//------------------------------// // Showing Concern // Story: Forked Tails of Fire // by Serenade Sketch //------------------------------// Selena was still searching for any sign of Maya and because it was daylight out, she disguised herself again as Lantern Light. She tried searching every nook and cranny of town in hopes of finding her friend, she eventually sees two random ponies talking to each other about something interesting. "Did you hear about the fire that spontaneously appeared in the market place?" the first one asked. "Yeah, I'm just glad nopony was hurt, plus, I heard that Princess Twilight was going to investigate the cause personally," the second one replied. Selena then walked right up to them and asked, "Excuse me, but what are you talking about?" "Didn't you hear? A vendor stall at the market place mysteriously caught on fire. Not even the pony running the stall knew how it started, she said there wasn't anything that could ignite a fire in her stall which was where the fire started," the first pony answered. "Some say it might have been started by magic, so who better to examine the wreckage than Princess Twilight, who is an expert on magic?" the second pony added. "Oh, I see, thank you," Selena said as she walked off. 'Fire started by magic? Even if that was the case, it couldn't have been Maya, she knows better.' Just then, she heard a voice coming from the sky yelling, "Hey! AJ!" Selena then walked over to where she heard the voice and saw and orange earth pony calling a blue pegasus over to her. "Down here sugarcube!" she called as the pegasus flew down to her. "What's wrong?" "Twilight needs us down at the castle, she says it's important." The two then ran and flew off to the castle with Selena following them while making sure that they don't notice her. Soon, the two friends soon reached the castle and went inside with Selena following them quietly. The two ponies walked into the main room with four other ponies and a young dragon inside. Trying not to be detected, Selena stayed on the other side of the door and pressed her ear on it to listen. "Applejack, Rainbow Dash, I'm glad you two could make it," a normal female sounding voice said. "No problem Twi," a raspy voice said who Selena recognized as the pegasus with a rainbow mane. "Anyway, I've gathered you all here because of a mysterious fire that appeared in the market place recently," the one she assumed was Princess Twilight said. "What happened? Was anypony hurt?" a quiet voiced asked in a concerned tone. Twilight then replied, "Fortunately no, but nopony found any object that could cause a fire which is why there's the possibility that it was caused by magic." "How do you know the cause was magic?" the pony with a southern accent said. "I managed to salvage some magical residue from the site of the fire and after some research, this is defiantly fire-based magic. The only thing that confuses me is that it isn't the same magic as a unicorn's." "If it wasn't a unicorn, then what was it?" a young male asked. "I've checked every book I have on creatures capable of creating fire from magic, but I haven't gotten any results." Selena knew that very few ponies have known about the existence on nekomatas which is why there's no record on them. She then quietly escaped the castle and ran off somewhere in Ponyville and tried to think this over what she heard. 'So it was started by magic, but was it really Maya? If only I saw what the color of the flame was when it first started. Right now, I need to find her right now.' Selena then continued her search for Maya, wishing for her safety. The CMC and Maya left the market place and continued with the tour, however, Maya was still in deep thought about the fire worried if Selena really did start it. Suddenly, she heard someone ask, "Um, Fire Dance?" Maya then came back to reality and saw it was Sweetie Belle who spoke. "Are you okay? You've been quiet ever since we left the market place." "Oh, uh, I'm fine really. I'm just a little on edge about the fire," Maya said. "Well, that and I'm still worried about Lantern." "Don't worry, we'll find her," Apple Bloom said. "I know we'll run into her eventually." Maya then nodded and tried to focus on enjoying the tour, until a familiar voice called out, "Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Fire Dance!" They then saw Applejack running towards them. "Applejack, did you find her?" Apple Bloom asked. "No, sorry Fire Dance," Applejack apologized. "It's fine, I'll find her soon," Maya replied. "Anyway, Twilight said that magic started the fire, but she doesn't know what or who," Applejack said. "Now, I want the four of you to be careful, ya'll hear?" "Yes, Applejack," all four answered. They all went off on their own ways with Maya in deep thought again. 'Everyone back at home said that barely anyone knows about the nekomatas, so it might just be a nekomata. Selena, please be okay. As the three fillies and one disguised nekomata ride off to their final destination, one pegasus with an emerald coat, a honeydew mane, and a Cutie Mark of a phoenix feather watches them, keeping her eyes on Maya. "Maya, Selena, you'll be back home soon," she said as she flew off into another part of town.