//------------------------------// // Revisiting Winter Frost's Firey Past // Story: The Black Mask Brothers // by Alex Rite //------------------------------// Baws The next day was my ticket out of Ponyville. I woke up, ready to go, until I heard more screaming. "Why the fuck are you here?!" "I have a promise with the commoner! He...he promised he would be here!" "Yeah, I know, I was there. I meant why aren't you outside waiting?" Fucking Celestia. I left my room, the kids and Alex still asleep. Just how early did Spark wake up? Fuck it, if its early than me, then I rather not know. "Oi, shut the fuck up you two." I said. And once again, Cocoa doesn't bother to look at me. Her muzzle is red though, so that's a start. "H-hey...Frosty." She said. Frosty? Uh... "Hey. Ready for the talk?" I asked her. She gave a small nod, and went outside. I followed her, but Spark stopped me with a hoof. "Reports came in, Beatrice Longhorn is in Canterlot." "She's here?! Shit...I'm going to Canterlot too, but not for Longhorn. Tell Alex that he has to pick on of the children to go with him." I said. Spark looked very confused. "But why? Why are you so determined for that sword?" He asked. I shook my head. "Reasons unimportant. Just tell Alex when he wakes up. It'll be a long trip, so I hopefully see you at midnight." I said. Alex "Or you could tell me right now," I said, standing at the top of the stairs. "Ex woke you up?" he asked. "Yeah, but that's not important right now," I replied. "Point is, you're about to do something stupid and dangerous... without me. I don't care what we're doin or why, but I'm your best friend. Where you go, I go. Now come on, you can fill me in on the way." Baws "Not this time. Other times, sure, but where I'm going is strictly dangerous. Not only that, but the time we're done, Longhorn might be gone." I said. "Your just getting a sword. Its not all that bad, right?" Alex said, walking down the stairs. "It is. The sword is their symbolism to the fire, and taking it would severely damage their group. And we may be sneaky, but even your magic won't protect you against them. They burn everything on sight. Their food, water, themselves. they practically became immune to fire, magic or not." I explain. Before Alex can refute, I kept going. "Don't even. You don't blend in well, and Spark can't feed the kids while we're both out. This is not an hour mission, Alex. This is a 12-hour mission that takes time. You don't have that kind of time." I said. It was quiet, but Spark spoke from the silence. "...At least tell us why you want the sword." He said. I sighed once more. "Fine. The sword was actually owned from a poor family back in Fillydelphia. Unfortunately, the daughter and mother didn't get along so well during that time, and the daughter ran off with the family relic. The Pyro's thought it was a joke, but little did they know was that one swing could severely damage an Ursa Minor. "A year ago, when we went to give back the Pharaoh's Golden Head, she asked me to get it back. I went over to get it back, only to join them." "You joined them?" Alex asked, feeling a bit betrayed. "I had no choice. Be burnt by to death by first degree burns or join them with my life intact. Not gonna lie, it went well. It was fun...for a while. Not until they started to cruelly treat their teammates like dirt. I left a friend back there, Duraflame. She...she really had trust in me. Kinda like you; she never went anywhere unless I was going. We went together. We burned enemy groups, and it was fun. "However, that daughter was Duraflame, and she gave up her family relic for that insane piece of shit group. I promised her mom that once I had the strength to go back, I'd return with the both of them. However, I learned that her mother died a few monthes back, and sent me a letter to just keep the sword. So...I'm going back for that." Once again, silent. It felt awkward at first, but it slowly settled in. "So, it was a family relic?" He asked. "And she said I could keep it. The best time is today, I usually know. Friday's for them is getting wasted with boiled beer. Its more disgusting than it sounds, but shit does it take you out." I turned, getting ready to talk Cocoa. "...You still coming, or are you going to get Longhorn for the info?" Alex "Okay, first off, you-" Spark said, pointing to the Ex. "-need to get out. We've got private business to discuss." And with one blue glow of his horn, the Ex was gone. "You could have teleported her out this whole time?!" I exclaimed, wondering why he hadn't used his Teleportation Ex Machina sooner. "Eeyup. Anyways, I already knew about Longhorn in Canterlot, and we can't get her there- the cops are watching her every move in vast numbers when she's not in the penthouse on top of her casino, so trying to get to her as the Black Masks would be a suicide mission. I've actually been planing how to get her on her own home turf, but there was one thing missing. That is, until you just suddenly bring one up. Ms. Duraflame might be exactly what we need- a demolitions expert!" Baws "Welp, thanks for breaking my promise with her, asshole. Bring her back, I still need to talk to her." I said. Spark just groaned. "Seriously?" He said. I gave him a disapproving look. He complied and brought back Cocoa into the house. She seemed really confused, but then she got really angry. "...You lied to me." She said. "No no, Spark just teleported you out when we were having a nice discussion." I said. She got even more fustrated. "I trusted you! Why would you do this? You lied to me!" She said. "I never lied. Now, let's calm down, shall we?" I asked, once again the gentleness rolling in. She quickly shut her yap, and her muzzle became red. "H-how...how are you doing that?" She asked. "Yeah, just how are you doing that?" Spark asked. "No need to worry! Like I promised, lets chill, alright? We can talk outside. Okay, just give me a few more seconds." I said. She stood there, a leaking sound was heard, but she quickly gave a nod. "Mhm! Y-yeah...I'll wait." She quickly ran outside. "Fuck...how do you do that?" Alex asked. "It's a thing anyone can do. Called the Fatherly Voice, it helps people feel calm, protected, and they easily gain trust in you." I explained. "Well that sounds awesome." Spark said. "Yeah, but what sucks is that it takes too damn long to learn. What's even worse is that, sometimes, it works a bit too well. See, I can already tell that Cocoa and her father don't get along well, which is why it works too well. Sometimes they fall for you, other times...well..." I trailed off. "Well? What would that be?" Spark said. "Just...watch where you step. They tend to melt and leak." I said. It took them a while what I meant. So long that I long-found a towel to wipe the spot clean. "Aw gross!" Alex finally said. "Late. Anyway, Spark, get them pizza until we get back. We'll be gone after my talk." I said. I walked outside, waiting for a talk. I walked out to the porch, searching for Cocoa. She waited for me outside, seemingly talking to herself. When I approached, I finally understood what she said. "So gross! I'm so gross! I didn't mean to do that! I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!" "I forgive ya." I said. She jumped higher than a cat would, and when she saw who it was, she blushed even harder. "F-Frosty! I-I didn't mean to! I didn't know! I'm sorry! I-I promise to clean it up!" She said. "Long did. Its fine. Plus, how do you even know my name?" I asked. "Spark. He speaks highly of you two." She said. "Nice. So...about this talk." She seemed to freeze, but started breathing again when she came to. "...I know. I'm sorry. Your so kind. Spark was like that before. I don't know why he would break up with me." She said. "Baffles me how he got you in the first place. Even more when he breaks up with you." I said. She chuckled, a smile appearing on her face. "Yeah. Your voice is so...gentle." She said. "Aww, you do like me!" "Shut up! I never said that!" "Denial only leads to more lies. Accept the truth!" "Shut up! Your so stupid!" She said that with a genuine smile. Never seen such innocence before. That threw me off a bit. I decided to keep going. "Me? Stupid? Then I guess it's stupid to assume that you like me." "Yeah, it is." "But your smiling. That's a lie." "I am not." "Look at me, without smiling or laughing, and say it to my face." She was so determined, she looked at me dead in the eye...for a couple of seconds. She snorted before giving a blast of laughter. "I hate you...so much!" She said through her snorts and laughs. "Heh...had fun?" I asked. "Yeah...I, um...I heard everything inside though." She said. That didn't surprise me. She was nearby, after all. "You were part of the Pyromaniacs, huh? My roommate was part of that." She said. "Yeah. It was...an interesting experience." I said. Least she didn't hear the Black Mask Brothers part. She nuzzled on my neck before continuing. "...They burned down my old home. Even my little brother." She said. "...When?" "A couple of monthes ago. They..." I felt a trail of tears climb down my neck. "...they burned him. My little Marsh Mellow." She said. "I know. Those ruthless bastards don't care anything that doesn't involve them. Its alright." I wrapped an arm around her, her falling onto me. "I miss him so much. He was so innocent." She cried even more. Fuck...I guess Equestria can be ruthless. "I know. I'll teach them a lesson." I said. Suddenly, she wrapped her arm around my neck, and the grip tightening. "I remember who did it though. I remember it through all the fire and flames." She said. "Who is it?" I asked. Her voice became an iceberg. "Duraflame." She whispered. My teammate? Duraflame...what did you do? "Kill her for me. I can't even begin to...to forgive that bitch." Her voice became much more colder. Fuck... "...I'll have a talk. I can't forgive them either." I said. "...Then promise me you'll give her a good beating?" She said. Jeez. "I promise that. I'll see you when I come back." I said. She smiled, and released me from the grip. Her tears of rage and sadness turned into tears of justice and salvation. "Thank you." She said. She begin to walk off, and I turned to the door to see Alex just as shocked as I was. I sighed, trying to wave it off. "Ready to go?" I asked. Alex "You know, if you don't want to let this Duraflame chick into the gang..." I began. "She didn't do it." Baws said, plain and simple. "Dura may have loved blowing things up, but she hated seeing ponies get hurt, almost like a destructive Fluttershy. She'd always try to get ponies out before they set a place on fire, and if anypony was still inside, she'd risk her life to save them. She'll make a loyal Black Mask... if she decides to join our ranks." Baws "At least, I hope so. Celestia knows ponies are easy to manipulate." I said. Alex sighed, knowing that things hit the fan real quick. "So? What are you gonna do now?" He asked. I glared at him. I'm not angry at him, no, I'm angry about Duraflame. She has done bad things, but killing? "It's time we end their little group." I said. "How?" "We're leaving, right now. Pack your shit, we're going to Canterlot." "But what about--?" "Now!" Alex "Sir yes sir!" I said, saluting. A few moments later, we were on our way to Canterlot, Baws flying the coach since he was the stronger of the two of us. "So anything else I should know about Duraflame?" I asked Baws. "Well, she gets a little creepy-crazy when she's in destruction mode, but the rest of the time she's like a cute little filly. Knowing you, you'll probably go all 'big brother' on her after you meet her." "I am totally okay with that!" I replied. Baws "But..." Alex looked back at me. "She does tend to flirt with, you know, anything that moves." "...Well crud." He said. We land, in front of a building. However, what caught me off guard was-- "It's burned?" Alex asked. I was thrown off. This place was absolutely burned to a crisp. Windows shattered, some parts of the wall actually melted, and, even now, bits of fire is still seen. "The fuck? Where did it go? What the hell?!" I almost screamed in anger. "Psst, hey." I heard. I turned, and saw a red pony with rusted gear. This pony had rusted pads on her legs, body, and neck, but still a mare nonetheless. "What are you looking for, kiddo?" She asked. "Nothing much, pretty cold out here, would say so myself." I replied back. A brow raised, her suspicions growing. "But it's pretty warm out here." She replied back. "I rather sit next to a nice warmth of fire." I said. Her eyes shrunk when I said that. "You the newbie?" She asked. "Retired. I wish to speak to Pyro." I said. She almost laughed her ass off saying that. "And what rank were you when you left?" She said with a confident smile. I smile back. "Rank 34, Hell's fury." I said. That shut her yaps. "S-sorry sir! I-I didn't mean to--" "Where is he? What happened to the base?" I asked in a commander tone. She gulped, and waved a hoof over. "Follow me, I'll explain." She said. Alex "Our base was brought down by an ex-member named Duraflame." the mare said as we walked. "Something about somepony dying in one of our recent outings. Weird, right? I mean, where's the fun in destroying things if some innocent bystander doesn't get hurt!" That part got to me. I was about to go give this mare a difference of oppinion, when Baws grabbed me by the shoulder and gave me a look that said, "not yet." "So anyways, the little traitor takes the flaming sword Shishkebab and wrecks the place while we're all out getting hay burgers, then runs off. Sufice to say, sir, we will find her, and we will kill her for her betrayal. Shouldn't be too hard. As you know, our Pyromaniac training makes us nearly invincible- physical attacks don't hurt us, we're all completely fireproof, and we're even immune to all known forms of magical attacks! Duraflame may have had the same training, but even the best training can't fend off an assault by a great many attackers." "Any idea where she could be?" Baws asked. "In the caves nearby, I'd say, but you'd need a bloodhound to quickly find someone in there." "Or a dragon-pony with incredibly refined senses." Baws said, before nodding to me. "That's all we needed to know. Alex?" One solid blow to her face, and the mare was out cold. Not gonna lie- I really wanted to do that. And so, the hunt was on. Baws She fell out cold. Well shit. She's gonna pissed when she wakes up. It took a second before Alex started rubbing his claws. "Gah...fuck. Seriously?" He said. "She did explain that it would be harder to kill. To be knocked out this easy..." I rubbed my chin, looking back at the unconcious pony. "...she must be rank 3 and below." I said. "Look, their cruel. How about we--?" "No." I quickly cut him off. "Fighting each and every one of them is insane. You bruised your claws proving that." I pointed as I finished. When he gave it a look, his knuckles turned a bit purple from his greenish color. "And that's rank 3 you just punched. I suggest holding back. I won't help you if you get yourself in a stupid situation." I said coldly. He looked surprise. Well, he did with a free will, signed in confirmation. "Now, let's go. I swear to Celestia, hold your anger back. They test you harshly. They will push every single button you have until you become one of them. Just...hold back." I said. We enter the cave. Already joined the group, I already got used to the somewhere-close-to-believable sun level. Alex, however, well...I didn't know dragons could sweat. He was already sweating the moment we enter. "Fucking Celestia it's HOT in here!" He said. With my short tail, I created a small cloud. I grabbed it, formed it into a ring, and gave it to him. "Wear it. Should cool you down for a while. Now, when entering this building, the necklace will do some good, but you'll still feel the heat. Just be ready to pant and sweat a lot." I explain. He groaned. "Jeez, their fucking crazy. No AC, though?" He asked. I kept walking. "No AC." I said, starting to...return... to my old habits. Alex I don't like this. One of the drawbacks I've always had to being a dragon-pony, the pony part of me hates extreme heat, and the dragon part of me hates extreme cold, so really, I'm no fun to be around in winter or summer. Where was I going with this? Oh, right, this place is REALLY FREAKING HOT!!! "How long is it gonna take to find her?" I asked. "I don't know, you're the one with the super-sniffer. Now get tracking!" He was right, I was the tracker here. I put my nose to the ground and took a sniff. Separating the scents of fire and smoke from everything else, I found the scent of living beings. Many of them smelled the same, a distinct oder of flame and fury, but I managed to pick out one scent that distinguished itself from the others- fear. It was Duraflame. And if I was right, the other Pyros were already much closer to finding her than we were. Baws He pointed to a certain direction. "That-a-way!" He said. We ran into one of the caves and dashed by a bunch of rooms. That was, until we reached a certain somepony's room. She walked out, and I crashed really hard into her. Tumbling across the floor, we finally stopped laying next to each other. "Fucking...shit!" She silently cursed. "Fuck!" I did as well. We got a good look at each other, before she got testy. "You..." She growled. I quickly got up, but so did she. "How dare you come back?! You trai--!" "Stop right there, fuckturd." I put a hoof up. I sighed, before setting it down again. "Yeah, I left, but you know the exact reasons why." "Cause you want to be buddy-buddy with the good guys! You saw how stupid they are! You know it! Their manipulated like...slaves! We burn their house, and free them from torment!" She explained. "You killed innocent lives. These aren't missions, this is genocide. Do you realizing who you're killing?" I asked. "Traitors, slaves, manipulative pieces of whorse shit." She badmouthed. I shook my head. "Your killing families." I said. "Bullshit." "Why the fuck do you think I'm back, then?" "Because you would come crawling back when you realize just how right we are." "Arrogant piece of shit." "Kiss-Ass." Another reason why I left: these ponies are arrogant pieces of shit. She took a look at Alex, her purple mane swaying. Huh...guess I haven't described her, did I? Well, for starters, imagine a kick-ass version of Rainbow Dash; uncombed fallen mane that covered one of her eyes. The covered he is actually a plastic ball. She lost an eye in a fight. Anyway, replace the rainbow colors with different shades of purple, replace her blue coat with a white coat, and you got yourself Vanella Von Hoofin. "Who the fuck is this piece of shit?" She asked rudely. I growled at her. "His name is Alex, and hope I don't have to kick your ass like last time if you disrespect my friend like that again." I said. She scoffed. "Please, I pinned your flank to the damn ground. Like Tartarus if you can beat me." She said. "Wanna bet?" I started to feel the anger I had when I came here. I never liked it here. I was...different when I walked in this place. I felt arrogant, angry, the shady person that never talks unless peeved off or spoken to. I just felt...different in the heat. I couldn't explain it. The heat changes you. I can see why they prefer it in the heat. She glared at me, before whipping her head away from me. "...Fuck off." She said. I smiled, knowing she would wuss out. "Fucking thought so, bitch." At this point, we swore like sailors. I glared at her, and she went back at glaring at me. "Rank." I simply said. She spoke the same way. "Rank 29, Celestial Rage." She said. I smiled. "You're still beneath me. Rank 34, Hell's fury." I said. She brushed the insult off. "That's because Pyro decided to rank you up after defeating our top Rank's Men in the escape. You were Rank 32, weren't you? How do you know you're Rank 34?" She asked. "Like hell I'm telling you." I said. She growled even more. "Prick. Just why are you back here anyway?" She asked. "Um, we're here for the Shishkebab." Alex chimed in, like a kid entering a grown up conversation. She laughed. "Like Tartarus your getting that shit back. Pyro's grown to attached to it, and now it won't leave his side. They found her and bringing the sword back to him." She said. "Already?" I asked. She smiled. "We get our shit done." She simply said. Sounded like an arguement between two lovers, and not the good kind. Yet we were still friends in some degree. She scoffed once more. "So once you steal that, you're leaving huh?" She asked. "What of it?" I asked. She sighed. "...You know, I wasn't the only one that missed you, ya know?" She said. "What about Duraflame?" I said. She glared at me. "Not that traitor. The other two. Blueberry and Redwood. They...they cried when you left them." She said. My heart got even colder. "Maybe I'll forgive you when you look at a burning child in the eye. Like hell you could experience what I've seen." I said. "Yeah, they also told me to do this." She suddenly swung and hit me right in the cheek. Gotta admit, deserved that for not saying goodbye. "Fuck!" I said through the pain. "That was for them. They also said to come visit if you ever came back. You know where they are." She said. She simply walked past me, and up to Alex. "...The Black Mask Brothers, huh? Pssh...fucking pussies." She said, before completely walking off. Alex was completely confused. "Wha...how did she--?" "She's not like any pony, Alex. Everyone of these ponies in this cave is special in some way. She's no different. Not only is getting her punch like a kick by the Princess of the moon, she's not any dumb pony out there. She's smarter than that." I said. Alex stood there. "Then why hasn't she told any of the guards who are hunting us down?" He asked. "Other than taking us to jail, what good would it do? Won't give you sastisfaction. You just set your friend in jail, and he's doing something for the right cause. No point in jailing a good guy." I explained. Alex stood their, beyond belief. "Fuck...remind me to never piss these people off." He said. "Trust me, it'll burn into your brain. Now, before we get the sword, I need to talk to Blueberry. She's...she's special to me." I said. "Special? Special how?" "Just..." I sighed. "...come on. She's really sweet. You'll like her." I said. As we walked out, it was gonna be a long trip, before we get to Blueberry's. I'm sure he has questions. Alex At this point, I had so many questions rolling around in my head. Who the hay were Blueberry and Redwood? What happened that caused my bro to leave these creeps? What exactly had he done in his time here? Welp, I'm not gonna find out by just standing here and thinking about it. Best start with the easy one. "So who are Blueberry and Redwood?" I asked. Baws "Redwood? He was an oddball. I liked him. He was like you, sorta. He always wanted to have a thrill in life, and he always wanted to do things for the right. He was...weird, but likable." I said. "And Blueberry?" He asked. I couldn't find the right answer to describe her. "...She's..." I trailed off. Until, I found a temporary answer. "She's not bad, actually. You think she is with these arrogant assholes, until you realize she's the complete opposite. The lowest rank here: Rank 1, Candle. She hasn't moved since. I don't know her motives for coming here, since to rank up, you need to burn the hell out of everything in every mission, but she's to damn nice. And to be honest..." I looked at him, his curiosity still standing. "...I love her more than Dash, and vice versa. But, don't tell her that. She isn't so happy to see me when I left for a goodbye, so we're--" I cleared my throat, correcting my mistake. "--I'm going to apologize...and probably accept a beating from Redwood. He isn't physically strong, but I'm sure it'll get the steam pumped out of him. He also had a crush on Blueberry." I explained. He looked baffled, if not mind fucked. "What...? But I thought you like Dash!" He said. "Once you meet her, I promise you, she reminds you of your new girlfriend. Something about her is so sweet and innocent, you can't help but befriend her. She's like a Mary Sue, but even more nice. It's so impossible it's almost cheating." I said. I looked upfront, and waved him into a nice litted cave for us to get to the next bridge. "Anything else?" I asked, getting back into my newer habit, thankfully. Alex "Okay, what exactly did you do when you were one of these creeps?" I asked. Baws looked at me like I was an idiot. "I set things on fire, duh." he replied, then looked kinda sad. "I'll be honest... I did a lot of bad things back then. Came pretty close to hurting some ponies, too. But the worst thing, the part that scares me the most, was that back then... I didn't care. I didn't care if anypony got hurt, or how my actions effected their lives. All I ever cared about was setting things on fire... and watching them burn." Wow. Okay. I certainly won't be sleeping tonight. Or tomorrow night. Or ever again. Guess that only leaves one last question. "What made you quit?" Baws "...I think the better question is, why did I stay? But, you are right. So, I left because I met you in the process." I explained. He seemed to be a bit confused at that. "Uh, what?" He asked. I sighed. "Just...let me explain." I said. I swear these fuckers never hurry up. "Oi, what's taking you so long?" I asked impatiently. A growl was heard from the other side. "Shut up." I heard. Vanella was never the type to worry about fashion, but today was an off day for me. I sighed, waiting for the mare to get out of the damn bathroom. It wasn't long before Blueberry came up to me. "W-Winter? Hey! How are you?" She asked. Blueberry was special. She was blue all over, her hair and tail a bit darker than her skin. Her ponytails made her look extremely cute, and she was in her usual set of armor: A couple of straps here and there, but not enough to get the mission done. She had a small flamethrower strapped on her back, but she never uses it. It boggles me to no end how she got here. "Hey, Berry. Just waiting for Prissy to get out so I can use it." I said. "I can do this all day, asshole." She yelled back. I am legitimately deciding to use it when we get to the city of Fillydelphia. Screw it. Not long before Redwood showed up. He had red skin with brighter outings on the end of his hooves and muzzle. His hair short and combed, and he always had a green cape on his back. Though, he always did stutter from time to time. I...don't see any gear on him either. He was a good look out though. "H-hey! How are ya? He asked. I gave a small shrug. "Meh. Need to pee." I said. After moments, the bathroom door opened, and out came Vanella. She was in fair amount of gear: tons to call it insane, but light enough to run. She waved a hoof at the door. "Their. Happy?" She said. I smiled. "You barely smell like a mare, if that's what your asking." I said. Her jaw dropped, but I quickly do my business before she swung at me. Today was the day we burn down the Bit-Coin Inc. See, bits is widely used these days, but this company's owner is a bit of a prick. We're set to hunt him down, and burn all of his entrances. Pyro is suppose to handle him after that. Just do our job, and get it over with. However, I wasn't expecting a certain somepony to show up and steal a valuable item. Ruined our plans, but I'll get to that later. "Wha? Finished? But I still don't know why you left!" He said. "I know, but we stopped because we're here." I said. Indeed we were. However, it was...quiet. I gave a few knocks. "Hello? Anyone there?" I asked. It was quiet, but the door clicked before making a small gap. A blue face appeared. "Hello? Who is it?" She asked groggily. "...Its Winter. Can you open the door?" I asked as politely as I could. She was slow to respond. "...No. " she said. "Please? I want to apologize." I said. Alex could already tell that I really didn't want to be here. He knows what's next. The door slowly opened, and we walked into her room. Wasn't as bad as I remembered it. It used to have random chemical stains on the ground and walls, new or old. Now they were dried up and barely visible, and the living room was pretty much basic. "Blueberry? Who was at the do-?" Out came the red pony, Redwood. He stopped when he saw me, and, compared to Alex's fury, his overwhelmed it, and I'm sure Alex knew. "You...why are you here?" He asked, his body visibly shaking from trying not to hurt me. "Holy shit...what did you do to piss him off to the point where he can't even control his body?" Alex asked. Redwood was already boiling, but it was volcanic when he saw me. "He ran away without a goodbye. Didn't even know he ran until Duraflame ratted him out." He said. I was legit scared, honestly. He usually has anxiety problems, and can't control his stuttering. He hasn't stuttered once. "I know your angry, but--" If I had to guess, I was punched at this point. How did I figure this out? I went from looking at Redwood, to staring at the wall in an instant. And let me tell you something: That hurt like a BITCH!! "Ow! Shit!" I reacted a bit slower than I thought I would. But...that hurts. "That...hurts. That hurts? ...That hurts!" I repeated like a kid finding out a new swear word. Redwood wasn't physically strong before, but this strong now? Fuck man. "You...you're really mad at me, huh?" I smiled, regardless of getting hit. "...You hurt Blueberry. We...she cried about you. Every damn day. Bet you don't care though. You would rather hang out with your pet dragon over there than with us." He said. "Pet dragon?!" Alex flared up. I sat silent. "...Even to this day, you broke her heart. So what makes you think we'll forgive you?" He asked. "...You won't. Nothing in this world, nothing I do, would change your minds. Just came here to apologize, and leave." I said. It was quiet, and before Redwood can raise another hoof, Blueberry spoke in a whisper. "Leave the dragon here. I want to ask him about Winter." She said. She's not in her usual happy self. More depressed...and pissed off. Quick as lightening, Redwood threw me out of the department. I sighed once more. "...Damn it." I said. Guess she'll continue then. Alex Blueberry walked over to me, and I could see what Baws was talking about. The mare was small, and timid to the point of being Fluttershy. How she managed to be a part of these Pyromaniacs, I don't think I'll ever know. "So. What is your name?" she asked. "Um... Alex. Alex Rite." "How long have you been Winter's friend?" "Not too long, I guess. At least, not compared to how long he was your friend. But we're close. I call him Baws." "Baws?" "It's his nickname. I call him that cause he's one of the coolest friends I've ever had, and it's short for BadAss Winged Stallion!" "Is... is he happy?" "Y'know, I honestly thought he was. But I think he might have always regretted leaving without saying goodbye." "Hm. Doesn't sound like the Winter I know." "Maybe not, but it certainly fits Baws." She smiled. "I guess so." "Also, could you tell that guy I am not a pet, and the very idea that he would think that of me is incredibly insulting!" "Ha! You're alright." she said. Blueberry then turned to Baws and socked him in the jaw too. I could tell he didn't really feel it, but he acted like it hurt, so I'll give him that. "I deserved that." he said. And with that. Blueberry smiled, gave him a hug, and returned to her room. "Forgiven?" I asked him. "A little. Not entirely, but enough for us to have an actual goodbye this time around." "Good to hear. So anyways, where in this story of yours do I come in?"