few screams, which sounded familiar, like it was…the crusaders!!!! I started running through the forest making my sword appear on my back. I saw a few Timberwolves looking ready to pounce on its target in the distance, so I pulled out my sword and jumped over the closer one in a spin cleaving it in two and landed on the other slamming its head into the ground. I felt my ear twitch and spun swinging my blade placing my swords blade into a third Timberwolves mouth, and kicked it back.

Feeling the timberwolf under me move, I jumped back and slammed my blade through its head, seeing its glowing eyes go dim. I looked at the last timberwolf as it was getting up slowly, looking injured. I pulled my blade free of the dead ones head and walked to the injured one placing my foot on its side to keep it still placing my sword at its chest. “May you find an everlasting peace…in the next life…” I quickly shoved my blade into its chest and twisted it as the timberwolf’s eyes stopped glowing.

I sighed and turned to face the CMC. “You three ok? You aren’t hurt ar-“ I stopped mid sentence when I saw them…that can’t be right…they had hands, and were wearing clothes. I rubbed my eyes and looked at them confused till I heard a howl and saw the timberwolf I cleaved, was still alive and howling. “Crap! Girls we need to run!” I ran over and helped them back up, and saw them run off. I heard a few growls and looked to see at least 4 sets of glowing yellow eyes.

I saw a few in my peripheral dart for the CMC, and I ran after them. I saw one jump for the girls, which I quickly bit my thumb lighting the timberwolf in a red mist like aura and flew towards me. As it reached my side I swung my sword making its head fly off. When I got close to the fillies, I felt my left ear twitch. I quickly jumped, and spun kicking a timberwolf into a tree hearing a high pitched yelp.

It wasn’t much longer after that, that we reached the forest’s exit and ran out into the brightly lit meadow. We had slowed down and I looked back at the forest for a moment till I heard somepony yell something out. I felt both my ears twitch, so I looked back to see…another human?! He had a sword out and he swung his sword at me, which I raised my blade to block which the impact, and strength behind it sent me into a slide.

I looked at the other person and saw…a black haired guy, that looked…I would guess he was 19. I noticed a scar on his cheek, and a flash of light hit my left eye, which made me look at a gold pendant he was wearing.

I set my sword to my side as he held his sword in front of him. “What is WRONG with you?! You don’t just attack someone like that!” I don’t think he heard me or even cared to since he charged at me again. When he got close enough he swung his sword up at me which I jumped back to barely dodge it. Guess words wont get through to him…I gotta disarm him, without hurting him…but how? He isn’t just swinging his sword randomly. His movements are precise, and calculated.

I lifted my blade to where the flat of the sword as facing me, and turned placing the back of my hand against the sword, letting my head face my sword and closed my eyes. I could hear talking in the distance, which sounded like the CMC trying to talk, only to be stopped by one of the girls I’m sure.

I heard the wind howl by then I heard the crunch of grass being stepped on. After a few seconds of crunching, I then heard a light crunch and a wisp of air, which told me he jumped. Shortly after, I heard the sound of steel through whistling its way through air, and spun ducking down, till I swung my blade up hearing the clang of our blades, impacting. I opened my eyes and focused my inner fire into my hand and sent my open palm into the guy’s chest blasting an air of condensed heated air, sending him flying from me.

I spun my sword and sheathed it looking at him. “I SAID I….don’t….want to….” I felt a sensation of nausea and light headedness as I was trying to yell at him. “I don’t…want to….fight….” I fell to my knees as my vision seemed to grow blurry again. I saw everything turn sideways quickly, before it went black.

When I woke up, I felt unnaturally cold. I opened my eyes and looked around to see…the library? Was that all just a crazy dream from blood loss? Did everypony see me as a human again?! I slowly sat up and held my head, as I started to feel light-headed. I carefully turned and set my feet on the floor and carefully stood up stumbling over a bit, but caught myself with the arm of the couch I was on.

“That was the weirdest dream ever…” I walked towards the kitchen stumbling a bit, and headed to the sink. I turned it on, and started splashing my face to calm down, then used my hands as a cup to gulp down some water, giving a relieved sigh. “Oh, thank Celestia…that feels SOOOOO much better…”

I heard hoofsteps, but they sounded a little slower than normal. I heard Twilight gasp, then speak in a surprised tone. “You shouldn’t be up and moving yet! You need to lay back down until we have a doctor check on you!”

I sighed and popped my back. “I’m fine, I just need to get my blood flowing…some food wouldn’t hurt either…I thought mayb-“ I turned around and saw Twilight, but she was anthropomorphic. “Please no…” I turned around, and turned the cold water on and splashed my face with a big amount of water, then looked back. “Please…PLEASE tell me this isn’t real…”

“I’m sorry, but you’ve been pulled away from earth…I’m truly sorry…” I just stared at that Twilight, and leaned back against the counter letting my feet slide, till I fell to a sitting position. “No, it’ll be ok sir, just calm down please!”

“Oh Celestia…this cant be happening…” I placed a hand over my face. “How am I…but this can’t…” I got up and walked to past Twilight who seemed shocked…maybe cause I said ‘Celestia’s’ name…I walked to the door and moved my hand to the knob, only to stop an inch from it as my hand started shaking. “Come on, Blaze…you’re a KNIGHT! You can get through this…get back…”

I heard Twilight calling to me, but I grabbed the door and opened it quickly, and saw all the ponies being anthropomorphic, then quickly slammed the door shut, turning around and leaned against the door. I grabbed the front of my shirt, as my chest started to sting, and I began to hyperventilate.

I saw my gilded black jacket hanging on the coat rack and clenched my teeth before grabbing it and pulling it down quickly before I opened the door and ran out past the other human, and spike who seemed to be carrying bags of medical supplies, and groceries, but I just ran full speed towards the mountain Canterlot was on. If anypony could help…it would be Celestia.

I slipped my jacket as I ran, and leaned forward as I started to run faster, than I ever have before. When I saw a cyan colored blur go past me, I jumped and leaned back as I landed in a slide, stopping in a wide stance seeing an anthropomorphic rainbow dash land in front of me. I DON’T have time for this, all I can do is hope this works…

I closed my eyes and focused as I felt the air around me heat up to high temperatures and snapped my eyes opens to see flames burning out, and see a shocked Rainbow Dash. I looked over my shoulder to see I had my wings, and felt my face to feel it was equine shaped. Seems my pegasus form is anthro as well…must be the residual magic in the atmosphere.

I looked at Dash, and slid my left foot back, and raised my arms in a defensive stance watching her closely. She seemed to shake the shock off and fly at me, and saw her pull her arm back, but I could see her tense her right leg up…a farce…she isn’t as reckless as the Dash I know…but still as predictable…

When she went to kick me I raised my arm to block her kick, and spun my arm to grab her leg, and wrenched my other arm over, keeping a tight grip as I started to spin. I flicked my wrenched back up as I let go to send her flying into the sky, then faced Canterlot and started running. Once I hit a good speed, I jumped and started to fly at a high speed, but knew I would still have some time to fly before id get there.

I felt my ear twitch, but why would it? Dash should be pretty well behind me. I looked back, to see nothing, but felt my ears point up then relax. I quickly looked up to see her diving at me at a high speed. I quickly tucked my legs and did a roll with a flip evading the mid-air tackle, to see her diving to fast to stop without crashing into the ground. “Damn it!”

I dove down, wrapping my wings around me tightly to gain speed, as I saw her trying to slow down. When I reached her, I wrapped my arms around her and opened my wings fast, which made me flinch from a surge of pain. I pulled up, just above the ground, and felt my left wing starting to give out. I spun so my back was to the ground and wrapped my wings over Dash, as I slid on the ground for a good long distance till I stopped. I opened my wings and looked at Dash to see her shaking and her eyes shut tight, but unharmed.

I quickly yet gently rolled her off me and laid her on the ground before biting my thumb and pointed my hand towards Dash. “Numb, and relax…” a red mist aura passed over Dash, as her body seemed to go limp, and she looked at me.

“What did you do to me?!” I stood up, feeling my left wing hang limply…broken, and looked back in the direction Ponyville was, as I felt a surge through my left eye, sensing 6 presences.

I looked at Dash, with an apologetic, yet sorrow filled look. “You will be fine Dash…Twilight can counteract the numbness with a simple medical spell…” I ran towards Canterlot again, becoming my human self, and went full speed leaning into the run a bit.

As I ran I heard Dash yell at me. “Daniel will take you down easily, he is MUCH better than you are you bucker!”

After I was about three quarters to Canterlot I slowed down to a stop and placed my hands on my knees trying to catch my breath. I know I set enough of my own energy to counteract Twilight’s spells for at least a few minutes…but doing this to them still felt wrong…I couldn’t help but look back feeling terrible about how I didn’t explain myself, but I couldn’t risk tearing the fabric of space-time…I mean, two different Equestria's, earth, how many earth's are there? How many MORE Equestria’s could exist?! Definite knowledge of another can be dangerous if told to the wrong being…and I wasn’t going to risk the lives of my friends, my home…I couldn’t risk it.

As I turned back and was about to start running, I heard a sound of energy and a pop, looking ahead to see the girls and that other human again. “Damn, I forgot about teleportation…”

I knew my elven forms wings couldn’t get me faster than Dash, so that was out…my pegasus forms wing is broken…flight is out of the question…path is blocked, so I can’t just run that easily…still too weak to bleed myself for blood magic…especially not teleporting at least…why didn’t I wait on that…?

I saw the human, who must be Daniel, step forward placing his hand at the hilt of his sword. “I have a question for you! How did you know Rainbow’s, and Twilight’s names?! They never told you their names, so how can you know them?!”

I looked at him and the girls before sighing. “You all need to pinkie promise to NEVER repeat what I say…” I walked towards them as they seemed confused, probably as to how I knew about the pinkie promise, but they all did the motions. “I…I do know them…and I have for months…almost a year now in fact…but not…these versions of them…”

They all just stared at me, except for Daniel. “What does that even MEAN?!”

I facepalmed, and groaned. “I have no idea how, but I came here…from another Equestria…but nopony was anthropomorphic, they were all literally ponies…and so you all know I am NOT a threat to any of you…” I reached inside my shirts collar and pulled out my black gem adorned pendant, and clicked it open pulling out my knight medallion, which showing a purple crescent moon, over a yellow sun, on a shield shape designed onto a circular titanium medallion coin. “I mean, a knight is meant to protect…is it not?” I slipped the medallion, back into the pendant closing it and let it hang off my neck.

I saw Rarity step forward looking at me curiously. “So…you are a knight?”

I nodded and smirked. “I was knighted at the gala by Luna and Celestia…apparently Twilight’s brother, Captain Armor, recommended it, since my first real sword fight ever…which was with him…ended up in a draw.” I grabbed my left shoulder and spun it a few time. “Still feel the blade sticking through my shoulder sometimes…odd since it was just my concuisness in a magical duplicate…but whatever.”

I saw Daniel relax, and cross his arms looking at me. “And how do we know you are telling the truth?”

I looked at Applejack and smiled. “The living lie detector, can tell I’m being honest…can’t you AJ?”

I saw Applejack tense up for a moment then relax. “Yeah…he is being honest, no lies about what he’s sayin’ y’all”

I saw Daniel let his arms fall to his side, and sigh with relief. “So, we know that you are being truthful…but one thing…what’s your name?”

I chuckled and scratched my head. “Well…I have…two names…my human name is Daniel Bailey…but, when I became a pegasus, I changed it to Blazing Feathers…but I prefer to just be called Blaze now…”

I saw Daniel look at me incredulously. He looked at AJ as she nodded, then he looked at me. “well…that seems to be an insane…coincidence…my name is Daniel Blaze.”

“huh…weird…but I really need to get to Canterlot…” I continued walking hoping Celestia would be able to send me back to my Equestria.

Before I passed Daniel, he grabbed my shoulder. “we’re going with you Blaze. the guards would think you are just crazy, or trying to hurt Celestia. If we back you up, she will know that you’re telling the truth.”

I sighed and looked at him smiling a bit. “that makes a lot of sense…thanks…”

I felt an arm go over my shoulders, and around my neck, and looked over at Dash who seemed to be smirking, as she spoke. “yeah, we’ll help ya out. Besides, it’s rare for me to meet somepony that almost matches me in speed!”

I blinked in surprise she was so calm after what I did to her but smirked at her. “what do you expect? I had a super fast flight instructor that helped me become a faster, and better flyer Dashie.” I flinched and felt my face heat up from what I said, and looked down as I saw the Rainbow Dash I knew, feeling the anthro Dash let me go. “I…I’m sorry about that…” I continued walking with my head hanging down, which made my dark blonde hair cover my vision, except for the breaks in my hair, which let me see enough to not trip or hit anything, as I heard the others whispering behind me hearing them ask each other ‘if I seemed like I was going to be ok’, and talking about me. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I heard my name a few times.

After a while I felt a light tap on my shoulder and turned my head a bit to see Fluttershy walking beside me, but as soon as I looked at her she kind of seemed to jump away, and hold her hand she tapped me with. “I-I’m sorry, I just…wanted to make sure you were okay…you just seemed to look really depressed after talking with Rainbow Dash…”

I just smiled and chuckled talking at a volume that the rest a bit behind us, wouldn’t hear. “I’m fine Fluttershy…I’m sorry if I worried you and the others, I just…never mind…forget I said anything…” I looked over to see her look down with her ear laying back…I hate seeing Fluttershy like that…even if it isn’t the Fluttershy I know. “it just seemed wrong that I want to treat you and the others, like I do my friends…because…well….” I looked at the sky, as I walked beside the pink maned pegasus. “I love them…with all my heart…even though Pinkie is more like the sister I never had…”

I looked over to see Fluttershy blushing a bit, and her ears up. “you…love the version of us you know?” I am relieved she talks quietly, so I know the others couldn’t hear.

I couldn’t help but look back at them though, then back at Fluttershy. “yeah…me and Twi…or…the Twilight from MY Equestria…we are together…have been for a while now…it’s just awkward to me knowing all of you so well, yet…not knowing you at all…” I saw her nod and smile a bit still blushing. “oh…please don’t tell the others…EVERYTHING…please…” I saw her nod, and slow down, till she was with the Daniel, and the rest of the girls. Crap…I forgot to have her promise…I hope she doesn’t say too much…

It didn’t take long after that to get to Canterlot, and walk to the palace. We walked to the gate, and Twilight told the guards we needed to speak to the princesses. The guards let us pass and we headed into the castle, and towards the throne room doors. Once we entered I felt myself lift up then get pulled in quickly and held up in the air in front of Celestia and Luna who looked at me with a curious stare.

I just smiled nervously, unable to move any part of my body. “uhhh…hello your highnesses…”

I noticed it was Luna’s horn that had a glow, so she was holding me in her magic. Her horn stopped glowing, and I fell, landing in a kneeling position as I heard a group of running hoofsteps/footsteps behind me. I looked back to see the girls and Daniel slowing to a stop by me, while Fluttershy was moving to check on me, which I just smiled and held up my hand which made her silently sigh in relief and smile a bit.

I faced the princesses with a blank face and kneeled to a knee quickly, with my head lowered, and my arm on my knee. “Princess Celestia, my name is Blazing Feathers, and I have an important request that I believe only you and your sister can accomplish.” I raised my head looking at them with pleading eyes, which were glistening with tears. “I believe only you two could send me back to the Equestria I know, to my home, to my friends. If anypony could do this, it would be you two.”

I saw the princesses look at me in shock, than each other. Celestia looked at me, with a kind smile. “we will try…we must do some research in the royal archives to see if we are able of doing such a thing.”

I slowly stood up and smiled at her. “thank you…” Celestia nodded at me.

I heard Luna clap her hands together smiling. “well, I would say this is a good time for lunch, wouldn’t you say sister?”

I saw Celestia nod and look at me, then Daniel and the girls. “would you all like to join us?”

I heard the others agreeing to her invitation, but I grabbed my pendant gripping it looking down. “thank you for the offer…but I’m not hungry…” I slid my pendant into my shirt, and bowed to the princesses. “if you will excuse me…” I turned and started to head for the garden, sliding my hands into my pockets, as I had my head down so my hair would hide my eyes.

I walked down a path in the garden ignoring everything around me, and just stared at the path as I headed towards the dueling grounds. When I reached the dueling grounds, I looked at the ring, seeing images of me and Shining’s fight. I walked into the wing, and saw images of me and Twilight. I started hearing a tune in my head, and just sang to try and ignore the pain I was feeling in my heart from my fears, and worries.

“Tried to walk together
But the night was growing dark
Thought you were beside me
But I reached and you were gone…”

I closed my eyes, and let my head hang forward as I felt tears flow down my cheeks, and slowly placed my hand on my chest over my heart, gripping the shirt tightly.

“sometimes I hear you calling
From some lost and distant shore…
I hear you crying softly
For the way it was before…”

I raised my head and looked at the grey, clouded sky.

“where are you now? Are you lost?
Will I find you again…?
Are you alone? Are you afraid?
Are you searching for me?”

I stopped hearing the tune, as I let my head fall, and I had to choke back the sobs that were trying to escape me. even if I knew Celestia and Luna were powerful…I don’t think they could do interdimensional work…across a gap to other worlds? Sure, but dimensional…? I was starting to doubt everything I believed, and it made the pain grow.

After a while I heard voices, which snapped me to reality, and I quickly got up wiping the dirt off my pants, and wiped my sleeve over my eyes and face to hide, any trace of tears. I let my head hang down so my hair hid my eyes, and shoved my hands into my pants pockets, walking around the ring mindlessly.

I eventually looked over to see Daniel, the girls, and…another woman I haven’t seen. She looked human yet…she wasn’t…it’s hard to explain but I knew she wasn’t human. Something about her felt…off. Maybe how I am getting the sense to walk up to her, but it was easily resistible. It felt…cold as well, like she could kill me by a whim.

I shook my head to calm down, and saw pinkie notice me, before pointing at me. I guess they were looking for me. a moment after, I saw Pinkie run at me, then into me, which made me need to slide my left foot back to stay standing.

I looked down to see Pinkie hugging me. “We finally found you! we got kind of worried that you didn’t come to eat with us, and we couldn’t find you anywhere for the past…I think 5…maybe 10 minutes?”

I blinked and pulled out my iPhone, looking at it. It seems about 25 minutes passed since I came out here. “oh…sorry…I just wasn’t hungry.”

“it’s alright. We just wanted to make sure you were…” Pinkie stopped mid sentence and just stared at me for a bit.

I raised a brow in confusing looking at her. “Pinkie?” I waved a hand in her face which she grabbed and moved.

“you miss us…the other us I mean…don’t you?” I tensed up and turned my head. “it’ll be alright. Celestia and Luna will get you back, I’m sure of it.”

I looked at her again before hugging her, smiling a bit. “thanks Pinkie…” I slowly let her go, as the rest reached us.

I looked at them, when Dash started to speak. “you know…Celestia is going to take a while…maybe Daniel and Blaze could show us their skills with a duel? Since Blaze passed out for some reason the first time they fought.”

I flinched learning they never knew I had bled too much. I cleared my throat and scratched my head. “I passed out because…I lost…I would say at least…half of my blood…”

I saw all of them look at me in shock, until Twilight seemed to get in my face. “how are you still alive?!?! That’s usually fatal! And what made you lose so much blood anyway?! Did you fight a vironous?!”

I stepped back in surprise. “uhhh…no…I use my blood to use magic…umm…what’s a vironous.?” Pinkie quickly drew something that looked like a draconic centaur. But even the ‘waist up’ part was still dragon like. “meh, seems easy to deal with. Especially if you have speed, like I do. and with my blood magic, make it slam its fist at me, teleport, it thinks it smashed me, then I could use a blood wave to break its spine in the neck. No spinal connection, means no signal to the muscles, which makes them relax. Voila, crippled draconic centaur.”

I saw the girls look at me, as Pinkie started hopping. “you could really do that?! That must be super cool!”

I just shrugged. “it wouldn’t be that hard…and if Daniel wants to duel, I wouldn’t mind. A knight has to keep his skills sharp after all.” I crossed my arms and smirked, as Rarity seemed to swoon a bit. I know she has a thing about ‘knight in shining armor’ stuff, but just talking about it gets to her? I’ll have to try it on the Rarity I know...maybe have my armor appear even.

I looked at Daniel who seemed to smile and nod, then I heard Luna’s voice behind me. “I have a spell that would allow you both to go all out, without risk of death, if you wish it.”

I turned to look at the ‘Princess of the Night’ and smile. “like the spell you used for me and Captain Armor.” She seemed shocked for a moment. “sounds like a plan, but…if you could…could you set our duplicates in the badlands? I feel like we would need the bigger space, as well as somewhere abandoned.”

Luna just blinked and seemed to nod. “please get in a comfortable position in the circles opposite of each other, and I shall set everything up.” I nodded, as me and Daniel went to the separate circles. As Daniel got in his he got on his knees and closed his eyes, like he was going into a meditative trance.

As I entered my circle I heard Rage’s voice in my head, which reminded me of the hollow voice from my favorite anime, ‘Bleach’. “they won’t help you…they see you as a monster…the princesses feel the darkness inside you Blaze…you will NEVER get home…” I froze and felt a chill emanate through my body. I shook his words out of my thoughts and sat in my circle setting my sword in my lap and closing my eyes.

I felt a sudden yank, and opened my eyes looking around to see a white sand dessert and many white cylindrical towers. I looked at to see the moon and night sky, remembering what I read about the badlands, and how it was cursed with a perpetual dark spell, which makes the sky above it always look like the night, even if it was fake.

I looked ahead to see Daniel looking around surprised as I pulled my sword out slowly to make it louder, which made him look at me, and pull out his own sword. I felt a harsh throb in my head and closed my left eye as I heard Rage again. “ignore me all you like, but with every second, your will weakens…your hope dies…it lets me get closer…right now, I'm the closest to you than I’ve ever been…” I looked at myself secretly using my blade and saw the sclera of my left eye was black for a moment before turning white again.

Rage is getting stronger…and my belief of going home has waned…he is using my fears…my concerns to get to me…I cant let myself get angry…stay calm…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry4rdwv7UkQ

I looked at Daniel seeing him holding his sword in front of him, so I set my blade ahead of me, and had the tip on the ground. I slid my blade along the white sand, till it was at my side and charged setting my free hand to hold my sword in a two handed style, as the sword dragged along the sand.

When he saw how I was holding my sword he put his other hand on his swords hilt as well. When I got close, I jumped and started to spin till I was sideways and took my left hand off my sword, turning the blade so I held it so the blade was going backwards and swung down at him. He raised his blade to block me, but I used that to send myself vaulting over him, landing right behind him. I turned sliding my foot along the ground. He jumped dodging my sweep kick, so I vaulted away landing in a crouched position facing him with my sword up.

I saw him facing me, but a decent distance away as I stood up. “I don’t want you to hold ANYTHING back. Because I wont be!” I saw him nod, and smirk as I saw him put his hands together in a familiar way, as I saw multiple copies of him appear. “ah, I see.”

I reached under my black jacket pulling out a small dagger and closed my left eye placing the blade between the eye lids. “eye of blood…” I swiped the dagger fast making me yell in pain and drop the dagger as blood flowed from my eye, which I opened it closing my right eye, as I saw every Daniel have an aura, but only one had an overflowing amount.

I looked at my blade to see my eyes sclera was blood red, as well as the iris being dark red, leaving a black dot in a mass of red. I smirked and charged at a fake Daniel to trick him. As I got close I bit my thumb as I appeared in front of the real Daniel and kicked him sending him into two of his copies making them poof into dust, leaving Daniel in a short slide as I charged at him.

As I got close, I felt both ears twitch, and I disappeared again, and appeared away from the Daniels seeing the real Daniel raise his sword to block his clones’ blades. I saw all the clones were looking at the real Daniel and smirked as I grabbed my swords blade pulling it making blood cover it and pulled my blade back. I swung my sword hard as a line of blood flew through the air, and cut many of the clones, including one that was helping Daniel up, which left him falling back down again.

I looked to see the real one hop off his back onto his feet as the remaining three clones went to his side. I saw the clones’ poof away as he looked at me with a serious stare. “you’re a lot better than I expected, Blaze.”

“eh, I try to impress.” I smirked as I spun my blade watching Daniel closely.

I placed my sword on my shoulder and started walking to my right as Daniel watched me with his eyes. I slowly moved my thumb onto the blade, stopping when I was behind Daniel as he had his head turned watching me. I slid my thumb along the blade as I disappeared leaving him looking around. I appeared above him and fell towards him holding my blade up.

I slammed my blade down landing in a knelt position. “It seems I won.” I stood up to see Daniel poof away into smoke. “a clone?!” I looked around quickly, looking for him. I looked up not seeing him there either. Alright…he isn’t around me…nor above me….that leaves…BELOW!

I jumped up just as a blade erupted up from the ground at me. I dropped my blade and slapped my hands on both flat sides of the sword and pushed it up letting go. I grabbed my blades hilt right after letting the sword go sliding back. I looked ahead panting holding my sword in a defensive stance seeing Daniel stand there covered in sand and dirt, panting as well.

“pretty sneaky going underground…” I grinned and stood straight pointing my sword at him. “but if that’s your best…you have no chance at winning!”

I saw him stand straight holding his sword in front of him slowly placing his free hand on the hilt gripping it. “if you want my best, I will show you my best.”

I saw him charge full speed at me, and I raised my sword ready to block him. when he reached he slashed his sword, as I set my blade to block him, but next thing I knew he was sliding to a stop past me. I know my sword should have stopped him…how did he pass me? is this him a fake as well.

I heard the sound of a sword slowly sliding into a sheath as I heard Daniels voice. “slash of the kusanagi”

I quickly set my free hand on my swords hilt and tensed my whole arm, and locked my wrists, as I felt myself go sliding back, past Daniel, and into a cliff face while it felt like my wrists had blocked over a thousand attacks in an instant. I fell to my knees turning my sword stabbing it into the ground panting, trying to resist the stinging sensation in my wrists.

I looked at Daniel and slowly stood up pulling my sword free as he redrew his from his sheath looking shocked. “you actually blocked the entire thing?!” he chuckled then smiled at me. “I’m impressed. Blocking that whole thing takes a good amount of strength and endurance just to keep hold of the sword…and your sword itself…still looks as sharp as if it was freshly forged. Most sword would be broken, if not at least dented, chipped, and so cracked it was as effective as being made of crude glass.”

I regained my composure with a sigh and looked over my sword seeing no dents, or chips. It just looked slightly dirty with smudges of dirt, and grains of sand on it. “well this sword…don’t ask how I know this, but I feel a connection to it…forged for me alone…yet I feel a…deeper connection..like it’s a part of me…so I’m sure as I grow stronger…it will change, and strengthen with me.” I looked at Daniel lowering my sword smiling. “and to tell the truth…I have no real training in swordsmanship, sword handling, or anything…and this fight…is only the second one I have had in my life…third if you count my fight with Nightmare Moon…but that was more distracting than fighting…”

I saw Daniel look at me with complete surprise. “no training…and only you second fight ever?! I trained for years to get as good as I am now! How can you coordinate yourself like this with no training?!”

I just shrugged. “basic survival instinct, baseball for movement prediction, and a lot of anime and games for styles, and sneaky or brute tactics. And childhood foam sword stuff, on up to late high school…my best friend and I got so quick and agile, as well as stop on a dime with attacks that we started using dulled metal swords.” I laughed scratching my head. “we dulled down some basic medieval swords using nail files…we probably spent 20 dollars on all the nail files we used and broke!”

I saw Daniel facepalm before he started laughing with me. “you are one of the craziest people I have ever met. And you are putting up such a great fight, I’ve actually had a lot of fun so far.”

Our laughter died down as I sighed. “I know what you mean. With what I learned from you, I think I could beat Armor with my hands tied behind my back now.”

He looked at me confused. “what you learned from me?”

I smirked at him as I pointed down at my foot, which he looked at to see it bleeding, with a good sized pool of blood. “I meant for you to look at YOUR feet.”

I saw his eyes go wide as I jumped back going into a slide on the heel of his feet, only to slide back into a red wall which sent a spike through his left shoulder, making him jump forward and look at the wall then me panting. “sneaky…making me think you were gon-“

He got interrupted as I came out of the ground grabbing his neck and spun, as the wall shot out a platform, for my feet. I jumped off the bottom of the platform and slammed Daniel into the sandy ground.

I stood up looking at him. “you were saying?” I crossed my arms and smirked at him.

I saw Daniel stand up, as I jumped back landing by my other self. “yup, this fight is going to be enjoyable, and with no risk of death with fatal hits, and this being friendly at the same time…it makes it really fun.”

My other self seemed to turn to blood, and fall becoming a big pool of blood, which caused me to stumble and pant harshly holding my head. I looked up at Daniel through my fingers to see him making signs with his hands quickly…wait, I know those signs…’snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger’ crap! “Fire style: dragon fire jutsu!”

I sheathed my blade and stretched my arms out as he let out a breath of fire towards me. as it got close to me and sent my left hand to my left, and my right one up and to the right, as the fire bent and went over me leaving a dome like shape over me. I noticed that the fire lasted for a while then stop leaving me falling to my knees panting, and my arms looked dark red from burns, and my jacket and shirt were gone, probably burnt off. Thankfully my pants and boots must be fire proof, since they looked untouched still.

I looked up at a panting, and exhausted looking Daniel, while I was panting hard, and must have looked like I was on the verge of just collapsing dead…since I felt like it. I gasped as I felt my heart beat twice abnormally hard, and the world seemed to go negative, and split to three for a moment, then it happened again every 4 or 5 seconds, making me gasp or grunt in pain with each abnormal hard beat.

I felt a pain like a sword shoved through my chest, then twisted, and looked at Daniel to see him looking confused yet…concerned? I felt the pain pulse through my body as I place both my hands on the center of my chest and gagged, then started screaming from the pain. I lurched forward so much, my spine must have been visible through my back, and saw blood just dripping onto the ground at a fast rate. I clenched my hand over my mouth to stop screaming, and looked at the now glass like ground a little ahead and saw my hair turning black, as my skin seemed to slowly turn white as snow. The sclera of my eyes were being covered by a black mass that seemed to flow from my tear ducts, with a little blood flowing from them.

I felt the world around die out, a few seconds after my vision turned red, and I seemed to be in the same position in a black void. “seems it’s my turn to drive…” I felt myself stand up slowly and looked ahead to see Rage smiling at me, maniacally and chuckle with that weird hollowfied like voice of his.

Rage’s POV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrTT1C47WbQ

I stood up looking at the glassy ground to see my skin had turned as white as fresh snow, the sclera of my eyes were black as the void, hair jet black, and I was wearing a white shuhakusho. I chuckled and looked at Daniel letting my head hand hang to the side grinning widely, showing my pitch black teeth.

I saw Daniel tense up taking a step back before regaining his composure, and pointing his sword at me. “Blaze, what just happened?!”

I heard a sword fall behind me and looked back to see Blaze’s black bladed sword on the ground. I turned my back to Daniel and knelt down to pick it up. “I’m not Blaze…”

I’m certain Daniel must be confused, or curious about me now. “then who are you…?”

I turned my head and chuckled as my voice echoed. “who am I? I am what I am…Blazes anger…his rage…when he was sent to Equestria the…residual magic he absorbed gave him me…separated his anger, to create a second…but sealed personality…but his anger was so strong, that it made me stronger every day, and I eventually broke out…so…here I am…” I stood up and as black flames spun around Blaze’s sword.

I held the black flames out until they disappeared revealing a big sword with a red cloth wrapped around the blade, which I spun it once, and the red cloth slipped off, and was now hanging off the hilt of the sword. “it’s over…”

I grabbed a part of the red cloth and started spinning the sword by the cloth, before making it fly past Daniels side. He looked at me and smirked. “you missed!”

“did I?” I swung my hand that held the cloth over as the blade was pulled over and cut Daniels arm deeply, making him jump away, holding his now bleeding shoulder. “I believe I hit you, don’t you?” I slapped my free hand to my face and started laughing, while Daniel looked shocked at his shoulder. I’m certain he is confused about what just happened.

I pulled my blade back and caught a piece of cloth close to the handle and started spinning it really fast again. I then tossed the blade straight up and grabbed the cloth further from the blade and swung it down in an arch making the blade swing towards Daniel from the air.

I saw him dodge to the side, but the impact caused the glassy ground to explode, making shards of glass fly out impaling Daniel all over his side. I pulled my sword back and caught its hilt as I slid all 5 of my fingers on my sword making a line of blood on the blade as one bleeding finger flashed appearing at Daniels untouched side grabbing his shoulder making him look at me in shock.

I swung my sword at an incredible speed and cut Daniels other side sending him into free-flight into a cliff face so hard it dented in with him stuck inside it. I walked over letting the tip of my sword slide along the sand, and chunks of glass.

When I reached him I grabbed his neck and started squeezing seeing how he was stuck in the wall, and probably unconscious. “well…it seems like Blaze is the winner…” I heard him grunt and open an eye to look at me and I smiled. “ah, you aren’t done yet…good…guess I get to have some MORE fun!” I pulled him for the wall and turned throwing him, letting him slide and roll down a large sand dune.

I made another finger flash as I appeared at the bottom of the hill and used my foot to stop him before jumping back a good distance, while he was weakly getting up. Once he was standing, I could see all the shards of glass in his side, and the high amount of blood on his clothes. I was just about to charge till I felt my body tense up painfully and heard Blaze's voice. “I won’t let you win my fight for me! this is MY fight, and I won’t let you ruin it anymore!”

I slowly moved a hand to my face talking in a strained voice. “no…I could win this for you…if you take over now, you will lose! I KNOW YOU DON’T WANT TO LOSE TO ANYTHING!!!”

I could see the white on my skin cracking and breaking off revealing the normal slight tan color, which made me gasp, as Blaze’s voice yelled in my head. “I don’t need you interfering in MY fight Rage! I don’t WANT you interfering in my fights!”

I stumbled back swing my sword randomly seeing Daniel looking at me confused. “no…stop this…I COULD KILL HIM IF YOU STOP RIGHT NOW!!!!”

Blaze’s POV

I felt control over my body as I felt the white over my skin was breaking off, and gripped the mass of it on my face and broke it all off in one piece as shadows still connected some of my face to the solid piece. I felt it morph in my hand to a denser, smoother form, which I just let it fall onto the sand panting as my wounds bled again.

I looked at Daniel to see he was as injured as me, and losing blood at the same rate. “you still able to fight…?”

I saw Daniel nod and weakly hold his sword up as his arms shook. I sighed and held up my still bleeding thumb, forefinger, and middle finger as the blood sparked, and red mist like aura lit over Daniel’s body for a moment making his sword stay still, and leave him looking at himself. “I…have more strength? Why is some of my strength back?”

I cleared my throat which made him look at me. “I want the end of this to be equal…so I used the last of my usable blood to return some of your strength…leaving us at equal levels right now…and seeing how out of it you are, you don’t have much more left in you either…so lets make the best of what we’ve got left” I smirked as I lifted the sword Rage used, as the cloth turned to a dark blue, and my iris’ started glowing too.

I charged at him and sent my blade up in a vertical swing as Daniel sidestepped it and spun swinging horizontally at me. I ducked evading his strike and jumped back holding my blade out to my right giving a silent sigh, closing my eyes as I heard Daniel circling me slowly. I heard him start running at me, and focused as everything felt like it became slow to my senses.

I could feel the wind slowly flow around my body, I could feel grains of sand slowly roll around my ankles, and I could hear his foot steps impact on the sand hard yet the time between them is what told me the world seemed slow around me. when I heard a loud crunch of sand which screamed ‘more than normal pressure’ I assumed he had jumped up.

I opened my eyes and moved my sword over to block his attack, and swung my blade aside sending Daniel into a spin, but he landed on his feet stumbling. I took the chance and ran towards him. I lifted my legs to make it look like I jumped but I stretched my legs out and slid under by him using my arm to hook his leg, pulling it making him fall onto his face. We both got up and faced each other panting and held our swords in front of us.

I knew we both had enough for one last assault, so I had to make mine a good one. He held his sword vertically in front of him, as I held mine at my side, pointing behind me. we ran at each other, and swung at each other as we passed each other sliding to a stop by the other, stopping where the other stood. After a while I turned to face him, and saw him shaking as he slowly sheathed his sword.

Did I win? Why does he seem to have trouble sheathing his blade? I saw him turn slowly, and I saw a deep slash across his chest that definitely had to have ripped through his lungs, and maybe even cut the heart in half. I saw him sheath his blade then I felt a sharp pain as the right half of what I saw just disappeared, and my whole right side stung, yet felt numb. I looked at a big piece of glass and saw I had a vertical cut going down over my right eye, and down the right side of my chest, deep enough to cut the heart, and rip through the lung.

Soon after I snapped my eyes open and gasped, as I heard a gasp to my right and looked to down to see no wounds, but I was bound in chains. “uhh…” I looked over to see Daniel looking over himself in shock, then I looked at Luna. “why…am I in chains?”

I saw her staring at us back and forth, before smiling as the chains on me disappeared. “I am sorry Ser Blaze, but when you turned into that…as it said…manifestation of your anger…you changed here as well…”

I blinked and sighed running my hand through my hair. “I see…do not apologize then princess, what you did was completely fair, and the right thing to do.” I looked at Daniel seeing him still looking shell-shocked about being unharmed I bet, and got up walking over holding my hand to him. “that was an awesome fight. I just wish we had more chances in the future, for us both to temper each others skills even more…”

Daniel looked at me and smiled grabbing my hand as I helped him up, shaking his hand. “yeah. If I was able to train with you like this more, I may master how to use this sword much quicker than I had previously believed.”

“oh, one tip…” I let his hand go and turned my wrist in a few directions. “wrist turning can go a LONG way in style alterations. Some bends of the wrist makes certain sword styles more…adamant…harder to block…practice with wrist bends with your attacks, then swing speed, impact strength, and your backswing rate will be at a much higher quality. But be careful, just as how there is an “adamant bend”, there is a “paper bend” as well, which will slow you down, weaken your swings, and may even risk spraining or even breaking your wrist…”

I saw him blink and look at his hand bending his wrist in a few directions. I heard hoofsteps running over and saw Daniel get tackled, but felt pressure on my side as the world started going sideways. When I hit the ground I got onto my back to see Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie had tackled me, and I looked over to see Twilight, Rarity, and AJ on Daniel. I looked to see that woman kneel next to Daniel as the four girls talked to him.

I looked up to see Dash smiling widely, with excitement. “that was SOO awesome! how are you able to compete with someone who trained for years, when you never received any training, and ESPECIALLY with this being your second fight ever?!?!”

I chuckled and looked at her. “back in the human world, I was a big gamer…and after a lame confrontation with a bully of mine in high school…neither of us got close enough to give or receive a hit…” I scoffed as the memory of me and another kid going in a circle jumping towards and away from each other. “after that, every action scene in TV shows, and in every game, I watched every detail of the attacks in close detail…in time, I learned to tell the stupid stances and styles from the efficient, whether unutilized in the past, or made up on the fly for the game. And my best friend and I were big sword fans. Using foam sword as children, and used them as real dueling swords when we were teens…but about two years before I appeared in the Equestria I know…we used real metal forged dull edged swords. Even if we did hit one another, it would be equivalent to a metal bat…which we both had to bare since my bullies attacked me with steel bats in high school…”

I looked at Dash and Fluttershy to see Dash looking at me in shock, while Fluttershy looked…saddened, and surprised. I looked over to see Daniel and the rest staring at me in disbelief. I looked at Daniel as he spoke. “I heard of bullying but…metal bats?! Didn’t they know they could have killed you?!”

I carefully sat up, and rubbed the side of my neck. “they knew…sometimes they would come at me with pocket knives…” I lifted my shirt and exposed a brown mark on my chest where the heart is. “one stabbed me, and the blade clipped a nerve on the outside of the heart, which sent me into cardiac arrest…which sent the others running….I owe my friend Jake everything…he saved me after the flankholes all ran off during my…seizure episode…” I saw Dash, Pinkie, and Fluttershy stand up, and stood up dusting myself off, fixing my shirt. “sadly the schools camera had a malfunction…no proof, no conviction…then a counter sue on me for ‘emotional damage’…I ended up paying almost 4,000 dollars…all because there was public papers about that case…that is just like earth, and those greedy bastards…fight for justice…and lose…be treated as a criminal and be the one who was wronged the whole time….and end up becoming 10,000 dollars in debt total…4,000 from losing the case…and two 3,000 dollars for my lawyer in each case…”

I looked over when I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Daniel. “I’m sorry to hear that happened to you…”

I just shrugged and looked at the sky. “it doesn’t matter anymore…that life is gone…dead…and buried deep below….now I have a new life…” I smiled as I thought of the girls. “a life where I’m happy…where I found love….where I truly belong…” I looked at the woman than at Daniel. “oh…who..and what…is she?” I saw her glare at me. “no offense miss, but I can just tell you aren’t human…you have an odd…sensation…alluring yet…cold…”

I saw Daniel look at the woman. “oh that’s Aurora. Closest I can compare her to a way you know what she is quickly is…” he seemed to stop, with a curious face. “she’s kind of like a siren, using her voice to lure her targets to feed off of…and like a succubus because she…well…yeah…” I saw him smile nervously at me. “but she isn’t a threat to anyone…” pinkie jumped next to me as I crossed my arms and me and her both said ‘anypony’ before me and her looked at each other and laughed. “rrrriiiiiight…she isn’t a threat anymore.”

I looked between him and Aurora, until I heard somepony walking up and turned to see Celestia looking at me with a smile. “it’s ready Blaze. Follow me.” we all followed her through the castle, and down a long flight of steps into a dark, stone corridor. Celestia lit torches…or they lit themselves…as we passed them.

After a while, we entered a big room with walls and the floor being carved stone, while the roof, had a swirling design converging over an indented circle in the center of the room. “do I…stand in the center of the room?”

I looked at Celestia as she shook her head. “no, that’s where the portal opens. And then when me and my sister finish stabilizing it, you are able to go through.” I saw her and Luna go to two separate crystals, and focus their magic into it. A beam of energy connected the crystals and opened into swirling shadows.

I turned to look at the others and smiled. “I guess this is it…” I saw some of the girls look happy, but I could sense a heavy sadness.

I walked over to Dash who looked down and to the side, which made her mane/hair cover her eyes. I never saw Dash like this…concerned, worried, and disappointed sure. But not…crushed, or truly sad. I did what I felt was right and gently hugged her, and heard her talk silently. “I never met anypony that could fly like me…I…” I felt her wrap her arms around me. “I don’t want to see you leave…you are an awesome guy, you seem like an awesome friend, and…I know if I flew with you…I would improve so quickly…”

We broke the hug, and I looked at her. “Dash, I have to go back…I have something important to prevent…but…” I saw her look up at me as I bit my thumb as blood swirled in my hand and condensed as an onyx crystal and ruby were fused together into the shape of my cutie mark had appeared and held it to her. “if you ever want to motivate yourself, use this to remember me…and know I will be improving as well.” She slowly took it and smiled with a nod. “but you never know…something may happen again, bringing me here…maybe you might appear in my Equestria…maybe the veil between dimensions may break, and allow all forms of existence to live together…you never know right?”

I looked at Fluttershy, who was looking down, and walked over to her. “Fluttershy…it’ll be fine.” I saw her nod behind her mane. “in my Equestria, I learned that Angel has this spot at the tip of his left ear, that helps get him to sleep. I don’t know if your Angel has occasional insomnia episodes, but that one spot, it turns him into a little cuddly snoring ball of fluff within minutes.” I saw her come out of her mane and smile a bit.

I looked at Pinkie who looked…oh no…no, no, NO! I hurried over to Pinkie and made her look at me. “Pinks, do NOT deflate…PLEASE don’t deflate…I HATE seeing you when you deflate.”

I saw her look at me, with glistening eyes and she hugged me tight. “but I never got to throw you a party!” I saw her mane go straight with the sound of a deflating balloon. I sighed silently and gently stroked her mane as she talked in a quiet voice. “I…n-never got to throw you a party…” I heard her sniffle, as I felt her hand create a tight grip on my jacket. “please don’t go yet…”

I stopped stroking her mane as I thought about it. She’s right, she never got to…I helped the CMC, Daniel attacked me (which I respect him for being protective of them…), I woke up in the library, discovering I WAS in another dimension, I just..left, ran here, ask the princesses for help, dueled Daniel, and now…I’m about to leave… “how about this…?” I saw her look up at me. “you all have a party to celebrate me getting home…I may not be there physically…but I will be in spirit…”

Pinkies mane poofed up, but it was only half as poofy, and curly as it usually is. “it won’t be the same without you there…but, I guess I can try…” I saw her smile a bit as she let me go and dried her tears.

“Blaze, the portal is stable.” I looked back after hearing Luna, to see the portal a swirling mass of black and white.

I looked at Daniel, and walked up to him turning into my pegasus form, now being a few inches taller than him and grabbed the collar of his shirt, as he looked at me in shock. “Daniel…protect them…do not let any of them get hurt…” I let his shirt go and steps back holding my hand to him. “but just know, the girls are not fragile…they can do so much more than you could ever imagine if they are together…the ones I mean for you to really protect…are the others…the Crusaders…the Cakes…Octavia…Vinyl…the defenseless…promise me you will protect them…”

I saw Daniel look at me, then smile grabbing my hand. “I promise…you didn’t even need to say anything, because I would have done that anyway.”

I smiled and walked over to Twilight as I bit my hand making a big sized book appear adorned with a solid white gem with my cutie mark on it, and held it to her. “I’ve been thinking…maybe there could be a way for you all to contact me, even if to just say hi. This book’s pages are blank.” Twilight took the book, and held it, as I pulled another one, adorned with a black gem with all 6 of the girls, and the two princess’s cutie marks in a circle, with a gold sword in the center on the gem. “whatever is written or drawn in those pages will appear in this book, and vice versa.”

i saw Twilight look at me in shock. "why are you giving this to me?"

i chuckled and looks at her. "because i know you wouldn't abuse it...and you won't let Pinkie write in the WHOLE book at one time, or let Dash use almost 10 pages bragging about the stunts, and things shes done." i heard Dash yell 'hey' as everypony else started laughing. i heard Celestia clear her throat, and looked over.

I turned and walked towards the portal, stopping at the edge of the circular indentation before looking back at all of them and smile, giving a little wave, then flew into the portal. As I flew through the portal I could see my hands turn into hooves, and felt my bone structure changing, in a much less painful manner, but still enough to ruin my focus on flying. I eventually saw a bright flash of orange, which sent me into a dazed freefall. When I opened my eyes again, all I could see was a mass of green, and I felt myself crash, head first into what could only have been a tree, which left me in a void of nothingness…again.

Ch 19 (multi-verse 2-A) A New Sense of Harmony.

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I woke up to the feeling of stuff on top of me. I carefully started to stand up and move the wooden mass off of me. I carefully stood up and looked around to see chunks of wood, and...a mattress the seemed to have been blown up? What happened here?

I carefully knocked off the bigger pieces of wood still leaning against me, and looked around for a way out, to see a door as it started to open. When it opened I saw a dragon about the same age as Spike, but this dragon had wings, and was blue, and had red spiked spines. The moment he saw me his eyes seemed to go wide, before he growled with flames flowing through his teeth.

I quickly jump up and waved my forelegs. “Wait, wait! I ca-“ I saw him breath a fireball at me which made me move my wings to block it. I flapped my wings open to destroy the fireball to see the dragon look shocked as he bared his claws and fly at me.

I jumped to the side as he flew past me, and I tripped over a piece of, what I could only guess was a beds foot or headboard, into a sitting position leaning back against a pile of wood, and cushions. I saw him fly at me again and I raised my hooves up like a shield just to feel something poke my forelegs.

“Alright, that is ENOUGH!” I snapped my eyes open and looked over to see a red unicorn. I lowered my hooves to see the dragon straining to send his claw at me, as a piece of wood had fallen on him. I rolled aside and jumped up, hurrying over to the dragon getting the piece of wood off of him. “I don’t know who you are, but you better start explaining or I’m calling the Royal Guard.”

I looked at the unicorn and stepped back. “W-wait! My name is Blazing Feathers…but I prefer just Blaze…” I rubbed my right temple as my head started aching. “I can explain everything, and to start out, I didn’t break in! but the rest…is kind of a long story…

I heard the unicorn huff, as I looked at him to see him glaring. “I have a LOT of time…”

Can I tell him? Sure I was able to tell Daniel, and the girls from the other equestrian…but, Daniel being there was already a tear in space-time…I have to be careful...I…I gotta find Twilight. I just sighed and lowered my head. “…I need to get to Ponyville and find Twilight…she is the only one who can find me the help I need.”

I saw the unicorn stare at me. “you are already in Ponyville…in fact…you ARE in the library. Come upstairs, right now, and I will call Twilight down, and we can get to the bottom of this.” I followed the unicorn upstairs as the blue dragon was picking splinters and wood chips from between his scales, which I apologized about being the cause of. We reached the library area as I felt a sudden lack of weight on my neck. “hey Twilight, can you come down here?”

I heard a familiar voice come from upstairs. “One second, Alex.”

I went to check that I had my pendant, to feel it was missing. I turned and headed back to the door to the stairs, and hurried down. I could hear this ‘Alex’ yell back at me. “Hey, STOP!” I hurried downstairs, past the blue dragon, and started digging where I woke up.

I was grabbing pieces of wood, and fabrics moving them aside frantically. “Please be here, PLEASE! I can’t lose it!” I moved a chunk of wood to see a gold chain, and grab it with my mouth pulling the pendant out and held it in my hooves, sighing in relief. “Oh thank god…I don’t know WHAT I would do if I lost this…”

I heard hoofsteps behind me, and looked back to see Alex and…Trixie?! she saw my pendant as she glared at me, and started pulling my pendant with her magic. “HEY, GIVE THAT BACK!” I couldn’t help but have bare my teeth, in anger as I felt my body heating up, and the heat flowing into my wings. No…I can’t do that here….not now…

Trixie floated the pendant to Alex as he looked at it, studying the six gems around the big onyx gem. “this is a pendant, they’re very common in…” I saw him blink with a confused expression, but he shook his head, like he was tossing away some kind of thought he had. “never mind.” He tossed it in my direction as I caught it, and slipped it back on. “alright Blaze, back upstairs…now…” I nodded and went back upstairs as he seemed surprised. Maybe that I was doing as he said? Who knows.

As I was passing Trixie, I couldn’t help but mutter to myself in such a low tone nopony could hear me. “I bucking swear if she touches my pendant again, I will do such terrible things to her, that she would WISH she was nabbed by that Ursa Minor back then…” We reached the top of the stairs and I looked back at Alex. “Sorry about that…I just had to find my pendant…I’m going to need it here…” I saw him look at me confused. “I…I’ll explain later…asking Twilight for some help takes priority right now…to me anyway…”

I walked into the main area of the library and heard hoofsteps coming down the stairs. I wanted to look up, but I couldn’t…just knowing who it was…it hurt…and knowing she will look the same, would make it worse. I heard Trixie whisper something behind me, most likely to that red unicorn. Not long after I heard the door open then close, so I guess she left to do something….maybe to embarrass more ponies no doubt…bucking bitch…

I heard her hoofsteps stop. “Oh, hello. Are you here to get a book from the library?” I gulped nervously and looked at Twilight, who looked at me with a smile, and…her mane is cut short? But, I still feel a wrenching pain in my chest…

“No…I actually need your help Twilight...I need you to tell Celestia there is a huge problem…that probably only she can help with…” I saw her look at me with wide eyes.

“What problem?! What’s happening?!” she got up close to me, with a look of worry. “Please tell me what’s wrong!”

I took a few steps back and looked to the side and down as my mane blocked her from my vision. “Just tell her the Eclipse Knight knight-commander requests her presence…as soon as she possibly can….”

“A knight?! But…that can’t be possible…” I saw some book float by as Alex was looking between me and Twilight.

Alex seemed to walk over to Twilight. “Twilight, how do we know he is being honest? He could be planning to hurt Celestia…he may be a threat to Equestria! Even if…she is a powerful Alicorn…”

“You want proof I’m being honest…? Gather the rest of the girls…Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, all of them…” I sat there and looked at them. “Twilight…please….send the letter to Celestia….and once the others are here…I will explain what I can…I promise….” I looked at Twilight, and slid my hoof in an X across my chest, raised my hoof up and outward, then pressed it against my closed eye.

Twilight blinked in surprise and nodded. “Spike! Emergency letter to Celestia!” I saw her run up the stairs, before Alex walked up to me.

“Alright, who are you…? How did you get in my room?” I looked at Alex and sighed.

I walked over to the couch and sat on it grabbing my pendant opening it looking at the picture of me and the girls. “I will answer any question I can, once the others are here….and I know you’re here Pinkie, come on out…” I opened my right wing as Pinkie slipped out from between my feathers which made me shudder. “Still feels as weird as last time…”

Pinkie groaned sadly and looked at me. “Aww, how did you know?!”

I could hear Alex step back, as I looked up at him as he looked surprised. “how do you keep coming out of nowhere?!” his facial expression was just a perfect mix of shock and surprise.

I looked at Pinkie, and chuckled. “Because you are a now slightly predictably random pony that I STILL believe is actually a unicorn…where your horn…” I poked her forehead. “Grew INTO your skull…and the magic you constantly send through is why you have so much energy, and why you eat so many sweets…for the energy you constantly use, and you need to keep that up to keep moving….”

I saw Pinkie smile widely; while Alex glared at me...did i do something wrong? “OOOOH!!! How did you come up with that theory?!”

“Oh…how? Well…you jump out of where you should never have gotten into…like a tankard, or my wing…my wing is a REALLY good example in fact…and you hop, and bounce, and talk at Mach 5 ALL the time” I chuckled and smiled a bit as I looked at my pendant mainly at the 6 small gems circling the big onyx. “I still remember when you first came out of my wing…I screamed like a filly…” I tensed up and felt my face heat up. “BECAUSE IT FELT WEIRD, AND YOU FREAKED ME OUT!” I facehoofed and groaned. “Buck my life straight to Tartarus…I said too much….”

I saw Spike run down the stairs and look at me for a second, before leaving the library. Maybe he is going to get the rest of the girls. About half a minute later, I heard the door open and looked over to see…Trixie again… “I’m back!” she looked at me as she walked over to Alex’s side as a few bags floated into the kitchen.

I got up and jumped off the couch and looked at Alex. “I am going outside…and flying up to the nearest cloud…when the rest get here, tell Dash or Fluttershy to come get me…”

I left the library going past Trixie quickly as I heard Alex telling me to ‘wait’ or something, but I ignored him as I flew up, to the nearest cloud and landed on it laying down. I reached under my wing making a small ear bud slip out and slipped it into my ear. It's amazing how this pink fleshy part under my hoof can grab things so well...what was it called…? the...'frog'? Weird...whatever. I then used my wing to make the music on my iPhone to play music as I closed my eyes listening to “Shadows” by Red, mouthing the words.

After the song ended I felt something shake me, which I opened an eye to look at Dash. “Hey, are you Blaze?” I nodded and flicked my wing making the ear-bud slip out and got it back into wing as I was standing up.

I flicked my wings to get out the tingling sensation from inside them, and heard a silent voice to my right, which definitely belonged to Fluttershy. “Everypony else is waiting in the library…and we were told to come and get you...if it’s ok with you that is…”

I nodded and walked to the clouds edge. “It’s fine…I asked them to have one of you come get me…I didn’t expect you both, but its fine. It works either way. I will meet you two down there.” I saw them look at me confused as I stepped off the cloud diving towards the ground, just wanting to show off to Dash.

I could hear Fluttershy gasp, and Dash yelled at me, but I couldn’t hear what. I felt my ears bend back and snapped my wings open pulling up as I flew along the ground and turned them so they would work as air brakes as I set my hooves on the ground sliding to a stop. I completely stopped at the Libraries door, as I heard hooves landing behind me.

I opened the door with Fluttershy flying in behind, as Dash entered the Library right next to me. “That was the craziest, yet COOLEST thing I have ever seen another pegasus do, that WASN’T ME!”

I just chuckled from how much she was like my Dash. “Well…I just wanted to show off a bit.” I looked at Dash. “And hearing that phrase from the FASTEST flier in Equestria is definitely nice to hear.”

I heard Dash chuckle before she put her hoof to her chest smiling. “Heard of me, huh? Can’t say I’m surprised.”

I just rolled my eyes and walked to the table that everypony was stationed around, sitting where I was to the left of Fluttershy. I heard Dash moved to my left and looked over to see her sitting there. As I looked around from left to right, I saw Dash, Pinkie, AJ, Twilight, Alex, Trixie, the blue dragon, Spike, Rarity, and Fluttershy. I took a deep breath and sighed, knowing how hard this was going to be…especially on an emotional scale…

I looked at Trixie and the young dragons. “could you three let me speak to the others alone…? I don’t mean to sound rude…especially not to you Spike…but this is really important…” I saw Spike looking at me with surprise, as the blue dragon and Trixie seemed to look at Alex who nodded, before they all got up and walked into the kitchen. “Twilight…could you use a soundproof spell please….?” I looked at her to see her nod.

Twilight’s horn started to glow with her magical aura as the walls and doorways had an ethereal purple veil form over it. “alright…now would you please tell us who you are, and why you seem to talk to us like we should know each other.”

I gulped and looked at my pendant placing my hoof on it. “I will explain everything I can…but first…” I looked at all of them. “I need you all…to PINKIE promise…you will never tell another soul about what is said here…” I saw all of them except Twilight, Pinkie, and Alex look shocked, but Pinkie just seemed to be smiling and slightly bouncing.

I saw all of them make the motions as they spoke in unison. “cross our hearts, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in our eye.”

I nodded and looked down a bit. “thank you…now…none of you need to introduce yourselves…cause I know all of you…well…almost all of you…the only ones here I know nothing about is Alex, and that blue dragon…” I cleared my throat and looked at the table. “my name is Blazing Feathers…but I prefer to be called Blaze…and…let’s just say I…I’m not your normal pegasus…”

I looked at Alex as he spoke. “how are you…not a normal pegasus?”

I looked at my right wing extending it straight up as the red feathers lit up with fire, that engulfed my entire wing. “this is why…” I heard some sliding sounds, as I made my wings flames go out, folding it to my side, and looked to see Dash and Fluttershy had moved away looking slightly freaked out. “and I can use a magic…that is borderline dark magic…”

I heard Fluttershy’s voice filled with fright, as she backed away from me more. “s-so…y-you’re evil…?”

I looked at her and shook my head calmly, even if it hurt to hear her voice say I was evil, I kept myself calm. “no…I’m not evil Fluttershy…I…” I clicked open my pendant a little making my knight medallion slip out and placed it on the table as Twilight’s eyes went wide and looked at it closely. “I wouldn’t have been knighted if I was evil…”

Twilight floated the medallion to her examining it closely as Rarity looked at me blinking. “you are a knight?!” I nodded. “OH! A TRUE KNIGHT! Do you have a suit of armor that you wear?!”

I scratched my head. “yes I do, but it wasn’t given to me…the pendant I’m wearing was given to me and I had these gems in a strongbox I had that had a bottomless space enchantment…and they just flew onto the pendant and became a part of it…” I looked at my pendant as I moved it around as the light made the gems have a slight glow. “after that it became a chest plate, a helmet, leg-guards, and hoof shoes. Not very useful for combat…but it looked sturdy enough to protect what it covered, while looking basic enough to be worn to special events.”

I heard some hoofsteps that stopped to my left. I looked over to see Rarity inspecting my pendant. “is it weird…that I feel a connection to the white gem?” I looked at the white gem in confusion.

Do these gems connect to the girls, no matter what dimension? I cleared my throat, which made them all look at me. “I should probably explain that, while answering Twilight’s second question about how I seem to know you all…” I sighed and placed my hoof on my temple. “where should I start…?”

I heard Alex clear his throat. “how about you start at the beginning…?”

I nodded. “I was practicing with my magic in the Everfree forest, and I guess I lost too much blood…because I passed out. When I woke up…I thought I was going to be able to head back, and relax with my marefriend…but…I wasn’t in my Equestria…” I then described about how I got the help of Celestia to be sent back to my Equestria but… ”Then I woke up downstairs…under that pile of wood, and cushions…which if all that stuff is broken because of me…I am SOOOOOO sorry!”

I saw Alex look at Pinkie who smiled nervously. “it wasn’t your fault Blaze…” he looked at me as I sighed in relief. “although you did make the mess bigger, but that isn’t really a big deal. it still has to be replaced, whether you had appeared or not.” I could see him shake his head as his voice became lower, but I could barely hear him. “so the Gospel's multiverse theory is true…”

I was going to ask what this 'Gospel" was but I heard a knocking at the front door, and looked back as Twilight dropped the soundproof spell heading over to the door. She opened the door and I saw Celestia and Luna enter with some weird ball of light. “W-WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT THING?!” oh buck, Celestia plans on probably sealing me inside the sun! I can’t die here!

The ball of light floated over to me, and around me, as I watched it closely. “Greetings, I am The Gospel, and you are...unusual...you have great power in you...yet...you fear it...interesting.”

I blinked, unsure of what to say. "I'm not scared of my power...I am scared of what it COULD do..." The Gospel seemed to float around me, so I looked at the table and saw my knight’s medallion picking it up, as I opened my pendant setting it inside. Before closing it I looked at the picture of me and the girls, where Twilight was leaning her head on my shoulder, with my wing over her, Dash was on the other side with that cocky smirk of hers, Pinkie was on top of my head, standing on it, which it was funny how light she was, and AJ, Rarity, and Fluttershy were around me. I just smiled a bit and closed the pendant, letting it hang on my neck once more.

I felt a hoof on my shoulder hearing Celestia’s voice. “Pardon me…but are you ok?”

I lifted my head and looked around to see everypony staring at me. I could see concern, confusion, and Alex's angry glare. “s-sorry, I just…” I cleared my throat ”n-never mind, it doesn’t matter!” I looked at Celestia, giving her a bow of my head. “it’s nice to see you Princess Celestia.” I gave a bow of my head to Luna as well. “and you as well, Princess Luna…”

Celestia and Luna nodded as Celestia walked around the table, watching me. “I got the most…unusual letter, that said ‘the Eclipse Knight-Commander requested to speak with me…but yet me, nor Luna have knighted a pony since before…” I saw it was hard for her to even talk about.

I cleared my throat making Celestia look at me. “I know…you don’t need to speak about it…” I saw Celestia smile a bit, as she looked relieved.

“I’m sorry, but I’m a bit lost here…what is an Eclipse Knight…” I looked over at Alex as he seemed to be confused on the subject.

Gospel floated over the table, and ‘faced’(?) Alex. “the Eclipse Knights are an order of Knights of Equestria that ordered themselves, and assisted the princesses, the king, and queen with whatever they requested.” I blinked and looked at the Gospel. “I had believed they had disbanded or died long ago, and had been forgotten in the passing of time.”

I cleared my throat, making everypony look at me. “I have no idea about any of THAT, but when I was knighted, I was given the option of naming the new order…and considering that I would follow orders from the princesses of the sun and moon only….it seemed fitting it was known as 'The Eclipse Knights' since an eclipse is when the sun and moon share the sky at the same point in time…” I blinked and looked at Celestia bowing my head. “I’m sorry princess, I didn’t mean for this to interrupt you.” I lifted my head and gestured my hoof to the solar princess. “please continue…”

She smiled, with a nod. ”It’s quite alright.” Her smile quickly dropped as she seemed to be examining me. “it seemed odd that a knight would request me and my sister…considering the circumstances. could you explain this to us?”


I gulped nervously and looked down. “I uhh…I’m not from here…in more ways than one…until a year ago…or almost a year ago…I lived as a human…” I looked up to see everypony looking back and forth between me and Alex as he just stared at me with a glare that just RADIATED anger. “uhhh….I think I’m missing something…” I looked at Alex as he was staring at me., and I could see Twilight renew the soundproof spell around the room. “I…can show you if you want me to…” I saw a few nods, as others looked at me in shock. “alright.”

I backed up to have more open space and closed my eyes focusing. I felt heat spin around me in the air till it flashed to a high temperature for a moment and opened my eyes to see everything was shorter but I still felt my hooves. CRAP, IT DIDN’T WORK?! I then heard Luna giggle as I clearly heard her whisper loudly to Celestia. “he seems to have messed up sister, but he DOES make for a handsome Alicorn, don’t you agree?” I saw Celestia nod keeping a professional outlook, as I looked around to see everypony’s mouths were hanging in shock, except Fluttershy who seemed to slip behind her mane.

wait; did Luna say ‘handsome Alicorn’? I felt my face heat up as I looked at my hooves to see the white markings, and felt my head to find the two twisting horns. “great…just……grrrrrrrrrrreat…attempt number 2!” I closed my eyes focusing harder, and felt the heat, opening my eyes. I looked at my hands and body, to see I was wearing the black gilded jacket, black pants, and black combat boots like they were right off the anime ‘Sword Art Online’. “there we are! I STILL love this stuff I’m wearing!” I couldn’t help but smile and look at everypony crossing my arms as they stared in shock.

I saw Alex point at me shakily. “N-no way! How?! How did you learn to do that?!"

I let my arms fall to my side and looked away. “well…there was an…incident when I was getting my head straight in Canterlot…which made my stay from the original plan of…3 or 4 days….to practically…2 months…in a coma.” I placed two fingers on my neck and pulled it away as a small amount bright pink mist seemed to come out with my fingers and linger for a few seconds. “Luna came by…and scared the changeling off…especially before she abducted me…I guess I absorbed some of her magic…”

I saw Alex write something and gave it to Twilight. she looked at it, and nodded before facing me. “alright, can you tell me what planet you are from then?

I felt confused as to why she asked the question like THAT, but I ignored it. I didn’t expect me and Alex to speak the answer in unison. “Earth.” I stopped and looked at him in shock.

I turned back into a pegasus and looked at Alex. “how did you…wait….’Alex’…” I facehoofed and groaned. “oh, Celestia, I am an idiot…I knew I felt something odd about you, and now I understand why! You're a human too, aren’t you?!” he nodded. “so how did you get pulled into Equestria?”

Alex seemed like he was going to answer until Celestia cleared her throat making everypony look at her. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but you had Twilight summon me and my sister for something?”

“OH! RIGHT!” I walked up to Celestia and bowed my head. “sorry princess. I wanted to ask if you and Luna knew of a way to send me…back to my Equestria…” I heard complete silence, and slowly lifted my head to see Celestia and Luna with wide eyes. “is…something wrong?” I looked back at everypony else and saw them staring at me with shock, as the soundproof spells aura faded away.

“I’m sorry…” my ear twitched hearing Celestia, and that tone sounded so sad. I quickly faced her to see her looking away from me. “we have no knowledge of interdimensional spells…and me and my sister have learned almost every spell in our royal archives, AND the royal library. Ritualistic, powerful, even the almost uncastable…but none call for interdimensional capabilities…I am truly sorry Blaze…me and my sister must return to Canterlot though…and since Luna and I, whether it be from another dimension or here, have deemed you worthy of knighthood…we shall honor that here as well…” I saw Celestia and Luna walk past me as I stood there like a statue.

I could hear Celestia say something about ‘keeping an eye on me’ or whatever…to somepony behind me. after I heard the door close I let my head drop, as I felt a twisting, squeezing pain in my chest. I was happy…I found love…and now…it’s been taken away…and seeing these girls just makes it worse…

I felt a weight go over my shoulders as a body leaned on my right side. I looked to my left to see a cyan hoof. “c’mon Blaze, it’ll be ok…we got your back.”

I gently got her off me, and headed for the door. I grabbed the handle opening it, and spoke with no emotion. “I want to be alone for a little while…” I walked outside, and as soon as I heard the door close, I flew off as fast as I could. It wasn’t long till I landed at the Ponyville bar, heading inside, and sat at the counter near the bartender. “Strongest drink you got…and make it a double please...no ice.” It wasn’t long till I had a glass in front of me filled with a fizzing, white topped dark brown drink. Well…here goes my first time…getting drunk. CHEERS!

I grabbed the glass and tilted it back drinking a good amount in a single gulp before setting the glass down, coughing and slamming a hoof on the counter as the alcohol burned my throat. I looked over to see a few stallions, a mare, and the bartender staring at me. “what? Never saw somepony having their first strong drink…?” I turned back to my drink. “in fact, it’s my first time with serious alcohol…I didn’t expect that kind of burn…” I grabbed the drink and gulped down the rest, relishing in the burning sensation, setting the glass down. “keep‘em coming barkeep!” he filled the glass again.

I heard the door to the bar open, and hoofsteps leading up to the seat beside me. “trying to drink away your troubles, Blaze?” I looked over to see Alex sitting in the seat beside me.

I turned back to my drink. “why do you care? It’s not like you are going through what I am…” I took a big gulp of my drink, shaking my head from how strong it was.

“actually I do know what you are going through…” I looked at him without turning my head. “before all this, I was just a normal guy. A pretty…uneventful life. Enjoying time with my family and such…I didn’t have many friends, since I…wasn’t one to really talk to others. That is…until I was pulled into Equestria, and met the girls.”

I took a small gulp of my drink and sighed. “so how did you get into Equestria?”

I saw Alex scratch his head. “well…I got pulled into Equestria by the elements of harmony, because I am apparently the wielder of the seventh element.”

I was in the middle of a drink as he said that and set the glass down hard, almost spitting it out. I harshly gulped it down and looked at him. “the SEVENTH?! There are only six in my Equestria…”

“makes sense, since there are only six elements known, until recently. What about you? how were you pulled into Equestria?” I looked at Alex, and then drank the rest of my drink in the glass, seeing it was just a small sip left, setting it down making it tap on the counter twice.

The bartender soon came over and filled it up again, as I gulped down half the glass. “I wasn’t pulled into Equestria…I was hit by a semi-truck, and sent flying, and felt a sensation of going through glass. I blacked out on impact, and on instinct I used my body as a shield for my cat…but when I woke up I was in the Everfree, with my neck feeling stiff, covered in small cuts and scrapes, and a badly sprained ankle.” I took a quick gulp of my drink looking down. “I found a small cottage built into a tree on a hill, and called for help, as I collapsed…next I woke up in the hospital with Fluttershy tending to me…sure I reacted in shock, but it wasn’t long after I felt relieved to be away from Earth…away from that corrupted world…” I blinked and looked at Alex confused, as I felt the alcohol hitting, and felt myself getting buzzed. “wait, you said you couldn’t really talk to others, but you seem to be talking to me just fine.”

I heard Alex clear his throat, before he spoke. “right, I have Twilight and the others to thank for that…they all got through to me in time, Pinkie’s idea about closing my eyes was a stroke of genius on her part, and then as I got used to hearing their voices, it helped me talk to them with my eyes open, even if I still have a little trouble with it sometimes…I think the part with talking with you…is because I can sympathize with what you’re pretty much going through, and I want to help.”

I down the rest of my glass and put the glass down letting out a big burp, before chuckling as my voice was slurring. “dat sounds justsh like Punkie!” I slammed my head onto the counter hard. “so random, that she hash all dose crazy ideash.” I tapped my hoof on the counter twice as the barkeep looked at me and shook his head. “just one more…”

The barkeep sighed and filled the glass for the ‘last time’ as he said. After taking a sip of it, and everything started feeling…’funny’, I looked at Alex as he spoke. “yeah, I have been through a lot…coming here, adopting a filly, all those little things like Trixie’s visit, the Ursa, being possessed by Nightmare Moon, and…” I kept taking sips of my drink as he talked, as everything he explained just seemed to go in one ear, and out the other. “…but I know that my life in Equestria will never be dull…and I may go home one day, but I have a duty here for now…they need me, and I’m going to do what I can.” I notice Alex readjust himself in his seat from the corner of my peripheral. “And...you are too drunk to understand me, aren't you?”

I snirked and hit his shoulder as I teetered a bit from missing him, but then grabbed my drink chugging down my final glass. “duty…HA! That *hic* that is funny! *hic* you…are awesome…I may not know how to go back to my Equestria, but I know YOU can keep the girls away from me so I don’t feel the stro-*hic*-ong pain in my chest!” I went to place my hoof over Alex’s shoulder and fell off the seat hitting the ground hard. “heh…this cloud is harder than wood…”

I heard Alex sigh, and the sound of coins on the counter as I felt myself get lifted up and saw we were heading towards the door. “come on Blaze…we need to get you to the library to sleep this off, and sober up…” I heard Alex sigh, as I started to squirm on his back.

I started groaning and whining. “noooooo, I don’t want to go to the library, it’ll hurt too much!” I saw Alex ignoring me, and I started thrashing to get off his back as I started to get serious. “Alex, let me go! I’m serious!” I heard Alex groan, and felt myself slipping off. When I felt the ground, I quickly rolled and stood on my hooves. I slid on my hooves as Alex grabbed hold of me, dragging me along. “I said…let…me…GO!!!!” I stretched out my wings, as I felt myself get free from his hold, sending him away from me a decent distance. I stumbled back panting, and looked around to see it was night, and the few ponies still out were staring at me and Alex. I looked at Alex to see him slowly getting up, and I rushed over helping him. “I-I’m sorry…I just…I didn’t mean…” I held my head, feeling more along the lines of ‘sober’. “I’m sorry Alex, this whole thing has just been stressful…I mean, I found happiness in my Equestria…love…and now it’s gone…”

I heard Alex groan a bit, probably from the whole being sent flying away and from my wings knocking the air from him. “its fine…I understand where you’re coming from. Come on, we need to get back to the library, I gotta make sure Scootaloo gets some sleep and make sure she gets to school tomorrow.”

I looked at him confused. “Scootaloo? But she has her mother still doesn’t she?” I saw Alex shake his head. “so each Equestria CAN have differences…the Scootaloo in my world…her father went on some kind of…assignment, and he never came back…no idea on her mother though…anytime I hang with Dash, Scootaloo is there too.” I chuckled a bit as I thought about her. “I swear, she has been giving my fatherly instincts a kick start…and when Bloom, Sweetie, and her are together…it goes into overdrive, because I worry about them…it scares me, with the ideas they come up with…at least some things they have sense as saying ‘no’ to…I mean…hydra hunting?” I smiled a bit and looked at the ground as we walked, but my smile quickly fell as I talked quietly. “I miss them…”

For the next 30 minutes we walked, or more like I stumbled, back to the library in silence as I looked down at the ground. I really don't think I CAN stay in the library...physically I could, but mentally? I don't think I can...it would hurt too much, and I can't lose control of Rage here. If I do, I may do something terrible.

After a while I felt a hoof tap me, which made me look over at Alex. “You ok Blaze? I've been trying to get your attention for a while.”

I shook my head and looked ahead. “I'm fine…I just think it's best I don't stay in the library.”

I heard Alex’s hoofsteps stop. “What? why?” I looked at him to see him looking at me confused.

I stopped and looked at my pendant. “I just can't do it...being in the library...dear Celestia, just being AROUND the girl’s hurts...it...it hurts...because they MAY be the girls...but they aren't the ones I know…” I sat there holding the pendant. “They aren't...them…”

I heard Alex walk up to me. I then felt a hoof on my shoulder. “you say it hurts? How can it hurt? it isn’t li-“ I looked over when Alex just stopped speaking to see him looking at me surprised. “wait…you said love?” I nodded slowly. “you…fell in love with one of them, didn’t you? that’s why it hurts you, right?”

I sighed and opened my pendant looking at the picture. “not just one…all of them…Pinkie is like the sister I never had…Twilight is my marefriend.” I chuckled in a sad tone. “I mean, Twilight is a pretty mare, and very smart. Fluttershy is the kindest and most caring pony in Equestria, as well as a beautiful mare. Rarity has such grace, and poise, but she isn't like the human girls that are like that...sure she hates dirt and such, but she will do stuff that COULD ruin her mane...or dirty her coat for a close friend or family member. AJ...she is a strong mare, she knows how to have fun in ways one would never even think of, and she can see the good side in everything…and maybe in time…I would start a herd, if any of the others have feelings towards me as well…but I have no idea if they do or not…I BELIEVE that Dash does, but I may be misinterpreting her actions.”

I felt Alex’s hoof come off my shoulder, as he walked in front of me. “wait…you and Twilight…ARE together? That definitely explains why you don’t want to stay at the library…I think the others are still at the library, so maybe I could see about getting you to stay with one of the others, if you want.”

I closed my pendant and smiled a bit. “I would appreciate it Alex.” I looked at him. “thanks.” He nodded as we continued heading for the library.

We reached the library and I stopped looking at the door, as Alex looked at me. “You can wait out here, if you prefer that I talk to them to see who you will stay with. Is that okay?" I nodded and sat beside the door, as Alex headed inside.

I leaned against the library as my eyes felt heavy and thought I would rest them for a bit, slowly closing them. Not long after closing I could hear a female voice screaming something but it sounded so distant, yet I…wanted to run to it…to hug her, and never let go…why? Why do I feel like this from a voice I don’t know…I then heard the voice again, and this time…it was screaming my name…but not ‘Blaze’ it was screaming ‘Blazing’ with such…fear?

I opened my eyes in shock, when I was shaken back into reality to see Dash, Rarity, and Alex looking at me, with worry. I looked at Dash who had pulled her hoof off me. “are you ok? You were kind of…twitchy there…”

I wiped a hoof over my head to notice I had been sweating badly, since I felt like I dove into a pool, and I felt like I was burning up, panting a bit. “y-yeah…just a weird…dream, or something…I’m fine…” I looked over to see the library door open to see AJ run out, followed by Twilight who had an ice pack in her magical hold, Pinkie carrying a small bucket of water in her mouth, and finally Fluttershy, carrying a rag.

The ice pack floated onto my head, which made me sigh in relief closing my eyes. I heard the bucket being set on the ground, and the water splash, opening an eye a bit to see Fluttershy wringing out the rag…or I should say squeezing the rag, and gently dab my face, as they all look really concerned. “Blaze…” I looked at Twilight when she said my name. “you should really stay here tonight…I don’t understand WHY you feel you can’t…but you don’t seem to be in any shape to go any further…I set the couch up for you…”

I sighed but smiled a bit. “alright…thanks, Twilight…” I slowly stood on my hooves and almost fell as my legs felt like they were asleep, and couldn’t hold me up. I caught myself feeling my legs shaking, as I was staring at the ground panting. I carefully stood up as my legs stopped shaking and held my head looking to my sides to see Alex at my right, and Dash to my left ready to help me if I needed it I guess. “I’m fine now…I just…” I carefully walked into the library, feeling dizzier by the second. “I think…I’m just tired…” I collapsed onto the couch panting, as I saw everypony watching me.

I relaxed and saw Fluttershy walk up to me as the others talked silently. “Blaze, a-are you ok…? You don’t look too good…”

I laid my head on the pillow, closing my eyes. “I’m fine Fluttershy…I just…feel so tired…” I opened my eyes and smiled weakly at her. “don’t worry about me, I will be fine, maybe I just drank too much…” Fluttershy looked at me incredulously, and walked back to the others, as I let my eyes close, and heard the silent murmurs, become more and more distant, until they disappeared.

I opened my eyes to see a fabric at the edge of my eye sight on my left, and right, and noticed I was looking at a white mare, with bright pink hair. I reached out for her, noticing I was so small, and I saw a black stallion with brown spiked back hair, and a red horn come into my sight. I looked at the unicorn stallion as he smiled and spoke. “he’s perfect Petals…what should we name him?”

I looked at the mare, as she smiled, and a tear flowed down her cheek. “Blazing…Blazing Feathers.” The Stallion chuckled and nodded, as I yawned. “who’s our sleepy little colt?” the mare nuzzled me, as everything faded to black.

Things came back into view with me looking through the bars of a crib, crying out as the black unicorn stallion, and white mare, who seemed to have bright pink colored wings, ran into the room. “Petals, we have to send him away, you KNOW it is best for him!”

The mare shook her head as she had tears flowing down her cheeks, as the stallion pushed against the door that came into the room. “NO, WE CAN’T, HE IS OUR FOAL! HE NEEDS US!”

The stallion used his magic through his red colored horn to seal the door shut, panting, as he looked exhausted, and strained to move. “I know, but he will be safer there, than here. You know what is destined for him if he STAYS here!”

The mare walked to the crib I was in, and picked me up holding me up, as I calmed down hugging her. “I know Slab…but…we barely got to have any time with him…your duties with the elemental ponies, and mine as the elite solar guard captain has kept us from him…” the mare sniffled as she sobbed a bit.

“I know Petals…but we can be happy knowing he will live…that he will be able to go on with his life, right?” I saw Petals nod, as she carried me to a runic circle, that Slab had made using a white powder. “I know it is tough…but our little colt will grow up, and live his life…and…he won’t have to go through what we are now…maybe…maybe this endless cycle…can be stopped…him, and our grandfoals, and so on will never have to worry about this again…” the mare, smiled at me.

“you are right…our little firebrand, will be able to end this…by going away…” the mare kissed my forehead, which made me giggle and reach for her. “it will be ok sweetie…and don’t ever forget…mommy and daddy will always love you…” the mare laid me down in the middle of the circle as I looked around the room.

I looked at Slab, and blinked, as he placed his hooves against the edge of the powder runic circle as the powder sparked, and gained a gold, and black glow. “it will be ok Blazing, look at me…keep looking at daddy…ok?” he smiled at me, as his tears began to flow, and I felt myself float up, looking around, flapping my tiny wings in excitement. “keep looking at daddy.” I looked at Slab, as the door burst open behind him, showing a massive white form, with red colored eyes, and bright red aura flowing from the side of its eyes. “no…almost…there…”

I heard the white form laugh, as it became a white mist and flew at me, swirling around me, and I could hear Petal’s voice screaming. “BLAZING!” after I heard her scream, I felt a sharp pain and started crying, as the mist seemed to enter my body, going through my skin, my eyes, my nose, and my ears. As it was halfway inside, it felt like my body lurched, back and forth, like I was being tossed around like a ragdoll, and cried more, hearing Slab, and Petals calling to me, until their voices just stopped.

I shot up opening my eyes widely and reaching my right hoof out. “MOM, DAD!!!!!” I sat there panting, noticing I was in the library, and the sun was pouring through the window. I let my hoof drop and fell back onto the couch panting hard, as my heart felt like it was going a mile a minute, as I spoke quietly. “what…the BUCK was that?!” I carefully got off the couch and held my head, as it seemed to pound. “ugh…damn hangover…” I headed up the stairs and to the restroom, as I started splashing water on my face.

I stopped and sighed, looking at the mirror. My eyes went wide to see a white pony with blood red eyes that had a red aura flowing off them, as he smiled evilly at me. “so the little spark returns…yet…you are gone again…but I sense you working to return…it will not be long Blazing…your parent’s could not stop me…what hope do YOU have.” He chuckled, as his visage slowly faded. “once you return here…I will track you down…I will finish what I began all those years ago…the flame of Noctis…SHALL be mine.” He was almost completely gone as he grinned. “discover…the star of blood…rune design…” His voice echoed as he fully faded away.

I blinked as I stared at my own reflection in the mirror. I flinched as I heard a knock at the door, and walked over opening it to see Scootaloo standing there. “is everything ok? I heard some yelling earlier, and then some stuff falling.” I looked back to see nothing had fallen.

I looked back and shrugged. “maybe…somepony dropped stuff outside? The yelling…may have been me…just a nightmare…sorry if I woke you…” I left the restroom and headed downstairs to the library keeping a blank face, but I was scared, and confused deep inside. As I reached the library, I could hear Twilight and Alex talking in the kitchen, but flew around looking at books.

I heard 2 sets of hoofsteps leaving the kitchen, but one stopped at the kitchens doorway, as I heard one going up the stairs, not looking over, too focused on finding a book. after about a minute, I found a book on spells involving magic circles and started looking inside it quickly at the designs, and names looking for a ‘star of blood’ only to find nothing. “Blaze?” I looked down to see Twilight looking at me. “are you ok? I heard you yell out a bit ago…” I flew down and gently landed as Alex came from upstairs, and leave with Scootaloo on his back. He is most likely taking her to school.

“y-yeah…just a crazy dream…or…memory?" I looked down feeling so confused, and yet...relieved? "I don’t know…” I flew over to a different line of books and started looking through them. “I’m trying to find a book that shows and names magic circle designs…more specifically…something called…’the star of blood’ design…”

“why would you need to find the design to that?!” I looked at Twilight, as she had a look of fear. “that is pure dark magic…its uncontrollable!” she shook her head and glared at me. “how do you even know about it?! Barely anypony knows about its existence!”

I sighed looking down. “because…I believe it is what my parents used to send me away…but I believe it was meant to send me to another Equestria, but something happened…sending me to the human world…” I placed my hoof on my face and chuckled in a sad tone as my voice was shaky as I spoke. “I can’t…it doesn’t…I need to think…” I left the library, and walked through town thinking on my odd dream, and the ponies I had seen that called themselves my parents, and that odd figure that busted in, and entered my body.

I quickly shook my head, and focused on the circle and design hoping I could get an idea of it from my memory. I could see fragments, and different angles, and stopped as I drew what I could get in a small size in the dirt road, seeing a lot of small gaps, and was able to fill them in, to see a circle containing a 9 pointed star, where the points went halfway over the circle itself. I swiped my hoof over it after the design was drilled into my head, so nopony could ever see it, and use it.

I turned and ran for the library, hoping Twilight would help me. It didn't take long to get back to the library but I froze as I was going to open it, as Rage’s voice rang through my head. “You really believe miss ’royal Student’ would help with anything involving dark magic? No...in fact, I bet she wrote to Celestia.” I heard him laugh, as he finished. “I bet sunbutt is on her way!”

I flinched at that and looked down. I closed my eyes and opened my wings as I turned and flew towards the Everfree forest. I slid to a stop in the clearing I had trained in before in my Equestria, and started to drag my hoof around drawing a larger version of the circle.

I looked at the circle nervously feeling this wasn't right, but it was what I saw in that dream...or memory...whatever it was! I walked to the center of the circle and took slow, deep breaths. I have to do this, it has to be safe, I mean it sent me to the human world! Their reaction and everything just says it messed up.

I set my hooves on the inner circle I was standing in, as the entire thing gained a red glow, as well as a few sigils floating up and swirling around. “No, this isn't how it happened...this is all wrong, there weren't any sigils!!!”

I tried to step back to discover I couldn't move my body, and tense up as I heard that same demonic voice from earlier. “Rage was right about you! he said in time, if given a false lead, you would find another way, through your memories.” He started laughing, as I felt a chill go through my body, which brought on an unnatural pain. “so I changed that one memory from your subconscious just slightly! And now…I will be taking control, so I can get us back, and find the pony that my power was sealed inside of, and get myself free ahead of schedule, and destroy everything! every Equestria, every world, every life, and then RECREATE EVERYTHING! AND BECOME THE GOD I AM DESTINED TO BE!”

The pain all seemed to move and focus along my back as it felt like it was being ripped open, like something was tearing itself out of me. I just bared my teeth and started trying to resist what this thing was trying to do. “if you…are sealed inside me…then that is…where you are staying!”

I heard the sound of something dragging itself along the ground, and looked to see a stick being held in a dark red aura, destroying the circle, which made the pain slowly stop, and then I felt something tackle me. I looked up to see a light grey, almost white mare in golden armor holding me down. I then heard a stallion’s voice. “did you stop him in time?!” I looked over to see a pony wearing a cloak, which all I could see was a dark red horn, as he was looking around.

“yeah, he was using that dark expelling circle you created long ago…the one that…” I looked at the mare as she spoke to see she had pink feathers, and pink colored eyes, which made me blink, wondering why they seemed so familiar. “alright, who are you, and HOW did you know about my husband’s circle?! Only Celestia and a selected few were allowed to know about it!“ she stared at me for a moment before she looked at me with wide eyes and a shocked expression.

“I saw the circle in a memory of mine…” the mare helped me up as I didn’t look at either of them. “as for who I am….my name is Blazing Feathers…”

I heard the mare step away from me, speaking with shock in her voice. “w…what did you say…?” I looked at her to see her eyes were glazed with tears ready to flow. “y-you can’t be…but…your wings…the red feathers…but this can’t be…y-you died…” the mare’s tear’s finally started to flow.

I looked down, as I heard the stallion walk over. “I-I'm sorry…but I didn’t think that circle did that…I thought it was going to get me home…to my friends…my marefriend…”

The stallion kept looking around, as his horn had a dark red ball of magic on the tip. “tell me about this memory of yours…”

“m-my parents…I guess that’s who they were…I was just a foal at the time…and they talked like they were my parents...they were named ‘Slab’, and ‘Petals’ from what I heard…” I saw them look at each other in shock then at me.

“Blazing…” I looked at the mare as she clicked the pink gem on her chest plate as the armor went into the gem, revealing a pink mane, pink eyes, and pink feathered wings. and the stallion lowered his hood looking at me, as I saw his black coat, brown mane, and dark red horn.

I slowly got up, staring at them, not believing what I was seeing. “M-Mom…? Dad?!”

They looked at each other, then me, as Petals started crying and smiled, before turning and running into me with a tight hug. “Slab…our colt is alive!!!!” I looked at them shocked, a what was happening, but quickly hugged my mother, as I fought the urge to cry…and failed as I felt my tears going down my cheeks.

After a while we separated from the hug, and we wiped the drying tears away. “I can’t believe you two are alive…I thought…that thing had killed you…” I looked at them, unsure if I passed out, and that this was some dream I was having.

Dad walked over and looked at me. “no, he went straight after you…and when you disappeared…we thought we had lost you…” he pulled me into a hug, and I could feel him shaking. “I don’t know what happened, but the spell…the circle…it reacted to Flare’s power, and…it exploded from the excess magic, and we woke up to see you were gone…”

I looked at him after he pulled back. “dad…that spell…it sent me to another world…it’s…difficult to explain, because all I know is my life in that world…” I looked back to the path towards Ponyville. “in fact…this isn’t the Equestria I know…and I need to get back…to my friends…my marefriend…” I looked back at them. “I need to protect them…”

Dad put a foreleg over my shoulders smiling. “I think I can help you with getting back Blazing. Is there someplace we can go to talk?”

I nodded. “the library in Ponyville should work. My friends are there, and they have been trying to help me…” I saw them look at each other than at me as dad gestured for me to lead the way smiling. I nodded and started heading for the library with my parents, which felt really weird, but just meeting them…talking to them…it feels good to at least kind of get to know them. When we reached the library I walked inside. “Twilight? I met somepony that could help me in getting back to my Equestria!”

I heard two sets of hoofsteps run into the library area as mom and dad walked in closing the door behind them. I then saw Twilight and Alex run into the library looking at my ‘parents’. Alex seemed frozen in a confused look, as Twilight looked at me. “you said you found somepony that could return you to your Equestria?”

I nodded. "Yeah, I revisualized my memory...dream…thing, and I reconstructed the circle.” Twilight’s face went from shock to anger in moments, and I flinched lowering my head as I stepped back. “I-I’m sorry Twilight...I bucked up...I was wrong...I was…tricked…”

I felt a wing go over me and looked over to see mom as she hugged me with her wing. “It's ok sweetie, at least we stopped it, right?” I nodded and leaned against her feeling safe, and calm, like a colt with its mother…which is what I am feeling like…and…I guess that’s what this is, since she is my mother…

Whatever I don’t care right now. All I know is that they can help me, and I feel…happy, just from KNOWING who my real parents are. That hole inside me is nowhere near as big now, and I feel calmer. I looked at Twilight and Alex looking confused, probably to how I was reacting to the two ponies they don’t know.

I tensed and sat up clearing my throat. “s-sorry.” I looked at Twilight and Alex. “Twilight…Alex…these two are Iron Slab and Soaring Petals. They…well…” I looked down unsure of what to say.

I felt Petals wing pull me against her reassuringly as she nuzzled the top of my head as she spoke. “we are Blazing's parents.”

I soon felt a hoof at my back, and looked over to see dad smiling at me. “and we are in awe at how much how much our little firebrand has grown.”

I got myself free from my mothers’ wing and scratched my head nervously with a bit of a whiny tone. “stooop, you’re embarrassing me.” I tensed up standing in a guard like posture, before I heard a snicker at the door, looking over at Dash in the doorway and glared at her. “don’t start…” she put her hooves to her mouth. “don’t you DARE START DASH!!!” she started shaking and snorting from trying to hide her laugh. “I SWEAR TO FAUST IF YOU START I WILL BLAB OUT YOUR BIGGEST SECRET OF WHAT YOU HIDE IN YOUR CLOSET!!!!”

I saw her stop and tense up, before glaring at me. “you stay away from my collection!”

I blinked and tilted my head. "uhh...collection?"

Dash cocked her head back, with wide eyes. "you weren't...talking about my collection?"

"no, I meant your other secret...the embarrassing one." I looked at Dash, wondering what this collection was now.

Dash stepped back, "oh...uhh, forget I said anything."

I couldn’t help but laugh, until I felt my ear being tugged. “ow ow ow OW!”

I looked at my 'parents' to see dad's horn stop glowing and he went over to Twilight's studying table, as my mom spoke in a slightly loud, scolding tone. “young stallion! You will NOT be revealing ANY secrets!”

I stepped back rubbing my ear, and mumbled. “I wasn’t REALLY going to…it was just a threat to make her stop...” I looked at dad to see him using a quill on a piece of paper, making a few hums, and clicking of the tongue as he worked. “how long will this take him?”

mom cleared her throat. “it usually takes him 5 to 10 minutes to get prepared…and since he has been setting himself up magically since we got here, I would say…4 or 5 more minutes now.” I nodded and headed to the table with her as Twilight and Alex walked over, sitting there as well. “So, what kinds of things do you do Blazing?”

I shrugged and stared down at the edge of the table. “I was…knighted by Celestia and Luna…and named the new order ‘The Eclipse Knights’.” I heard her silently squeal in excitement and pride from that, as my dad chuckled as I barely heard him saying ‘that’s my colt’, which made me smile a bit, and I heard the door open not looking at it. “and I play guitar, and sing a bit to waste time…but that’s more to…as I said...just waste time.”

I heard a gasp and I knew everypony was now looking at the door, so I looked up and saw Rarity standing there with Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and AJ. Rarity ran up to me and placed her hooves on my shoulders staring at me. “you PLAY?!”

I shrugged and cleared my throat. “a little…it’s been almost a year since I have really played…other than a few days ago…” I saw Rarity smiling at me hopefully, with her eyes larger than before. “uhhh…but I don’t have my guitar.” I smiled nervously until I heard a discharge of a spell and looked down to see an acoustic/electric guitar with a metallic look on my neck by a strap, as the body of it looked like it was basic, but it had a hammer and chisel crossing painted on it, and saw a cord going to an amp. “oh…”

“just don’t be too rough with it, alright?” I looked over at dad and nodded as Alex, Rarity and the rest of the girls sat at the table as I used my wings to move onto the couch, secretly biting the underside of my hoof, making my small iPhone speaker set appear, and slid it from my wings placing it in, on top of the amp.

I could see Alex lean forward staring at my phone. "isn't that an iPhone? how does it even still work?!"

"oh...it doesn’t make calls anymore of course...but I have a few games on it, as well as some songs…or many songs on it...how it's still charged...well...I’m not quite sure...maybe the magical energy that’s flowing around Equis keeps it charged? I’m not sure." I started making sure everything was set and turned on, while using a wing to scroll for a song. “hmmmm…what to play…something cool enough for Dashie…kind and not to loud for Shy…and…” I stopped seeing a certain song title and smiled setting it up, not playing it as I tuned the guitar. After I finished tuning it I played the instrumental version of ‘Love Me Now’ by Nine Lashes, and closed my eyes, lowering my head lightly moving it with the beat, as I played the guitar and sang the song along with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMfzhOhxBkw

Here I am where no one found the way in
Brick and stone, this place in me
The cold has taught to close my heart or suffer
But lost at home is strange to me
And I feel so alone
And I need someone
Are you out there?
If you hear me, listen close
I'm sorry
I never meant to lock you out

I hear your still voice calling
But how could you love me now? (Yeah)
And I'd rip my world down to follow the sound
Could you love me now?
Are you out there?

Could you love me now?
Are you out there?

We are not the wasted ones
The lovely thrown away where no one sees
We are not our loaded guns that tremble
We are not the hurt that we see
Though we feel so alone
We'll never be so alone
Are you out there?
So hold on tight
Don't lose your fight
Remember Jesus Christ
He felt your pain

I hear your still voice calling
But how could you love me now? (Yeah)
And I'd rip my world down to follow the sound

Could you love me now?
Are you out there?

Could you love me now?
Are you out there?

Could you love me now?
Are you out there?

I've never felt so free in all my life
Cause you were there for me in all those empty nights
Is everyone so blind?
It just seems so right
Cause you are all I find

I hear your still voice calling
But how could you love me now?
And I'd rip my world down to follow the sound
Could you love me now?
Are you out there?

I hear your still voice calling
But how could you love me now? (Yeah)
And I'd rip my world down to follow the sound
Could you love me now?
Are you out there?

Could you love me now?
Could you love me now?
Are you out there?

Could you love me now?
Could you love me now?
Are you out there?

When I finished the song I sighed and smiled a bit looking at the guitar. “I’m definitely glad I bought my own guitar in my Equestria. It feels good to be playing again.” I slipped the guitars strap off and set it against the amp and stretched my wings as I heard hoofs stomping in applause, while Alex was...clipping his forelegs hooves together, unsteadily, which made me laugh.

Rarity seemed to be swooning a bit, as I walked over to my dad and looked at what he was doing, seeing magic circles in and around a big circle all with sigils designed inside them. “I see why setting this up takes so long.” He nodded, as I looked back at everypony as they were all talking. “three times now I made friends with the same six mares…and I’m gonna miss the ones I may not see again….”

I heard my dad sigh before he spoke. “I can’t send you all the way back Blazing, BUT you will only have one more to go now, and I can pinpoint the place where a tear will happen. I will duplicate this when I am done, and this evening, when a magically fluctuated storm will happen, you just head to the place I mark, and make a drop of blood hit the paper. The tear will open, and you can walk through, back to your Equestria.”

I looked at him. “how do you know a storm will happen?”

“because if the residual energy I feel on you is what I think, the primary rift, will close with a serious storm…because it’s the primary one that was created…and spells that strong, affect everything…” he looked at me. “but when its closing is the only time it can be opened after so long.” He turned back to the paper and continued working on the magic circle drawing.

I looked at the circles and designs he had in them. “I really appreciate this…you have no idea what this means to me…and you have no idea how much I want to stay…get to know you both a lot more…” I looked down with a sigh. “but I need to get back…I have to find the others like me…and stop something the Elements of Harmony wouldn’t be able to stop…” I blinked and looked at him. "I feel stupid for asking this, considering what kind of consequences it could create...but, is there a way to create a doorway between this Equestria, and mine?"

I saw dad stop working on the circle design, and look at me. "I do know of a spell that can create two keys, and can bend the fabric of space-time to where it won’t tear, or destroy anything...but it can be very risky." I nodded, as he continued, and heard hoofsteps walking up seeing Alex sitting beside me. "the only thing is the spell needs blood tied to the two separate worlds...and it can’t be family blood..."

"what about mine?" me and dad looked at Alex, surprised that he would offer to do this. "if it means keeping in contact with a new friend, who is like me, then I'll give a little blood for this spell." I saw Alex look at me, as I understood what he was keeping secret.

I looked at dad wondering what risks there would be. "it may be a bit more than...a little...I would need enough to create a small key made from the blood, which would be crystallized. all you do after that, is press the key into where you want the doorway to go. once its set, until both doors are set, then one of the doors will just be grey." dad turned around and looked at us. "but once both are set and connected, one door becomes red, while the other becomes blue. after the doors are set the keys disappear, and you just open and go through the door...best to not let others see you do that, or they will just see you walk into a wall...or just fading away...not sure, I had never used it before." dad chuckled when he saw Alex, and I looking concerned about the idea now. "I only created the spells ideals, and I am...ninety-five percent certain it will work...five percent...that it won’t, it’s not life risking or anything…at east I don’t think it is." me and Alex looked at each other, hoping we aren't risking our lives. "alright, you two are going to feel...a slight pinch..." we looked back, then I felt a sharp jab, as me and Alex both yelled out. soon after two syringes full of blood floated to the table. "you two go relax, and I will prepare everything from here."

I nodded, rubbing the now stinging spot, then me and Alex went back to the table where everypony was sitting where Alex went to sit next to Twilight, and I moved beside Rarity quietly as she was talking. Even though I could tell what she was talking about when I came up in the middle of what she was talking about. “…-credible, the way he played. I never knew anypony that could play like that. It may not have been a style of music I enjoy, but it was still really good.”

I smiled and quickly dropped the smile as I lift my forelegs in a step like fashion making my hooves click, making Rarity jump as I sat there. “so, what did I miss?” I just smiled and looked at Rarity. “hopefully I didn’t miss anything important.”

Dash chuckled, as Rarity seemed nervous. “o-oh, nothing important, just…maretalk.” She seemed to smile widely, but I could see that she was nervous.

I blinked slowly looking at her than raised a brow moving my eyes to Alex, then Rarity again. “maretalk…?” she nodded quickly, giving me a nervous smile, as well as a slight nod, which I just shrugged smiling. “alright, I guess nothing important was talked about” I turned my head to look forward putting her in the left side of my peripheral vision, as she seemed relieved making me smirk. “I guess I misheard when somepony was saying the song I played may not have been their preferred genre, but still liked it?” Rarity tensed up and looked away from me. “Rarity, I’m just messing with you.” I placed my hoof on her shoulder, which made her look at me. “remember, I know you and the others a lot more than you think I do…” I blinked and scratched my head feeling my face heating up. “and that sounded……REALLY wrong…” I saw most of them smile and nod, as I chuckled from my embarrassment.

Alex facehoofed and looked at me. “dude…really?!”

I glared at him. “shut up! I didn’t mean for it to sound all…stalker like!” I sighed and shook my head “but you know what I mean at least.” All of us started laughing from my mistake in choice in words.

When the laughing calmed down I looked back to see dad had set the paper down and a red pole of pure magic was wavering above it. “Blazing, Alex, come here please." Me and Alex walked over to see a set of crystal keys, where one was blue, with a flame design on the top in front of me, and a red on with a crown design on top of it in front of Alex. "I hope you don't mind that I set it up so me and Petals can see the doors as well, we may want to visit our colt sometime." Alex nodded as he grabbed the red key, while I grabbed the blue key. "Alright, Blazing, you may want to say your goodbyes, the circle is ready, so I'm going to get the spell for it going." I nodded as me and Alex walked back to the table again.

I looked at the others and smiled a bit to try and hide the bit of pain I was feeling in my chest. “I guess…this is farewell…” I looked at Alex and held my hoof to him. “Watch over them Alex, alright?”

Alex, chuckled and bumped his hoof into mine. “please, they watch over ME. I’m usually not allowed to leave the library alone because of…” he cleared his throat looking away. “of a certain incident…” he shook his head and looked at me, talking in a quiet tone. “I wanted to ask…how is it you could fall in love with one of the girls…? Doesn’t it…feel weird…?”

I blinked looking at him and looked up tapping my chin. “does it feel weird…? No…I mean sure; humans find love with…non-humans a taboo…but sometimes…you just have to follow your heart…” I looked at Alex smiling. “I mean…the heart wants, what the heart wants…you just have to go with it…for me…I shut my heart away years ago, to never feel love again…but in equestria…it broke free…and I started to look at the girls as more than friends…it scared me…a lot…but I finally gave in, when they all came up when I woke up from my coma that the changeling caused…” I opened my pendant and showed it to Alex, letting him see the picture of me, and the girls, where Twilight was against me, Dash on my other side, with her grin, Pinkie on my head, with me laughing, and Fluttershy, Rarity, and AJ around us. “we took this picture after we got back to Ponyville. I keep it with me in this pendant at all times, so I will always have a way to see them, no matter where I am.” I closed it letting it hang once more.

I heard a loud hum, and looked back to see a portal of many different colors. I felt a weight leaning against me from the front as more and more weight was added to it. I looked to see all the girls hugging me, which made me smile a bit. They started pulling back, smiling as I heard Fluttershy’s voice. “be careful…alright?” I looked at her and smiled, giving her a nod as she was hiding herself in her mane.

I looked at mom and walked up to her hugging her. “I’ll set up the door as soon as I get back, and you and dad and come back through the doorway.” I let her go as she nodded. I then walked up to my dad.

I took the scroll and slipped it under my wings. "I can’t wait to meet this marefriend of yours. and be ready for your mother trying to embarrass you in front of her as well, she always wished she could do that to you." He chuckled. “and now she will.”

dad pulled me into a slightly tight hug as I returned it, feeling like everything was going to come out, but I held it back this time. “I'm kind of counting on it." we both chuckled, and then I walked up to the portal looking at the multitude of colors swirling, and bending around each other, to create a swirling/wavy effect. a thought passed through my head, which made me think. I told Celestia and Luna about interdimensional spells, and only my dad knew any here...I have to...I can't risk it.

I looked back and gestured mom, dad, and Alex to come closer, once they moved closer, I looked at the girls, then quickly moved my hoof into my mouth biting it so hard blood squirted out, but it sparked immediately after as a very basic looking magic circle formed beneath the four of us, encasing us in a small red dome. as soon as it faded the girls could be seen standing still like statues, with dilated, wide eyes, as I let my hoof fall from my mouth panting, like I had been running without stopping for a whole day. "Blaze..." I weakly looked at Alex. "what did you do?!"

I shook my head weakly. "I erased everypony’s memories of me...anypony that had seen me...except you three...have completely forgotten about me...and any conversations involving me" I rubbed my head sitting down. "maybe I didn’t have anything to worry about, but this Equestria had no knowledge of interdimensional spells that the princesses could access..." I looked at the three of them. "but you never know...I live by the words 'better safe, than sorry.' I mean...Celestia, or Luna may become curious, and would try...maybe they wouldn't...I don’t know, but they aren't hurt, they are just like this while I am within a certain distance...the princesses should be confused right now, and I altered Twilight's memory a bit to where, if Celestia asks her about that letter, it will spark in her mind as a dream she had, and that she might have written a letter in her sleep, and had spike send it the next day, without thinking to look at it."

“mental spells are dangerous, Blazing, unless you did something to prevent that.” I looked at dad and nodded. Alright…we will talk about this once we get back home, but you need to go now, before the portal closes. If I have to reopen this portal it will be too late in the next Equestria” I nodded and walked up to the portal, watching the swirling mass of colors.

I slowly walked into the portal, but looked back as I just stepped into it to see mom, dad, and Alex smiling. I gave one last wave as the portal was closing, and turned around when the opening back had closed, and ran through the void toward the next and final Equestria that I would have to pass through to return home to my friends, and my Equestria.

I’m almost home…just wait one more day everypony…just…one…more…day…

Chapter 20 (multi-verse 3) Change of the Heart.

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I have been walking through this void for what felt like an hour now, but I can finally see a light though. I began running for the light, and went through it to be blinded. I raised my hoof to block the light, as my eyes adjusted to the light. Once I could see I looked around to see the meadow at the outskirts of Ponyville, near Fluttershy’s cottage.

“alright…I made it…now where was the portal meant to be opened?” I pulled out the rolled up pieces of paper my dad gave me, and opened them to see a map on one piece, and rolled up the other, knowing it was a magic circle. So I didn’t look at it yet. Looking at the map, I saw it was of Ponyville, and an ‘X’ was placed at the least accessed area of the park.

“alright, no worries about a huge crowd seeing me.” I began walking towards the park after rerolling the map. “now to just make sure where exactly, then to find something to do until tonight…but what…?” I stopped and looked down. “I have no bits…so I can’t get food…or anything!”

It wasn’t long until I was in the park. I have no idea what to do now…especially since I want to avoid the girls this time around…but can I really do that? Pinkie tends to throw parties for any new pony, and technically I’m new. Oh buck…and with how SHE is, I’m as good as caught…

I found the spot that was marked on the map and looked around to see that there were very few ponies that would be able to see what’s happening here, as well as a magically induced storm happening during the time I need to use the circle, I should be able to do what I have to without being seen.

I decided to head into town, and just relax. I heard my stomach growl, and sighed as I wished I had some bits on me. ”the ONE time I don’t have bits on me…and this happens…” I stopped and blinked. “wait…I didn’t have breakfast the day I went to train…I didn’t eat in the anthropomorphic equestrian…nor did I eat in Alex’s Equestria…two days…I hadn’t eaten in two days…awwww, buck.”

I turned around and began heading for the Everfree forest instead. Maybe I could do a little training, to get my mind off of my hunger. I looked up to see a rainbow colored streak go through a bunch of clouds. I knew who did that, so I decided to move faster hoping she won't see me.

I looked around the sky to see she wasn't there anymore, so I decided to run, and start flying heading for the forests path. I saw a rainbow streak appear in front of me, so I gave an extra strong flap and spun to go over the streak, and hovered in place looking back.

I saw Dash fly up to me looking worried. “I'm sorry about that, are you ok?” I nodded. She smiled and sighed. “That's good...that was some nice moves there too. Where did you learn that?” She had a smirk as she looked at me.

I shrugged. “I just reacted. One of those...as I call them, ‘fly or die’ moments.”

She laughed a bit. “nice one, how about we land, I wanna look at your wings, if that’s cool with you.” I nodded and not too long after, we both landed on the ground. She then began to circle me, looking primarily at my wings, and a little at my cutie mark. “hmmm…different colored feathers…not a common thing, pretty rare actually…only other pony I heard and know of having different colored feathers, is Soarin’s aunt, ‘Soaring Petals’…who he was named after when she…” Dash stopped and looked down as her ears folded back, looking sad.

I felt my ears go back and look down. “oh…” wait…Soarin’s aunt…? “Soaring Petals…elite solar guard Captain, married to a red horned unicorn stallion, named Iron Slab?”

She nodded. “the very same…you know her?”

I looked away as my left ear flicked. “you…could say that…” I tensed up and my ears sticked straight up when my stomach growled, which I put my right foreleg against my stomach. “really…? Always at the worst time…”

Dash chuckled. “Hungry, huh? Well I just finished my work for the day. Why don't we go get something to eat? You can tell me about yourself.”

I shook my head. “I can't...I'm sorry…”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

I looked at her. “No, it's just...I don't have any bits, and I hate mooching off other ponies.”

She started laughing. “Is that all?! I can easily pay, just don't look at it as mooching, but as it being two friends hanging out…I mean, it’s not like it’s a date or anything.” She laughed a bit, before she quickly looked at me with a serious look. “I'm not taking no for an answer...especially if you’re hungry enough to make your stomach growl that loudly…when was that last time you ate anyway?!”

I blinked and sighed. “Alright...you win…the last time I ate was…close to two days ago…”

Dash looked at me in shock and worry. “TWO DAYS?! Well that gives me even more reason to get you something to eat, I don’t let my friends down, especially when they are down on their luck like this!” she chuckled a bit in victory, as she walked up beside me, setting a hoof over my shoulder. “and I knew I would win in the end.”

I just rolled my eyes, as she walked down the street. I followed her to a small restaurant, where I just ordered the HB.L.T. and Dash ordered the sunflower special, with extra tomatoes. “you know you can get more than that right? I mean…two days…”

I just shrugged. “it’ll be fine. When I was younger I used to go three to five days with nothing more than a piece of toast.”

Dash cocked her head at that. “three to five days?! Please tell me that wasn’t a constant thing you did!”

I chuckled a bit. “no, it wasn’t like I ate only every three days, that was just at certain times. And the schools’ food was just plain out nasty…” I stuck out my tongue, pointed my hoof at my mouth without making a sound, which made her laugh, which got me to laugh a bit. “it always tasted…off, like it was…soggy, even when the food FELT dry and grainy as sand…I always wondered how they did that…”

“ew! that school must have had a terrible cafeteria mare…or stallion.” I just shrugged as our food was brought up to the table.

I laughed at her reaction, and an idea popped into my head. “nah, it wasn’t the cook, it was the food. I’m not from Equestria, and the government where I’m from skimps everywhere they can, even restaurants did it…pictures of their food would look so good, and well prepared…you get it, it looks squished, nowhere near as good looking as the picture…still tasted good, even if unhealthy, but greed corrupted everypony there…even my adoptive family…” I blinked and looked down, as I thought of my human mother, and a few cousins I still had contact with. “from a big family of almost 40…broken…split in two…where I only had my mother and a few cousins. Broken…because of greed…because the others were too stupid to listen to the truth…too ignorant to see past their own shortcomings, and just wanted more mo-. Umm…bits in their pouches…” I grabbed my sandwich and took a few bites, trying to ignore I almost said ‘money in their pockets’.

“oh…I’m sorry to hear that…but why are you here then? What about your moth-“ I swallowed my current bite harshly and cut her off.

“she’s fine…she was just my mother through adoption anyway…I think she saw me as some lazy slob, that wouldn’t amount to spit…” I shook my head setting my sandwich down, smiling. “but look at me now…a knight…Knight-Commander Blazing Feathers…” I blinked and shook my head quickly. “sorry, I shouldn’t be letting all this out on you…I usually hold all this in…”

I felt a tap on my hoof, and looked up at Dash who had a small smile. “it’s fine. Do you feel better though? Food in you…letting all that out…I’m certain you feel a lot better now.”

I blinked and smiled a bit noticing she was right. “yeah…I do…” I finished the last few bites of my sandwich. “thanks for this”

“no problem. Glad to see I could help.” Dash set a small pouch of bits on the table, as we left the restaurant.

I looked away from Dash peeking under my wing at my iPhone, seeing it say it was almost 1 in the evening, before looking at her. “well, this was fun and all…but I have to go…I have some things I need to do before I leave.”

“oh, alright. Well it was nice to meet you…uhh, I never got your name.” I saw her rub her right foreleg, like she was embarrassed.

I chuckled a bit. “I’m sorry, my name is Blazing Feathers…or Blaze for short.”

“I’m Rainbow Dash, the FASTEST flyer in all of Equestria and soon-to-be Wonderbolt.” I just rolled my eyes at her comment, which I guess she saw, because she was glaring at me. “what? Don’t believe me?!”

I just shook my head and smiled. “I believe you Dash, I didn’t mean to make you think I wasn’t.”

“I will, just wait and see.” She laughed a bit.

“alright, but I should really get going, I have some information to go find out…if it’s possible.” She nodded and went our separate ways after saying our farewells.

I began heading towards the library, to see if there was a family record of Iron Slab, and Soaring Petals. Sure I could wait, to get to my world, and ask them once the door is set up, and they came through, but…what Dash said…that Soarin of the Wonderbolts…is my mother’s nephew?! It can’t be the same Soaring Petals that she’s talking about.

I reached the library and slowly walked inside, making sure not to look towards the table, or the other two doorways to avoid looking at Twilight, as I heard her voice. “oh, hello.” I kept looking in any direction except her, at all the books. “are you looking for a specific book sir?”

I cleared my throat. “not a…book exactly…more information about somepony…Soaring Petals’, the captain of the elite solar guard, and Iron Slab’s family records…I heard something that seemed absolutely crazy, and I wanted to make sure it was true…”

I heard her chuckle. “you mean about Soarin of the Wonderbolts being related to them? It’s true. It was a huge shocker when it was discovered.”

So it IS true. “oh, well that’s all I needed. Thanks.” I turned and started to leave the library, and I started to leave the library before a sensation went through my head and stopped. I peeked out the window to see a white unicorn with blue and black striped mane and tail. He stepped back enough to where I could open the door the rest of the way. “s-sorry about that, you ok?”

He nodded “yeah, luckily you stopped when you did.”

I stepped aside as he walked inside. “yeah…again, sorry about that, but I gotta go.” I left the library closing the door behind me and started to head towards the Everfree Forest.

I went deep into the Everfree to a clearing in the darkest area of the forest and reverted to my human self, and began stretching. As I finished stretching, I heard Rage speaking in my mind. “do you really think this will work? It won’t…think about it…he used his magic to create the portal…how can YOU activate the portal?”

I bit my thumb making an exact clone of myself as it pulled out its sword. “he imbued his magic in the paper, with a seal that can only be broken by a drop of blood…I can feel the spell and the seal in the paper…I’m surprised you can’t Rage.”

I could feel Rage’s annoyance as I pulled out my sword. After my clone and I got into opposite stances, I charged my clone, ready to make time pass by quicker.

2 hours later

I was now panting knelt down as my clone turned into blood making a puddle of blood in the clearing. “the time…for the portal to be opened….can’t be too long till….I have to be ready…” did I make any sense? Ah well, buck it. I’m too out of breath to care.

I sheathed my sword and turned into my Pegasus self, heading back towards Ponyville’s park. When I got out of the forest I could feel a giant gust of wind. I looked up to see black clouds swirling in a circle. I quickly began to run towards the park being sure to be careful of any big gusts of wind, so I wouldn’t be sent flying or tumbling. “how long has this been happening?! I just hope I’m not too late…” I ran into the park and stopped, because the wind was so strong I could barely take a step without losing my footing.

I reached the area where the portal was going to be, and carefully reached under my wing pulling out the paper with the magic circle on it, and unrolled It on the ground holding it there. I bit my hoof and let the blood run down onto the paper as it started to spark and glow. I looked up to see a glowing tear form in midair, and begin to open, but as it opened it seemed to explode with some kind of energy that sent me flying away from it, and into a tree so hard, I must have blacked out.

I woke up to some yelling and feeling something on top of me. I slowly started to try and stand up, but whatever was on top of me was too heavy for me to lift off by myself. I soon heard a pony yelling and felt the weight come off my body.

I got out into the bright light and had to raise my hoof to block the sun as my eyes began to readjust to the light again. “are ya alright? I’m surprised ya aren’t hurt!” I squinted and looked at origin of the voice and saw Applejack.

I shook my head to rid myself of the grogginess. “yeah…yeah I’m fine, just a little disoriented is all…” I looked over at a burn mark and ran over examining the ground. “no, no, NO!” I looked at the burnt ashen remains of what must have been the paper with the magic circle on it. “no…this can’t be happening…”

I let my head hang as the sounds of ponies around me faded leaving me in the silence of my anger and sadness, until I felt a hoof on my shoulder and snapped my head up looking at applejack. “you alright Sugarcube?”

“yeah…I’m fi-“ I sighed and shook my head. “no that’s useless to say…no, I’m not alright...and I don’t want to talk about it…”

“oh…alright.” I looked at Applejack as she seemed…hurt?

I sighed and smiled a bit at her. “but…thanks for getting me out of that…” I gestured to the pile of branches and wood that I was under. “predicament I was in. I owe you.”

Applejack just chuckled. “wasn’t just me Sugarcube, ah’m just glad you’re alright.” She looked at me closely. “ah don’t remember seeing ya ‘round Ponyville before.”

I blinked and looked around, trying to think of a way to lie, yet be truthful to trick her…then it came to me. “oh…yeah…I was just…asking on information on my family, which I learned I was related to a certain…famous Pegasus.” I smiled hoping she can’t sense ‘HALF truths.’

She chuckled, which told me she must not be able to…or she ignored it if she can. “and just who might that be?”

“oh….just a Wonderbolt…named Soaring.” I looked towards town, then look at Applejack. “I…have to go though, it was nice meeting you Applejack.” I started running, heading through town, towards the Everfree Forest.

I ran into the Everfree and slowed down stopping in a clearing. I lost my only way back to my Equestria…at least the only one I know of. I turned into my human self and leaned back against a tree and slid down till I was sitting there.

“I doubt this worlds princesses know any interdimensional stuff either…I’m stuck here…” I got up quickly. “No! I CAN’T be stuck here! There has to be another way!” I paced around the clearing. “think…blood magic caused this…maybe I could do something with that…but it happened after I used too much…doing so again, so soon could be fatal…”

I heard some rustling in the bushes, and I chose to quickly climb into the tree in case it was a pony, but what I saw wasn’t a pony. It looked like a dog, but it walked on two legs. Is this one of those…Diamond Dog things?

“I was sure I saw something over here!” next thing I saw come from the forest was a…pony? No…it looked like a pony but the air around it felt powerful and different, as well as it had vines on its legs, and mossy green hair…or mane.

“maybe it was nothing…” I felt my foot slide on the branch a bit making a smaller piece rustle, which made me tense up. “or you DID see something.” I peeked through the leaves to see the pony, looking in my direction. “just come on out…we will not hurt you, as long as you show now threat towards us.” Her voice sounded kind, but I had to be careful.

I made my sword appear on my back and jumped down landing on the ground a little harder than I expected. “I don’t intend on fighting…I am just trying to go back home…well…if I can…the only way I knew of…the opportunity passed, I didn’t make it…”

The pony seemed to stare at me in shock. “a-another human?! Tell me…what world are you from?!”

I blinked in confusion. “you mean the planet that humans are from…?” she nodded. “Earth…why?”

She hurried over to me. “you must come with me, you must meet somebody!” she lightly bit onto my hand and pulled me along through the forest leaving behind a confused, head scratching dog.

After a little bit of running I pulled my hand free. “mind telling me where we’re going first?!” I rubbed my hand a bit to dry it off.

“I’m sorry, but he must see you! This may mean others may be alive somewhere out there! Maybe that orb doesn’t destroy, but distorts its placement…” I groaned as she seemed to go on a tangent about this.

“alright, I get it, let’s just go meet…whoever you wanted me to meet…” she stopped talking and looked at me nodding before she ran off again, with me following her.

It wasn’t long till we were at a tree, it looked different but it was like Twilights tree home, but the door was…human sized? This is…concerning.

The pony looked at me and gestured to the door. I slowly walked up to it and knocked on it, before I heard some movement inside.

I heard some locks coming undone as I heard a voice from inside. “just a second!”

I looked back at the pony who seemed to smile a bit. “ok you are really starting to make me worry…” I heard the doors knob turn and looked back as the door opened to show a human, who was a little taller than me (which I was JUST below six foot), and had black hair.

The other human kept staring at me with a shocked look before he looked annoyed. “alright…who’s playing this prank, because it isn’t funny…”

I just looked at him. “prank?” I looked at the pony confused. “did you use me for a prank?! Forget that, I need to find a way home!”

I began to walk off until the pony got in my way. “no you aren’t here for a prank, Daniel needed to see there’s another human here, which could help calm him down!”

“…Daniel…? AGAIN WITH ANOTHER DANIEL!!! COME ON!!! First it was Daniel Blaze…fine…whatever…then it was Alex…alright…now ANOTHER DANIEL!!! THREE DANIELS IN DIFFERENT EQUESTRIA’S?! JUST…” I groaned and slid my hand down my face, facing Daniel. “screw it...I dropped my human name anyway…”

Daniel just blinked. “so…you’re another human…? And how can I believe that when N’s weapon destroyed it…?”

“yyyyeah…I’m not…from this dimension…” I looked at Daniel and the pony as they seemed to stare at me. “how do I explain this…alright…I was born a pony, but when I was still a…foal, I was sent to another world, which was earth so I lived almost 23 years as a human…and, then I was hit by a truck which sent me through some…vortex or portal or whatever, leaving me in Equestria. Chose to be turned to a pony by Celestia, and then during some training with a magic I can use, I overused it, and went through dimensions, and started getting back to my Equestria…basically up to speed in the quick way…”

The pony seemed to glow and turn into a woman, yet the air around her felt…non-human, but the best way I could describe her…would be ‘Mother Nature’ incarnate. “that would explain the odd sensation we got a few days ago…I must go, Daniel I would like you to watch…I-I’m sorry, I never got your name…”

I scratched my head. “just call me Blaze…everypony else does…”

The woman disappeared in a flash of light. I then heard Daniel clear his throat. “uhh…come on in, I guess.” I looked at him and walked on inside the tree home, and slipped my white and red shoes off to keep from treading mud in and looked around. “so, you’re really a human from Earth?”

I nodded. “Yep…well…kind of…its complicated.” I walked over to the couch and sat down putting my elbows on my knees, and held my head sighing. “I don’t even know what I am anymore…I just label myself a pony anymore, since I was born a pony.”

“that…makes sense I suppose…” I looked at Daniel and sat back against the couch. “so…what do you plan to do?”

“what do I plan to do? I plan on finding a way back to my Equestria…to my marefriend…my friends…” I looked at the TV, and sighed. “I really wish I had my PS4 right now…Syndicate would really help me calm down right now…”

I felt my left ear twitch and rolled forward off the couch and heard a thud looking at a book that was on the floor and looked over at the stairs to see…a red robot. “STRANGER IN THE HOUSE!”

Daniel quickly moved in front of me. “Robert calm down! It’s alright!”

I got up and walked over to the book as Daniel was talking with Robert quietly. I picked up the book and set it on the small table near the couch, and heard silent steps coming from the stairs. I looked over to see an 8-year-old, blonde haired girl looking at me, as she headed over to Daniel and ‘Robert’. I sat back down on the couch and leaned back closing my eyes thinking on how to get back home.

--------------

I felt an odd sensation and opened my eyes quickly sitting up panting, while holding my chest as my heart was racing. “did I fall asleep?!” I looked around to see the forest…no…I’m not in the Everfree. The trees…as far as I can see…dead, twisted, black barked trees. This isn’t normal, where am I?!

“ah…so you finally get to see it…” I quickly turned around pulling out my sword to see a white mist with glowing red eyes in it staring at me.

I slid my foot to take a wider stance as I watched the mist circle me, turning only my head, and moving my eyes to watch it. “who…or WHAT…are you…?”

“I…am many things…fear…horror…but I am mostly known as a…NIGHTMARE!” I slid a foot in a half circle to face the mist as it stopped where it was and I raised my hilt up near my head, with the tip of the sword facing the ground. “ah…so you know of my kind…its odd…us nightmares…we can only inflict an alicorn that is suffering, whether physically…mentally…or psychologically…much like Luna when she was possessed by Nightingale, who took on the name Nightmare Moon. But we can enter others as well…if they have something…special inside them…much like you…” the mist formed a human like form but it still seemed to be a mist, as it spun with its arms out, gesturing to the dead forest. “and this…” the mist faced me.

“what are you talking about…? How is this special, its nothing but death…despair…a world that shouldn’t exist!” I lowered my sword holding it in one hand at my side.

“ah…that may be true…but its only because this place hasn’t been tapped into for eons…well…not properly…only one other had this power before…the last king of Equestria…Noctis Shadowflame…” I saw the mist swirl and form a white alicorn body with black flame designs at his legs, as black aura flowed from its red irised, black sclera eyes. “he only tapped it enough to generate these dead trees…but I could make this power flourish…I could show all forms of life, what a TRUE god is like…just…give me this power…and I just might kill everything…painlessly…” he smiled sadistically at me as he held his hoof to me.

I took a step away from him. “no…I won’t let you kill anypony…or anyone for that matter…” the world around us began to distort. “YOU WONT GET THIS POWER, EVEN IF I HAVE TO GET RID OF IT FOREVER!!!” the world to my sight cracked and broke, leaving me falling into perpetual darkness.



I jumped up with a yell as Daniel, and the little girl yelled as well. I quickly looked around to see a…it looked like a small piece of Eden to me, being a beautiful visage of land, and it had a bed in the center of it all.

“did I…fall asleep…?” I looked at Daniel who nodded.

“yeah you fell asleep. I carried you in here so Luna wouldn’t enter your dreams…I gotta protect my sister from her dream walking, for our safety after all.” I got up and stretched, making a few spot along my spine pop. I then looked at Daniel and saw he made a bowl of cereal appear for the little girl. “alright Annabelle, once you finish breakfast, you need to get ready for school.” She nodded as she began eating.

I left the ‘room of Eden’ as I’m calling it, and looked down both directions of the hallway. “sure…forest outside…house inside…and a small ecosystem room inside the home…meh, magic…what can you do…” I saw the stairs and headed down the stairs, ending up in the living room, where I saw my sword leaning against the couch. “hmm…must’ve slipped off.” I slipped it back onto my back and heard a pop behind me making me look back and see ‘Mother Nature’.

Daniel came downstairs soon after as he looked at the woman. “Oh, hey Mother Nature.” Wait…she’s REALLY Mother Nature?! Wow…crazy, lucky guess, right?

Nature looked at Daniel. “hello Daniel, I came to get Blaze. I believe we may be able to get him back home.”

“wait, really? No…monkeys paw, or risks, or possible mistakes?!” I was really hopeful this was genuinely a way back to my Equestria. I saw Nature nod as I smiled. “what do I need to do?”

she walked up to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. “be careful…once we get there, I’m going to need to go check on the preparations…” I nodded as a bright flash blinded leaving me covering my eyes.

“okay…a warning on the flash would have been nice…” I rubbed my thumb and pointer finger into my eyes before I opened them, looking around seeing a room with an older looking man working on a magic circle which looked like my fathers but it had more complicated sigils in the circles than his did.

“I’m sorry, but why don’t you go to the training area to relax. I will come get you when everything is set up here.” She handed me a map and pointed to a decently big room. “this is where we are, and…” she moved her finger to an area on the outside where an exit to it was nearby. “here is the training area. It has a commons area there, so you can just relax.”

I folded the map and nodded to Nature. “thanks…for all this…I was concerned I’d never get back, and I hated trying to ask for help again…it was…difficult to keep asking…” I started heading for the door. “I’ll be near the training area when everything’s ready.” I left the room and quickly headed for the training area.

It wasn’t long till I was there, and I headed to the railing that was around a sparring circle, which was really big compared to Equestria’s, but, I quickly saw why. The ones sparring, were using crazy powers. Creating objects and using them, which some seemed insane to be used, and some weapons I saw used were giant in size, that caused incredible damage to the ground. After each fight the ground always fixed itself though. Any burns, cracks, lost chunks, name a form of destruction…it fixed itself.

The beings I saw here were crazy as well. I saw a creature that looked like the Turian’s off ‘Mass Effect’ yeah…TURIANS!! I loved how they looked, they always looked awesome. Another race I saw looked human in their body and face, but their forearms, and hands were…crystal, or rock with cracks that had a glow.

I sat down and a few minutes after I sat down, one of those human looking, rock armed beings walked up to me and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me from the seat and turned me around quickly, which I had to look up at him. He must’ve been almost 8 feet tall. “hey, you’re in my seat you little shit…”

I knocked his arm off me. “sorry, but I don’t like assholes claiming public seats as their own…there are a lot of free seats around.” I sat down in the seat again, as the current spar had ended and the screens above had no more listed on it. “aww, I missed the end of the fight cause of you…” I sighed. “oh well…”

I felt my ear twitch and jumped up from the seat rolling over the short wall the kept others from falling into the sparring circle and looked back to see the rock armed guy had crushed the seat. “NO ONE talks to me like THAT!” he climbed over the wall as I looked at the screen to see ‘Torch Vs ???’ appear.

“oh come on! I don’t want to fight, I was just about to be sent home!” I looked at Torch to see him charging at me. “oh great…fine…” I slid a foot back and stepped to the side as he got close.

He reached his arm out to grab me, but I grabbed his wrist in my left hand, and ducked down sending my right arm behind his back. I then slid my foot forward and locked our ankles as I pulled my arm back sending him falling onto the ground. I turned and placed my foot on his back keeping a hold of his wrist, holding his arm in an uncomfortable way. I gave a good twist as I felt his hand pop out of its socket, and let him go stepping back.

“you are going to pay for that!” Torch got up as his hand turned and snapped back into place. “no one messes with the Pyrotor’s patriarch’s son!”

I crossed my arms. “I never messed with you…you attacked me, and I’m just defending myself.” I started walking for the wall. “and that’s done with, as I said I’m not fighting.” I heard some crackling of fire, then my ear twitched.

I spun and held my hand out as a ball of fire hit my hand and dispersed going around me, leaving a shocked looking Torch. “what did you just do?! I didn’t sense any energy come off you to block that!”

I closed my hand into a fist, as it ignited in black flames. “you think you’re the only one that controls fire?” I heard some quick murmuring, as I flick my arm out and the flame went out and turned into a black short sword. “and when one has the nerve to attack when another’s back is turned …I just find that really wrong, and it pisses me off.” Everything seemed to be shaded in darkness and frozen.

I walked up to torch and poked him. I got no response. Alright, this is really weird…I heard a scratchy older voice ring out behind me. “Blaze…” I turned quickly to see a black Alicorn with a silvery grey long flowing mane, like Celestia, and Lunas, which made me think of smoke. “when you are brought back to the right dimension…you will not appear in Equestria…but in Elysium, I must speak with you…pony to pony…” the Alicorn then disappeared as the world moved again, as I faced Torch.

Torch jumped back, as he formed a big chunk of rock, that had lava dripping out from the cracks on it. I took a few steps back to create a bigger gap between us as the rock he formed was the size of a medicine ball.

“so you going to throw that? Or just hold it all day?” after I said that torch stuck his arm out as the lave dripping rock suddenly flew at me. I raised my arms to block it and closed my eyes, but then I heard it hit something but I felt nothing. I opened an eye to see Mother Nature standing there with a wall of vines in front of her that had some embers on them. “thanks for that, Nature.” The vines went back into the ground as she faced me looking angry. “whoa, whoa! I didn’t start this!”

She crossed her arms looking at me incredulously. “oh?”

“yeah. All I did was sit down and stuff happened, then I got pulled into this mess!” I facepalmed groaning. “this is like high school all over again…”

Mother Nature just sighed. “fine, fine…the portal is almost done…head back, and I’ll be there soon…”

I nodded and turned heading to the wall and vaulted over it leaving the room. It didn’t take me long to get back to the room where the portal was. I saw an older looking man working on it as the magic circle sent off an odd sensation of energy, that felt so…familiar.

“Mother Nature said the portal was about ready?” I looked at the old man as the circle began glowing, and the sensation from it became stronger.

He got up and patted himself to get any dust or dirt off him. “yes, it’s ready. Once Nature is here, we will open the portal for you to return home.”

“awesome…I appreciate this…thanks.” I looked at the center as I felt something trying to pull me in.

It wasn’t long till Mother Nature walked in. “alright, you were right Blaze, you were pulled in to fighting…” I shrugged since I saw it was no big deal. “well, let’s get you home.” The old man and Mother Nature sent some kind of energy into center of the circle as the circle seemed to float off the ground and become a vortex floating in front of me, with orange, cyan, white, purple, yellow, pink, green, and black colors swirling together.

I felt a sensation of myself and my friends in the portal. I knew this portal would be the one home…well…first I would be detoured by Noctis, but I know it’s the same dimension, same place, just not the right location.

I looked at Nature and the old man, and smiled a bit. “thank you for this…” they nodded and Nature waved to me. I face the portal and walked up to it setting my hand against it as the colors rippled and kept swirling. I stepped back and became my Pegasus self, and walked through the portal, knowing I’m finally going home…that I’m finally going to back to my friends…that my parent’s will get to meet them…I was still concerned about WHAT would happen, with my mother…even if she may not have stories about me, she could still embarrass me…yet…I’m hopeful that she will…

I was in a tunnel where the portals color kept swirling around me, as I walked through this portal, and I felt…lighter as I walked through it, like all my worries, and doubts were just disappearing. Whatever…just hold on girls…I’m almost home…and mom, and dad will finally get to come back as well. I pulled the book with the girls’ marks and the sword on a gem, and the key from my dad, smiling. “at least I don’t have to lose contact with my inter-dimensional friends…” I chuckled. “inter-dimensional…listen to me, on earth, I would sound like some crazed person in a psychiatric hospital…” Well…a quick meeting with the alicorn, then I get to go home…I hope I didn’t worry my friends too much…oh buck, Twilight is going to scold my ears off isn’t she…? “FUCK!!!!!”

chapter 21: Rarity's Trip to Canterlot.

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I soon landed on a field looking around remembering I had to meet Noctis and looked around.

“Are you Blazing Feathers?” I heard a female voice...I turned around to see a light purple alicorn with blue hair that was beaded with two big black beads…her cutie mark was a yin yang symbol but instead of black and white it was night and day. I was about the same height just a bit taller.

“Yes I am but you can call me Blaze.” I said to the alicorn who was smiling at me. I was a little nervous in front of her, maybe because she was an all powerful alicorn.

“I’m Cresent night I’m the granddaughter of Noctis.” She said smiling at me. I nodded to her and looked around once more incase Noctis was here.

“Follow me Blaze.” She said taking flight...I soon followed her flying with her. We soon landed in a cave, and I saw Noctis standing there, he soon turned to me and smiled.

“Ah you made it, I hope my granddaughter made a good impression on you.” he said to me as I nodded looking at the purple alicorn once again then back to Noctis.

“So why AM I here?” I asked still confused, but all he did was chuckle.

“You are here because you have a destiny, and my granddaughter is a big part of it.” Noctis said looking at me. I blinked at him before his horn started to go and a white flash appeared in front of me. I then looked around to see I was outside of Ponyville, but the area had a circular burned area, from when I first practiced with my fire manipulation...I soon blinked and held my head as it began to throb and looked at Cresent seeing she was doing the same.

“Are you alright?” I asked her the headache soon going away.

“I’m fine.” She said getting up from the ground soon turning to Canterlot. “I’m going to Canterlot. I’ve got to find my mother.” She said not looking at me; I once again blinked confused interested to see who her mother was.

“Who’s you're mother?” I asked confused, she soon turned to me smiling.

“Princess Luna.” She smiled big before taking off flying quickly to Canterlot. I looked at her go and soon trotted back to the library excited to see my friends again.

I soon came to the tree house and decided to walk in, I was about to call Twilights name but heard whispering in the kitchen.

I heard wings start to flap, as I heard Dash’s voice. “Rarity, you have GOT to be joking! This is the most ridiculous outfit YET!”

I heard Rarity stammer out a reply, as I slowly began to lean to look inside the kitchen. “b-but, it’s so fashionable, Or at least from what Twilight told me! She found pictures of human females wearing things like this. “ Where would Twilight find those kind of pictures?!

“I…didn’t exactly say that Rarity, but even if I did, I didn’t expect…this.” I looked into the kitchen and I saw all of them wearing panties and stockings. Each one of theirs matched them perfectly and just seemed to show off…well….their flanks.

Rarity wore a pitch black set of stocking with frill, and black panties, as well as garters, making hers look like lingerie, which just showed the curves in her flank.

Rainbow Dash had red panties, and rainbow styled stocking, which just fit her. If the stockings were any higher, they would reach the panties and make it look like her tail was PART of the clothes. And again, the panties on her showed her flank, as well as how well toned it was. It definitely shows the kind of strength she has.

Fluttershy was wearing pink panties, with pink stocking that had outlined, and filled white hearts. I couldn’t see her very well, since she was covering her flank with her wings, blushing brightly. Heh, always so timid. It just adds to her cuteness.

Pinkies’ was less lingerie, and more swimwear like. She had shiny, stockings that had a rubbery sheen to them, so I don’t know what material it could be…her “panties” if you could call them that seemed more like string bikini bottom that was a bright pink with white polka dots. Certainly fits her personality I have to say. Hers didn’t strike me as sexual thankfully, since pinkie is more like a sister to me.

Applejack has red stockings, with white and maroon lines for a plaid design, which showed the muscles in her legs [which the two reds made the white look pink], and her panties were pink and red. Pink at the front half, red on the back half, and at the meeting point, it was checkered in the two colors. And just like her stockings, they showed the muscle tone in her flanks.

And then I saw Twilight…she wore stocking that was purple at the bottom of her hooves, and went to darker shades of purple as they went up till they were nearly a black kind of purple. The panties were the same kind of nearly black kind of dark purple, as the top of the stockings, and they both had a bunch of small white dots. Like the night sky.

“Do you think Blaze will like it?” I heard Fluttershy’s voice quietly ask.

“I believe Blaze will...I mean, as Rarity said, I saw multiple pictures of human woman wearing stuff like this on his laptop” I heard Twilight's voice and looked confused then it came to me. MY LAPTOP I-I THOUGHT I DELETED THOSE!

I leaned because of how my left hoof was falling asleep, and the floorboard squeaked making all of the girls whip their heads around staring at me. “Uhhhh….hi?” I smiled nervously, hoping I wouldn’t be scolded, or slapped.

“BLAZE!!!” all of them screamed in unison as they all charged me and tackled me in a big hug, which I thought was going to be something else.

After a little while, I noticed it was a hug and smiled a bit hugging all of them back, using my forelegs, and wings to hug as many as I could. “I’m sorry I just disappeared like that, girls. I didn’t really have a choice, and you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” I looked at them seeing the lingerie like clothes and felt my face heating up. “Umm…girls…? What’s with the lingerie?”

The group hug ended, and they were all blushing brightly, as Rarity was the one to answer my question. “well….it was just…Twilight got into your laptop and saw pictures of human mares wearing stuff like this, and we thought you liked this sort of thing.”

I cleared my throat and looked away. “those were supposed to be deleted…those were from…long ago when I….never mind, basically those are meant to be worn in…intimate situations….like….”in the bedroom” intimate….” They all went wide eyed as they were all blushing so brightly, they all looked like pony shaped tomatoes. I cleared my throat walking past them towards the door to the basement. “Uhhh…I need to do something really important…then tell you all something I learned about myself…or they will….kind of matters I guess, so if you girls could…yeah…” I looked back to see Twilight or rarity had used magic to magically poof the lingerie into specially designed bags. “Never mind, you’re all one step ahead of me.”

I began opening the door as I heard Twilights voice behind me. “Wait, what’s this important thing you need to do? And what do you mean…you learned about yourself?”

I just chuckled and looked at her. “Just wait. It’ll blow all of your minds.” I opened the door completely and hurried downstairs into Twilight's lab and headed towards a door that went to another room, which I had set up as my man cave…stallion cave…? Whatever…
I hurried to an empty part of the wall that had nothing on or around it, and pulled out the key to create the inter-dimensional doorway. It didn’t take long after the doorway formed, and took on the same blue color as the key had. It didn’t take long after that it opened and mom ran through tackling me in a hug. “Blazing, we got so worried when a whole day passed! Please tell me nothing went wrong!”

I looked at mom then saw dad walk through the doorway looking concerned. “kiiind of….yes…but everything worked out in the end. My friends and marefriend are upstairs.”

Mom sighed in relief, letting me go as she stood up. “that’s a relief.” She smiled with excitement. “I’m going to go say hi”

she then flew upstairs as I got up and flew after her, worried what she would say. I caught up to her as she entered the library and landed at the table the rest of the girls were at. “don’t you dare try anything!”

Mom turned to look at me, as the girls all looked at her with confusion. “But I just wanted to meet your friends, and marefriend…”

I just rolled my eyes. “I understand that…but I’m worried what you might say…I don’t want their brains to become mush from overload…”

“Blaze…?” I looked at Twilight, as she looked at me. “Who’s this…?”

I was about to answer, but Dash gasped and flew over to my mom. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! You’re Soaring Petals! The fastest Pegasus guard, captain of the elite solar guard, AND AUNT OF SOARIN OF THE WONDERBOLTS!!!” Dash then gave the loudest fan girl squeak I would probably ever hear.

I cleared my throat. “As well as….my real mother…” I looked back to see dad walking in from the kitchen doorway. “And my real father, Iron Slab.”

I looked at the girls as they all practically screamed in unison. “WHAT?!?!”

I rubbed my left ear, as it began to ring from the intensity of the group yelling. “Yep…apparently I was born a pony…and my dad” I gestured to him as he waved to the girls. “knew of some danger I was in, and created an inter-dimensional magic circle to send me to another world to save me…but someone disturbed it and…made it pull them to another dimension…don’t ask, I barely understand it myself.”

I saw Twilight open her mouth to say something but dad cleared his throat making her stop as the girls and I all looked at him. “I hate to interrupt, but me and Petals need to go let a couple close friends know we’re back, and we’re safe.”

I nodded and waved mom and dad off as they left. I looked at the rest after they had left and yawned. “I think we should all get some much needed sleep…”

Rarity yawned after I did. “Oh yes, some sleep sounds great. We’ve all been so worried we haven’t even relaxed the past few days.” The others all agreed as Twilight had some sleeping bags float down, from the second floor.

My ears fell back as I rubber the upper part of my right foreleg. “I’m sorry…but I promise this won’t happen again.”

Not long after my apology was accepted we were all in a sleeping bag and falling asleep. I’m glad to finally be back home…my home….

2 weeks later

I was making myself a quick breakfast this morning, just a simple thing I had a lot through my life. Apple sauce sandwiched in between toast. I had to get up and get going today, because Rarity wanted me to go to Canterlot with her. Why? I have no idea, but when Twilight overheard her request she offered to write the princess to give us a room at the castle.

I went upstairs to the bedroom eating my “quickie breakfast” as I called it, and grabbed my strongbox. As I was doing this, I heard a quiet yawn, and turned my head to see Twilight stretching on the bed. “Morning Twilight.”

Twilight groaned and rolled over to look at me. “Morning Blaze. Getting ready for the trip?”

I nodded and walked over giving her a peck on the cheek. “Yeah. You go back to sleep, I’ll see you when we get back. Which, if everything goes right, it should be the day before your birthday.”

“Yeah. I’d hate to hear my coltfriend couldn’t be at my birthday party.” Twilight put one of her front hooves behind my head and pulled me closer to her, kissing me.

After she let me go I chuckled. “Come on Twi, this is me we’re talking about. “Best Coltfriend on Equis” here. If I’m called to do anything, I’ll make a blood clone do it, and I’ll be at your party.” I smirked as she laughed a bit.

“you better or I’m taking that trophy away” she smiled as she used her magic to bring up a small chalice style cup made of gold, with obsidian and rubies under the brim and “Best Coltfriend #1” on it in silver, which made both of us laugh. Twilight made the trophy disappear as we finished laughing. “You better head for the train station. I’ll see you in a couple days.” She gave me a quick nuzzle, before laying her head down again. “Love you, Blaze.”

I smiled and held the strongbox to my side with my wing. “Love you too, Twi. Sweet dreams.” She smiled as I began to head to the train station.

It didn’t take me long to get to the platform the train was at, but I couldn’t see Rarity anywhere. Probably “fashionably late”. It would be her style after all. It WAS pretty early too, but with how the trains scheduling is today, we would have to leave early in the morning to get to Canterlot by noon, and at the castle by 1pm. Apparently a lot of the trains had some cracks in wheel axles, or loose walls creating very unsafe travel conditions.

As I heard the train coming from the distance I heard a familiar voice calling out. “I’m so sorry to be so late, Blaze. Opalescence was being so fussy about leaving…”

I looked over and smiled. “It’s no problem. Mimzy didn’t want to come either, but I just didn’t have the heart to force her to come with…..and she’s shedding right now too…” The train came to a stop, and we waited for the passengers coming off first before we got on. As I was getting on I saw a huge pile of bags being put onto the luggage car. “Uhhhh….Rarity….please don’t tell me those are your bags….”

Rarity looked over and smiled heading onto the train. “Of course. How else would I work on my designs without my supplies, Darling.” I just shook my head and got on the train. Now all it is, is the waiting game…...I wish I had my iPad….wait I do…but I can’t use it…fuck….wait, I remember seeing that young colt having a…gameboy like device quite a while back. PSP will work then. I decided to set my little strongbox down and open it pulling out my vita and earphones which felt awkward now, being they were for humans, but ah well. I began to play an old game I loved. “Final Fantasy: Crisis Core” while Rarity was drawing some designs I guess, even though a few times she would look up at me, then continued drawing.

We got to the castle at about 12:30, which was much earlier than I expected. Only reason I can think of THAT happening was where only one pony got on, who was wearing a cloak, which hid their face in a really dark shadow. Best I could tell was the white coat at the hooves, and a horn. But something felt…wrong as they passed me. It felt like…some force I couldn’t see was…pulling me towards them. A sensation I only felt once before, on earth. Nothing came of it but yet, this was stronger…scarier….But I’m setting that aside as some fluke sensation from playing through the Shinra mansion in my game…creepiest part to me personally.

We entered the throne room, and when Celestia saw us, she lit up, and flew over tackling me with a hug. “I can’t believe it was you all this time! I thought I would never see you again after you and your parents disappeared over 20 years ago!”

I was really confused by her actions, and I had to ask her. “Umm…I’m really confused…what’s with the whole…hugging thing?”

Celestia than let me go and looked at me. “They didn’t tell you?” I shook my head confused about who ‘they’ were. Celestia just chuckled smiling at me. “I’m your god-mother. Your parents offered being your god mother a month before you were born, and I couldn’t reject the offer from two of my closest friends. How was your trip here?”

I just shrugged. “A few stops were quick. I guess they estimate time for a bunch of ponies getting on at each station.”

“Ah, that would speed things up, wouldn’t it? Follow me, I’ll show you two to the suite.” Celestia then began to lead us towards a tower, with stairs on the outside. Thankfully I have wings now or I might just be hugging the wall while going up these stairs.

We got into the room, and Rarity looked surprised. “We get to stay here?”

Rarity looked around as Celestia kept smiling. “Twilight, told me how you two were coming, and asked if I might accommodate you.”

Rarity just kept thanking her and started kissing Celestia’s hoof. I set my strongbox with the pendant on it on the bedside table and heard a crash to turn and see the small grey unicorn collapse from all the bags and cases. I helped him back up and turned to see Rarity smiling, and getting some stuff out for designing I guess. Not long after she suggested we go out and have a nice walk, maybe have some tea somewhere to relax from the train ride.

Opal jumped onto my back and we headed to a teahouse, and Rarity got herself some tea and Opal got a small bowl of milk. I didn’t really want tea, and just sat there secretly looking at my iPhone, messing around on some old apps I had, mostly Flappy Bird, or Angry Birds.
I heard a mare say something looking “country” and I looked up from my phone and saw a bright yellow coated mare, and a grey stallion, which both seemed to be wearing a polo style shirt with sweaters tied around their necks and looked at Rarity as they walked off. To see her in tears and a beige-ish stallion with crooked teeth next to her.

I was about to ask what was wrong, but she got up setting bits on table and I got up hurrying to her side. “Rarity, what’s wrong?”

She had her head down as we walked. “Some ponies said this hat I'm wearing…looked country.”

I blinked and shook my head. “Rarity, don’t let their words get to you. Your work is incredible, so much so the princesses would gladly commission you for dresses, or even just a design to be drawn by you for them.”

Rarity looked at me and smiled. “Thank you Blaze. You’re right.” She looked ahead and began trotting to the castle. “I’m going to make a dress for Twilight that is so incredible, every pony in Canterlot will be jealous of her.”

I smiled and flew alongside her. “Good idea.” We got to the suite, and I walked to my strongbox and pulled out my laptop case and became my human self falling onto the bed, and opened the case slipping out my laptop as rarity had started drawing a dress design. I began to play Undertale continuing from my pacifist play through from after the Papyrus ‘fight’.

After so long I heard the suite door open and looked over to see Rarity walk in with a bunch of bags floating around her. “Blaze, we are going to go to the derby in a few hours, as guests of Fancy Pants.”

“Oh, uhhhh…ok?” Rarity floated a big hat onto her head and got all giddy as I looked at Opal who just rolled their eyes, and laid down going to sleep.

We went to the race track and headed up some stairs to a roped off doorway. The guard was about to say something but then a voice seemed to call out happily. “Rarity! So glad you could make it!” the white stallion with blue mane, tail, and mustache looked at me from on one of the steps behind the velvet rope. “And you must be her friend, Blaze. It’s nice to meet you, I’m Fancy Pants.”

The guard lifted the rope with his magic as me and Rarity followed him upstairs and some ponies got around him, as he told them Rarity and I were staying at the castle, and they looked at us. Fancy Pants than bet that Rapid Fire was going to win, where Rarity said she believed Fleetfoot would win. Looked over the edge to see the Wonderbolts lining up, and cleared my throat, making everypony look at me. “I have to say my cousin, Soarin, will win.”

Fancy Pants walked up next to me looking at the Wonderbolts than me. “Soarin is your cousin, you say? I never heard of him having a cousin.”

Well, I can understand why…he was named after my mother when we disappeared from an accident with a spell…” my ears fell back. “I don’t want to talk about it…sorry.”

“Oh, that’s fine. I just never knew.” The race announcer called out about the race about to begin, and we all took a seat at the edge watching the race.

When we left the stadium me and Rarity were joined by a few of the ponies from Fancy’s skybox, as they kept talking and making jokes about stuff I didn’t really understand…and those high society ponies laughs were…weird. I told Rarity how I was going to head on to the castle, and wait for her to get back.

I have no idea how long she was gone, but I would say a few hours, but I can’t say for certain since I got back to the suite and made a small cot on the floor and went to sleep. I only woke up from Rarity coming into the suite sighing, which made me look at her. “Something wrong…?” I yawned and stretched laying my head on the pillow again watching her pace around.

“no, nothing is really…’wrong’, I was just invited to one of Fancy’s parties, which is the second biggest party right behind the gala…but its during Twilights birthday…but I can’t be rude to Fancy and deny his invitation...but I can’t miss Twilights birthday…but Fancy’s party would be a big thing for me! Twilight is my friend though…” I rubbed my hoof down my face sighing as she went on a tangent of back and forth’s with the subject.

“Rarity…I can’t tell you what to do…you’re your own pony…” I looked at the time to see it was coming close to 3 in the afternoon. “I should get everything of mine put away and get ready for the train back…or I may just fly myself back tomorrow morning.”

Rarity sighed. “I think I will attend Fancy’s party. I’ll write a letter to Twilight to apologize for not being at her party and get it sent right away, so she can get it tonight.” Tonight? Do they have a continuous mail delivery service?
“Ok…I’m going to get some sleep to fly back home tomorrow. Don’t worry yourself too much, ok?” I laid back down pulling a blanket over me closing my eyes to go back to sleep, hearing Rarity say ‘ok’.

I woke up around 11AM the next day and was getting everything put away in my strongbox as rarity was getting ready for the big party she was going to. I slipped my box into my saddlebag and headed to the door as she finished and opened the door for her just for us to both yell in shock from a group screaming ‘surprise making us look at the rest of the girls outside the door.

I looked at Twilight with wide, shocked eyes. “Twilight?! What are you and the others doing here?”

I walked outside as Twilight hugged me, which made me smile and wrap a wing around her “I got Rarity’s letter about how she was going to miss my party because Opal was too sick to travel, so me and the girls got the party moved here in the castle ball room. We tried to get the castle grounds but there’s already another party going on there.”

I looked at Rarity. “Right…yeah…Opal must have gotten some curdled milk…it WAS pretty hot, maybe it heated up the milk, and got her sick…” Rarity smiled nervously and said she would be right back and slammed the door shut. I didn’t expect her to lie about this, but it’s her choice, not mine to make.

Things kept going fine, if not a little crazy for Rarity, running between parties. Then the others went out there which turned it into a gala 2.0 to me. After a while I saw Fancy Pants talking to twilight, and noticed Rarity trying to talk the stallion into heading somewhere. Next I knew it all went quiet and I could see Rarity walking away from her friends.

I was shocked, thinking she was deserting them, until she stood up for her friends, and heard the two ponies from earlier mock her, which I walked over to Rarity about to say something, than heard Fancy speak. “Well, I find them charmingly rustic.” The two ponies I was about to scold stood shell-shocked. “In fact the dress Rarity made for her friend is wonderful, I’d say every mare in Canterlot would want one.”

The two ponies got close to Rarity, being suck-ups to her which I just glared at them. “maybe you two should stop kissing-flank, and try being your own ponies…you might enjoy it more, and be less snobby pricks like you were before.” I could feel everypony's eyes on me, as the two looked at me in shock, which I just shrugged, turning and heading towards Twilight. “Just saying…”

After the party ended, the girls headed inside, where Rarity headed inside. Twilight leaned against me as we walked but got me to turn so we were heading for the castle gates. “I want to see my parents before we turn in for the night, is that ok? And they should get to know my coltfriend more too, don’t you think?”

She looked up at me as we kept walking, which made me laugh. “yeah.” I draped my wing over her and lightly pulled her closer moving over a bit to keep her from walking into the gate as it was opening. “And maybe you should watch where you’re walking so you don’t get hurt.” She looked at the gate then me smiling nervously, blushing a bit, making a little ‘squee’ sound again.

We got to her parents house as she stopped leaning on me to knock on the door. I heard the knob turn shortly after and saw Velvet opening the door. “Twilight!” she hugged her daughter tightly, which made me smile. “Happy birthday sweetheart, I didn’t expect you to be here tonight. I would have baked a cake.”

Twilight giggled as they separated from their hug. “That wouldn’t have been necessary mom. Pinkie Pie made a lot of sweets for my party. I doubt I could stand seeing another sugary treat for tonight.”

“Ok. Well come on in.” she looked at me and gave me a hug too, which surprised me, but I hugged back with one foreleg. “It’s so nice to see you again Blaze.” She let me go stepping back and walked inside.

Me and Twilight followed her inside as I used a rear leg to close the door gently. “It’s nice to see you again too, Velvet.”

My marefriend and I walked into the living room as we sat on the couch. I could hear Velvet call to light upstairs, before she came into the living room. “You’ve been watching over my little filly for me I hope Blaze.”

I looked at Twilight seeing her blushing which made me smirk. “Yes, I have Velvet. And I have to say…she has been lacking in her studies.” I heard Twilight gasp and a shove on my shoulder real quick.

I looked at Twilight smirking as she was still blushing. “I have not!”

“Oh, you have. But mostly cause of me. I don’t let you study overnight anymore.” I chuckled. “So you can blame me for your lack of studying.” Twilight sighed with a hint of annoyance, and then I heard hoofsteps coming down the stairs from the hallway, which made me freeze up. “Twi…?” I heard her sound out ‘hmm?’ in response, as I kept staring at the doorway. “Have a good eulogy for my funeral…and please have it all be something good…nothing bad…”

I could feel Twilight looking at me. “What? Why?”

I had images of being lifted in a magical hold and slammed against the wall, being vaporized, and even just blasted through the wall before I answered. “Because your father…..may kill me…”

“And why would you think he wou-“I kept staring at the door as Twilight froze mid-sentence. “Oh.”

I saw Night walk into the living, and look at Twilight smiling. “There’s my little Sparkle.”

I held in my laugh the best I could snorting a bit, which made Twilight stare at me. “Don’t…ever…repeat that…..”

I smirked and leaned towards her. “Repeat what? ‘Little sparkle’?” I snirked as I leaned back relaxing. “I’m calling you that from now on.”

“You better not.” I looked at Twilight. “Well….only if it’s just us alone…”

My ear flicked after hearing the sound of Somepony clearing their throat, making me and Twilight look at Night. “Blaze, can we talk in private?” I gulped nervously and nodded before following him out of the living room, and down the hall into what looked like a small office. “Blaze, I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to be honest.” I looked at him as I noticed a blue glow fading from his horn and the whole room had a slight blue tint to its walls. “Are you dating Twilight?”

I just looked at the door than at him. “Y…yes…I am…before you say anything like ‘I’m watching you’ or ‘I better not hurt her’ I just want to say I would never hurt her…I love her, sir. I would do anything and everything to protect her, as well as all my friends.”

Night Light just stared at me, before he started laughing. “I know you wouldn’t. I just wanted to know, from that whole back and forth you had back there. I’m actually glad she found a coltfriend like you. And besides, you’re a knight. That also makes me relieved, cause that says how much Princess Celestia trusts you.”

I looked at him and scratched my head nervously. “S-sorry. I just think of father’s as being protective of their daughter’s, from almost everything…”

Night hummed and walked up to me placing his hoof on my shoulder. “Some are…me included, but I know I can trust you. You even said so yourself basically. Let’s get back to the living room. Last I heard, Velvet was making some of her special cupcakes. I mean, we have to get us at least one before they eat them all, right?” I just chuckled and nodded as I could notice the blue tint of the walls fade and we headed back to the living room.

Once we got in there, I noticed a plate of red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing on top of them. “Red…velvet….cupcakes…..” Velvet used her magic to float one onto a small plate and sent it over to me, before I took the plate picking up the cupcake and taking a bite.

The rest of the time was just them asking Twilight how it’s been in Ponyville, how she’s been doing, and how her birthday was. She replied with how her studies have been, her friends, and some of the adventures we’ve been on, but thankfully not all the more dangerous ones. Afterwards me and Twilight headed back to the castle and headed to bed, so we could get up in time to catch the train back home.

Mini-Chapter 21.5: the forgotten brother.

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It’s been month’s since Twilight’s birthday, and I’ve been in Canterlot for the past week, because of some letter that may have no real meaning behind it. For now, me and shining are just sitting at a table in the garden playing a game of chess, and it could go either way, having one pawn each, and one of each other piece except our queens.

I just stared at the pieces as I sat there as my human self with my head held up in my right hand. “Hmm….hey, armor, what did you get Twilight for her birthday?” I moved my knight so it would be one turn from his king. “Check by the way.”

Armor moved his king towards my knight, as he hummed. “I got her a book on chronological spells. Written by a Chrono. No idea who they are but, it seemed like something Twily would like.” I blinked as I saw an image of a light grey alicorn with black and white mane and tail lurched over coughing and heard an oddly familiar voice scream out ‘Chrono’ before the image disappeared from my mind and looked around. “If you’re worried about time travel, there isn’t a spell like that in it. It’s more like slowing down time, speeding it up, but nothing serious. The worst the spell does is one minute passing per second. No boredom if you have an appointment, but nothing to do. Like what happens with my little sister…a LOT!”

I shook my head and looked at the board again thinking. “Yeah, I know.” I just pushed that image and voice to the back of my mind. “She does get tired of the same books sometimes, since the library has more…entertaining books than educational, like she enjoys. You know how studious she is.”

Armor nodded and looked at me. “You ok? You seem like you’ve seen a ghost.” The voice repeated in my head as I remembered it sounded like Noctis.

I shook my head. “Nah, I’m fine. I may be more exhausted than I thought.” I looked at the bubble that he was holding over Canterlot. It amazes me how he has so much magic to hold such a spell for the past few days. I turned back to the board and moved my rook to protect my knight.

I looked at armor who sighed looking at the board as he moved his bishop behind his king, which made me smirk seeing he trapped his king into a small corner with his bishop and knight. I moved my knight back one and two to the right so it blocked the king into that space and opened my bishop to his king. “checkmate.” Armor groaned and slammed his head onto the table. “You kind of trapped your own king there. Bad strategy.”

Armor glared at me. “I’m more used to real strategy which that plan would work for real…protect the royalty…” he lifted his head looking at the fallen pieces and used his magic to return them all to their starting point. “But then again this doesn’t go along with that…does it…”

I shook my head. “nope.” I looked at the board and pieces seeing the black and white, which made that light grey alicorn appear in my mind again, and I couldn’t stop staring at the board, as I felt, I had met that alicorn.

I felt a hoof on my shoulder and turned my head a bit to listen to who was beside me, but I couldn’t stop staring at the board, like something was pulling my consciousness, which I heard Armor speak with a concerned tone. “Blaze, you sure you’re ok? Maybe you should head to your room and get some rest.” I wanted to reply, but I couldn’t get my voice to come out, as the black and white of the pieces and board seemed to melt and swirl into a vortex.

Next thing I knew I felt like I was falling, and jolted up, to see I was in the throne room, but I seemed to be where the thrones were…or more like, ON a throne. I was about to look down, until a door opened and looked to see the alicorn again, as he seemed to smile. “Father, my progress on the new magic I discovered is going really well. At first I had to use my blood to stimulate the magic, but now I can use it without causing an injury.”

I noticed that I wasn’t me, but I was seeing a memory through another pony’s eyes, by the placement I would say through Noctis’ eyes. “Chrono, you mentioned that this magic would be able to cast spells using much less energy, correct?”

Chrono nodded smiling and closed his eyes as his horn gained a dark yellow glow, and almost a hundred different things appeared in the throne room floating. From what I could see at a glance was many different kinds of plateware, utensils, tools, and some random, old looking toys. “I was able to bring all these here with the same amount of power that another would use to levitate a book from the floor onto a table. And this magic can do everything casual magic can do and more! Heal, change shape or form, like I can make myself look like a normal unicorn or Pegasus, or even a griffon!”

I could hear Noctis chuckle as everything was dark for a moment, before I could see Chrono again. “That kind of ability would be really helpful in war or insurgencies if we needed to do so.” Chrono coughed as the stuff all disappeared most likely going back to where they were supposed to be before Chrono lurched over heaving and groaning. “Chrono?!”

Noctis ran over to Chrono and held him up as his body began to get covered by the same yellow glow as his magic was. “Father….my body…feels like its tearing itself….apart.” Chrono gagged and collapsed holding his barrel as his body seemed to stretch and change, as one hoof seemed grow claws and the leg thinned till it became a griffon’s talon.

The memory seemed to fade, as I saw Chrono change more and more till he seemed to change into….discord?!?! I sat up quickly gasping “DISCORD!!!” I started panting looking around seeing I was in my room in the castle. “What…the fuck was that?” I went to stand up and collapsed onto my hand and knees coughing as my body was burning. “What…is happening?!” the burning subsided as I was left panting.

I stood up and held my head, hearing Rage speak with an angry annoyance. “Flare got out…said something about bringing two friends back…using the daughter to bring one back…” what?! Flare’s out, and wants to bring two others…back? And use the daughter? Who could he….wait…he mentioned he was a nightmare, and….OH FUCK!

I barged out of my room bumping into the wall across from the door and pushed off it down the hall going into a full sprint, before jumping and becoming my Pegasus self flying through the halls. I went out the main doors past Celestia, and Shining Armor, and I could see Blue Comet heading through the gate. “COMET, WITH ME NOW!!!” I didn’t give him time as I flew up towards a tower with a balcony and flew in seeing Flare letting out a purple mist the swirled around Cresent, entering her nose and mouth as she coughed a bit sleeping. “Get away from her!” I lit a wing on fire and threw a fireball at him blasting him away from her as Comet landed next to me. “Check on Cresent!” I charged at Flare as his horn began to glow.

As soon as I impacted Flare in a tackle, I felt the same sensation that I get when Twilight used her teleportation spell. We rolled a bit as he knocked me off and I turned to my human self landing on my feet glaring at him. “Well…well…the young flame graces me with his conscious presence.” he began to walk around me as I stood still watching him with just my eyes, and moving my head. “And I have to be sure to thank the young princess for being the one to seal my magic into so long ago. Using my own magic again feels incredible. My past three times free was always using the magic of an elemental as they died.” He chuckled darkly before I had to spin my head quick to watch him from behind me. And stopped looking at his front hooves. “It feels great to be whole once more. The only…bad thing is getting used to it again.”

“I won’t give you that chance.” I felt a strange sensation pulse through me and I appeared at his side holding a sword in his neck as his eyes went wide before looking at me. “If you’re whole…than that means I can end you…” a black flame formed at the base of the sword creeping towards Flare.

Flare looked at the flame than me before his horn began to glow. “You…won’t kill me…” I grabbed his horn in a blink of an eye, and snapped it, which made him scream out, but I pulled the blade a bit making his voice choke up, and make him start coughing harshly for a bit. “My death…won’t end…the nightmares scourge…” he chuckled weakly as I saw blood drip from his mouth. “My death…will awa-“he coughed a bit making blood splatter onto the tile floor, before he caught his breath again. “my death…will awaken…the nightmare king…you…will never stop him….not you…not the other few elementals still around…why, do you think they have just kept sealing me…?”

I blinked slowly as the black flames got close to his neck. “I’m…the final key to awaken him from his nearly eternal sleep. Ever since…you first brought him upon this world…” he chuckled a bit before giving a quick cough inhaling raspily. “But you…don’t know that yet…do you…?” Flare smirked at me, as I felt no emotions, as I just stared at him sick of his voice. “you’re the one that’s going to bring Ragnarok to the huma-“ I made the black flames consume the entire blade, hearing some doors open, and forced the sword out of the front his neck and spun slashing the back of his neck making his head fall off onto the floor and his body burned with black, raging flames.

I stood up straight and stared at his head and body as they both disappeared in an instant with the black flames, and the power I felt through all this disappeared and I felt like my body exploded and head was crushed as I became my Pegasus self collapsing onto the floor. I remembered the memory I saw where Chrono said his body felt like it was tearing itself apart…and I just felt like my body wanted to explode.

I’m concerned of what is going to happen to me in the future, if that memory I saw was true. I’m afraid of what’s going to happen to me.

Ch. 22 Weddings, and Secret's Exposed

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I opened my eyes placing my hoof on my head groaning as my head was pounding. I looked around to see I was in a hospital room, and looked at the door hearing it open. A nurse looked at me and smiled a bit walking over setting a pitcher and a glass on a tray on the table beside the bed.

“Good to see you’re awake. The princesses, and captain armor have all been worrying about you.” Her horn had a bright teal glow as the pitcher poured some of what looked like apple juice into the glass, before walking to a heart monitor that was silently beeping as she studied it writing some things on a clipboard. “Heart rate is fine, magical scan had no bad results, except for an odd energy, but considering you’re ability to use magic, that would explain that. Well, nothing seems wrong right now, so I’m going to let the princesses know you are awake, and doing just fine alright?”

I nodded as she left studying the clipboard closing the door behind her. I got the glass and tasted it to find out it was a cinnamon apple juice. I set the glass back on table after drinking half of it and leaned back against the pillows and relaxed, feeling my eye lids get heavy. I let my eyes close to rest my eyes, until I heard the door open and a few running hoofsteps.

I opened my eyes and looked over to see my parents and Celestia run into the room and to the side of the bed. My mother was quick to pull an eyelid down staring into my eye, and pulling my mouth open to look in my mouth, asking if I was ok, what hurt, and more.

I pushed her hoof back and rubbed my chin a bit. “I’m fine mom…I just pushed myself too far.” She blinked and sighed, sitting next to the bed looking worried.

Celestia walked to her side and looked at me. “Blazing…why did you kill that pony?” my parents looked at her in shock than at me wide eyed, before I scoffed looking out the window towards the garden.

“Pony…? That wasn’t a pony…” I slowly sat up sliding back against the pillows slowly. “It was one of the very things that cause you some distress in the past Celestia…” I looked at her as she had a look of confusion. “A nightmare…” her eyes went wide, as her mouth opened but I jumped at it to stop her. “He’s been in me since before I was sent to live as a human…and only got out enough to mess with me when I came to Equestria…”

My father looked at me, before speaking. “A nightmare…you don’t mean Flare do you?!”

I nodded looking down. “I know…I messed up…”

He looked at me confused. “Messed up? I’m shocked you were able to, is all…why do you think you messed up?”

I looked at him in surprise. “You don’t know about the nightmare king?! The nightmare scourge?!?!” he shook his head as all of their ears laid back. “I…I see.” I looked down and sighed.

I saw a white hoof go onto mine and looked up at Celestia. “Blazing…we will need to talk about this…but you should get some rest for now. From what I hear, Captain Armor has an important question for you later, as well as your friends should be here soon since I sent the invitation to them earlier today.” I blinked and nodded as my mother hugged me and my father smiled at me letting me know they would be by later to check on me.

As I lied there I thought on visiting my parents since I haven’t yet, which made me feel terrible. Not knowing them for most of my life, finding them, and not having visited them yet. I slowly closed my eyes, and decided to get some rest till the rest got here.

I felt a slight nuzzling and opened an eye slowly seeing Twilight nuzzling me gently and smiled. “I guess I died if such a beautiful angel is here.” Twilight looked at me and blinked before she went red making me kiss her cheek, and chuckle. “Celestia mentioned she sent an invitation. What invitation is she talking about?”

I saw some white move behind her and looked behind her to see Armor standing there. “Hey Blaze. Glad to see your ok. I had a question I was going to ask you before but you…passed out.” I looked at Twilight who looked at Armor concerned than at me. I wonder if something’s wrong. “I wanted to ask if you would be my best stallion in my wedding. You would be up near the alter beside my sister.”

I blinked in surprise by the question. “Y-yeah, sure. I’d be honored to.” He smiled a bit and rubbed his head groaning a bit. “Maybe you should go get some rest.” He nodded a bit and left the room as I looked at Twilight. “You ok?”

She shook her head a bit sighing. “Something feels really wrong…Cadence seems…so different. She is slightly rude and pushy now…”

I got out of bed and gently hugged her. “Maybe she’s just stressed. If things seem to get worse, we’ll look into things. Find out why she seems different. Ok?” I looked at her smiling a bit.

She leaned against me gently looking up at me. “The others said the same thing. They didn’t believe me either…”

“I never said I didn’t believe you Twi, I’m just saying a possibility, but if it got worse I’d help look into it.” She looked at me and smiled a bit, thanking me.

We then left the room and headed down the hall. “We need to find out what’s going on, look around. Something.”

I laid my wing over her holding her close to my side. “No…you sit this out. If we are both looking around, something will raise suspicions on us. If I’m walking around, with Canterlot's current status, it’ll look like I’m just doing a patrol…making sure things are safe.”

“b-but…what if you need help? If something goes wrong?!” I nuzzled her gently and smiled at her to let her know everything will be fine. “Uuuugh! Fine…I’ll go help the girls out…but I don’t like this…” she looked at me with a concerned look. “Just be safe…alright?” she gave me a quick kiss and headed towards the main kitchen.

I began by heading down the hall towards Cadence’s room. If anything was going to tell me anything, it would be in there. I reached the door to her room looking around and quickly slipped into the bedroom locking the door, then walked over to the desk. “Hmm…nothing but forms, and some notes on love magic…? Well…she is the princess of love…makes sense…” I walked to the bed and saw the edge of the drapes looked slightly burnt with green embers. “Green…embers? Failed spell? No it’s on the edge…and no singes on the floor…”

I lifted up the drape and saw inside the drapery to the actual bed seeing some green slime on the bed. I lightly nicked the underside of my hoof making a bit of the slime float up and into a vial corking the top. As I was investigating the slime I heard the door handle rattle, which made me look at the doors to the small landing. I quickly headed out of it and flew off, noticing it was late in the evening.

I saw the girls walking down the street and secretly joined them walking with them all, waiting to see how long it would take for me to be noticed. “I can’t WAIT to do the sonic rainboom for the wedding! It’s going to be AWESOME!” she looked at me smiling widely. “Can you believe it blaze?!” she looked at me for a moment before blinking and screaming in shock jumping over AJ. “BLAZE?!?! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?!?!” all of them were looking at me in shock.

I just chuckled and smirked. “Just a minute ago. I expected much longer to be noticed.” They all looked at Dash who moved back to my side quickly and looked away, as I pulled her closer. “Oh c’mon, don’t be sour because I scared you. I’m sorry about that.”

Dash sighed and smirked at me. “It’s fine, just don’t do it again.” I nodded as we headed to a restaurant in Canterlot and took a seat next to Twilight.

The girls began talking as my mind was too set on what I had found to listen to them, until I felt a hoof prod my shoulder making me look at Twilight. “h-huh? What’s up?”

Twilight looked at me annoyed. “Do you think I’m being possessive of my brother, or do you think something is wrong with ‘Cadenza’ too?”

I blinked and looked at the table. “something IS wrong here…I just don’t have enough pieces to even tell what the major picture is yet…and nowhere near the pieces required to finish it…for where I am now…I’m at a standstill….whether or not Cadence is involved in the problem is unknown…maybe she’s the key…maybe she’s stressed about the wedding. I can’t say…” I looked at twilight. “Sorry…”

Twilight groaned at left making the rest of us look at each other concerned. We all finished our drinks and headed back to the castle for the girls to continue on their duties for the wedding, while I searched around finding nothing new.

I noticed it was getting dark, and decided to head to the hall the wedding would take place to see all the others leaving. I looked into the hall to see Twilight on the steps crying, and hurried over to her. “Twi…what happened?” she looked at me and hugged me sobbing gently as I just held her stroking her mane.

I felt an odd presence, making me and Twilight look up at Cadence smiling at us worried. Twilight sniffled before she spoke up. “I’m sorry Cadence…”

Cadence’s eye’s flashed green making me wrap my wings around Twilight protectively, and a ring of green fire formed around us doming over us. We began to sink into the ground and I held onto Twilight until I felt we were laying on a cold surface. “Ugh…where are we…?”

I felt Twilight start to get up and yelled in pain as she stepped on my wing as she jumped off making a light on her horn. “Oh, Blaze! I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to!” she hurried to my side as I slowly got up rubbing my wing wincing in pain.

“I’m fine…really.” I examined my wing feeling the pain throbbing through it. “I think you just pinched a nerve is all…I just need to let the pain flow through, it’ll stop on its own.” Twilight looked at me worried, as a projection of Cadence appeared on the wall taunting Twilight.

She shot a bolt of magic out that began to bounce around making us duck down, until it hit a wall destroying it. When the smoke cleared we saw a disheveled Cadence look at us and try to slide away. “Wait! No, no, no!” Twilight had tackled her and I rushed over as Cadence saw it was us. “Blaze…Twilight, it’s you! I am so relieved to see its you two. The other Cadence is an impostor, you have to believe me!”

Twilight glared at her as her horn began to glow. “And why should we believe you?!”

Cadence slipped out and started doing odd motions as she chanted out an odd little phrase. “Sunshine, sunshine. Ladies bug’s awake. Claps your hooves.” Twilight joined in on the last phrase with her. “And do a little shake.”

Twilight and Cadence smiled at each other as they hugged, and I looked back feeling a burst of air. “I know this reunion is a great thing and all, and I hate to ruin it, but we need to get out of here, and stop that other Cadence before her plan…whatever it is…succeeds…”

The two nodded and we all headed towards the direction the air was coming from. We eventually found a mine cart on some rails as the two jumped in. pain was still flowing through my wing but I dealt with it as I pushed the mine cart down the track flying behind it. It wasn’t long till we were in a large crystal cavern with three mares in dresses, walking towards us, in a zombie like fashion.

Cadence used her magic to throw a bouquet of flowers that the mares all chased after making me just stare in that direction with my eye twitching. “Ok…either they wanted to be married more so than their brainwashed…zombie control thing, they had over them…or that mind control was just terribly implemented…” They just chuckled as they started running up some steps that opened up out of a hidden doorway near the room I stayed in, which we headed for the hall as fast as we could from there.

Me and Twilight barged into the hall as everypony looked at us in shock as we looked like we had just crawled out of the ground, and I started to slowly walk forward glaring at ‘Cadence’. “Celestia I know you told me long ago this was to stay secret…but this is FAR too important!” I turned into my elven self pulling out my sword, seeing it had changed to a katana with an odd style hand guard, as everypony gasped staring at me in shock as I pointed my sword towards the impostor. “You are under arrest for impersonation, and terrorism, as well as assault on royalty!!!”

Celestia looked unhappy at me as she spoke. “Blaze, what is the meaning of this?”

“The meaning behind this is that…THING, is NOT princess Cadence! And I have irrefutable proof…TWO in fact…” I reached into my pocket pulling out the vial of green slime. “Evidence A, being Changeling paralyzing toxin…” I stepped to the side hearing hoofsteps behind me. “And evidence B…”

“Is me!” I smirked hearing Cadence call out her presence at the doorway.

The fake cadence got engulfed in a flash of green flames turning into a pony-esque looking creature with hole-riddled bug wings, hole-riddled legs, and long green mane and tail with a gnarled up horn, standing there as tall as Celestia.

“You’re attack on Canterlot ends now!” I gripped my swords hilt tightly

“You think you can stop me…Chrysalis? The QUEEN of the changelings? None of you could dare to stand up to my level” Chrysalis began to walk down the steps. “ever since I took your place…princess…I have been feeding off armor…even now he grows weaker…his will becomes mine…” she looked at me as my neck began to burn making the tip of sword fall to the floor as I held the side of my neck groaning trying to keep myself standing as my strength seemed to drain out of me. “As does yours, ser knight…”

I started to hear whispers in my head grow louder as I fell to my knees panting heavily unable to hear anything but the whispers. After a while, I forced myself to look up to see Celestia’s horn be hit by the changelings magic making her fly back and slide on the ground unmoving. My eyes went wide as I felt my heart beat a few times, harder than usual, and slowly looked at Chrysalis. All I could hear now were the rushed sounds of hooves running out of the hall, knowing the girls had went to get the Elements of Harmony, and the guests had left to get somewhere safe.

I bared my teeth as I started to hear growling sounds, and felt my body tensing up, painfully making my whole body ache. I slowly stood up feeling like the ground was trying to pull me back down by intensifying the gravity around me, as I just stared down the changeling queen.

3rd person

Celestia, could just weakly watch Blaze stand up, and stare Chrysalis down. The next thing she knew, there was a bright flash of yellow light that made her eyes shut from the brightness, as well as a loud, crazed roar of a creature having gone feral. She opened her eyes to see a creature that looked like discord, but with a different, darker color palette, and bright red glowing eyes, with a red draconic tail with some bladed spikes on the end, holding a limp, elven Blaze by the back of the neck growling ferociously.

Celestia could feel a cold air flow from the creature. “Another…D-Draconequus…?” The Draconequus tensed the griffon claw on the back of the elven Blaze’s neck making a loud snapping sound resonate through the hall, and toss the body aside, making it land near Celestia, as she stared in horror and fear at the body near her. “B….Blaze…” Celestia weakly pulled herself to the body, and gently nuzzled it. “Please say something…” she got no response as tears began to flow down her face. “a-anything….please….” she shook the body making its head fall over making it look at Celestia with cold, lifeless eyes. “No….please no…”

Celestia closed her eyes holding her sobs back. The sound of growling made her eyes snap open to look at the Draconequus seeing him head up the stairs towards the changeling queen. Armor got in the way, about to use magic on it. Armor was grabbed by the horn in an instant, as a yellow light went over Armor’s body and tossed aside landing near Celestia.

Cadence hurried over to him holding. “Shining! Come on, look at me, please!”

Armor groaned and opened his eyes rubbing his head. “I feel like I was tossed around like some kind of doll…” he looked at the doorway to see Twilight and her friends guided in by changelings and brought over to where they were.

They all looked at the Draconequus creeping towards Chrysalis deflecting all her bolts like they were nothing, as the changeling queen began to look scared backing away. Twilight and her friends saw the body and headed over to it quickly, before Twilight looked at the events between the changeling queen and the Draconequus, than at Celestia. “P-princess…what happened?! Is blaze ok?!”

Celestia looked at the body and lowered her head as her ears drooped looking up quickly hearing a loud roar to see the Draconequus slap a few changelings out of the way and swing its claw at Chrysalis.

“THAT IS ENOUGH!!!” a loud raspy voice echoed into the room as the doors were bust open and bright blue chains came flying in chaining the Draconequus’ limbs and around his neck as he tried to go after Chrysalis still breathing heavily and growling in her face.

Everyone looked at the doorway to see a dark blue alicorn with glowing blue eyes with black sclera walk in and head towards the Draconequus as the chains bound themselves to the floor around it. “You must get a hold of yourself now, before you kill her. This is not you, and you know it!” the blue alicorn reached the Draconequus, as it faced him breathing heavily. “Even now your body is being torn apart by the amount of power you are using…you need to get control again…” he nodded towards Twilight and all of them over there. “Look at what you are doing to them…”

The Draconequus looked over at them as they all flinched in fear, Twilight and her friends pulling the body back, as they had tears in their eyes, making the Draconequus blink as blue swirled into its eye forming a blue pupil in the red eyes, as it focused on Celestia mostly then looked at its griffon talon and lions paw, before looking at the Alicorn. The alicorn nodded slowly. “w-what happened to me…? Please tell me I didn’t…”

The alicorn shook his head. “No…I was able to stop you…especially before you killed an elemental…” the Draconequus looked at Chrysalis and shook his head looking at death, about to reply but death cut him off. “I know what you want to say…but you don’t understand her true reason…she didn’t attack Canterlot to take over…she attacked to free her kind in the dungeon…to get love for her subjects, so they can live…they attacked…to survive…”

The Draconequus blinked and looked at Chrysalis as she looked between the two in fear. “To survive…” the Draconequus walked up to chrysalis as the chains faded away, and held its talons to her. “I don’t want to fight anymore…”

Chrysalis blinked in surprise before accepting his talon as it helped her up. “I…don’t understand what is going on…”

“Maybe it’s best you don’t…” the Draconequus closed its eyes as flames covered him. When the flames dispersed, Blaze was left sitting there as he flexed his wings a bit.

He looked over to see Celestia, Twilight, and the others looking back and forth from the body to blaze looking dumbstruck, as he smiled a bit. Twilight looked at Blaze and teleported tackling blaze in a hug crying. “I thought I lost you! Don’t ever…EVER….scare me like that again!!!”

Blaze could just look at her and smile a bit hugging her, and then looked up to see the rest of the girls running to tackled him. “ wait, WAIT!” he yelled out as the rest of the girls tackled him hugging him sniffling, except pinkie crying out as a river of tears left her eyes crying. Blaze groaned a bit from the added weight and looked at them smiling. “I’m sorry I scared you girls…seeing Celestia hurt…I guess I just….snapped…”

He looked up to see Celestia looking at him with a blank face, before smiling a bit and nuzzling him. “I’m glad to see you are ok Blazing. I was so scared when I saw…” she looked at the body as her ears drooped, than looked at chrysalis who just watched in shock, unable to react from the fear still in her from seeing the monstrous Draconequus that was before her turn into a pony. “Question now is…what to do with you…”

Blaze 1st person

I carefully got the girls off me and walked up to Chrysalis as she looked at me with fear in her eyes. I sighed and turned around sitting there and leaned my head over. “Take what you need…”

I heard everypony yell ‘what’ in shock, before I heard Chrysalis speak with a shaky tone. “W-why would you…help me after what I had done…?”

Death walked over to her. “Because he needs you…you are the elemental of nature…you are an important part of a battle to come that the elements of harmony cannot stop.”

I noticed Celestia look at Death with a blank stare. “Oh, uhhhh r-right…Celestia….Death…Death… Celestia…” Death looked at Celestia and bowed his head, as he faded away. “Yeah…he does that…”

I felt a sharp pain in my neck, looking over a bit to see chrysalis biting into my neck. I heard the others gasp and held up a hoof to stop them, and sat there feeling weaker by the second. After a while I felt her let go and sigh. “t-thank you….” I blinked and looked at Chrysalis as she was wiping her eyes. “You helped me…after attacking you and your friends…after everything I’ve done…”

“As Death said…you are an elemental like me…and we’ll need to work together in the future.” I looked at Celestia heading over to her as she watched me. “Celestia…do you think there could be peace between ponies and changelings? I’ll be sure they don’t attack ponies…”

Celestia looked at Chrysalis than at me. “I suppose, but I will be keeping a close eye on her…if one changeling attacks a pony, I will have them all banished from Equestria…”

Chrysalis was taken to a room while Celestia walked up to my side. “Now…I think it’s time to plan a real wedding.”

It didn’t take long for everything to calm down, and the wedding was put back together. The wedding went off without a hitch, but as I was heading out of the hall with Twilight I felt a hoof tap my shoulder making me turn around to see Night Light and Twilight Velvet, making me tense up. Twilight looked back as well and gasped hurrying to my side watching her parents.

Velvet was the first to speak up as she watched me closely. “We wanted to ask…what you are.” Night kept staring at me, which made me really nervous.

I gulped and sighed looking down. “I…know I haven’t been completely honest with you two…” I looked at them quickly. “I haven’t LIED to you two, just…kept secrets. I didn’t always live as a pony, even though…I was born one.” They looked at me incredulously, which made me sigh telling them my whole story as we walked out of the castle, and to their home walking inside ending up in the living room as I sat next to Twilight on the couch finishing my story not long after.

Night began to tap a hoof to his chin. “I see…so you’re the colt of Slab and Petals. Well…this does come as a shock Blaze…I don’t know what to think exactly.” I felt Twilight’s foreleg wrap around mine as she leaned against my shoulder, knowing she must be worried about her parents possibly disliking her being with me now. “Twilight did you know about this? And for how long?”

Twilight looked at her mother than her father before replying. “Since…before he was turned into…or BACK into a pony as the case may be apparently.” She looked at me and smiled. “that doesn’t change how I feel though…I know he’ll be there for me…my friends…all of us…I know it.” I blinked and nodded as I smiled while nuzzling her.

I heard her mother’s voice ring out as I nuzzled her. “Awww. I’m happy to see you with such a caring stallion, sweetie.” I and Twilight looked at velvet. “We still trust you Blaze, we just wish you would have been honest from the start.”

I sighed lowering my head feeling ashamed not trusting them. “I-I know…I was just scared…that you would see me as a freak…a monster.”

I felt a weight on my shoulder and looked over to see Twilight leaning her head against me smiling. “You aren’t a monster, Blaze. Sure you’re different…sure you can use magic even while being a Pegasus, but it’s who you are. That doesn’t make you a monster, or a freak. It makes you special…unique. I never once saw you as anything but incredible, strong, kind, and I couldn’t imagine my life without you here.”

I felt my face heat up a bit but I couldn’t help but smile. “Wait…” I looked over at Night, as he was looking at me confused. “You can use magic as a Pegasus? I mean, sure I saw you change into that…uhhhh…human, right?” I nodded. “I know you can become a human, but…what is she talking about Blaze?”

I chuckled nervously. “Right, that. I can use fire magic through my wings…or feathers really.” –I opened my right wing and make the ends of some feathers ignite with a flame. “I can make my whole wing ignite at will, but I thought I would be safe and just demonstrate with this, so I don’t burn anything.” I made the flames go out folding my wing again. “I can use my wings as a shield against some magic attacks and even throw balls of fire with them. Once, I even started to spin with them on fire while in flight and basically became a drill made of fire to attack.”

Night blinked watching. “Hmm. Interesting. For some reason, this ability sounds familiar but…I can’t quite recall where I heard about it from…” I flinched slightly thinking he may have known about the elementals. “Maybe from some comic book when I was younger. Who knows. Anyway, I’m sure you two need to get ready for your travel back to Ponyville. Be careful, alright you two?”

Twilight and I left her parents house and met up with our friends near the station, and began to head home. I’m just concerned about how the treaty negotiations between the princesses and the changeling queen will go. I’m sure they will let us know; at least…I hope so. It’s still a huge shock. Chrysalis…the nature elemental? This alliance will definitely be weird for me. Especially with the….insectoid equines…I can feel my skin crawling just from the thought of it right now, but I guess only time will tell if things will be fine.

Chapter 23 (part 1): the Crystal King's darkness...

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I woke up and stretched my legs out over the edge of the bed yawning, before I looked over to see Twilight sleeping soundly. I slowly slid out of bed, heading to leave the room until I heard Twilight groan, making me look back, to see her looking at me. “Blaze…? Where are you going….? The meetings for the changeling-pony treaty finished a week ago.”

I walked back to the bed and kissed her forehead. “I know. I was going to see how they were setting in at the old castle in the Everfree, since they were staying in the Everfree before they invaded anyway.”

“I’m surprised the princess gave them that castle as their home. But why do you have to go now? The princess doesn’t raise the sun for another hour.” I looked out the window to see the night sky.

“Well, of course. Changelings are usually nocturnal. Right?” I looked at Twilight as she blinked looking like she was thinking and nodded telling me to be careful. I chuckled a bit and got my saddlebag on heading out and clicked the strap on as I left the library flying towards the Everfree forest.

I landed at the castle and looked up at it to see it looking like a normal castle rather than a crumbling ruin like the last time I was here. I headed towards the front entrance surprised at the speed they worked, and got stopped by two changelings clicking at me angrily. I felt a slight burning at my neck as they stopped clicking and looking confused, before opening the doors.

I headed inside watching behind me until I felt a pair of hooves wrap around me in a hug scaring me for a moment before looking up at Chrysalis. “It is so good to see you again my friend. I never got to properly thank you during the meetings, so…thank you…for everything you have done for me and my subjects. We owe you so much more than we could ever repay.”

I just smiled as she let me go. “It was no problem. I’m just glad that incident didn’t have to end in lives lost, or anything like that.”

Chrysalis began to laugh which freaked me out with how her voice had a secondary echo right behind it. “My changelings have never taken another beings life, not even by overfeeding.” She blinked as she began to look sad. “I usually tried to keep my hive away from killing…but I guess the starvation of my subjects…and myself the most…kind of clouded my mind.”

I put my hoof on her shoulder gently, shuddering from the feel of her chitin. “I-I understand…you just did what you had to for your hive…I remember when you mentioned how bad you and your kind were starving…how the princesses reacted…I’m even shocked at what Celestia said…I can still hear it in my head now because it’s so…absurd for her to even think like that to me…’I would do the same, if I were in your place’…the thought alone…it scares me.”

Chrysalis chuckled looking at me. “Like how you are scared of us…?” I flinched, hearing her say that. “It is alright, I understand why. It isn’t really…us exactly, it’s our…appearance. Being so insect like, correct?”

“Yeah…it’s a phobia of mine, but I guess this is a good time…to break myself of that phobia right…?” she smiled. “Oh…I noticed you have pretty well fixed the castle…externally anyway.”

She nodded as we began to head up some stairs. “Oh most definitely. We changelings have magical capabilities of an adult pony while we are just getting our armored layer, so even our younger ones who want to help can. Many of them have joined in helping fix our new home, which has incredibly sped up the repairs.” We entered what looked like a bedroom with a large bed with a green screen hanging from the ceiling around it. “Princess Celestia said it would take some time for my kind to be accepted as they originally are.”

She walked to the window and looked out as I joined her to see many changelings moving stones and using magic to cut wood, and holding them into certain places as the stone was set and magically binded together. “She’s right, especially with how your kind feed off other beings as you do, but with what I suggested, that should no longer be the case.”

I looked at chrysalis as she sighed. “It feels odd you suggested such a thing…even if it is for a short time. I know Princess Cadenza is still mad at me for what I did, even if she understands why I did, I could sense her anger.” She looked at me looking perplexed. “but, why would you offer to come by every once in a while, for me to stockpile love for me and my subjects until the princesses can enchant something to produce a limitless amount of love for us to feed off of?”

I shrugged. “Because it’s the right thing to do, so you don’t starve, and go nuts again.” I saw her flinch, which made me feel bad. “I-I’m sorry that wasn’t right to say…”

“No, it’s alright ser knight. You are right; I don’t want that to happen again. I want us to keep this peace, and to be able to help you, with whatever it is I am needed for in the future.” She smiled a bit looking out the window watching her subjects work.

I blinked in shock expecting her to be annoyed with me. I looked out the window as well, seeing the sun rising in the distance. “I should start heading back to Ponyville. If you need me for anything, just send a changeling changed into a pony to Ponyville to contact me. I’ll come straight here.” I started to head out but felt magic grab me and pull me back.

I felt chrysalis wrap her legs around me in another hug. “Thank you again.” I heard her yawn as she used her wing to rub one of her eyes. “You are welcome here anytime. Healthy or sick, I will do whatever I can if you need me.” She let me go as I nodded wishing her sweet dreams. I then began heading back to Ponyville, landing a short distance from the library.

I headed inside looking around. “Twilight? I’m back!” I walked into the kitchen to see a note on the table. I looked at it to see it said to head to Canterlot, and to meet up with my friends at the train station there, and that they would explain what’s happening. I was about to leave, until I heard Mimzy meow from the counter by the fridge, with an unopened can next to her. “Ok, ok.”

I became my human self walking over and opened the can pouring the cat food into a small bowl for her, and headed to the main room locking the door. “Cynder, come on.” I saw my blue phoenix fly down and land on my shoulder as I smirked and teleported us to Canterlot's train station seeing my friends. I walked over sliding my hands into my jacket pockets relieved ponies accepted me like this…after I proved I was me anyway…or the princess did anyway. “Hey girls. What’s going on?”

Pinkie was the first to be in my face grabbing my cheeks tightly. “Twilight has a test with the princess, she’s been freaking out since she got the letter early this MORNING!!!” she was pulled back from me by Dash, as I rubbed my cheeks.

I blinked looking at them. “A test…? She’ll be fine, she’s smart. She’s powerful. There’s nothing she won’t be able to pass.” I saw Twilight heading over as she seemed off. “I bet she passed. Just probably not as well as she hoped, or expected.”

Twilight reached us as she looked at us. “We’re heading to the crystal empire everypony.” All the girls looked confused as I blinked in shock. I couldn’t believe what she was saying since I read in a scroll in the archives that the crystal empire disappeared long ago, when king Sombra was sealed away, and he took the empire with him.

We got on the train, heading four our destination. Twilight had taken a seat to one side of me, and Dash was in the other seat. Dash yawned and leaned against me falling asleep quickly which made me chuckle. Twilight looked at me than Dash before the others looked over and they all giggled/chuckled at the scene.

When Twilight mentioned we should be there soon I gently nudged Dash, until she woke up. When the train stopped we got off as the girls all put on scarves to keep warm. It wasn’t much longer that Armor came out of the blinding snow flurry.

“Twily!” Armor ran over and hugged Twilight before looking back than at us. “We gotta get back quick.”

I stepped forward wondering what was going on. “Why? What’s happening?”

“I’ll explain later, we need to move.” Armor began leading us through the blinding snow flurry. I began to feel an odd presence, and Armor must have as well, since we both looked back to see a black smoke. “Run! We have to get through the barrier!”

We all began to run, but when I looked back I saw spike lagging behind as the smoke was catching up to him. I slowed down until I grabbed him with my wing and I could see a barrier in the distance, but I kept my focus on how large the barrier was, that I tripped up on something stumbling feeling something wrap around my back legs.

I looked back to see the smoke having coiled around my rear hooves slowly moving up towards my waist. “dammit.” I looked forward wrapping my wing around spike, calling out. “ARMOR!” I saw him stop at the barrier as the girls all jumped through as his eyes went wide. “CATCH SPIKE!”

I threw spike towards armor, seeing him catch spike and fall into the barrier with him as I felt the coiling smoke reach around my body. I yelled, as I felt my body get pulled deep into the black smoke, and black out from the inability to breath within the smoke.

I felt a hard smack to the side of my head making my head turn. I groaned and slowly lifted my head to see a pair of green and red eyes with purple energy flowing from the outsides of the eyes. “Who…are you?”

The head pulled back as the neck down was just the black smoke from before. When he spoke he had a demonic growl to his voice. “Don’t you know…? I’m King Sombra. I bet those princesses made ME seem like the evil one…didn’t they…but it isn’t true you know…they use peace and kindness as a front, create bonds hidden behind goodwill to get what they want. And I wish to free you from their hold…”

I felt a sharp pain flow through my body from my neck down, then feel it move back up into my head leaving me coughing. “No…they would never lie…they care about their subjects…they only try to help others.”

Another shock of pain flowed through me as he spoke. “Such a naïve Pegasus you are…I bet you think I am affecting your mind….I’m not…I am merely freeing you. It will take time, but you will be freed from their trickery. I will free you from your naivety.”

The pain began to intensify as I could see sparks of purple electricity flow over my vision as I screamed out from the searing, intense pain flowing through my body.

It felt like days…weeks….maybe even months passed since he brought me here. My mind feels so empty…my body feels so broken…I can’t focus anymore.

I felt my head be lifted as I saw Sombra’s face again. “Tell me what you believe now…”

I blinked slowly and coughed a bit. “I…don’t know what to believe anymore.”

I felt the pain fade from my body. “It seems their magic’s hold on you has been broken. Listen to my voice, and I will save you from the lies of those you knew.” I felt myself get lowered onto the ground gently, lying on what felt like a soft cloud as I relaxed. “The princesses had taken your mind into their hooves, and made you believe what you wanted to believe. The ones you have befriended are not your friends, but your watchers. That…marefriend of yours is nothing but the holder of your leash…or was that is.”

I saw images of Twilight and the girls flash before my eyes, as I bared my teeth. “They…lied to me…?” I slowly sat up panting. “They…used me…they knew what I was, and I was turned into their weapon, their TRUMP CARD?!”

Sombra slid closer to me. “Yes…but I have freed you from that fake life. I will help you in freeing many more in fact; I need you to help me overthrow them, so I can be the king Equestria rightly deserves. I need you to…act like the you they knew. Infiltrate them, weaken them from within.”

I nodded slowly standing up shakily. “Yes…I understand…” I began to leave but stopped. “Wait…going back as uninjured as I am now will bring suspicions will It not? They see you as a monster…evil…I need to be injured…bruised…”

Sombra rubbed his chin with some of the shadowy smoke. “That makes sense…” he looked at me with a smirk. “You are smart, for your age. I will do my best to cause the least amount of pain possible.”

I felt my body get wrapped in the smoke and felt some punctures on my side, and to my neck, and a tight tension around my chest, making me yell in pain as it felt like some ribs had popped. I felt myself fall and land on a cold plot of snow, slowly looking up to see the barrier.

“Get ready you backstabbing lier's….you’ll get what’s coming to you…” I slowly got up heading into the barrier seeing a city made of crystal, and in the center, a tall, large castle made of a giant crystal structure. I began to head towards the castle feeling the pain flowing through my body making me cough or stumble a bit.

I entered the castle and into the throne room to see everypony talking in there looking concerned as Cadence looked weak. It seems she’s the one creating the barrier. Armor’s horn had black crystals on it, which I felt Sombra’s power flow from. He stopped the magic flow with his own energies, to corrupt his horn.

Armor and Cadence saw me first as their eyes went wide, making the others look at me and gasp. I have to play the part, like Sombra wanted me to, so I decided to just smirk, trying to ignore the pain. “don’t tell me you all thought…he could hold me did you?” the girls all ran towards me tackling me in a hug, which made me gag a bit from my breath catching in my throat, and go into a coughing fit gasping harshly.

They all jumped off me saying they were sorry, and wasn’t thinking, because they were so happy to see me. It made me feel happy, but I knew how it was all lies now. “Don’t worry about it…Sombra was just a big push over…” I stumbled to the small patio looking around seeing how there was a festival going on, as Cadence, Armor, and Twilight joined me, while the others had headed out to keep the festivities going.

Cadence looked at me, seeming like she was about to pass out. “So…Sombra is…gone?”

I blinked and smirked looking at her. “Yeah. It was one intense bout between me and him, but I came out victorious.”

Cadence sighed in relief as she fell, the glow on her horn disappearing as the barrier faded. I knew Sombra had his chance to infiltrate the empire himself and reclaim his kingdom, to claim Equestria, and bring justice to the lying princesses.

I saw the black smoke rising up around the city, making the three with me gasp. The thing I didn’t expect that made me go wide eyed was Cadence reforming the barrier, and seeing Sombra colliding into the barrier. Armor glared at me angrily. “I thought you said you beat him! He doesn’t seem very beaten to me Blaze!”

I blinked staring at the barrier wide eyed. “I…I didn’t…”

Twilight hurried to get between her brother and me. “Armor stop, he might’ve planned this to get the barrier down, it isn’t Blaze’s fault!”

I looked back to see Armor step back and look down. “You’re right…I’m sorry I just…I gotta find the crystal heart immediately.”

Twilight walked up to him looking serious. “No, I’ll find it. Cadence needs you. I’ll be back with it in no time.” I saw Twilight run off, as I just looked at the barrier again staring in shock and annoyance that the princess was able to reform the barrier in her condition.

I heard the last two head back into the castle as I grinded my teeth. I quickly calmed down and went to get up and coughed holding my chest. “Dammit…I can’t do much in this condition…all I can do is force myself to act when I’m really needed.”

It took some time, but I just watched the area, until I saw the barrier fall and heard spike yell from above seeing him holding a heart shaped formation of crystal. The next thing I noticed was him trip and fall as Sombra went towards him which I forced myself to fly up and turn into my human self near spike catching him by the back of his neck and grab the crystal heart landing on the ground hard enough to make it crack beneath me standing up fully holding spike up looking at him as Sombra appeared behind me quite a distance away, and my ‘friends’ ahead of me. Cadence smiled weakly at me. “Blaze, give me the heart, quickly.”

I looked at spike and tossed him making him roll into a piece of black crystal, and smirked looking at the Crystal, hearing Rarity gasp. “Blaze, how could you just throw Spike like that?!”

I just chuckled. “Scales should be fine…” I looked at Rarity with an angry glare. “The ones in the wrong here are you…all of you…the ones I called my FRIENDS!” they all looked at me wide eyed. “Lies…ies…and MORE LIES! YOU ALL HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT USE ME AS A SHIELD, A SWORD, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN!” I started walking backwards till I was at Sombra’s side. “I’m free from the lies that was forced into my head.”

Armor stepped forward. “Blaze, we never lied to you. Think about what you’re do-“

“SHUT UP!” Armor flinched and Cadence looked weak and tired. “I am SICK of these lies!” I heard a pop, seeing Twilight appear, as I scoffed. “And looky here…the biggest liar of all…” Twilight looked at me with a ‘huh?’ as she went wide eyed seeing me next to Sombra. “love…caring…I’m free from your lie Twilight…you never loved me…you saw protection…a pet…that you could control to have under Celestia and Luna’s control. None of you care about me; you are all just like my old friends. You use me...pull me close with lies of happiness, and acceptance, but I’m nothing to you.”

Twilight gasped as her eyes began to flow with tears. “Blaze…I would never lie to you…” she walked halfway up to me. “Please, see that I’m telling the truth…please…”

I walked up to her slowly looking at her, holding the crystal heart against my waist. “Shut up Sparkle.” She gasped as I picked her up by her neck/jaw line not choking her as she wrapped her forelegs around my arm. “It’s over…”

Twilight tried to struggle, but never bucked me, even when I knew she could easily kick me away, which is what I expected, but she never did. “Blaze…please stop…this isn’t you…I know you…” I heard her sniffle which made my heart tense up in my chest. “P-please Blaze….”

I heard Sombra’s voice behind me as he chuckled. “Show her you won’t fall for her lies. End her…break the cycle of lies, and show them true justice.”

End her? He wants me to kill her. I looked at Twilight again as she just let her head droop against my arm closing her eyes. “I guess…I can’t get through to you…I’m sorry Blaze…”

I blinked seeing memories flash by my eyes, of me and her curled together on the couch reading a book together from a few days after the gala. Me and the girls at a restaurant laughing, and talking. And memories of all the adventures we had went on together.

I shifted my hand to make her look at me. “I have one last request to make of you Twilight…before I end all of this…”

Chapter 23 (part 2): ...And the Flame's Light!

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3rd person

Twilight’s ears drooped as tears flowed from her eyes. “And…w-what would that be?”

Blaze pulled her closer to whisper in her ear. After he had finished whispering into her ear she had wide eyes, before closing them lowering her head. “y-you’re right….I’m sorry I used you…y-you were so intriguing having the ability to use magic, and when I learned you had feelings for me, I knew if I showed the same feelings back, you wouldn’t leave…and I could study you more in secret…”

Her friends all yelled ‘WHAT?!’ after she finished as Blaze seemed to tense his hand around her neck. Twilight began to cough and pulling at his arm, until a loud snap sound was heard making Twilight go limp. Blaze than tossed her aside walking towards Sombra.

“How COULD YOU?!” Blaze, looked back at Armor who looked infuriated. “You won’t get away with thi-“ A yellow energy wrapped around his muzzle, stopping him from speaking as Blaze looked at Sombra.

Sombra chuckled and held his hoof towards Blaze as the darkened and dying ground kept progressing towards the castle. “Great job Blaze, now give me the Crystal Heart, and I shall end the reign of those tyrannical princesses…”

Blaze began to walk towards him. “Give you the Crystal Heart?” Sombra nodded, as blaze got close to him. “Fuck off…” Blaze raised his knee into Sombra’s jaw sending him falling back and turned throwing the heart towards Cadence. “Cadence, charge it now! Twilight, I need a sword from a dark crystal!”

Twilight got up and blasted a bolt into a black crystal as it crumbled revealing sword shape as it flew to Blaze’s hand, as he held it pointed at Sombra. Twilight ran to the other’s helping them up and towards the Castle, leaving them all confused, and shocked, as Sombra got up rubbing his jaw.

“you traitor…I freed you from their contr-“ Sombra got a hard whack with the side of the crystal sword’s blade, making him fall over, as Blaze set his foot on the “king’s” side, placing the tip of the sword to his neck. “How…? How did you break my hold on you…? All that darkness, I put within you during all that time?! You should be forced to listen to me!”

“oh, that’s still in me…but, it was only time before I broke through it with my own light…the feelings for my friends…my family…my convictions to protect all life from those like you. I may have been torn down, but I just needed to hear a voice special to me to help my light become bright enough to break through your darkness…” I looked at the castle seeing a light forming at the bottom. “I guess this is goodbye Sombra.”

Sombra chuckled darkly, making Blaze look at him. “No…I will return, I may have been king of this empire, but there is one even I followed, one who had been in contact with me from the shadows…” Sombra looked at Blaze. “The nightmare king will tear you down. You could never measure up to his full power. He’s coming, and you will not be able to stop him. You will fall to his power.”

The light from the castle exploded out creating a flash that extended out restoring the ground, and destroying Sombra into nothing more but a puff of black shadow the dissipated making Blaze’s foot fall onto the ground, and his sword crumble into nothing.

1st person Blaze

I began to head back towards the castle looking at my left arm grabbing the upper part of the arm. I reached the castle and smiled seeing everypony looks like the crystal ponies’, knowing the Heart’s power was radiating over the empire.

Twilight looked at me and ran over jumping into me hugging me making me groan, gripping the upper part of my left arm tighter, making her gasp and let go. “Blaze? What’s wrong?”

I flinched from the major pain in my arm and looked at it. “that snap sound didn’t come from nowhere. I focused all my magic I had left to grip the bone in my forearm, and broke it….” Twilight gasped, as I chuckled weakly, feeling the exhaustion hit me. “I’ll be fine…I just need some time, and I can heal it back up. It isn’t ‘broken’, but it’s still in pretty bad condition. It took a lot out of me to use the magic to do so, as well as to keep myself from showing the pain from doing it.”

Twilight and Dash helped me to a wall where I slowly sat down leaning my head back closing my eyes. It wasn’t long after I heard heavier hoofsteps, and Armor’s voice. “Blaze…are you alright?” I looked at him as he looked concerned, sorry, yet still slightly angry.

“you have a right to be angry with me…I’m sorry I couldn’t let you know about my plan, when I came to, and making you think Twilight was dead…I’m sorry…but it was the only thing I could think of that I could get close to Sombra and disorient him, before betraying him.” I looked down; closing my eyes expecting him to hit me, but nothing came.

Armor blinked and chuckled nervously. “N-no, I’m a little angry, but mostly I’m just glad to see you snapped out of it. It hurt when you believed we had lied to you…you are our friend Blaze, and that won’t ever change.” I blinked and smiled laughing a bit.

“you have no idea how good it is to hear that…after being alone in that darkness…his voice pounding into my head…even now, I can still hear those whispers, but they are fading…don’t worry about them.” I yawned, feeling my eyelids becoming heavy. “I just…need to rest up…”

I closed my eyes, quickly falling asleep, feeling cold, but it became warmer for me shortly after, as Luna appeared ahead of me. “Ser Blaze. It is good to see you. My sister is happy to see everything has worked out, but when I felt your presence in the dreamscape, I felt a sense of dread…fear. Tia asked me to check on you when I mentioned it. Is everything alright?”

I blinked and scratched my head. “I’m fine Luna, I just….” I sighed rubbing my eyes. “No…Sombra caught me when he first arrived…he tortured me for I have no idea how long, and he broke me…made me believe you…Celestia…my friends…that you all lied to me, just using me as shield and sword…that none of you would care if I was injured…or even killed, that I was a tool, and nothing more.”

Luna went wide eyed. “Ser Blaze, you are most precious to us, especially to my sister. Twilight Sparkle and all her friends hold such admiration towards you, that they still feel bad about…” Luna looked down sadly. “When I was…her…”

I blinked and chuckled a bit, before laughing. “Luna, you were never her. Whether it was some force or entity of anger or jealousy, or a split personality, it doesn’t matter. It’s a separate conciseness. You shouldn’t worry about what she did, because it wasn’t you. You…Luna…are one of the nicest, and kindest ponies I know.”

Luna smiled and walked up to me hugging me. “Thank you for saying that…so we expect you and your friends to head back soon?” I nodded. “Alright, I shall let Tia know to expect you all then.”

“Alright. And don’t tell Celestia about…how I felt when Sombra broke me mentally…I feel it would really hurt her if she knew.” Luna nodded as she disappeared.

I slowly opened my eyes, and groaned a bit grabbing my left arm, before looking at it to see it had two small wooden planks and gauze wrapped around my forearm. I went to sit up but felt something pull me back down, looking over to see Twilight on my right side , with her hooves wrapped around my torso.

I smiled stroking her mane gently, as she yawned in her sleep nuzzling into my chest. “It’s time to wake up. We need to start heading back.”

She groaned before slowly looking up at me. “Mmmm…Blaze?”

“Morning beautiful.” Twilight blushed and smiled kissing me on the nose.

“Morning. I’m glad to see you feeling better.” Twilight slowly got up and off the bed, stretching as I sat up carefully.

“Like I said, I just needed some rest. Come on, we need to get ready to head back to Canterlot. Right?” Twilight nodded, as we both began to leave the room, and down the crystal castle’s halls to the main hall where the everypony else was.

When the others saw me the girls all ran or flew towards me, which Twilight caught them all with her magic which made me chuckle. “His arm is still injured girls, don’t be rough with him…not yet anyway.”

I stopped chuckling and looked at her. “That isn’t funny…” Twilight looked at me and smirked while the rest walked up to me, making me look at them. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. We need to start heading back. Twilight has to report back after all.”

Twilight gasped. “OH CELESTIA, HES RIGHT!” she ran to Armor and Cadence hugging them saying we had to head back, as we all headed for the train station to head back.

It took a few hours to get back to Canterlot, where we went to the castle. All of us waited outside while Twilight went in. I chose to relax on the steps holding my right hand over the wrapped area of my left arm which had a gold glow over it. I started to get feeling in my hand again and slowly made a weak fist with my hand, before relaxing and tensing my hand a few times.

I began to unroll the gauze off my arm as Twilight busted out of the door happily, saying she had passed her test with Celestia. I just smiled getting the last of the gauze off making the wooden splints fall to the floor. “Congrats Twi. So, everypony ready to head home? I think all of us can’t wait to sleep in our beds.” The others all nodded as we began to head to the train station, all of us excited to get home.

Few days later

I groaned as I felt something shaking me from my sleep. I slowly opened my eyes to feel something land on my face and see a mass of orange in my vision. “Hey Scootaloo. Shouldn’t you be in school right now?”

Scootaloo slid off my face smiling. “It just ended. We had a short day today, and I saw you over here, so I thought I would see what you were up to.” I chuckled and sat up fixing my mane, and stretching my wings.

I looked at the little filly, before answering her. “Well, the princesses gave me the month off from my duties considering what I had been through, so I can recover fully from any possible after effects.”

She blinked looking confused. “What did you go through to let you get a month off?”

I flinched and felt my ears droop. “I would rather not remember it…let’s just say, it was very painful, and even mentally broke me so I believed a lie, until Twilight was able to get through to me.”

I felt a tight squeeze on my right foreleg looking at Scootaloo, seeing her hugging me, which made me lightly hug her back with my free foreleg. “you’re better though right…?” I nodded smiling, which made her smile as well. “How have you been? No problems with your school work, or anything?”

“Umm…no?” she smiled nervously, which made me raise a brow at her. “Maybe…” I blinked raising the brow a bit more as she looked away. “I’m not doing that great in math…”

I blinked and gently pat her head smiling. “Do you need to meet with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle today?” she nodded. “How about after your meeting, you stop by the library. I can help you with whatever you have left. Ok?”

She looked at me wide eyed and smiled jumping at me hugging me. “That would be AWESOME! Thank you so much Blaze!”

I hugged her back laughing a bit. “It’s no problem. Go on and meet your friends, I’ll be at the library by the time you three finish your usual stuff today.” She nodded before getting her scooter and using her wings to speed her way towards Sweet Apple Acres. I decided to head to the library, and got a Daring Do book to waste time.

After about an hour and a half, the door to the library opened, which made me look over to see Scootaloo run in, and I helped her with her homework for a while before I had a thought looking at her. “Hey Scoot, why don’t you get your mom to help you? She’s home isn’t she?”

Scootaloo flinched looking down. “umm…she’s still sick, and she needs all the rest she can get.”

I draped a wing over her making her look at me surprised. “Scoot, you know you can tell me anything. Right?”

Scootaloo jumped into me sniffling, hugging me tightly. “please don’t take me away…I don’t want to be taken away from my friends.”

“Scoots, what are you talking about? Why would you be taken awa-“ I stopped what I was saying and looked at her. “Scootaloo…are you…” she sniffled nodding slightly. I felt my ears droop and gently wrapped my wing around her. “it’s ok, I won’t let you be taken away. Even if I have to get myself set as your legal guardian, or adopt you. I promise I’ll do what I have to, so you won’t be taken away.”

Scootaloo looked at me. “y-you would….do that for me?” I nodded and smiled a bit. “I…I don’t know what to say. T-thank you Blaze.” She calmed down relaxing. “I think that would be awesome. You being my dad.” She chuckled a bit silently. “I could totally brag to Sweetie Belle and Applebloom about you being my father. I could even brag at school.”

I just chuckled. “I suppose you could.”

She yawned then looked at me rubbing one of her eyes. “could I stay here tonight…? I don’t want to be at that house alone tonight…”

I nodded and got up using my wing to get her on my back gently, as I began to head upstairs. I headed into the guest room carefully laying Scootaloo on the bed seeing she was barely awake. “are you sure you want me to adopt you Scootaloo? I want to be sure it’s what you want.”

She yawned and nodded. “yeah, I really think it would be awesome if you were my dad.” I smiled a bit.

“Ok, we’ll go to town hall tomorrow before you go to school, and get the paperwork dealt with. That way I can take you to school, and tell Cheerilee she can contact me if there’s any…trouble involving you, seeing how you crusaders are.” I smirked as she groaned a bit. “alright, get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

I pulled a blanket over her, which made her eyes close. “ok. Night Blaze.” She began to snore silently soon after, so I silently snuck out of the room closing the door, seeing Twilight look at me with a blank stare.

She raised a brow at me, with an annoyed look to her eyes, which made me smile nervously. “did I hear you correctly…? You’re planning on adopting Scootaloo…?”

My ear twitched as I looked to the side. “y-yeah…?”

Twilight sighed than smiled a bit nuzzling me. “that was very sweet of you Blaze, but if you want to do anything like that again, let me have a voice in it. I’m not saying no to this Blaze, I’d just appreciate being a part of conversations around adopting. Now, come on. You need as much sleep as you can get to deal with the paperwork tomorrow.” She kissed my cheek heading for the bedroom, which made me smile. I began to follow right behind her, as we slipped into bed. I dread the paperwork tomorrow, but, it’ll be worth it I think.

Chapter 24: Happy day to terrifying night.

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I felt something shaking me, rousing me from my nice sleep. I opened an eye and looked at Twilight to see she was asleep. “Blaze, wake up. School starts in two hours.” I looked to my other side to see Scootaloo there.

I rubbed my closed eye opening it slowly. “Ok. Ok. I’m getting up.” I got out of bed and stretched my wings, then popped my neck looking at Scootaloo as she began bouncing out of the room. I couldn’t help but smile at how happy she was. I followed her downstairs, and made a quick breakfast of toast and applesauce while Scootaloo had a bowl of cereal.

Once we finished our breakfast which only took about 15 minutes adding the time for me to clean the plate and bowl that was used for our breakfast, we left the library to head town hall. Once we entered the building, the first pony we ran into was Mayor Mare, which seemed like this was going to be easier than I thought.

As Scootaloo and I were walking over, she noticed us and smiled. “Oh, hello Blaze. Hello Scootaloo. How can I help you today?”

I looked at Scootaloo, who was just smiling at me as I faced Mayor Mare again. “Yeah, I just needed some assistance on the adoption process.”

She seemed really excited as she walked to a table getting some paperwork together. “Of course I can! It just takes some paperwork.”

She brought a big stack of papers, and forms over as me and Scootaloo just stared at it. “Uhhhh…could I get the simplified version, or just sign what I need to? I…kinda need to get Scootaloo to school before it starts.”

Mayor mare blinked and looked at the stack. “I guess I could do that for you this time.” She blinked and looked at me and Scootaloo confused. “Wait, are you adopting Scootaloo?” I nodded smiling, as she smiled sighing in relief. “I have been getting letters about her living alone for a few days now. I’ve been trying to play it off as if I hadn’t noticed them, and in a week, I’m certain some orphanage would take her away, and I know how close Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetiebelle are.”

Scootaloo climbed onto my back and looked at Mayor Mare. “y-you knew?” she nodded as she got 4 pages out from the stack setting them out in front of me as I went over them seeing it was agreements of ‘a safe home for the filly/colt’, and other necessities.

I was about to say something before the mayor chuckled. “Different than you expected?” I nodded as I began signing the papers. “Well, this is the ‘simplified version’ for you. The rest I can do in your stead. I know you’ll give her a good home, and do everything you can for her future, and with Twilight and her friends there to help you, I know there’s no worries.” I finished signing the pages and slid them over to her as Scootaloo had moved onto the top of my head.

I chuckled and bit the side of my tongue making Scoots float off my head and onto my back. “I really appreciate this Ms. Mare.”

The mayor smiled waving her hoof. “It’s no problem. Go on and get her to school. Don’t want her to be late since it’s nearly on the other side of town after all.” I looked at the clock seeing there was just enough time to get there and nodded to her heading out the door and for the school.

“Blaze?” I hummed in interest when Scootaloo said my name. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful but…why would you adopt me?”

I slowed my pace a bit almost stopping looking back at her. “Scoot…don’t think I just did this for no reason.” I smiled a bit as I draped a wing over her like a hug. “Yes one reason I did this so you wouldn’t have to worry about being taken away from your friends…your home…but I truly do care for you like you are my own child…or…uhhhh…” I looked at the ground for a moment before walking again. “What’s the word…?”

“Foal?”

“Yes! Thank you, like you’re my own foal. I’m not very good at explaining this but just know I do care about you, and I’m going to do everything I can to give you a happy, and safe life.” I chuckled a bit. “So don’t worry about why, and just know that I did this because I genuinely wanted to. Alright?”

Scootaloo hugged me around my neck. “You were right, you suck at explaining the reason, but I get what you mean. Thank you.” I couldn’t help but smile, and notice the school ahead. Rarity and AJ were walking up to it as well dropping off their sisters.

I smirked and looked at Scoots winking to her as she smiled as I put my wings over her hiding her. I looked ahead calling out to my friends. “Hey Rarity. Hey AJ.”

They looked at me as they smiled and AJ started. “Howdy Blaze.”

Rarity must’ve taken a moment to process what I said, as she quickly looked confused. “Umm…just curious, but why are you here at the school?”

I smirked at her. “Oh, me? I’m just dropping off my daughter at school. Education is important in a little filly’s life, no?” AJ, Rarity, and their sisters looked at me confused as I lowered my wings, letting Scootaloo jump down and stand next to me with the biggest grin I’ve seen yet…besides Pinkie of course. I just chuckled at their slack jawed looks. “Sorry, but I gotta talk to Cheerilee before class starts to let her know about this.”

I started heading into the school leaving a couple of slack jawed mares standing there with wide eyes, as AB, and Sweetie were following me beside Scootaloo, saying how awesome the news was, and about what to do for their cutie marks, which I listened into that part a bit for their safety, especially when some dangerous ideas came up, but they quickly pushed those ideas away calming me down.

The fillies ran into the classroom ahead of me as they greeted Cheerilee. When she saw me enter she smiled a bit. “Oh hello Blaze. Is there something I can help you with?”

I shook my head smiling a bit. “no, I just came to let you know that if anything about Scootaloo occurs, that you could get a hold of me is all.” She looked at me confused. “I adopted her Ms. Cheerilee.”

She blinked in shock than smiled a bit. “OH! I’m sorry I was just confused at first there. Alright, thank you for letting me know.”

I bowed my head a bit, than looked at the CMC. “Try to stay out of trouble you three, alright?” they smiled, sitting at their desks smiling innocently which made me chuckle. “I’ll see ya later Scoots.”

I started to head out of the school to see AJ, and Rarity in my face the moment I stepped outside. “Uhhhh….hi?” I felt AJ’s hooves grab my face as she stared into my eyes.

She had a serious look as she spoke to me. “What did you mean when you said ‘your daughter?!’”

I blinked and turned my eyes to look at Rarity than back at AJ. “I adopted Scootaloo…Twilight knows all about it too. Why?”

She let my face go as Rarity seemed nervous. “We gotta go. We’ll see you around Darling!” they both ran off, and I knew exactly where they were going. SugarCube Corner, to find Dash who was most likely having breakfast there…and being Friday, Fluttershy would be there too, checking on a currently ‘sick’ Gummy. He looked normal to me, but what do I know, looking at a deadpanning teacup gator that nibbled on anything it could grip in its toothless maw.

I began to head for the library again, to spend time till tonight, already feeling all kinds of tired, and exhausted, even if I wasn’t showing it externally. It didn’t take long to get to the library and grab a book on magic for me to study on different kinds of spells and abilities that could be done through magic.

That night I had laid down in bed and fallen asleep, just to open my eyes in the center of Ponyville, but it seemed off. Darker. I began heading through town, the air felt like it had an odd chill to it, and I couldn’t understand why. Maybe Twilight used a teleportation spell on me in her sleep, which wouldn’t be a first she used magic in her sleep, considering I woke up with my mane was longer and curled like Rarity’s one time. At least SHE found it funny…as well as the whole town…one pony absolutely ‘ADORED’ it though…Rarity.

After a short time of walking I reached the path that would have lead to Sweet Apple Acres, and I felt a cold chill flow up my spine, making me a little nauseous when it hit the back of my neck. I looked down the path to see a figure in the distance, which I had to squint to see a bit more clearly. Whoever or whatever it was, I could see some form of red armor on the shadow.

They turned their head to look at me with glowing red eyes, which made me blink. When my eyes opened from the blink, those red eyes were right in front of me making me jump back as the red armor was smoke like, like the whole form was. I didn’t understand why but I had no control over my breath as it was getting more and more shaky from fear.

It chuckled in a deep, raspy, dark tone, while it sounded like 5 separate voices from all around me. “So…you are the one who did it. Interesting, considering how weak you are. I mean…” it began to move around me, or more like slide around, as it seemed to study me while I just followed it with my eyes as best I could. “look at you…you’re weak…the only surprising thing to me right now, is that you are still standing, with all that fear just radiating off you.”

I gulped nervously, as it felt like this…THING…could end me with a simple thought, but that’s just ridiculous. Celestia is practically a goddess, and when I first met her, I could feel the power that was in her, and just radiated off her, but I had no fear. So, why now? Is this stronger than her? I feel nothing from it, so why am I afraid?

It swirled around me faster as it felt like my power and strength was being drained from me. “No matter, you are one of few left that can stop me. I wonder how those that know you will react….” I began to pant as it stopped flowing around me and took an equine form in front of me. “When they see you kill them.” I slowly raised my head to see he looked exactly like me.

I didn’t care about my fear anymore, knowing this thing was taking my form to kill others. I exhaled before glaring at myself. “I won’t let you. I vowed to protect them with my life, and I’ll do just that!” just as I was about to attack it a dark blue and light purple flash lit up everything blinding me and maybe it, as a loud screeching yell came from it. The power it took from me must have been expelled from it, as I felt it returning to me.

The light faded as I looked around seeing nothing, than ahead of me to see an equine mass in red armor lying ahead of me. I began to approach, but froze halfway as it began to get up, revealing a short dark flame styled mane and tail, and a curved horn that had dark red from the point, and halfway down it, before it became a pale red, and it still had red wings like me, but with two different shades of red than mine. His secondary feathers were a very dark red, while his primaries were a bright, vibrant red like they held some strong energy in them.

The being ahead of me looked at me with its red, slitted eyes again as it spoke towards me with malice, bearing sharp, demonic looking teeth. “You better prepare flame bearer…” I felt myself get dizzy, and like the world was fading away. “for I…Lord Scorch, the Nightmare King, will have his revenge, and claim what I rightfully deserve!” his voice faded and echoed towards the end as I felt myself fall back, even though I was standing on my hooves.

In the Library

I opened my eyes with a quick gasp looking around in confusion and fear, making a slight groan happen beside me. “Mmmm, Blaze?” I looked over quickly panting a bit, silently, from the fear that was still running through me. “Are you ok…?” I saw a tired, crusty eyed Twilight, rubbing her eyes, most likely from her being woken up far too early.

I sighed and relaxed a bit calming down. “y-yeah…must’ve been a nightmare, that’s all.” I kissed her nose before getting up on shaky legs. “Go on back to sleep, I’m gonna…take a little walk, calm down. Ok?” she hummed and lied back down with a small smile before she began to silently snore.

I headed downstairs silently, thinking back on that figure at the end of my nightmare, and the name…it felt familiar, but I couldn’t understand why. I headed into the kitchen and got a glass of water to help gain my composure before I headed out when it hit me. Flare, and Sombra had mentioned that very name.

I began to head to the door to start my walk, and when I opened it, I felt something hit me square in the nose making me stumble back with a quick yell holding my nose. “OH MY GOODNESS! I am SO sorry Blaze. Are you ok?!” I looked up holding my nose to see Cresent and Luna in the doorway looking surprised and concerned.

I wiped my nose seeing a little blood on my hoof and held it over my nose to stop the bleeding. “I’m fine, I’m fine. It was an accident, I know it was.” I sniffled back some blood feeling it flow through my nostrils. “I’m alright, it didn’t really hurt, it more so surprised me than anything.”

I felt a numbing sensation over my nose as they walked in. I looked up to see Luna’s horn had her usual dark blue aura over it, like my nose and hoof did. “I apologize about not letting you know we were coming but we believed you were still asleep. My daughter felt some kind of disturbance from your dream’s while we were going over the dreamscape, but when we tried to enter to help you, something kept us out. We just came to see if you were alright.”

I nodded moving my hoof away from my nose. “I’m fine; it was just a short, bad dream that’s all. Nothing a quick, little, calming walk won’t fix.”

Luna approached me before sitting down, giving me a serious look. “Blaze, that was no natural power keeping us out. We used our full power to get in, but we couldn’t. All we could do was send a spell into the dream.” They couldn’t force their way in at full power?! TWO alicorns! TWO godlike princesses could NOT get in?! Was that really just some nightmare I randomly had?

I looked down thinking how they couldn’t get in, but they could only send spells in. that explains the lights in their aura’s colors. They disperse nightmares…bad dreams from ponies dreams, but I don’t think they fully understand the entity known as a nightmare too well…but neither do I. “maybe my magic’s essence radiated through my dream?” I shrugged looking at them. “Could that be it?” they looked at each other than me before Cresent shrugged.

After a short while they said their farewell’s before heading back to Canterlot. I began to leave the library, to begin my walk to calm down, to think on what I had learned. Mainly, the Nightmare King was getting ready to come for me, and maybe the other elementals. I have to prepare myself, and them, or lives could be lost.

Chapter 25: the war begins, with the ascension.

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It’s been about a week since Scorch appeared in my dream, or nightmare so to speak. I haven’t allowed myself to sleep since. Fearful of Scorch coming back into my dreams to do anything else, but today is the worst day of the year for me…my Birthday…

I’ve been able to fake that I have slept this time around, using a special potion Zecora brewed for me in bulk, which I hid many of the bottles in my pocket dimension strongbox, and all throughout the day, as I was flying over Ponyville, Pinkie has been going from pony to pony, each one shaking their head ‘no’ to her. After hours of this happening I noticed she was looking frantic, and her mane was all frizzy, and strung out like she was about to go crazy.

I decided to fly down to see what was going on, worried about her mental state. “Hey Pinkie. You ok? You look really…distraught.”

She turned to me quickly and quickly grabbed my shoulders shaking me. “IT’S SOMEPONY’S BIRTHDAY AND I CANT FIND OUT WHO’S!!!”

I got her off me and held her still. “Whoa, whoa. Calm down Pinks. Slow breaths, ok?” she started taking slow breaths. “That’s better. Don’t worry about whose birthday it is. I mean, you asked everypony about it by now, haven’t you?” she nodded. “By that logic, maybe they don’t want to celebrate it today. If it’s been a bad day, a party could make things worse.”

Pinkie seemed to look around quickly. “But…I mean….they deserve SOMETHING at least…”

“Ok…think about last year. Did anypony seem sad or downtrodden the next day?” she shook her head slowly. “Maybe they just aren’t a fan of celebrating their birthday.”

Pinkie seemed to blink than stared at me. “Blaze…when’s YOUR birthday?”

I tensed up and looked around. “Uhhhh…well…I don’t know when for here, I haven’t really learned how Equestria labels their months…how many days…so on and so forth.” I actually knew, considering their calendar is very close to the human’s version of months. Pinkie quickly pulled out a calendar from her mane and explained it to me, and how it matched up from how I told Twilight, and her, with her note taking didn’t help me either. “It …uhhhh…” I sighed. “It’s today…but I don’t want a party…”

Pinkies mane and tail deflated more as they were just hanging down straight. “But…you….i-it’s…” I felt so bad for making her like this. I had to say something to cheer her up. To let her know I don’t care about my birthday without telling too much about why.

“Whoa! Whoa! It’s no big deal, really! I don’t care about my birthday, because to me, I don’t see it as anything important. It’s just another normal day, nothing special.” Pinkie looked at me confused, as I saw a few ponies looking at me.

“But ones birthday is always special.” Pinkie still looked a bit deflated compared to her usual self.

I just sighed. “You’re gonna throw a party either way aren’t you. Whether it be for my birthday or just ‘a normal party’…you’re going to make it happen.”

Her mane and tail puffed right back to normal as she smiled. “YEP!” she then ran off leaving a smoke double of herself waving to me before it faded away.

I couldn’t help but chuckle and continue my way through the town. It wasn’t much longer till a changeling landed in front of me bowing his head to me. “Sir, Queen Chrysalis has asked me to tell you she requires your audience.” He looked at me, as I could see many of the other ponies watching him nervously. “She said it was of the utmost importance, about something she found.”

I looked at the changeling and nodded. “Take me to her.” He nodded as he began to fly towards the old castle ruins, as I followed him. It wasn’t long for us to reach the ruins, but I can’t really call them ruins anymore. It looked like a genuine, old looking castle that had been taken care of.

When we entered, it still looked like it was ready to crumble inside, but not bad enough to kill anyone. I felt a lot safer than the last time I was here. “Blaze! I’m glad you came.” I looked ahead to see Chrysalis standing in a doorway. “We found a secret chamber, and...well…you should see it for yourself.” She began to hurry down a hallway as I hurried to catch up.

I reached her side looking at her. “A secret chamber and you called me here? Wouldn’t Celestia or Luna know more about it than me?”

She sighed. “They were here yesterday…or, well, last night really. They knew nothing about it, and Princess Luna’s daughter found a shocking mark.” She looked at me with a serious stare. “Your cutie mark was carved into the wall…Princess Celestia even confirmed that it was your cutie mark.”

She stopped at a stone wall pressing a stone in as it slid open. I began to slowly walk into the room hearing that voice from before me and the girl’s went to deal with nightmare moon, sounding like a whisper from a distance away. “Element…ele…tal…” I shook my head but the voice began to grow louder and clearer. “Can you……me? Elemental, can you hear me?”

I looked around confused. “Who’s there?! Who’s in my head?!” I felt a twinge of pain flow through my head. “What’s…going on?!”

“It’s alright. You just feel us radiating with you elemental. I’m so glad you’re beginning to connect with us, even if it’s little by little. You must reach the catalyst. Hurry, we don’t have much time.” I saw a glow on a wall, and looked at it to see my cutie mark, and a human hand shaped glow under it. “Quickly now, before he gets here!”

I knew who she was talking about, so I became my human self hurrying over placing my hand over the glow. “chrysalis, if you hear anything bad, come get me…immediately!” the stone wall in front of me slid into the floor revealing a staircase going into the darkness below.

“A-alright. Just be careful Blaze.” I nodded making a ball of fire form in my hand as a light heading down the stairs quickly. As I went down the stairs I remembered all the high stakes battles I was involved in. nightmare moon…distraction, discord…distraction, Sombra…distraction. No serious fight I’ve been in…I never won anything…all I’ve done is distract them. All of the duels I’ve been in I went all out in…but you don’t go all out in a duel…I never won a fight, not a single one. I tied; going all out against trained combatants who weren’t going all out because it was just a duel…I tied with them.

I stopped when I reached a large room, seeing a pedestal on the far side, with what seemed like another one of the necklaces from the element’s of harmony floating above it, but it had no gem or slot for one. “I…don’t understand.”

I approached it as my flame lit up the necklace, revealing it wasn’t gold like the elements of harmony’s necklace’s, but white. I thought Celestia’s coat was as white as possible, but this was even whiter. I then heard that feminine voice in my head again. “Take it. It is the catalyst for you to reach your full potential elemental.”

I used my free hand to grab it as the anti gravity around it faded immediately after letting it hang on my hand. “I…don’t understand. What is this? It looks like an element of harmony, but it has no gem…and white.”

I saw a glimpse of a six petaled flower shape with a different gem in each socket, while they all radiated a different aura like an element. The voice flowed through my head again as the vision faded. “It will be clear in time, for now you mu-“

I gripped the necklace gently, staring at it. “It’s incomplete...”

“Y-yes. How did…never mind, no time for questions right now. There is a room towards the back. It holds the catalyst. Hurry, he is coming as we spend time talking!” I nodded slipping the necklace on and running to the back of the room seeing a black door through a ragged tapestry. I quickly tore a large part of it off and pushed the door open heading into a small room.

I walked into the small room, to see it was completely empty except for a black ring on a horn shaped protrusion below a carving of the plant shaped gem piece. “I thought the catalyst was here. There’s nothing here but a RING?!”

“Put the ring on, and claim the catalyst. The ring is vital and connected to the cores of the elemental regalia.” I walked up to the protrusion taking the black ring and slid it on my left hands middle finger. As soon as I did, it stretched over my arm up to my shoulder, forming a black gauntlet with sharp clawed fingers. The palm of the gauntlet, and the catalyst carving on the wall both began to glow, so I placed my hand on the carving as I felt the very carving sliding out of the wall into my hand.

As soon as it came out I gripped the stone, which created a bright flash making me close my eyes. When I opened them I was in a white void, in my equine form. “We do not have much time.” I turned around quickly to see a unicorn mare with bright, vibrant red coat, and dark orange mane and tail. “What I am about to do will be temporary, and I will need Akumu’s help in this as well. Come on out Akumu.”

I looked around confused till I felt something phase out of me looking ahead seeing a Pegasus that looked exactly like me, but with a white coat, black mane and tail, and black feathers on his wings. “You never let me have any fun, do you Kaji?”

When I heard his voice, I knew who it was. “Rage…? But…I don’t…weren’t you a split personality born from my anger?!”

He chuckled and looked at with me eyes of pure darkness. “Oh come on kid, you still believe that shit?! You still felt your own anger didn’t you? How could I be your anger when you could still feel it?” I never thought of that. If he WAS a manifestation of my anger, I wouldn’t be feeling any of it. “And I hate to say it…but you aren’t as weak as you think. You deny your fear of power, but you aren’t just afraid of your power…you’re terrified. Scared of hurting others if you went all out with it. It’s why you try to follow up with your own physical strength rather than your own elemental energies. You use it for fun…to mess around. You fear magical combat, and putting too much in, hurting others with it.”

I fell to my knees as I looked at my hand seeing it was trembling. “You’re right…I am afraid…I wanted to deny that fear, but…it’s there…I’ve always known but…I didn’t want to accept it…”

Kaji approached me lifting my head to face her. “You do not need to fear it. You have much more control over it than you know. We also know about what you must do…when we give you a portion of the full elemental power of the catalyst…it will be temporary to help you repel Scorch, and severely weaken him. You must find the elemental cores...the gems, to fully gain the elemental powers.” She looked to the side. “We don’t have time to explain any more. Akumu, we must do it now.”

He nodded as he pointed a hoof at me and Kaji pointed her horn at me, as Rage…or Akumu spoke to me as they began to glow. “I’ll explain everything about why I did, and acted as I did later, but for now, you have a job to do.” The next thing I saw was the shape of the catalyst form in front of them and where the gems went, different auras filled the gaps. The symbol and aura’s flew at me colliding with me, making me snap open my eyes, and sit up holding the gemless catalyst in my gauntlet covered hand.

“Was that…real?” I looked around in the darkness able to barely see in it. I must’ve gotten used to the darkness while I was unconscious. I quickly got up, as my gauntlet become the ring again, and placed the catalyst onto the necklace, hearing a clink as it connected to the actual necklace.

As soon as they connected I felt a surge flow through me, and the same auras filled the blank spots in the catalyst. The surge faded, as I heard Chrysalis screaming my name. I quickly began to hurry to the stairs skipping steps as I went up them. “Chrysalis, what’s wrong?!”

As soon as I reached the top I saw her run out of the room. I ran after her stopping at the top of some stairs near the main entrance, and saw a few unconscious but visibly breathing changelings, and…another human. He looked older than me, and with white hair, wearing a red jacket over some kind of…muscle shirt, that seemed adorned with lines of metal, and most likely the fabric was something dense…maybe hardened, like some kind of flexible armor.

He looked at me with an emotionless gaze before…what I could call a large white kukri formed in one of his hands as a black one formed in his other. “Ah, I see I finally found you.” He was looking for me? How does he even know me, and how is he even here? Every human I met in other Equestria’s. They all had a different sensation from the differences in their worlds. Yet, this one’s sensation, his energy. It feels familiar, like it’s a part of this world, yet not. I don’t understand how that can be, but I’m hoping to find out.

I headed down the stairs making my katana form at my waist pulling it from my sheath. “Who are you? What do you want with me?” I stood at the bottom of the stairs holding my sword in front of me in a defensive stance, gripping the hilt as tight as I could in both hands, feeling a…nervousness….fear….anger…? I can’t explain what I felt, but I felt…something...something that confused me.



He began to slowly spin his weapons in his hands staring at me with an emotionless expression. “Who I am is of no more importance, than who you are…and what I want…is none of your business.” He stopped spinning his weapons as he charged at me.

I side stepped one of his strikes to move my sword to block his other sword, making me slide back from the strength that was behind his swings. When I stopped I stood there as my hands shook from the aching sensation flowing up my arms from blocking his attack. When I looked up at him I saw him start to run to the side to see him fade away, but I sensed him behind me.

I turned my sword so I could swing it as I turned around, with all my available strength just for him to block me and send his elbow into my chest making a blast of air send me flying away from him. As I was sliding on my back I rolled, stopping myself with a foot knelt down on the other knee panting. “Why…no…how are you even here? The power you seem to be using seems so powerful, and I knew of my powers early on in my existence in this world…” I slowly stood up as my sword broke, hearing the half of the blade that came off clang onto the linoleum tiled floor. “How is it you have such mastery over magic, when I’ve worked to learn to even control my own magical energies?!”

“You ask me a question like that…when you’ve done what you have…and know what you know now? Why not try to think it over yourself. Besides, if you can’t think of a weapon to make your victory certain, how can you protect anything?” he began walking towards me. “Tell me this…why is it you fight? Why do you risk your life…?”

I held up my broken katana, as my hands still shook. “The reason I fight…is to protect my home…my friends…I risk my life to protect those I love!” I charged and went to swing my sword but ducked down as he raised his sword to block me, and went to impale my blade into his gut, only for him to quickly wrap his arm around mine and embed his other sword halfway through my katana by the pommel and twist around sticking us back to back as I stood there panting.

I felt him tense his arm around mine to keep it still as I felt a wave of exhaustion pass through my body, leaving my legs shaking as I stood there, and my other arm hanging limp, feeling my fingers barely twitching from me trying to move it. I heard him sigh. “You know you don’t have the heart of a hero, like you want to believe…you can’t protect anything…nor anyone.” I tried to pull myself away with no avail, other than making my body feel heavier on myself. “See? Your actions prove that you even thought so yourself. No matter how much you wish to be some grand heroic figure, you can never be one. Tell me…one last thing. Would you give your life away…to save them?”

I stood there feeling my legs slowly begin to steady themselves as I felt my left hands fingers curling up slowly. “I would give everything to protect them…” I tried to pull my blade free from his to hear it cracking more and the steel creaking, as his was slowly digging through it.

I heard him scoff. “Fighting for others, but not oneself…is nothing but HYPOCRISY!” I felt his sword break through mine completely as he spun his blade around and stab it completely through my leg. I screamed out in pain and pulled myself away spinning pulling my leg in a way to make the blade slide from out of the wound and stumbled away falling onto my knee looking at him as he turned around to face me. “Thinking you could be a force of good…is the height of hubris.”

He walked up to me staring at me with no emotion in his face. “That’s right…you couldn’t help but admire the dream of truly helping others!” he raised his sword up, as his face began to contort with pure anger. “You can’t even imagine up a weapon to help you win! How can you dream of helping others?!” I looked at his swords, and raised a hand up as a red energy formed in it and lashed out to the side forming a red version of his kukri style swords, just in time to block his attack, giving me the chance to burn the gash on my leg closed and stand up, to move away from him gripping my weapons handle tightly.

He began walking towards me again, slowly as I raised my weapon up to defend myself. “You’re driven by this weak obsession of sacrificing yourself for the sake of others!” he swung one of his swords at me again, blocking him as I was stepping away from him. “blinded by your own arrogance!” he swung his sword again knocking my blade to the side and sending his other sword into my stomach, as I felt it sticking out of my back, making me cough up blood as I hunched over feeling blood flow out of my mouth making me choke a bit. “But in the end…you’re a fraud, and your hypocrisy can’t save anyone. How could you, when you never knew who to protect in the first place? This is the result of your hubris. You could never be a hero; you never had anything to SAVE! You want to be an embodiment of justice.” He raised his free sword up. “and justice can be CRUEL!” he swung his free sword down, as I raised my own to block it, seeing my blade shatter into shards, making me fall away from him.

I felt his sword come out of my body as I felt a shard of my own blade cut above my left eye, as I fell onto the floor, lying there, with the hilt of my destroyed sword fading away, such as I felt my life doing the very same. Was he right…? Was I doing, everything I had been doing to protect others…so I could feel good about myself? Was I kidding myself this whole time, falling into the undeniable thoughts that others feel when put at a point with such power? Thinking they were doing what was right and yet…doing everything wrong? Playing myself for a fool, by thinking I could protect them?

I closed my eyes, only to hear a feminine voice call out to me. “Blaze, you are what you believe yourself to be. No matter what is said…what you hear, all that matters is that you believe, what you want to.” I opened my eyes feeling reinvigorated. Full of energy. I sat up and looked around to find myself in a desolate wasteland, filled with ruins, and crumbling buildings. I stood up seeing my wounds were gone, than looked up a hill to see a bunch of objects sticking up out of the top of the hill, and instinctively began to head up the hill, as I heard the voice again. “Tell me…what do you see yourself as blaze? What do you feel? Deep inside your heart?”

I reached the top of the hill and saw a variety of weapons. A halberd, a zweihander, a broadsword, a long sword and a shield, a bow with a quiver full of arrows, and two short swords that looked exactly like that man’s sword were the first I noticed as I approached the broadsword looking at its golden pommel, and black leather covered handle going up to a gold handgaurd, with a blade that shined with the radiance of a diamond, as the extremely sharpened edges reflected the little light that shined on this land.

I looked at my hand than the broad sword again. “I’m not a hero…I’m not a savior…” I slowly grabbed the hilt as my hand was engulfed with flames, as were the other weapons. “I’m who I am, and who I am is someone who will give everything they have to protect the ones he loves to the bitter end.” The other weapons became balls of fire and flew into me as I pulled out the broadsword as dust swirled up from all over the land, sending me back into the darkness.

I opened my eyes to find myself on my knees and the wounds through my stomach and in my leg, were radiating with waves of blue and gold energy, as I felt such magical energy flowing through my body, that I felt invincible, but I learned something from this man, that no matter how much power one gains, or wields, they can never be invincible. After my wounds had closed I tensed my legs bending my toes so I could quickly stand up as soon as I felt able to.

I looked at the man as he manifested his blades in his hands. “this can’t be!” he threw his swords at me as I saw them spinning through the air towards me as I focused on my twin swords feeling them manifest in my hands, jumping u taking a step forward swinging my own to block his, sending them flying to my sides. I stood up and look at the man as his face held a look of pure hatred towards me, as I finally began to know who he is.

He held his hands up as his swords flew back to him as I took a step towards him. “I can’t lose…not to you. I finally understand…” he blinked as his look of anger faded and his poise seemed to relax. “You aren’t mad at me…for me. You’re mad at me, because you know I’ll succeed where you failed. We’re one and the same, but from different existential varieties of the timeline. But you know what? I’m not afraid of losing, but I won’t lose to a version of myself that failed himself!”

He closed his eyes for a second before looking at me with that emotionless gaze again. “You’re finally on the thresh hold, but what use will it do you, when you now know that your skill and mine are worlds apart?”

I moved a foot forward staring at him. “you may have broken my spirit…nearly made me see myself as a failure…an embodiment of my own lies that I was ignorant towards…but my arms and legs still work. I honestly believed you were right about me, but now I know that isn’t true.”

He narrowed his eyes as he gripped the hilts of his swords tighter. “What?”

“I see now, that you only care about being right. Well none of that matters to me. I WILL protect them, and just as you can’t accept me…I’ll use everything I’ve got…” I raise one of my swords pointing it at him. “To beat the part of me that’s YOU!!!”

We charged at each other, but when we got close I used one of my swords to block his attack, turning my free one backwards and swing it straight up, se he brought both his to block my attack. When his blades went up from my strike, I pushed forward to send my defending sword into him, but he stepped aside sending his knee into my gut sending my flying back.

I landed and rolled laying there panting feeling pain flowing through my torso, but I slowly began to push myself back onto my feet and looked at the other version of myself to see him go wide eyed, and bare his teeth angrily as I held my swords up ready to fight again.

As I was getting ready, I felt the sword in my left hand crumble away, as I felt my body on the borderline of exhaustion. I have to end this now, with one last move, but all I can do now is a simple charge, and hope I can get him with it, or this is it. “You feel it don’t you? The exhaustion. Your hopes…your dreams…it's all a mistake, made by all those shows, and games throughout your childhood, hoping for something like that…to be strong…like that.” I slid a foot back getting ready to charge as many copies of his swords appeared in the air around him. “I’ll say it again…your dream….is a mistake.”

I tensed my teeth as some of swords flew at me. I jumped back as they made a screen of smoke and dust around me, deciding to take my chance and charge running out of the smoke towards him. He began sending his swords flying at me, as I evaded or blocked them with my now chipping and crumbling sword. I began to get close to him as he raised one of his swords high above his head turning it so he could bring it down on me, as I pulled my sword back. “My dream…is not a MISTAKE!” I pushed my arm up towards his neck as fast and hard as I could, as I noticed his arm above his head flinched.

I lowered my head, baring my teeth as I felt my blade pierce his neck. I stayed still expecting to feel his go into anywhere from the back of head, down to my back itself, but felt nothing. I heard a loud clang before looking up seeing him stand there, with a…regretful expression, as he faded away.

I made my sword disappear as I let my arm drop, and sighed as I looked at the open doors leading out into the Everfree forest. I looked back to see Chrysalis running back into the room, noticing the injured changelings were removed. I guess she took them to the medical wing to get attention to their wounds.

She ran up to me looking at me than went wide eyed seeing my bloodied and torn clothes. “Blaze, are you alright?!” she looked around. “Where did he go? I don’t see him anywhere.” I went to take a step and almost fell, but she moved quickly catching me as I was leaning over her back, as every bit of strain began to hit me like a brick wall.

“He’s gone. Don’t worry.” I heard an explosion as me and Chrysalis both looked towards the door quickly. “I need your help…” she looked at me as I tried to support myself a bit more so I wasn’t putting all my weight on her. “I need you to help me get to Ponyville.” She nodded and used her magic to put me on her back as she ran out of the castle and down the path towards Ponyville, as fast as she could.

When we got to Ponyville, I saw something I hoped I wouldn’t see. I saw Scorch walking through the now burning town. I got off Chrysalis’ back looking at her. “Go help with evacuating the town. I’ll deal with him.”

As I began walking off holding my side, which still hurt from being stabbed through my gut as I heard Chrysalis speaking behind me. “Blaze, you aren’t in any condition to fight something like this! I can feel such power radiating off him!”

I waved my arm telling her to go as I made my broadsword appear in my hands, as I felt energy flow through my body. I heard her wings buzzing as she flew off, as I made the gauntlet from the ring form on my left arm tensing the hand into a tight fist. “That’s enough scorch! This ends now!”

He looked at me and blinked before an inky black aura flowed off of his body. “Who’s going to stop me? Huh?! YOU?! Look at yourself! You can barely even stand up straight!”

I swung my gauntlet covered arm pointing it at him as a sword formed above me and flew at him going past his head cutting his cheek. “I can still fight! I won’t let you harm anyone! You hear me!!”

Scorch lowered his head chuckling before he became a shadowy mass taking on a humanoid figure with long claw like fingers going onto his face as he began to laugh. “You choose to sacrifice yourself, is that it? You fool…” he took his hand off his face staring at me with his blood red glowing eyes smirking at me. “The act of self-sacrificing is naught but a lie. Being unable to see that, even now, marks you as an inveterate hypocrite. You are nothing more than fraud playing hero…”

I smirked a bit as I felt the catalyst hanging off my neck under my shirt grow warm as the energy inside me flowed, like a reservoir throughout my body, as I felt my existence becoming one with the ground beneath my feet, and the air flowing by me. “A fraud and a hypocrite, you say…?” I looked at my gauntlet seeing a blue energy fill the palm. “It’s probably because I am a fake…” I heard scorch hum in interest, as I felt his gaze on me. “But there is one thing genuine about me…” I closed my eyes as I grinned. “My will to protect others will definitely lead me to victory.”

I could feel Scorch make many swirling masses of shadowy energy form above him as he crossed his arms. “Then show me this…will…of yours.” I opened my eyes quickly as a mass of weapons, rocks, bolts of lightning, balls of fire, masses of water and ice, and large pieces of wood flew at his masses of energy dispelling them all as he looked up where they were in shock than at me as I felt more power, than I could ever imagine.

I began to walk towards him as he took a step back. “You can’t win scorch…and you know it…I have surpassed the threshold, and there is nothing you can do to beat me.” I quickly felt this power leaving my body, but I kept my poise as I walked towards him as he bared his teeth.

He swung his arm as a shadowy mass formed behind him as he backed into it. “Just you wait…the next time you see me, I won’t be as weak as I am right now. Once I’ve returned to my full potential, I’ll show you what TRUE power is!” he disappeared into the portal as I felt the power from the catalyst fade completely leaving me, as I collapsed onto my knees panting hard, feeling like I couldn’t breathe.

I heard a harsh cough and a harsh breathing, making me look up as I could barely see through the blurriness in my vision. When I could see who I was hearing, I saw a blonde mane and tail, loose and draped over…and orange coat. I felt a lump in my throat as I forced myself to stand and hurry over stumbling, nearly falling over many times till I reached her falling onto my knees.

“AJ?!” I carefully began to roll her over. “APPLEJACK!” I gasped as I saw some of her hair covered in her blood stuck to her neck. “No…no, please no.” I felt her breathing slowing down. “No, don’t die, you CAN’T die!”

I took a deep inhale to say more, but heard her give a single long exhale, before feeling her breathing stop. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, as I bared my teeth to keep from screaming out in pure rage. I hear Kaji’s voice speak to me inside my head. “Blaze…we…CAN help her but…I don’t know what repercussions it could lead to…I’m not even sure you would survive…”

I held AJ close as my voice was low and cold in response. “I don’t care…do it…” I heard Kaji sigh in affirmation as I felt a sharp pain through my body as well as feeling the catalyst burning into my chest. I carefully put AJ’s body down and I gripped my chest with both hands as I felt my heart beating so hard it felt like it was exploding with every, harsh beat. I saw a blue glow encase AJ as flames engulfed me forcing me into my Pegasus form as I fell over onto my side trying to gasp for air, to no avail.

While feeling the pain and burning from my chest grow and flow throughout my body, I could see Applejack begin to breathe again, before my vision began to blur, from the mix of tears, and lack of air, bringing me to the brink of blacking out.

I felt myself be rolled over as I looked around to see the once red blobs of flames were gone, and the blackened sky was turned into a mix of orange, red, and white blobs. I looked over to see a few blurry masses, that I could see just enough to designate as Twilight, Luna, Celestia, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. I could see some of their mouths moving but I couldn’t hear anything, as I looked towards Applejack to see Pinkie, and Fluttershy tending to AJ.

I felt a few drops land on my cheek, as everything began to grow dark, and I could see a dark blue mass appear behind Fluttershy, as she jumped away from it soon after. I was quickly left in pure darkness after that. No pain. No sensations what so ever. I looked around to see a landscape of white sand and black barked, dead looking trees form around me.

I heard a dry, raspy voice ring out from every direction. “I postponed this the last time…but not this time…” I looked around until I saw Death walk out from behind a dead tree. “It’s time, Blaze.”

I shook my head.” N-no…this doesn’t make any sense!” I felt my wings twitch as I stepped away from him. “I can’t die yet! It’s too soon!!”

Death approached me, keeping a stern and blank gaze on me. “It has to be done. You are finally…truly ready.”

I blinked as my ears perked up in interest. “Ready…? Ready for what?”

He stopped in front of me placing the end of his hoof on my forehead. “To ascend.” He pulled his hoof away slowly as I felt two small points of pain as it felt like two things were being pulled out of my head making me scream in pain. When the pain stopped everything flashed in a bright white light, making me close my eyes. “Open your eyes…and look upon your true self.”

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around to see the once dead landscape, was lush with grass, and flowers, as well as the once dead trees were covered in the brightest green colored leaves I had ever seen, and some trees had bright, and vibrant flowers blooming on them.

Everything went black as my eyes snapped open, making me gasp. I looked around to see I was in the hospital. I got out of the bed and stood up, deciding to leave the room shaking my head to shake off the grogginess. Once I left the room I heard a gasp and looks around to see nopony around, than looked down to see…nurse Redheart?

I blinked as I was looking down at her. “ umm…hi?” she ran off down the hall as I blinked confused, walking down the hall she went down, seeing ponies watch me pass as I had to look down at them when I passed. Why did I need to look down at them? I feel that I’m equine, so I should be the same height, right?

I looked ahead to see, Celestia, and the girls run around the corner to see me going wide eyed, as I smiled a bit waving to them. I saw Applejack, run at me and tackle me in a hug making me yell as I fell onto my back. “Ah’m so glad to see yer alright! When that crazy blue alicorn explained what you had done…” she sniffled. “f-for me…I….I felt…”

She brought her head up to look at me as she had tears streaming down her cheeks. I brought my hoof up to wipe her cheeks gently. “It was my choice…I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t try everything I could to save you…” AJ, blinked and blushed a bit as she brought a hoof to the back of my head, and pulled my head down, pressing our lips together as she kissed me. I felt my cheeks heat up, but decided to close my eyes and return the kiss wrapping my forelegs around her.

We soon broke the kiss and looked at each other smiling. I felt my head grow heavy, as Applejack blinked and giggled a bit. “When you wake up…you and the princesses may need to talk about something important…” she smirked at me as my vision got blurry. “Mister Alicorn.”

I felt my head fall back, and sleep take me after she said ‘mister alicorn’…Wait…what?!

Chapter 26: the dark side rises.

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I felt nice and cool, as I opened my eyes looking around to see I was lying in a hospital bed, with some blankets crumpled and hanging off the foot of the bed. I must’ve kicked them off while I was out of it. I slowly rolled my body to get out of the bed leaving my head on the pillow yawning, not wanting to fully get out of bed.

Question is, why do I have to get up? I could just stay in bed, without a single worry. I turned my head moving it on the edge of the pillow as my body stood beside the bed, but as I moved my head I heard a tearing sound, which made me look up to see two black points going into a torn open pillow. I blinked staring at the points as I could feel the gerbil in my head running at high speed, till it was hyperventilating, making the gears turn so fast they were about to melt.

I finally remembered the moment right before I passed out. I slowly took a deep breath and lifted my head quickly making the pillow fall onto my face. I knocked the pillow off my horn…or is it horns? Eh, whatever. I knocked the pillow off my horn and focused making the room soundproof, and screamed as loud as I could, hearing my own scream echo in the royal voice Luna used during nightmare night, making me stop and hold my ears. “Ow ow ow. Note to self…make sure voice doesn’t go super saiyan without me…”

I heard the door open, feeling my spell disperse and looked back to see Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and Applejack walk in. I set both my hooves onto the floor still sitting there as Twilight and Applejack were whispering to each other by the door while Celestia spoke, and her sister approached me. “It’s good to see you are alright Blaze. We were so worried when we learned what you did.”

Luna nodded as she walked around looking over my horn, and wings, which felt weird, her prodding those spots. “Quite. Please do keep those moments to a minimum Blaze. We would hate to see you leave us all.” She pulled my wing out looking it over closely as even I noticed it looked different, not just in size but in how the feathers laid, looked, and how it felt.

I sighed pulling my wing back to my side moving it around for a minute till it felt right looking at her. “I’m fine. And please don’t touch my wings or horn. It feels weird.”

Celestia chuckled a bit. “It seems you are sensitive in those areas. Some ponies can be more sensitive than others, making them erogenous areas. But we are just making sure your alicorn self is fully formed before letting you out of the hospital. You could get seriously injured if you aren’t careful.” Luna lifted one of my forelegs prodding it up and down and looking under the hoof.

I watched Luna feeling confused. “So…I’m basically like a fetus forming in the womb…?” I looked at Celestia as she looked at me with an uncomfortable look. “Let me rephrase that….a caterpillar in a cocoon becoming a butterfly?” I shuddered as Celestia sighed rubbing her head.

Celestia looked at me unamused. “I think I prefer the latter…yes your external self changed, and your internal self stretched, strained, and pressed itself until it was like this. If you did too much before it was ready you could make the muscle, skin, organs, or who knows what stretch too much and tear, causing internal or severe bleeding.”

I blinked looking at her as I could see twilight and AJ looking at us in both concern and disgust. “Oh…um, alright. Sorry, I’m just freaked out that I’m an alicorn now instead of it being an illusion thing like nightmare night.”

Luna nodded as she was poking along my side lightly. “ah yes, you looked nice as an alicorn then, although more…evil looking due to your red eyes, and dark red feathers, where you look more kind, and all now, except your horn still looks odd for a normal horn. Might be from the chaos magic you have in you, but who knows.”

I shrugged and watched Luna until she stepped away from me giving a nod to Celestia, before she approached me. “Blaze, you understand what this means, right?” I shook my head looking at her. “It means you are now a prince.”

I noticed Twilight and Applejack’s ears perk up, looking at me with wide eyes. “W-wait wait wait. Me? A prince? N-no, I’m not royal material. I don’t even understand the first thing about being royal or anything like that!” I could feel my heart racing, as my mind was going a mile a minute, trying to think of anything I could do.

Celestia sighed as I looked over myself trying to think of something. “Blaze, you don’t have to worry about anything. You can wait till you feel ready for any royal duties, just calm down alright?”

I looked at my wings then felt my helix horn, before I remembered what I could do, before focusing my magic, and closing my eyes tightly I began to feel a different magical energy flow through my horns. I felt an energy cover my body for an instant than opened my eyes looking up a bit seeing Celestia looking at me with wide eyes, before I looked over myself to see I was a Pegasus again.

“Wait is this…am I…” I lifted and moved my limbs as it didn’t feel like an illusion, it felt like I genuinely made myself a Pegasus again. “Did I just change my form to one that should be…gone?”

Celestia walked up to me and blinked. “Blaze, you just…where and how did you learn Chronomancy? My father said it’s a line of magic that takes an exponential amount of energy to cast!”

“I uhhhh…” Chronomancy? Wait, does she not know how discord is her brother?! Do neither of them know they HAVE a brother?! “I…read a book when I lived with the humans that…explained the ideology of…time travel, and I just hoped to revert back to my normal self because I was…scared?”

Celestia tilted her head than looked at Luna, who looked back at her with a shrug. “Alright, well…we should head back to Canterlot, we have some appointments to keep.”

Celestia and Luna disappeared in a bright light leaving me, Twilight, and Applejack in the room. “So…shall we leave?” I smiled nervously as they looked at each other than at me, before Twilight walked up to me.

“We actually need to talk to you about something important.” I looked at her confused as she looked at applejack, before moving aside to let her walk up to me.

Applejack had some red in her cheeks as she looked nervous. “I…um…”

Applejack looked so worried. Was it about the kiss? Did she think I’d have the wrong idea? “AJ, if it’s about the kiss, I didn’t jump to any conclusions. It’s alright, really.”

She smiled nervously taking a step back, looking away. “o-oh, yeah. That’s it. I should get back to the farm, I’m sure Mac needs mah help.”

She tried to hurry off before she was picked up in a purple aura, before Twilight sighed. “Applejack wanted to be a part of a herd Blaze. A part of YOUR herd.”

I felt my face heat up a bit. I then looked at Applejack, seeing her face had become red as well, before I chuckled seeing that. “Applejack, I’d be honored to have you in my herd.”

She looked at me, with a look of shock on her face before she weakly tackled me in a tight hug. I smiled wrapping my forelegs around her, before we looked at each other. “You have no idea how happy Ah am to hear that Blaze.”

We got up and began to leave the hospital, as my marefriends were talking to each other. My thoughts were on Scorch, and the power I felt from him, even though he couldn’t utilize all of his power, I could feel his power inside him. Even with the catalyst, I couldn’t match up with him, if he had even a quarter of his power in his grasp.

Even now, I feel the nervousness and the fear deep within me, wanting to come out, and make me run. I can’t do that though, because if I do…I could never look at myself again.

“Blaze?” I blinked and looked up to see my marefriends looking at me, before I looked at AJ. “You alright? We’ve been tryin ta get yer attention.”

“Yeah, sorry. Just thinking on…everything that’s happened.” I sped up, walking beside them.

“That reminds me.” I looked at Twilight as she looked at me with curiosity. “Why did you make yourself a Pegasus again? I mean you became an alicorn after all, and it’s like you threw that away. Why?”

I chuckled nervously. “Well…I’ve heard and seen how power corrupts others. They always say they’re going to do great things with the power they’ll have, which at first they stick to their word, but soon…they always become selfish. Only do things for themselves, or do things that benefit them, using their position to deal with those against them. I’m afraid of being corrupted by all this power I’m gaining, and I don’t want to forget why I even use this power I already have…I’m afraid that…with this power, and gaining a position of power, I’ll lose myself, and become selfish.”

AJ leaned against me slightly, nuzzling my cheek gently. “I don’t believe you would ever do that Blaze. I mean, sure yer a Pegasus that’s able to use magic, which is unheard of, but from what I’ve seen from you, you would never turn your back on another sugarcube.”

“She’s right.” I looked at AJ, than Twilight surprised from what I was hearing. “I understand that you’re afraid, I would be nervous gaining a seat of power so suddenly as well. Anypony would, but I know you would try to do what’s right for everypony. Of course there may be some mistakes in your plans, but that doesn’t mean your heart wasn’t in the right place.”

I blinked and smiled a bit. “Thank you…both of you…for believing in me.” I felt better knowing they believed in me so much, but my fears were still stuck in my head.

After a while of walking and them talking between each other, AJ asked me to go to her home with her, to tell her family about us. I felt nervous about this, considering how Big Mac is protective of his family, but I agreed. I told Twilight I’d meet her back at the library, and went with Applejack to her home.

We reached the barn, as I peeked in nervously, as Applejack just walked in. I saw my shadow on the ground, before seeing another come up next to it, before I heard a rough, yet quick clearing of the throat. I yelled out and jumped up using my wings, sending up into a horizontal post, which I’ve seen them use to lift their cart to fix or change the wheels. I was hanging upside down on it, holding it tightly before looking down, to see Big Mac, looking up at me, confused, with a piece of hay sticking out of the side of his mouth.

I laughed nervously. “Uhhhh…hey Big Mac.” He tilted his head a bit, raising a brow. I scoffed, before rolling my eyes. “No, I wasn’t scared. I just felt a sudden attraction to this…” I looked at the post before looking at Mac again, with an unamused grin. “Post…” I felt my left eyes lower lid twitch a bit.

I saw Applejack walk out and look at Big Mac. “Oh, hey Mac, where’d Blaze go?” she looked up at me, following his stare and saw me. “Awww, is somepony scared of my big bad brother?” I stared at her with a blank stare, as she laughed.

I pushed off the post and extended my wings gliding down and walks up to Applejack as her laughter calmed down as I kept my blank stare on her. She smiled nervously at me as her ears drooped. I moved just my eyes looking at Mac and smirked giving AJ a quick peck on her lips, as she blinked, her cheeks going red in an instant.

I could see Mac’s eyes go wide, before he looked angry. “Did you just…”

I did my best to mimic his voice. “eeyup.” He slid one of his forelegs on the ground, like he was about to charge at me. “Umm…Mac…calm down.” I backed up a bit. “Applejack?” I looked at her to see her frozen in place. “Snap out of it, I need help here.” I looked back at the large stallion, which made me feel…really small seeing how angry he looked. “CRAP!!!!” I turned into my human self and turned running full speed, hearing Mac give chase. I weaved around trees, and even grabbed a low branch swinging myself up so he went underneath me. I turned back around running back towards the house and barn, as I could hear him catching up to me already. “APPLEJACK, SNAP OUT IT ALREADY!!!!” I ran past her grabbing her hat from her head, looking back to see her shake her head.

I looked ahead, to see another low branch, come into my vision, which made me close my eyes, as I felt my head make impact. Through the darkness, it felt like I had done three full spins before landing on my back…hard.

I opened an eye, to see Mac, walk into my vision, his face held a form of fury, as he snorted, staring a hole into my face. “Ummm…hi?”

“MACINTOSH, THAT IS ENOUGH!” I blinked and felt the pain hit me, making me place a hand on my head, feeling a decent lump, and a warm, sticky sensation on my palm. “Oh mah gosh, Blaze! Are ya alright sugrcube?” I opened an eye to see AJ, as she moved my hand with her hoof. “Mac, get a wet rag, and some ice, now.”

I heard him hurry off, before I heard a higher toned gasp. “Sis, what happened?!” I tried to move my head and felt pain flow around in my head, making my squeeze my eyes shut, and groan again.

“Just a misunderstanding Applebloom. Head on inside.” I heard a door swing open than shut twice, before I felt a cold, wet cloth lightly wiping along my forehead. “Ya alright Blaze?”

I opened an eye, looking at my new marefriend, and smiled a bit. “I think so. It’s just some pain, and some bleeding. I’ve had worse, ya know?”

She sighed, looking at me. “and that’s what worries me. Ya gotta be more careful. I’d hate to lose mah coltfriend, because he didn’t pay more attention.”

Now it was my turn to sigh. “I know…I know…I’ve always been a klutz.”

“But yer mah klutz, sugarcube.” I chuckled a bit and tensed up, feeling my head ache. “Probably shouldn’t make ya laugh.”

I became my Pegasus self, carefully getting up, with some help. I looked at Mac, as he seemed nervous. “Sorry Mac.” His ears perked up, as he looked at me. “I did that, to kind of mess with you, but…” I heard AJ say ‘what?!’ before socking me in my shoulder. “OW! Sorry! I wanted to surprise him, before we said anything. Come on, you can’t say you didn’t want to shock him in SOME kind of way.” I saw her blink before looking away, with a pout, which made me blink before laughing. “Oh my god, you totally did, didn’t you?! Oh, god! Don’t tell me you’re mad because I stole your idea!” I saw her cheeks go red, before I laughed more, holding my chest, making my head throb even more, but I couldn’t stop myself from laughing, as we headed inside to tell the other’s about me and Applejack.

After we had told them, I saw Applebloom sitting in front of the couch, looking up at me, smiling widely. “Yer mah sister’s coltfriend?!” I nodded, seeing her begin to hop around, excitedly. “That means, you could be my brother one day!” I blinked watching her.

I looked at AJ, to see her face completely red, before I smirked. “Maybe someday” she turned her head to look at me quick, as her face went to a darker shade of red. “Oh, this is going to be a FUN relationship!” I laughed, as she socked me in my leg. I heard my name said in a deep, gruff voice, making me look over to see a stern gaze from the red stallion in the chair next to the couch. I just blinked and stared at him. “Don’t you dare be thinking THAT way with what I said Mac.” He raised a brow looking at me curiously.

It took a while to get things cleared up with Mac, and Applebloom, before we told Granny Smith…who took the news wonderfully. She was ecstatic about it even, talking about how she heard Applejack talking to herself about ‘telling Somepony about how she felt for him.’ After having dinner with them, and getting so many different kinds of apple involved dishes, that I couldn’t even fly without feeling sick, I began to head back to the library. It wasn’t long after me and Twilight went to bed, because I felt inexplicably exhausted, and worn out. Much more than I should’ve been, since it got to the point that Twilight had to help me walk to bed.

As I was falling asleep, a thought hit me. Celestia said I used ‘Chronomancy’ or something on myself. If I’m thinking correctly, that’s a line of magic spells that affects the aspects of time. If that’s true, than the exhaustion that’s hitting me feels like when I pushed my magic too hard, and went to different Equestria's. That means…no, it wouldn’t affect me like that, would it? No way, it’s just my stamina it would mess with…I hope.

One month later

I got a letter from Celestia saying she wished to speak with me, and I would be away from my friends for a short while. I wished Dash luck in getting accepted into the Wonderbolts camp, which I knew quite some time ago she was accepted, after having gone out to drink with my cousin Soarin and the captain of the Wonderbolts, Spitfire. She got SO wasted she blabbed my ‘marefriend’ had made it into the camp. But, right now I was wondering why Celestia wanted to talk to me.

I landed at the main castle doors and began to head inside. While I was heading towards the throne room a green coated mare walked up to me. “I assume you are Blazing feathers, correct?” I stopped and looked at her nodding. She then gestured to a hallway. “The princess is expecting you in her study. I can show you the way if you wish.”

I shook my head a bit smiling. “No thank you. I know where it is. Thank you.” I began trotting off down the hall, until I heard silent mumblings from the doorway to Celestia’s personal study. I silently headed to the door seeing it was cracked open hearing Celestia’s voice inside in a quiet tone.

I set my ear by the small opening to hear her better. “…can’t believe he just tossed it aside like that…why? Is he afraid? Is he scared?” I heard her walking around a bit as she kept mumbling to herself. “If so, then why? Me and my sister would be able to teach him to control his power. It’s not like he’s alone…but he has tended to put things on himself doesn’t he…? He tries to protect everypony on his own, even after sustaining horrible injuries. I have to get it through to him that he isn’t alone, and doesn’t have to hold all these burdens alone…and I must ready him, if what I felt was correct…”

My ears drooped as I looked down at the floor. I have been pushing myself to the front of everything. Trying to keep my friends…family…all of Equestria safe on my own. I haven’t even been looking into any other ponies to bring into the Eclipse Knights, shouldering the burden alone. I shook my head to shake these thoughts away and knocked on the door making it open and blinked forgetting it was open, seeing Celestia look at me quickly. “Umm, sorry. Didn’t notice it was open.” I walked into the room using wing to shut the door behind me. “You wanted to speak with me?”

She cleared her throat heading towards a table. “Oh, yes, I did. Could you come over here please?” she sat at the table as I walked over sitting next to her. A scroll appears on the table, unrolling to show the depiction of an alicorn and the sun, with arrows circling around between the two. “I had made Twilight my apprentice because of her incredible power, believing she would be my successor as alicorn of the sun in the distant future. But around a week ago I found this scroll and remembered something my mother had told me…during strides of great power, the sun will temporarily connect itself to those destined to raise and set it.” She looked at me and smiled a bit. “and I felt the sun connected to you for a short time, and when I came to Ponyville after that attack, to find you…” her ears flicked as she looked down at the table.

I sighed. “I know…I’ve been pushing myself to the front of everything, because I’m afraid of losing anypony…I finally feel like I belong and I don’t want to lose that, or anyone I love. This power I have might be helping me protect them, but…from everything I know power can corrupt, and I’m afraid that my power will be too much and I don’t want to be corrupted by that exponential amount of power.” I scratched the back of my neck, feeling bad now since I’ve been worrying my friends more than keeping them safe, and the high chance of me hurting them by nearly being killed so many times…it isn’t right.

I felt Celestia nuzzle my cheek gently. “And that there shows you wouldn’t be corrupted by power. You’re wise for your age, and everything you’ve done…that you’ve accomplished. I couldn’t be more proud.”

I looked at her and smiled a bit. “Thank you.”

“Oh, right. I almost forgot. I wanted to ask a favor. You don’t have to do this, but I wanted to see if you’d want to.” I looked at her curious as to what she wanted to ask. “I was wondering if you could help with running the Wonderbolts academy in a few weeks. They’re down a pony from an incident during practice, and they required serious surgery to save their wing…and they will be bedridden for almost two months, and I must leave for a meeting in Saddle Arabia…well I had to leave a few days ago, but I got work about this, and wanted to find Somepony to help since this year they have around double the usual accepted flyers…and I could just teleport over for the meeting, even if it’s a little farther than I’m used to, but I can manage.”

“I….y-yeah, sure. I’d be happy to help. But it’s best Dash doesn’t find out. You know how she is about anything ‘Wonderbolts’.” Celestia giggled. “I should hurry back to Ponyville. I need to stop by the school after classes end. I got a note to come in today to talk about Scootaloo, and hopefully that meet up will end on a good note.” Celestia nodded as I began to leave her study and bit the end of my tongue to make it bleed as I appeared in Ponyville. I took a deep breath from the strain of the magical exhaustion, before looking around to see a decent crowd of ponies near city hall. I began to trot over before I saw Twilight float past me.

I looked back towards the crowd to see the rest of the girls run past me as I stood there confused, before I was pulled by a light blue aura making me turn around and follow them. “Hey, what’s going on?!” I looked at the others as I reached their sides, looking at twilight floating away.

Dash looked at me for a moment to explain as she flew above us. “’the almighty’ Trixie came back and challenged Twilight to a duel, with the stakes being the loser leaves Ponyville forever.” She looked ahead again, leaving me shocked.

I shook my head and looked ahead to Twilight. “But those stakes can’t really be held up, since Twi was sent to live here by the princess herself!”

“Well tell HER that!”

I looked up to see a giant glass dome, lowering above us, and saw twilight being sent to where she would be outside it. I leaned my head down and ran faster until I felt a nauseating sensation go through making me slow down to a stop and breath before I looked around to see the whole world had taken a black and white coloration, and was frozen. I walked up to AJ to see she had all but one leg in the air, before I gave her a light poke on her cheek to see it go in, and stay in, before I looked at Twilight still in that aura, but not moving either.

I began to walk towards her, as I noticed I had small black and red specs floating around my body, following me as I walked. I tried to move my hoof to one to see it go into my body then out the other side. “What the hell is this?”

I looked around as I began heading towards Twilight, confused as to what was happening. When I got close to her, I heard Kaji’s voice inside my head. “You reached the ether on your own? You’re exceeding my expectations, by a large margin.”

“Wait, the ether? This place just looks like a black and white Equestria with no flow of time.” I looked up at Twilight, trying to think of a way to help her, but with that magical hold over her, nothing I would do would stop her from being taken away again.

“That’s because it is another plane of existence. It’s kind of like…uhhhh…imagine that you’re dead, but you can’t pass on to Elysium. You are at a point of existences between life and death in a way, and it’s only accessible to those who have been here before, even if they don’t know it, but you’re accessing it using your elemental prowess.” I looked at the black and reddish orange specs that were flowing around me. I think I’m beginning to understand what I did. “Right now, you basically burned yourself to nothing but ashes and embers, to separate your energy from your body, but you can also go through this plane in an instantaneous way as well. It takes very little energy to do this as well, and it will be better than the form of teleportation you use now.”

I looked down at my right hoof to see the bite mark I had made for when I went to Canterlot, and felt the residual pain, still present from biting my tongue to return home. “I can’t deny that.” I smiled a bit. “This even feels more…calming…almost like I’m in Elysium. That serene sensation. Nice and cool, yet warm…” I blinked and felt a chill flow up my spine before looking behind me, to see nothing but the black and white colored landscape and town.

I shook my head and looked up to see Twilight had moved, if by a short distance, and looked at the girls to see some different hooves were off the ground than before, before I heard Kaji’s voice again. “Ah, right, I forgot to mention, time still flows here, but at a very slow pace. These few minutes in here, has been a second or two in reality. Oh, and if you could head over to where you would be in Twilight’s path, just outside of the space where the dome will land, you may also want to prepare to catch her.”

I began heading to the place she had mentioned as I became my human self. “Umm…why am I doing this?”

Kaji cleared her throat. “Because when you revert back to reality…any magical aura within 20 feet of you…will be disrupted, and will send her flying in your current direction.”

“WAIT, WHAT?!” the next thing I knew, were the ashes and embers all rushing into me, as I gasped, and heard a loud sound I couldn’t explain. When I looked ahead, I saw Twilight’s face…nothing but her face, before she crashed into me. I quickly wrapped my arms around her holding her against my chest tightly, as I felt myself fly back, and hit the ground, in a short slide. “Ok…that hurt.”

I coughed a bit trying to get my breath back from the harsh landing knocking the air out of me, before I looked down to hear a loud thud, as the dome landed on the ground, and Twilight holding onto me shaking a bit. After a few seconds I placed my hand on her head, making her look at me. “Blaze? What are…” she looked around before she looked back, as I followed her gaze to see the others had reached the dome.

We both got up carefully, and hurried over to the dome. Spike caught up walking up to the dome as he put his claws on the glass, as twilight set her hoof on it as well. “It’ll be alright, we’ll find some way to fix this.” I saw twilight run down the path, before I looked at the others and brought my fingers to my eyes and pointed at Ponyville, to tell them to keep an eye out, before I turned and ran after Twilight, turning into my Pegasus form.

When I caught up to Twilight, she was using magic on a flower that bloomed as I reached her, making her groan. “How am I supposed to do anything that she was doing?! Age spells, weather spells?! I can’t even get a letter to Princess Celestia right now.”

I draped my wing over her gently. “She’s in Saddle Arabia for that matter, for a meeting.” She leaned her head against me lightly sighing. “Is there anypony else that could help us? Maybe…” I sighed looking down trying to think, knowing Luna had left days ago, Celestia had teleported over after we had talked, Chrysalis couldn’t really…help, since her magic is very different from pony and alicorn magic. I raised my head as a thought hit me. “What about Zecora? Sure, she isn’t able to USE magic, but her culture has a lot of magical knowledge to it, right? I mean her alchemic works is borderline magic, right? She might have something helpful.”

Twilight looked at me. “That’s a great idea!” she smiled and kissed my cheek. “Come on, let’s head to her home.” She ran off as I followed her into the Everfree, heading for the Zebra’s home.

While we walked through the forest I became my human self to intimidate any creatures that may try to stalk us as we headed down the path. When we reached Zecora’s place Twilight began to tell her about everything that happened as I sat beside the table with my legs crossed on the floor. As they talked I began to zone out, and start thinking about my own power, and abilities.

Was I really meant to be some grand hero? Am I even right for this kind of thing? I never fought back until I came here; all I’ve done is defend myself and others. When I came here, I still defended others but…challenged others to duels, and even fought back. Why did I change so suddenly?

Am I….even me anymore?

I looked down raising my hands up looking at them as I could see I was trembling a bit. “…aze? Blaze?” I gasped and raised my head quick, looking at Zecora and Twilight as they were looking at me confused. “Are you alright?”

I gulped, feeling my throat was dryer than the Sahara. “Y-yeah. Sorry, this talk about sudden power just…got me thinking.” I sighed to calm myself down, and smiled a bit. “I’m fine, really.”

“Blaze, if I may ask, are you afraid you should not have what you wield within yourself?” I blinked and looked down shrugging a bit. “Do not be so sour, for I feel you do deserve this power.”

I looked at her raising my head a little bit. “You…really think so?”

She smiled and nodded a bit. “I do.”

I looked over feeling a weight on my side seeing Twilight leaning against me. “All of us do Blaze. You would never abuse your power, and we all know that.”

I chuckled a bit, hugging my marefriend with my arm. “Thanks…for believing in me.”

Twilight chuckled, looking up at me. “You don’t need to thank us. Just keep being yourself, and everything will be fine.” I nodded and slowly let her go as she got up, as Zecora did as well. “Zecora is going to take me out to help me train. Want to come with?”

I shook my head. “No thanks, I’ll wait here. I just want to think some more.” They nodded then left the hut, as I looked at the table and sighed closing my eyes, as I began to meditate, to enter my mindscape.

When I opened my eyes I was standing in a bright, white void. “Heh, I was wondering when you would come here again.” I looked back to see Akumu walking up to me, with Kaji beside him. “So, why the sudden visit, kid?”

I looked down looking at my hand then turned around to face Akumu. “I want to learn to control the dark element.” Both their eyes went wide and looked at each other.

Akumu looked at me with an angry face. “No. you aren’t ready for it.”

“What?!”

He stomped his hoof, making it echo through the whole place. “I said you are NOT READY! So if that’s the ONLY reason you should just LE-“

I felt a sudden chill, as I heard a dry raspy voice come from behind me. “That is enough. He deserves the truth you two.”

I looked to see Death looking at Akumu and Kaji with a blank expression. “The truth?” I looked over at the two confused. “What truth?”

Kaji took a step towards me. “Blaze, stay calm, we’ll talk about that when you’re ready. Just tru-“

I stomped my foot taking a step towards them. “NO! NO MORE WAITING! SCORCH HAS ALREADY ATTACKED ONCE, AND I NEED TO PREPARE NOW!” the two ponies I yelled at took a step back staring at me in shock. “This is serious, and if I’m going to deal with this, I need to start learning more…now.”

Kaji sighed looking away as Akumu huffed. “I know I said I was the essence of the dark element…but that wasn’t true. I’m the essence of light. I’ve always been with you, even during your life as a human, and I saw how interested you were in the darker sides of things. I didn’t want you to start calling on the darkness until you were ready.”

I placed my thumb and index finger over my closed eyes trying to rub out the throbbing sensation flowing through my head. “And you couldn’t just tell me that in the first place?” I removed my fingers opening my eyes looking at them. “Well I want to control it, so how do I do that?”

Death sighed. “You have to make your dark side kneel to you, by defeating it.” He started walking off to what seemed like an edge, and opened a black smoke-like portal. “It will be tough, and one warning.” I headed over to the portal placing my hand against it seeing it ripple like it was water. “If you lose…there will be nothing I can do to help you…”

I looked over at him, then at the portal. “So my dark side…” I looked over my shoulder at Akumu. “Is it powered by my bad emotions and thoughts? For real this time?”

He nodded, as he sighed. “Yes…and you should know one last truth…we lied about our names, using a language from your human life to help you believe what we were.”

I chuckled a bit. “You really think I didn’t notice? I mean seriously. Japanese for an out of control fire in an informal manner, and nightmare? Yyyyeaaahhhh, kinda easy to notice when Japanese is not on Equis in any way. So, what are your real names?”

‘Kaji’ cleared her throat nervously. “Well…my real name is…Flicker…Flicker Light. And he’s Bright Cloud.”

I blinked and started to laugh. “Seriously? Those names still match pretty well with your elements. You could have just used them.” I sighed and looked at the portal. “Well…wish me luck.” I stepped into the portal, only to fall in.

As I fell, my eyes began to close as I began to feel like I was floating in place. After a short time I felt a surge go through my right eye making my eyes snap open and look around seeing square lights floating around me. I could feel my clothes moving like there was a draft coming from below me, hearing nothing but the fluttering sound from their billowing.

I continued to look around until I saw another form floating nearby, with a red cloak-like jacket, which gave me a sense of déjà-vu. It then hit me; this was the other me I had fought back at the changeling’s new home after I got the catalyst. “Hey!” I reached for him, floating over before setting one of his arms over my shoulders. “Hey, wake up!” when I looked ahead I saw a human with black clothes one.

It slowly turned around; holding a mirror, as I could see myself in the mirror, and I could tell this human looked like an even skinnier version of me with hair as white as untainted snow. When it opened its eyes I saw the glowing red in the black sclera, as its area that didn’t have a mouth bean to tear open, making blood flow off its chin, before its head twitched to its side giving a quick smile showing its sharp teeth.

I could see how nervous I looked in the mirror, as more mirrors were around this thing, showing different visuals of me. Happy, sad, angry. Even from behind me. It seemed to be in a pose reaching for me with its large smile again before it was standing there with its eyes closed again, holding the mirror gently again, making me step back.

Wait, step? I looked down to see I was standing on a surface now, that I couldn’t see. I raised my head to see it was gone, and looked to see the other me was gone as well. “What is going on?!” I began to look around frantically, trying to make sure it couldn’t ambush me.

I shuddered and held the side of my head as it began to throb, until it felt like my whole body was throbbing, before yelling in pain as I saw myself tearing in two, before seeing it was coming out of me, or…off me like some kind of slimy layer. I began to pant looking up at it as it slowly moved its hand towards me.

I slapped its hand away, before turning and running off as fast as I could. What was this thing doing? As I ran, I felt a hand suddenly grab my ankle, making me fall into a void, with no lights. I began to flail and kick to try and set myself right side up, but no matter how I moved or turned, I kept going head first into the perpetual darkness.

I eventually got myself flipped over and landed on my feet, before I felt…peaceful? Why would I feel peace in a place like this?

I looked down to see it was like a clear mirrored floor, seeing myself, like I was standing on my own feet. In an instant the body was covered in a black substance as the face changed to its, looking back at me. “NO YOU ARE NOT ME! STOP THIS!” it blinked and its shoulders moved like it was chuckling through its mouthless face. I jumped back as I felt the surge through my right eye again, as it was shooting the black substance at me, with no intention of hitting me.

When I landed, it tilted its head and tore its mouth open again as the black substance shot a large form that had a copy of its face on it. I quickly pulled a hand up making a wall of fire to try to block it, but it came through like it was nothing, sending me flying back. I rolled a bit and slowly opened my eyes, as my body felt heavy.

Next thing I knew, it had lifted my up by the back of my shirt, and lifted my head with its free hand. My body began to feel so cold…I felt so alone. “You…have no one…” no one… “You…are alone…” a…lone…? “I…can make you feel whole…since…I AM you…” these words…I could feel them radiating through me. I could feel the cold from every syllable. I began to close my eyes, feeling my body going numb, from this things words, I couldn’t fight it.

They…were right…I wasn’t ready…and now it’s all over…

All over…

Over…

Done…

“I am…alone…”

I then felt myself hit the floor, hearing my inner darkness, slide away. I opened my eyes slowly, as I heard a familiar, gruff voice. “You are not alone. You always have those you love with you.” I looked up to see the other me standing over me, smirking, before holding his hand to me. I blinked as I could feel tears coming to my eyes. “Hey, you can do this. You can do what I couldn’t.”

I nodded and took his hand standing up, seeing him fade away, before facing my inner darkness. I slowly closed my eyes as I could feel the numbness and the cold be replaced with a warmth, I could never explain. “You…are ALONE”

I could see my friends, family, loved ones. Human, and pony alike. “I may be alone physically…” I began to feel power surge into my right eye again. “But…” I opened my eyes as it felt like all the ones I loved were standing right there with me, every one of them, ready to help me. “I will never, truly be alone.”

It melted and reformed much closer now and tilted its head smiling at me. “Oh really…?” I began to feel like…I know this thing… “Then show me how you aren’t alone…try and kill me…like you did before.” Before?

I took a step back raising my right hand as it had a bright flame form over it. I quickly lowered it, opening my fingers as I could see fiery heads form around me. “No, you won’t die. You WILL kneel to me and GIVE me your power!” I pushed my hand towards him as the flaming draconic heads shot a bright light at him, making him stumble back growling, snarling, even looking at me, with fear…like it was supposed to stop me.

The heads disappeared as I teleported behind it swinging my hand down as it fell to its knees. I then teleported in front of it raising my hand as it quickly came back up, nearly falling back, but before it could I teleported to its side swinging my arm from my left side to my right pointing my palm at it as it went flying.

When it stopped, I went to teleport in front of it, but it raised its hand, as I couldn’t move. I flicked its hand sending me flying but I turned to my side slamming my glowing hand down, pushing off it, before slowing down, and floating in the air. “You have no real power.”

I began to visualize dash, pinkie, and some of my more agile human friends and family. “You’re wrong. My friends give me strength, and that strength gives me my power.” I began to fly towards it at high speeds, moving instantly, to spin around its black masses that it kept firing at me. I went to punch it, but it quickly melted, and reformed behind me.

I then saw Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and more of my human friends and family that taught me all I knew about defending myself. It looked at me and tilted its head, shrugging. “I guess it’s time to show the true power of your inner nightmare. I hope you don’t mind that I change your name to…flare…once I’m in control.”

Wait…FLARE?! But he should be dead! I DECAPITATED HIM!!!

Flare was quickly swallowed by the black mass that covered his body, and began to fly at me. I slid my left foot back, as a bright blue barrier domed out in front of me. Flare, collided with the barrier but kept coming at the barrier, as I could feel myself growing weaker with every second. Before I felt like I was going to pass out I bared my teeth, and focused all the power I could throughout my entire body, as my right eye began to pulse and throb.

I took a breath, and stared at him, before opening my mouth and yelling with everything I had, as I blast of light came out and destroyed the black mass, until I could see Flare’s face, before it slowly began to tear apart, as I fell to my knees panting. “Heh…seems like you won…this time.” His face was fully gone, but his voice still drifted in the air. “Be sure not to die, until the next time we meet…”

I blinked, and opened my eyes with a sharp gasp jumping, quickly sitting up a bit looking around. I felt that my face, mostly around my right eye, was wrapped up.“W…what?” I saw I was in the hospital. How long was I out? I looked over and saw the call button, slowly pressing it.

As soon as I did, I could hear a voice calling out from the hall. “Dr. Hoofmeister, room 15!”

It wasn’t even 5 seconds before the doctor that had helped me when I woke up from my nightmare, came into the room. “Mr. Feathers! I’m so relieved to see you awake.” He walked over making a flat stick float over. “I need you to open your mouth, and stick out your tongue.”

I did what he asked, going ‘ah’ out of reflex I guess, but my voice sounded so weak, and raspy. He then took a close look at my eyes, before bringing a needle over and taking some blood from me. I decided to ask him. “What…happened? Why am….I here?”

He sighed before I saw his magic moving inside the syringe, through my blood. “I…don’t know how to say this but…you have ‘Karmatic Poisoning’. It’s very rare, and has only happened to alicorn’s in all recorded history.” I tried to ask him what it was, but I could just give raspy sounds, before a nurse brought some water in giving me some on a glass. “I already know what you want to ask. Karmatic Poisoning is when one has an overabundance of magic.” He tapped his chin. “Basically, you have much more magical potential and absorption than your physical form can handle. It…well, when you focus too much at one time, it tears at you. Physically, mentally, magically…even spiritually. Thankfully it only affected you’re eye for the most part. I don’t mean that as in its good you were hurt, in past recorded events of this, the pony’s whole body was tore up. Organ’s ruptured, bones broken, muscle’s torn to shreds, and even worse.”

I slowly laid down after finishing the glass of water staring at the ceiling, placing my hand over the wrapping. “Will I be blind in this eye now?”

Dr. Hoofmeister sighed in relief. “Thankfully no. from what I’m told, a dark blue alicorn put you through something tough, and you pushed yourself far beyond your limits. For now, you should get some rest. And don’t worry; you’ll be able to help at the Wonderbolts camp still.” I looked at him, as he chuckled. “The princess, asked me in private about it. I said you would be back up and moving, just in time for it. Seriously though, get some rest. I’ll check on you later.”

I was soon left alone in the room, to stare at the ceiling. All I could think about was how Flare was alive. And how was that over version of myself in there as well? Just what is going on, and why is this happening? And of course…I can never find the answers. I guess all I can do for now, is just close my eyes, and get some sleep.

Chapter 27: The Flames Fall into Darkness?

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I was sitting down under a tree looking down at my right hand looking at the gauss that was wrapped around it in abundance, before closing my hand and sighing lowering it onto the ground keeping my vision on the grass right in front of me.

I heard hoofsteps on the grass, as I saw a cup of tea on a small saucer float into my vision. “Alright, why don’t you tell me what happened.” I slowly grasped the saucer as the magical aura faded soon after, before I took the cup taking a small sip.

I set the cup down, and set the saucer on the grass carefully, as my hand was slightly shaking. “Well…I…don’t know where I should start.”

I looked up to see Shadowflame sitting in front of me looking at me with a worried expression. “How about…right before you went to where the…incident…took place.”

I sighed looking down again, bringing my left hand up to rub my eyes, feeling the exhaustion that had been building up, from the recent events. “Well…I have been having…these odd dreams before I went to help at the Wonderbolt Academy. After having these nightmares so many times, I decided to stop sleeping…again.”

I heard a sigh. “Tell me about these dreams, and what happened at the academy.”

I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat, taking a shaky breath, closing my eyes placing my hands together, with my elbows on my knees, and my hands in front of my mouth a bit, concentrating on every detail. “well…it was a few days before the Academy sent out their acceptance and denial letters, to the ponies that applied…the dreams didn’t exactly feel…like a dream, but they all involved me and…well…” I opened my eyes, feeling the tears forming in my eyes. “And some others I considered…my brothers…my family…even my mother saw them as her own, just like how their family saw me…”

“Hmm…so you all saw each other as family, even though you weren’t?” I nodded. “I see…tell me about this dream, then what happened at the Academy. Leave nothing out.” I took a deep breath, and began to tell him everything.

A few days ago.

I was walking through the town I lived in, back when I lived with humanity. I stopped at a small building that sat on the edge of the High School’s parking lot, and sat on the brick bench that was inside pulling out my phone as it began to ring. I smirked seeing Jakob’s name on the screen, and swiping on the answer symbol, bringing it to my ear. “Sup bitch, where ya at?!”

I heard him laugh through the phone. “Fuck you, asshole. We should be pulling up there in about a minute. You ready to get sloshed tonight?”

I smirked shaking my head. “Ha, yeah, sure. Me, getting fuckfaced is going to be the time when you come out of the closet for liking Dora the Explorer.” I heard another voice laughing loudly in the background, making me laugh. “OH MY GOD, DO YOU HAVE ME ON SPEAKER?!”

“Oh FUCK you Dan!” I heard him hit the button to end the call as I heard a horn honk, before looking out to see a large truck come to a stop, before I got up heading over to it, to see the window for the passenger side roll down to reveal a guy with short black hair, scratching one of his eyes, as I smirked taking a deep breath. “Don’t you fucking dare, you know Cody’s smoking irritates my eyes.”

I sighed, shrugging. “Spoil sport.” I opened the door to the back seats, and climbed in closing the door looking at the guy in the driver seat with medium length blonde hair that went halfway down his neck, and combed back, making him look like a mafia mobster. “And here is the code-meister with his mafia hair.” He scoffed, before pulling his vape from his mouth, letting out a thick white cloud.

He looked back at me and smirked, as the cloud he made was slowly fading, leaving Jakob coughing a bit, and waving his hand at his face. “Alright, birthday boy, you ready to have some fun?” I smirked and crossed my arms giving a shrug, making him laugh silently. “I see how it is. Alright, get ready for a bumpy ride BITCHES!”

The dream faded out, leaving me to open my eyes and weakly look around, to see Ponyville around me, but it felt…odd. “Wh-what the…?” I slowly stood up placing my hand over my right eye as it was closed…no, covered by something, soft. It seemed like an eye patch, but right before I was going to take it off, I saw something fall, hitting the ground sending a dust cloud out from the point of impact, making me raise my arm to defend my left eye from the dust.

I lowered my arm, to see a cloaked shadowy mass slowly get up, and look at me with one eye glowing green from the darkness of the hood. I blinked to try to clear the stinging in my eye from the dust that was in the air, and stepped back to see the shadowy mass was now right in front of me. I tried to grab my sword, to feel something hit me in the stomach, making me cough, as I grab my stomach, leaning over trying to breathe. The next thing I knew, something had wrapped around my neck, and lifted me off the ground, using one hand to grab what was around my neck, looking at the shadowy mass to see Jakob’s face, with glowing, gold colored eyes, in a dark green sclera.

I heard Twilight’s voice and an unfamiliar voice call out my name, making Jakob look around me. “Ah, I see you’ve arrived. How nice.” He brought his focus back to me as he turned to the side pulling me around with him, as I could see Twilight, and…a blurry form, that seemed taller than Celestia by my guess. “You’re just in time.” He brought up his hand that had some kind of black skin up to his forearm, with long claws on each finger, placing a talon right at the center of my chest. “Here is the man, you’ve entrusted everything to…now bear witness, as his life comes to an end.”

I felt an odd energy form at the tip of his talon. It was very familiar…I felt this same heavy sensation when I met Scorch in my dreams. A heaviness, which denied me any movement, and made it hard to properly breathe. Just as I felt the energy go through my body, I would sit up in bed, gasping, before holding my chest and breathing hard, waking Twilight every time I had such a dream, and every time she would comfort me, and lie there with me till I calmed down.

After a few nights of it happening, I would decide to lie in bed with her till she fell asleep, and pull out my PS4 controller, and some headphones, setting the games audio to come through the headphones connected to my controller only, as I played varying games, to keep myself occupied.

I hated telling her I woke up early and just didn’t want to wake her by getting up from bed, and sneaking Zecora’s “instant sleep” brew around her back, but I had to do something to stop these nightmares.

One day before first day of Wonderbolts Academy

I had gulped down a vial of Zecora’s brew, before Twilight came downstairs. I walked out of the kitchen to the library, walking to a suitcase that held some changes of clothes, as well as the catalyst and its ivory white necklace, and my gemmed pendant that held my knight medallion, and a picture of me and the girls. I opened the pendant to look at the picture and smiled a bit, remembering the day after the gala.

Pinkie throwing a party, for my and Twilight becoming a couple, which led to her suggesting a picture of me and her, but it didn’t feel right leaving the others out. I wanted a picture of all of us together, which everyone agreed to. I sighed, after reminiscing that memory and grabbed the suitcase, hearing hoofsteps behind me. “Heading to the Academy, to help prepare for tomorrow?”

I looked back to see Twilight and chuckled a bit. “Yeah. I was about to come up and see you before I left, but this makes it easier.” I turned around and knelt down pulling her close, giving her a kiss, as she wrapped her hooves around me returning the kiss in kind.

We broke the kiss and smiled at each other, as I carefully lowered her so she was on all four legs. “Just be careful, alright Blaze?”

I smirked as I stood up. “When am I not careful?” Twilight smirked, and opened her mouth. “Other than all the time.” I rolled my eyes, before looking at her as she giggled. “I’ll be careful, and tell Dash I’m sorry I won’t be there tomorrow.” She nodded as I focused on the ether, before feeling my body heat up for a moment, causing a quick flash in my eyes, leaving me standing on the Academy grounds.

I began to walk towards the main building that my office/room resided, and headed down the halls. I reached a door with a sun on it, with a crescent moon arching around the sun, like my medallion. I opened the door heading inside to see a full sized bed, a desk with basic office supplies all over it, and a window that overlooked the grounds, where the accepted pegasi would be doing the trials, and training.

I walked to my desk and sat down seeing the pile of files of the pegasi that would be coming here tomorrow, and began to look through them. I got to the final file as the sun was setting, and saw the name for the Pegasus, before I opened it. “Hmm…Lightning Dust…where have I heard that name before.” I began to look through the file, and saw it had three more pages compared to the rest, but most of the extra pages were blacked out. “Hmm…odd.” I flicked the corner of the pages as a flash of fire went over them, making my right eye throb a bit.

I closed my right eye and began reading the pages seeing she was the child of a noble pony that was high up in the royal courts circle, just below my father for that matter, as well as all the trouble she had gotten into. Reckless endangerment due to her high speed in flight, destruction of property from high speed flight through towns, and more from her reckless flight training, and even caused harm, and injured others in Cloudsdale school for gifted fliers, because ‘they were too slow for her’.

I heard my door opening as I quickly got the papers together and pinched the corners as the flames that spread among them came back into my finger blacking out the pages again, and closed the folder setting them in a desk drawer, looking up to see Spitfire, and Soarin walk in. “oh, hey you two. I didn’t expect any others to be here till later tonight.” I looked over my shoulder to see the moon had come up quite a bit. “Oh, uh…never mind, must’ve lost track of time while going over the accepted pegasi’s files.”

I looked back to Spitfire as she chuckled. “Ah, no big deal. Came in early to start working? Seems kinda odd.” They walked to a couple nearby seats climbing onto them as Soarin yawned.

“Eh, I was gonna get comfy, but I thought I should go over these files first. So, what brings you two here? Not just here to check on me, I’m sure.” I smiled getting up and walking to the window seeing pegasi doing some work on the lighting and cleaning the grounds.

“We just wanted to make sure you would be fine up here for days at a time, since we ARE twice as high above the ground as Canterlot. Oxygen deprivation can be really bad.” I looked over to see Soarin smiling a bit. “Gotta make sure nothing happens to my cousin, I mean, you’re family after all.”

I smiled and walked to my desk. “I’ll be fine. I’ve been spending my free time to get used to the low oxygen quality this high up. I remember a few times when Twilight was worried cause I came in with a lot of nosebleeds.” I chuckled a bit imagining the wide eyes she had every time I got home, with my blood covered snout.

I heard Spitfire giggle. “Sounds like she really cares for you.” I nodded a bit. “It’s good to hear that. When we first heard that you were another species, we wondered how everypony would react to you, and we only recently heard you being a…um…something else, was widely accepted, but when we remembered that the other day, we worried you wouldn’t be able to…acclimate to being this high up.”

“Oh, Twilight was there when I was turned into a pony…er, back into a pony I mean.” I leaned on the desk crossing my arms looking down at the floor. “I haven’t tried…standing or grabbing a cloud as a human yet, and changing forms is hard on me since I contracted this…Karmatic Poisoning.” I brought my hand up, placing two fingers just below my still closed right eye, slowly opening it, as I could feel the magic energy flowing from it, before raising my head to look at the mirror on the door, seeing a fire like energy flow off the side of my eye like Sombra’s purple energy. “I just wonder if the torture Sombra put me through triggered it…or even gave it to me.” I closed my eye again, sighing, knowing the energy and tingling would fade in a few more hours.

“It’ll be fine Blaze, trust me. The newbie’s will be coming tomorrow, once they get their letters, then we’ll start orientation at noon, so try to get some rest, alright?” I nodded as Spitfire smiled, and the two left, to do what they needed to do, before they could rest up for tomorrow. I headed to my suitcase, and pulled out a change of clothes for tomorrow before slipping into bed and lying there, and pulling out my phone, and just began to play games on it. After a while of playing different games I sighed and let my arms lower placing the phone on my chest staring at the dimly lit ceiling, from my phone’s screen. I began to think on everyone I hadn’t seen since I came here. My friends, family, even old classmates from high school and college. I opened my right eye to feel the magical surge and tingling was gone, and noticed the ceiling seemed to be enlightened more, for about ten seconds before dimming.

I blinked and looked at my chest seeing my phone’s screen was still on, when it should have auto locked by now. I sat up lifting my phone up and saw at the top corner, that it had a signal, and I had about 30 voicemails, 99+ missed calls, and 99+ text messages. I quickly unlocked my phone and began going through my texts, seeing the latest date for a text was late 2020 on a few, and the latest on a majority of texts were late 2018.

“But…how do I…?” that’s when a thought hit me. I wasn’t in another dimension or alternate universe. I’m on the same planet, just far, far, FAR into the future, after who knows how many extinction events, bringing new life each time, new sentience, and more. “Are some of the satellites still in orbit? Or did something catch and hold signals from back then? If I can find this source…maybe I can get access to the internet somehow, learn what happened, or why things happened this way. Maybe I can change things, or learn more about how things….ended….”

I sighed and turned sitting on the edge of the bed placing my head in my hands, taking slow, deep breaths.“No…I can’t just plan this now, without learning how to control that first. If I can’t control Chronomancy, then these plans would just be for nothing and I’d just crush myself. I have to plan for the now, and the coming storm, not the unknowable future…” I lowered my hands looking at my suitcase across the room. “Not yet…anyway…”

Present Day

I looked over when Shadowflame hummed as he wrote something in an old leather bound notebook. “So, you discovered a…signal, as you called it?” he looked at me as I nodded. “I see.” He looked at his notebook writing more with his magic. “Did you…go over any of these messages?” I sighed and looked up.

I gathered my thoughts, and gulped nervously. Not wanting to talk about the messages, but I knew I had to. “y-yes…so many were messages from the year humanity would know as 2018…some were messages asking where I was, why I hadn’t contacted anyone after my disappearance, but there weren’t many of those…and many of the messages I had were just notices through text for Facebook, or store services to give notices for special deals, or sales. But the ones that seem haunting were the ones that would be from the week after I disappeared…after I was hit by that truck that sent me here.”

I heard the light thud of the notebook closing and of it being set on the ground. “Don’t force yourself, just take your time.”

I sighed shakily lifting my unchanged hand to my face to use the forefinger and thumb to rub my closed eyes, to help calm the throbbing that was starting. “they…so many were…apologies…from old high school classmates, some were some of the girls admitting a crush on me, or telling me someone who had a crush on me, wishing they’d pushed us together…” I pulled my hand away from my eyes looking at the Elysium sky…so blue, and clear…it wasn’t a normal sky blue, it was brighter, while yet…darker. “but I know how my peers are when it’s involving the death of an ol’ classmate or such…they say things, that they don’t mean, or groups of people planning to say one thing, when none of it was true. I’ve seen it too many times. But one text hit me hard, that I saw before the day that….IT happened…”

“You mean the incident…involving your arm there?” I nodded. “Tell me about it.”

A few days after orientation day

I sat up on the side of my bed grabbing the second from last potion I got from Zecora, and chugged it down, before gagging from the taste, and having a shudder flow up my body, leaving me feeling like I had slept, even though I hadn’t. I unlocked my phone, deciding to look at one more text, even though I knew they were false statements, to make the other person feel better, but making myself believe it, somehow made me feel better.

I saw a text from Robert’s account in the messenger and tapped on it, to see what lies he gave. I blinked, staring at my phone, surprised by what I saw. A message that pulled me down, and made me hate myself, even more than I ever had, when living in that point in time. I gulped as I moved my eyes reading over it once more, thinking I was seeing things.

‘It’s sad you died in such a way. Hit by a truck, to just disappear leaving no body, or even anything. L0L, I just wish I would’ve been the one to do you in. you were always trying to be a hero, jumping in, when someone was picked on, even though you never threw a punch. You were nothing more than a coward, that accepted his place in life as a punching bag. Ha, that day was great when I was pushing that knife into you. Watching you cringe, trying to hide that you were in pain, and then seeing you squirm and writhe, from that little episode. Too bad those bastards came and ruined the fun, huh? Well, I hope you’re resting well, in that dark hole where you belong…as if you ever belong ANYWHERE.’

I locked my phone and tossed it onto the pillow on my bed. he was right about me, I was a coward…I knew it, I always did, I knew I threw myself out there to be beat up, depended on others to protect me…help me…I could never protect others then, so why do I think I can now…? I’ve never fought back in life or death situations, I sparred in friendly bouts…I haven’t changed a bit. I can’t change who I am….or what I am.

“I’m such a fai-“ A knock came on the door to the room, making me jump, and completely forget about the text.

“Hey Blaze, you awake? I need your help.” I could hear the annoyed tone in Spitfire’s voice, I got up and walked towards the door wiping my eyes, to mainly wipe the eye gunk away, as well as hide any tears that may have been there, before opening the door looking down at her. “Whoa, you look like Tartarus.” I raised a brow, looking at her. “right, sorry, um…I have some work to do through the Wonderbolt’s…making autographs…for some meet and greet coming up soon after this. Could you watch over the cloud busting today, so I can work on them? I’d really appreciate it.”

I shrugged. “I suppose I could. I’m not a big fan of that Lightning Dust though…you know?” she nodded. “I understand I said you should make her and Dash, a team, but I didn’t expect you to make her lead pony on the two.”

She looked up at me. “I get it, you aren’t happy on that choice, but I saw your side, how Dust see’s her own speed potential, but she tends to push herself a bit further than your friend does.” I wanted to say more and sighed leaning against the doorframe looking at the window. “Besides, if she does something too reckless, you’ll be there to stop whatever happens. I mean from what I hear, you’re pretty powerful.” I opened my mouth to remind her of my condition but, there was a loud throat clearing from further down the hall. “Shoot, sorry Blaze, I gotta deal with this now. Thanks for helping with the watch over the cloud busting.”

I heard her run off, and looked down the hall to see a dark grey earth pony, trotting after her, whom I recognized as the Wonderbolts’ manager. Guess that explains why she HAD to do this pre-autographing session. I closed the door and walked over to the mirror. I began to fix my hair, so I didn’t look like I had bed head, and changed into some blue jeans, and a bright blue shirt.

I began to head outside seeing the assistant instructors finishing up on explaining the details of today’s exercise. I walked over to the chalkboard seeing it was still blank, and prepared it for the counting, for each team, before standing at the side of the board for Dash and Dust’s count holding the piece of chalk. Shortly after one of the other academy instructors joined me, the teams flew off, busting clouds, as I made marks for every cloud that Dust and Dash busted, which was a little difficult to keep up with, since I couldn’t look away from the two with the speed they were going from cloud to cloud.

After a few minutes, I could see them flying in space talking, so I took the chance to look at the board to see they had almost three times more than the other teams combined. I chuckled a bit, and then heard a gruff voice next to me. “Are you really that surprised to see that far ahead?”

I looked at the light brown Pegasus next to me, before looking at the board. “Nah, I’m surprised they haven’t done more.” I heard the Pegasus give a quick chuckle as well, before I looked up at the sky to see a tornado forming from their speed in flight. “Oh shit.” It quickly came towards us, as I saw Lightning Dust, and Rainbow Dash go flying through the air, but I could tell they hit a few, low clouds that were just above the grounds, leaving me to grab the Pegasus next to me and charge some energy through my legs jumping away, hearing the board snap behind me.

I set him down as he looked around frantically before flying up towards the clouds the other teams were at, holding onto to them. I looked at the tornado, and saw something pink swinging around, until I saw a large basket fly out, giving me a glance at the girls falling. “NO!” I ran towards the edge and began to charge as much magical energy into my hand, as I could, but when I got to the edge, I couldn’t swing my arm down to cast a spell, almost like the weight of the energy kept my arm stationary, behind me.

I pulled as hard as I could, until it felt like my arm was going to rip off, yelling out from a mix of the anger at my magic, and the intense pain flowing through my arm. “PLEASE, JUST WORK WITH ME, SOMETHING, ANYTHING!!!” I pulled even harder clenching my teeth together tightly, ripping my arm free, and sending myself falling towards them at a high speed. As I got closer, I reached my arm towards them, as everything around me went black for a while. Once I felt my body stop moving, I relaxed my body, seeing the darkness disperse as I was floating there in the air wearing a large hooded black cloak made of some kind of black energy, with my friends floating around me looking around, as I was panting.

When they all noticed me, they just stared at me wide eyed, making me look at the cloak, seeing the bottom was tattered and waving through the air like a black flame, and some of the tattered shreds were wrapped around the girls. “B-Blaze?” I looked up looking at Twilight, and smiled a bit. They all came towards me as I hugged them, with them returning the hug in kind, pinkie especially.

“I’m so glad you’re all okay.” I looked down over my shoulder, to see we were floating in the air. “Wait” I carefully let them go, and looked at my hands, looking over my shoulder, but saw no wings. “Why aren’t we falling?”

I heard a familiar voice call out from above, looking up to see Dash flying down. “GUYS! Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you’re alright! I almost dove down here after all of you, to condense a cloud to catch all of you.” She sighed and smiled at me. “But, I guess we don’t need to worry as much with you around, do we Blaze? I mean that thing you’re wearing is just AWESOME!”

I looked up, and noticed the academy coming close, making me look down to see I was actually going up. Question is, how? “Umm…I didn’t create or do this Dash…I’m not even sure how I’m even floating upwards, unless it’s all on a subconscious level…?”

I looked at the others to see them shrug, unsure from the situation; even Twilight didn’t seem to understand. I soon felt my feet settle on solid ground, before seeing my friends being set down, and let go from the cloak, before the cloak dispersed into nothing, leaving me standing there, before I felt nauseous and fell onto my knees, nearly falling over, catching myself with one hand, coughing, as I closed my eyes, using my other hand to cover my mouth as I coughed and gasped, feeling something coming out my mouth, and covering my palm with each cough.

As I got my coughing fit under control, taking slow raspy breaths, I could hear a bunch of hoofsteps hurrying over and a set of wings flapping, as another flew over, rather quickly at that. “That…was…AWESOME!” I could hear an odd snarling deep within my head, and a scoff from a raspy voice beside it, as Lightning Dust’s voice rang out.

I felt a pressure lightly push off my shoulder, as I heard Dash’s voice from that same side. “Awesome?! My friends could have been smashed to pieces…or WORSE!”

“Yeah, but they weren’t. Right?” my eyes snapped open after hearing that as I was staring at the ground seeing drops of a black thick substance hit the ground, as an odd pressure began to flow along my arm, from my palm, to the tips of my fingers, and up to my elbow. “The other teams would need days, if not WEEKS of working together, to even get close to how many we just busted.”

I slowly set my hand that was over my mouth on the ground, as I could feel that my eyes were open wide, my teeth clenched together, as well as a burning in my chest from the lack of air, since I wasn’t breathing anymore. “You…arrogant…little….” I felt my fingers curl tightly, gripping at the grass and dirt underneath them.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” I pushed off the ground turning around, while pressing my right foot down, so I lifted off my knee, turning around so I was on one knee, and turned my body reaching my arm with the odd sensation towards her quickly as a large black mass shot out gripping Dust, lifting her up. “YOU NEARLY KILLED THEM, AND ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS HOW MANY GOD DAMN POINTS YOU GOT WITH YOUR RECKLESS, STUPID, MIND-BLOWINGLY IDIOTICLY PLANNED STUNT?!?!?! AND YOU HAVE NO FUCKING REMORSE THAT THEY COULD HAVE FUCKING DIED?!?!” I began to stand up slowly, as I was breathing shakily, as I was able to see my own breath, like the air became ice cold. “Oh ho ho, I can NOT BELIEVE a pony can think like you do…”

I felt a pressure on my chest slowly looking down to see Twilight, pressing her hooves against my chest, looking at me, with a worried expression. “Blaze, stop. Just calm down, it’s alright.”

“Alright? It is not al-FUCKING-right Twi.” I looked at Dust to see the black mass had bound her wings against her sides, and wrapped around her mouth. “No, no, no-no-no-no-noooo…” I carefully pushed Twilight aside setting her down safely, slowly walking towards Dust again, raising my free hand up, and reaching it towards her face. “She needs to see what could have transpired…” my normal hand began to gain a gold glow, as she tried to pull away. “She needs…to learn…a god damn….fucking….lesson…like the ignorant little shit she is…” I could hear many voices telling me to stop, even a few in my head, except for an excited growl, and a dark chuckle inside my head, before my hand touched her head, creating a bright flash.

I stood there, looking down to see Dust, panting and looking around frantically. “W-where am I?!” she looked at me back pedaling a bit. “WHERE DID YOU TAKE ME?!” I lifted a hand as she floated off the ground, walking towards the academy’s edge, setting her there and grabbed her head making her look off it, as the basket and the girls fell down, screaming, as I could hear myself call out, and running over, but I didn’t even look over as I held Dusts head in place, using a couple fingers to make her eyes couldn’t close.

I could feel her struggle as she began to whimper, and I could see a few tears falling over the ledge. “Stop moving, and WATCH!” I looked over her to see the grayed out world, play out, hearing my other self grunt, and groan, and yell trying to do something…trying…forcing….fighting…until I could see Dash fly off the edge and dive down as quick as she could, seeing her trying to slow down, and noticing one of her wings had twisted, in her attempt to slow down. “This could have happened you know. Just because the timeline you live in, they lived, by some lucky fucking chance…doesn’t mean this couldn't have happened.” We eventually saw all of them get close to the ground, before unintentionally letting Dust’s head go and stumbling back heaving, and gasping, as I brought my right hand up to my face, feeling it covered in something thick, and an odor so strong, it made me sick, and dizzy, until I fell back to a sitting position gasping, as I looked around weakly.

I looked up to see Celestia looking down at me, with a mix of anger and worry, a look that only…somehow, someway…she could make. I moved my hand shakily from my face to see it had black veins throbbing from the wrist to the elbow, and a black substance moving around my hand and fingers, like it was trying to control it. “w-what the h-hell?” I turned my hand to look at the palm, seeing it covered in blood, as it flowed down the wrist and arm, dripping off the elbow, as I quickly put it together. I was bleeding from my eyes, nose, and ears, as I got the painful surge coming through my face making my clasp my hand over my face falling onto my back groaning in pain.

I heard a silent sigh, as I could feel the pain, and blood fade away, as I gasped, sitting up breathing hard and fast. “Blaze…?” I looked up at Celestia, then at Dust seeing she was sitting there looking at me, not with fear, but remorse. “What did you do?” I looked at Celestia, knowing I had a lot to talk to her about.

Present Day

I sighed, as I rubbed my right hand, which was wrapped up in gauss, feeling it begin to loosen up a bit. “So…you’re saying you lost control?” I shuddered as I gripped my wrapped hand at the wrist closing my eyes tightly.

I sniffed, as I felt the tears forming in my eyes again. “n-no…I…I WANTED to do it…I wanted to scare her, not make her really see they could have died, but I didn’t lose control, I did it because I WANTED to.” I opened my eyes looking at him clenching my teeth, in anger at myself. “BUT NOW I’M ASKING WHY I EVEN DID SUCH A THING, WHY DID I LET MYSELF DO THIS TO HER?! I WAS NEVER LIKE THIS BEFORE, AND I…” I tensed up as my knees came up to my chest wrapping my arms around them, laying my forehead against my knees rocking myself slowly. “I’m afraid…I’m afraid of myself, of what I’m becoming…you…the princesses…these elemental spirits…EVERYPONY…” I sobbed a bit hugging my legs tighter. “All of you see me as something I’m not…something I can never be…I can’t…I just can’t…”

“What is it that you can never be, Blaze?” I slowly released my grip from my arms. “You can tell me Blaze.”

I curled my arms, keeping my elbows tightly against the sides of my legs, curling up more, as I gripped the back of my head pulling it against my knees harder as I repeated my words faster with each second. “I can’t…I can’t I can’t I-can’t I-can’t I-can’t-I-can’t-I-can’t-I-can’t- I-can’t-I-can’t-I-can’t-I-can’t…”

“BLAZE!”

I released my head, and slammed my hand down, quickly standing up, and yelled at Shadowflame, as loud as I could. “I CANT BE THE FUCKING GOD-DAMNED, PIECE OF SHIT HERO, YOU ALL SEE ME AS, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!!” I stood there panting hard, with my fists clenched, feeling the weakest I had ever felt. My legs shook like jello in an earthquake, my arm’s felt like dumbbells with thousands of pounds on each one, and my heart felt like it was ready to shred itself to pieces with how hard it was beating in my throat, making me feel like I was going to vomit.

He looked at me with an expressionless face, laying his notebook down, as he sighed closing his eyes. “What kind of hero, do you believe we see?”

“The kind that never falls to their darker sides…one who never loses, and perseveres over anything and everything! Someone who can protect everything, without breaking a sweat, and without letting others around them be harmed! I can’t do that!”

“And what makes you think we expect those things of you?”

“I was knighted, I’m here to fight the nightmare’s to stop them from taking over, or destroying everything, or whatever the fuck it is they want to do!”

“And who said you were alone in this?”

“…”

He looked at me with a determined look in his eyes. “Who…said…that…?”

I felt my fists open up as I brought my left hand up, rubbing my wrapped arm, looking away. “I…did…”

“And why would you believe such a thing?” I opened my mouth to answer but he jumped in before I could. “because you are insecure, you hate that you left those you cherish to fight for you for so long, and now you fight alone to make yourself feel better, when it doesn’t help in the slightest.” I looked at him about to reply, but he continued. “You feel that if you hold them back from the confrontations, they won’t be hurt, but you are putting them in the same situation as you were in!” I blinked and looked down. “You push yourself too far, when you don’t even need to, because you have those that want to be there beside you, those who LOVE you, and would die BESIDE you…not in front of you…nor see you die in front of them…”

I sat back down, slowly and shakily grabbing the cup of tea, that I could feel had gone cold, looking at my own reflection in the somehow perfectly still liquid. I sighed and took a deep breath, getting my nerves together, before taking a sip of it as I could feel it heating up as I sipped at it, setting it back on the saucer that was now perfectly stable in my hand. “you’re right…I said it to myself so many times, but like so many things, I tossed it aside, and locked it away thinking I was fooling myself…I’m just…”

“you are afraid of losing everything again…the life you knew, the family you knew…they are all gone, and you know, that they aren’t just alive somewhere out there, and that discovery tore at you, ripped you apart, until the idea that you could have failed in protecting what you loved was pushed into your head by one simple thought…and it nearly killed you. But wasn’t it you that told me that phrase that humanity said…?”

I chuckled a bit. “What doesn’t kill you…”

I looked at him as he smirked. “…makes you stronger.”

“You’re right…” I slowly stood up, and stretched feeling my body had become stiff. “Thank you Shadowflame. I really owe you, and I guess all those sessions with Velvet really did bore their way into my head.”

He chuckled as he got up. “Somepony has to keep you mentally healthy. Both in physical and spiritual manners.” He walked over and pulled me into a hug, like a father would when they see their son had gotten better. “I’m glad to see you got through this.” He let me go, as I looked at him. “For a while there, I was worried you had broken your psyche beyond repair. If I hadn’t thought to make you angry, by making you relive that horrible moment, you may not have ever reached this outcome…I’m…sorry about that as well.”

I blinked and chuckled a bit, in both nervousness, and from awkwardness. “Its fine, at least you got through to me, that’s what’s important…right?” he nodded as I began to walk away to head back.

I heard him clear his throat, as I looked back at him. “And I heard Discord was reformed recently.” I nodded, raising a brow turning to face him. “So…uhhhh….I think you should really try to get him to teach you to control your chaos magic, and Chronomancy, since he can use both so well. BYE!”

I felt myself fall and woke up, lying in my room in the castle, looking around. “Oh, that S.O.B. is really going to have to answer some questions now…” I got out of bed turning to my Pegasus self relieved my Karmatic Poisoning had weakened drastically since I used that odd magic that made that cloak, whatever it was. “But now, I have some other apologies to make.”

I left my room and headed to the throne room, opening the door, peeking my head in, to see my friends, Celestia, and even Twilight’s mother, all with their ears down talking quietly, except Twilight who had her head down, with her mother holding her. I gulped, and pulled my head back looking at the doors leading out to Canterlot, and shook my head, before taking a deep breath, and slowly walking into the throne room, keeping my view down towards the floor, afraid to look up at them.

As soon as I had pushed the door open to walk in, I could hear the murmuring stop. “B…Blaze…?” I froze mid step, and closed my eyes, turning my head away a bit, hearing the very silent, and weak voice of Twilight. I took a breath, and set my hoof that was up, back onto the floor, and opened my mouth, trying to lift my head, but lowered it sighing, a few times, before I heard slow hoofsteps, come up to me. I slowly opened my eyes to see purple hooves, on the floor in front of me.

I lowered my head, taking another breath, before slowly, looking up at Twilight, to see her eyes were bloodshot, and I could see how wet it was around her eyes. “T-Twi, I…I mean…I wasn’t…” I looked down, sighing. “ I fucked up…I know I did…I said horrible things…things I never meant…things I wish that never came out of my damn mouth…words…phrases…that tore at me, as they came out.” I raised my head looking at her. “Thing’s I know I could never apologize for, nor shove away, and help them be forgotten! I let my own pain’s and insecurities come out, and made me want to nip the possibilities of pain for me in the bud, and I wish, more than anything to take them all back…but I know I can never take them back…” I turned my head, looking away. “I’m so sorry ba….I mean….Twilight…”

I slowly backpedaled away to make some distance, looking at everyone. “I’m so sorry, to all of you…I…I was horrible towards every single one of you, I…SAID…thing to all of you, and I would never mean or would have reason to say to any of you. I’m sure, my apologies might mean nothing, from what I had said, but…I wanted you all to know I never meant any of it…a-and that all of you mean so much to me, that nothing could explain how much.” I looked at Twilight as she raised a hoof wanting to come closer but stopped watching me carefully. “…I’m sorry…”

I couldn’t even blink before Twilight rushed to me, and hugged me crying into my chest, as I slowly pulled her close, holding her, before looking at the others to see Pinkie had begun to cry, letting out two arching rivers of tears for a bit, before the rest of the girls ran at me and tackled me in a big hug, as I did my best to hug all of them, using my wings in the process.

After a while, we all got up, wiping our eyes, and Rarity, cleaned up her now running make up, as I looked at Twilight’s mother who walked over looking at me. “v-velvet, I’m sorry I-“ she pulled me into a hug, which surprised me, as I just smiled a bit, and hugged her as well. Once we separated, I looked at Celestia who had a blank expression as she watched me.

I walked up to her, and slowly reached under my wing, pulling out my knight medallion, gently setting it down on table. “I don’t deserve to be a knight, princess. I did and said horrible things…kept my friends and you in the dark…” I slid the medallion to her, and let it go. “I’m so sorry…”

I saw Celestia; rotate the medallion with her hoof, staying silent, as I could hear it turning on the wooden table. “Blaze…” I felt my ears lay back, as I closed my eyes, expecting her to ask me to leave, or maybe even send me away like she did, Nightmare Moon. “I have never, and still do not regret giving you this medallion.” I opened my eyes and looked at her, as she looked at me and smiled at me. “You were not yourself, and I understand how much stress you were under. As much as I hate to say it, I’ve done irrational things in my youth as well, especially in my early years of ruling this country. And thinking over what all you have done. ‘helped with nightmare moon, with discord, a dragon, the changeling siege, helping create PEACE with the changelings, and that odd creature you ran off, as well as REVIVING Somepony, all before becoming an alicorn, and forcing it away, retaining an affliction, and being asked to assist with the Wonderbolt Academy, where you pushed yourself to save those close to you, nd the only thing you did was make her see a different possibility to show her she can’t be so ignorant to her actions? I couldn’t be more proud of you Blaze.” She slid the medallion back to me, as I couldn’t understand, as she just smiled at me. “I would just like you to take your job…less seriously. I want you to live your life. Being a knight does not mean being some…one-pony-army. It’s a title that is earned for all the incredible thing’s you have done for us and all of Equestria. A symbol that says ‘we can trust you to be there when you are needed.’ And you always have.”

I closed my eyes and hugged her, unable to hold back, and cried, as I felt her hold me like a mother would, as I let everything I had ever held throughout my life, babbling nonsense, and speaking gibberish, all with horrible stuttering…as much as I hate to say…all the way until I passed out from emotional and mental exhaustion.

Chapter 27.8 What is Happening to my Magic?

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I woke up with a start in my seat on the train, while on my way to Canterlot, for some experiments and tests involving my magical capabilities. I looked out the window to see we were at the stop before Canterlot, and stretched before standing up, and heading through the cars towards the dining car, to get a drink.

I got to the dining car and took a seat yawning, as I felt the results from the past few days I’ve done the same thing, as I’m about to do today, mixed with the exhaustion I had gained from the past, that I had pushed off when I threw my ascension away with Chronomancy. Even now, I’m wondering what they were going to look into today.

We had already tested my durability to different spells and magic’s, my own magical capabilities, and even got poked and prodded with different devices that read many different things. Magic, blood, muscle mass, and more that I didn’t understand the “scientific jargon” for.

“Sir?” I noticed an orange hoof wave in front of my face, as I looked over to see a mare that would look like an older version of Scootaloo, with her mane curled at the end. “Are you alright? I’ve been trying to ask what you wanted to order for a few minutes now.”

I shook my head and rubbed my eyes, as I got myself together. “Sorry, just woke up.” I looked at the menu for a few seconds setting it down. “I’ll take a glass of peach-cranberry juice, and some waffles.” I looked out the window seeing the sun was still low in the morning sky. “And an orange.”

I looked back to the mare as she had finished writing my order down, and smiled at me. “Alright, I’ll have it out in a jiffy.” She trotted off after setting the pencil on her ear, as I looked out the window again, noticing we were starting to go around the mountain Canterlot was on, as I leaned towards the window looking up to see Canterlot, before sitting back up and setting my arms on the table, laying my chin on them.

It didn’t take long for my order to come out, as I began to eat, taking my time to enjoy my breakfast. By the time I finished I had fully woken up, and got my bearings on my surroundings, to notice we were starting to pull into Canterlot station. I paid for my breakfast, and went back to my seat, grabbing my bag as the train came to a full stop. “Hopefully today’s experiments won’t be too difficult to deal with.” I got off the train, and began my walk to the castle with my bag slung over my shoulder.

About twenty minutes later I was walking into the castle, and up to the second floor of the solar wing, heading down the corridors. I eventually found the testing chamber and opened the door walking inside as I dropped my bag by the door, and closed the door behind me to look at a grey Pegasus stallion, and a green unicorn mare writing notes, probably about the previous tests, before they looked at me and smiled.

The green mare got up and walked over to me. “It’s good to see you could make it Blaze. You ready for the tests?”

I rolled my shoulders a bit, to help loosen the joints. “I suppose so. What’s the deal today you two?”

The stallion cleared his throat as he set his clipboard down and turned on a monitor, before walking over to me grabbing a box with his wing. “We want to see the magical fluctuations as you use your magic. See if we can figure out why you have instances or even days without your magic. We’re hoping to find out what is going on, so we can help you with that.”

“I see.” The stallion set the box down as he and the mare both pads on my hands, arms, the sides of my neck, and on each of my temples on my head. “So how are we doing this?” I began to head for a door that I knew headed into a large empty room, with reinforced walls for their tests.

“Well, we’re basically going to have Tulip here, send some rocks, at you and we want you to use magic to protect yourself or destroy them. We also want to see how you will do as they got larger as it goes along, so we can the change in your magic as you need to use more.” I heard them walk over to where the stallion was when I first came in, as the door closed behind me.

It wasn’t long after that parts of the floor would open up and rocks of varying sizes would float up from them with a light red aura over them as I raised my hands in front of me in a defensive stance. The rock flew at me, as I would swing my arms to either create walls of magic energy as a barrier, or focused the energy over my fist to punch a rock down, focusing more magic as they got larger.

After about an hour of this, I side stepped a rock that was as large as my entire upper body dropping my arms as I was panting. I then heard the mare’s voice come from some speakers that was above the door into the room. “Alright, that was great Blaze. We have one last test, and this one won’t involve my magic, so I won’t be able to stop it when it’s coming for you, understand?”

I nodded as I popped my knuckles, before shaking my left hand a bit before focusing some magic into it, as I felt it fluctuating over it in an unresponsive manner, hoping I could do this. “Y-yeah…let’s do this.”

I could hear some clinking and clanging of gears for a moment, before she spoke again. “Alright, it should be heading up now. Just be ready because it’s pretty b-“her voice stopped as I looked at the door as I could see the panels of the wall around it slide out and make what looked like a ramp. “Princess, you can’t right now. No STOP!”

I heard the door open and looked to see Celestia walking into the room and up to me as I stood in a more relaxed posture. “Celestia? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be dealing with morning court?”

She waved her hoof as she chuckled. “It just ended, and I had heard from Swift that you were here, so I wanted to come check on you.” I saw the stallion and mare reach the open doorway, as I could see the wall above open up to show a boulder, that could easily crush me begin to roll out, as my eyes went wide. “I heard you were training to control your chaos magic with discord, and I wanted to hear how it was going.” She blinked looking at me with a serious expression. “How HE…is doing…I have to say, I was surprised you suggested letting him free, to train you, but, from what letters I’d gotten from Twilight, it sounded…positive in a way?”

The two called her name as I tensed my left fist focusing all the magic I could muster into my left arm from the elbow to the ends of my fingers, as she looked behind her, before freezing like a deer in headlights from seeing the boulder rolling towards us. I slid around her with my right side facing the boulder before stomping my right foot down and twisted my body as I sent my left fist into the boulder creating a loud explosion as the boulder was destroyed and the magical force sent a massive blast of air around the room, as well as the dirt and rubble from the boulder, before I yelled in pain gripping my left arm.

I fell to my knees as I felt the surge of pain in my arm, with my teeth bore tightly inhaling in a hissing manner from the pain. “BLAZE?! WHAT HAPPENED?!” I could hear Celestia’s voice call out as the dust began to settle, and I looked at my arm to see that it had turned purple from the elbow down, and some places the skin had torn open and was bleeding slowly. The pain quickly faded to a bearable point as I stood back up. “Oh my gosh, blaze, your hurt!”

“I’m fine, Celestia.” I gripped the part of the arm above the elbow to keep from making it worse, as I headed into the other room, with Celestia in tow behind me. “It’ll be fine. I knew this would happen, but I had to make sure you wouldn’t get hurt. Discord said to never use chaos magic physically over myself for offense, but it was the only source of magic I could tap into with ease.”

I sat against the wall, as the mare and Celestia looked at my arm, before wrapping it up in gauss. “Blaze, I would never want you to hurt yourself to protect me like that. I could’ve dealt with it myself.”

I shook my head. “Not in time. You were frozen in shock, and wouldn’t have had the time to charge a spell in time.” I looked at her as she opened and closed her mouth a few times. I knew I was right, since the magic ponies use is slower to charge up, where chaos energy, you pull it from the atmosphere itself, rather than your own energy, making it easier to harness it in quick situations.

I heard the mare gasp as I looked at her, noticing she finished her scan of my arm. “This…is incredible. Your arm is…or was…broken, at a state to where magic couldn’t heal it, but it healed itself…well mostly…” she set a splint as she wrapped another layer of gauss over the arm, and separately wrapping each of my fingers as well. “You still need to keep it wrapped and let it heal the rest of the way before using it to be safe.”

I looked at my arm than the stallion hearing him gasp in excitement. “This is INSANE!” he turned to look at me with a large grin. “Blaze, you don’t have any problem with your magic, you just can’t harness the multiple energies at the same time!” he ripped a long print out of paper and ran over dragging a large amount of it, still leaving most of it where it was, as he showed me a set of lined graphs where it spiked, and where it was lowest. “During the test, I noticed points in time you had both that yellow aura and red aura.” He pointed to the low points that were circled. “that was when your magic was at its lowest, but when you focused one type of energy…” he pointed to a few points that the line was spiking a few times, than one that spiked in a quick moment, before going into a flat line. “and these moments is when you focused on one energy, and the moment you put so much in, it put pressure on your other energy’s reserve. You force it, instead of let it flow through you.”

I looked at the graph and tilted my head looking at it. “I…don’t understand this…” I looked at the stallion as he blinked and facehoofed, as Celestia began to worry about my arm and hand, and scolded the two researchers, to my amusement, as the three argued, about ‘how I could die in these experiments’ and ‘experimenting on my magic to help me control it, since I keep losing the ability to use it.’

A few days later.

I removed the gauss on my arm lying on the couch in the library as I held it up looking at the back of my hand as it blocked the light coming from the window above. It felt nice to finally free may arm from the layers of gauss and the splint…the itchy…itchy splint. Which reminds me.

I sat up and began to scratch my arm as I groaned in relief as I fell back again scratching it still. It feels like such a relief to scratch this itch I couldn’t reach for days. After I relieved the itch I let my arm hang off the couch onto the floor as I stared at the ceiling, as I heard hoofsteps coming in and out of the library, and silent whispering and murmuring for a while.

‘I can’t focus multiple kinds of magical energies.’ What could he have meant? That I’ll never be able to use all this magic to its full potential? No, that can’t be right, he was interested in it. I’m sure they’ll think of something to help me harness this power…right?

As I lied on the couch staring at the ceiling I felt a weight land on my chest making me jump and grab the culprit. I looked down to see I was holding Scootaloo as she was looking at me confused as I sighed. “You scared me there.” I smiled as I let her go. “Need something Scoot?”

She smiled as she held a letter to me. “This came in for you. Ditzy and Comet said it was important and to get it to you.” I took the letter as she sat on my chest, keeping her smile. “I may have read it out of curiosity.”

I chuckled a bit as I noticed the back was opened. “You know it’s rude to read others mail, right?” I saw her ear flick. “But if you’re smiling this much, it's gotta be something really good.” I could feel her bouncing a bit in anticipation as I slowly pulled the letter and mumbled some of the words as I skimmed it. “Hmmm…Mr. Feathers, we have discovered…yada yada…your magical flow is very spectacular…blah blah blah….” I kept noticing how they found the study on me to be increasingly interesting to them, then reached a point that made me blink. “Your magic can only focus through one conduit at a time. Mixing the natural magic of the atmosphere with one’s own magical reserve creates an overload that ceases the reserves from flowing for a time, mattering by the overload’s level.” I felt Scootaloo jump down off me, as I sat up. “If you can find a way to switch between the two safely, or find a separate conduit to pull the chaos magic through, you would be able to use your magic to its fullest.”

I set the letter down on the table. “I asked Twilight about it, and she said it meant you just need another way to focus your own magic and chaos magic separately, just like how a unicorn's….con…do…eet?” I chuckled a bit as I nodded looking at her. “…is their horn.” When I heard that I blinked and looked at my hand, I had just freed from its cloth prison.

My eyes widened as a thought hit me as to how to use it. I got up and headed outside to see Twilight was talking to Comet. “Hey babe, I need your help with something!” I walked over to her smiling, feeling the excitement to try this idea.

They turned to look at me as Twilight looked confused. “Uhhhh, alright, what do you need Blaze?” I walked past her to a clear area.

I looked at her and smirked. “I want you to create a barrier over me and a decent sized area.” Twilight blinked as she did as I asked.

I raised my right hand pointing the palm out as I raised my left hand coursing chaos magic through it, and placed it over my right forearm, as I heard Discord’s words from the first lesson to control my chaos magic. “the first thing to know about chaos magic, is it is not meant for combat, or defense, since such spells using it has repercussions of destroying your body, so it should only be a last resort for combat or anything like that. Chaos magic…is meant to change the nature of something. How it exists in the world.”

I took a deep breath, before exhaling, as I could see the light red aura over my left hand coursed through my right arm and hand, as I could feel the pores secreting a substance as I focused my flame magic into my right hand seeing a few flashes and heard pops like a firecracker. I tensed my teeth as I increased the chaos magic in my left hand feeling my right hand begin to tingle, as I focused fire magic in my right once more, as I loud explosion happened and I felt myself go flying and hit the barrier hard, making me catch my breath and fall onto my hand and knees coughing.

“BLAZE!” I heard Twilight and Comet run over as I noticed the barrier was gone, and could see a crowd gathering around us. “Are you alright?!”

I slowly stood up, breathing slowly. “I’m fine. Twilight, once more real quick.” I looked at her as I could tell she didn’t like this, as I smiled a bit. “I think I have it this time, just once more.”

She nodded as they backed up and the barrier came back up around me, larger than before and I placed my hands like before, and focused the magic through my hands, before the explosion happened again, but it didn’t send me flying as I held my hands in front of me looking at them and smirked closing them. A unicorn has their single horn to focus magic, but as a human I have my two separate hands.

I blinked and looked down at my feet, and slipped my hands into my pants pockets taking a few hops, before taking a few spinning kicks as lines of white and black aura followed my feet. I smirked as I pulled my hands out and set my left by my hip, keeping it open as I raised my right hand in a fist out in front of me, doing some kicks and punches, ending the streak, with the explosive blast, right against the barrier sending my flying, but I landed on my feet in a short slide panting a bit, as the barrier faded shortly after.

I could hear hooves stomping and saw Twilight run up to me and jump, hugging me as I caught her. “Blaze that was incredible! How did you do that?! That was the most magic I’ve seen you do recently without passing out, or being seriously injured!”

I chuckled and hugged her as well. “Well, Scootaloo mentioned her talk with you, and that made me think about my hands. Left for chaos, right for my own magic. Now I don’t overload my own magical energy, since I pull that chaos over my left hand, and my personal magic into my right, and my legs.”

She blinked and looked at me. “One more thing, how did you create that explosion?”

I blinked and chuckled nervously as I set her on the ground. “Well, I changed the nature of the pores on my right arm and hand, and changed how the sweat existed, as…well….more like nitroglycerine, using it as a base for an explosion. I…kind of ripped off the idea from a show from humanity, I discovered a few months ago, using the odd internet signal I found at the Wonderbolts camp.” She tilted her head raising a brow looking at me. “I’ll explain that in more detail later, for now just…I know how to use my magic safely, until I can mix the magical energies safely.”

Twilight gasped and smiled like Pinkie would, when she could throw a big party. “I have to write the princess about this!” she ran off towards the library, leaving me, Comet, Scootaloo, and Ditzy confused.

“Sooo…ya learned how to use your element in a different way, eh?” I looked at Comet to see him looking at me. “Seems I’m not the only one getting better with his element, and from the last I heard, Chrysalis was getting better with her terra as well.”

Ditsy walked over and put her hoof on his mouth. “You know I don’t like talking about the changelings right now, remember…?”

Comet moved her hoof going a bit red. “o-oh, right. Sorry Ditz. Why don’t you go ahead and pick up Dinky head on home, I’ll meet you there soon, before I head back to Cloudsdale. Alright?”

“Alright, I’ll see you soon.” Ditzy gave Comet a quick kiss on the cheek, before she flew off, as I watched, before turning into my Pegasus self jabbing at Comet.

“So, when did you and Ditzy become an item?” he tensed up, as his face went red, making me laugh.

He cleared his throat, as he scratched his head. “Oh, umm, that would be shortly after Discord messed up Equestria before. She and Dinky were on a floating bit of ground, and Ditzy didn’t have her wings. I helped them down, and went to help others after that, but about four days after everything was normal, I ran into them again, and she took me out to eat to thank me. Things kinda…kicked off from there.” He smiled a bit. “To be honest, I feel pretty lucky to have such an awesome mare in my life. We have so much in common. Music, stories, interests…we have opposites, but we see past those, and she knows about my magical capabilities, and she’s not afraid or seeing me as weird.” He looked at me smiling. “Us elemental ponies aren’t seen as freaks or monsters anymore, and it’s all cause of you Blaze. It’s like…you have some kind of power to create peace, and acceptance. Whatever it is you’re doing, don’t stop.” He turned around and ran off, before taking flight towards the direction of the school.

I could only smile and look at my right hand, hopeful that I can protect those close to me now. But my smile fell as I felt a wave of exhaustion hit me, as it felt familiar, but I couldn’t figure out how exactly. Time is catching up to me, and the possibility from when it does still scares me, but I have to push past my fears if I’m going to protect what I love. All I can do is persevere, and prepare myself and everyone around me for now, and I have an idea of where to start with that.

For the next few weeks, I had gone from town to town, city to city, and farm to farm, setting a stake made of my blood in crystallized form, with a massive amount of chaos energy, to repel any form of dark entities, or anything possessed by such beings, to create a protective barrier around the homes and businesses, and over all the roads in Equestria.

On the final day of the preparations, I went home and collapsed in a chair at the kitchen table laying my head down, feeling the stress from the blood loss, hearing a plastic container be set on the table next to me. “I STILL can’t believe Princess Celestia agreed to this…” I rolled my head over to see an unmarked bottle, with a few red pills in it, before seeing Twilight through it. “Please tell me you’ve finished, I don’t think the princess can prepare anymore of these pills for you. She was lucky to get enough of those ingredients for this bottle as a matter of fact!” I could hear the worry, behind her serious tone, as I sat up in the chair, with my head leaning back opening my mouth, as I did with the previous times this happened.

I felt two pills slip into my mouth, as well as some water right after, swallowing the pills as the rest of the water spilled on my face, feeling as refreshing as ever. I smiled and looked at her. “Don’t worry. I got the last one placed today. Manehattan, Las Pegasus, Canterlot, Ponyville, all places where anyone is living should be protected now.” I looked up at the ceiling, chuckling a bit. “The crystal empire was actually super simple. I just needed to infuse the magic over the crystal heart, like a cover, and the heart integrated my barrier into its own.”

I felt some pressure on my chest, which made me look down to see Twilight laying her head on my chest with a small smile. “I’m glad to hear it’s over. Seeing you come in all pale, and nearly passing out sometimes has had me worried for your health.” She looked up at me. “But please remember we are all here to help you. You aren’t alone in this, alright?”

I placed a hand under her chin and lifted her head some more, and lowered my own to give her a quick kiss. “I know. There isn’t much more that I need to do alone. I know it seems like I haven’t followed what I’ve said before, but there are still some things only us elementals can do to prepare Equestria for any attacks from the Nightmares.”

Twilight sighed, as her ears drooped. “I understand…just please don’t overwork yourself, when you don’t need to.” I nodded as I stroked her mane. “It’s crazy. Knowing that the Nightmares are separate entities that possess and control Somepony.” She looked at me with a worried look. “I mean, how would we know if Somepony was possessed?! Any of our friends could be possessed right now for all we know!”

I placed a finger over her mouth, and shook my head slowly. “They can’t possess whoever or whatever they want. There has to be something they can bond to. Envy, hate, anger, pain, even sadness. If they can’t bond to some point of emotion in Somepony, then they can’t possess them. Just like how Luna was extremely jealous of Celestia for having ponies enjoy her days, and nopony, if any would enjoy Luna’s nights back then. But now there are those night clubs, and star gazing, and even dates held underneath the light of the moon and stars. She doesn’t have those emotions towards Celestia, so Nightmare Moon will never return. At least, not through Luna.”

Twilight nodded, and began to head towards the Library after we heard the front door open. “Well that’s a relief, knowing Princess Luna is safe from their influence, and that you finished those barrier staves, so everypony is safe from them.”

After she left the kitchen I lifted my left arm looking at the gauss wrapped around the forearm and over the palm of the hand, slowly undoing them, and looking at the dozens of red lines on the forearm, and the black lines flowing along the cuts, and swirling into the center of the palm, feeling the same sensation I had at the end of the Wonderbolt Academy.

“What are you doing to me…?” I rewrapped the forearm and palm, making sure they were wrapped like my right arm was, before getting up and heading upstairs to the bedroom, giving Twilight a peck on the cheek as I passed her. As I sat on the bed I raised my left arm once more, and focused, making the same bit of black cloak that I absorbed from so long ago, holding it between my finger and thumb seeing it flutter slowly, in a non-existent wind, pieces tearing off it, but the amount of the fabric never diminished. “What are you keeping secret from me…Death…?”

I reabsorbed the piece of fabric and laid down, feeling my eye lids get heavy, as they closed. I let them close, as I fell into a deep sleep. One I’ll need before I continue my lessons with Discord. Right before slumber fully took me, I could see two figures within the darkness. Silhouettes that made me want to run up to them, but yet…I was afraid to…I couldn’t even question before my dream’s pulled me in, sending me into a state of relief, making me forget about, whatever it was I had thought about.

chapter 28 (multiverse 4) [preview/teaser read]

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I had woken up around 11 in the morning today, to get as much rest as I could before meeting with Discord to learn some kind of ‘special’ Chronomancy spell, from what I’ve been told. I did my usual morning needs before heading downstairs to the kitchen. I saw Twilight at her desk downstairs with her back to me, making me smirk, as I slowly, and silently came up behind her.

I looked over her seeing she was reading a book on spells, and enchantments of varying kinds, making me place my fore-finger and thumb on my chin as I read it as well, seeing details to the cloud walking spell, hair growth spell, anti-rust enchantment, and different enchantments for foods and drinks to change the rate of how they rot, ripen, or their state of physicality.

“Aren’t you going to be late?” I jumped as Twilight and I both looked back seeing Spike coming down the stairs. “You mentioned you were meeting with someone for something important today.” I looked back at Twilight as she looked at me with a stern look.

“Um, yeah, I should really get going.” I headed to the couch grabbing my backpack filled with fruits, snack bars, and a few drinks, as well as some clothes, and a few other essentials.

As I reached the door I heard Twilight clear her throat. “Just who are you meeting with exactly?” I froze looking at different parts of the door trying to think, since I didn’t want her to know it was Discord. “It’s Discord, isn’t it?” I tensed up, as she sighed. “I thought so. Fluttershy mentioned you had been meeting up with him a lot recently.”

I sighed and looked back at her. “I know you don’t trust him, and to be honest, I don’t fully trust him either. But he’s the only one who can help me with this chaos inside me.” Twilight nodded. “I know it was crazy for Celestia to offer releasing him, but I mean…it seems Fluttershy actually got through to him. He’s helping me out with this, and teaching me some ways to control this. I understand being…suspicious of him, because I am as well, but it’s been…what…two? Three months? And the worst he’s done was very prankish, rather than harmful.”

“That is true, but some of those pranks could harm Somepony in an indirect manner. Applejack lost a whole day of sales because he turned the apples white.” I scratched my neck nervously remembering that from my first day of training with him. “Thankfully they turned back to normal later that day but…still.” I should tell her the truth about that day; I shouldn’t make discord look bad, with his reputation, when this was my fault.

“Um, Twi…?”

“And let’s not forget how he jumbled the letters in all the books here and at the school for a day. I couldn’t read anything, and I almost lost it, but I saw the letter arrange themselves back to normal.”

“Twi…”

“And the incident at SugarCube Co-“ I walked over and gently held her muzzle shut as she looked at me surprised.

I looked at her with a serious face. “Slow down.” I let her muzzle go and sighed. “Discord is not to blame for any of those occurrences. Those were my fault, during my time training with him, so he could help me control and understand chaos magic and how its manifested, just like why some of Applejacks tree’s…the dead ones she wanted removed anyway…were destroyed. That was the same day I came back with that severely broken arm, because chaos magic is not originally meant to be used for combat, although he found ways to make it so, in a way it’s meant to be used as well, but I can’t do it that way. And I already told the others it was my fault it happened and asked them to keep it secret, just like I’m asking you to do now.”

She blinked looking down at her book then at me. “So, you turned the apples white?” I nodded. “The books?” I nodded again. “SugarCube Corner…?”

I crossed my arms. “Yes, and I paid them for their losses to reprimand my mistakes. They said I didn’t have to, but I couldn’t do nothing. It’s why they never complained after all.”

She put her hoof at her chin looking down. “I DID wonder why they didn’t mention those incidents again, and why Pinkie stuffed those cupcakes in her mouth when she talked about it, but I chalked that up to ‘Pinkie, being Pinkie.’”

I chuckled a bit. “I can understand why you would.” She chuckled as well, as I knelt down and gave her a quick kiss on her snout. “I’ll see you later babe.” I began to head to the door before I felt myself stop, and was pulled back.

Next thing I knew I was turned around and felt Twilight’s hooves go over my shoulders as she kissed me, as I pulled her closer deepening the kiss between us, until she broke the kiss. “Don’t you dare think you can get away with that poor excuse of a farewell kiss” she giggled as I smiled. “Be careful, alright?” I nodded as I got up and left the library.

I met up with Discord soon after getting my usual ‘glazed double chocolate muffin’ from Pinkie. He looked up at me from the book he was holding as he was leaning against Fluttershy’s home and smiled his usual, suspicious smile. “Ah, about time you got here Blaze.” I waved to him as I set my bag down. “So, you wanted to learn some more Chronomancy today, correct?”

I looked at him. “Yes. More specifically, the time travel aspect of it.” He blinked as he made his book disappear, walking up to me quickly grabbing my shoulders.

He lowered his face to my level staring intensely at me. “And why would you want to learn that…?”

I looked back at his eyes. “Because I need to…now…”

We kept staring into each other’s eyes, until he let me go walking away. “Don’t make me regret this.” I sighed silently and followed him grabbing my bag. We eventually reached a wide open pasture, seeing Ponyville a decent distance away, before he looked at me. “You understand the repercussions you could cause with this magic, right?”

I nodded. “But I’m not using it for those kinds of reasons. I don’t want to go to just the past. I need to do this to protect everyone…” he looked at me with a curious look. “To protect every version…” he blinked looking at me.

He began to laugh. “So you’ve seen it then, the different ways this world could have been. I’ve traveled between a few myself, but I was careful to not disturb anything.” He grinned. “Alright, I’ll teach you how.” He came up to me and grabbed my shirt lifting me up baring his teeth. “But promise me you will NOT disturb the balance of times flow.”

I grabbed his lion’s paw that was holding me up. “I promise I’ll PROTECT the natural flow of time, for all lines.” He set me down as he began to teach me how to use the spell.

3 hours later

I stood there panting, feeling the sweat flowing down my face, as my left eye was stuck closed from the sweat going around the eye. “No, no, no. you need to feel where you want to go. Imagine time as a tree that has grown to a near infinitesimal amount of branches, and still spreading and growing. Then feel the point you want. Then reach for it, and grip the doorway.” He turned his back to me as he was going into detail about the importance of these steps, as I closed my eyes, imagining the tree.

I could see the ends of the branches moving slowly, and splitting apart, intertwining with others, and seeing some stop as the gold energy of those branches burned out, as I could see a specific point begin to glow with a yellow arcing energy. I reached my hand out, before closing it, feeling like I was grabbing a thin curtain.

I slowly began to pull at it, feeling resistance, pulling harder, as I opened my eyes seeing that it was like I was pulling at the world itself. “And don’t tear it, or you will be forced through, without a choice. In doing so, you could get injured when going through, since when you come out where you’re going, you could be shot out, and become injured from the impact.” My eyes went wide as I saw what I was holding tear, creating a swirling mass of darkness in front of me. “WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!”

I looked over at Discord as he was running over, before a pulse of energy flowed through my body, making me raise my arms defensively, and hearing Discord yell out. I looked over to see he was blown back quite a distance. “DISCORD!” I went to run for him, but I felt something wrap around my waist making me look down at a black tendril, that was coming out of the black portal.

More tendrils came out wrapping around my legs, and arms, pulling me towards the portal. I tried to fight it, to no avail. “Blaze?!” I looked back to see Twilight, with Scootaloo on her back, as she dropped a basket running towards me.

“NO, STAY BACK!” I turned back to the portal, pulling harder, as my legs were slowly being enveloped by the portal, as I leaned back. “IT COULD PULL YOU IN TOO!” I tried to pull my legs back, taking small steps backwards, even as I was still sliding deeper into the vortex.

I felt something else wrap around me looking down to see purple hooves wrapped around me as I had a thin light purple energy over my body. “I will not let anything happen to you, or if I can’t stop it, I won’t let you go alone!” I looked over my shoulder and I could see Scoot, using her teeth to pull at the neck of my shirt while on Twi’s back.

I looked at Twilight, and then the portal seeing it was against my nose as I was still being pulled in. I did the next best thing I could do, and grabbed Twilight’s hooves and carefully grabbed Scoot and pulled them around holding them against me, as we were pulled into the portal. I closed my eyes, as we were spinning, and being pulled, and tossed around, before I opened an eye to see we were calmly floating through a tunnel network made of roots and branches, even though it felt like we were going at high speeds, and being tossed around like ragdolls.

I looked around and tried to call out to Twilight, but no voice came out, as well as my body wasn’t moving. As I looked around more, I saw I could barely see through the opening in the tunnel network, seeing a deep black void with a multitude of different color lights and energies floating around a large white gem wrapped securely in dense roots and branches, as I could see pulses of energy going through all of it.

We floated through this place for what felt like hours, but neither Twilight, nor Scoot twitched or moved once as I held onto to them with Scoot between me and Twilight, but I could feel them breathing. After a while longer, I looked ahead to see a large white portal open up, and it felt like my body was being sent towards it with increasing speed, until we went through.

I wrapped my arms around Twilight more, as I felt myself hit something, bouncing off whatever it was a few times, before I got my feet on what seemed to be the ground, sliding, until I collided with something with my left side extremely hard, feeling a sharp surge of pain, as I collapsed to my knees, trying to breath, from the impact knocking the air out of me.

I could barely hear Twi’s voice call my name, through the ringing in my ears, as I gripped my left shoulder making the pain surge through my body stronger, making me gasp and scream in pain. I quickly clenched my teeth together to stop my screaming and looked over to see something was pushing against the inside of the sleeve of my shirt, from my upper arm.

My vision was going in and out of focus as the ringing in my ears fluctuated with the surge of pain, which came up every so often. I forced my hand to let my arm go, and pull my sleeve up making the pain pulse stronger, making me shudder and tense up, as my I choked up a bit, coughing from the shock. When I got my sleeve up I looked over to see a shard of bone sticking out, with a red string like piece caught in the jagged end of the shard that was sticking out.

I slowly reached my right hand for it, and touched the odd red string, as the ringing in my ears grew to a deafening surge making me tense up and fall forward gasping, as tears were flowing from my eyes, making me close them tightly. I took slow breaths to calm myself down, as the ringing died down, as I could understand Twilight now. “Blaze, say something, anything!”

I gulped down the saliva that had accumulated in my mouth, and took a quick breath, seeing my backpack had been pulled into the portal with us, and gestured my head towards it. “Jacket…bag…need…”

“y-your jacket?” I nodded, as I carefully adjusted myself, so I was on my knees, seeing my left arm was limp, with the hand palm down on the ground, seeing more spots it could have been sprained and seeing chunks and pieces of wood all over it. “H-here you go.” I looked up to see my jacket floating in the air and grabbed it setting the top of the jacket in my mouth, as I carefully adjusted my left hand under my knee. “w-what are you doing? You should wait for help!”

“I…have to…reset it…correctly. Only I…can do it.” I set the jacket to hang over my shoulder as I bit the jacket harder and lifted my body to a more straight position pulling my left arm straight as I screamed in pain, using my knee to hold the hand to the ground as I reached my right hand under the jacket.

As soon as I came into contact with the shard of bone, and the odd string, the ringing returned, stronger than before as I figured out what it was in that instant, as my senses began to return. I carefully grabbed the nerve pulling it, sure I was screaming louder as I was looking at the sky, biting the jacket harder as I did. After a while, I got the nerve around the jagged end of the bone letting it go, and grabbed the bone pushing it back in, hearing myself groaning in pain, as the ringing died down, as I could feel my face soaking wet with a mix of sweat and tears.

I relaxed sitting on my legs panting with my eyes shut tight, feeling my forefinger, middle finger, and thumb were still inside the open wound holding the bone, before pulling myself back up, feeling the pain again as I carefully got the bone back in, and let it go as I lifted my knee feeling my arm snap up, as I pulled my fingers out. At that same instant, I could feel my left hand tense up, and opened my mouth coughing as I held my arm, leaning forward.

“Over here! Get the cart ready!” I heard Twi gasp and looked up to see her looking over, as I followed her gaze, seeing a large crowd of ponies making way for a cart that was coming towards me. My vision went black for what felt like a few seconds, before I opened them, to see I was set in the cart I had seen, and my arm had a quickly improvised splint and wrapped in gauss that was already soaked in my blood.

I looked over to see Twilight sitting next to me with one hoof on my chest to help keep me sitting against the side of the cart, and Scootaloo was next to her looking at me and the ponies pulling the cart, with fear in her eyes. I groaned a bit, making them look at me. “Blaze! It’s alright, just relax, we’ll be at the hospital soon.” I looked down and saw my right hand on my lap, seeing it was caked in dried blood, and chips of wood, as I felt exhausted.

I looked over my shoulder to see ponies watching us go by, and seeing some whispering to one another, watching me. As we were going, I could have swore I saw a large black pony walking the streets before we went around a corner, blocking my sight of them. I didn’t even get a chance to see what kind of pony they were, but the size seemed close to Celestia’s, if not larger. Could Scorch have followed me here? No, there’s no way he could have, I must have imagined it.

ALERT: anything may be changed or altered in final publication of full chapter. this has been the alteration alarm testing procedure. no need to panic, and we thank you for not going into an immediate panic. ☺