The cave suddenly seemed a thousand times brighter than it was before, hotter too. Dulcet didn’t seem the slightest bit phased by the new Alicorn. “Blaze, I know our arrival was uninvited, but we need to impose on your hospitality.”
Twilight finally got a good look at him, the Alicorn prince. From head to hoof, he appeared to be a walking mass of smoldering coal, but it was his mane and tail that got her attention the fastest. They appeared to be on fire. They were fires, burning brightly and eliminating any shadows throughout the cave.
Then, there were his eyes, which burned like little stars. It was all a little unsettling to look at, but at the same time, Twilight felt safe and comfortable in his presence.
Blaze caught her looking and smiled. “Hmm… Purple coat, star-shaped cutie mark, a bright mind… You must be Princess Twilight Sparkle, guardian of friendship.”
He quickly extended a hoof towards her. Twilight hesitated at the offer, seeing as it looked like it might burst into flames at any moment. Blaze laughed and retracted his hoof. “I’m only teasing you, your highness. I’m not a big ‘hugger’ myself.”
Then, he looked at Dulcet. “As for you… I don’t believe we’ve met, but you look awfully familiar. Did we bump into each other on the island a few thousand years ago and fool around a little?”
Dulcet turned as red as the fire in front of her. “Wha-What? No… No, of course not… You must have me confused with another princess.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow at her, but Blaze didn’t seem bothered at all. “Ah, you’re probably right. A guy can forget a name and pretty face after almost four thousand years, but you aren’t here to listen to me ramble on, are you?”
Dulcet chuckled and shook her head. “No indeed… We need a place to stay to hide from Demise, and we could certainly use your help standing against her.”
The prince paused. “Demise? So that’s what all that thunder and crazy stuff was… I thought the ponies were experimenting with new weather patterns, but I can see from the look on your face that you’re serious.” He took a deep breath and sighed, looking towards the snowy mouth of the cave. “Well, I can’t refuse a plea for help, especially not from two mares as lovely as you.” Again, Dulcet turned red. “Why don’t you come inside and tell me what’s going on?”
Twilight looked around the cave. “Inside?”
Blaze fired her a cocky grin as his horn began to glow. Well, it didn’t glow so much as it did burst into flames. A burning hole opened up on the side of one of the cave’s rock walls, and the Alicorn casually stepped through. “Come, laddies! I don’t want to track any snow into my dinning hall!”
Dulcet and Twilight shared a brief glance before following Blaze through the wall. Then, it closed behind them, leaving the cave dark and void of life. Inside, Twilight was immediately met with a blast of warmth and sense of comfort.
Prince Blaze certainly lived a luxurious lifestyle. The entire room was furnished from carpets, to coffee tables and sofas. In the back, a grand dining table stretched from wall to wall, and an ornate chandelier occupied the center of the room. “Welcome, princesses, to my humble home… What’s mine is yours.”
Dulcet leaned close to Twilight so she wouldn’t be overheard by their host. “If this is his idea of ‘humble’, I don’t want to see his ego peaked.”
Her and Twilight shared a snicker as they followed Blaze to the dining table.
“You two must be famished. My servants I’ll be bringing diner out any moment, so why don’t you make yourselves comfortable?”
Twilight looked around. “Servants?”
The prince nodded and clapped his hoof against the surface of the table. On que, a dozen, little ponies emerged from a kitchen door behind the standing grandfather clock. They looked mike miniature versions of adult ponies, but what was most surprising was the fact that they were entirely made of fire, faceless and expressionless as they carried trays of food on their backs. “Oh, my chef is a genius when it comes to meal preparation. The two of you are in for a real treat.”
Twilight looked towards Dulcet for confirmation, and the white Alicorn nodded. Amazingly, everything actually looked good, and Twilight’s stomach growled viciously, reminding her just how hungry she really was.
Everypony sat around the table as Blaze’s servants set the banquet. It consisted of copious amounts of fruit, loaves of buttered bread fresh from the oven, pitcher after pitcher of a dark, sweet-smelling liquid, among other delicious morals. “Don’t worry, none of it’s alcoholic, so don’t worry about who’s flying who home.”
Dulcet cleared her throat after accepting a drink from one of the servants. “Thank you… We should really discuss Demise and how we’re going to stop her.”
Blaze nodded. “Yes, yes… You mentioned as much before, and I’ll gladly help. Without a princess of time to rule over the universe, everything will collapse into chaos. Have you seen my sister, Cascade? I’m sure she would be happy to join us as well.”
Twilight’s jaw fell. “Cascade is your sister?”
Blaze chuckled and shrugged. “Yeah… I know it doesn’t look like we have any kind of family resemblance, but trust me when I tell you it’s there.”
Dulcet shook her head. “No, I havn’t seen her in some time. We should try to find her as soon as this meeting is concluded.” Twilight remembered something Cascade told her, something about being a part of every river and stream in Equestria. “As for the others, we will need the help of every Alicorn we can get in order to send Demise back to the island and keep her there for good.”
Blaze pondered this inbetween bites. “Hmm… I can think of a few possible candidates.”
Twilight thought of Celestia, Luna, and Cadence. “Me too. I need to get to Canterlot to see them.”
Dulcet took a long sip before setting her goblet down. “We must act quickly before we go to war with Demise. She’s out there recruiting other Alicorns to her side as we speak.”
The prince looked a little disheartened, but he put on a brave face. “I suppose this is really going to happen, then?” Dulcet nodded sadly. “Very well…” He stood up from the table. “Eat as much as you wish. Then, my servants will show you to the door. It will take you directly to Canterlot to find the rulers of Equestria.”
Dulcet watched as he left the table and headed towards the kitchen door. “What about you, Prince Blaze?”
The burning Alicorn smiled over his shoulder at her. “I gotta help chef with the dishes. Then, I’ll recruit us some Alicorns.”
He didsapesred into the kitchen, and Dulcet turned to Twilight and sighed. “Are you ready?”
Twilight nodded. “Yeah… Let’s go.”
***Up Next: Celestia***