//------------------------------// // 1. An unprepared-for landing // Story: From somewhere, anywhere but here. // by Majorminor //------------------------------// The name’s Solar Flare. Most people just call me Flare, not that anybody actually knows knew I exist. Well, until now...” The sun’s golden rays of a surprisingly warm winter day beat down upon my matte orangish-red fur. My short, midnight blue mane had a single cyan stripe, and naturally spiked up and forwards. It blew freely in the cold wind zooming past. Whistling in response as I went. My chromatic eyes, darting lazily back and forth, mindlessly Identifying my surroundings. Glazing over the beautiful blue sky. The fluffy, plump clouds, the lush apple trees. The solid dirt ground coming ever closer and closer... ” ... “Oh f-” THUMP! “Ouch, that looked like a pretty bad crash. You okay there?” Said a mysterious teenage voice. That’s when I first laid eyes on her... “Wow... You’re really pre-GUK” (I choked from my tongue ramming itself down my throat.) “Yeah I’m fine, thanks. Hopefully just a bruise.” I replied ‘Or a cracked skull!’ I glanced at her briefly, and saw she was staring at me whist blushing profusely. She almost instantly dropped her face so it was obscured in her scarf. “That crash was almost as bad as some of mine! At least you didn’t end up stuck in tree sap.” She cringed. “‘Crash’!? I prefer the term unprepared landing.” I joked, “And for the tree sap, its like a magnet to me! I always stay away from it! “Huh, that first bit sounds like something my sister would say... And we have a lot in common.” She pondered. It was only now that I realised her friends next to her. Both giggling uncontrollably. Do they know what I’m thinking? I hope it isn’t that obvious, if they know... Maybe she does as well! Right, best poker face on... now! “I’m Scootaloo by the way, and this is Sweetie Belle and Applebloom.” She smiled nervously while gesturing towards her two friends. “Hi.” They said in unison and in the most innocent way possible. Just making me suspicious. They stared at me until I looked away, still laughing. I no longer know what for however. “Hi... I’m Sol-GUK...” (I’m considering cutting off my tongue at this point, (A. To stop myself from slipping any information, and B. Because it might cause me permenant breathing problems). “Soleguck? That's a funny name!" She giggled before abruptly apologising. 'Oh screw it, one person knowing won't kill anyone.'"Heh, that's because my name is actually Solar Flare..." "Oh, that makes more sense! That's a really nice name, I like it!" She smiled. Just as she said that, her friends whispered to each other. I heard it, but I don't think she did though... “Hey Sweetie Belle, check it out... He’s a blankflank!" The red maned and yellow coated filly exclaimed to her friend, who was a crisp white with bubbly bright pink and lilac hair that almost looked like edible bubblegum. “Actually I do have a cutie mark.” “...” “...” “Ya do?” “Then where is it?” “Uhhh... I... Uhh... Hide it.” I stuttered. Instantly regretting telling them this much already. ‘Damn my fast mouth and slow brain! Where’s my tongue rammer when you need it!?’ “IhideitforagoodreasonthatIwouldrathernottellyouwhybecauseitisagoodreasonandifitwasn’tthenI’dtellyoubutitissoIcan’toryou’dknowmysecret! Sorry!“ I exhaled repeatedly, gasping for the air that I lacked so badly. “Wut.” The southern accented filly blankly replied. “Ya’ll are proper creepin’ me out...” she gestured at... Well, me. “Yeah, not even Rainbow Dash could keep up with that!” Scootaloo joked. God was she beautiful, what with her tomboyish, radiating purple, hazey hair, and her sun orange fur. And those enticing purple eyes that ju-“ “Are you okay?” She snapped me back to reality once more. “Yeah... that ‘unprepared landing’ did look pretty painful...” Applebloom said, actually looking somewhat sincere. “I’m fine. Trust me, never better.” I stated, almost too quickly. Scootaloo silently pondered something before looking at me. “Well, you wanna join us? We were just about to go home and get our stuff for our weekly sleepover, but I guess it can wait.” She smiled warmly at me. Almost like an inviting log cabin fire on a winter day like today. “Yeah! Plus I wanna know about your real cutie mark! What does it look like?” Sweetie Belle screeched in her very prepubescent voice. “Ah bet he don’ even ‘ave one an’ he’s lyin’ to us!” Apple Bloom mocked. Within a flash, my flank shockwaved outwards and collapsed in a green mini magical supernova, revealing my cutie mark. A flare. But not a firework explosion, no. It was a wisp like the ones that would leave the sun’s surface. A literal ‘solar flare’. “Woah!” Came all three voices from all three unhinged jaws. “How did you do that?!” Scootaloo gasped. “Please tell me! I won’t tell anyone! Promise!” Little did she know, that she just asked me to do something practically ‘illegal’ if you like, without even knowing. “ ‘Me’! Ya mean ‘us’!” Applebloom punched Scootaloo in the arm. I laughed at their immature behaviour. “I could... Only you can.” I pointed at Scootaloo and smiled mischievously at her, reeling them in for more information. “Why only me?” She questioned, puzzled. I glanced around for anyone watching or listening to us, and then answered. “Because it’s Pegasus magic, and earth/unicorn ponies can’t use pegasus magic.” I rolled my eyes playfully. “Then how come only pegasii can cloak their cutie mark?” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom exclaimed disappointedly. “You can too, but only by using your own base types of magic. And I’m a Pegasus in case you hadn’t realised, so I can’t really help you. I’m also one of ten guardians of the universe, and there are only three on each pony race in existence, so I’m sorry to be so blunt, but good luck stumbling across an earth pony guardian. It is possible, but extremely unlikely. Sorry.” “Oh.” Applebloom sighed. “Then who’s the other guardian?” She realised I hadn’t said yet, to which surprised me she even realised it. “It’s an alicorn. Named ‘Starswirl the Bearded’, who comes from this Equestria and was originally a unicorn. Until time and space itself enlightened him to become an alicorn. The first ever. He’s the one who discorver over half of your known spells, and found out that base pony magic even existed. He found out that unicorns don’t get there power from their horns, they only focus and magnify their base magic, which is why they can control it so easily compared to Pegasi and earth ponies.” “Ohhh... Ah guess that makes sense...” Applebloom nodded in agreement, surprisingly understanding every word I said, the others still had questions though. “Why is the only book he made just about unicorn spells he discovered?” I’ll tell you a true story about him, he faced Discord, Tirek the merciless and Gui the widow-maker. He banished them all at once to the spirit realm for years. And they didn’t even get to breathe let alone attack him. And they were at least twice as powerful at the time, too. Now Discord has become ‘free’ and ‘retired’ from chaos, and you all had an ‘incident’ with Tyrek not to long ago. But at full power, we’d all be dead within less time than time itself. So he was the entire universe’s saviour, and yet no one knows apart from you three and us guardians. No glory did he receive.” I sighed deeply at his unfortold deed. We then carried on on our path in needed silence. For a little while at least... “Sooooo... Could you teach me? Please? I won’t tell a SOUL, I swear!” Scootaloo begged pleadingly. ‘I shouldn’t, under any circumstance, do this... Normally.’ “Sure, but it won’t be easy!” I smirked at her growing smug grin. “I’m the surrogate sister/daughter of Rainbow Dash! Anything we do must be hard, We don’t do easy!” Now that is motivation right there. “Impressive. But first of all, I would like to know a bit more about yourselves, if you don’t mind.” -Some (lots) more talking later- “Anyway, Scootaloo. Channel all of your energy through you as if you wanted this, and nothing else. Almost like commanding it. Then relax and almost ‘zen out’ until your mind is blank except for what you want, in this case, a cutie-mark cloak/concealment. Then you’ll know if it works.” I gave a brief demonstration of how to do it, and moments later my cutie mark just ‘poofed’ out of existence. It took at least fifty tries and fifty minutes, but she had finally done it... For several seconds until it flashed back with a loud ‘bang!’. “Oh come on! I thought I had it! That worked until the very last minute!” She groaned in frustration. Her friends left a while ago and were up ahead at the treehouse, probably waiting for not only her to arrive, but bring her stuff as well.” “So did I! That one was actually really good! However you really must practise more to pull it off like me, I’m now at the stage where I’ve trained my base magic to be as good and accurate as a unicorn’s horn. If I want to do something, it happens immediately.” I told her as I flipped upside down and floated next to her with my wings folded up against my sides still. “Woah.” She looked at me in awe. “Awesome! Can we try again once I get my energy back? I’m quite drained.” ‘Well, I guess I can stay for a bit here.’ “Using magic for beginners can be quite exhausting, but you’re stamina will improve. If you practise, that is... Tomorrow sound good?” she just puppy dog eyed me and leapt up in joy! Arghhh! So... Irresistably... Cute! I smiled. It was quite nice actually being social with somepony for once. I never would have thought in my quite long lifetime... “You coming or what?!” She called from the clubhouse rail. “I got a spare sleeping bag if you want it!” She teased. ‘Well, there’s no harm in that I suppose. Not like I’ve got anywhere else to go... And if I say no, I’ll probably just find myself in the realm again. Plus I did promise her I’d stay...’, “You sure?!” “Why would I offer if I wasn’t?!” She giggled. “Or are you too scared of playing truth or dare with three young mares in the middle of twenty acres of a desolate apple orchard!?” She said almost seductively but still obviously joking. I began trotting up the platform to the doorway, where I saw the three sitting there in their pj’s already and talking. I don’t know what about. I clambered lazily into my sleeping bag and prepared for what was obviously going to be a long, long night. “So who wants to talk more about Flare?!” Scootaloo bursted. “Me!” “Ah do! “... I’d rather not...” I whispered quietly. Almost inaudiblely. “Where do you live? I’ve never seen you around before.” Sweetie Belle stated whilst the others nodded in agreement. ‘That’s because I’ve only ‘been around here’ for less than a day. Not that I could tell them the truth... Or could I? I’ve already told them so much...’ I inhaled deeply. “Well...-“