The Line Between Fire and Light

by Stolenalicorn


9 Pets and Snow

Fall was coming to an end in Ponyville, Twilight knew that any day Cloudsdale would arrive with winter. There were preparations she had to take care of and events to coordinate, but something nagged at the back of her mind as she began to plan.

It was Spike that finally reminded her of the cultural exchange she had suggested months earlier, though really it was just over a month with her trip back in time. Twilight quietly wondered how James, Lucca, and Tali managed to keep it straight with all of the time travel they did. Even one month completely threw her off.

With the reminder Twilight began to work on a schedule for James that would let him and his family experience all they could of the autumn to winter transition. If she wrote the letter to him now he would be there in plenty of time to help out.

James was accompanied by Lucca, Tali, Sara, and Amber all polymorphed to blend in as much as they ever did. Which wasn't much given James's form as an alicorn, Tali's environmental suit and Lucca's distinct lack of a cutie mark.

Twilight began showing them around Ponyville, explaining what how and why they were doing things to get ready for winter. She would be setting them up to stay in her castle while they visited.

Lucca and Tali spent most of their time studying the progression of their technology. Curious about many of the devices that they used and how they had developed alongside magic. Tali was interested in learning how it functioned while Lucca was trying to figure out what she could make that incorporated the magical technology.

James was spending a lot of time in Twilight's library studying magic, while he had a great deal of these books stored digitally in New Guardia's Grand Archive he never really found the time to read them. Partially because he needed to use magic just to read them until they were properly translated.

Sara and Amber found themselves spending most of their time with the CMCs, realizing that while they looked up to the other ponies, they had much more fun with those closer to their ages. With the exception of Pinkie Pie who was more than happy to drop everything and play.

It was when Cloudsdale was in sight that things really began to pick up. Twilight made sure to have James registered for the Running of the Leafs while Sara and Amber would help with cleanup. Lucca and Tali opted out of the race when they learned it was a marathon.

James had known the intent of the race even before Twilight informed him and he was determined to not cheat, no matter how much he was tempted to as he was reminded just how out of shape he was.

The race began and immediately James regretted his far too long break from exercise. It took a great deal of effort but he managed to stay with the herd as they ran, his full weight hitting with each step and adding to the shaking they were all causing. Rainbow Dash flew overhead and cheered them on as Pinkie Pie once again announced the race to it's spectators.

James hadn't run like this in a long time, and his stamina wasn't what it used to be. Even still, the enhancements he didn't activate kept him easily tied with the group until the finish was in sight. James lowered his head and took a deep breath as his steps became more frequent. Clearly he wasn't the only one who was holding back as the group began to break up as they got closer to the end. James smiled as he pushed himself harder, he knew he could win this, there was no reason not to. Though without magic or ki it was going to be harder fought than he would normally care for.

Each step left a larger divot as he put more power behind his run propelling him further ahead. He was neck and neck with a pegasus mare as they closed in on the line. His muscles burned, particularly the muscles in his forelegs what weren't used to this kind of work. It was challenging to keep coordinated but as his vision narrowed he hit his stride and pushed forward. With one last burst James pulled ahead just at the end to take the gold by a narrow margin. Even though this was much less effort than he was used to putting into things James still panted heavily. It had been so long since he had actually run and even longer since he done any significant training.

Every racer and observer was shocked at the spectacle of a clearly overweight stallion taking first place in the race. Even as James got the medal his lack of exercise showed as he walked much slower than anyone else. Amber and Sara both ran up to him and hugged him.

“Dad, that was great.” Amber said as she let go of him.

“But you could have won the race before anypony was even halfway through.” Sara commented, much to the shock of everyone who could hear her besides her parents and Tali.

“But that wouldn't have gotten the job done.” James calmly explained as he panted. “And I don't think they'd have been too happy if I'd used magic or ki to win this. This needed to be run fairly.”

“And it's a good thing he ran it the way he did.” Twilight said as she came to land by them. “By not using any magic or flying your father showed that he's taking the cultural exchange seriously, and that he respects the other ponies he raced with.” She enjoyed that she had something to teach to James's daughters, and she already knew that they would listen. Amber especially was wide eyed as she spoke.

“And that I really need to get back in shape.” James added with a cough. “You know, I'm actually surprised that Rainbow Dash isn't here. I'd imagine she'd want to see who won.”

Twilight nodded as she thought about it. “Well, she seemed worried about Tank. Maybe she took him to Fluttershy to make sure he's alright.”

“As close as it is to winter, I'm surprised he's not already hibernating.” Lucca said as she started to walk towards the leafs they needed to clean up.

They continued to talk casually as Tali joined them getting the leafs piled up, a frustrating process with Sara and Amber jumping in any pile large enough to completely cover them. It wasn't until Amber saw Pegasi bringing in clouds that she started beating her wings. Very slowly Amber began to lift off the ground as she focused on beating her wings.

Twilight smiled as she watched the child slowly gain altitude. James carefully positioning himself underneath his ecstatic daughter.

“I'm flying!” Amber shouted as she opened her eyes. “I'm really flying!” Moments after her proclamation she dropped. James's, Lucca's, and Twilight's magic catching her as she fell and gently bringing her to rest on James's back.

James laughed as he congratulated her. “Flying's a lot of work you know. Even the way I fly took years for me to figure out. … Before someone finally taught me.”

“Will you teach us?” Sara asked. It was obvious that she was jealous of Amber for being able to fly and she was having no end of trouble figuring out Equestrian magic.

“We'll see about that. You both have to be doing well enough in school that some missing homework won't make a difference, because what you need to fly like I do is far more than just lessons.”

Applejack had heard the conversation as she approached with Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. “Uh, don't you just flap your wings like a Pegasus?” She asked, as she started raking leafs.

“No, I actually concentrate my Ki around me to lift and propel myself. I only ever use these wings to maneuver. Remember, I don't normally have wings so I had to use other methods to fly.” James explained as he began raking once more.

Their conversation continued until their attention was abruptly seized by Rainbow Dash shouting at Pinkie Pie. James ensured that Amber and Sara stayed out of the situation, even though he knew that they only wanted to help. As well as keeping his comments to himself. Eventually Rainbow Dash flew off in a huff, hauling Tank behind her.

“Sorry about that.” Twilight said.

“She's not normally like this.” Fluttershy added.

James just shook his head. “I know that. I may be jaded, but I still understand. At least Tank will be coming back in spring.” He wanted to offer Rainbow Dash some emotional support, but she wasn't in a place to accept anything he might offer.

“She'll just have to come to terms with that.” Lucca said as she lifted a pile of leafs Amber was about to jump into.

Tali took Amber and Sara and followed Applejack and Pinkie Pie to another section of the town where they would be working. James and Lucca went along with Twilight and Rarity to hang icicles. James occasionally glancing up towards the air, watching Rainbow Dash's attempts to sabotage winter.

Eventually everyone took a break for lunch. By this time there was a great deal of snow covering the ground and James started fishing fur lined cloaks from his bag of holding, handing them out to his family and offering them to the ponies, reassuring Fluttershy that they weren't real fur.

Lucca was immediately suspicious as to why he brought cloaks when they could have easily bought coats in Ponyville.

It was when there was something obviously wrong with Cloudsdale that James took his sword from the bag and used it to prop himself up. The wind blew his hair and the fur of his cloak as he watched, desperately fighting off a stupid grin. Lucca had her hoof to her face as she watched while Twilight gave the line James was obviously posing for. The line delivered James stowed his sword back in his bag and waited, stupid grin proudly displayed.

Twilight turned and shouted her warning as James watched the snowball closing in. The others ran as he stood and laughed insanely at the incoming season.

James withstood the shock wave and pummeling of the snow as it blasted it's way through Ponyville, covering everything in it's path. A gentle snow began to fall after the initial impact ended and the ponies began to dig themselves out. James climbed out of the pile that formed around him, smiling as wide as ever, watching as they all popped out from under the thick snow and helping where he was needed.

It wasn't long before they found Rainbow Dash at the epicenter, climbing out of her own mound of snow and looking panicked. Her mood only seemed to worsen as she found Tank, once again ready to hibernate. She fell back, devastated that nothing she had done had made any difference.

James's smile immediately vanished seeing her open devastation that Tank wouldn't be with her through the winter. And he couldn't help but feel sorry for the desperate girl who only wanted to stay with her pet. He remembered his own pets that had long since died and felt a tug at his heart to help her in any way he could. Ultimately she would have to accept this, but laying in the show as she was would only result in her getting sick and feeling more miserable. With a nod to Lucca they both approached Rainbow Dash.

Lucca saw it in his expression; he cared.

“Come on.” James quietly said as he draped his cloak over her. “Let's get you warmed up before something happens.”

Rainbow Dash humphed as he spoke, she didn't care what he had to say, clearly nothing was going to keep Tank from hibernating and leaving her all alone through winter.

Lucca lifted Tank with her magic as James used his forelegs to pick up Rainbow Dash, she never took her eyes off her precious pet and friend. The couple quietly took off into the air with their temporary charges, James whispering a warming spell as they flew towards Rainbow Dash's house.

As Lucca and James came to mansion in the clouds Lucca hovered just above the clouds as James used his magic to open the front door. Rainbow Dash hadn't made any attempt to move or speak the entire trip there. If she even registered that she had been moved she didn't show it.

As they got closer to her room Lucca stopped James. “Let's get her to her bed and I'll handle the rest.” She quietly offered.

Following Lucca, James placed Rainbow Dash sitting on her bed and with only a quick kiss on Lucca's cheek he left.

Rainbow Dash looked at Tank resting on the bed next to her, thinking about all the time she had wanted to spend with him and how her home would feel empty without him. Why did he have to go? It just wasn't fair.

It wasn't hard for Lucca to find something warm for Rainbow Dash to put on and even found Tank's matching robes next to hers. Clearly she was very attached to the tortoise and this was going to take time for her to handle. Lucca had dealt with this kind of despair before, but those were the orphans she had taken care of. Rainbow Dash wasn't one of her orphans and she just had to come to terms with the situation.

Once dressed Rainbow Dash lay down and continued to ignore everything going on around her, focusing completely on Tank. She didn't want to think about anything else right now.

James stood by the front door and watched as the balloon rose through the clouds. He had cast another warming spell in the area, while it wouldn't bring the temperature much higher than a cool spring day it was quite comfortable compared to outside.

“How's she doing?” Twilight asked as they entered the home.

James shook his head as he spoke. Anyone who knew him (Tali and Lucca especially) knew that women were his greatest weakness, even women of different species. More so if they treated him like a friend. And right now he was doing everything in his power to not try to solve the problem. After all, he couldn't. “She's pretty depressed. She needs her friends right now.”

“I see.” Twilight said as she started to walk to Rainbow Dash's bedroom.

As the group walked towards Rainbow Dash's bedroom only Rarity turned as she saw James standing at the door still. “Aren't you coming?”

James shook his head and gave a halfhearted grin. “She needs her friends, not some weird guy who just shows up sometimes. Go on.”

Rarity gave James a patient smile. “Darling, you really need to start thinking better of yourself. I know I'd happily call you a friend.”

James smiled at the compliment. “Hey, save that for the one who needs you right now.”

Rarity nearly turned right into Lucca as she went to catch up to the group. She apologized quickly before she walked off.

“You sure you don't want to be there?” Lucca asked as she stood by James.

James smiled as he looked to his wife. “You know exactly what I'd do.”

Lucca did know, there were examples across universes where he let his heart show. Not many grandiose gestures, often just a story from a few people who needed help that he had moved mountains to provide. Lucca looked at these examples as one of the reasons she married him. “You're soft.” She said giving him a hug.

James gladly returned it as he looked at her. “Aren't you always telling me to stop obsessing over my size?” He had to joke, had to think about something else. He couldn't help.

Once again in a few short words James completely changed the mood. “Don't make me hit you.” Lucca said stifling a laugh.

It was several minutes before the group came back down, most of them had obviously been crying. Twilight looked to James as she got close to the door. “And where were you?” She asked.

James smiled as he looked to her. “Right here.” He didn't want to talk much at the moment. He was trying not to make things worse. He couldn't do anything.

Twilight was expecting more of an answer from him, but that clearly wasn't happening. “Weren't you the one who said she needs her friends right now?”

“Yes.” As James spoke Lucca smacked her face with her hoof again.

This was bordering on frustrating as James gave only the most basic answer to her questions. “You know what? I'm not doing this right now. I'll …”

James interrupted her as she began to sound more irritated. “She needed all of you. I'm just some guy who comes by on occasion, she doesn't even like me that much. Besides you don't need a big guy like me blubbering everywhere, I might just embarrass you.”

Lucca looked to James and back to the group before shrugging. He was being mostly honest with them about this. “There's little middle ground with him in these situations, either you get the works or he freezes up. If it were the latter he may have come across as unfeeling and that would only make things worse.”

“I'm not good at having emotions.” James stated with a halfhearted smile. “Now that I think of it, it's probably time Lucca and I get back to Amber and Sara. Assuming that they aren't currently trying to get up here themselves. Now each of you take care. It's cold outside now and that massive snowball didn't help things.”

Twilight took James's and Lucca's explanation for what it was. No matter how similar they were, James was a different creature with a drastically different culture. Strange as it may sound to her it was entirely possible that he had difficulty expressing certain emotions. “Meet us by the lake, after all this work you should join us for some fun.” She offered.

James nodded as the girls walked out to their balloon. Lucca began to levitate before flying out of the house with James close behind her as they went back to their daughters.

It was getting close to evening while James watched his daughters play in the new snow. He had decided to let them have as much fun as they wanted since the snow never got this deep anywhere near Truce. Tali was talking to a group of mares and Lucca was having a snowball fight with Applejack while he looked on.

Rainbow Dash was ready to join them, having read a chapter from Daring Doo to Tank as he hibernated. As she approached the hill to the lake she saw James sitting alone and looking out as the others had fun. When she thought about it she realized that he had wanted to help her at least as much as her other friends. And that once things had settled down after his arrival he was trying hard to be nice to everyone.

She watched as he stared off into the distance. Maybe she had misjudged him after his initial blow up and had kept her distance from him since then. She smiled to herself as she decided it was time to give him a chance. Clearly he wanted to be friends. She walked up to James as he silently watched the others having fun. “Hey James.” She said as she sat next to him.

James smiled as he looked to her. “Nice to see you up an about. … How are you feeling?”

“Better.” Rainbow Dash wanted to ask why he hadn't been there with the others when they talked to her, but as he looked back out she could see why that was. He was watching others going about their business without even thinking about him. In what stories of his she'd bothered listen to he would always say that he never did anything important, or that his intervention was unnecessary. He never thought about himself as part of something, just an outsider looking in.

“Thanks for warming me up. I probably would have just laid there in the snow without you.” She said watching the other ponies along with James.

“Nah, you'd have gotten up eventually.” James said with a grin. “I just couldn't stand to see you sad like that. … Thanks for coming to see me.” James used his wing to reach out and give her a quick side hug.

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but notice his deflection. She had no idea why he wouldn't accept appreciation, but maybe he just didn't think he did anything. But he should still have some fun while everyone else was enjoying themselves. “Want to join that snowball fight? I think Applejack needs your help. I'll join Lucca.” She suggested.

James inhaled as he thought about it. Why was she trying to cheer him up? “Sure, but you have to promise to not throw a snow ball like that last one.”

Rainbow Dash had no idea what James was talking about, and her confusion was easy to see.

James couldn't help but chuckle as he explained. “The one that brought all of this.” He said with a smile. “You beat all of Ponyville with one snowball. There's no topping that.”

Rainbow Dash started to laugh as she thought about it. “Alright. No more snowballs like that.”

James only gave a simple reply as he jumped up and slid down the hill, his magic forming several snowballs as he went. Rainbow Dash flying close behind. “Game on.”